Self-resistance heating auxiliary incremental forming system and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a self-resistance heating auxiliary incremental forming system and method. The self-resistance heating auxiliary incremental forming system comprises a tool head 9, a supporting head 21, a cooling device 4 and an elastic supporting device. A tool head 9 is arranged on one side of a plate, a supporting head 21 is arranged at the corresponding position of the other side of the plate 16, the supporting head 21 and the tool head 9 are connected together through a mechanical connecting device 11, the supporting head 21 synchronously moves along with the tool head 9 through the mechanical connecting device, and the tool head 9 and the supporting head 21 always act on the same position of the plate at the same time. And the two are positioned on the same vertical line. And through the alignment design of the supporting head and the tool head, the current path is more stable and uniform, and the problem of local overheating or insufficient temperature caused by non-uniform current distribution is reduced. The stable current path is beneficial to improving the forming quality of the workpiece, and the advantages are more obvious when the current path is used for machining complex parts and workpieces with high precision requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of advanced manufacturing technology, and in particular to a self-resistance heating assisted incremental forming system and method. Background Art

[0002] Self-resistance heating incremental forming technology is an advanced forming technology that combines the advantages of two processes, resistance heating and incremental forming. Incremental forming is a method of manufacturing parts of complex shapes by gradually applying small deformations, while self-resistance heating uses the Joule heat generated by the material when an electric current passes through it to soften the material locally, thereby reducing the forming force. Self-resistance heating incremental forming technology is particularly suitable for the processing of difficult-to-deform materials and thick plates, such as high-strength steel, titanium alloys and some special alloys.

[0003] In the traditional self-resistance heating incremental forming process, the current is usually introduced into the workpiece through a wire connected to the tool head. The current generates heat through the resistance of the workpiece material, causing the workpiece to soften locally, and then the desired part shape is formed through the gradual movement of the tool head. However, this method has several significant disadvantages. First, the control of the current path is difficult, which can easily lead to uneven current distribution, which in turn causes local overheating or insufficient temperature of the workpiece, affecting the quality of the final forming. Secondly, the tool head itself generates a lot of heat due to the passage of current, which may cause the tool head to overheat or even be damaged. In addition, since the tool head is directly connected to the wire, such a design complicates the electrical connection, increases the probability of failure and difficulty of maintenance of the system.

[0004] These problems are particularly prominent in actual production. For example, when processing high-strength materials, due to the large differences in electrical and thermal conductivity of these materials, the instability of the current path may cause local yielding of the material during the forming process, thereby affecting the overall shape and dimensional accuracy of the part. In addition, overheating of the tool head will not only accelerate the wear of the tool, but may also cause defects on the workpiece surface, such as surface burns and cracks. These problems seriously limit the application of self-resistance heating incremental forming technology in the manufacture of high-precision and complex parts.

[0005] Therefore, the prior art has defects and needs to be improved. Summary of the invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a self-resistance heating assisted incremental forming system and method in view of the deficiencies in the prior art.

[0007] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0008] A self-resistance heating assisted progressive forming system, comprising: a tool head 9, a support head 21, a cooling device 4 and an elastic support device; the tool head 9 is arranged on one side of the sheet material, and a support head 21 is arranged at a corresponding position on the other side of the sheet material 16, and the support head 21 is connected to the tool head 9 through a mechanical connection device 11, through which the support head 21 moves synchronously with the tool head 9, and the tool head 9 and the support head 21 always act on the same position of the sheet material at the same time, and the two are located on the same vertical line.

[0009] The self-resistance heating assisted incremental forming system, the elastic support device includes a spring 18 installed under the support head 21, the spring 18 is fixedly set in the clamping device 17 of the support head 21, the function of the spring 18 is to ensure that the support head 21 always maintains good contact with the workpiece surface; an insulating gasket 19 is arranged between the top of the spring 18 and the bottom of the support head 21, and an insulating sleeve 20 is arranged between the support head 21 and the clamping device 17.

[0010] In the self-resistance heating assisted incremental forming system, the mechanical connection device 11 adopts a crank structure, which connects the support head 21 and the tool head 9 together. One end of the crank is connected to the clamping handle 8 of the tool head 9, and the other end is connected to the clamping device 17 of the support head 21.

[0011] In the self-resistance heating assisted incremental forming system, the positive or negative pole of the power supply 1 is connected to the sheet material 16 via the terminal 3, and the negative or positive pole is connected to the support head 21, forming a current loop between the support head 21, the sheet material 16 and the power supply.

[0012] The self-resistance heating assisted progressive forming method according to any of the systems described above comprises the following steps: firstly, the sheet is clamped on the workbench, the tool head is positioned at the starting position of the processing path, and the support head is positioned at the corresponding position on the other side of the sheet; the power is turned on, and the current flows out from the positive electrode of the power supply, flows through the terminal, the sheet, the support head, and finally returns to the negative electrode of the power supply; when the sheet is locally heated to a predetermined temperature, the tool head begins to move along a predetermined path, and the support head moves synchronously on the other side of the sheet, and during the forming process, due to the support of the spring, the support head is always in contact with the sheet, thereby ensuring the integrity of the circuit from beginning to end; when the temperature of the sheet and the tool head is high, the cooling device is started to keep the temperature at an appropriate level, thereby ensuring the final forming quality of the sheet.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following significant beneficial effects:

[0014] 1. The stability of the current path is significantly improved: through the alignment design of the support head and the tool head, the current path is more stable and uniform, reducing the problem of local overheating or insufficient temperature caused by uneven current distribution. This stable current path helps to improve the forming quality of the workpiece, especially when processing complex parts and workpieces with high precision requirements, the advantages are more obvious.

[0015] 2. The overheating problem of the tool head is solved: By integrating a cooling device on the tool head, the temperature of the tool head is effectively controlled, avoiding surface defects of the workpiece caused by overheating. This design not only extends the service life of the tool head, but also improves the stability and forming quality of the forming process.

[0016] 3. Simplified system design and improved reliability: The present invention optimizes the electrical connection and transfers the current path to the support head, avoiding direct electrical connection of the tool head and simplifying the system design. The electrical interfaces and connection points in the system are reduced, the failure rate is reduced, and daily maintenance work is simplified. The reliability of the system is improved, making the self-resistance heating incremental forming process more feasible in industrial applications.

[0017] 4. The continuity of the circuit during the forming process is guaranteed: The spring support device ensures the continuous contact between the support head and the workpiece surface, maintaining the continuity of the current loop. This design solves the problem of circuit interruption caused by deformation or displacement of the workpiece during the forming process, ensures the stability of the current path, and thus improves the forming quality and the smooth progress of the process.

[0018] 5. Enhanced material adaptability: Through the design of the present invention, the current path and temperature management are more controllable, so that the self-resistance heating progressive forming process can better adapt to the processing requirements of different materials, especially in the application of high-strength materials and difficult-to-process materials, with higher forming accuracy and quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the self-resistance heating assisted incremental forming system of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of

[0021] Figure 3 The method of the present invention is used to obtain a physical picture of a product.

[0022] 1-power supply, 2-conductor, 3-terminal, 4-cooling device, 5-insulating gasket, 6-insulating sleeve, 7-machine tool spindle, 8-clamping handle, 9-tool head, 10-clamp, 11-mechanical connection device, 12-guide column, 13-support, 14-insulating pad, 15-insulating gasket, 16-sheet material, 17-clamping device, 18-spring, 19-insulating gasket, 20-insulating sleeve, 21-support head, 22-workbench; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0024] refer to Figure 1 The present invention is a structural schematic diagram of an improved self-resistance heating incremental forming system, wherein the self-resistance heating incremental forming system comprises: a tool head 9, a support head 21, a cooling device 4 and an elastic support device;

[0025] The tool head 9 is arranged on one side of the sheet material, and a support head 21 is arranged at a corresponding position on the other side of the sheet material 16, and the support head 21 is connected to the tool head 9 through a mechanical connection device 11. Through the mechanical connection device, the support head 21 moves synchronously with the tool head 9, and the tool head 9 and the support head 21 always act on the same position of the sheet material at the same time, and the two are located on the same vertical line;

[0026] The elastic support device includes a spring 18 installed below the support head 21. The spring 18 is fixedly arranged in the clamping device 17 of the support head 21. The function of the spring 18 is to ensure that the support head 21 always maintains good contact with the workpiece surface; an insulating gasket 19 is arranged between the top of the spring 18 and the bottom of the support head 21, and an insulating sleeve 20 is arranged between the support head 21 and the clamping device 17;

[0027] The mechanical connection device 11 can be used Figure 1 The crank structure connecting device 11 shown in the figure connects the support head 21 with the tool head 9 , one end of the crank is connected to the clamping handle 8 of the tool head 9 , and the other end is connected to the clamping device 17 of the support head 21 .

[0028] The positive electrode (negative electrode) of the power source 1 is connected to the plate 16 through the terminal 3, and the negative electrode (positive electrode) is connected to the support head 21, so that a current loop is formed between the support head 21, the plate 16 and the power source;

[0029] In order to prevent the tool head from overheating due to the passage of current, a cooling device is integrated on the tool head. The cooling device can be liquid-cooled or air-cooled, and the specific choice depends on the material of the tool head and the working environment. In the liquid cooling system, the coolant flows through the cooling pipe inside the tool head to take away the heat generated by the tool head; while in the air cooling system, the air exchanges heat through the heat sink around the tool head to reduce the temperature of the tool head. The use of the cooling device ensures the temperature stability of the tool head during long-term operation and avoids surface defects of the workpiece caused by overheating.

[0030] During the forming process, the current flows from the power source through the support head and through the sheet to form a closed loop. This current path design avoids the overheating problem caused by the current passing through the tool head in the traditional method. At the same time, due to the precise alignment between the support head and the tool head, the current path is more stable and uniform, reducing the forming defects caused by uneven current distribution.

[0031] Application of spring support device: A spring 18 is installed under the support head. The function of the spring 18 is to ensure that the support head always maintains good contact with the workpiece surface. Since the workpiece may be slightly deformed or displaced during the forming process, the spring device can automatically adjust the position of the support head to ensure the continuity of the current path. This design ensures that the current loop is always stable during the forming process, avoiding the problem of circuit interruption or current instability, thereby improving the forming quality.

[0032] Optimization of electrical connection: In the traditional method, the wires are directly connected to the tool head, which increases the complexity of the system. The present invention avoids direct electrical connection of the tool head by introducing the current into the support head, thus simplifying the design of the electrical system. The support head is connected to the power supply through a simple electrical interface, and the tool head is no longer part of the current path, and no complex electrical connection is required. This optimized design reduces the risk of failure, reduces the complexity of system maintenance, and improves the reliability of the system.

[0033] Forming process: First, clamp the sheet on the workbench, position the tool head to the starting position of the processing path, and at the same time make the support head located at the corresponding position on the other side of the sheet. Turn on the power supply, and the current flows out from the positive pole of the power supply, flows through the terminal, the sheet, the support head, and finally returns to the negative pole of the power supply. When the sheet is partially heated to the predetermined temperature, the tool head begins to move along the established path, and the support head moves synchronously on the other side of the sheet. During the forming process, due to the support of the spring, the support head is always in contact with the sheet, thereby ensuring the integrity of the circuit from beginning to end. When the temperature of the sheet and the tool head is high, start the cooling device to keep the temperature at a suitable level to ensure the final forming quality of the sheet.

[0034] Specific embodiment: In a practical application, a high-strength steel plate is processed using the self-resistance heating progressive forming device of the present invention. The size of the steel plate is 300mm x 300mm and the thickness is 5mm. The support head and the tool head are precisely aligned through a connecting device, and the current is introduced from the power supply into the sheet material and flows through the steel plate to the support head to form a closed loop. A liquid cooling device is integrated on the tool head, and the coolant circulates inside the tool head to take away the heat and keep the temperature of the tool head stable below 120°C. A spring device is installed under the support head to ensure that the support head always maintains good contact with the steel plate.

[0035] During the process, the steel plate was successfully formed into a complete three-dimensional shape by adjusting the current intensity and the moving speed of the tool head. The current path was stable throughout the process, and there were no obvious overheating areas or forming defects on the surface of the steel plate. After the processing was completed ( Figure 3 ), the temperature of the tool head is kept within the set range, the contact between the support head and the steel plate is always stable, and the whole system operates well.

[0036] It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make improvements or changes based on the above description, and all these improvements and changes should fall within the scope of protection of the appended claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A self-resistance heating assisted incremental forming system, characterized in that: include: A tool head (9), a support head (21), a cooling device (4) and an elastic support device; A tool head (9) is arranged on one side of the sheet material, and a support head (21) is arranged at a corresponding position on the other side of the sheet material (16). The support head (21) is connected to the tool head (9) through a mechanical connection device (11). Through the mechanical connection device, the support head (21) moves synchronously with the tool head (9). The tool head (9) and the support head (21) always act on the same position of the sheet material at the same time, and the two are located on the same vertical line.

2. The self-resistance heating assisted incremental forming system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic support device comprises a spring (18) installed below the support head (21); the spring (18) is fixedly arranged in a clamping device (17) of the support head (21); the function of the spring (18) is to ensure that the support head (21) always maintains good contact with the surface of the workpiece; an insulating gasket (19) is arranged between the top of the spring (18) and the bottom of the support head (21); and an insulating sleeve (20) is arranged between the support head (21) and the clamping device (17).

3. The self-resistance heating assisted incremental forming system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mechanical connection device (11) adopts a crank structure, which connects the support head (21) and the tool head (9) together, one end of the crank is connected to the clamping handle (8) of the tool head (9), and the other end is connected to the clamping device (17) of the support head (21).

4. The self-resistance heating assisted incremental forming system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positive or negative pole of the power source (1) is connected to the plate material (16) through the terminal (3), and the negative or positive pole is connected to the support head (21), so that a current loop is formed between the support head (21), the plate material (16) and the power source.

5. The self-resistance heating assisted incremental forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: First, clamp the sheet on the workbench, position the tool head to the starting position of the processing path, and at the same time make the support head located at the corresponding position on the other side of the sheet; turn on the power supply, and the current flows out from the positive pole of the power supply, flows through the terminal, the sheet, the support head, and finally returns to the negative pole of the power supply; when the sheet is locally heated to a predetermined temperature, the tool head begins to move along a predetermined path, and the support head moves synchronously on the other side of the sheet. During the forming process, due to the support of the spring, the support head is always in contact with the sheet, thereby ensuring the integrity of the circuit from beginning to end; when the temperature of the sheet and the tool head is high, start the cooling device to keep the temperature at an appropriate level, thereby ensuring the final forming quality of the sheet.

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