Slew Bearing Frame Monolithic Plate Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing frame designs for mounting slew bearings on work machines, particularly excavators, face challenges due to inconsistencies in flatness and distortion caused by welding, which require labor-intensive machining to achieve accurate positioning, increasing manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A frame is formed using a single metallic plate with a vertical support portion and a substantially planar top surface, where the plate is punched to create slew bearing receiving apertures and pressed to form the vertical support legs, eliminating the need for welding and machining, thus ensuring accurate and efficient mounting of the slew bearing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a pedestal type frame with multiple welded components is used, then the frame structure is formed, but the horizontal support surface becomes distorted and non-flat due to welding, requiring additional machining operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate welded components (vertical support and horizontal support) into a single integrated frame structure. This eliminates the welding process that caused distortion, while still forming both the vertical and horizontal support functions in one piece, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and manufacturing precision.
2Productivity
If the horizontal support components are welded to form the frame, then the frame structure is assembled, but the welding process causes distortion and increases manufacturing time
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the vertical and horizontal supports into one monolithic frame structure, the patent eliminates the welding step entirely. This simultaneously improves productivity by removing a time-consuming process and maintains manufacturing precision by avoiding welding-induced distortion, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and precision.
3Device complexity
If multiple components are welded together to form the frame, then the frame can be assembled, but the process becomes labor intensive and increases manufacturing costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces device complexity by forming the entire frame structure from a single plate through forming operations rather than assembling multiple components. This simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces labor intensity, and eliminates welding-related costs, thereby resolving the contradiction between device complexity and ease of manufacture.
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 reduces manufacturing costs and time by eliminating the weld process and machining operations, ensuring a flat and perpendicular surface for accurate slew bearing mounting, thereby improving the efficiency and reliability of the undercarriage assembly.
Implementation Method 1
The metallic plate is punched to form a plurality of spaced apart slew bearing receiving apertures
Implementation Method 2
The metallic plate is pressed to form a vertical support portion having a first support leg, a second support leg and a substantially planar top surface portion
Data Source
AI summary
A frame and method for forming a frame to mount a slew bearing to an undercarriage of a work machine that eliminates a machining process. The frame is formed of a single metallic plate. The metallic plate includes a vertical support portion having a first support leg and a second support leg. The metallic plate also includes a substantially planar top surface portion that couples the first support leg to the second support leg. A plurality of spaced apart slew bearing receiving apertures are formed in the substantially planar top surface portion.