Group 24 - Cyclo HBB Parallel Shaft Helical Gearbox with Cyclo Reducer Input

Revision as of 14:26, 8 October 2012

Work Proposal

Product Dissection:

The disassembly of the Conveyor Belt Drive System is expected to be more challenging compared to its assembly. This is because extra caution is needed during the disassembly to prevent the failure of the assembly. Many measurements will be used to secure the assembly of the product.

First of all, we will need to index the specifications of our products. This includes the location, type and even the tightness of every small part such as the screws, nuts and washers. We will also take photo to make the recording easier and more efficient. Of course, video recording may also be used if the sequence of disassembly or assembly is necessary. Besides that, appropriate tools must be used to disassembly each part because misused of the tool might cause permanent damage. We are expecting the inner part of the product to be unclean, consists of lubricant and other dusts. It is important to clean the parts to get clear views of each of them. The parts will be classified according to their types and store separately and securely to prevent loss. There might be some precisely assembled parts inside the product that exceeds our capability, whether to disassemble or to reassemble it. In such case, we will not take risk of assemble it. We are expecting to take six hours to complete assembly this product.

Product Assembly:

Generally, assembling is much easier due to the information and experience we get from the disassemble process. Assemble is the reverse operation of disassemble. However, we might forget to assemble some inner part and need to go through the whole process again. We can use the index and photos taken as reference to assemble the parts according to the sequence. Our group members have to double confirm the number of parts used from steps to steps. Since the parts are clean and indexed, we are expecting to finish assembling in 4 hours.

Cyclo HBB Reducer - Bottling Plant (Cyclo HBB Catalog)

Management Proposal

In order to successfully complete the project, we created a management structure to work more efficiently. The positions are as follows:

Patrick Joy - Project Manager

Jason Feuer - Communication Liaison

Jason D Souza - Technical Expert

Hao Kiat Tan - Technical Expert

Yuri Marsan - Lab Manager

In order to keep everyone up-to-date, we plan to have weekly meetings every Saturday at 4:00 PM. If questions or problems arise, the communication liaison can be contacted to answer the questions or to inform the other group members of the problems.

We all have our own strengths and weaknesses. Luckily, one person's weakness is covered by another person's strength. If we work together, we can complete the project successfully. Our strengths and weaknesses are as follows:

Our group is very balanced and if we work together, we can complete the project successfully. If for some reason a conflict arises about how the project should be carried out, a vote shall be held. If the conflict cannot be resolved, people may drop out and branch off in their own directions to complete the assignment. This would be reflected in the group evaluation at the end of the course. However, we don't believe we will have any problems.

To contact our group about questions or concerns, please contact the Communication Liaison, Jason Feuer at jasonfeu@buffalo.edu; or the Project Manager, Patrick Joy, at pdjoy@buffalo.edu.

Product Archaeology

Development Profile:

Cyclo HBB Reducer - Bottling Plant (Cyclo HBB Catalog)

The key economic design concerns were focused around efficiency of the product, the ease of use of the product, and the durability of the product. It is clear that Sumitomo Drive Technologies put a lot of thought into the design in order to maximize profit for the customer over the long run. From the universal patented keyless, steel Taper-Grip bushing to the patented universal housing design it is obvious that Sumitomo made no sacrifices when it comes to quality. The product was designed to withstand rugged use over long periods of time while reducing the cost of repair, installation, and maintenance.

This product was designed for use in the bottling, baking, water treatment, material handling, manufacturing, shipping, and steel industries. It was also designed for easy application to custom projects and is actually being used, currently, to help retract the 13,000-ton roof on Seattle’s Safeco Field (Cyclo HBB Catalog). The product brochure expands on this list including conveyors, baggage and handling, shredders, belt filter press, mixers and blenders, rolling mill table, screw conveyors, elevators, hoist drives, climber screens, and food processing. This product was developed for a wide range of industries and has a seemingly limitless amount of applications (Cyclo HBB Brochure).

The Cyclo HBB was designed to increase productivity while maintaining reliability during its life cycle. It was designed for easy use, helping to minimizing the costs of installation, removal, maintenance, and repairs. It can withstand 300% momentary shock loads and is rated at 10 hour daily service time under conditions of uniform loads (Cyclo HBB Catalog).

Energy Profile:

The Cyclo HBB uses the rotational kinetic energy from a motor, and converts the rpm’s in order to increases the output torque. Basically the reducer decreases the rotational speed, without slowing down the motor, increasing the output force generated. This allows the system to produce more work than the motor could have done alone.

In general, the energy of a reducer is imported through the rotations per minute of a motor. Then, using series gears, the reducer’s converts the rpm’s into torque by slowing down the rotation. In theory the idea of a reducer is very simple, but in practice it can be more complicated. The Cyclo HBB reducer uses a series of gears, bearing, pins, and other parts, all connected in a complex way, in order to achieve a higher level of torque in the output. The interaction between each component is pretty simple, but the sheer number of components used makes the system very complex.

Complexity Profile:

Cyclo HBB Reducer Front

At first glance it is clear that this product is fairly complex. There are a lot of components that interact with one and other. I imagine that once we begin dissection there will be many pieces ranging from seals to bolts, to screws, and to gears. The official parts list, released by Sumitomo, claims that there are 41 components inside the reducers input section alone. The individual components in this product are fairly simple mechanical devices ranging from gears, screws, bolts, bearings, discs, spacers, washers, sap rings, to pins. (Parts List) However, all of these simple components interact in a very intricate and complicated way in order to reduce rpm’s into torque.

Material profile:

The Cyclo HBB features a rugged cast iron housing, steel internal components, and Nitrile material seals. (Cyclo HBB Catalog) The material list alone shows that it was definitely built with the longevity in mind.

User Interface:

The Cyclo HBB was designed for professional use on an industrial level. Engineers and mechanics are the primary users of this product. The user would interact with this product only for instillation, removal, maintenance, and repairs.

The interface of the product is not entirely intuitive. The user would need to be an engineer, a mechanic, or somebody with plenty of mechanical experience. It is clear that it was not designed for the average layman. At first glance it is hard to tell the purpose the device actually serves. Without any further information it would take investigation and dissection to fully understand its purpose.

Ease of Use:

The Cyclo HBB was built with a patented universal housing design for relatively easy instillation (Cyclo HBB Catalog). However, due to the nature of the product, it is large and unwieldy and would still be difficult to install. It features a patented keyless, steel Taper-Grip bushing that allows for “quick and easy mounting and removal” (Cyclo HBB Catalog) demonstrating that the product is also designed for easy use once it is installed. Furthermore, the Cyclo HBB uses modular design to promote “interchangeable cast iron housings in foot, flanged or face mount configurations” (Cyclo HBB Catalog) for easy customization and flexibility.

Cyclo HBB Reducer Back

Finally, the catalog boasts that the patented keyless, steel Taper-Grip bushing provides these benefits (Cyclo HBB Catalog):

1) Easy mounting and removal of the unit to and from the driven shaft.

2) Standard bore sizes require no shaft preparation such as a keyway, undercut, or keeper plate.

3) Backlash free torque transmission.

4) Works with standard shafting, no special tolerances required.

5) Automatic shaft center alignment.

6) Multiple stock bore sizes for quick delivery.

7) Multiple stock bore sizes for quick delivery.

As you can see, a lot of thought went into this product in order to make sure that it was easy to use in respect to the entire system in which it was designed to operate.

Maintenance and Repair:

The Cyclo HBB is designed to minimize the level of maintenance needed during its operating life cycle, but it is shipped without lubricant, thus before running the reducer the appropriate lubricant must be added in accordance with the chart provided in the product manual. During the product lifecycle, if a component were to fail, replacement components can be ordered. The Cyclo HBB was designed to be dismantled and reassembled. Sumitomo Drive Technologies stresses the importance of preventing dirt from entering the bearings while it’s dissembled. Also, they stress not to damage the seals during the dismantling process. (Installation Guide)

The general maintenance of the product is easy. Proper maintenance only requires that the oil levels be checked on a systematic basis. Sumitomo suggests oil changes after every 5000 hours of operation or after two years of operation, whichever comes first. (Installation Guide). It is important to note that the product has two sections that each need to be oiled separately.

If a component of the product were to fail the product was designed to be taken apart and to be repaired relatively easily. However, the Cyclo HBB is fairly complex and would require a skilled mechanic or engineer to repair it. (Installation Guide)

Bibliography:

Sumitomo Drive Technologies. Cyclo HBB Brochure. 7 October 2012 <http://www.smcyclo.com/uploads/product/files/file-89.pdf>.

Sumitomo Drive Technologies. Cyclo HBB Catalog. 7 October 2012 <http://www.smcyclo.com/uploads/product/files/file-1254.pdf>.

Sumitomo Drive Technologies. Installation Guide. 7 October 2012 <http://www.smcyclo.com/uploads/product/files/file-86.pdf>.

Sumitomo Drive Technologies. Operating and Maintenance Manual. 7 October 2012 <http://www.smcyclo.com/uploads/product/files/file-94.pdf>.

Sumitomo Drive Technologies. Parts List. 7 October 2012 <http://www.smcyclo.com/uploads/product/files/file-84.pdf>.