Wheel Hub Inner Ring Axial Preload Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wheel hub units for motor vehicles face challenges in achieving precise axial preload, requiring complex measurement procedures and large tolerance ranges, leading to inefficiencies in assembly and production due to the need for categorization of components and potential measurement errors.
Innovation Solution
A wheel hub unit design where the radially inner ring is machined to a nominal axial length with an oversize thickness, allowing for precise adjustment of the axial preload by removing a calculated amount to achieve the correct finished length, thereby eliminating the need for component categorization and reducing measurement errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If component categorization is used to achieve precise axial preload, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the parameter of the radially inner ring by providing it with an oversize thickness (ΔX) that is subsequently removed through machining. This parameter change allows the axial preload to be adjusted by controlling the amount of material removed, eliminating the need for complex component categorization while maintaining high measurement precision. The oversize thickness serves as a controllable variable that directly influences the final axial preload value.
2Manufacturing precision
If component categorization is used to achieve precise axial preload, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The radially inner ring is provided with an oversize thickness (ΔX) in advance, which is then removed during the assembly process to achieve the precise axial preload. This preliminary action of providing extra material allows for real-time adjustment during assembly without requiring pre-categorization of components, thereby maintaining high manufacturing precision while significantly improving productivity by enabling a more streamlined assembly process.
3Measurement precision
If extensive measurements are performed to determine correct preload, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the time-consuming component categorization step from the assembly process by providing the radially inner ring with an oversize thickness that can be directly adjusted during assembly. This extraction allows the focus to be concentrated on a single critical measurement and adjustment operation, maintaining high measurement precision while dramatically reducing the overall assembly time by eliminating multiple categorization and selection steps.
Data Source
AI summary
A wheel hub unit having a rotatable hub provided with an axially outer flange and a bearing unit. The bearing unit providing a radially outer ring, a radially inner ring and a plurality of rolling bodies positioned respectively between the radially outer ring and the hub and between the radially outer ring and the radially inner ring. The radially inner ring has a finished axial length which ensures a predetermined value of an axial preload of the bearing unit and a finished axial length is defined by the following formula: X′=(X+ΔX)−ΔX1