Wheel Hub Flange Machining for Low Axial Runout
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current wheel hub manufacturing processes face challenges in ensuring perfect parallelism between the flanges of a wheel hub assembly, leading to axial runout, which causes brake pad wear and noise, and require additional machining, increasing costs and time.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses a single machine-tool operation to achieve reduced axial runout and parallelism errors by asynchronously rotating the inner and outer rings of a third-generation rolling bearing during machining, ensuring the flanges are perpendicular to the axis of rotation and parallel to each other, with angular velocity differences preventing resonance and allowing for precise orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional machining processes are used to machine wheel hub flanges, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but axial runout and parallelism errors increase leading to brake pad wear and noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by asynchronously rotating the inner ring and outer ring at different angular velocities during machining. This dynamic approach allows the machining tool to cut both flanges simultaneously while accounting for their relative motion, achieving precise perpendicularity and parallelism without requiring complex pre-alignment or sequential machining operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters by controlling the angular velocities of the inner and outer rings during machining. By adjusting these rotational parameters, the system achieves optimal cutting conditions for both flanges simultaneously, reducing axial runout and parallelism errors while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
2Manufacturing precision
If additional machining operations are performed to ensure parallelism between flanges, then manufacturing precision improves, but productivity decreases due to increased time and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple machining operations into a single simultaneous operation. By cutting both the inner ring flange and outer ring flange at the same time while they rotate asynchronously, the system achieves the same precision that would traditionally require multiple sequential operations, thereby improving productivity without sacrificing manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous useful action by performing machining on both flanges simultaneously during a single operation. The asynchronous rotation ensures that both surfaces are being cut continuously and concurrently, eliminating idle time between operations and maximizing the utilization of the machining system throughout the process.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for machining a wheel hub assembly for a vehicle includes providing a radially outer ring having a first radial flange, a radially inner hub having a second radial flange facing the first flange, and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between and rotatably coupling the outer ring and the hub. The hub is rotated simultaneously and asynchronously about the outer ring while machining a front surface of the second flange, which faces away from the first flange, and while rotating the outer ring about an axis of rotation of the wheel hub assembly, so as to form a machined surface of the second flange. The machined surface of the second flange is perpendicular to the axis of rotation and parallel to a front face of the first flange opposite to the front face of the second flange.