Transmission Component Production With In-Process Vibration Grading

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for producing transmission components, such as gearwheels, often detect quality defects too late in the manufacturing process, leading to potential long-term damage and costly repairs, as well as inefficient use of components in different transmission devices.

Innovation Solution

A method that incorporates at least one vibration sensor on a manufacturing machine to detect and evaluate vibrations during the production of transmission components, allowing for real-time classification into quality classes, enabling early detection of defective components and optimizing the manufacturing process by adjusting parameters like rotation speeds and feed rates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If quality checks are performed after transmission component manufacture or installation, then manufacturing process is simple, but defective components are detected too late causing long-term damage and expensive repairs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequality detection timingVSAvoidtime to detect defects

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The vibration sensor performs quality assessment during the manufacturing process itself, before the component is completed or installed. This preliminary detection allows defective components to be identified and removed early, preventing the need for later costly repairs and reducing the time lost to defect detection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors vibrations during manufacture and provides real-time feedback about component quality. This feedback loop enables immediate identification of defective components, allowing for timely intervention and preventing defective parts from proceeding to installation or causing damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If all transmission components are manufactured to highest quality standards, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransmission component qualityVSAvoidmanufacturing resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different quality levels to different components based on their actual measured performance. Instead of uniformly manufacturing all components to the highest quality standard, each component receives the quality level appropriate to its actual characteristics, reducing unnecessary resource consumption while maintaining overall system reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the quality parameters of components based on vibration analysis results. Components are classified into different quality classes (e.g., iO class for acceptable, NiO class for defective) and only those meeting the required standards are manufactured with full quality resources, optimizing resource allocation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If transmission components are classified into different quality classes, then component allocation is optimized, but additional classification steps are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent allocation flexibilityVSAvoidclassification system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The vibration sensor and computer unit serve multiple functions: they monitor manufacturing process quality, classify components into different quality classes, and provide data for allocation decisions. This multi-functionality enables component allocation flexibility without requiring separate classification systems, reducing overall complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The classification system automatically categorizes components based on their vibration characteristics during manufacture. This self-service classification eliminates the need for manual inspection and sorting, and the classification data is automatically integrated into the manufacturing and allocation process, minimizing additional complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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 enables quick identification and removal of defective components, ensures proper allocation of quality-grade components to specific devices, prevents long-term damage, and optimizes the manufacturing process, thereby improving efficiency and reducing costs.

Implementation Method 1

at least one vibration sensor is mounted on the manufacturing machine, wherein vibrations during manufacture of the transmission components in the manufacturing machine are detected by way of the vibration sensor

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVibration detection: Vibration

Data Source

PatentUS20230288896A1Method for producing transmission components

Publication Date: 2023.09.14 MAGNA POWERTRAIN AG & CO KG

AI summary

A method for producing a plurality of transmission components of a transmission component type includes: manufacturing transmission components in a manufacturing machine, mounting at least one vibration sensor on the manufacturing machine, detecting vibrations during manufacture of the transmission components in the manufacturing machine by the vibration sensor, evaluating the detected vibrations in each case by a computer unit, classifying the transmission components in each case by the computer unit into one of at least two classes of the transmission component type depending on the detected vibrations.