The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-024550 filed on Feb. 8, 2011 including the specification, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method for an electric motor rotor including a laminated iron core and a rotary shaft.
As a method of fixing a rotary shaft to a laminated iron core in an electric motor rotor for use in an electric motor, warm fitting in which the laminated iron core is heated to increase the inside diameter of a rotary shaft insertion hole, the rotary shaft is inserted into the rotary shaft insertion hole, and the laminated iron core is cooled to reduce the inside diameter of the rotary shaft insertion hole is often used. Known examples of a method of heating the laminated iron core during warm fitting include a method which uses heating through electromagnetic induction by a heating coil described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 3-82349 (JP 3-82349 A) and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-152517 (JP 2007-152517 A), and a method in which the laminated iron core is immersed in heated oil described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-87949 (JP 2001-87949 A).
Any of the methods described in JP 3-82349 A, JP 2007-152517 A, and JP 2001-87949 A requires a heating device dedicated to warm fitting, and it is necessary to add a heating device dedicated to warm fitting to a production line for manufacture of electric motor rotors. In a manufacturing method for an electric motor rotor, meanwhile, the laminated iron core may be heated in processes other than warm fitting. For example, the method may include a resin filling process in which a permanent magnet is fixed to the laminated iron core, and the warm fitting process discussed above. In this case, a heating process is provided for each of the resin filling process and the warm fitting process. In recent circumstances where there is an increasing tendency toward energy saving and cost reduction, it is necessary to develop a technology for improving the production efficiency and promoting energy saving by reducing the time for heating and cooling and the amount of consumption of energy such as electric power for a plurality of times of heating and cooling.
The present invention has been made in view of such issues, and therefore it is an object thereof to provide a manufacturing method for an electric motor rotor that can improve the production efficiency and contribute to energy saving.
An aspect of the present invention provides a manufacturing method for an electric motor rotor, including:
a stacking process of stacking a plurality of iron core pieces formed in a desired shape to form a laminated iron core;
a magnet insertion process of inserting a magnet into a magnet insertion hole provided in the laminated iron core;
a resin filling process of heating the laminated iron core to fill the magnet insertion hole with a molten resin for magnet fixation; and
a rotary shaft assembly process of warm-fitting a rotary shaft into a rotary shaft insertion hole of the laminated iron core utilizing residual heat from the heating of the laminated iron core in the resin filling process.
The manufacturing method for an electric motor rotor includes a rotary shaft assembly process in which a rotary shaft is warm-fitted into a rotary shaft insertion hole of the laminated iron core utilizing residual heat from the heating of the laminated iron core in the resin filling process. Therefore, it is not necessary to dispose a device that heats the laminated iron core for warm fitting in the production line for carrying out the manufacturing method for an electric motor rotor. Then, while it has originally been necessary to provide a dedicated heating process to each of two processes, namely the resin filling process and the rotary shaft assembly process, it is only necessary to provide a heating process as one process in the resin filling process. Consequently, it is possible not only to reduce the equipment cost for the heating devices, but also to reduce the time for heating and cooling and the consumption of energy such as electric power during production of electric motor rotors. This further improves the production efficiency for electric motor rotors, and promotes energy saving.
Thus, the manufacturing method for an electric motor rotor can improve the production efficiency, and contribute to energy saving.
In the manufacturing method for an electric motor rotor, the resin filling process may be performed with the laminated iron core heated to a temperature range of 150° C. to 200° C., and the rotary shaft assembly process may be performed while the laminated iron core is in a temperature range of 140° C. to 180° C. because of residual heat from the resin filling process. In this case, resin filling operation in the resin filling process and warm fitting operation in the rotary shaft assembly process can be performed reliably.
In the case where the heating temperature in the resin filling process is equal to or less than 150° C., the molten resin may not flow well or may not be shaped well in the resin filling operation. If the laminated iron core is heated to a temperature region of more than 200° C., meanwhile, the allowable temperature of the resin may be exceeded.
In the case where the temperature of the laminated iron core in the rotary shaft assembly process is equal to or less than 140° C., the inside diameter of the rotary shaft insertion hole may not be increased sufficiently, which may hinder assembly. If the laminated iron core is in a temperature region of more than 180° C., meanwhile, residual heat from the resin filling process may not be sufficient, and it may be necessary to heat the laminated iron core again.
A manufacturing method for an electric motor rotor according to an embodiment will be described with reference to
As shown in
The embodiment will be described in detail below.
A production line for carrying out the manufacturing method for an electric motor rotor according to the present embodiment includes a device for execution of the stacking process 2, a device for execution of the magnet insertion process 3, a device for execution of the resin filling process 4, and a device for execution of the rotary shaft assembly process 5, which are disposed in a sequence. In the production line, a transfer rail (not shown) is disposed to extend at least from the terminal end portion of the device for execution of the stacking process 2 to the starting end portion of the device for execution of the rotary shaft assembly process 5 so that a gate plate 6 to be discussed later is movable on the transfer rail.
In the stacking process 2, a plurality of iron core pieces 11 shaped as shown in
The device for execution of the magnet insertion process 3 includes a magnet insertion robot (not shown) that automatically operates to insert the permanent magnets 16 into the magnet insertion holes 13 of the laminated iron core 10.
The device for execution of the resin filling process 4 includes a heating device (not shown) that preliminarily heats the laminated iron core 10, and a resin filling device 40 (
The heating device used in the present embodiment has a tunnel shape, and includes an electric heater provided inside. The transfer rail is also disposed inside the heating device so that the gate plate 6 to be discussed later on which the laminated iron core 10 is placed is movable on the transfer rail.
As shown in
As shown in
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As shown in
Coupling between the gate plate 6 and the mold body portion 410 can be carried out in the following manner. That is, the gate plate 6 is moved above the mold body portion 410 while being relatively raised. Then, the gate plate 6 is relatively lowered so that the device positioning portions 65 provided on the lower surface of the gate plate 6 are engaged with the stepped portions 414 provided in the upper surface of the mold body portion 410. In order to decouple the gate plate 6 and the mold body portion 410 from each other, conversely, the gate plate 6 is relatively raised to disengage the device positioning portions 65 and the stepped portions 414 from each other.
As shown in
Next, a manufacturing method for an electric motor rotor according to the embodiment will be described.
In the stacking process 2, a plurality of iron core pieces 11 shaped as shown in
After the permanent magnets 16 are inserted into the magnet insertion holes 13 by the magnet insertion robot in the magnet insertion process 3 shown in
The laminated iron core 10 and the gate plate 6 pass inside the tunnel-shaped heating device disposed in the device for execution of the resin filling process 4 to be heated to a temperature range of heating temperatures of 150° C. to 200° C., and are transferred into the resin filling device 40. In the resin filling device 40, the gate plate 6 on which the laminated iron core 10 is placed is coupled to the mold body portion 410 as shown in
After the gate plate 6 on which the laminated iron core 10 is placed is disposed on the mold body portion 410 and the gate plate 6 and the feeding mold are completely coupled to each other, the facing mold 42 is lowered to apply a compression force to the upper surface of the laminated iron core 10. This allows respective abutting surfaces of the facing mold 42, the laminated iron core 10, the gate plate 6, and the resin feeding mold 41, which are sequentially disposed to be stacked, to tightly contact each other.
Then, the plunger 413 of the feeding mechanism portion 411 shown in
The laminated iron core 10 is separated from the gate plate 6 by the iron core assembly robot at the transfer end point disposed at the starting end portion of the device for execution of the rotary shaft assembly process 5. At this time, the cured resin is divided at the diameter reducing portions 621 provided at the discharge ports 62, which leaves no burrs at the discharge ports 62.
In the rotary shaft assembly process 5, the rotary shaft 15 is disposed upright on the rotary shaft holding jig 51, and the iron core assembly robot attaches the laminated iron core 10 to the rotary shaft 15. At this time, the laminated iron core 10 is naturally cooled to a temperature range of residual heat temperatures of 140° C. to 180° C. while the laminated iron core 10 is moved from the resin filling device 40 disposed in the resin filling process 4 onto the rotary shaft holding jig 51. Also in this temperature range, the inside diameter of the rotary shaft insertion hole 12 of the laminated iron core 10 has been increased, and is larger than the outside diameter of the rotary shaft 15. Then, the laminated iron core 10 is cooled to reduce the inside diameter of the rotary shaft insertion hole 12 so that the laminated iron core 10 and the rotary shaft 15 are fixed to each other through warm fitting.
Next, the effects of the present embodiment will be described.
In the present embodiment, in the rotary shaft assembly process 5, the rotary shaft 15 is warm-fitted into the rotary shaft insertion hole 12 of the laminated iron core 10 utilizing residual heat from the heating of the laminated iron core 10 in the resin filling process 4. Therefore, it is not necessary to dispose a device that heats the laminated iron core 10 for warm fitting in the production line for carrying out the manufacturing method for an electric motor rotor. Then, while it has originally been necessary to provide a dedicated heating process to each of two processes, namely, the resin filling process 4 and the rotary shaft assembly process 5, it is only necessary to provide a heating process as one process in the resin filling process 4. Consequently, it is possible not only to reduce the equipment cost for the heating devices, but also to reduce the time for heating and cooling and the consumption of energy such as electric power during production of electric motor rotors. This further improves the production efficiency for electric motor rotors, and promotes energy saving.
The resin filling process 4 is performed with the laminated iron core 10 heated to the temperature range of heating temperatures discussed above, and the rotary shaft assembly process 5 is performed while the laminated iron core 10 is in the temperature range of residual heat temperatures discussed above because of residual heat from the resin filling process 4. Therefore, resin filling operation in the resin filling process 4 and warm fitting operation in the rotary shaft assembly process 5 can be performed reliably.
Thus, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a manufacturing method for an electric motor rotor that can improve the production efficiency and contribute to energy saving.
In the present embodiment, further, the diameter reducing portion 621 having an inside diameter becoming gradually smaller along the direction of discharging the molten resin 14 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the discharge port 62 in the resin filling device 40, and the diameter reducing portion 621 becomes minimum in diameter at the distal end of the discharge port 62. Therefore, the resin remaining and cured in the discharge port 62 can be divided easily at the diameter reducing portion 621 to suppress occurrence of burrs on the end surface of the laminated iron core 10.
The projecting portion 622 projected around the discharge port 62 is provided on the upper surface of the gate plate 6, and the diameter reducing portion 621 is provided inside the projected portion 622. Therefore, even if the resin remaining inside the discharge port 62 is left on the laminated iron core 10 side to form some burrs, such burrs are kept inside the end surface of the laminated iron core to cause no adverse effect.
Since occurrence of burrs can be prevented reliably in this manner, it is not necessary to provide a burr removal process to the production line for electric motor rotors. Consequently, the rotary shaft assembly process 5 can be disposed immediately after the resin filling process 4. Hence, the rotary shaft assembly process 5 in which the laminated iron core 10 and the rotary shaft 15 are warm-fitted to each other utilizing residual heat from the resin filling process 4 can be implemented relatively easily.
Here, a comparison was made for the time for heating and cooling and the energy consumption between an embodiment corresponding to the manufacturing method for an electric motor rotor described in the first embodiment and a comparative example in which a dedicated heating device is provided to each of the device for execution of the resin filling process 4 and the device for execution of the rotary shaft assembly process 5.
In the embodiment, as shown in
In the comparative example, on the other hand, heating and cooling is performed in each of the resin filling process 4 and the rotary shaft assembly process 5. This requires a heating time X1 and a cooling time X2 in the resin filling process 4 as shown in
Thus, in the embodiment, the heating time Y1 and the cooling time Y2 in the rotary shaft assembly process 5 in the comparative example are not required, and energy consumption required for heating up to the warm fitting temperature b can be saved.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2011-024550 | Feb 2011 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/JP2012/052458 | 2/3/2012 | WO | 00 | 7/23/2013 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2012/108341 | 8/16/2012 | WO | A |
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6822359 | Joho | Nov 2004 | B2 |
7653984 | Amano et al. | Feb 2010 | B2 |
7950133 | Amano et al. | May 2011 | B2 |
8127431 | Amano et al. | Mar 2012 | B2 |
8922084 | Nagai et al. | Dec 2014 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
101282060 | Oct 2008 | CN |
101356711 | Jan 2009 | CN |
A-3-82349 | Apr 1991 | JP |
A-2001-87949 | Apr 2001 | JP |
A-2001-178086 | Jun 2001 | JP |
A-2003-189560 | Jul 2003 | JP |
A-2007-152517 | Jun 2007 | JP |
2007-282358 | Oct 2007 | JP |
2008-042967 | Feb 2008 | JP |
2008-199890 | Aug 2008 | JP |
A-2010-119260 | May 2010 | JP |
A-2010-158164 | Jul 2010 | JP |
2012-161209 | Aug 2012 | JP |
2012-161209 | Aug 2012 | JP |
Entry |
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International Search Report issued in International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2012/052458 dated Apr. 24, 2012. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20130298384 A1 | Nov 2013 | US |