GB2216197A

GB2216197A - Manufacture of plain bearing liners

Info

Publication number: GB2216197A
Application number: GB8903413A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edwin Aubele; R Michael Kubert
Original assignee: GLYCO METALL WERKE
Current assignee: GLYCO METALL WERKE
Priority date: 1988-02-18
Filing date: 1989-02-15
Publication date: 1989-10-04
Also published as: DE3805036C1; GB8903413D0; FR2627410A1; BR8900708A; AT391828B; IT8919486A0; ATA36389A; IT1232779B

Description

4 -c 1 A. 216197 3 5 93 MANUFACTURE OF PLAIN BEARING LINFRS The invention

relates to a method 'or the manufacture of plain bearing liners from a composite material in the form of a band, in which the composite material, which is supplied to the manufacturing process as a band of material, is subjected, in a plurality of consecutive stations of 9. processing machine, to diverse processing steps, each of which is carried out as a working stroke, up to completion of the plain bearing liners - with the exception of the sliding surface processing - and is on -ion to stat.

for this murnose trans-oorted from stat of the processing machine in ffeeding steps, which take nlace between the workina strokes.

The invention relates also to a machine for carrying out the method com-cri-s'-ng a of consecutive stations equipped with tools and a common drive for simultaneous opening and closing o--' the tools in the various stations, and further comprising a transport device for the composite material and the workpieces made therefrom, the trans-port device interconnecting the consecutive stations.

Metho-'s and machines cf type the manufacture of plain bearing liners from a composite material in the form of a band, in which the composite material is made into plain bearing liners in a -processing machine comprising a plurality off stations, are known in various embodiments, -Por 3, example from DE-AS 1 677 165, DE-OS 2 174 63 DE-AS 2 235 933, US-PS 3 20-6 870, GB-PS 536 77 _.33 and GB-PS 663 A766. in R!! these known methods 9Ln-,' machines the material band is subjected to a considerable number of processing steps before it is divided into individual blanks or bearing liner elements. This has the disadvantage that dimensional POOR (WALITY 4h, 3593 2 changes, caused by the individual -processing steps on the material band, accumulate in the direction of movement of the band so that with the increasing length of the section of the material band, which is subjected to processing, that is with the increasing number of the processing stations, the setting accuracy of the band with respect to the tools contained in every station becomes more and more imperfect. It is, however, of decisive importance for accurate processing to ensure accurate setting of the band section to be -processed with respect to the tools contained in every station. A further disadvantage is that machining steps cannot be performed in Dractice on a continuous material band because in the case of a continuous material band the multiple guiding possibilities which are needed for the processing, and the necessary a-ecessibility of +he workr4ece to the machininR tools are not available. in addition the formed chips-could not be removed from the material band with sufficient reliability and fully, as is necessary for a reliable and accurate course of work and for the achievement sufficient accuracy. It is known -from DE-OS 29 L L-55 in a comparable method for the manufacture of plain bearing liners, to first mark blanks by pressing transversely extending grooves into con4L4:.nlaous material band, then to -process the material, which remains continuous, in the region of the individual blanks and only shortly be-Pore the final -forming of the semicylindrical plain bearing liners once again to significantly deepen the pressed -ing tool, which moves transversel so groove by a cutt y t the material band, on one side of the material band, so that always the frontmost marked blank may be formed into a semicylindrical -olain bearina liner and - r->- 3593 3 simultaneously severed from the material band, he slide independently of the plain bearing alloy of t layer formed on the material band. Machining of the material band or individual blanks cut from the material band is neither attempted nor achieved.

In contrast to this the aim of the invention is to enable the individual processing steps for the manufacture of plain bearing liners to be made with a much improved accuracy, and -he material displacement particularly to reduce t during the processing of the blanks and the elements during the course of a plurality of -processing steps, while optimum processing methods may be used,,,f-or every processing step. Altogether products of much better quality should be obtained.

.lie problem is solved according to invention in that at the beginning of the processing the band of material is divided into individual blanks, which extend transversely to the direction of transport and each of which serves for the manufacture of one plain bearing liner, wherein these severed blanks are transported one behind the other with the same s-a-4ng Jn common -Oeed4ng steps through the processing stations and are between the feeding steps subjected to a processing step, wherein or the machining of the bl also steps -anks are J step anU included, wherein after every transport before every processing step setting of each blank or each workpiece for the processing step is carried -"--er the machining of 'he banks oub, and wherein a - U - the latter are transformed in the processing machine into bearing liners.

Any back influence of a processing step performed on one cut-o-P-f piece onto the neighbouring cut-off piece is avoided by early cutting of the L 35 9 3 material band into individual blanks. The separate setting of the blanks or workpieces in every station enables the processing to be performed with high accuracy. From the incorporation of machining (i.e. f' material) into the chips-fforming removal o. continuous processing follows that such regions where forming (i.e. chipless displacement of Material) could be merformed only with difficulties or when te requirements on accuracy are low, may be performed 1.0 according to the invention when the requirements on accuracy are high. in addition -",he incorporation of machiring stens into the continuous -crocessina brinas about better Dossibilitv oL making forming and pressing steps with higher precision and better quality, because machining either improves the conditions for the course of for-ming or pressing Jners or blanks, steps, or regions of the bearing 1. which were formed by a pressing or - formining ste-0, may the be optimally postprocessed by machining wl.JU C continuous processing. The processing steps which are to take Dlace simultaneously on dii-fferent blanks or workpieces may be of diverse kind without i'luencing each other. If for some reason, -for nL instance damage to a tool or fault in the material, faults or defects are caused or noticed on a blank or workpiece during the processing, this has no 4nfluence on the i3rocessing of other blanks or work-o-ieces. Parts of the band which suffer from defects or faults may be discarded in time as blanks.

he sequence of the -processing steps to be performed on the blanks or workDieces mav be arranp-ed according to the viewpoint of achieving optimum precision without taking into consideration guiding and trans-oort of the blanks or workDieces or v 1 t 3 5113 1 - elements. So, for instance, the peripheral grooves provided in the plain bearing liners may be pressed in the blanks before their shaping into plain bearing liners.

Within a method according to the invention -ting the the shaping of the machined blanks, while set final peripheral length and the final axial width and while forming the final backing shape of the plain bearing lining, may be performed by pressing while the previously formed geometrical shape o-l.' the blanks particularly ol the chamfers and the groove or grooves, is preserved.

A method according to the invention offers also in. this res-oect, by the incorporation of machining steps into the continuous processing, optimum conditions for the forming of plain bearing liners after the necessary or desired machinin-R steps have been perfol-me-" on the blanks. 71he -orecision achieved by machining is in the method according to the invention during the formation of the machined blanks fully retained and is by subsequent -'-"ormation in the form of pressing additionally increased and -Pully developed.

"'he -Dunching of the necessary holes and the cutting and/or pressing of the locking elements etc.

may be per-formed in a method according to the invention on the plain bearing liners in the processing machine after their formation.

For carrying out the method according to the invention a machine is provided according to the invent.ion based on a machine comprisina a plurality of consecutive stations equipped with tool-Is and a common drive for opening and closing, of the tools in the various stations, and further comurising a transport device for the composite mauerial and the 3593 6 workpieces made therefrom, the trans-Dort device interconnecting the consecutive stations.

In a machine according to the invention the transport device is preferably designed and co ordinated with the arrangement of the individual stations to grip the individual blanks after they have been severed from the band of material, and advance them in the direction of transport with a.

fixed mutual spacing and transport them with this mutual spacing through the processing stations, -uat-ion of wherein, for the purpose of synchronised act -king strokes for opening and closing off" the Uhe wo.

tools for shape-giving processing, the actuation and displacing devices, -provided for the tools and machining devices, are connected to a c6mmon drive of the press, which forms also the drive for the -ati transport device, and wherein with every st -on equipped with devices for machining, are a'-so associated devices for intensive cleaning ot" the workpiece processed in the respective station. A reliable processing, tailored to achieve optimum precision in every processing station is thus obtained. It is particularly ensured that on leaving a station with machining tools and during transport to the next Drocessinp station ever-T workpiece is free of any chips or remnants so that the processing in the next station may be -Performed without any worries that the workpiece may suffer from impurities. This is Dar-1-icularly so in the case when stations for forming or -pressing follow stations for machining. The devices for the cleaning of the workpieces may be, according to the invention, of any suitable kind, such as vacuum cleaning devices for chips and other remnants.

The invention offers the -oossibillity that 7 processing tools or devices which move transversely to and/or in the direction of transport may derive their movement synchronously from the drive. So for instance the drive may comprise a crank drive for the opening and closing of the tools for forming and machining and to the crankshaft of the crank drive is connected a drive for producing tool movement for machining extending transversely to the direction of strokes and transversely to the direction of transport.

In a machine according to the invention the peri-iDheral, grooves which are to be present in the plain bearing liners are made already in the blank.

The devices -'-"or providing peripheral grooves in the blanks may be arranged in the transport direction f the joint before the station for the processing of faces or end faces of the plain bearing liners.

Tn a machine according to the Ln-enticn the devices for providing peripheral grooves in blanks may comprise exclusively pressing tools, which are arranged in one or more stations.

In a variant of a machine according to the invention the devices for providing peripheral grooves in blanks may be exclusively machinin-, tools, e.g. broaching tools, which are arranged in one or more stations.

4 f a machine In a preferred embod_ment o according to the invention the devices for providing peripheral grooves in the blanks may comprise both machining tools and pressing tools.

For instance the devices for providing peripheral grooves may comprise tools distributed in three consecutive stations, namely devices for prebroaching of the groove situated in a processing station, tools for widening and deepening, of the 0 I_ 355 9 3 groove by pressing situated in the next following station and tools for machining, e.g. final broaching of the groove, situated in the following third processing station. A further possibility resides in that the devices for providing periDheral grooves for plain bearing liners in the blanks may be distributed in three consecutive stations, namely devices for prebroaching (machining) of the groove in the blank situated in a first processing step, devices for chip-forming widening and deepening of the groove by further broaching, situated in the following station, and devices for -oos.1Ubroach-ing of the groove situal-jed "ollowing third station.

in the Advantageously the Drocessing ot' the axiall end faces for the plain bearing liners may be performed in two consecutive s-bations by processing devices with machining tools, which are guided t.ransversely to the transport direction between th-ese , - s am e - adjacent stations and at t- Uime along the lateral edges of the blanks situated in the stations for simultaneous processing of both these blanks.

Also the provision of chamfers on the end faces for the plain bearing liners is performed in two consecutive stations by m.eans of processing devices with machining tools, which are guided transversely to the direction of transport between these adjacent stations and at the same time along the lateral edges of the blanks situated in the stations for simultaneous processing of both these blanks.

The transport device may be equipped with gripping and holding elements engaRng in the later joint and/or end faces of the blanks or plain bearing liner elements.

Furthermore the transport device may be guided continuously through all the stations and have 3593 two or more sections. e.g. a section for the transport of the blanks and a section for the transport of the plain bearing liner elements formed from the blanks.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example,with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows processing steps of a preferred embodiment of a method according to the invention, starting from a band of material and ending with a plain bearing liner which is complete except for the processing of the sliding surface.

Figure 1 being divided into Parts a, b and c Figure 2 shows a machine for carrying out a method according to the invention, Figure 2 being divided into Parts a, b and c:

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic overall.

illustration of the machine according to Figure 2 including its drives; and Figure A shows means for moving and guiding machining tools.

In the illustrated exam-ple a band 21 of composite material, supplied for the method, is processed in seventeen processing steps and one inspection step to a semicylindrical plain bearing liner 20 which is finished except for the processing of the sliding surface. The material band 21 comprises the layers essential for the plain bearing liner, namely the backing, which is preferably of - bearing mat steel, and at least one overlay oL Uerial.

In the illustrated example the material band 21 supplied to the method or the machine has a width which is somewhat greater than the peripheral length of the semicylindrical plain bearing liner 20 to be k_ 3593 10 made. The material band is fed in steps in a direction 26, which is in this example the same as the further transport direction 22. Every feeding step is a little longer than the desired final axial width of the plain bearing liners 20 to be made.

In "Step V' of the manufacturing method and machine a strip 23 is severed at the -front end of the material band 21 by front portion detachment, i. e. a stamp-cutting process. The width of this severed strip 23 corresponds to the length of one advance step of' the material band 21. As is shown in -4ng a Fig. 2a, an upper stamtJ -ng and cut,ool- 2 lower counterDressure tool 25 and -possibly counterholder (not shown) are -orovided for this purpose in 'ISIGep V' of the machine.

The strip 23, severed at the front end from the material band 21 by front portion detachment, is a'-.-ead7 in. "S-e-o 1 '1 of the --.ocess tested as to its useability.!--P the testing shows that the stri-P is not suitable for the manufacture of a plain bearing liner, for instance due to a faulty cut or fault in the material, this faulty strip is discarded in the form of an individual blank. This is nd-,.ca.'.ed in Fig. la by the double arrow 29 between the "SteiDs 1 and P'.

As is shown in Pigs. 1 and 2, the transport device 27 is designed to transuort the individual blanks 28 and workpieces in the direction of transiDort 22 with the same set mutlual snacing 30 through the processing stations, namely ",-tations 2 to 1711. m-he transiDort device 27 is comoosed of J1-1wo sections 31 and 32, of which the section 1 extends 1 from the station "Step V' for the severing of the blanks 28 or strips 23 from the material band 21 to the station "Step 1Y for the shaping o 7 3 5 95 blanks 28 into semicylindrical bearing liner elements 33. The transport device 27 is in the section 31 equipped with gripping and holding elements 34 which extend beyond the end portions of the blanks 28. These gripping and holding elements 34 are shown only in Fig. 1 at one end of the blanks 28. The same griuming and holding elements 34 are provided also at the other end of each of the blanks 28. Although this holding of the blanks 28 in a pair of mutually opposite gripping and holding elements 34 is not necessarily performed with se sufficient for great precision, it is quit the blanks from the setting and holding devices (not shown) in every station "Steps 3 to 171" and their positioning into the setting devices in the next station. Accurate setting is then achieved by the setting devices provided in every "Step 3 to 171".

in the illustrated example the stations f1Step 211, "Step Y1 and "Step 411 are arranged to provide the desired peripheral grooves in the plain bearing liners. Tools 36 for the prebroaching of a groove 37a in the blank 28 are for this purpose provided in the station "Step P'. In the station "Step Y1 are provided tools -58 for t$,'-,,e pressin-a of a.

deepened and widened groove 37b, i.e. for the deepening and widening of the groove '177a. -Finally in the third station, namely station "St.e-o L", are -Provided tools 40 for the postbroaching of the groove 37c, i.e. widening and postprofiling o-f the groove 37b. The tools 36 and 40 are movable transversley to the direction of transport 22.

- J on s- "S' Naturally the devices provided in the stat-l (.eo 211 to "Step C for the formation off the longitudinal grooves in the blanks 28 or peripheral grooves in the plain bearing liners being manufactured may be designed for any desired shape or number of- the x? I- 3 5 ?3, - 12 blanks 28 into semicylindrical bearing liner peripheral grooves and may also be arranged in a different order, for instance as follows:

In a variant of the example according to f' t h e Figures 1 and 2 tools for initial machining o.L peripheral groove or grooves could also be provided in the station "Step 211, tools for subsequent broaching of the groove or grooves in the station the groove IS-Ille-0 31' and tools for postprocessing o.

or grooves by pressing in the station 11Ste-P A". It -hree stations is also possible to provide in general t 11Steps 2 to 4" with devices for initial machining, arran ging and DostDrocessing of the groove or grooves, for instance "broaching-broaching broaching".

in the illustrated example the group o-E stations "Steps 2 to 4'1 ('-.Pigure la) for the 1Drovision of the peripheral grooves in the manufactured plain bearing liners or longitudinal grooves In t-e blanks 28 is followed by two stations "Step 5" and "Step 611. In these two stations, to whicb they were brouRht by the transport device 27, the blanks 28 are fixed in an exactly set position and machined on their mutually opposite axial end faces, for instance broached, by a machining device A2, situated between the two stations "S.u-eo 5" and "Step C and movable transversely to the direction of transport 22. This broaching is performed on the blank 28 in the station + 11 on the in (transport direction 22) -Pront e n 5 axial end face 43 and on the blank in the station "Step 0" on the (in the transport direction 22) rear axial end face 44 so that when the blank 28 leaves the station "Step 61' this broaching has been performed on both the axial end faces 43 and 44 thereof.

3593 The two stations "Steps 5 and 611 are followed - as shown in Figure 1b - by two stations "Step 711 and "Step 811 for the processing of the joint faces of the manufactured plain bearing liners. In the station "Step 7 the blank 28 is cut at both ends by a cutting and stamping tooll 45 to have the desired length. The remaining length of the blank 28 is still a bit bigger than the required peripheral length of the plain bearing liner 33 being manufactured. The waste obtained during this cutting to size is reliably and completely removed in the station "Ste-o 7 so that it cannot adverse'-,.;, influence the course of the process. Simultaneously with the cutting to size of the joint faces the marking of the plain bearing liners being the backing surface- of' the is pressed in t manufact - U future plain bearing liner elements 33 in the station "Step 7".

The second station "Step 8" rrovilded for - faces comprises devices the processing of the joint 46 for the scraping and smoothing of the previously cut joint faces using fine machining.

ser the two stations "Step 7" and "S-ep Aft U q" -Por the processing of the joint faces follow 255 further stations 'ISte-D 91' and 11Ste-P 1W. In these two stations are chamfered the end faces 43 and 4A of the blanks 28 which were form.ed in the two stations "SteiD 5'1 and "Step C. A device 47 is provided for this purpose, similarly as between the two stations "Steps 5 and 61', which is movable transversel U - U v to the direction of transport 22 between the stations "Step 911 and' 11Ste-p 1011. 'Phis device Al' fer the mutually opposite end is designed to cham.

faces of the blanks 28 which were formed previously in the two stations "Steps 5 and 6. As in the two 3593 14 - stations "Steps 5 and C, the blank 28 leaves the "Step W with chamfering on both axial end faces 43 and 44.

After these two stations "Steps 9 and 1011 follows the station "Step W, which is provided for the chamfering of the joint faces formed in the stations "Steps 7 and 8% The station Rtep M' contains for this purpose devices 48 which are movable in the direction of transport 22 and cause the desired chamfering of the joint faces by fine machining. The blanks 28 which are thereby finally crocessed are then transferred by the section 31 of the transport device to the station "Step 10, which serves for the cleaning of the blank 28 and in which are provided devices A9, for instance transversely movable brushes and possibly washing devices, for the cleaning of the blanks. Cleaned blanks 2e are by the last part of the section 31 of the transport device 27 transferred to the station "Step 10. This station serves for the bending of the blank to a semicylindrical form. So as to ensure that during this bending process the previously made longitudinal groove 37c retains during its conversion into a peripheral groove 41 its profile and dimensions, i.e.

its geometrical shape, the bending punch 50 provided in the bending station "Step 10 is equipped with a projection 51 extending into the groove 41.

The plain bearing liner element 33, bent substantially to a semicylindrical shape is then transported by the second section 72 of the transport device 27 through the further processing steps. 7he transport device 27 is in this second section 32 equipped with gripping and holding elements 35 which grip the plain bearing liner element 33 at the region of the joint faces and advance it further as in the 3593 - case of the gripping and holding elements 34 in section 31 of the transport device 27. The transriort device 27 is also in this second section 32 equipped with mutually opposite gripping and holding elements 35 of which only one element 35-, is shown.

The prebent semicylindrical bearing liner element 33 is transferred from the bending station "SteP 1Y' to the rebending station 'IStep 1411. In this rebending station the final forming of the processed blank 28 takes place while the final peripheral length and axial width are being set and while the final bac'll-i-ng share _f'or the future ria-in bearing liners 20 is being formed. As is shown in Figure 2c, a rebending tool 53 is for this purpose provided in the rebending station 11Ste-p 14" equipped with lateral 'orm pieces 54 gripping the end faces, with rebending tools 55 gripping the joint faces, and with a projection extending int.c the groove A!.

The semicylindrical bearing liner elements 33 are transferred from the station 11Ste-o 14" to the hole-making and stamping stations 11Ste-ps and 16". These hole-making and stamping stations "Steps 15 and 161' may be equipped either with hole stamping tools --,c' for round holes 3-0 or with hole stamping tools 57 for elongate holes 39' - If only holes of one kind should be made in the plain bearing 7 one or the other oil these two stations Liner 33, "Ste-os 19 and 166" may be unoccupied.

he iDlain bearing liners 33 are finally transferred from the hole-making and stamping station "Step 161' to the station "Step 171' Locking elements 2;' i 5q- are made in the plain bearing liner element---in this station by corresponding cutting and bending tools 58.

4ners 20 leave he completed plain bearing li 3 5 -0 3 - 16 the last station "Step 1711 in a. finished state, except for the processing of the sliding surfaces or possibly provision of additional coatings which are to be applied galvanically as overlay or run-in layer or which are to be applied as a layer providing protection against corrosion on all surfaces of the plain bearing liner.

As is shown in Figure 2, the devices provLded for all the stations 11Ste-ps 1 to 17 are mounted on a base plate 61 and those in stations "Steps 1, 3, 7, 8 and 13 to 17 on a head plate 62.

rni ne base plate 61 is fixed on a Dress table 64 by a clamping plate 63, while the head plate 62 is fixed on the ram 66 of the machine by an intermediate plate 65. In this way the cutting tool in "Step V' and the forming and pressing tools in stations "Ste-0 Y', 11Steps 7 and P" and "Ste-os 12 to 17 are - and opened simultaneously closed by downward movement by upward movement of the ram 66. When the ram 66 is lifted, that is when the machine is open, the blanks 28 and the workpieces 33 are transLerred by the transport device 27 always through one step, i.e.

through the length 30 from one station to the next.

9.1 J_ A.t ter it has run through the "S-Ue-os 2 to 1 "7;'!, a usable strip 23, formed in the "Steo 111 is converted from the material band 21 to a finished plain bearing -0 4 liner 20 - except for the processing o Lts sliding - c, the Dia-in surface. As shown in Figure 1, Part bearing liner 20 is provided with the desired peripheral groove 41 and possibly with the desired round holes 39' or elongate holes 7P_. The backing surface of the plain bearing liner 20 and also the axial end faces and the joint -faces are brought by the rebending step to the final shape.

35) As is apparent from Figure 3, the ram 66 is 3593 17 linked by two or more connecting rods 70 to a crankshaft 67, mounted in the upper part of the machine. The crankshaft 67 is driven by a drive shaft 80 to turn or to perform a seesaw motion, while the a power take-off 68 is interposed bet crankshaft 67 and the drive shaft 80 which is the power take-off for a driving linkage 70 for driving a rocking shaft 71. On the opposite side of the crankshaft 67 is situated a further -Power take-off 68a for the power take-o- device 27. The driving linkage 70 is linked, via an intermediate gear 81, to the rocking sha 't 7', which extends along the base plate 61 for the tools above the clamping plate 6-5 and press table 6A and the row of all Ithe processing stations "Step 1" to "Ste-P 17. This rocking shaft 7' is in every s-tation, or at least in the stations

which contain machining tools, -Drovided in each case with a crank Dar-L, 72 (Figure 1) and is driven by the intermediate gear P1 to perform a seesaw motion synchronously with the crankshaft 67.

A fork-shaped rocker 73 is provided above the crank part 72 in the stations which contain machining tools 76 moving transversely to the direction of transport 22, the rocker 73 being mounted rockably on a rocker pivot 74. The rocker 73 is connected, via a link pivot 75, to a tool 76, which reciprocates in a tool guide 77 as shown by the double arrow. In this way is achieved a reciprocating movement of the tool 76 transversely to the direction of transiDort 22 and synchronously with tile movement of the cran'-',,- shaft 67 and therefore off the ram 606 for -F-orming and pressing.

Movement of machining tools in the transport plane -Parallel to the transport direction, can be achieved by a reversing gear 78 which can be 3593 18 - situated on the rocking shaft 71. In this waV the movement of the machining tools which should move parallel to the transport direction is also synchronous with the movement of the ram 66 and of the forming and pressing tools carried thereby.

In a variant of the illustrated embodiment a material band could be fed in, which has a slightly greater width than is the desired axial width of the plain bearing liners 20 to be manufactured. This material band would then be introduced at right angles to the direction of transport 22 into the station "Step V' and in the culuting station "Step 1" so the provided with a cut extending parallel 1.

direction of transport 22 to produce strips 2-3, the length of which is somewhat greater than the desired peripheral length of the plain bearing liner 20 so o the dimensions of t that it would correspond t - Uhe strip 23 according to Figure 1, Part a.

-t A

Claims

3593 - 19 CLAIMS thod for the manufacture of plain A met bearing liners

from a composite material in the form of a band, in which the composite material, which is supplied to the manufacturing process as a band of material, i's subjected, in a plurality of consecutive stations of a processing machine, to diverse processing steps, each of which is carried out as a working stroke, up to completion of the plain bearing liners with the exception of the sliding surface processing - and is for this purpose uransported from station to station of the processing machine in feeding steps, which take place between the working strokes, wherein a'. the beginning of. the processing the band of material is divided into individual blanks, which extend transversely to the direction of transport and each of which serves for the manufacture of one plain bearing liner, wherein ed one, beh--r-,' the these severed blanks are trans-cort other with the same spacing in common feeding steps through the processing stations and are between the feeding steps subjected to a processing step, wherein also steps for the machining of the blanks are included, wherein after every transport step and be-fore every processing step setting off each blank o--r each workpiece for the processing step is carried put, and wherein after the machining of the blanks the latter are transformed in the -orocessing machin-e into bearing liners.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the peripheral grooves, provided in the plain bearing liners, are pressed into the blanks before their shaping into plain bearing liners.

3. A method according to cl-aim 1 or 2 wherein the shaping of the machined blanks, while - 121 f - 35 9 - setting the final peripheral length and the final h axial width and while forming t,,e final backing shape 7k of the plain bearing lining, is -Performed by pressing while the previously formed geometrical shape of the blanks, particularly of the chamfers and the groove or grooves, is preserved.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the punching of necessary ',noles and cutting and/or pressing of locking elements etc is performed on the plain bearing liners in the processing machine after their shaping.

5. A machine for out..--e method of 4 to according to any one _LMS compr row of consecutive stations eau4-o-ced w-Lth tools and a common drive for simultaneous opening- and closing of the tools in the various stations, and ffurther bransport device for the composi comprising a t V -te material and the workpieces made -I'Ihere--E'rom, the transport device interconnecting the consecutive stations in the row, wherein the trans-oort device is designed and co-ordinated with the arrangement of the individual stations to grip the individual blanks after they have been severed from the band of material, and advance them in the dir-ection ot' transport with a fixed mutual spacing and transport them with this mutual spacing throug.n the processing stations, wherein, for the purpose of synchronised actuation of the working strokes for opening and closing of the tools for shaDe-R4-vjnR lrocess-Lng, the actua-uion and displacing devices, -provided ffor the tools and machining devices, are connected to a the press, whJ he dr common drive o- c' s also + ive for the transDort device, and whe--e-J--- -with every station eauiiDped with devices for mac".4-ninR, are also 73 associated devices for intensive cleaning of the 3593 21 - workpiece processed in the respective station.

6. A machine according to claim 5 wherein the drive comprises a crank drive for the opening and closing of the tools for forming and machining and to the crankshaft of the crank drive is connected a drive for producing tool movements for machining rokes extending transversely to the direction of st and transversely to the direction of transport.

7. A machine according to claim 5 or 6 wherein the devices for providing peripheral grooves in the blanks are arranged in the transport direction before the station for the processing of the joint faces or end 'Laces off the plain bearing liners.

8. A machine according to claim 5 wherein the devices for -Providing peripheral grooves in blanks comprise exclusively pressing tools, which are arranged in one or more stations.

mach-ne according to claim 115, or 6 wherein the devices for providing peripheral grooves in blanks are exclusively machining tools, e.g.

broaching tools, which are arranged in one or more stations.

10. A machine according to claim 5 or 6 wherein the devices for providing peripheral grooves in the 215 blanks comprise both machining tools and pressing tools.

11. A machine according to claim 10 wherein the devices for providing peripheral grooves comprise tools distributed in three consecutive stations, namely devices for prebroaching of the groove situated in a processing station, tools for widening and deepening of the groove by pressing situated in -'-he next following station and tools for machining, e.g. final broaching of the groove, situated in the following third processing station.

9 3 22 12. A machine according to clai m 0 wherein 0 the devices for providing peripheral grooves IL -I plain bearing liners in the blanks are distributed in three consecutive stations, namely devices for prebroaching (machining) of the groove in the blank situated in a first processing step, devices for chip-forming widening and deepening of the groove by further broaching, situated in the following station, and devices for postbroaching of the groove situated in the following third station.

1 -.

.I A machine according to claim '55 or 6 wherein the processing of the axial end faces for -Ul.ie plain -ne-,s is -.er'-ormed in two - L, -i bearing I -onseca-'--17--e stations by -processing devices with machining tools, which are guided transversely to the t_ransport direction between these adjacent sta-'1,4ons and at the same time along the lateral edges of the b'Lan'!-s situated in the stations for simultaneous processing o-L" both these blanks.

14. A man-hine according to claim 5 or 6 wherein the provision of chamfers on Ishe end faces for the plain bearing liners is performed in two consecutive stations by means of processing devices with machining tools, which are guided transversely to the direction of transport between th.ese adjacent stations and at the same time along the lateral edges of the blanks situated in these stations for simultaneous processing of bo-'-jh these blanks.

1 r'.

A machine according to any one of claims 5 to wherein the transport device is equipped with gripping and holding elements in the later andllor end --aces of the blanks or -clain bearIn.7 J o i nt liner elements.

16. A machine according to any one off cl-aims 5 to 15 wherein the transport device is guided A f 0 3593 23 - bions and has two or continuously 'through all the stat more sections,e.g. a section for the transport of the blanks and a section for the transport of the Plain bearing liner elements formed from the blanks.

17. A method according to claim 1 substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

18. A machine according to claim 5 constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

19. A plain bearing liner made Jin a machinee according to any one oL claims 5 to 16 or 18.

DW 1989 at The Patent Office, State House, 88 71!o1born, London WClR477, Further copies maybe obtained from The Patent Office Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques Itd, St Mary Cray, Kent, COn- 1/87