Elevator Sheave Liner Wear Indicators for Timely Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing elevator systems face challenges in economically and reliably determining when sheave liners need replacement, leading to unnecessary costs and downtime due to either premature or delayed replacement, which affects the reliability and maintenance efficiency of the roping system.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of an elevator sheave liner with a liner body featuring a plurality of blind holes of varying depths and widths, providing a visible indication of wear over time, allowing for efficient and straightforward assessment of the liner's condition without requiring special tools or instruments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sheave liners are replaced frequently to ensure safety, then reliability of the roping system is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to unnecessary downtime and increased maintenance costs
Solution Approach 1:
The blind holes are pre-formed at different depths and positions on the sheave liner during manufacturing. These holes serve as predetermined wear indicators that will progressively become visible as the liner wears, allowing maintenance personnel to assess liner condition without special tools or complex measurements.
2Productivity
If sheave liners are replaced infrequently to maximize productivity, then elevator availability is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to increased risk of roping wear and failure
Solution Approach 1:
The visible blind holes provide direct visual feedback on the wear condition of the sheave liner. As the liner material wears away, previously hidden blind holes become visible through the outer surface, creating a clear feedback mechanism that indicates when the liner has reached critical wear thresholds and requires replacement.
3Measurement precision
If complex measurement tools and procedures are used to assess liner wear, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The blind holes create visual contrast changes on the sheave liner surface as they become visible through wear. This color/visibility change provides an intuitive, easy-to-interpret indicator of wear progression that requires no specialized knowledge or tools, simply visual inspection by maintenance personnel.
Data Source
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AI summary
An illustrative example embodiment of an elevator sheave liner includes a liner body (33) having a first surface (34) configured to engage an elevator load bearing member and an oppositely facing second surface (36). The liner body (33) includes a plurality of blind holes (40, 42, 44) in the second surface (36) including at least a first blind hole (40) and a second blind hole (44). The first blind hole (40) has a first depth (D1) and the second blind hole has (44) a second, different depth (D2). A material of the liner body (33) has a first thickness (T1) between the first blind hole (40) and the first surface (34) and a second, different thickness (T2) between the second blind hole (44) and the first surface (34).