SURFACE-HARDENED, ROTATIONALLY SYMMETRICAL WORKPIECE, HARDENING METHOD AND HARDENING APPARATUS

Abstract

The invention relates to a surface-hardened, rotationally symmetrical workpiece, to a hardening method and to a hardening apparatus. The proposed hardening apparatus comprises a machine frame on which two coaxially arranged rotary bearings designed to support a rotationally symmetrical workpiece are arranged, at least one rotary bearing being operatively connected to a drive device to generate rotation of the workpiece; and at lease one laser apparatus for generating focused, high-energy radiation is arranged on said rotary bearing, said laser apparatus being movable in the axial direction, and the radiation being directed toward the workpiece.

Claims

1. A hardening method for the surface hardening of a rotationally symmetrical workpiece with a lateral surface and a longitudinal axis, in which at least one laser device is directed onto the workpiece in such a way that concentrated high-energy radiation generated by the laser device acts on an area of action of the lateral surface, comprising: rotatably holding the workpiece about its longitudinal axis and set in rotation about its longitudinal axis at a selectable rotational speed, and moving the at least one laser device along the longitudinal axis of the workpiece, wherein the rotational speed of the workpiece is chosen, dependent on the radiation output of the laser device, the size of the area of action and the diameter of the workpiece, such that the energy per unit area that is introduced into the lateral surface is substantially constant.

2. The hardening method as claimed in claim 1, in which the rotational speed of the workpiece is chosen, dependent on a local diameter of the workpiece, such that the energy per unit area that is introduced into the lateral surface is substantially constant even when there is an axially variable local diameter of the workpiece.

3. The hardening method as claimed in claim 1, in which at least during one full revolution of the workpiece, the laser device is held fixed in place in relation to the longitudinal axis thereof, then the laser device is moved along the longitudinal axis by a selectable axial adjusting displacement, and the two steps above are repeated one or more times.

4. The hardening method as claimed in claim 3, in which the adjusting displacement is chosen to be less than or equal to an axial extent of the area of action, and the two steps are repeated as often as it takes until the area of action of the laser device passes over the lateral surface of the workpiece without any gaps.

5. The hardening method as claimed in claim 1, in which, during the rotation of the workpiece, the laser device is moved continuously in relation to the longitudinal axis thereof.

6. The hardening method as claimed in claim 5, in which first the laser device is moved axially from a first position to a second position in relation to the lateral surface, and then the laser device is moved axially back from the second position to the first position.

7. The hardening method as claimed in claim 5, in which the laser device is moved at an axial speed chosen in relation to the selected rotational speed of the workpiece and the axial extent of the area of action such that the area of action of the laser device passes over the lateral surface of the workpiece without any gaps.

8. A hardening apparatus for the surface hardening of a rotationally symmetrical workpiece, comprising a machine frame, on which two coaxially arranged rotary bearings designed for receiving a rotationally symmetrical workpiece are arranged, wherein at least one rotary bearing is operatively connected to a drive device for generating a rotation of the workpiece, on which at least one laser device for generating concentrated high-energy radiation, which is movable in the axial direction, is arranged, the radiation being directed onto the workpiece, and a control device, which is designed for influencing the energy input into the workpiece for controlling the rotation of the workpiece or/and the translation of the at least one laser device or/and the output of the at least one laser device, wherein the rotational speed of the workpiece is chosen, dependent on the radiation output of the laser device, the size of the area of action and the diameter of the workpiece, such that the energy per unit area that is introduced into the lateral surface is substantially constant.

9. The hardening apparatus as claimed in claim 8, in which the rotational speed of the workpiece is chosen, dependent on a local diameter of the workpiece, such that the energy per unit area that is introduced into the lateral surface is substantially constant even when there is an axially variable local diameter of the workpiece.

10. The hardening apparatus as claimed in claim 8, in which a plurality of laser devices are arranged and aligned at a respective radial distance from the outer lateral surface of the workpiece, distributed about the longitudinal axis of the workpiece, such that the radiation generated by them impinges on the workpiece over the entire circumference of the workpiece.

11. The hardening apparatus as claimed in claim 8, in which the laser device or the plurality of laser devices is/are operatively connected to a drive device for generating a movement in the axial direction of the workpiece.

12. The hardening apparatus as claimed in claim 8, in which the laser device is moved at an axial speed chosen in relation to the selected rotational speed of the workpiece and the axial extent of the area of action such that the area of action of the laser device passes over the lateral surface of the workpiece without any gaps.

13. A rotationally symmetrical workpiece which has on its lateral surface at least one hardened surface area which is surface-hardened in a method as claimed in claim 1.

14. The rotationally symmetrical workpiece as claimed in claim 13, which is configured as a shape roll for a steel rolling mill, which has a shaft and, arranged on the shaft, at least one caliber, the outer lateral surface of which has the hardened surface area.

15. The rotationally symmetrical workpiece as claimed in claim 13, which is configured as a cone for a cone crusher, the outer lateral surface of which has the hardened surface area.

16. The rotationally symmetrical workpiece as claimed in claim 13, which is configured as a drive shaft for a wind turbine, which has, arranged on the shaft, at least one bearing seat, the outer lateral surface of which has the hardened surface area.

17. The hardening apparatus as claimed in claim 9, in which a plurality of laser devices are arranged and aligned at a respective radial distance from the outer lateral surface of the workpiece, distributed about the longitudinal axis of the workpiece, such that the radiation generated by them impinges on the workpiece over the entire circumference of the workpiece.

18. The hardening apparatus as claimed in claim 17, in which the laser device or the plurality of laser devices is/are operatively connected to a drive device for generating a movement in the axial direction of the workpiece.

19. The hardening apparatus as claimed in claim 18, in which the laser device is moved at an axial speed chosen in relation to the selected rotational speed of the workpiece and the axial extent of the area of action such that the area of action of the laser device passes over the lateral surface of the workpiece without any gaps.

20. A rotationally symmetrical workpiece which has on its lateral surface at least one hardened surface area which is surface-hardened in a method as claimed in claim 8.

Description

[0035] The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments and associated drawings, in which

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of two shape rolls interacting in a steel rolling mill,

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a crusher cone of a cone crusher, and

[0038] FIG. 3 shows the surface hardening of a shape roll by means of two laser devices.

[0039] FIG. 1 shows two interacting, oppositely running shape rolls 1, as are used in steel rolling mills for the production of steel profiles. The term “caliber” 2 relates to the shaping in the roll barrel for the rolling of long products. The circumferential grooves in the shape rolls 1 along with the grooves of the counter roll and the roll spacing produce the shape. The closed calibers 2 shown here, respectively formed by the interaction of the upper and lower shape rolls 1, allow all-round shaping. Shape rolls 1 are subject to a very high level of wear in their life cycle. This wear can be reduced, and their lifetime thereby increased considerably, by a hardened surface layer of the shape roll 1.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows by way of example the structure of a cone crusher, which is used for breaking up rock. In a crusher housing 3, a crusher cone 4 is arranged at a distance from the inner wall of the crusher housing 3 that becomes smaller from the top downward. The crusher cone 4 is fitted in such a way as to rotate about its vertical axis. Pieces of rock fed in from above are broken up by the friction to which the rock is subjected between the inner wall of the crusher housing 3 and the outer lateral surface of the crusher cone 4. The fragments thereby produced fall further into the downwardly tapering annular gap between the crusher housing 3 and the crusher cone 4 and are in turn broken up. This process continues until the fragments produced are so small that they are no longer held in the annular gap and therefore fall downward out of the cone crusher. Because of the action of the pieces of rock, the crusher cone 4 is also subjected to a very high level of wear. This wear can be reduced by a hardened surface layer of the lateral surface of the crusher cone 4, and its lifetime thereby increased considerably.

[0041] With the proposed hardening method it is possible either to subject the lateral surface of the crusher cone 4 to a complete surface hardening, or only to harden the lateral surface selectively, for example in strips. In this case it is also possible for example to produce hardened strips that form a rhomboid pattern. The selective hardening has the effect that the pieces of rock wear away the unhardened areas more, so that over time erosion effects that increase the breaking-up effect of the cone crusher occur between the hardened areas.

[0042] FIG. 3 shows a first method variant for the surface hardening of a shape roll 1 in the area of the calibers arranged on it. For this purpose, the shape roll 1 is rotatably mounted in a hardening apparatus, which generates a controlled rotational movement of the shape roll 1.

[0043] Arranged on or alongside the hardening apparatus is at least one laser device 5, which may be held for example by an industrial robot that is movable in all directions. The laser device 5 projects a laser beam directly onto the shape roll 1. By means of a control device, the laser beam follows the geometry of the shape roll in a spiral, lines or other conceivable forms.

[0044] By this method, hardness traces with a hardening depth of about 1 mm are produced on the shape roll 1. The hardness is determined by the material and may be an increase of up to about 30% in comparison with the base material.

[0045] Unfortunately, the formation of traces has an adverse influence on the geometry of the rolled stock. This formation of traces occurs if the laser beam does not have the necessary width to cover the entire profile, so that many traces have to be laid next to one another in a spiral in the radial direction, or where the laser bombardment begins and ends.

[0046] To avoid the formation of traces, the overlapping of adjacent traces may be increased such that a uniform hardness layer is produced, for example in that adjacent traces overlap by 5 mm or 10 mm.

[0047] A further possibility for avoiding the formation of traces is to irradiate the shape roll 1 with two laser devices 5, which move around the shape roll 1. For this purpose, the laser devices 5 may begin with the irradiation together at any desired point on the shape roll 1 and then move on an encircling path around the shape roll 1. The two laser devices 5 meet on the exactly opposite side (180°) of the shape roll 1 and end the irradiation.

[0048] Alternatively, one laser device 5 may be fixedly arranged, the shape roll 1 set in a rotational movement and the second laser device 5 moved in a circling manner as far as the starting point (360°).

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

[0049] 1 Shape roll [0050] 2 Caliber [0051] 3 Crusher housing [0052] 4 Crusher cone [0053] 5 Laser device