Plastic Sliding Element Sensor Circuit for Wear Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of sensor functions into plastic sliding elements with complex geometries is challenging, making it difficult and costly to equip them with reliable electrical functional circuits for detecting operating parameters.
Innovation Solution
A plastic sliding element with a conductor track structure formed directly on the molded part using additive manufacturing processes, eliminating the need for separate electrical components and allowing for the integration of sensors directly into the molded parts, thus increasing automation and reducing production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensor functions are integrated into plastic sliding elements with complex geometries using conventional methods, then detection capability is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sensor function directly into the plastic sliding element by integrating a functional circuit into the molded part itself. This merging eliminates the need for separate sensor components and their associated mounting, wiring, and encapsulation processes, thereby achieving reliable sensor integration while significantly reducing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The plastic sliding element is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides mechanical support and guidance while simultaneously incorporating sensor functionality through the integrated functional circuit. This multi-functionality allows a single component to replace what would traditionally require multiple separate parts, reducing overall device complexity.
2Measurement precision
If separate detector components are embedded into the sliding surface, then wear detection is enabled, but additional manufacturing steps and production costs are incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The detector is merged with the molded part itself, forming an integral component rather than a separate embedded element. The functional circuit is applied directly to the molded part surface, eliminating the need for separate embedding steps, additional encapsulation processes, and complex assembly operations, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture while enabling precise wear detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The functional circuit is applied to the molded part in a preliminary manufacturing step, before final assembly. This allows the sensor functionality to be integrated into the component during the molding process itself, rather than requiring subsequent embedding and encapsulation steps, thereby simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional PCBs are used as circuit carriers, then electrical functionality is achieved, but device size and integration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the circuit carrier function from the traditional PCB and transfers it directly to the molded part itself. The molded part serves as the substrate for the functional circuit, eliminating the need for a separate PCB component. This extraction reduces the number of parts that need to be assembled and integrated, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining integration flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The molded part is designed to serve as both the mechanical structural component and the electrical circuit carrier. This multi-functionality allows the same component to fulfill both mechanical and electrical roles, eliminating the need for separate PCBs and reducing assembly complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1A~3
Figure 4A~5B
AI summary
A plastic sliding component (10; 40) for mounting without lubricant in a sliding bearing is proposed, having a moulded part (12; 42) which is manufactured from plastic and has a sliding face (14; 44A) for movably guiding two bearing parts relative to one another. An electric function circuit (16; 46) with a sensor function for acquiring an operating parameter is arranged on the moulded part (12; 42). The invention proposes that the function circuit (16; 46) comprises at least one conductor track structure (17, 17A; 47, 47A) which is formed on the moulded part (12) as a carrier of the conductor track structure. The function circuit can preferably be applied to the prefabricated moulded part (12; 42), which is made of plastic, by means of an additive fabrication method (AM method).