Aluminum alloy subframe straightening tool and method of use

Abstract

An integral square four-corner frame type aluminum alloy subframe straightening fixture includes a worktable (1), on which are provided a pair of bushing horizontal straightening cylinders (2), a pair of bushing height straightening cylinders (3), a pair of triangular combination positioning mechanisms (4), a lower crossbeam straightening cylinder (5), an upper positioning block (6), an upper crossbeam straightening cylinder (7), and a bushing vertical straightening cylinder (8). The advantages are: ensuring that the aluminum alloy chassis subframe blanks sent to the machining process can meet the processing requirements, greatly improving the product qualification rate and machining efficiency, and significantly reducing costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of alignment tooling, specifically to an aluminum alloy subframe alignment tooling and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, new energy is the main trend for the transformation and upgrading of the global automotive industry and its green development, and it is also a strategic choice for the leapfrog development of my country's automotive industry. Lightweight chassis is an inevitable choice for energy conservation and emission reduction. However, during the casting, placement, process flow, and subsequent heat treatment of integral aluminum alloy chassis castings, the subframe of the integral frame is extremely prone to deformation, and the deformation trend of each part is inconsistent, making detection and identification extremely difficult. After flowing to the machining process, deformed products exhibit issues such as thin hole walls, hole misalignment, and lack of shine during machining, affecting processing efficiency and wasting processing costs. Deformation is the biggest technical challenge in the industry. Only by solving the deformation problem can the product qualification rate be significantly improved, the processing process be kept smooth, and costs saved.

[0003] Currently, there is no universally accepted and effective process for straightening aluminum alloy chassis subframes in the industry. Some methods involve pressing parts together and then striking them with a wooden hammer, while others use screw tightening mechanisms to press deformed parts or use hydraulic cylinders for correction.

[0004] Existing technologies do not take into account the frame structure of the parts and the springback caused by stress release. The selection of the calibration location does not take into account the bending point of deformation. After the calibration is qualified, the external load is removed and the product is compressed to release stress, which causes springback. Furthermore, the force of manual hammering is too small to cause plastic deformation in large chassis parts, and only elastic deformation will occur, which cannot be used for calibration. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to address the above-mentioned shortcomings by providing an aluminum alloy subframe shaping fixture and its usage method.

[0006] This invention includes a worktable, on which are mounted a pair of bushing horizontal alignment cylinders, a pair of bushing height alignment cylinders, a pair of triangular combination positioning mechanisms, a lower crossbeam alignment cylinder, an upper positioning block, an upper crossbeam alignment cylinder, and a bushing vertical alignment cylinder.

[0007] A pair of triangular combination positioning mechanisms are located between a pair of bushing height adjustment cylinders. The upper positioning block is located above one of the triangular combination positioning mechanisms. The upper crossbeam adjustment cylinder is located above the lower crossbeam adjustment cylinder. The bushing vertical adjustment cylinder is located above the other triangular combination positioning mechanism.

[0008] The piston rod end of the bushing horizontal alignment cylinder is provided with a sliding groove, and an inverted U-shaped push-pull head is slidably installed in the sliding groove.

[0009] A set of cylinder mounting holes are opened on the workbench. The cylinder barrel of the bushing height adjustment cylinder is vertically installed at the bottom of the cylinder mounting hole. The piston rod of the bushing height adjustment cylinder extends upward through the cylinder mounting hole. The piston rod of the bushing height adjustment cylinder is equipped with a first upper push seat and a first lower pull pin.

[0010] The triangular combination positioning mechanism consists of three L-shaped support blocks evenly distributed in a ring. One of the L-shaped support blocks has a first pressure plate on its top, which is adjustablely mounted on the L-shaped support block by bolts.

[0011] The lower crossbeam straightening cylinder is vertically mounted on the workbench, and the piston rod end of the lower crossbeam straightening cylinder is equipped with a bending correction pin.

[0012] The upper positioning block has a workpiece placement slot, and a second pressure plate is provided on the upper positioning block. The second pressure plate is adjustable and installed on the upper positioning block by bolts, and the second pressure plate is located above the workpiece placement slot.

[0013] The upper crossbeam straightening cylinder is vertically mounted on the workbench. The piston rod end of the upper crossbeam straightening cylinder is provided with a sliding groove, and a C-shaped push-pull head is slidably installed in the sliding groove.

[0014] The cylinder barrel of the bushing vertical alignment cylinder is vertically installed at the bottom of the cylinder mounting hole on the worktable. The piston rod of the bushing vertical alignment cylinder extends upward through the cylinder mounting hole. The piston rod of the bushing vertical alignment cylinder is equipped with a second upper push seat and a second lower pull pin.

[0015] A set of testing seats is set on the workbench, and testing pins are installed on the testing seats. The testing seats are located on one side of the bushing horizontal alignment cylinder.

[0016] A detection block is set on the workbench, and the detection block is located on one side of the upper positioning block.

[0017] The steps are as follows:

[0018] A1. Through structural analysis, locate the deformation points of the aluminum alloy subframe;

[0019] A2. Place the aluminum alloy subframe on a pair of triangular combination positioning mechanisms and the upper positioning block, turn the bolts on the first and second pressure plates, and press and position the left and right sides of the lower crossbeam of the workpiece through the pair of first pressure plates, thereby fixing the aluminum alloy subframe horizontally as a calibration reference point.

[0020] A3. The L-shaped support block of the triangular combination positioning mechanism uses the back of the aluminum alloy subframe as the vertical reference, and the back of the upper left of the aluminum alloy subframe is also clamped and positioned by the second pressure plate.

[0021] A4. During the calibration, insert the first pull-down pin into the piston rod of the bushing height calibration cylinder, clamp the lower part of the aluminum alloy subframe between the first pull-down pin and the first push seat, and extend and retract the piston rod of the bushing height calibration cylinder to perform vertical calibration.

[0022] A5. After the vertical alignment is completed, remove the first pull-down pin, and the piston rod of the height alignment cylinder will descend.

[0023] A6. Install the U-shaped push-pull head at the piston rod end of the bushing horizontal alignment cylinder. The aluminum alloy subframe is located inside the U-shaped push-pull head. Horizontal alignment is achieved by extending and retracting the bushing horizontal alignment cylinder.

[0024] A7. Insert the bending correction pin into the hole in the aluminum alloy subframe and use the lower crossbeam correction cylinder to correct the lower center of the aluminum alloy subframe.

[0025] A8. The upper middle part of the aluminum alloy subframe is shaped by the C-shaped push-pull head on the upper crossbeam shaped cylinder.

[0026] A9. Insert the second pull-down pin into the piston rod of the bushing vertical alignment cylinder to align the upper end of the aluminum alloy subframe.

[0027] A10. Insert the test pin into the test seat. If the test pin is in place and makes close contact with the aluminum alloy subframe, it means that the aluminum alloy subframe is calibrated. Use the test block to check whether the upper left end of the aluminum alloy subframe is calibrated.

[0028] A11. After the aluminum alloy subframe is shaped, the first and second pressure plates are released, and the aluminum alloy subframe is removed.

[0029] The advantages of this invention are: it ensures that the aluminum alloy chassis subframe blanks sent to the machining process can meet the processing requirements, greatly improves the product qualification rate and machining efficiency, and significantly reduces costs. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of the aluminum alloy subframe for the present invention.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the bushing height adjustment cylinder of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the aluminum alloy subframe of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a side view structural schematic diagram of the aluminum alloy subframe of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0036] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0037] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0038] In the description of the embodiments of this invention, it should be noted that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "inner," or "outer" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product is in use, they are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to 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 invention. Furthermore, if terms such as "first" or "second" appear in the description of this invention, they are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0039] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0040] As shown in the attached drawings, the present invention includes a workbench 1, on which are mounted a pair of bushing horizontal alignment cylinders 2, a pair of bushing height alignment cylinders 3, a pair of triangular combination positioning mechanisms 4, a lower crossbeam alignment cylinder 5, an upper positioning block 6, an upper crossbeam alignment cylinder 7, and a bushing vertical alignment cylinder 8.

[0041] A pair of triangular combination positioning mechanisms 4 are located between a pair of bushing height adjustment cylinders 3. The upper positioning block 6 is located above one of the triangular combination positioning mechanisms 4. The upper crossbeam adjustment cylinder 7 is located above the lower crossbeam adjustment cylinder 5. The bushing vertical adjustment cylinder 8 is located above the other triangular combination positioning mechanism 4.

[0042] The piston rod end of the bushing horizontal alignment cylinder 2 is provided with a sliding groove, and an inverted U-shaped push-pull head is slidably arranged in the sliding groove.

[0043] A set of cylinder mounting holes is opened on the workbench 1. The cylinder barrel of the bushing height adjustment cylinder 3 is vertically installed at the bottom of the cylinder mounting hole. The piston rod of the bushing height adjustment cylinder 3 extends upward through the cylinder mounting hole. A first upper push seat 9 and a first lower pull pin 10 are provided on the piston rod of the bushing height adjustment cylinder 3.

[0044] The triangular combination positioning mechanism 4 consists of three L-shaped support blocks evenly distributed in a ring. One of the L-shaped support blocks has a first pressure plate 11 on its top. The first pressure plate 11 is adjustablely mounted on the L-shaped support block by bolts.

[0045] The lower crossbeam straightening cylinder 5 is vertically mounted on the workbench 1, and the piston rod end of the lower crossbeam straightening cylinder 5 is provided with a bending correction pin 12.

[0046] The upper positioning block 6 has a workpiece placement groove, and a second pressure plate 17 is provided on the upper positioning block 6. The second pressure plate 17 is adjustablely installed on the upper positioning block 6 by bolts, and the second pressure plate 17 is located above the workpiece placement groove.

[0047] The upper crossbeam straightening cylinder 7 is vertically installed on the workbench 1. The piston rod end of the upper crossbeam straightening cylinder 7 is provided with a sliding groove, and a C-shaped push-pull head is slidably installed in the sliding groove.

[0048] The cylinder barrel of the bushing vertical alignment cylinder 8 is vertically installed at the bottom of the cylinder mounting hole on the workbench 1. The piston rod of the bushing vertical alignment cylinder 8 extends upward through the cylinder mounting hole. A second upper push seat 13 and a second lower pull pin 14 are provided on the piston rod of the bushing vertical alignment cylinder 8.

[0049] A set of detection seats 15 is provided on the workbench 1. Detection pins are provided on the detection seats 15. The detection seats 15 are located on one side of the bushing horizontal alignment cylinder 2.

[0050] A detection block 16 is provided on the workbench 1, and the detection block 16 is located on one side of the upper positioning block 6.

[0051] The steps are as follows:

[0052] A1. Through structural analysis, the deformation points of the aluminum alloy subframe 100 were located;

[0053] A2. Place the aluminum alloy subframe 100 on a pair of triangular combination positioning mechanisms 4 and the upper positioning block 6, turn the bolts on the first pressure plate 11 and the second pressure plate 17, and press and position the left and right sides of the lower crossbeam of the workpiece through the pair of first pressure plates 11, thereby fixing the aluminum alloy subframe 100 horizontally as a calibration reference point.

[0054] A3. The L-shaped support block of the triangular combination positioning mechanism 4 uses the back of the aluminum alloy subframe 100 as the vertical reference, and the back of the upper left of the aluminum alloy subframe 100 is also clamped and positioned by the second pressure plate 17.

[0055] A4. During the calibration, the first pull-down pin 10 is inserted into the piston rod of the bushing height calibration cylinder 3, and the lower part of the aluminum alloy subframe 100 is clamped between the first pull-down pin 10 and the first push seat 9. The piston rod of the bushing height calibration cylinder 3 extends and retracts to perform vertical calibration.

[0056] A5. After the vertical alignment is completed, remove the first pull-down pin 10, and the piston rod of the height alignment cylinder 3 will descend.

[0057] A6. Install the U-shaped push-pull head at the piston rod end of the bushing horizontal alignment cylinder 2. The aluminum alloy subframe 100 is located inside the U-shaped push-pull head. Horizontal alignment is performed by extending and retracting the bushing horizontal alignment cylinder 2.

[0058] A7. Insert the bending correction pin 12 into the middle hole of the aluminum alloy subframe 100, and use the lower crossbeam correction cylinder 5 to correct the lower middle part of the aluminum alloy subframe 100.

[0059] A8. The upper middle part of the aluminum alloy subframe 100 is shaped by the C-shaped push-pull head on the upper crossbeam shaping cylinder 7.

[0060] A9. Insert the second pull-down pin 14 into the piston rod of the bushing vertical alignment cylinder 8 to align the upper end of the aluminum alloy subframe 100.

[0061] A10. Insert the test pin into the test seat 15. After the test pin is inserted into the position, it is in close contact with the aluminum alloy subframe 100, indicating that the aluminum alloy subframe 100 is calibrated. Use the test block 16 to check whether the upper left end of the aluminum alloy subframe 100 is calibrated in place.

[0062] A11. After the aluminum alloy subframe 100 is shaped, the first pressure plate 11 and the second pressure plate 17 are released, and the aluminum alloy subframe 100 is removed.

[0063] Example 1: Through structural analysis, the deformation location of the aluminum alloy subframe 100 (hereinafter referred to as the workpiece) was found. The workpiece was placed on a pair of triangular combination positioning mechanisms 4 and the upper positioning block 6. Figure 1The position of the triangular combination positioning mechanism 4 is marked by a dashed line frame, and the bolts on the first pressure plate 11 and the second pressure plate 17 of the knob are also shown.

[0064] The workpiece is horizontally fixed by pressing and positioning the left and right sides of the lower crossbeam using a pair of first pressure plates 11, serving as a calibration reference point. The L-shaped support block of the triangular combination positioning mechanism 4 uses the back of the workpiece as a vertical reference, while the upper left back of the workpiece is also clamped and positioned by the second pressure plate 17. During calibration, the first pull-down pin 10 is inserted into the piston rod of the bushing height calibration cylinder 3, and the lower part of the workpiece is clamped between the first pull-down pin 10 and the first upper push seat 9. The piston rod of the bushing height calibration cylinder 3 extends and retracts to perform vertical calibration. After calibration, the first pull-down pin 10 is removed, the piston rod of the height calibration cylinder 3 is lowered, and the U-shaped push-pull head is installed at the end of the piston rod of the bushing horizontal calibration cylinder 2. The workpiece is located inside the U-shaped push-pull head, and horizontal calibration is performed by extending and retracting the height calibration cylinder 3.

[0065] Insert the bending correction pin 12 into the center hole of the workpiece, and use the lower crossbeam correction cylinder 5 to correct the lower center of the workpiece. Use the C-shaped push-pull head on the upper crossbeam correction cylinder 7 to correct the upper center of the workpiece. Insert the second pull-down pin 14 into the piston rod of the bushing vertical correction cylinder 8 to correct one end of the upper part of the workpiece. Insert the detection pin into the detection seat 15. If the detection pin is in place and makes close contact with the workpiece, it means that the workpiece correction is qualified. Use the detection block 16 to check whether the upper left end of the workpiece is corrected.

[0066] After the workpiece is shaped, the first pressure plate 11 and the second pressure plate 17 are released, and the workpiece is removed.

[0067] The extension and retraction of hydraulic cylinders are used to correct deformed parts of the overall frame. This significantly improves the product blank qualification rate, avoids waste of processing and casting resources due to product scrap caused by deformation, and greatly saves costs.

Claims

1. A method for using an aluminum alloy subframe alignment fixture, characterized in that, The method employs an integral square four-corner frame type aluminum alloy subframe straightening fixture, which includes a worktable (1). The worktable (1) is equipped with a pair of bushing horizontal straightening cylinders (2), a pair of bushing height straightening cylinders (3), a pair of triangular combination positioning mechanisms (4), a lower crossbeam straightening cylinder (5), an upper positioning block (6), an upper crossbeam straightening cylinder (7), and a bushing vertical straightening cylinder (8). A pair of triangular combination positioning mechanisms (4) are located between a pair of bushing height adjustment cylinders (3), an upper positioning block (6) is located above one of the triangular combination positioning mechanisms (4), an upper crossbeam adjustment cylinder (7) is located above the lower crossbeam adjustment cylinder (5), and a bushing vertical adjustment cylinder (8) is located above the other triangular combination positioning mechanism (4). The piston rod end of the bushing horizontal alignment cylinder (2) is provided with a sliding groove, and an inverted U-shaped push-pull head is slidably arranged in the sliding groove; A set of cylinder mounting holes are opened on the workbench (1). The cylinder barrel of the bushing height adjustment cylinder (3) is vertically installed at the bottom of the cylinder mounting hole. The piston rod of the bushing height adjustment cylinder (3) extends upward through the cylinder mounting hole. The piston rod of the bushing height adjustment cylinder (3) is provided with a first upper push seat (9) and a first lower pull pin (10). The triangular combination positioning mechanism (4) consists of three L-shaped support blocks evenly distributed in a ring. One of the L-shaped support blocks is provided with a first pressure plate (11) on its top. The first pressure plate (11) is adjustablely installed on the L-shaped support block by bolts. The lower crossbeam straightening cylinder (5) is vertically installed on the workbench (1), and the piston rod end of the lower crossbeam straightening cylinder (5) is provided with a bending degree straightening pin (12); The upper positioning block (6) has a workpiece placement groove, and the upper positioning block (6) is provided with a second pressure plate (17). The second pressure plate (17) is adjustablely installed on the upper positioning block (6) by bolts. The second pressure plate (17) is located above the workpiece placement groove. The upper beam straightening cylinder (7) is vertically installed on the workbench (1). The piston rod end of the upper beam straightening cylinder (7) is provided with a sliding groove, and a C-shaped push-pull head is slidably installed in the sliding groove. The cylinder barrel of the bushing vertical alignment cylinder (8) is vertically installed at the bottom of the cylinder mounting hole on the workbench (1). The piston rod of the bushing vertical alignment cylinder (8) extends upward through the cylinder mounting hole. The piston rod of the bushing vertical alignment cylinder (8) is provided with a second upper push seat (13) and a second lower pull pin (14). The steps are as follows: A1. Through structural analysis, the deformation points of the aluminum alloy subframe (100) were located; A2. Place the aluminum alloy subframe (100) on a pair of triangular combination positioning mechanisms (4) and the upper positioning block (6), turn the bolts on the first pressure plate (11) and the second pressure plate (17) to press and position the left and right sides of the lower crossbeam of the workpiece through the pair of first pressure plates (11). A3. The L-shaped support block of the triangular combination positioning mechanism (4) uses the back of the aluminum alloy subframe (100) as the vertical reference, and the back of the aluminum alloy subframe (100) on the upper left is also clamped and positioned by the second pressure plate (17). A4. During the calibration, the first pull-down pin (10) is inserted into the piston rod of the bushing height calibration cylinder (3), and the lower part of the aluminum alloy subframe (100) is clamped between the first pull-down pin (10) and the first push seat (9). The piston rod of the bushing height calibration cylinder (3) extends and retracts to perform vertical calibration. A5. After the vertical alignment is completed, remove the first pull-down pin (10) and the piston rod of the bushing height alignment cylinder (3) will descend. A6. Install the U-shaped push-pull head at the piston rod end of the bushing horizontal alignment cylinder (2), and the aluminum alloy subframe (100) is located inside the U-shaped push-pull head. Horizontal alignment is performed by extending and retracting the bushing horizontal alignment cylinder (2). A7. Insert the bending correction pin (12) into the hole in the aluminum alloy subframe (100) and use the lower crossbeam correction cylinder (5) to correct the lower middle part of the aluminum alloy subframe (100). A8. The upper middle part of the aluminum alloy subframe (100) is shaped by the C-shaped push-pull head on the upper crossbeam shaping cylinder (7); A9. Insert the second pull-down pin (14) into the piston rod of the bushing vertical alignment cylinder (8) to align the upper end of the aluminum alloy subframe (100).

2. The method of using the aluminum alloy subframe alignment fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, A set of detection seats (15) is provided on the workbench (1), and detection pins are provided on the detection seats (15). The detection seats (15) are located on one side of the bushing horizontal alignment cylinder (2). A detection block (16) is provided on the workbench (1), and the detection block (16) is located on one side of the upper positioning block (6).

3. The method for using an aluminum alloy subframe alignment fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes the following steps: A10. Insert the test pin into the test seat (15). After the test pin is inserted into place, it is in close contact with the aluminum alloy subframe (100), indicating that the aluminum alloy subframe (100) is calibrated. Use the test block (16) to check whether the upper left end of the aluminum alloy subframe (100) is calibrated in place. A11. After the aluminum alloy subframe (100) is shaped, the first pressure plate (11) and the second pressure plate (17) are released and the aluminum alloy subframe (100) is removed.

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