Profiled Hollow Steering Shaft Rolling for Faster Groove Forming
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of profiled hollow shafts for telescopic steering shafts in motor vehicles is hindered by long cycle times and high production costs due to the need for stepwise machining and large wall thicknesses, which results in material flow and complex coordination of rotational and axial movements.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a profile mandrel and a roller head where the hollow shaft is moved exclusively along its longitudinal axis to form grooves, eliminating continuous rotary movement and allowing for shorter machining times, reduced complexity, and simplified production through cold rolling, with a constant radial distance and continuous advancing movement of the roller along the shaft.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If stepwise machining is used to create profiling in hollow shafts, then the desired profile can be formed, but cycle times increase and production costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow shaft is preliminarily prepared by providing a profile mandrel inside it before the actual profiling operation. This preliminary setup allows the forming tools to work more efficiently by having a pre-defined profile template, eliminating the need for complex stepwise machining and reducing cycle times while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
A profile mandrel is introduced as an intermediary element between the forming tools and the hollow shaft. The mandrel serves as a mediator that transfers the profile geometry to the hollow shaft through cold rolling, simplifying the machining process and enabling single-pass profiling instead of multiple machining steps.
2Strength
If large wall thicknesses are used in hollow shafts, then torsional stiffness is improved, but material consumption increases and processing complexity rises
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the processing parameters by using cold rolling with a profile mandrel instead of traditional stepwise machining. This allows for optimized wall thicknesses that provide sufficient torsional stiffness while reducing material consumption, as the cold rolling process can create precise profiles with thinner walls compared to conventional machining methods.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of uniformly thick walls throughout the hollow shaft, the invention applies local quality by creating specific profiled sections (such as grooves or external profiles) only where needed for torque transmission and telescopic functionality. This allows reduced wall thickness in non-critical areas while maintaining stiffness in profiled regions.
3Ease of manufacture
If continuous rotary movement is used during profiling, then the hollow shaft can be processed, but cycle times are extended
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of rotating the hollow shaft continuously during profiling, the invention inverts the approach by moving the forming tools linearly along the stationary or slowly advancing hollow shaft. This reversal of the motion paradigm eliminates the need for complex continuous rotary movement coordination and significantly reduces cycle times while maintaining ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the complex mechanical system of continuous rotary movement with a simpler linear motion system. By using cold rolling with a profile mandrel and moving the forming tools linearly along the shaft axis, the patent eliminates the need for coordinated rotational and axial movements, simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing cycle times.
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 significantly reduces cycle times, simplifies the fabrication process, and minimizes friction and material displacement, resulting in a cost-effective and efficient production method for profiled hollow shafts with reduced play and improved torsional stiffness.
Implementation Method 1
allowing for shorter machining times, reduced complexity, and simplified production through cold rolling
Implementation Method 2
minimizes friction and material displacement
Data Source
AI summary
A method for producing a profiled hollow shaft for a telescopic steering shaft of a motor vehicle may involve providing a hollow shaft to be processed, a profile mandrel, and a roller head comprising at least one roller. The method may further involve introducing the profile mandrel into the hollow shaft in order to produce a groove in the hollow shaft. The method may also involve moving the profile mandrel and the hollow shaft together relative to the roller head, wherein movement of the profile mandrel and the hollow shaft relative to the roller head is performed exclusively in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the hollow shaft in order to form a groove.