Method for producing a cage of a roller bearing

Abstract

A method for producing a cage having a body with multiple pockets for rolling elements, the method providing: a) defining a cage basis geometry that provides a radial outer and/or inner surface for contacting a bearing ring and multiple surfaces of the pockets for contacting the rolling elements; b) defining a part of the radial outer and/or inner surfaces as being unalterable surfaces; c) calculating the cage stress distribution when applying a defined stress force from a mathematical model; d) defining cage volume sections where the stress is below a defined threshold; e) removing a part of the volume sections defined according to step d) taking into account the unalterable surfaces according to step b) and the surfaces of the pockets that are unalterable surfaces; f) defining the cage geometry with the removed volume sections; g) manufacturing the cage according to the geometry as defined according to step f).

Claims

1. A method for producing a cage of a roller bearing for use in a specific application, the cage having a base body with a plurality of pockets for receiving of rolling elements, the method comprising the following steps: a) defining a basis geometry of the cage, wherein the basis geometry comprises a radial outer and/or inner surface for contacting or facing a bearing ring and a plurality of surfaces of the pockets for contacting the rolling elements; b) defining at least a part of the radial outer and/or inner surfaces as being unalterable surfaces; c) using a mathematical model to calculate an estimate of a stress distribution to be expected in the cage if a defined force is exerted on the cage, wherein the step of using the mathematical model to calculate the estimate of the stress distribution comprises calculating stress for a model of one quarter of a single one of the pockets and mirroring the model about two planes and replicating a resultant model of a single pocket around an axis of rotation of the cage to create an updated model of the cage; d) detecting volume sections of the cage in which the stress is below a defined threshold which allows for satisfactory operation of the cage in the specific application, wherein the step of detecting volume sections of the cage includes identifying at least one first region of the cage which must transmit a first tension and at least one second region of the cage which must transmit a second tension, lower than the first tension, during normal operation of the cage; e) removing at least a part of the volume sections defined according to above step d) from the basis geometry, taking into account the unalterable surfaces according to step b) and at least a part of the surfaces of the pockets which are unalterable surfaces; f) defining the cage geometry with the removed volume sections; g) manufacturing the cage according to the geometry as defined according to step f) by means of a 3-D-printing process using a single material; h) wherein after step f) and before step g) the steps c) to e) are repeated at least once in an iterative fashion, wherein at least sixty percent (60%) of the volume of the basis geometry of the cage is removed during all steps e) which are carried out.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps d) to e) are repeated several times.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mathematical model is a FEA model (Finite Element Analysis).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps d) to e) are repeated until at least one void is created in the base geometry of the cage.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the basis geometry of the cage according to step a) is hollow cylindrical.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cage is produced from a plastic material.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cage is produced from a metal material.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the metal material is selected from a group consisting of titanium, aluminum and magnesium.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the metal material is steel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) The drawings show an embodiment of the invention.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cage of a roller bearing, wherein its geometry is a base geometry and not yet changed, and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a section of the cage, wherein now a change in the base geometry was done by removal of parts of the volume of the base geometry.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) In FIG. 1 a cage 1 is shown with a basis geometry which is basically hollow-cylindrical. The cage 1 has a plurality of pockets 2 for receiving rolling elements and a radial outer surface 3 as well as a radial inner surface 4. The pockets 2 have a surface 5 for contacting the rolling element (not depicted).

(5) The process of the production of a cage 1 starts with the definition of the basis geometry of the cage 1 as shown in FIG. 1.

(6) The next step is to define certain unalterable surfaces. More specifically, a part of the radial outer surface, namely two ring-shaped lateral outer surfaces of the hollow-cylindrical structure of the cage 1, as well as the surfaces 5 of the receiving pockets 5 are such unalterable surfaces; those surfaces must remain to fulfill the function of the cage. The outer surface 6 establishes the guiding of the cage; the surfaces 5 guide each rolling element in the pocket 2.

(7) Also, a radial inner surface 7 can be defined to be such an unalterable surface. This is specifically the case when the cage 1 is guided with its radial inner side at a bearing ring.

(8) Now, a calculation of the stress distribution in the cage 1 is carried out by means of a FEA method. For doing so defined stress forces are applied to the mathematical model of the cage.

(9) Subsequently, volume sections 8 (see FIG. 2) of the cage 1 are defined in which the stress is below a defined threshold. That is, regions which must transmit a high tension must remain unaltered. In contrast, regions with a low tensionwhich are identified by the FEA calculationare not so necessary for the force transmittal and thus those regions can be defined as the volume sections 8 in question.

(10) Then, at least a part of the mentioned volume sections 8 are removed from the basis geometry of the cage 1, taking into account the unalterable surfaces 6 of the radial outer surface and the surfaces 5 of the pockets 2.

(11) The cage geometry is then defined with such removed volume sections.

(12) If those steps are carried out once or several times the cage geometry is amended and a structure is created which is shown for a section of the cage 1 in FIG. 2. It can be seen that only those sections of the cage remain which are really necessary for the transmittal of forces during the operation of the cage 1.

(13) From this geometry a set of data can be created which is used to manufacture the cage according to the defined geometry.

(14) The cage 1 is manufactured by means of a 3-D-printing process.

(15) So, the invention can also be described as follows:

(16) An algorithm is used to optimize the topology of the cage. This is done by defining the surfaces which the algorithm may not modify. This includes the contact surfaces with the rolling elements and a small-width surface on the outer (and/or inner) circumference of the cage.

(17) Then, a typical load is applied to the cage pockets (for example 100 N on both sides of the pocket, an appropriate centrifugal force and optionally shock loads) within the mathematical model of the cage. The algorithm then removes as much material as possible but so that the functionality of the cage is still maintained.

(18) This can be done in various levels of weight reduction up to 70%.

(19) To reduce the simulation time of the mathematical model the cage can be divided into a quarter of a pocket. The full model can be obtained by mirroring the part at both planes adjacent to the ball contact surface and replicating it around the rotation axis so that a full cylindrical part is obtained.

(20) The resulting component shows the desired weight reduction but still fulfills the functional requirements regarding stiffness and strength.

(21) As the cage and outer (and/or inner) ring contact surfaces are still intact, the outer ring (and/or inner ring) guidance is maintained and the rolling elements (balls) are constrained in the same way as in the case of an unmodified cage.

(22) Since the highest stresses are normally in the axial walls of the pockets virtually no material is removed there. Some support material remains underneath the ball contact surface to support the pockets against each other and to connect the ball contact surface to the cage bars on the axial sides of the cage. The connection between the outer ring (and/or inner ring) contact and the axial sides is made so that the maximum stiffness is achieved.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

(23) 1 Cage 2 Pockets for receiving rolling elements 3 Radial outer surface 4 Radial inner surface 5 Surfaces of the pocket 6 Unalterable radial outer surface 7 Unalterable radial inner surface 8 Volume sections to be removed