High Carbon Steel Track Shoe with Reliefs for Wear Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing track shoes for mobile machines are prone to wear, heavy, and costly due to their low carbon content, leading to increased maintenance and fuel consumption, and are cumbersome to replace or repair.

Innovation Solution

The track shoe design incorporates high carbon content steel with reduced grouser bar dimensions and strategically placed reliefs to maintain yield strength while minimizing mass, using a combination of high carbon content steels like SAE 15B34, SAE 40BV40, and SAE 15B27 steel, and optimized geometry to reduce overall mass and manufacturing costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If low carbon content steel is used for track shoes, then ductility is improved, but wear resistance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveductilityVSAvoidwear resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by increasing the carbon content of the steel from typical low carbon levels (0.05-0.25% C) to high carbon content (0.3-0.6% C), fundamentally changing the material properties to achieve superior wear resistance while maintaining adequate ductility through controlled composition ranges

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If high carbon content steel is used for track shoes, then wear resistance is improved, but mass increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewear resistanceVSAvoidtrack shoe mass

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent resolves this contradiction by changing the material parameter (carbon content) to achieve wear resistance, but then compensates for the mass increase through geometric optimization - reducing grouser bar dimensions and adding reliefs to the base, thereby achieving the desired wear resistance with minimized mass

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If high carbon content steel is used for track shoes, then durability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovedurabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent addresses the cost issue by optimizing the carbon content to a specific range (0.3-0.6% C) rather than using extremely high carbon content, balancing durability requirements with material cost. The geometric optimizations also reduce material consumption, further mitigating manufacturing costs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Ease of manufacture

If standard track shoe geometry is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but wear performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidwear performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by modifying specific geometric features (grouser bar dimensions, relief locations and sizes) rather than completely redesigning the track shoe. This targeted approach optimizes wear performance in critical areas while maintaining overall manufacturing simplicity and compatibility with existing manufacturing processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2726360B1Mobile machine track shoe

Publication Date: 2017.09.27 CATERPILLAR INC

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AI summary

A mobile machine track shoe (24) includes a ground engaging surface (26) including a first grouser bar (32) and a second grouser bar (33) substantially parallel to the first grouser bar (32). The track shoe (24) further includes a base (28) opposite the ground engaging surface (26). The base (28) includes a first relief (40) disposed opposite the first grouser bar (32), and a second relief (42) disposed opposite the second grouser bar (33).