Integral forming device and forming method for lobe-shaped thin-walled structures

Abstract

This invention provides an integral forming apparatus and method for a corrugated, irregularly shaped thin-walled structure. The integral forming apparatus includes a spoke plate, a core mold, multiple petal molds, and an actuating ring. The core mold has multiple corrugated forming grooves along its circumference. The multiple petal molds are rotatably connected to the spoke plate and are spaced apart along the circumference of the spoke plate. Each petal mold has a boss that matches the shape of the forming groove. The actuating ring is sleeved on the outer periphery of the multiple petal molds and can move axially along the core mold, driving the multiple petal molds to converge towards the forming grooves, thereby forming the blank located between the petal molds and the forming grooves into a corrugated, irregularly shaped thin-walled structure. This invention features a simple process, good integrity, high forming accuracy, suitability for most commonly used thermoforming equipment, fast forming speed, fewer steps, and can greatly improve production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of sheet metal forming technology, and more specifically, to an integral forming apparatus and forming method for a corrugated, irregularly shaped thin-walled structure. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, a type of corrugated, irregularly shaped thin-walled structure (such as...) is frequently used in engine combustion chambers and nozzles. Figure 1 a) Due to its irregular, rotating shape, the most common manufacturing process is to first individually form its unit lobes (such as...). Figure 1 (b) Then, multiple lobes are combined and welded together, followed by post-weld shaping and heat treatment. The advantage of this process is that it reduces the forming difficulty by forming individual lobes and then welding them. The disadvantages are low forming accuracy, many steps, poor overall structural performance and reliability due to the presence of multiple welds, and susceptibility to defects and cracks. Summary of the Invention

[0003] (a) Technical problems to be solved

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is that the existing forming process for lobe-shaped thin-walled structures has low forming accuracy, many steps, and poor overall performance and reliability.

[0005] (II) Technical Solution

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an integral forming apparatus for a corrugated, irregularly shaped thin-walled structure, comprising a spoke plate, a core mold, multiple petal molds, and an actuating ring; the core mold is provided with multiple corrugated forming grooves along the circumference of the core mold; the multiple petal molds are rotatably connected to the spoke plate and are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the spoke plate, each petal mold being provided with a boss matching the shape of the forming groove; the actuating ring is sleeved on the outer periphery of the multiple petal molds and is capable of moving along the axial direction of the core mold, driving the multiple petal molds to converge toward the forming grooves, so as to form the blank located between the petal molds and the forming grooves into a corrugated, irregularly shaped thin-walled structure.

[0008] Preferably, the integral forming device further includes a lower platform, an upper platform, and a driving device. The spokes are fixedly connected to the lower platform, the core mold is fixedly connected to the upper platform, and the driving device is connected to the lower platform and / or the upper platform to drive the upper platform to move closer to or further away from the lower platform.

[0009] Preferably, the integral forming device further includes a telescopic rod, one end of which is connected to the lower platform and the other end of which is connected to the actuating ring. The telescopic rod can drive the actuating ring to move axially along the core mold.

[0010] Secondly, the present invention also provides an integral forming method for a lobe-shaped thin-walled structure, wherein a blank is formed into a lobe-shaped thin-walled structure using any of the above-described integral forming devices for lobe-shaped thin-walled structures, comprising the following steps:

[0011] The blank is designed and formed according to the external dimensions of the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure.

[0012] The blank is placed between the ferrule and the forming groove;

[0013] After coating the surface of the blank with lubricant and oxidation protectant, the integral forming device and the blank are placed in a heating furnace for heating until the temperature reaches a preset temperature.

[0014] Pressure is applied to the core mold toward the spokes, and the actuating ring is driven to move along the axial direction of the core mold. The multiple petal molds converge toward the forming groove until they fit into the forming groove, and are maintained for a preset time to form the blank into a corrugated, irregular thin-walled structure.

[0015] Preferably, the step of designing and forming the blank based on the external dimensions of the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure specifically includes the following steps:

[0016] The dimensions of the fan-shaped blank are designed based on the external dimensions of the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure.

[0017] The fan-shaped blank is rolled into a cone-shaped cylinder;

[0018] The joint of the cone is welded to form the blank.

[0019] Preferably, the preset time is 15-20 minutes.

[0020] Preferably, the moving speed of the actuating ring is less than 10 mm / s.

[0021] Preferably, the method further includes the following steps:

[0022] The actuator ring is driven to reset, and the multiple flaps unfold outwards;

[0023] Drive the core mold to move away from the spokes, so that the core mold separates from the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure;

[0024] The wavy, irregularly shaped thin-walled structure is removed, and then processed and surface-treated to obtain the final part.

[0025] (III) Beneficial Effects

[0026] The above-described technical solution of the present invention has at least the following advantages:

[0027] 1. This invention drives multiple petal molds that are radially distributed on the spokes to converge toward the forming groove, so that the blank located between the petal molds and the forming groove is extruded into a corrugated lobe-shaped thin-walled structure, thereby achieving one-time forming of the corrugated lobe-shaped thin-walled structure. The process is simple, has good integrity, and high forming accuracy, and is suitable for most commonly used thermoforming equipment.

[0028] 2. Compared with the process of forming multiple lobes separately and then welding them to form a lobe-shaped thin-walled structure, the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure prepared by the present invention has fewer welds, higher reliability, and can effectively avoid cracks and defects. At the same time, the parts will not undergo thermal deformation due to welding, and the parts have high forming precision.

[0029] 3. Compared with conventional stamping processes, the outer end perimeter of the cone of the present invention is designed to be equal to the perimeter of the edge of the lobe end of the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure, which can effectively prevent the thinning of the final formed part due to stamping deformation, thereby realizing active material compensation and reducing the thinning of the part wall thickness.

[0030] 4. This invention can integrally form a corrugated thin-walled structure in a single hot-pressing process on conventional thermoforming equipment, thereby achieving efficient and rapid integral precise forming of the corrugated thin-walled structure. It has a fast forming speed, fewer processes, and greatly improves production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a lobe-shaped, irregularly shaped thin-walled structure.

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fan-shaped blank provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cone provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the integral forming device for the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 5 This is one of the usage state diagrams of the integral forming device for the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure provided in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 6 This is the second usage diagram of the integral forming device for the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure provided in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 7 This is the third diagram showing the usage state of the integral forming device for the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure provided in this embodiment of the invention.

[0039] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the lobe-shaped irregular thin-walled structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] The labels for the attached figures are as follows:

[0041] 100. Blank; 110. Fan-shaped blank; 120. Conical cylinder; 200. Wavy, irregular thin-walled structure; 1. Spoke plate; 2. Core mold; 3. Lobe mold; 4. Actuating ring; 21. Forming groove; 31. Boss. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0043] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be located directly on or indirectly on the other component. When a component is referred to as "connected to" another component, it can be directly or indirectly connected to the other component.

[0044] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention, and do not indicate that the device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0045] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating relative importance or the number of technical features. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified. The specific implementation of this invention will be described in more detail below with reference to specific embodiments:

[0046] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides an integral forming device for a corrugated, irregularly shaped thin-walled structure, including a spoke plate 1, a core mold 2, multiple petal molds 3, and an actuating ring 4. The core mold 2 has multiple corrugated forming grooves 21 along its circumference. The multiple petal molds 3 are rotatably connected to the spoke plate 1 and are spaced apart along the circumference of the spoke plate 1. Each petal mold 3 has a boss 31 that matches the shape of the forming groove 21. The actuating ring 4 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the multiple petal molds 3 and can move along the axial direction of the core mold 2, driving the multiple petal molds 3 to converge toward the forming grooves 21, so as to form the blank 100 located between the petal molds 3 and the forming grooves 21 into a corrugated, irregularly shaped thin-walled structure 200. Specifically, the petal molds 3 are mounted on the spoke plate 1, are radially distributed, and can rotate around the axis of the mounting location.

[0047] In one embodiment, the integral forming device further includes a lower platform (not shown), an upper platform (not shown), and a driving device (not shown). The spoke 1 is fixedly connected to the lower platform, the core mold 2 is fixedly connected to the upper platform, and the driving device is connected to the upper platform. The driving device can drive the upper platform to move closer to or further away from the lower platform. In another embodiment, the driving device is connected to the lower platform, and the driving device can drive the lower platform to move closer to or further away from the upper platform.

[0048] In one embodiment, the integral forming device further includes a telescopic rod (not shown), one end of which is connected to the lower platform, and the other end of which is connected to the actuating ring 4. The telescopic rod can drive the actuating ring 4 to move axially along the core mold 2. When the actuating ring 4 moves to a designated position, it stops moving.

[0049] This invention also provides a method for integrally forming a lobe-shaped thin-walled structure, wherein the blank 100 is formed into a lobe-shaped thin-walled structure 200 using any of the integral forming devices for lobe-shaped thin-walled structures described in the above embodiments, and the method includes the following steps:

[0050] The blank 100 is designed and formed according to the external dimensions of the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure 200.

[0051] Place the blank between the mold 3 and the forming groove 21;

[0052] After coating the surface of the blank 100 with lubricant and oxidation protectant, the integral forming device and the blank 100 are placed in a heating furnace for heating until the temperature is raised to the preset temperature.

[0053] Pressure is applied to the core mold 2 toward the spoke plate 1, and the actuating ring 4 is driven to move along the axial direction of the core mold 2. Multiple petal molds 3 converge toward the forming groove 21 and fit into the forming groove 21. The process is maintained for a preset time, and the blank 100 is formed into a corrugated irregular thin-walled structure 200.

[0054] In one embodiment, the blank 100 is designed and formed according to the external dimensions of the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure 200, specifically including the following steps:

[0055] The dimensions of the fan-shaped blank 110 are designed according to the external dimensions of the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure 200. Specifically, the outer perimeter S2 of the fan-shaped blank 110 is controlled to be equal to the sum of the perimeter of the lobe end edge of the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure 200 and the welding allowance; the inner perimeter S1 of the fan-shaped blank 110 is controlled to be equal to the bottom perimeter of the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure 200; and the height h of the fan-shaped blank 110 is controlled to be equal to the height of the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure 200.

[0056] The fan-shaped blank 110 is rolled into a cone 120. Compared with conventional stamping processes, this application controls the outer perimeter S2 of the fan-shaped blank 110 to be equal to the sum of the perimeter of the edge of the lobe end of the corrugated thin-walled structure 200 and the welding allowance during the design stage. This makes the outer perimeter of the cone 120 after welding equal to the perimeter of the edge of the lobe end of the corrugated thin-walled structure 200, which can effectively prevent the thinning of the final formed part due to stamping deformation.

[0057] Weld the joint of the cone 120 to form the blank 100.

[0058] In one embodiment, the preset time is 15-20 minutes.

[0059] In one embodiment, the moving speed of the actuating ring 4 is less than 10 mm / s.

[0060] In one embodiment, the following steps are also included:

[0061] The drive actuation ring 4 is reset, and multiple flaps 3 unfold outwards;

[0062] Drive the core mold 2 to move away from the spoke 1, so that the core mold 2 separates from the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure 200;

[0063] The wavy, irregularly shaped thin-walled structure 200 is removed and processed and surface-treated to obtain the final part.

[0064] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An integral forming device for a lobe-shaped, irregularly shaped, thin-walled structure, characterized in that, include: Spokes; The core mold has multiple corrugated molding grooves along its circumference; Multiple petal molds are rotatably connected to the spokes and are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the spokes. Each petal mold is provided with a boss that matches the shape of the forming groove. An actuating ring is sleeved on the outer periphery of the plurality of petal molds and can move along the axial direction of the core mold, driving the plurality of petal molds to converge toward the forming groove, so as to form the blank located between the petal molds and the forming groove into a corrugated, irregular thin-walled structure.

2. The integral forming device for the lobe-shaped irregular thin-walled structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The integral forming device further includes a lower platform, an upper platform, and a driving device. The spokes are fixedly connected to the lower platform, the core mold is fixedly connected to the upper platform, and the driving device is connected to the lower platform and / or the upper platform to drive the upper platform to move closer to or further away from the lower platform.

3. The integral forming device for the lobe-shaped irregular thin-walled structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The integral forming device also includes a telescopic rod, one end of which is connected to the lower platform and the other end of which is connected to the actuating ring. The telescopic rod can drive the actuating ring to move along the axial direction of the core mold.

4. A method for integral forming of a lobe-shaped, irregularly shaped, thin-walled structure, characterized in that, The integral forming apparatus for the corrugated lobe-shaped thin-walled structure as described in any one of claims 1-3 is used to form a blank into a corrugated lobe-shaped thin-walled structure, comprising the following steps: The blank is designed and formed according to the external dimensions of the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure. The blank is placed between the ferrule and the forming groove; After coating the surface of the blank with lubricant and oxidation protectant, the integral forming device and the blank are placed in a heating furnace for heating until the temperature reaches a preset temperature. Pressure is applied to the core mold toward the spokes, and the actuating ring is driven to move along the axial direction of the core mold. The multiple petal molds converge toward the forming groove until they fit into the forming groove, and are maintained for a preset time to form the blank into a corrugated, irregular thin-walled structure.

5. The integral forming method of the wavy, irregular thin-walled structure as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The process of designing and molding the blank based on the external dimensions of the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure specifically includes the following steps: The dimensions of the fan-shaped blank are designed based on the external dimensions of the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure. The fan-shaped blank is rolled into a cone-shaped cylinder; The joint of the cone is welded to form the blank.

6. The integral forming method of the wavy, irregularly shaped thin-walled structure as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The preset time is 15-20 minutes.

7. The integral forming method of the wavy, irregular thin-walled structure as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The moving speed of the actuating ring is less than 10 mm / s.

8. The integral forming method of the lobe-shaped irregular thin-walled structure as described in claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes the following steps: The actuator ring is driven to reset, and the multiple flaps unfold outwards; Drive the core mold to move away from the spokes, so that the core mold separates from the lobe-shaped thin-walled structure; The wavy, irregularly shaped thin-walled structure is removed, and then processed and surface-treated to obtain the final part.

Images