Process control of tolerance rings

A method of process control including the steps of:

• (a) constraining a tolerance ring relative to one of an inner or outer component, the tolerance ring comprising an annular band of resilient material having a plurality of projections projecting radially therefrom;
• (b) moving the other of the inner or outer component axially with respect to the constrained tolerance ring so as to compress the projections of the tolerance ring between the inner and outer components;
• (c) continuing movement of the inner or outer component, respectively, beyond the tolerance ring;
• and
• (d) measuring a force required for continuing movement.

A method of manufacturing tolerance rings, the method including the steps of:

• (a) manufacturing tolerance rings according to a manufacturing process, each tolerance ring comprising an annular band of resilient material having a plurality of projections projecting radially therefrom;
• (b) selecting a sample manufactured tolerance ring from the tolerance rings manufactured in step (a);
• (c) constraining a tolerance ring relative to one of an inner and an outer component, the tolerance ring comprising an annular band of resilient material having a plurality of projections projecting radially therefrom;
• (d) moving the other of the inner or outer component axially with respect to the constrained tolerance ring so as to compress the projections of the tolerance ring between the inner and outer components;
• (e) continuing movement of the inner or outer component, respectively, beyond the projections;
• (f) measuring a force required to for continuing movement;
• and
• (g) modifying the manufacturing process if the measured force required to achieve the continued movement is outside of predetermined limits.

Process control apparatus including:

• a plug gauge having an outermost mating surface;
• a ring-supporting member including a ring gauge having a bore with an innermost mating surface for constraining a tolerance ring, the plug gauge being receivable in the bore, and a base which supports the ring gauge and which has a cavity aligned with an end of the bore and sized to receive the plug gauge if it protrudes from the bore;
• and
• a force meter arranged to measure the force required to move the plug gauge through the bore of the ring gauge.