Track Link Seat Formation Curvature Stress Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing track link designs for work vehicles suffer from stress concentration issues due to edge formation during manufacturing processes, leading to potential cracks and structural weaknesses.
Innovation Solution
The track link design incorporates a seat formation part with a rounded corner and a through-hole, featuring a stepped part or boss to restrict nut member rotation, and a manufacturing method that forms the seat surface at an angle to alleviate stress concentration, eliminating the need for broaching and reducing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the peripheral structure of the seat surface is formed by broaching, then the seat surface can be precisely formed, but edges are formed and stress is concentrated during heat treatment, leading to cracks
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the conventional broaching process with a forging process that forms a curved grain flow toward the corner of the seat formation part. This curvature eliminates sharp edges and concentrates stress, thereby preventing cracks during heat treatment while maintaining manufacturing precision through controlled grain flow direction.
2Ease of manufacture
If flash is cut off at one corner to form the seat surface, then manufacturing is simplified, but edges are formed at both ends of the cut-off surfaces, causing stress concentration
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of cutting flash to form the seat surface, the invention uses a forging process that creates a curved grain flow pattern. The curved surface design eliminates sharp edges at the cut-off locations, distributing stress evenly while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through a single forging operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the seat surface is formed by conventional methods, then standard manufacturing processes are used, but additional broaching steps are required, increasing production cost and time
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the seat surface formation step with the main forging process. By integrating the curved grain flow formation into the forging operation itself, the need for separate broaching steps is eliminated, thereby increasing production efficiency while maintaining compatibility with standard manufacturing processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A track link includes a tread surface, a shoe surface, a communicating part, and a seat formation part. The tread surface comes into contact with a roller for an undercarriage. The shoe surface is disposed on an opposite side from the tread surface. A track shoe is attachable to the shoe surface. The communicating part is disposed between the shoe and tread surfaces. The communicating part passes through the track link in a width direction that is perpendicular to a linking direction, and allows side faces of the track link to communicate in the width direction. The seat formation part is formed on a shoe surface side of the communicating part. A through-hole passes through from the shoe surface to the seat formation part, and a bolt member is disposable in the through-hole. A number track links in a loop are usable in a track of a work vehicle.