Method for the production of a sealing ring

Abstract

A method for producing a sealing ring comprises cutting a sheet-metal strip to a length of a ring circumference using laser cutting; forming the sheet-metal strip into a ring shape having first and second mutually contacting edge surfaces; and joining the first and second mutually contacting edges using laser welding so as to form a substance-to-substance bond.

Claims

1. A method for producing a sealing ring having an outside circumference forming a sealing surface, the method comprising: cutting a sheet-metal strip to a length of a ring circumference using laser cutting; forming the sheet-metal strip into a ring shape having first and second mutually contacting edge surfaces; joining the first and second mutually contacting edge surfaces using laser welding assisted by a feeding of a flux so as to form a substance-to-substance bond; and calibrating the ring, wherein the cutting includes first producing the ring with undersized dimensions and the calibrating includes widening the ring to nominal dimensions so as to form the sealing surface at the outside circumference; further comprising profiling a first and a second circumferential edge of the ring shape using a non cutting process.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the profiling includes roll-forming.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The method according to the present invention is clarified in greater detail in the following with reference to the figures.

(2) FIGS. 1 through 4 illustrate the process for producing a supporting ring of a seal according to the present invention.

(3) FIG. 5 shows a seal according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIGS. 1 through 4 illustrate the method according to the present invention for producing a sealing ring 1. In this context, an endless sheet-metal strip 2 is first cut to length from a roll by laser cutting (FIG. 1). In the process, the length of sheet-metal strip 2 is selected in such a way that a ring 3 having undersized dimensions is later formed. A ring 3 (FIG. 1) is subsequently produced from sheet-metal strip 2 by roll-forming. In a next step, mutually contacting edges 4, 5 of sheet metal 2 that is formed into a ring 3, are joined together in a substance-to-substance bond. For that purpose, edges 4, 5 are mutually butted and are welded together in a substance-to-substance bond by laser-beam welding assisted by the feeding of a flux 9 (FIG. 3). The bond is produced in such a way that a bead 8 is thereby formed along weld seam 6, at least on the outer periphery (FIG. 4). This bead 8 is flattened in a subsequent machining process, which, in this case, is carried out as cutting and subsequent roll-forming. Other embodiments provide for the subsequent machining to be carried out as a deep-drawing or a machine-cutting process, such as by turning on a lathe, milling or grinding, for example. One single laser beam source is used for the laser welding and the laser cutting. In the next step, ring 3 is shaped and profiled by roll-forming, and circumferential edges 7 are likewise subsequently profiled in a noncutting process by roll-forming, so that a chamfer is produced. In a last calibration step, ring 3, which has undersized dimensions, is widened by a device and thereby resized to the nominal dimensions.

(5) FIG. 5 shows a sealing ring 1 having a supporting ring 8. Supporting ring 8 is formed by a ring 3 that had been produced using the previously described method. A sealing lip 10 that provides dynamic sealing action is vulcanized onto supporting ring 8. A sheet metal 2, which had undergone a phosphatizing pretreatment to enhance the adhesive strength of the elastomer material, was used for supporting ring 8.