Caterpillar Inc.

Eric Benz

Robert E Sharp

Leslie Caviness

Bobby McDaniel

Peter W Offutt

Thomas R Foster

Casey Borden

Josh Bero

A method of repairing a housing for a machine system includes returning an inner diameter of at least one bearing bore of the housing to a uniform diameter state. The at least one bearing bore is prepared for resurfacing via removing deeply entrapped grease from within pores in cast surface material of the housing subsequent to returning the inner diameter to a uniform diameter state. Subsequent to preparing the at least one bearing bore for resurfacing, it is resurfaced with a material different from cast material of the housing and bonded therewith, for example via thermal spray coating. Resurfacing a cast metallic component, of iron, steel, or the like with metal spray coating may include removing deeply embedded grease from pores of cast surface material of a cast component, in preparation for spraying the cast component with metal spray resurfacing material.

Repair and resurfacing methods for use in remanufacturing a machine system

A sorting process for used friction elements such as friction discs is provided, including determining whether the friction elements are heat compromised based at least in part on a wave scattering property of at least one frictionally interactive face of each of the used friction elements. Suitable friction elements may be sorted into an acceptable category, and unsuitable friction elements sorted into a scrap category. A method of assembling a machine system such as a transmission includes determining suitability of a friction element for service therein by measuring a wave scattering property such as reflectivity of at least one frictionally interactive face of the friction element, and coupling the friction element with the same or a different machine system for returning to service therein based at least in part on the determination of suitability.

Process for determining whether used friction elements may be returned to service

Growing community of inventors

Peoria, IL, United States of America

Eric Benz