Project number
25036
Organization
Caterpillar Inc.
Offering
ENGR498-F2024-S2025
The slew ring assembly is a critical component of a hydraulic mining shovel which allows the machine to rotate smoothly. A slew ring cover sits atop the slew ring to retain grease within the assembly. Traditional welding techniques for adhering components of the cover often cause distortion within the thin sheet metal, leading to grease leakage. This reduces lubrication within the assembly, raises environmental concerns and increases maintenance costs. For every hour of downtime of these machines, a customer can lose over $200,000 in potential revenue. This project explores the use of structural adhesives as an alternative to welding to prevent any distortion within the slew ring cover.
The team’s design uses structural, acrylic adhesives to bond the components of the slew ring cover to preserve the surface flatness of the sheet metal. This required an entire redesign of the cover to limit welding and incorporate these structural adhesives throughout. A series of mechanical, environmental and virtual tests validated the adhesive bonds’ strength, lifespan and resistance to mining conditions. After further development, these adhesives can enter the Caterpillar ecosystem and be used on a variety of machines for years to come.
The team’s design uses structural, acrylic adhesives to bond the components of the slew ring cover to preserve the surface flatness of the sheet metal. This required an entire redesign of the cover to limit welding and incorporate these structural adhesives throughout. A series of mechanical, environmental and virtual tests validated the adhesive bonds’ strength, lifespan and resistance to mining conditions. After further development, these adhesives can enter the Caterpillar ecosystem and be used on a variety of machines for years to come.