Sensorized Bearing Ring With DED Raceway for Wear-Protected Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensorized bearings are either expensive or unreliable due to the wear caused by rolling elements, and existing solutions like optical fibers are costly and difficult to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
A method for manufacturing a sensorized bearing ring using a metallic ring member with a sensor member and a raceway layer applied via Directed Energy Deposition (DED) operations, such as laser cladding, which embeds sensors underneath the raceway without requiring expensive machining, providing protection from wear and improving durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If optical fibers are used underneath the raceway for sensing, then sensing reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive optical fibers with inexpensive piezoelectric or piezoresistive sensors that can be manufactured using standard semiconductor processes. These sensors are embedded in the bearing ring substrate and provide reliable sensing without requiring complex optical fiber routing and protection channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes optical sensing mechanisms with electrical sensing mechanisms using piezoelectric or piezoresistive materials. This replacement eliminates the need for optical fiber infrastructure while providing equivalent or superior sensing capability for detecting mechanical stress, temperature, and acceleration in bearing applications.
2Measurement precision
If sensors are placed on the raceway to be over-rolled by rolling elements, then measurement accuracy is improved, but sensor reliability deteriorates due to wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds the sensing elements within the bearing ring substrate, creating a nested structure where the sensor is protected inside the robust bearing ring material. This nesting provides mechanical protection against wear from rolling elements while maintaining the sensor's ability to detect stress, temperature, and acceleration through the bearing ring structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite material structures where piezoelectric or piezoresistive sensing materials are integrated into the bearing ring substrate. This composite approach combines the mechanical durability of the bearing ring material with the sensing capabilities of the embedded materials, protecting sensors from wear while enabling accurate measurements.
3Reliability
If sensors are embedded underneath the raceway for protection, then sensor reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to hard milling operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates sensing elements during the initial manufacturing of the bearing ring substrate, before final machining operations. By embedding sensors in the substrate material during fabrication rather than installing them afterward, the need for complex post-machining operations like hard milling is eliminated, simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the sensor embedding process with the bearing ring manufacturing process itself. Instead of separate operations for sensor installation and protection channel creation, the sensing elements are integrated into the substrate during fabrication, merging multiple manufacturing steps into one cohesive process that reduces complexity.
4Ease of manufacture
If standard bearing manufacturing is used without sensor integration, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but sensor reliability and performance are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates sensor embedding into the preliminary stages of bearing ring manufacturing, during substrate fabrication. This preliminary integration ensures sensors are properly positioned and protected from the outset, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while guaranteeing sensor reliability and performance throughout the bearing's operational life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges sensor integration with standard bearing manufacturing processes, combining the creation of the bearing ring substrate and the embedding of sensing elements into a unified manufacturing flow. This merging maintains the simplicity of standard manufacturing while ensuring sensors are reliably integrated and protected, avoiding the need for separate complex sensor installation procedures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in a cost-efficient, reliable sensorized bearing ring with enhanced thermal and shock resistance, protecting sensors from wear and environmental contaminants while maintaining accurate sensing capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
applying a raceway layer onto the metallic ring member and the sensor member by use of a metallic wire Directed Energy Deposition (DED) operation and/or a metallic powder DED operation
Implementation Method 2
as the coating material is rapidly heated and cooled, the microstructure of the raceway layer is refined, thereby improving the durability of the raceway
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a sensorized bearing ring includes the steps of: providing a metallic ring member, applying a sensor member on the metallic ring member, and applying a raceway layer onto the metallic ring member and the sensor member by use of a metallic wire Directed Energy Deposition (DED) operation and/or a metallic powder DED operation.