TECHNOLOGICAL FEATURES OF RESTORATION OF RIMS OF SUPPORT ROLLERS FOR TRACKED VEHICLES

Abstract

The use of tracked (caterpillar) vehicles enables us to meet the requirements concerning harmless impact upon the environment, the considerable amounts of work to be fulfilled being saved. In particular, as compared to wheeled vehicles, there is less pressure upon the ground; there is also the opportunity to work in specific conditions of marshy, sandy, and low-bearing soils; stable performance in hard climatic conditions, etc. is also possible there. A necessary and important part of the tracked vehicle is its special suspension. Such a suspension contributes to smoother motion of the mechanism, it also cushions shocks, and ensures transmission of motion from the engine to the tracks. Independently of the design of the suspension, there are always several couples of support rollers. These rollers make up the intermediate link between the mover and the carrier frame, they transmit not only great weight but also the created loading, they guide the tractor’s caterpillars, etc. In the course of their work, the support rollers of tracked vehicles experience intensive wear and tear of the outer surface of their rims. As a result, changing them is necessary; dismounted ones are to be repaired. The use of restorative technology through overlaying (building up) by means of the electric arc is considered in this paper. This enables us to ensure cost savings and to repair support rollers of hardly loaded track vehicles. It is also possible to increase their serviceability by optimizing the overlayed metal; in particular, by increasing the hardness of the overlayed layer and increasing its resistance against impact and abrasive wear. The weldability of the main metal of a support roller has been analyzed. It is shown that the use of high-carbon material complicates the conditions for overlaying the outer rim. It is necessary to use pre-heating to high temperatures. This reduces the tendency of the material to form hardening structures and cracks after the overlaying. Investigations of peculiarities of overlaying a cylindrical surface of the rim of a tractor’s roller have been conducted. In particular, the limit values of the length of a weld pool depending on the diameter (value of wear) of the overlayed rim of a roller have been determined. It is shown that it is necessary to carry out the displacement of the arc from the zenith. This ensures the necessary formation of the weld-pool and the absence of spreading of the metal overlayed on the rim. The determination of the value of heat input of overlaying a roller has been carried out, the heat input is considered as a function of parameters of the electrode wire. Verification calculation of the obtained values of specific power for the permissible length of the weld-pool has been conducted. Concretization of the obtained results was carried out by taking into account the optimal range and permissible rate of cooling in overlaying the main material of a support roller. According to special nomograms, the dependence between the rate of cooling and the heat input of overlaying has been established. Especially, there were investigated the temperature conditions during overlaying the weld beads. It is shown that heating the roller takes place at the expense of neighboring weld beads. It is established that in overlaying at the determined values of heat input (per unit length) there can be achieved the temperature of auto heating is sufficient for the pre-heating of a roller.