阅读说明：本技术 全钢配件 (All-steel fitting ) 是由 J.布鲁斯克 P.迈纳特 C.戈尔特曼 B.宾德 于 2015-05-05 设计创作，主要内容包括：本申请涉及全钢配件。在根据本发明的方法中,设有齿(15)的钢丝(11)顺序地穿过第一电感器(16)和第二电感器(18)。电感器(16、18)以不同的频率运转,并且生成不同的温度。第一电感器(16)具体地将基底区段(17)加热至低于奥氏体化温度范围之下的高温,所述基底区段(17)将不被硬化。第二电感器(18)将所述齿(15)加热至处于奥氏体化温度范围内的还要更高的第二温度。在淬火时产生一贯高品质的限定的、硬化的齿。(The present application relates to all-steel fittings. In the method according to the invention, a steel wire (11) provided with teeth (15) is passed sequentially through a first inductor (16) and a second inductor (18). The inductors (16, 18) operate at different frequencies and generate different temperatures. The first inductor (16) heats in particular the base section (17) to an elevated temperature below the austenitizing temperature range, which base section (17) will not be hardened. A second inductor (18) heats the teeth (15) to a second, still higher temperature within the austenitizing temperature range. Upon quenching, defined, hardened teeth of consistently high quality are produced.)

1. A method for producing an all-steel card clothing for a carding machine, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

providing a steel wire (11) having a base section (17) and a wall section (23), the wall section (23) extending away from the base section (17) and having a lower thickness (D15) than the base section,

applying a recess (14) in the wall section (23) of the steel wire in order to form a tooth (15),

heating the base section (17) of the steel wire (11) to a first temperature t1 in a feed-through mode,

induction heating the wall section (23) of the steel wire (11) at least section by section to a second temperature t2 in a feed-through mode by means of at least one inductor at a specific frequency f2, the steel wire having been preheated on the base section (17),

wherein the second temperature t2 is higher than the first temperature t1,

quenching the wall section (23) of the steel wire (11) with a cooling medium in a feed-through mode;

wherein heating to the first temperature t1 is performed in a feed-through mode by means of at least one first inductor (16) at a first frequency f1, the inductor for heating the steel wire (11) to the second temperature t2 being a second inductor (18) operating at a second frequency f2 higher than the first frequency f 1;

wherein the second frequency f2 is at least five times the first frequency f 1;

wherein the first frequency f1 is at most 5 MHz and the second frequency is at least 10 MHz.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the recess (14) is produced by means of a stamping process in a feed-through mode.

3. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first temperature t1 is below an austenitizing temperature range tA and the second temperature is within the austenitizing temperature range tA.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first frequency f1 is at most 3 MHz and the second frequency is at least 15 MHz.

5. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that after quenching the steel wire (11) is passed through a third inductor (29) operating at a third frequency f3, which is lower than the second frequency f2, in order to heat the steel wire to a third temperature, which is at least lower than the second temperature t 2.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the induction heating to the second temperature t2 at least at the second frequency f2 is carried out under a protective gas.

7. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the steel wires (11) are brushed on at least one side surface.

8. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that said third temperature is lower than said first temperature t 1.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a method for producing a clothing wire for all-steel clothing and to a clothing wire with induction hardening teeth. The application is a divisional application, the parent application number of the divisional application is 201580024128.4, the application date of the divisional application is 2015, 5 months and 5 days, and the invention name is 'all-steel fittings'.

Background

Card clothing wires (saw-tooth wires) are known, for example, from the publication DE 2904841 for the production of all-steel card clothing. The card wire has a base section with a greater thickness and a toothed wall section extending from the base section. The teeth formed there are hardened (specifically, near the tip of the tooth). In general, the card wire has four zones of different hardness. In a first section extending from the tip of the tooth up to approximately half the tooth height, the card wire has a hardness of at least 60 HRC. In the adjoining zone, the hardness is fixed at a value of 60 HRC to 55 HRC. In the next adjoining zone, a hardness of 50 HRC to 55 HRC is provided, so that in the region of the tooth base there is still a hardness of approximately 40 HRC. The remaining area occupied by the base portion of the steel wire is not hardened.

For hardening, the hardenable steel is first brought to a high temperature and then quenched.

To achieve this, document CH 670455 a5 provides for the use of a single pulse or a pulse packet with the aid of CO₂The gas laser heats the teeth of the card wire to a temperature substantially within the austenitizing temperature range. Due to the minimum heat capacity of the tooth, the tooth will then cool down again very rapidly in air, thus achieving quench hardening. A hardness of 950 HV can be achieved in the toothed region, wherein the hardness at the tooth base is only 200 HV. The boundary between the hardened material and the unhardened material is advanced linearly along an arcuate line or a pen.

In fact, the high energy of the laser beam causes rapid heating; however, this can cause problems with the uniformity of the energy input and hence local overheating.

Publication DE 10106673 a1 is based on the following findings: it is difficult to always limit the heat treatment during the hardening operation within a defined range. In connection with this, the publication suggests that the card wire is inductively heated, and in doing so, heating is performed with the highest possible frequency so that the hardening effect is essentially limited to the tips and surfaces of the teeth of the card wire. To do so, frequencies of 1 to 2 MHz are used. The heating may be performed with the use of a shielding gas. The hardening process is carried out by quenching with water, air or oil. Subsequently, the card wire is treated, for example, at a very low annealing temperature of only 130 °, in order to eliminate undesired tensions without the card wire losing its hardness.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved concept for the manufacture and embodiments of all-steel card clothing. In connection with this, in particular, without subsequent processing, a tooth with a geometrically accurate tooth tip will be obtained.

This object is achieved according to the method of claim 1:

in the case of the use of the method according to the invention, the steel wire intended for the production of the card clothing is first subjected to a heating process in a first station, wherein the steel wire is heated in its base section and in its wall section as it passes through. This heating may for example be performed in any way, wherein thermal energy is transferred to the steel wire and in doing so, in particular to its base section, or generated in said steel wire. For example, the steel wire may be passed through a heating furnace in which thermal energy is transferred to the steel wire by means of radiation and/or natural and/or auxiliary convection. It is also possible to heat the steel wire with its ohmic resistance by passing an electric current through the steel wire. To do this, the steel wire may be passed between two opposite electrodes (e.g. carbon electrodes) which are supplied with direct or low frequency alternating current (e.g. 50 Hz) and which contact the steel wire on the lateral surfaces. Due to this, in particular and preferably, the steel wire is filled with electricity in its base section in the transverse direction and is thus heated. It is also possible to arrange two electrodes or also an electrode pair or several electrode groups at a distance from each other in the longitudinal direction of the steel wire, so that the current is input and output at spaced apart locations in the steel wire. The longitudinal flow through the wire distributes the heating effect of the current in the moving wire to longer sections and thus makes it possible to heat the base section in particular uniformly. In both methods, the primary substrate segment that is filled and heated. The heating station may include one or more heat sources.

Preferably, however, the steel wire and in doing so in particular its base section is inductively heated in the first heating station. In doing so, the first frequency is used for the job and the induction field of the inductor is oriented such that, in particular, the base section moves through the induction field of the inductor. Preferably, the first frequency is selected such that eddy currents formed in the wire are predominantly injected into the base section, while the teeth are less injected with eddy currents. Preferably, the inductor and the magnetic field generated thereby are oriented such that eddy currents around the longitudinal axis of the steel wire (i.e. the axis of the magnetic field) are at least approximately coincident with the longitudinal axis of the steel wire. Thus, the teeth remain largely free of eddy currents. However, it is also possible to orient the axis of the magnetic field transversely with respect to the steel wire. The first heating station may include one or more inductors operating at the same frequency or at different frequencies.

In a first station, the steel wire is preheated to a first temperature, either entirely or at least on its base section. Thereafter, the steel wire is moved in a preheated state (at least on the base section) through a second station for induction heating, in which case the inductor of the second station is operated at a second frequency higher than the first frequency. Preferably, the inductive field of the inductor is oriented such that the field covers only the wall section (i.e. the teeth formed there). The second frequency is higher than the first frequency, so that a uniform heating of the teeth up to the tooth tip is achieved. Further, the second temperature is higher than the first temperature. In particular, it is in the austenitizing temperature range. The second station may include one or more inductors operating at the same frequency or at different frequencies. It is applicable when the frequency of the second inductor is higher than the frequency of the first inductor.

After passing through the (at least one) second inductor, at least the wall section with teeth (however preferably the entire steel wire) is quenched in a cooling medium when passing through. The cooling medium may be a gas, an inert gas, air, an aerosol, an oil, water, an emulsion, or another inert, slow-reacting, or fast-reacting medium. By preheating the steel wire to the first temperature in the first station and feeding the heated steel wire to the second inductor while largely avoiding intermediate cooling, the tooth is prevented from developing maximum stiffness at a distance from the tooth tip after passing through the second inductor due to the release of thermal energy on the base section. Furthermore, it is achieved that a uniformly high hardness is achieved starting from the tooth tip, said hardness extending up to the transition region. Preferably, this transition zone may be strip-like rectilinear and have a strip width of, for example, at most 0.5 mm. Depending on the tooth size, the width of the attempted transition zone is at most 20% of the tooth height measured from the tooth base to the tooth tip. In doing so, the zone width is measured in the same direction as the tooth height (perpendicular with respect to the wire longitudinal direction). This applies to measurements in front of the chest of the tooth (tooth break) and measurements behind the back of the tooth. The small spatial temperature gradient during the hardening operation, which can be achieved with the method according to the invention, causes the width of the hardness transition zone to be limited to an almost linear strip. This results in a significantly improved operating behavior compared to flame-hardened card wire. The teeth elastically deform or break. Plastic deformation of the teeth (i.e. lateral bending of the teeth) is avoided, which would significantly disturb the carding process.

During the continuous operation in the stamping process, recesses provided in the wall sections can be produced to form the teeth. To do so, the wire may be intermittently moved through the stamping station. Alternatively, the punching station can be moved together with the wire during the punching process and then the wire is moved back to its starting position after the punching tool has been opened. The stamping station allows a particularly uniform advancing movement of the steel wire (in particular in the inductor and quenching stations). It is also possible to form a bead ring (loop) between the punching station and the inductor, which bead ring adapts the shock-like wire movement in the punching station to the uniform wire movement in the inductor.

Preferably, the temperature t1 generated by the first inductor is below the austenitizing temperature range tA, while the temperature t2 generated by the second inductor is within the austenitizing temperature range tA. Preferably, the first temperature t1 is above 500 ℃ and below 900 ℃ (e.g., 700 ℃ to 750 ℃), while the second temperature t2 may be approximately 950 ℃. The first temperature t1 is the softening annealing temperature and in this case is preferably set high enough that after passing through the second inductor the heat loss of the tooth is small enough that the tooth still has a temperature in the austenitizing temperature range when entering the quenching station. On the other hand, the residence time in both heating stations and up to the quenching operation is so low that the base section does not experience a substantial temperature increase (due to eddy currents or due to heat conducting out of either of the teeth) in the second heating station, which is relevant for hardening. Furthermore, it is ensured that the substrate region exhibits a softening annealing temperature of, for example, at most 680 ℃ upon entering the quenching station. In this way, any accompanying hardening is avoided and good process control is achieved. The first inductor (or otherwise the first heating station) and/or the second inductor may be operated under a shielding gas. Suitable protective gases are, in particular, low-reactivity gases or inert gases, such as nitrogen, argon, etc. In connection with this, the term "protective gas" also includes highly reactive gases (in particular reducing gases that may contribute to surface cleaning).

This is useful if the second frequency f2 is at least 5 times the first frequency f 1. For example, the first frequency may be set to a maximum of 5 MHz, preferably a maximum of 3 MHz. In a preferred exemplary embodiment, it may be between 1 and 5 MHz. Preferably, the second frequency f2 is at least 10 MHz, further preferably at least 15 MHz. In a preferred exemplary embodiment, it is from 20 MHz to 30 MHz, preferably 27 MHz. By using such settings it is possible to achieve a uniform quality and a good process control.

After quenching, the steel wire may be passed through a third inductor operating at a third frequency f3, which is lower than the second frequency f 2. The steel wire may be heated to a third temperature t3 which is at least lower than the second temperature t2 and preferably also lower than the first temperature t 1. Therefore, induction annealing can be realized.

It is advantageous if the induction heating is performed in two inductors under an inert gas (e.g. nitrogen). A bright all steel card clothing is formed without scaling, without melting of the tooth part tips and with a controlled development of hardness. Specifically, it is possible to perform shaping (shape-imparting) processing in a completely uncured state. In the hardened state, mechanical shaping (such as grinding the tooth tips) and/or chemical machining and the like after machining are unnecessary.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if the steel wires are brushed on at least one side surface. In this case, the punching burr generated in the punching station can be removed. Due to the hardness of the material, the punch burr can be easily broken off and can thus be detached.

The card wire manufactured according to the mentioned method has at least one and preferably only one brushed side surface. The unwashed side surfaces, the tooth breast surface and the tooth back of each tooth all have the same chemical composition due to induction hardening under protective gas. Foreign atoms originating from the brush can be found only on one lateral side (flash) of the card wire.

The card wire according to the invention as defined in claim 10 comprises a base section having a thickness which is larger than the thickness of the wall section and the tooth thickness. The teeth are hardened. The boundary between the hardened region of the tooth and the unhardened material preferably has the form of a straight strip with a width of at most 0.5 mm. The width preferably amounts to a maximum of 20% of the tooth height. The teeth are therefore preferably composed only of material that has been completely hardened or partially hardened in a small transition zone. Preferably, it does not comprise an unhardened and therefore soft (conductive) material. Preferably, the hardness outside this zone is uniformly high on the teeth and uniformly low on the base section. No local hardness maxima were recorded and in particular the hardness increase away from the tip to the base of the tooth.

The strip-shaped transition in the larger tooth is preferably spaced from the tooth tip by a distance of, for example, 3 mm. In any case, it is attempted that at least 70%, preferably at least 80%, of the tooth height be fully hardened. This applies both for measurements in front of the tooth chest and for measurements behind the tooth back, since the transition zone is preferably oriented parallel to the longitudinal direction of the wire. Thus, disadvantageous lateral bending of the teeth is precluded. Preferably, the transition zone terminates slightly above the gullet (tooth). However, it is also possible to define the transition zone such that the transition zone is in contact with the tooth slot. In this way, a maximally strong abutment is obtained without greatly limiting the bendability of the steel wire. With the method according to the invention, such an accurate setting of the hardness boundary can be reliably achieved.

The wall section and/or the teeth may be configured so as to have a trapezoidal or triangular cross-section and taper away from the base section. Even in view of the significant thickness reduction of the tooth from the tooth base to the tooth tip, the heating of the tooth (in particular in the second conductor) can be continued in a controlled manner, so that no partial melting of the tooth tip takes place here, as has to be feared in particular when heating with a gas flame. For example, the tooth thickness from the base to the tip of the tooth may be reduced by more than one third (e.g., from 0.6 to 0.37 mm).

Furthermore, it is possible to produce an all-steel card clothing with the method according to the invention, since the teeth (starting from the tooth gap) continue to extend in a straight manner up to the tooth tip. This is true, in particular because subsequent grinding is unnecessary due to the induction hardening of the present invention.

Drawings

Additional details of advantageous parts of the invention can be derived from the claims, the description and the drawings. They are shown in the following figures:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic block diagram of the process of inventive induction hardening of the steel wires of an all-steel card clothing;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view representation of a steel wire for the production of all steel card clothing;

fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the steel wire according to fig. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a detail of the steel wire according to FIG. 3;

fig. 5 is a development of the hardness of the teeth of the steel wire according to fig. 3 to 4; and

fig. 6 is a cross-sectional representation of a detail of a steel wire similar to fig. 3, illustrating a hardness transition zone.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows an apparatus 10 for producing steel wires 11 as required for assembling all-steel card clothing for card clothing rolls. The device 10 is arranged for producing this wire 11 from a profiled wire 12, said profiled wire 12 being moved in its longitudinal direction L through the stations of the device 10.

The device 10 comprises, among other things, a punching station 13, said punching station 13 being arranged to apply recesses 14 to the profiled wires 12 (fig. 2) and thus form the teeth 15. Upstream of the stamping station 13, one or more alignment stations or other stations may be provided. Additionally or supplementarily, a grinding station or the like may be provided downstream of the punching station. Additional stations may be provided as required, upstream or downstream of the stamping station 13, for example to align the profiled wires 12 or the wires 11; however, these stations are not shown.

A heating station (for example in the form of a first conductor arranged for induction heating of the steel wire 11) is provided downstream of the stamping station 13. In doing so, the first inductor 16 generates an induction field that covers at least the base section 17 of the steel wire (but optionally also its teeth 15). The first inductor 16 operates at a first frequency f1 of between 100 kHz and 5 MHz, preferably between 500 kHz and 2 MHz, in this exemplary embodiment at 1 MHz. In so doing, in the region of the base section 17 of the steel wire 11, said steel wire is preferably heated to a first temperature t1, preferably above 300 ℃. In the present exemplary embodiment, the temperature t1 is 700 ℃ to 750 ℃. Preferably, the temperature t1 is set such that there will be no hardening of the substrate region 17 during the subsequent quenching.

At a certain distance (e.g. a few decimeters) from the first inductor 16, a second inductor 18 is provided which operates at a significantly higher frequency f 2. Which is at least 5 times, preferably at least 10 times and most preferably at least 20 times higher than the first frequency f 1. For example, the second frequency f2 is 20 MHz to 30 MHz, preferably 27 MHz. In doing so, the second inductor 18 is preferably configured such that the second inductor 18 covers only a section of the or each tooth 15. There is no active cooling between inductors 16 and 18. Also, the steel wire 11 passes through the distance in less than 2 seconds (preferably, less than 1 second).

Fig. 4 shows a tooth 15 with a tooth height H15, which extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction from tooth slot 21 to tooth tip 20. Furthermore, a section 19 of the tooth 15 is defined, which extends in the direction of the tooth slot 21 from the tooth tip 20 to approximately its center or slightly further away. Section 19 has a height H19, preferably reaching more than 70%, more preferably more than 80% of tooth height H15. In any case, however, the second inductor 18 covers at least a section 19 of each tooth 15, or also a slightly larger area. Preferably, however, the second inductor 18 does not cover the tooth slots 21. The second inductor 18 and, if desired, the first inductor 16 may be operated in an inert gas (e.g., nitrogen) atmosphere. This gas atmosphere may be moved to the quench station 22.

After passing through the inductors 16 and 18, the hot steel wire 11 reaches a quenching station 22. In this case, the base section 17 has a temperature t1 below the austenitizing temperature range tA, while the section 19 of each tooth 15 has a temperature t2 within the austenitizing temperature range tA. The temperature gradient from section 19 to base section 17 has the following effect: as the steel wire 11 moves into the quench station 22, the steel wire 11 is uniformly hardened (specifically, in section 19) while the remainder of the steel wire 11 remains unhardened.

As is apparent from fig. 3, the base section 17 has a thickness D17, which is to be measured transversely to the longitudinal direction and perpendicularly to the side surfaces, which is greater than the thickness D15, which is to be measured on each tooth 15. The thermal energy storage capacity of substrate D17 is greater than the thermal energy storage capacity of each tooth 15. However, as the temperature of the base section 17 is increased to the first temperature t1, excessive heat flow from the teeth 15 to the base section 17 before reaching the quench station 22 is avoided.

The wall section 23 extends away from the base section 17, said base section 17 having a generally rectangular cross-section, in which case the wall section 23 may have a triangular or, as shown, a trapezoidal cross-section. On passing through the second inductor 18, a temperature transition zone 24 is provided on the steel wire 11, in which the temperature drops from a second high temperature t2 (for example 950 ℃) to a first low temperature t1 (for example 550 ℃) to be measured on the remaining section of the wall 23 and the base section 17 below the temperature transition zone 24. Thus, during the quenching process, after passing through the quenching station 22, a hardness development occurs in the steel wire 11 as depicted in fig. 5. A uniform hardness of more than 800 HV 0.5 is achieved in section 19. The temperature transition zone 24 becomes a transition zone 24 of hardness transition where hardness greater than 800 HV 0.5 drops to approximately 200 HV 0.5 or less. This zone exhibits a vertical hardness extension H24 measured away from base section 17, and preferably only up to 20% of tooth height H15. The temperature transition zone 24 forms a straight strip extending in the longitudinal direction L and having a width corresponding to the height H24. The strip may be positioned at a distance a from the gullet 24. However, it is also possible and advantageous to reduce distance a to zero so that the base segment side boundary of zone 24 contacts tooth slot 21. Furthermore, it is possible to place the transition zone 24 deeper so that the tooth slot 21 is located in the hardness transition region of the transition zone 24.

Fig. 6 shows the transition region 24 in cross-section. The boundaries of the transition zone 24 (as indicated by lines 25, 26) may extend straight through the wall section 23 or the respective tooth 15 in the transverse direction. However, it is also (preferably) possible to delimit the transition zone 24 along the bending lines 27, 28 by hardened or unhardened regions. The lines 25 and/or 26 may be oriented parallel to the groove surface 17a of the base section 17. Thus, the lines 27 and/or 28 terminate at the same height on both sides of the tooth 15. Preferably, the lines 27, 28 follow an arc curved towards the groove surface 17 a. Preferably, the centre of curvature is located on the side of each line 27, 28 remote from the base section 17 (preferably again in the cross-section of the tooth 15). The boundary of the transition zone 24 is visible in the cross-section of the all-steel card clothing. However, due to the corresponding setting of the temperature t1 of the base section 17 and the setting of the dwell time of the steel wire 11 on its path between the first inductor 16 (or another heating station) and the second inductor, the heat load (heat source or heat sink) of the base section 17 can be adjusted such that the wires 25 and/or 26 extend obliquely with respect to the slot surface 17 a. It is then suitable for lines 27 and/or 28 terminating on both sides of the tooth 15 at different heights.

In the method according to the invention, the steel wire 11 provided with teeth 15 is passed sequentially through a first inductor 16 and a second inductor 18. The inductors 16, 18 operate at different frequencies f1, f2 and generate different temperatures t1, t 2. The first inductor 16 heats in particular the base section 17 (which will not be hardened) to a high temperature t1 below the austenitizing temperature range tA. The second inductor 18 heats the teeth 15 to a still higher second temperature t2 within the austenitizing temperature range tA. Upon quenching, defined hardened teeth with consistently high quality are produced.

To improve the properties of the steel wire 11 (in particular with respect to reducing the tension), the steel wire may pass through a third inductor 29. The third inductor 29 operates at a third frequency f3, which may be between 500 kHz and 5 MHz, and preferably between 1 MHz and 2 MHz, f 3. The frequency f3 may correspond to the first frequency f 1. The temperature t3 generated by the third inductor 29 is an annealing temperature of, for example, several hundred degrees celsius.

Furthermore, the steel wire 11 may be moved through a burr removal station before or after annealing. In this station, the punch burr that is potentially formed when punching the recess 14 can be removed, for example by a brush that acts on only one flat side of the tooth 15.

In the method according to the invention, the steel wire 11 provided with teeth 15 is passed sequentially through a first inductor 16 and a second inductor 18. The inductors 16, 18 operate at different frequencies and generate different temperatures. The first inductor 16 heats in particular the base section 17 (which will not be hardened) to an elevated temperature below the austenitizing temperature range. The second inductor 18 heats the teeth 15 to a second, still higher temperature in the austenitizing temperature range. Upon quenching, defined hardened teeth with consistently high quality are produced.

List of reference numerals

10 device

11 steel wire

12 special-shaped steel wire

13 stamping station

14 concave part

15 teeth

H15 tooth height

16 first inductor or other heat source

17 base section

t1 first temperature

f1 first frequency

18 second inductor

t2 second temperature

f2 second frequency

19 section of tooth 15

20 tip of tooth 15

21-tooth groove

Height of H19 section 19

22 quenching station

tA austenitizing temperature range

Thickness of D17 base section 17

Thickness of D15 tooth 15

23 wall section

24 temperature transition zone

Height of H24 zone

Distance A

25. 26, 27, 28 lines

f3 third frequency

t3 third temperature

29 third inductor/other Heat Source

30 tooth back