Application of PFD and PFMEA in manufacturing of clutch release

fork of heavy motor vehicles

 ABSTRACT

Abstract: Fork is mounted on heavy vehicle transmission system used for shifting
shaft in commercial vehicles. This component is mounted on shaft guided by key
and 2 holes and is used for shifting this shaft. During manufacturing of this fork
top two drilling hole are shifted from its position with respect to the keyway given.
To overcome this problem a new manufacturing process is proposed which would
ensure that these holes will not be shifted during production process. Changes are
made in VMC operation such that keyway is fixed and holes are made with respect
to these keyways. Threading is done on inner face of hole so as to get proper
interference fit during assembly using screw bolts and improve assembly strength.
Process flow diagrams (PFD) and Process Failure mode and Effect Analysis
(PFMEA) are also developed.

Keywords: Fork, transmission, PFD, PFMEA

1.1 CONCEPT OF TRANSMISSION

The transmission is place between the engine and the drive shaft. The transmission
is connected through the clutch. The figure 1 shows the basic concept where are
the gearbox place in the car system.

Figure 1: Transmission placement

To understand the basic idea behind a standard transmission, the Figure 2 shows a
very simple two-speed transmission in neutral

Figure 2: 2 speed transmission

The green shaft comes from the engine through the clutch. The green shaft and
green gear are connected as a single unit. (The clutch is a device that lets you
connect and disconnect the engine and the transmission. When you push in the
clutch pedal, the engine and the transmission are disconnected so the engine can
run even if the car is standing still. When you release the clutch pedal, the engine
and the green shaft are directly connected to one another. The green shaft and gear
turn at the same rpm as the engine.) The red shaft and gears are called the
layshaft. These are also connected as a single piece, so all of the gears on the
layshaft and the layshaft itself spin as one unit. The green shaft and the red shaft
are directly connected through their meshed gears so that if the green shaft is
spinning, so is the red shaft. In this way, the layshaft receives its power directly
from the engine whenever the clutch is engaged. The yellow shaft is a splined
shaft that connects directly to the drive shaft through the differential to the drive
wheels of the car. If the wheels are spinning, the yellow shaft is spinning.

Figure 3: Clutch release fork

 Figure 4: Mounting of clutch release fork

1.2 FMEA

A FMEA is an analytical tool that uses a disciplined technique to identify and help
eliminate product and process potential failure modes

- By ID of potential failures
- Assessing the risks caused by failure modes and Identify corrective actions
- Prioritizing corrective actions
- Carry out corrective action

1.2.1 Most common types of FMEA's

Design(Potential) Failure Modes and Effects Analysis-DFMEA

- Focus is on potential design-related failures and their causes.

Process(Potential) Failures Modes and Effects Analysis-PFMEA

 - Focuses is on potential process failures and their causes.

1.2.2 VALUE OF FMEA

 Aids in improving designs for products and process

 Increased safety
 Enhances Customer Satisfaction
 Better Quality
 Higher Reliability
 Contributes to cost savings
 Decreases warranty costs
 Decreases waste, non-value-added operations

1.3 DEFINITION OF PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM (PFD)

Process flow diagram mainly defines:

1. A schematic representation of the sequence of all relevant operations occurring

during a process and includes information considered desirable for analysis.

2. The process presenting events which occur to the material(s) to convert the
feedstock(s) to the specified products.

3. An operation occurring when an object (or material) is intentionally changed in

any of its physical or chemical characteristics, is assembled or disassembled from
another object or is arranged or prepared for another operation, transportation,
inspection or storage.

1.3.1 PURPOSE OF PFD

The purpose of PFD is generally as follows:

1. Plant design basis: PFD shows the plant design basis indicating feedstock,
product and main streams flow rates and operating conditions.

2. Scope of process: PFD serves to identify the scope of the process.

3. Equipment configuration shows graphically the arrangement of major
equipment, process lines and main control loops.

4. Required utilities

PFD shows utilities which are used continuously in the process.

1.3.2 CONTENTS OF PFD

PFD shall comprise but not limited to the following items:

1. All process lines, utilities and operating conditions essential for material balance
and heat and material balance.

2. Type and utility flow lines which are used continuously within the battery limits.

3. Equipment diagrams to be arranged according to process flow, designation, and

equipment number.

4. Simplified control instrumentation pertaining to control valves and the likes to

be involved in process flows.

5. Major process analyzers.

6. Operating conditions around major equipment.

7. Heat duty for all heat transfer equipment.

8. Changing process conditions along individual process flow lines, such as flow
rates, operating pressure & temperature, etc.

9. All alternate operating conditions.

10. Material balance table.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW
Dogan [1] has done significant work to reduce the transmission gearbox noise and vibration. The
torsional vibration of transmission components causes rattling and clattering noises, this noise is
undesirable. For experimental analysis the transmission parameters were varied to reduce the
effect of rattle and clatter noise.

Wang and yang [2] have investigated the non-linearity on the tooth face in gear dynamics. For
numerical simulation backlash, meshing stiffness and frictional forces were used. In this study
the critical parameters were identified and chaos, bifurcation with sliding friction was studied.

Abouel-Seoud and Abdallah [3] have used vibration response analysis method for the analytical
analysis of car gearbox system. They have performed analytical and experimental analysis of a
car transmission system. By using physical properties, they have calculated the radiation
efficiency.

Vandi and Ravaglioli [4] this paper presents the implementation of a simplified engine-driveline
model to complete an existing vehicle dynamic model. The engage and disengaged phenomena
of clutch were investigated.

Nacib and Sakhara [5] have studied the heavy gearbox of helicopters. To prevent break down
and accident in helicopters gear fault detection is important. Spectrum analysis and Cepstrum
analysis method is used to identify damage gear. Fourier analysis is used for analytical results.

Gordon and Bareket [6] have studied the source of vibration. A Sports Utility Vehicle with
sensor and data acquisition system is used to find the vibration source. This study was focused
on vehicle vibration response from road surface features.

Kar and Mohanty [7] have used motor current signature analysis (MCSA) and discrete wavelet
transform (DWT) for studying the gear vibration. Two sources of vibration, transmission errors
and gear defects were identified.

Czech [8] has described the vibro-acoustic diagnostics of high-power toothed gears. The
presented analysis was a experimental work done in a steel plant. The methods of time-
frequency, scale-frequency and frequency-frequency analysis were used for vibroacoustic
diagnostics.

Singh [9] has done two case studies for the vibroacoustic analysis of automotive structures.
Analytical and experimental results were presented for brief description. In first case passive and
adaptive hydraulic engine mounts and in second case welded joints and adhesives in vehicle
bodies were considered.

Tuma [10] has performed the experimental analysis on TARA trucks and found the range of
frequency for transmission housing vibration. Jiri Tuma has solved the gear noise problem by
introducing an encloser to reduce radiated noise. Fourier transform method is used for the
analytical analysis. Analytical result is verified using experimental investigation. The natural
frequency of vibration is varying in between 500 Hz to 3500 Hz at varying rpm. The severe
vibration occurs at the frequency range of (500-2500) Hz.
3 Problem Statement

During assembly of clutch release fork of transmission system of commercial

vehicles it was found that many times due to shifting of top two holes with respect
to keyways, the fork cannot be mounted on clutch release shaft properly and fork
gets fouling in the assembly. Also due to threads not available in the holes of fork
operation of gear becomes difficult as in loading pins deviate from its position and
fork gets deflected during running conditions resulting in transmission assembly
failure.

4. OBJECTIVES
1> Manufacturing & Machining of clutch fork using process plan as described in next
following steps

2> CMM Testing

3> VMC operation on fixture

4> MPI Testing

5> Induction Hardening testing (Pattern Testing)

6> Material Testing

7> Hardness Testing

8> PFD

9> PFMEA

10> Control Plan

11> SPC & MSA Study

5. METHODOLOGY

Fork is manufactured using sequence of manufacturing process which includes

CMM testing, MPI Testing, Induction Hardening testing (Pattern Testing), Material
Testing, Hardness Testing, PFD, PFMEA, Control Plan, SPC & MSA Study and
conducting VMC operation on fixture. Using coordinate measuring
machine (CMM) measures the geometry of transmission fork by sensing discrete
points on the surface of the object with a probe. Induction hardening is used to
selectively harden areas of a transmission fork without affecting the properties of
the part as a whole. Magnetic particle Inspection (MPI) is performed in
transmission fork which is a non-destructive testing (NDT) process for detecting
surface and shallow subsurface discontinuities in ferromagnetic materials such
as iron, nickel, cobalt, and some of their alloys. Induction hardening is used to
selectively harden areas of a part or assembly without affecting the properties of
the part as a whole.

6 EXPECTED OUTCOMES

The outcomes would include the following: -

1> MPI check sheet

2> Induction hardening report
3> Material testing report
4> FMEA chart
5> Forging report
6> Pattern test report
7> Case depth report
REFERENCES
1. Dogan, S.N. (1999). Loose part vibration in vehicle transmissions Gear rattle. Transactions Journal of
Engineering and Environmental Science, 23, 439-454.

2. Wang, J.; Zheng, J.; and Yang, A. (2012). An Analytical Study of Bifurcation and Chaos in a Spur Gear Pair with
Sliding Friction. Procedia Engineering, 31, 563-570.

3. Abouel-Seoud, S.S.; Mohamed, E.S.; Abdel-Hamid, A.A.; and Abdallah, A.S. (2013). Analytical Technique for
Predicting Passenger Car Gearbox Structure Noise Using Vibration Response Analysis. British Journal of Applied
Science & Technology, 3(4), 860-883.

4. Vandi, G.; Cavina, N.; Corti, E.; Mancini, G.; Moro, D.; Ponti, F.; and Ravaglioli, V. (2014). Development of a
software in the loop environment for automotive powertrain systems. Energy Procedia, 45, 789 – 798.

5. Nacib, L.; Pekpe, K.M.; and Sakhara, S. (2013). Detecting gear tooth cracks using cepstral analysis in gearbox of
helicopters. International Journal of Advances in Engineering & Technology, 5, 139-145.

6. Gordon, T.J.; and Bareket, Z. (2007). Vibration Transmission from Road Surface Features– Vehicle
Measurement and Detection. Technical Report for Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc. UMTRI-2007-4.

7. Kar, C.; and Mohanty, A.R. (2006). Monitoring gear vibrations through motor current signature analysis and
wavelet transform. Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, 20, 158–187.

8. Czech, P. (2012) Diagnosis of industrial gearboxes Condition by vibration and time frequency, Scale-frequency,
frequency-frequency analysis. Metalurgija, 51, 521-524.

9. Singh, R. (2000). Dynamic design of automotive systems-Engine mounts and structural joints. Dynamic design
of automotive systems, 25, 319-330.

10. Tuma, J. (2009). Gearbox Noise and Vibration Prediction and Control. International Journal of Acoustics and
Vibration, 14, 1-11.