ABB challenges on tribology related technology Tribology Days Nynäs/Sweden

Transcription

1 ABB challenges on tribology related technology Tribology Days Nynäs/Sweden Shanghua Li, Anna Andersson, Åke Öberg, Su Zhao, and Per O. Lindholm ABB Corporate Research, Västerås, Sweden ABB Group October 8, 2015 Slide 1

2 Outline ABB at a glance Why is tribology of interest to ABB? Tribological challenges in our products some examples Sealing systems General robotic sealing technology Food grade sealing technology Sealing heavy-duty gear box HV breaker gears Drive train worm gears What about the future? Examples of some new research areas Tribology lab ABB Group October 8, 2015 Slide 2

3 A global leader in power and automation technologies Leading market positions in main businesses ~145,000 employees $ 42 billion In revenue (2013) Present in +100 countries Formed in 1988 merger of Swiss (BBC, 1891) and Swedish (ASEA, 1883) engineering companies ABB Group October 8, 2015 Slide 2

4 How ABB is organized Five global divisions Corporate Research ABB Group October 8, 2015 Slide 5

5 Power and automation are all around us You will find ABB technology orbiting the earth and working beneath it, crossing oceans and on the sea bed, in the fields that grow our crops and packing the food we eat, on the trains we ride and in the facilities that process our water, in the plants that generate our power and in our homes, offices and factories ABB Group October 8, 2015 Slide 6

6 Why is tribology of interest to ABB? Reduction of wear is in many products key to ensure reliable, long and safe operation Friction is the main consumer of drive energy in several ABB products (e.g. HV switch gears) and limits e.g. actuation speeds and voltage range Industrial gearboxes Energy efficiency in industrial gears and other transmission/drive chain elements is more and more often becoming a key selling argument to our customers Particles generated in HV products can drastically reduce dielectric withstand capability. Voltage rage can be increased by reducing particle generation Dry, self-lubricating solutions is a game-changer in most power-train applications Robots Food, beverage and drugs (F&B) handling is a new ABB focus area. Lack of functional and approved F&B lubrication in machinery and robotics is currently a hindrance for expansion Breakers

7 ABB tribology challenge examples Sealing systems General robotic sealing technology Food grade sealing technology Sealing heavy-duty gear box HV breaker gears Drive train worm gears

8 General robotic sealing technology Rotary shaft lip seal Challenges: Robotic motion/application, intermittent, bi-directional, change direction very frequently Test equipment Test methodology Many parameters involved

9 Introduction Robotic applications of the lip seal Application specifications: Rotation: Bi-directional and intermittent Angle of rotation: Any Circumferential speed: 0 to 8 m/s Acceleration: 0 to 900,000 /s² Time between two movements: Any Temperature range: Operation: +0 C to +80 C Pressure range: 0 to 0.3 bar (0 to 0.03 MPa)

10 Methodology Test rig build-up: Specifications Test rig specifications: 1, The test rig based on ISO for testing rotary shaft lip-type seals. 2, Use complete in-house actuating system including ABB robotic control unit and driving unit (motor and gear box). 3, For the mechanical part of the test rig, the general requirement including: shaft max speed, seal size range, temperature, pressure, interface between mechanical part and our drive unit, solution to use our own robotic shafts, 4, For the detection/sensoring system, we need: a, Detection of initial leakage b, Detection of temperature on the seal lip ABB Group October 8, 2015 Slide 10

11 Methodology Test rig build-up: Integration concepts ABB Group October 8, 2015 Slide 11

12 Validation Benchmark tests Test results: Test conditions: Seal: Problematic NBR seal, 95X128.56X8 mm Oil: Mineral oil Grease: Mineral grease In-hourse robotic test program 9 tests in total (1 month limit for each test) 2 leakage (9 & 16 days) + 1 wetting (28 days) Leakage happened on different machines Similar to the leakage situation of one robot used in the test lab: ABB Group October 8, 2015 Slide 12

13 Food grade sealing technology Challenges: Difficulty in sealing food grade lubricants Material option on seals against poor food grade lubricants Material compatibility and aging with food grade lubricants Mainly with robotic applications (consider robotic motion)?

14 Sealing heavy-duty gear box Challenges: Customers increase load of gear box Seal for life, no maintenance Many particles generated due to wear Poor lubrication due to design of gear box or customer use Long bench test duration, test facility

15 HV breaker tribology System description Metal guiding rods in polymeric bushings Metal-to-metal sliding contacts Rotating gear joints with polymeric bushings Sliding electric contact systems Challenges Friction in HV breaker gears consumes a dominant part of drive energy and limits breaking speeds Wear particles reduce dielectric withstand capability Possibilities Increased in-depth knowledge to enable good materials pairing for different tribocontacts Improved voltage ratings Improved quality and control Gear slider (rail) Guiding and bushing Rotating joints Particle contaminated surfaces Arcing contacts 2012 ABB Slide 15

16 Worm gear tribology Failure scenario Sliding wear Surface fatigue Cracking Pitting Generation of wear particles Particles degrading sealings Leakage Replacement of gearbox Overview Lip ABB Group

17 Future ABB research interests on tribology

18 Demands(Food, Cosmetics, Pharmaindustry) General: No Contamination allowed by the Robot, Oil, Grease, Particle Packed Food/Beverage: non toxic Materials highly recommended Unpacked/open Food/Beverage: toxic Materials above the products not allowed, Wet Cleaning not necessary, Required for machines in Bakery, Sweets, Fruits, vegetables Cosmetics: Cleaning by damp sheet, smooth surface Meet, Dairy product: antiseptic(number of germs will be controlled by an Institute regular) -> regular wet cleaning(washdown) cleaning agents, Water is rinsing down, Holes have to be visible, no cavities, non corroding Materials -> Contamination of the robot by Food is probabable and possible Pharma, Medicine, Solar: Cleanroomcertifikat measured during operation necessary -> Cleaning by damp sheet, smooth surface(alcohol) -> smooth surface -> No pollution possible -> Contamination with pharmaceuticals (human safety).

19 Food grade lubrication for robotic gear boxes Challenges: State-of-the-art food grade lubrication Lubrication properties of food grade lubricants Test methodology Test facility (gear bench test, robot test, etc.) Gear option/selection, compact gear box, spur gears or HD drive gear box, etc.

20 Dry lubrication in mechanical systems Mechanical systems in many ABB products that are characterized by high loads and sliding speeds in short operation intervals. Typical example is breakers where machine elements such as motors, bearings and gears are involved. Dry solution can: Eliminates oil leaks in future designs Simplifies design, manufacturing, operation and service Decreases volume and weight Potentially cut costs Enables better environmental foot-print but do industrial solutions for dry lubrication exist today or in the near future?

21 A new Tribology Lab at the Swedish Research Center to be ready fall 2015 Background and motivation ABB should have better mechanical systems than all other competitors (The Vision of the Mechanics Research area manager) Strong growth in BU interest for support on friction, wear, lubrication and leakage -related issues Competence built-up at Corporate Research on friction, wear and lubrication Several tribology test set-ups developed during recent years, spread out in all SECRC buildings Interest for new investments (test equipment and analysis equipment) in new focus areas, e.g. lubrication screening and evaluation Increased interest for testing in extreme, productlike environments and settings (e.g. high speeds, high forces, high temperatures, high pressures) ABB Group

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