DE102011081306A1 - Method for producing a rolling bearing component and rolling bearing component - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a rolling bearing component, comprising the steps of round bending a tube (1) so that two ends (3, 4) of the tube (1) form a joint (5) spaced apart by a gap and orbital welding of the joint (5 ). The invention further relates to a rolling bearing component, comprising an annular hollow body, characterized in that the hollow body has an orbital weld.

Description

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a method for producing a rolling bearing component, in particular a flange for a spherical roller bearing, and a rolling bearing component, comprising an annular hollow body.

Rolling bearing components such as e.g. Flanged wheels for spherical roller bearings or bearing rings comprise a typically rotationally symmetrical body, which is arranged concentrically to a bearing axis of the rolling bearing. These rolling bearing components are usually made by machining by a solid blank is rotated in a substantially corresponding to the final shape geometry, and this is ground or honed after subsequent heat treatment.

Although this type of production is widespread, yet due to the massive rolling bearing components results in a high material usage with corresponding costs.

It is already known to produce rolling bearing components from hollow bodies, which represents a possibility for cost reduction, especially for less loaded components.

From the DE 30 22 227 A1 It is known to produce rolling bearing components of a slewing bearing in lightweight construction by rounded and assembled at their ends bearing rings, the bearing rings are formed by closed in their cross section hollow sections.

From the DE 10 2009 036 347 A1 It is known to produce flanged wheels for spherical roller bearings by a round bent tube, which is connected after the round bending at the ends by resistance welding or laser welding.

Object of the invention

The invention has for its object to provide a method for producing rolling bearing components and rolling bearing components, wherein the method is simple and inexpensive to perform and high-quality rolling bearing provides components and the rolling bearing component has a high strength.

Summary of the invention

This object is achieved by the features of the independent claims. Accordingly, the method of making a rolling bearing component of the invention includes the steps of bending a tube such that two ends of the tube form a gap spaced apart by a gap and orbitally weld the joint.

As a starting material thus conventional metallic pipes can be used, which are available both cost and in a variety of diameters and wall thicknesses. It is possible, on the one hand, to provide a tube of the required length prior to round bending, e.g. is separated from a longer pipe. The required length results from the desired diameter, e.g. Pitch diameter, the later rolling bearing component or rolling bearing. Alternatively, it is also possible that the round bending of the tube at a much longer pipe, quasi an endless tube, takes place and only after the round bending the round bent tube is separated. The originally present cross-sectional geometry of the tube is essentially retained during the round bending.

The round bending takes place until a circular ring closed with the exception of one joint emerges. At the junction are the two ends of the tube opposite and can contact or be separated by a gap.

According to the round bent tube is now connected by orbital welding. Orbital welding is inert gas welding, e.g. a gas metal arc welding (MSG) or a tungsten inert gas welding (TIG), which is carried out fully mechanically by an arc machine bypasses the entire circumference of the joint without interruption and thereby welded. The thus welded tube thus forms a closed ring body.

Compared to conventional joining techniques, the result of the method according to the invention is a joint with very high strength. In this case, the invention has recognized that the use of orbital welding, in particular in tubular rolling bearing components which are subjected after welding a cross-sectional deformation is extremely advantageous because the rejection rate can be reduced by the safer welded joint. Thus, it was found that the orbitally welded pipes can be subjected to stronger cross-sectional deformations compared to conventionally welded pipes. In addition, by the orbital welding usually required in other welding vent holes in the pipe are basically no longer required - if the same, of course, this can still be provided. Finally, a high surface quality of the weld is possible, so that on the one hand a post-processing of the weld can be omitted and on the other hand, the rolling bearing component meets high optical quality requirements.

Further embodiments are given in the dependent claims.

The manufacturing method according to the invention can be used for various rolling bearing components. According to one embodiment, it is provided that the rolling bearing component is a flange of a spherical roller bearing. It is also conceivable that the rolling bearing component is a bearing ring or a part of a roller bearing cage.

According to one embodiment, it is provided that the tube before round bending is a straight tube with a circular cross-section, so that commercially available metal tubes can be used.

According to one embodiment, it is provided that bending ends of the tube are removed after the round bending. Such bending ends can arise due to the clamping of the tube in a corresponding bending machine.

According to one embodiment, provision is made for a cross-sectional deformation of the tube after orbital welding. The cross-sectional deformation serves the purpose of giving the toroidal, closed ring the desired cross-sectional geometry for the rolling bearing component. If the rolling bearing component is a flanged disc for a spherical roller bearing, the cross-sectional deformation will cause e.g. a trapezoidal cross-section shaped. Both the shape of the trapezoidal cross-section (for example, shorter radially inwardly formed lateral surfaces compared to the radially outwardly formed lateral surface) and the dimensions correspond to those of conventional, massive flanged wheels. The replacement of conventional flanged wheels is therefore possible at any time without constructive changes to the spherical roller bearing. If the rolling bearing component is a bearing ring, a raceway for rolling rolling elements and optionally ribs for holding or starting the rolling bodies is formed by the cross-sectional deformation.

According to one embodiment it is provided that the tube has a wall thickness between 1 and 2.5 mm and / or an exit diameter between 15 and 22 mm. It was found that the wall thicknesses mentioned on the one hand still provide the necessary strength for the functionality of the rolling bearing component. On the other hand, however, a noticeable reduction in the use of materials is achieved.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to a rolling bearing component comprising an annular hollow body, wherein the hollow body has an orbital weld.

The rolling bearing component according to the invention combines a low weight and ultimately low material costs with a high strength achieved by the orbital weld.

In particular, the rolling bearing component requires no vent holes, as they are known in conventionally welded hollow bodies or hollow rings. According to one embodiment, it is therefore provided that the hollow body is hermetically sealed.

The rolling bearing component is according to a further embodiment, a flange of a spherical roller bearing. Alternatively, it may also be a bearing ring or a component of a roller bearing cage.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show

1 a round bent tube for producing a rolling bearing component with ventilation holes,

2 a round bent tube for producing a rolling bearing component without vent holes,

3 a detail of a rolling bearing component according to the invention in the form of a flange and

4 a spherical roller bearing.

Detailed description of the drawing

1 shows a rounded tube 1 for producing a roller bearing component, such as a flange for a spherical roller bearing.

The pipe 1 was made by round bending a cut pipe with a circular cross-section. Even after the round bending points the tube 1 a substantially circular cross section. Any bending ends, ie areas in which the pipe 1 due to the clamping in the bending device could not be bent, have already been removed.

The pipe 1 forms one about an axis of rotation 5 essentially rotationally symmetric Ringtorus, however, at a joint 2 not connected. Rather, the two ends 3 . 4 Although facing each other, but spaced by a small gap. By an indirect or immediately after the round bending step of welding both ends 3 . 4 cohesively connected to each other.

The pipe 1 has two vent holes 6 on, which are necessary in the previously used method for welding such bent hollow tubes.

2 on the other hand shows a round bent pipe 1 for producing a rolling bearing component without vent holes.

This was further processed by the inventive method by orbital welding already to a hermetically sealed hollow ring.

The around the complete cross section (cross section corresponds to the sectional area of the ring in a the axis of rotation 5 comprehensive cut) of the hollow ring circumferential weld 7 connects both ends 2 . 3 so firm that a subsequent cross-sectional deformation of the tube 1 can be performed without the weld 7 or parts of it dissolve or release.

3 shows a section of a rolling bearing component according to the invention in the form of a flange 8th ,

This was made from a round bent and connected by orbital welding tube 1 according to 2 made by cross-sectional forming after orbital welding. The original circular cross-section was transformed into a trapezoidal cross section, wherein the cross section of the tube in one axis of rotation 5 comprehensive sectional plane is considered. The axis of rotation 5 facing lateral surface 8th (radially inner circumferential surface) is shorter than that of the axis of rotation 5 opposite lateral surface 9 (radially outer surface). The two lateral surfaces 8th . 9 connecting side surfaces 10 are thus inclined to each other. The outer shape of the flange 7 thus corresponds to the conventional shape of flanged wheels, in particular serve the side surfaces 10 as axial contact surfaces for rolling elements.

4 shows a spherical roller bearing 11 comprising a flange according to the invention 7 ie a flange, comprising a hollow body with an orbital weld.

The spherical roller bearing 11 includes a plurality of rolling elements 13 between an outer ring 12 and an inner ring 15 around the axis of rotation 5 roll off. The rolling elements 13 be through a cage 14 guided.

The flange according to the invention 7 is due to its inner lateral surface 8th opposite the inner ring 15 guided and in turn represents by means of their side surfaces 10 a start for the rolling elements 13 represents.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

 pipe

2

 joint

3

 The End

4

 The End

5

 axis of rotation

6

 vent hole

7

 flanged wheel

8th

 lateral surface

9

 lateral surface

10

 side surface

11

 Spherical roller bearings

12

 outer ring

13

 rolling elements

14

 Cage

15

 inner ring

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 3022227 A1 [0005]
• DE 102009036347 A1 [0006]

Claims (9)

Method for producing a roller bearing component, comprising the steps of round bending a tube ( 1 ), so that two ends ( 3 . 4 ) of the pipe ( 1 ) a spaced apart by a gap joint ( 5 ) and orbital welding of the joint ( 5 ). Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the pipe ( 1 ) is a straight tube with a circular cross-section before round bending. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that after the round bending bending ends of the tube ( 1 ) are removed. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that after orbital welding a cross-sectional deformation of the tube ( 1 ) he follows. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tube ( 1 ) has a wall thickness between 1 and 2.5 mm and / or an exit diameter between 15 and 22 mm. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rolling bearing component is a flange ( 7 ) of a spherical roller bearing ( 11 ). Rolling bearing component, comprising an annular hollow body, characterized in that the hollow body has an orbital weld. Rolling bearing component according to claim 7, characterized in that the hollow body is hermetically sealed. Rolling bearing component according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the rolling bearing component is a flanged disc of a spherical roller bearing.

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