MACHINING SYSTEM, APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20160375531A1
• Filed: 05/18/2016
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Engineered Abrasives, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Engineered Abrasives, Inc.
• Inventors: Wern, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,086,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23F 19/00 Finishing gear teeth by other tools than those used for manufacturing gear teeth
• CPC Class Codes: B23F 19/10 Chamfering the end edges of gear teeth
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/14 gear parts, e.g. gear wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 31/02 involving rotary barrels
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 39/006 Peening and tools therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B24C 1/083 Deburring
• CPC Class Codes: B24C 1/10 for compacting surfaces, e.g. shot-peening for deforming sheet metal, tubes or profiles B21D31/06; as a metallurgical treatment C21D7/00, C22F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B24C 11/00 Selection of abrasive materials or additives for abrasive blasts polishing compositions C09G
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 7/06 by shot-peening or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 9/32 for gear wheels, worm wheels, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/00 Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working apparatus for mechanical working of metal B21, B23, B24

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing a metallic workpiece with defined edges (e.g., a gear) comprises media blasting of the workpiece by directing a first media against exposed surfaces on the workpiece to increase the root strength of the gear, the blasting causing the defined edges to be radiused or mushroomed, ceasing the media blasting, loading the workpiece into a finishing apparatus, and subjecting the workpiece to a finishing process with a second media, the exposed surfaces on the workpiece being subjected to the finishing process to reduce the radiused edges on the workpiece created from the media blasting. The process of moving the workpiece to the spindle-finishing apparatus from the media blasting may be performed automatically by a machine. Once the workpiece has been subjected to the finishing process with the second media, it may be removed from the spindle-finishing machine, washed, and rinsed with rust inhibitor whereby wear properties of the workpiece are enhanced.

Claims

1. A method of processing a workpiece, the method comprising:

forming the workpiece with one or more defined edges, the one or more defined edges having a cross-sectional shape that includes at least one tip;

subjecting the workpiece to a media blasting process with a first media, the media blasting process forming the tip of the one or more defined edges into a radiused tip, the radiused tip having a first width; and

subjecting the workpiece to a finishing process with a second media after the media blasting process, the finishing process causing the width of the radiused tip to become a second width, wherein the second width is less than the first width.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the workpiece comprises one or more teeth, and wherein the one or more defined edges are located on a tip of the one or more teeth.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the workpiece is a gear.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the media blasting process is a peening process.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the peening process directs a stream of the first media suspended in air toward the workpiece, the workpiece being rotated at a constant rate during processing.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the finishing process includes a spindle apparatus that retains the workpiece within a processing bowl comprising the second media.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the spindle apparatus rotates the workpiece within the processing bowl.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the processing bowl rotates the second media when the workpiece is retailed within the bowl.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the bowl includes at least one fin to rotate the second media within the bowl.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the finishing process includes a second spindle apparatus to retain a second workpiece within the processing bowl.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media comprises cut wire, ceramic beads, fine steel beads, or glass beads.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second media comprises metal, plastic, synthetic, glass, ceramic or fine steel.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second media is a slurry.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises rinsing the workpiece with a rush inhibitor after the finishing process.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises transporting the workpiece from the media blasting process to the finishing process on an automated conveyor system.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiused tip has a mushroomed shape as compared to the shape of the tip before the media blasting.

17. An apparatus for processing a workpiece, the apparatus comprising:

a media blasting station configured to increase the fatigue strength of the workpiece, the media blasting station blasting a peening media against the surfaces of the workpiece, the blast of peening material forming a radiused edge along a defined edge of the workpiece;

a finishing station configured to perform a finishing process upon the workpiece utilizing a second media, the finishing station including a vibratory bowl in which the second media is contained, the second media configured to vibrate against the surfaces of the workpiece and utilized to reduce the radiused edge of the workpiece.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the workpiece is a gear with at least one gear tooth, and wherein the radiused edge is along the gear tooth.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the finishing station includes a spindle assembly that retains the gear within the vibratory bowl.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the spindle assembly permits rotation of the gear relative to the vibratory bowl.