Patent Grant
7033156
This invention relates generally to compaction tooling components, and more particularly to a compaction tool, such as a center pin, incorporating a tip or wear surface comprising a ceramic component and the method for manufacturing and assembling such a center pin.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention is directed to improvements in the tooling used in compaction equipment and tableting machines, and particularly the tooling used in the equipment utilized in making components of dry-cell batteries, e.g., various sizes of 1.5 volt (AAA, AA, C, D) and 9 volt batteries used in consumer electronic devices. It will be further appreciated that various aspects of the invention described herein may be suitable for use with well-known compaction tooling and tableting equipment, and particularly to center pins and punches employed in the manufacture of oral pharmaceuticals, etc.
Heretofore, a number of patents have disclosed processes and apparatus for the forming of parts by the compression of unstructured powders, sometimes followed by heat-treating of the compressed part. The relevant portions of these patents may be briefly summarized as follows; and are hereby incorporated by reference for their teachings:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,581 of Ribordy et al, issued Aug. 6, 1991, discloses an apparatus and method for fabricating a consolidated assembly of cathode material in a dry cell battery casing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,319 of Watanabe et al, issued Jun. 16, 1992, discloses a method of forming a thin-walled elongated cylindrical compact for a magnet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,791 of Edmiston, issued Sep. 1, 1987, discloses a process for forming ceramic parts in which a die cavity is filled with a powder material, the powder is consolidated with acoustic energy, and the powder is further compressed with a mechanical punch and die assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,581 of Born et al, issued Jul. 27, 1999, discloses a process for preparing complex-shaped articles, comprising forming a first ceramic-metal part, forming a second part of another shape and material, and joining the two parts together.
Referring to
During the compaction process, however, the application of significant compressive forces results in a high friction level applied to the interior of the die surface in region 30 and to the exterior of the center pin tip in region 31. This friction force causes a high level of wear on the compaction tooling, resulting in the frequent need to change out and rework such tooling. Although it is known to employ ceramics in the interior region of the die, to reduce the wear from friction, ceramics have not been successfully employed on the center pin tip because of the difficulty in reliably affixing the ceramic to the center pin. Although a ceramic coating may be provided on a center pin tip by known methods, e.g. arc plasma spray coating, such coatings have not been found to be satisfactory.
Thus, it is often the case that the dies considerably outlast the center pins and that frequent replacement and rework of center pins continues to be a problem that plagues the powder compaction industry. One prior art method and apparatus for the manufacturing of cylindrical dry cell batteries, which entails the compression of powdered material is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,581 of Ribordy et al, previously incorporated by reference.
The present invention is, therefore, directed to both an apparatus that successfully employs a ceramic component on the wear surfaces of a compaction tooling center pin or core rod, as well as the methods of making and repairing the same. In particular, the invention relies on various alternative embodiments for connecting a ceramic component to the end of a metal center pin base; the selection of the particular embodiment may be dependent upon the use characteristics for the apparatus.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for forming a powder material into a solid form through the application of pressure, comprising: a die; a lower compression punch insertable into a lower end of said die, said lower compression punch having a ceramic-tipped center pin passing therethrough where the ceramic reduces the wear of said outer surface of said center pin; means for filling at least a portion of the cavity defined by said die, said lower compression punch, and said center pin with the powder material; and an upper compression punch, insertable into an upper end of said die to compact the powder material.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a compression center pin for use in a punch and die powder compaction apparatus, comprising the steps of: forming a center pin base of a rigid material (e.g., tool steel or pre-hardened steel); forming a center pin tip of a ceramic material (e.g., zirconia); and affixing the center pin tip to the center pin base.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of repairing a compression center pin for use in a punch and die powder compaction apparatus, comprising the steps of: removing a center pin tip from a center pin base; reworking or replacing the center pin tip with a ceramic material (e.g., zirconia); and affixing the center pin tip to the center pin base.
One aspect of the invention is based on the discovery of techniques for connecting or semi-permanently affixing a ceramic tip for a center pin to the center pin base in a manner that will survive the high pressure and friction of the compaction apparatus. The techniques described herein not only allow for the successful attachment of ceramic tips, but also allow for the reworking and replacement thereof, so that only damaged or worn components are replaced, and not the entire center pin. It will be appreciated that solid ceramic center pins may be produced, however, they are believed to be cost prohibitive and difficult to repair and rework.
The techniques described herein are advantageous because they can be adapted to any of a number of compaction tooling applications. In addition, they can be used in other similar compaction embodiments to allow for the use of ceramic materials in high-friction environments where tool steels and other surface hardening processes fail to provide sufficient improvement in tool life. The techniques of the invention are advantageous because they provide a range of alternatives, each of which is useful in appropriate situations. As a result of the invention, the life of compaction center pins and other tooling may be significantly increased and the cost of reworking the same may be reduced.
The present invention will be described in connection with a preferred embodiment, however, it will be understood that there is no intent to limit the invention to the embodiments described. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
For a general understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals have been used throughout to designate identical elements.
Reference may also be had to Table 1, “Glossary Of Ceramic Terms”, and Table 2, “General Descriptions of Structural Ceramic Materials”, both Innex Industries, Inc. internal publications. Tables 1 and 2 are incorporated herein for their teachings of terms and properties related to ceramic materials used in the present invention.
Having described the basic operation of the compaction apparatus with respect to
One such group of suitable wear resistant ceramic oxides is zirconia, which includes the species zirconium oxide, zirconium dioxide, tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (TZP), and partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ). Such partially stabilized zirconia may comprise stabilizers, e.g. yttria (Y2O3), magnesia (MgO), calcia (CaO), and ceria (CeO2). A second group of suitable wear resistant ceramic oxides is alumina, also known as aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and corundum. A third group of suitable wear resistant ceramic oxides comprises mixtures of zirconia and alumina, including zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA), comprising between about 5 weight percent Zr2O3 and about 40 weight percent Zr2O3. Further examples of suitable wear resistant ceramic oxides are found in Table 3, along with their relevant physical properties.
xMg-PSZ
xMg-PSZ = Magnesia Partially Stabilized Zirconia
In one embodiment, center pin tip 42 was fabricated by machining a ceramic tube of zirconia supplied by the CoorsTeck Corporation. Such a tube was supplied in near net shape form, oversized by 0.030 on the outside diameter and undersized by 0.030 inch on the inside diameter. The tube was finished to a 0.250 inch inside diameter and a 1.250 inch outside diameter, using a cylindrical grinding machine tool.
In addition to ceramics, other materials are also suitable for the fabrication of a center pin tip, and to be considered within the scope of the present invention. For example, one may use a tip comprised of e.g., silicon carbide, tungsten carbide, titanium nitride, or carborundum. In one further embodiment, a tip comprising a pre-hardened steel sleeve having a diamond impregnated surface may be used.
Referring to
It will be apparent that corresponding mating tools are provided in the drive mechanism (not shown) to properly engage each of these three embodiments and apply an upward axial force thereupon. It will be further apparent that many other suitable configurations of center pin assembly 34 may be used, with the operative requirement being that center pin assembly 34 comprises a surface that is engageable with a mating tool to apply a force along the axis of center pin assembly 34, as indicated by arrow 36 of
At the upper end 41 of the center pin base 40, in the embodiment of
Referring again to
In one embodiment depicted in
To affix ceramic tip 42 to base 40, the components 40 and 42 may be fastened together by a number of joining methods known in the art, such as the methods disclosed in “Mechanical and Industrial Ceramics” published in 2002 by the Kyocera Industrial Ceramics Corporation of Vancouver, Wash. As recited at page 19 of such publication, “Joining Ceramics to Other Materials” bonding methods include screwing, shrink fitting, resin molding, metal casting, organic adhesives, inorganic adhesives, inorganic material glazing, metallizing, and direct brazing. Soldering may also be a suitable joining method.
In the preferred embodiment depicted in
To assemble the center pin assembly 34 by use of a shrinkage fit, two operations are required. In the first operation, mandrel arbor 44 is fitted within ceramic tip 42. Mandrel arbor 44 may be a slip fit within ceramic tip 42. In one embodiment, mandrel arbor 44 is an interference fit within ceramic tip 42. In such an embodiment, either mandrel arbor 44 is cooled, or ceramic tip 42 is heated, or both, and mandrel arbor 44 is inserted through and engaged with ceramic tip 42, as shown in
In another embodiment of an interference fit between mandrel arbor 44 and ceramic tip 42, both mandrel arbor 44 and ceramic tip 42 are maintained at room temperature, and mandrel arbor 44 is “press fit” through ceramic tip 42 using a pressing machine. In another embodiment, mandrel arbor 44 and ceramic tip 42 are joined together using an adhesive. Suitable adhesives are described elsewhere in this specification. Alternatively, mandrel arbor 44 and ceramic tip 42 are joined together by brazing.
Subsequent to the formation of an arbor and tip subassembly, the subassembly is joined to base 40. In one embodiment, base 40 is heated preferably by induction heating means, to expand the diameter of hole 68 therein. The lower end 51 of mandrel arbor 44 extending beyond tip 42 is then press fit into the heat-expanded hole 68. Once assembled, the assembly 34 may be air cooled or quenched in a synthetic oil or similar liquid to cool the base and to prevent damage to the ceramic from uneven heating.
In one embodiment, mandrel arbor 44 was fabricated of Histar 40 pre-hardened steel with a diameter of 0.252 inch at its end 51. Base 40 was fabricated of Histar 40 pre-hardened steel with an outside diameter of 0.50 inch, and a hole 68 therein of 1.50 inches in length and 0.250 inch in diameter. Base 40 was heated to a temperature of between 600° and 1000° Fahrenheit using induction heater Model No. 301-0114H of the Ameritherm Corporation, Inc. of Scottsville, N.Y. End 51 of mandrel arbor 44 was then immediately slidably inserted into heat-expanded hole 68 of base 40 to a depth wherein the ends of ceramic tip 42 and base 40 were in contact with each other. The resulting assembled center pin assembly 34 was then air cooled to approximately 100° Fahrenheit.
In an alternative embodiment, instead of or in addition to an interference fit, mandrel arbor 44 may be attached to the base 40. In a manner similar to that described above, and referring to
In one embodiment, setscrew 58 is bonded into tapped hole 59 by a thread locking sealant such as e.g. a cyanoacrylate adhesive. In another embodiment, setscrew 58 is a self locking setscrew, provided with a plastic (e.g. nylon) insert along its threaded length, which is deformed when setscrew 58 is engaged with tapped hole 59. Such self-locking setscrews are well known in the art. In another embodiment, setscrew 58 is a self locking setscrew, having a coating of microencapsulated beads of reactive resin and hardener, such that when setscrew 58 is threadedly engaged with tapped hole 59, the shearing action of threads of setscrew 58 with threads of tapped hole 59 rupture and mix the contents of the microencapsulated beads, thereby making an adhesive composition (e.g. an epoxy), which locks setscrew 58 into tapped hole 59. Such reactive adhesive coatings for the securing of threaded fasteners are well known in the art.
Referring to
In one embodiment, plug 61 is a dowel pin, preferably made of a pre-hardened steel of the same composition as mandrel arbor 44 of
In other embodiments, plug 61 is engaged with hole 63 by a phase change and/or an alloying operation. Plug 61 may be of the same composition as mandrel arbor 44 and base 40, so that plug 61 may be welded into hole 63. Alternatively, plug 61 may be brazed into hole 63. Plug 61 may comprise a plug of solder, such that plug 61 is heated and melted, and flows into hole 63, whereupon plug 61 cools and solidifies therein.
Alternatively or additionally, adhesives may be used to join mandrel arbor 44 and base 40. Such adhesives may be applied to the wall surface of hole 68 of base 40, or the end 51 of mandrel arbor 44 and/or the tapered surface 45 of mandrel arbor 44 (see
Suitable adhesives for such assembly may be e.g. cyanoacrylates, epoxies, and the like, and such adhesives may also include metal and/or ceramic fillers to match properties such as thermal expansion coefficient with those of mandrel arbor 44 and base 40. One suitable product line of adhesives is manufactured by the Cotronics Corporation of Brooklyn, N.Y. In one embodiment, Cotronics Duralco 4535 Vibration Proof Structural Adhesive was used to join mandrel arbor 44 to base 40. Other suitable adhesives manufactured by Cotronics are Resbond S5H13 epoxy, Duralco 4540 Liquid Aluminum Epoxy, and Duralco 4703 Adhesive and Tooling Compound. Such adhesives are described in Cotronics Corporation sales bulletin Volume 01 Number 41, “High Temperature Materials and Adhesives for Use to 3000° F.”. Other suitable adhesives used in ceramic-ceramic and ceramic-metal bonding may be used such as e.g., dental adhesives.
While many suitable embodiments have been disclosed in the foregoing description, applicants believe that the preferred center pin assembly comprises the embodiment of
It will be appreciated that the reworking of the ceramic tip, in the event of wear or damage, can be easily accomplished by pressing retainer pin 48 out of the assembly 34, replacing the worn ceramic tip 42 and reinstalling the mandrel arbor 44 and retainer pin 48. A similar reworking method may be employed for the first embodiment, where the interference fit between the base and the mandrel arbor 44 is released by heating the base, thereby allowing mandrel arbor 44 to be pulled from the base. Such a process is believed to be superior to the complete replacement or known stripping, re-plating, and regrinding operations presently used to rework worn metal center pins. Such a process is clearly superior from an environmental, health, and safety standpoint, as the practice of chrome plating requires the use of hexavalent chromium reagent.
Referring next to
In the alternative embodiment of
In a further alternative embodiment, the shaft 66 may be produced with a slight negative taper—where the extreme end of the shaft 66 is larger in diameter than the end nearest shoulder 64, and the diameter of the entire shaft being of a diameter so as to be interference fit with the inside diameter of hollow 68. Then, in order to assemble the tip 62 to the base 60, the base is heated, preferably by induction heating, to expand the diameter of the hollow 68 sufficiently to allow the tapered shaft of the tip 62 to slide into the hollow. Once cooled to ambient temperature, the interference fit, or alternatively the taper of the shaft, would serve to hold the ceramic tip in semi-permanent attachment to the base. In this embodiment, it will be appreciated that reworking of a worn tip may be accomplished simply by heating the base 60 to remove the worn tip and inserting a new tip therein, thereby significantly reducing the steps and labor of rework.
Alternatively, an adhesive may be used to join ceramic tip 56 and base 50 of
Attention is now turned to
Alternatively or additionally, an adhesive may be used to join mandrel arbor 74 and base 70 of
Referring finally to
In the alternative embodiment shown in
Alternatively or additionally, adhesives may be used to join shaft 84 and ceramic sleeve 86 of
Alternatively or additionally, an adhesive may be used to join shaft 84 and ceramic sleeve 86 of
In all of the preceding embodiments of
In another embodiment, a shimming wire is used to provide coaxial alignment of the parts of a center pin assembly.
A shimming wire 67 is helically disposed around shaft 54, beginning near shoulder 52 of base 50, and ending near the top 43 of ceramic tip 56. Shimming wire 67 is of a uniform diameter along its length, equal to the width of interstice 55 between shaft 54 and ceramic tip 56. Thus, shimming wire 67 serves the purpose of maintaining shaft 54 and ceramic tip 56 in coaxial alignment when shaft 54 and ceramic tip 56 are assembled.
When shaft 54 and ceramic tip 56 are joined together with an adhesive, such adhesive occupies interstice 55, and shimming wire 67 maintains the coaxial alignment of shaft 54 and ceramic tip 56 while such adhesive cures. Suitable adhesives may be the same as those described for the embodiments of
Shimming wire 67 is preferably disposed around shaft 54 for at least three full 360 degree turns, along at least half of the length of shaft 54. In one embodiment, interstice 55 has an average width of 0.005 inches; shimming wire has a diameter of 0.005 inches.
In the preceding embodiment, shaft 54 is considered to be the male part of center pin assembly, and ceramic tip 56 is considered to be the female part. It is to be understood that the preceding description is also applicable to the center pin assemblies of
In a further alternative embodiment, mandrel arbor 44 (
In another embodiment, the center pin assembly of the present invention, which comprises a ceramic tip and a base, is joined together with a threaded fastener.
In one embodiment, threaded fastener 71 is bonded into tapped hole 69 by a thread locking sealant such as e.g. a cyanoacrylate adhesive. In another embodiment, threaded fastener 71 is a self locking setscrew, provided with a plastic (e.g. nylon) insert along its threaded length, which is deformed when threaded fastener 71 is engaged with tapped hole 69. Such self-locking screws are well known in the art. In another embodiment, threaded fastener 71 is a self locking screw, having a coating of microencapsulated beads of reactive resin and hardener, such that when threaded fastener 71 is threadedly engaged with tapped hole 69, the shearing action of threads of threaded fastener 71 with threads of tapped hole 69 rupture and mix the contents of the microencapsulated beads, thereby making an adhesive composition (e.g. an epoxy), which locks threaded fastener 71 into tapped hole 69. Such reactive adhesive coatings for the securing of threaded fasteners are well known in the art.
In the preferred embodiment of
Although described relative to the tooling employed for the compaction of battery components, the present invention is intended to include, within its scope, the use of similar techniques to extend the life of other compaction tools and punches, including, but not limited to tablet compaction, powder metal compaction etc. For example, the techniques described with respect to
In recapitulation, the present invention is a method and apparatus for the production of compacted powder elements. More specifically, the present invention is directed to the improvement of tooling for powder compaction equipment, and the processes for making such tooling. The improvement comprises the use of a ceramic tip or similar component in high wear areas of the tooling. Moreover, the use of such ceramic components enables reworking and replacement of the worn tool components.
It is, therefore, apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the present invention, a method and apparatus for improving the performance of compaction tooling. While this invention has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
Cross-reference is made to and priority is claimed from, the following related application, which is hereby incorporated by reference for its teachings: “CERAMIC CENTER PIN FOR COMPACTION TOOLING AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME.” Luka Gakovic. U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/371,816, filed Apr. 11, 2002.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20030194463 A1 | Oct 2003 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60371816 | Apr 2002 | US |
