Torque Sensor Shaft Metallic Glass Coating Process
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing torque sensor shafts with metallic glass coatings face challenges in ensuring suitable preheating and thermal spraying processes, which are crucial for forming a magnetostrictive region with high adhesion and torque detection characteristics, making it difficult to mass-produce high-quality torque sensor shafts.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing method involving a conveying pallet that rotates shaft-shaped workpieces through a series of work devices, including preheating, thermal spraying, masking, and shot blasting, while using cylindrical covers to maintain uniform temperature and symmetrical holders to prevent uneven heating, and employing a thermal spraying device with a flame cooling mechanism to form a metallic glass coating with high adhesion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a torque sensor shaft is divided into a shaft body and a separate magnetic shielding layer, then magnetic shielding effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the shaft body and magnetic shielding layer into a single integrated component manufactured in one piece. This eliminates the need for separate magnetic shielding layers while maintaining shielding effectiveness through the shaft's own geometric design and material properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft body is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support for the torque sensor and inherently provides magnetic shielding through its structural design. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated magnetic shielding components.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional machining methods are used for the shaft body, then manufacturing flexibility is maintained, but manufacturing time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical machining methods with additive manufacturing technology. This substitution enables complex three-dimensional structures to be manufactured directly without multiple machining steps, significantly reducing manufacturing time and costs while maintaining design flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the manufacturing approach from subtractive (machining) to additive (3D printing) processes. This parameter change in the manufacturing method allows for rapid production of complex geometries that would be time-consuming and costly to machine conventionally.
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 method enables the efficient and uniform formation of a magnetostrictive region with a predetermined pattern on torque sensor shafts, ensuring high-quality torque detection characteristics and facilitating mass production by maintaining consistent temperature and adhesion of the metallic glass coating.
Implementation Method 1
suitably preheat the shaft and also control the thermal spraying temperature
Implementation Method 2
a flame including a metal powder is sprayed, melting the metal powder
Implementation Method 3
the flame is cooled from the outside by a cooling gas, before it reaches the shaft surface
Implementation Method 4
the magnetic permeability of the magnetostrictive regions V/W respectively increases or decreases due to mutually opposite magnetostrictive effects
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~2(c)
Figure 3(a)~3(e)
AI summary
[Problem] Provided are favorable manufacturing equipment and a favorable manufacturing method for torque sensor shafts. [Solution] The equipment is for manufacturing a torque sensor shaft by forming a magnetostrictive region including a metallic glass coating in a predetermined pattern on a side face of a shaft-shaped workpiece. This is characterized in that: a) the shaft-shaped workpiece is rotatably attached on a conveying pallet A; b) the conveying pallet A is successively conveyed to each of work devices including a preheating device 20 for the shaft-shaped workpiece, a thermal spraying device 40 for forming a metallic glass coating on a side face of the shaft-shaped workpiece, a masking device 60 configured to provide a covering corresponding to the pattern on the coating, and a shot blasting device 70 configured to provide shot blasting directed toward the metallic glass coating including the covering; and c) preheating, thermal spraying, masking, and shot blasting are performed respectively on the shaft-shaped workpiece while rotating the shaft-shaped workpiece on the conveying pallet A at each of the work devices.