Zf Lemforder Metallwaren Ag

Zf Lemförder Metallwarren Ag

Achim Möll

Jürgen Gräber

Metin Ersoy

Volker Grube

Frank Budde

Wolfgang Schmitt

Olaf Abels

Jochen Kruse

Thomas Richter

Manfred Bohne

Martin Wellerding

Dirk Lamla

Melanie Enkler

Thomas Rösler

Helge Rakers

A process is provided for manufacturing a ball and socket joint that has a ball pivot () that is composed of a pivot pin () with an essentially spherical ball head (4) arranged or made integrally in one piece on one side. A bearing shell () is provided as well as a preformed plastic film as a thin-walled ball socket () with a joint surface () enclosing the ball head at least partially. A lubricant () is introduced between the surface of the ball head () and the joint surface () of the thin-walled ball socket (). According to the process, the thin-walled ball socket () is filled first with the lubricant (). The ball head () of the ball pivot () is then introduced into the thin-walled ball socket () filled with lubricant (), and the ball head () provided with the thin-walled ball socket () is subsequently introduced into the housing (). Finally, the free space between the thin-walled ball socket () and the housing () is filled up with a material to form a bearing shell (). The ball and socket joint () is formed with a preformed plastic film as a thin-walled ball socket ().

High-performance ball and socket joint with low torques

A ball and socket joint () is provided, for example, for a chassis bearing, with a ball (), a pivot () originating from the ball (), a housing () accommodating the ball, and a sealing bellows (), which extends between the housing () and the pivot () and has a housing-side opening () and a pivot-side opening (). The sealing bellows () has a circumferential sealing lip () for sealing at the pivot-side opening (). The ball and socket joint () has a first guide ring (), which guides the sealing bellows (). The first guide ring () is arranged at the pivot (). An especially favorable functional separation is achieved as a result between the guiding function and the sealing function.

Ball and socket joint with sealing bellows

A process for manufacturing a tie rod housing formed of a tie rod head () and a shaft element () fastened thereto. The tie rod head () receives its final shape by a mechanical machining process after the manufacture of the tie rod housing blank. The shaft element () and the tie rod head () are connected by means of a resistance pressure welding process. At least two material accumulations (), which connect the two components to one another, are brought about by a welding operation. The at least two material accumulations () are subsequently created between the outer circumferential surface of the tie rod head () and of the shaft element ().

Process for manufacturing a tie rod housing

Growing community of inventors

Rahden, Germany

Achim Möll