Method for manufacturing a ball cage of a joint

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a ball cage of a joint, comprising an inner side, an outer side and windows between the inner side and the outer side, is provided, wherein a blank is clamped on a workpiece fixture of a machine tool, with a clamping area of the blank lying outside of a machining area, and wherein the inner side, the outer side and the windows are machined by the same machine tool without reclamping the workpiece.

1 . A method for manufacturing a ball cage of a joint, said ball cage comprising an inner side, an outer side and windows between the inner side and the outer side, comprising:
 clamping a blank on a workpiece fixture of a machine tool, with a clamping area of the blank lying outside of a machining area; and   machining the inner side, the outer side and the windows by the same machine tool without reclamping the workpiece.   
     
     
         2 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the clamping area is an area outside of areas of contact of the ball cage with other joint parts. 
     
     
         3 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the clamping area is an annular area. 
     
     
         4 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the workpiece is clamped at the clamping area by means of the workpiece fixture. 
     
     
         5 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the workpiece is held with a set clamping force on the workpiece fixture. 
     
     
         6 . The method in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the clamping force is set such that the workpiece is secured against rotation under the forces that occur, such that no workpiece vibrations occur, and such that the workpiece does not undergo deformation as a result of the clamping. 
     
     
         7 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein clamping surfaces for clamping the workpiece are manufactured with increased static friction. 
     
     
         8 . The method in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein clamping surfaces are coated in order that the static friction is increased. 
     
     
         9 . The method in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein clamping surfaces are roughened. 
     
     
         10 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the blank is a hardened blank. 
     
     
         11 . The method in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the machining of the blank is performed by hard fine machining. 
     
     
         12 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the machining of the inner side is performed by at least one of grinding and turning. 
     
     
         13 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the machining of the outer side is performed by at least one of grinding and turning. 
     
     
         14 . The method in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the machining of the inner side and the machining of the outer side is performed by hard turning. 
     
     
         15 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the machining of the inner side and the machining of the outer side are performed simultaneously or successively. 
     
     
         16 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the machining of the inner side and the machining of the outer side are performed with the same tool. 
     
     
         17 . The method in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the tool has a first cutter for the machining of the inner side and a second cutter for the machining of the outer side. 
     
     
         18 . The method in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein the first cutter and the second cutter are offset from each other with respect to height. 
     
     
         19 . The method in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein the tool is constructed so as to enable the first cutter to enter an inner space of the workpiece up to a maximum depth of entry without any further area of the tool touching the workpiece or a workpiece holder. 
     
     
         20 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the machining of the inner side and the machining of the outer side are performed with different tools. 
     
     
         21 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the tool is held in a rotationally fixed manner during the machining of the inner side and the machining of the outer side. 
     
     
         22 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the workpiece fixture is arranged on a workpiece spindle which is displaceable in at least one direction. 
     
     
         23 . The method in accordance with  claim 22 , wherein the workpiece spindle is a vertical spindle. 
     
     
         24 . The method in accordance with  claim 23 , wherein the workpiece spindle is displaceable in the vertical direction. 
     
     
         25 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the workpiece and a tool are displaceable relative to each other in at least one horizontal direction in relation to the direction of gravity. 
     
     
         26 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the machining of the workpiece is performed as dry machining. 
     
     
         27 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the machining of the inner side and the machining of the outer side are performed after the machining of the windows. 
     
     
         28 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein machining of the windows is performed by at least one of milling and grinding. 
     
     
         29 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein a tool and the workpiece are rotated during the machining of the windows. 
     
     
         30 . The method in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein an axis of rotation of the tool and an axis of rotation of the workpiece extend parallel to each other. 
     
     
         31 . The method in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the tool is rotated n times faster than the workpiece if the workpiece has n windows. 
     
     
         32 . The method in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein an axis of rotation of the tool and an axis of rotation of the workpiece extend perpendicular to each other. 
     
     
         33 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the workpiece is displaced linearly relative to the tool in a direction parallel to an axis of rotation of the tool during the machining of the windows. 
     
     
         34 . The method in accordance with  claim 33 , wherein the workpiece is held in a rotationally fixed manner. 
     
     
         35 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the blank is made from a tube which is rolled and turned on an inner side, and from which windows are punched out. 
     
     
         36 . The method in accordance with  claim 35 , wherein the blank is hardened prior to clamping on the machine tool.