Bishop Steering Technology II Precision Measurement Device Hong Zhu Kyle Powell David K. Spaeth Patrick Richardson

Reason for the Design Present measurement techniques are not accurate enough Ensure consistent measurements between the various tiers involved in the industry Improper measurement can result in a part being accepted that will fail when the whole steering system is tested Properly measured parts facilitate cooperation between suppliers Fewer returned parts will reduce costs

Main Requirements Client needs two measurement systems to measure components of a rack and pinion steering system Measurements must not have a difference greater than +/- 3microns from true value Device must not be overly complicated

How Small is Three Microns? The average skin cell is four microns in diameter The average human hair is 70 microns in diameter

Input Shaft

Input Sleeve

How the Parts Interface

How steering system works

Problems with poorly measured shafts and sleeves If the shaft and sleeve are not accurately machined, the flow of hydraulic fluid through them will not be even The car may turn even though the steering wheel is in the neutral (center) position The car may be more difficult to turn in one direction than the other Increased costs due to repairs and bad parts

Process Control The measuring process must be consistent Because of the high accuracy required, the test facility must be in a pristine, laboratory-like environment The environment must be controlled and free of dust and other fugitive material that could be detrimental to the measuring process

Thermal Control Any variation in temperature cause the size of a shaft or sleeve to change by more than three microns Any variation in temperature cause the size of a shaft or sleeve to change by more than three microns Transfer of human body heat to the shafts and sleeves must be minimized The ambient room temperature must be kept constant

Sensors It is necessary to record both linear and angular displacements The challenge was to find a way to record both displacements at the same time

Linear Distance Sensor For the shaft measurement we propose the use of a Keyence LK-011 laser

Linear Distance Sensor For the sleeve we propose the Philtec Fiber Optic linear displacement sensor

Angular Displacement Sensor The angular encoder can measure the angular rotation of a shaft to within ° accuracy

Sensor Mounting Sensors are very sensitive, and must be stationary So, the shafts and sleeves must be rotated so all the notches can be measured by the sensors so all the notches can be measured by the sensors Why not design one device that holds both sensors stationary and measure both shafts and sleeves?

Device Stand

Positioning and Alignment Measurement = Position +Alignment By definition, linear and angular measurements require exact positioning and alignment Precision measurement requires precision equipment

X-Y Tables Micrometer driven tables allow for accurate positioning Movable on one or two axes

Bellows Type Flexible Couplings Rotation of shaft or sleeve must be the same as rotation of encoder Unique design ensures that rotation is the same at top and bottom of coupling and that shafts are aligned

Bearing Browning Spherical Roller Bearing Low radial runout of 1.5 microns

Use of a Stock Motor and Gear Reducer Small motors capable of turning the shafts and sleeves at constant speed are common and available for purchase We will use a Parker Automation stepper motor and a Daedel gear reducer

Data Acquisition and Analysis Both the Keyence laser and Philtec fiber optic sensor are sold with electronics that acquire and process the data Output is usually digital, but analog output devices with graphical displays are available

Patents and Trademarks We have found no exact matches for the proposed designs There are patented designs for similar components, but no design that incorporates them into a single system The Laser Micro100 by BLUM is the closest in theory to what we are attempting

Design Modeling This project called for research and design, but not the building of a prototype Pro-Engineer is a powerful software program that allows us to model the design The components in our design are only representations of the actual parts

Gauge Plate Interface

Sleeve Measurement

Shaft Measurement

Shaft Rear View

Conclusion We met the engineering requirements for accuracy and surpassed our task of designing a machine that could measure either the shaft or the sleeve… OUR DESIGN MEASURES BOTH! The technology to produce this measurement machine is available now

Recommendations We suggest that a prototype of this design be made and tested. be made and tested. Possible alternatives to our method of adjusting the gauge plate be investigated.

Consultants Dr. Jie Chen - IUPUI Jason Wou – Bishop Steering Daniel Crafton – Bishop Steering Andy Hartsock – Parker Automation Dr. A.K. Naghdi – IUPUI Sales Support – Heidenhain Dr. Vermuri – IUPUI, Physics Department

References The Mechanical Design Process By David G. Ullman By David G. Ullman MCG, 2002 MCG, 2002 Introduction to Laser Technology By Hitz, C. Breck, Hitz, Breck, Ewing, J. J.,Hecht, Jeff By Hitz, C. Breck, Hitz, Breck, Ewing, J. J.,Hecht, Jeff John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2001 John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2001 An Introduction to Fiber Optics By R. Allen Shotwell, E. Stewart Prentice Hall, 1996 Prentice Hall, 1996

Electronic References