Work Machine Wear Sensor Housing for Reliable Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wear sensors for work machine components are prone to premature wear due to exposure to erosive agents, leading to inaccurate wear condition assessments and unnecessary downtime for maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A work machine component design featuring a cavity with a housing seat for the wear sensor, where the sensor is protected until the component's wear threshold is reached, ensuring accurate wear monitoring and extending sensor lifespan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the wear sensor is exposed to erosive agents for direct wear measurement, then the measurement precision is improved, but the sensor itself undergoes premature wear leading to unreliable data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the cavity system with controlled opening) that mediates between the wear sensor and erosive agents. The sensor is positioned to measure component wear through the cavity opening without being directly exposed to erosive agents, allowing accurate wear measurement while protecting sensor reliability.
2Measurement precision
If periodic inspections are performed to monitor component wear, then the measurement precision is improved, but machine downtime increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wear sensor enables the component to self-monitor its own wear condition continuously during operation. This eliminates the need for periodic manual inspections and associated machine downtime, while providing precise wear measurement data through the protected sensing mechanism.
3Productivity
If the wear sensor is continuously exposed to monitor wear in real-time, then the productivity is improved through better maintenance planning, but the sensor lifespan is reduced due to premature wear
Solution Approach 1:
The cavity structure acts as an intermediary that enables continuous real-time wear monitoring while protecting the sensor from direct exposure to erosive agents. This maintains sensor lifespan for the duration of the monitored component's service life, while providing continuous data for optimized maintenance planning and improved productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A work machine component including a cavity formed in the component and having an extension axis, an opening for the cavity placed at an outer surface of the component, a support body having an axial extension axis parallel to the extension axis of the cavity and inserted in the cavity. The support body includes, at a first axial end, a top surface and at least one housing seat configured to receive a wear sensor. The housing seat includes a top wall placed at a distance along the axial extension axis from the top surface of the support body. A wear sensor is housed in the housing seat.