Manufacture and measuring of automotive components

Abstract

Clutch components for automotive use usually include a pair of clutch members with operative faces. In particular, planar one way clutches include a pair of clutch members whose operative faces are enclosed spaced opposition, with each clutch face including a plurality of recessed defining respective load bearing shoulders. A plurality of struts are disposed between the coupling face of the members, and such struts are moveable between the coupling position and non coupling position. A preferable method of manufacturing such clutch components includes powder metal operations comprising die compacting a metal powder into a metal blank, placing the die compacted metal blank in a machined flat ceramic support, sintering the metal blank to form a sintered metal blank, and cooling the sintered metal blank to form a cooled metal blank. The preferred metallic structure of the cooled metal blank is 50-80% martensite and 20-50% bainite and fine pearlite. The cooled metal blank is then measured for flatness, roundness or perpendicular structure in a measuring devise having supports and probes. Signals from the probes are analyzed to determine whether the parameters of concern are within tolerance.

1 . A method of manufacturing an automotive component comprising the steps of:
 providing an initial ferrous metal powder,   adding a suitable lubricant to form a lubricated metal powder,   die compacting the lubricated metal powder to form a die compacted metal blank,   placing the die compacted metal blank onto a fixture,   sintering the die compacted metal blank while on the fixture to form a sintered metal blank,   and cooling the sintered metal blank to form a cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1   wherein the initial ferrous metal powder is admixed with an additional 0.60-0.90% carbon and 1.0-3.0% copper, by weight, prior to adding the lubricant.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1   wherein the lubricant is one of an ethylene bis-stearamide wax, metal stearates or other lubricants suitable for die compaction of a ferrous metal powder.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1   wherein the fixture is a flat ceramic structure designed to support the die compacted metal blank during sintering.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1   wherein the fixture is a precision ground flat ceramic structure designed to support the die compacted metal blank during sintering.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1   wherein the fixture is a precision flat ceramic structure designed to support the die compacted metal blank during sintering and cooling such that the cooled metal blank is within a desired flatness tolerance.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1   wherein the cooled metal blank is measured for flatness by placing the cooled metal blank in a measuring gauge which includes support pads and probes, and wherein the cooled metal blank is held by contacting the support pads and the flatness of the cooled metal blank is then measured by the probes.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7   wherein the probes contacting the cooled metal blank resulting in a plurality of sizeable that are analyzed to determine the relative flatness of the cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7   wherein three support pads are utilized to establish a reference plane.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7   wherein the probes are comprised of pairs, with each pair providing a measurement of an outer diameter of the cooled metal blank and of an inner diameter of the cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1   wherein the cooled metal blank is measured to determine the orientation of perpendicular faces of the cooled metal blank by placing the cooled metal blank on a measuring gauge which includes support pads and probes,   and wherein the cooled metal blank is held by contacting the support pads and the orientation of the perpendicular faces to the flat surface of the cooled metal blank is then measured by the probes contacting the cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 I 1   wherein the probes contacting the cooled metal blank result in a plurality of signals that are analyzed to determine the orientation of the perpendicular faces.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11   wherein these support pads are utilized to establish a reference plane.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1   wherein the cooled metal blank is measured to determine the relative roundness of the cooled metal blank by placing the cooled metal blank on a measuring gauge which includes support pads and probes,   and wherein the cooled metal blank is held by contacting the support pads and the relative roundness of the cooled metal blank is then measured by the probes contacting the cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14   wherein the probes contacting the cooled metal blank results in a plurality of signals that are analyzed to determine the relative roundness of the cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14   wherein three support pads are utilized to establish a reference plane.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1   wherein the initial ferrous metal powder comprises, by weight, 0.35-0.55% nickel, 0.50-0.80% molybdenum, with the balance essentially iron.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1   wherein the cooled metal blanks is comprised predominantly of martensite and bainite metallic micro structure.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1   wherein the cooled metal blank is measured by placing the cooled metal blank on a measuring gauge which includes support pads and probes,   and wherein the cooled metal blank is measured by the probes, a plurality of signals are received from the probes and the signals are analyzed to measure the cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1   wherein the cooled metal blank is tempered at a temperature of between 350° F. (175° C.) and 450° F. (230° C.) to form a tempered metal blank,   the tempered metal blank is then measured by placing the tempered metal blank on a measuring gauge which includes support pads and probes,   and wherein the tempered metal blank contacts the support pads and the tempered metal blank is measured by the probes,   a plurality of signals are received from the probes and the signals are analyzed to measure the tempered metal blank.   
     
     
         21 . A method of manufacturing an automotive component comprising the steps of;
 providing an initial ferrous metal powder,   adding a suitable lubricant to form a lubricated metal powder,   die compacting the lubricated metal powder to form a die compacted metal blank,   placing the die compacted metal blank on a fixture,   sintering the die compacted metal blank while on the fixture to form a sintered metal blank,   cooling the sintered metal blank to form a cooled metal blank,   and placing the cooled metal blank on a measuring gauge which includes support pads and probes, wherein the cooled metal blank is held in a reference plane by contacting the support pads and the cooled metal blank is then measured by the probes,   the probes sending a plurality of signals that are analyzed to measure the cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21   wherein the cooled metal blank is tempered prior to being placed on the measuring gauge.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21   wherein the initial ferrous metal powder comprises, by weight, 0.35-0.55% nickel, 0.50-0.80% molybdenum, with the balance essentially iron.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23   wherein the initial ferrous metal powder is admixed with an additional 0.60-0.90% carbon and 1.0-3.0% copper, by weight, prior to adding the lubricant.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21   wherein the lubricant is one of an ethylene bis-stearomide wax, metal stearator or other lubricants suitable for die compaction of a ferrous metal powder.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21   wherein the fixture is a flat ceramic structure designed to support the die compacted metal blank during sintering.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21   wherein the fixture is a precision ground flat ceramic structure designed to support the die compacted metal blank during sintering and cooling such that the cooled metal blank is within a desired flatness tolerance.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21   wherein the probes contact the cooled metal blank resulting in the plurality of signals that are analyzed to measure the cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21   wherein the probes send a plurality of sensing signals that impact and return from the cooled metal blank and wherein the probes subsequently send a plurality of resulting signals that are analyzed to measure the cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         30 . An automotive component manufactured in a process comprising the steps of:
 providing an initial ferrous metal powder,   adding a suitable lubricant to form a lubricated metal powder,   die compacting the lubricated metal powder to form a die compacted metal blank,   placing the die compacted metal blank onto a fixture,   sintering the die compacted metal blank while on the fixture to form a sintered metal blank,   and cooling the sintered metal blank to form a cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30   wherein the initial ferrous metal powder is admixed with an additional 0.60-0.90% carbon and 1.0-3.0% copper, by weight, prior to adding the lubricant.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30   wherein the lubricant is one of an ethylene bis-stearamide wax, metal stearates or other lubricants suitable for die compaction of a ferrous metal powder.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30   wherein the fixture is a flat ceramic structure designed to support the die compacted metal blank during sintering.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 30   wherein the fixture is a precision ground flat ceramic structure designed to support the die compacted metal blank during sintering.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 30   wherein the fixture is a precision flat ceramic structure designed to support the die compacted metal blank during sintering and cooling such that the cooled metal blank is within a desired flatness tolerance.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 30   wherein the cooled metal blank is measured for flatness by placing the cooled metal blank on a measuring gauge which includes support pads and probes, and wherein the cooled metal blank is held by contacting the support pads and the flatness of the cooled metal blank is then measured by the probes.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36   wherein the probes contact the cooled metal blank resulting in a plurality of signals that are analyzed to determine the relative flatness of the cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36   wherein three support pads are utilized to establish a reference plane.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 36   wherein the probes are comprised of pairs, with each pair providing a measurement of an outer diameter of the cooled metal blank and of an inner diameter of the cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 30   wherein the cooled metal blank is measured to determine the orientation of perpendicular faces of the cooled metal blank to a flat surface of the cooled metal blank by placing the cooled metal blank on a measuring gauge which includes support pads and probes,   and wherein the cooled metal blanks is held by contacting the support pads and the orientation of the perpendicular faces to the flat surface of the cooled metal blank is then measured by the probes contacting the cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40   wherein the probes contacting the cooled metal blank result in a plurality of signals that are analyzed to determine the orientation of the perpendicular faces.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40   wherein three support pads are utilized to establish a reference plane.   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 30   wherein the cooled metal blank is measured to determine the relative roundness of the cooled metal blank by placing the cooled metal blank on a measuring gauge which includes support pads and probes,   and wherein the cooled metal blank is held by contacting the support pads and the relative roundness of the cooled metal blank is then measured by the probes contacting the cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 44   wherein probes contacting the cooled metal blank results in a plurality of signals that are analyzed to determine the relative roundness of the cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44   wherein the support pads are utilized to establish a reference plane.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 30   wherein the initial ferrous metal powder comprises, by weight, 0.35-0.55% nickel, 0.50-0.80% molybdenum, with the balance essentially iron.   
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 30   wherein the cooled metal blank is comprised predominantly of martensite and bainsite metallic micro structure.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 30   wherein the cooled metal blank is measured by placing the cooled metal blank as a measuring gauge which includes support pads and probes,   and wherein the cooled metal blank contacts the support pads and the cooled metal blank is measured by the probes,   a plurality of signals are received from the probes and the signals are analyzed to measure the cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 30   wherein the cooled metal blank is tempered at a temperature of between 350° F. (175° C.) and 450° F. (230° C.) to form a tempered metal blank,   the tempered metal blank is then measured by placing the tempered metal blank on a measuring gauge which includes support pads and probes,   and wherein the tempered metal blank contacts the support pads and the tempered metal blank is measured by the probes,   a plurality of signals are received from the probes and the signals are analyzed to measure the tempered metal blank.   
     
     
         50 . An automotive component manufactured in a process comprising the steps of:
 providing an initial ferrous metal powder,   adding a suitable lubricant to form a lubricated metal powder,   die compacting the lubricated metal powder to form a die compacted metal blank,   placing the die compacted metal blank on a fixture,   sintering the die compacted metal blank while on the fixture to form a sintered metal blank,   cooling the sintered metal blank to form a cooled metal blank,   and placing the cooled metal blank on a measuring gauge which includes support pads and probes, wherein the cooled metal blank is held in a reference plane by contacting the support pads and the cooled metal blank is then measured by the probes,   the probes sending a plurality of signals that are analyzed to measure the cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50   wherein the cooled metal blank is tempered prior to being placed on the measuring gauge.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 50   wherein the initial ferrous metal powder comprises, by weight, 0.35-0.55% nickel, 0.50-0.80% molybdenum, with the balance essentially iron.   
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52   wherein the initial ferrous metal powder is admixed with an additional 0.60-0.90% carbon and 1.0-3.0% copper, by weight, prior to adding the lubricant.   
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 50   wherein the lubricant is one of an ethylene bis-stearomide wax, metal stearator or other lubricants suitable for die compaction of a ferrous metal powder.   
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 50   wherein the fixture is a flat ceramic structure designed to support the die compacted metal blank during sintering.   
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 50   wherein the fixture is a precision ground flat ceramic structure designed to support the die compacted metal blank during sintering and cooling such that the cooled metal blank is within a desired flatness tolerance.   
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 50   wherein the probes contact the cooled metal blank resulting in the plurality of signals that are analyzed to measure the cooled metal blank.   
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 50   wherein the probes send a plurality of sensing signals that impact and return from the cooled metal blank and wherein the probes subsequently send a plurality of resulting signals that are analyzed to measure the cooled metal blank.