Engine front support beam formed by hot gas bulging forming process

Abstract

The utility model discloses an engine front support beam formed by a hot gas bulging forming process, which relates to the technical field of engine front support frames and comprises a support beam pipe body and two connecting plates respectively connected to two ends of the support beam pipe body. The supporting beam pipe body is of a pipe body structure manufactured through a hot gas bulging forming process, the connecting plate is provided with reinforcing ribs and positioning holes, the two ends of the supporting beam pipe body are each provided with a first avoiding groove and a second avoiding groove, the first avoiding grooves are located in the positioning holes, and the reinforcing ribs are installed in the second avoiding grooves. The supporting beam pipe body is manufactured through the hot gas bulging forming process, so that the second receding groove can be formed in the supporting beam pipe body, the supporting beam pipe body can be directly connected with a connecting plate, the overall mass is light, and the strength is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of engine front support frame technology, and in particular to an engine front support beam formed by hot gas expansion forming process. Background Technology

[0002] Hot gas expansion is a forming process for ultra-high-strength steel pipes, which involves rapidly heating the pipe material, expanding it under high-pressure gas in a mold, and then efficiently cooling and quenching it. First, the pipe material is heated to a certain temperature, increasing its deformability and significantly reducing its deformation resistance. Then, low-pressure gas is used to induce plastic deformation in the blank. Compared to traditional stamping processes, hot gas expansion effectively avoids defects such as wrinkles and cracks during pipe processing. This is because stamping deforms the pipe material through external mechanical force, while hot gas expansion applies pressure uniformly from within. Furthermore, hot gas expansion can produce pipes with more complex shapes and higher precision requirements, which is highly advantageous for manufacturing high-performance components.

[0003] The engine is a core component of a car and has a significant weight. The front engine support beam, as a primary supporting structure, bears a portion of the engine's weight. The front engine support beam evenly distributes the engine's weight load across the relevant parts of the chassis, while also ensuring the engine's positional accuracy and preventing displacement. During engine operation, vibrations and noise are generated; the front engine support beam effectively reduces vibration and noise transmission. Therefore, the front engine support beam needs to have high strength.

[0004] Existing common engine front support beams consist of a support beam tube and connecting plates. Both ends of the support beam tube need to be fixedly connected to a connecting plate. However, because the connecting plates themselves have reinforcing ribs, and the tube itself cannot have a corresponding groove structure, the support beam tube cannot be directly connected to the connecting plate. Therefore, existing technology welds a U-shaped plate to each end of the support beam tube. The U-shaped plate covers the outer sides of both ends of the support beam tube, and then the two free edges of the U-shaped plate are welded to the connecting plate, thus achieving the technical effect of fixing the support beam tube to the connecting plate via the U-shaped plate.

[0005] However, in the aforementioned prior art, the addition of the U-shaped plate results in more parts, a larger overall weight, and the welding connection between the various components leads to low overall strength.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need in the field for a new type of engine front support beam formed by hot gas expansion molding process to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide an engine front support beam formed by hot gas expansion molding process to solve the problems existing in the prior art. The support beam tube is formed by hot gas expansion molding process, which allows it to be directly connected to the connecting plate, thereby reducing the overall weight and improving the overall strength.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following solution:

[0009] This utility model discloses an engine front support beam formed by hot gas expansion molding process, including a support beam tube body and two connecting plates. The two connecting plates are respectively connected to both ends of the support beam tube body. The support beam tube body is a tube structure manufactured by hot gas expansion molding process. The connecting plates are provided with reinforcing ribs and positioning holes. Both ends of the support beam tube body are provided with a first clearance groove and a second clearance groove. The first clearance groove is located at the positioning hole, and the reinforcing rib is installed in the second clearance groove.

[0010] Preferably, the supporting beam tube includes a middle tube and two end tubes, the two end tubes being fixed to both ends of the middle tube, and the end tubes being used to connect with the connecting plate.

[0011] Preferably, the cross-sectional area of ​​the middle tube is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the end tube, and the end tube is provided with a flat portion that contacts the connecting plate.

[0012] Preferably, the connecting plate includes a first panel and a second panel, the second panel being closer to the central tube than the first panel, and the included angle between the first panel and the second panel being an obtuse angle.

[0013] Preferably, the reinforcing rib is disposed at the connection between the first panel and the second panel, and the positioning hole is disposed on the second panel.

[0014] Preferably, a first weld is provided between the two sides of the end tube and the first panel, and a second weld is provided between the two sides of the end tube and the second panel.

[0015] Preferably, the length of the first weld is 100mm and the length of the second weld is 115mm.

[0016] Preferably, the material of the support beam tube is 22MnB5, the yield strength of the material of the support beam tube is 1000MPa, the tensile strength of the support beam tube is 1400MPa, and the wall thickness of the support beam tube is 2mm.

[0017] Preferably, the connecting plate is made of 610 stainless steel, the connecting plate has a yield strength of 500 MPa, a tensile strength of 610 MPa, and a thickness of 2 mm.

[0018] Preferably, the connecting plate is provided with a plurality of fixing through holes.

[0019] The present invention achieves the following technical advantages over the prior art:

[0020] This invention employs a hot-air expansion molding process to manufacture the support beam tube, allowing a second clearance groove to be integrally formed on the support beam tube that matches the reinforcing ribs on the connecting plate. This enables the end of the support beam tube to be directly connected to the connecting plate without the need for other components (such as a U-shaped plate). As a result, since the entire support beam tube is a single, integrally formed part, its overall weight is lighter, and there are fewer welds, thus increasing its overall strength. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a front view of the engine front support beam formed by hot gas expansion molding process in Example 1;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Top view;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The left view;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A first-person perspective stereoscopic view;

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A second-person perspective stereoscopic view;

[0027] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A bottom view;

[0028] Figure 7 This is a front view of the support beam tube in the engine front support beam formed by hot gas expansion molding process in Example 1;

[0029] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Top view;

[0030] Figure 9 for Figure 7 The left view;

[0031] Figure 10 This is a front view of the connecting plate in the engine front support beam formed by hot gas expansion molding process in Example 1.

[0032] Figure 11 for Figure 10 Top view;

[0033] Figure 12 for Figure 10 The left view;

[0034] In the figure: 1-Support beam tube; 2-Connecting plate; 3-First clearance groove; 4-Second clearance groove; 5-First weld; 6-Second weld; 7-Reinforcing rib; 8-Positioning hole; 9-Fixing through hole. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0036] The purpose of this invention is to provide an engine front support beam formed by hot gas expansion molding process to solve the problems existing in the prior art. The support beam tube is formed by hot gas expansion molding process, which allows it to be directly connected to the connecting plate, thereby reducing the overall weight and improving the overall strength.

[0037] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0038] Example 1

[0039] like Figures 1-12As shown, this embodiment provides an engine front support beam formed by a hot gas expansion forming process, including a support beam tube 1 and two connecting plates 2, which are respectively connected to both ends of the support beam tube 1. Unlike existing technologies, the support beam tube 1 is a tube structure manufactured using a hot gas expansion forming process, a mature technology; therefore, its working principle and process will not be described in detail. The connecting plate 2 has a reinforcing rib 7 and a positioning hole 8. Both ends of the support beam tube 1 have a first clearance groove 3 and a second clearance groove 4, both formed using a hot gas expansion forming process. This is a key reason for using a hot gas expansion forming process to form the support beam tube 1. When the support beam tube 1 is fixed to the connecting plate 2, the first clearance groove 3 is located at the positioning hole 8. This is because, during actual installation, the positioning hole 8 of the engine front support beam, formed by hot-air expansion molding, will engage with the positioning pin of the engine suspension. The positioning pin will pass through the positioning hole 8, and the first clearance groove 3 serves to "avoid" the positioning pin. The reinforcing rib 7 is installed in the second clearance groove 4. The second clearance groove 4 not only "avoids" the reinforcing rib 7 but also works with the reinforcing rib 7 to achieve a rapid positioning effect.

[0040] In practical use, since the support beam tube 1 and its first and second clearance grooves 3 and 4 are integrally formed using a hot air expansion molding process, they can be directly connected to the connecting plate 2 without the need for additional welding of other connecting parts. Only the reinforcing rib 7 needs to be aligned with the second clearance groove 4 for positioning. At this point, the positions of the first clearance groove 3 and the positioning hole 8 correspond. Finally, the support beam tube 1 and the connecting plate 2 are welded and fixed. Furthermore, the overall weight is relatively light, while the strength is high.

[0041] In this embodiment, the specific structure of the supporting beam tube 1 is as follows: Figures 7-9 As shown, the support beam tube 1 includes an integrally formed middle tube and two end tubes. The two end tubes are respectively fixed to both ends of the middle tube and are used to contact and connect with the connecting plate 2.

[0042] In this embodiment, the biggest difference between the support beam tube 1 and the traditional front support beam tube 1 is that the support beam tube 1 is a variable diameter structure, that is, the diameter of the middle tube is different from the diameter of the end tube; specifically, the cross-sectional area of ​​the middle tube is larger than that of the end tube. The main reason for this variable diameter structure is that the cross-sectional shapes of the middle and end tubes are slightly different. The cross-sectional shape of the middle tube is circular or approximately circular (it may not be a standard circle at some bends), while the cross-sectional shape of the end tube is semi-circular or approximately semi-circular (i.e., bridge arch or tunnel entrance shape). The purpose of this design is to provide a flat portion on the end tube, which can contact the connecting plate 2, thereby changing the traditional line contact to surface contact, increasing the contact area, and improving the overall stability.

[0043] In this embodiment, as Figures 10-12 As shown, the connecting plate 2 includes an integrally formed first panel and a second panel. After the connecting plate 2 is fixed to the support beam tube 1, the second panel is closer to the middle tube than the first panel. The included angle between the first panel and the second panel is an obtuse angle. It is easy to understand that since the flat part of the end tube is in contact with the connecting plate 2, the end tube also has this bent structure.

[0044] In this embodiment, a reinforcing rib 7 is provided and disposed at the middle position of the connection between the first panel and the second panel, corresponding to the position of the second clearance groove 4. A positioning hole 8 is also provided and disposed on the second panel, corresponding to the position of the first clearance groove 3.

[0045] In this embodiment, since the end tube has a flat portion, the end tube and the connecting plate 2 are in surface contact. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the end tube is provided with a first weld 5 between the two sides of the first panel and the first panel, and the end tube is provided with a second weld 6 between the two sides of the second panel and the second panel.

[0046] In this embodiment, the length of the first weld 5 is 100mm and the length of the second weld 6 is 115mm. Those skilled in the art can also adjust the specific length according to actual needs, and are not limited to this one.

[0047] In this embodiment, the support beam tube 1 is made of 22MnB5 material, replacing the original Q345 steel. The yield strength of the support beam tube 1 is 1000MPa, and its tensile strength is 1400MPa, while the original Q345 steel has a yield strength of 345MPa and a tensile strength ranging from 490 to 620MPa. Therefore, the 22MnB5 material significantly improves both the yield and tensile strength of the support beam tube 1. Consequently, the wall thickness of the support beam tube 1 is 2mm (traditionally, the wall thickness is mostly 3mm), which reduces the overall weight and further improves the strength.

[0048] In this embodiment, the connecting plate 2 is made of 610 stainless steel, replacing the original Q345 steel. The yield strength of the connecting plate 2 is 500 MPa, and the tensile strength is 610 MPa. The yield and tensile strengths of the connecting plate 2 made of 610 stainless steel are significantly improved. This allows the thickness of the connecting plate 2 to be reduced to 2 mm (the traditional wall thickness is mostly 5 mm).

[0049] In addition, this implementation also provides the following relevant parameters:

[0050] like Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 The horizontal length (i.e., the distance between the two ends of the support beam tube 1) is 900mm, and the vertical length (i.e., the distance between the upper end of the support beam tube 1 and the bottom of the connecting plate 2) is 213.8mm.

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the vertical length (i.e. the width of the connecting plate 2) is 130mm.

[0052] like Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 The horizontal length (i.e., the distance between the two ends of the support beam tube 1) is 900mm, the vertical length (i.e., the distance between the upper and lower ends of the support beam tube 1) is 209.8mm, the diameter of the support beam tube 1 is 30mm, the diameter (i.e., the width of the flat part) at the contact point between the support beam tube 1 and the connecting plate 2 is less than 30mm, and the wall thickness of the support beam tube 1 is 2mm.

[0053] like Figure 10 As shown, Figure 10 The horizontal length (the horizontal distance from the leftmost to the rightmost point in the figure) is 217.6 mm, and the vertical length (the vertical distance from the topmost to the bottommost point in the figure) is 75.5 mm.

[0054] like Figure 11 As shown, Figure 11 The vertical length (i.e. the width of connecting plate 2) is 130mm.

[0055] In this embodiment, the connecting plate 2 is provided with a number of fixing through holes 9. Workers can use screws to pass through the fixing through holes 9 and the corresponding through holes on the frame to fix the connecting plate 2 and the support beam tube 1 to the frame.

[0056] Example 2

[0057] This embodiment provides a method for manufacturing an engine front support beam formed by a hot gas expansion forming process, used to manufacture the engine front support beam formed by the hot gas expansion forming process disclosed in Embodiment 1, including the following steps:

[0058] Material preparation: Select a round tube with a length of 1.2m, an outer diameter of 30mm, a wall thickness of 2mm and made of 22MnB5 material, and a connecting plate 2 made of 610 material with a length × width of 250mm × 120mm and a thickness of 4mm. Cut the round tube for subsequent processing.

[0059] Pre-forming of round tubes: Pre-forming and bending operations are performed on round tubes.

[0060] Heat treatment: Heat the bent round tube to 800-900 degrees Celsius and continue heating for about 40 seconds.

[0061] Hot gas expansion forming process: A robotic arm grips and transports the heated cylindrical tube into the expansion mold. The upper and lower molds are closed, and the tube is cooled simultaneously by air cooling for approximately 60-70 seconds. The blank is deformed by the pressure of high-pressure gas (200-500 MPa) inside the mold. Subsequently, the air pressure is increased for shaping, forming features such as the first clearance groove 3 on the tube shaft (these are all mature process steps, and the relevant equipment used is also commonly used in the process, so they will not be described in detail). The mold is opened, and the component is removed by the robotic arm, completing the forming of the support beam tube.

[0062] Processing of connecting plate 2: The connecting plate 2 is stamped in a stamping die and the excess parts at both ends of the connecting plate 2 are removed by laser cutting.

[0063] Welding assembly: Weld the support beam tube 1 and the connecting plate 2 using a welding robot and welding fixture. The welding wire diameter is set to 1.2mm, the current parameter is selected as 170A, and the voltage variation is adjusted to 7%.

[0064] The prototype of the engine front support beam, formed by hot gas expansion molding process, has been completed.

[0065] Example 3

[0066] This embodiment also provides a simulation analysis method and simulation results for an engine front support beam formed by hot gas expansion molding under actual working conditions:

[0067] The simulation analysis examines whether the engine front support beam, formed by thermoforming, meets strength requirements under 10 operating conditions. Specifically, under different operating conditions, the structural stress is less than the material's yield strength or tensile strength. The load type in the simulation is controlled by the acceleration load, the engine's maximum output torque, and the torque load coefficients of the manual transmission's final drive and gearbox under different operating conditions. The engine front support beam, formed by thermoforming, is connected to the vehicle frame. All degrees of freedom at the four corners of the frame are constrained. Acceleration cards are created according to the operating conditions, and acceleration is applied to all nodes in the model. In addition to gravitational acceleration, the maximum engine output torque is applied at the center of mass, and the effect of the load coefficient is considered.

[0068] The fatigue verification simulation results show that under the following conditions: upward, downward, leftward, rightward, forward, backward, first gear maximum torque, and reverse gear maximum torque, the structural stress is less than the material yield strength. Under the clutch low gear full throttle engagement and clutch reverse gear full throttle engagement, the structural stress is less than the tensile yield strength, all of which meet the requirements.

[0069] Therefore, the modal simulation results are not significantly different from the original scheme.

[0070] In addition, the mechanical properties of the sample can be tested by taking small samples of planar sections from different positions of the supporting beam tube 1 and conducting tensile tests.

[0071] Compared to traditional support beams, the engine front support beam formed by hot gas forming has a reduced wall thickness (from 3mm to 2mm), unequal diameter (maximum outer diameter remains the same as the original design), eliminates the U-shaped plate, and increases the length of the support beam tube 1. It is directly welded to the connecting plate 2 via a flat section. A first clearance groove 3 and a second clearance groove 4 are formed on the support beam tube 1 using hot gas forming. The average weight of a traditional support beam is 5.1kg, while the engine front support beam formed by hot gas forming weighs only 3.5kg, a weight reduction of 1.6kg, or 31.4%. Experimental and simulation analyses also confirm that the strength meets the requirements.

[0072] This utility model uses specific examples to illustrate its principles and implementation methods. The above description of the embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core idea of ​​this utility model. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the idea of ​​this utility model. In summary, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

Claims

1. An engine front support beam formed by a hot gas forming process, characterized by: The support beam pipe body and two connecting plates, two connecting plates are connected to the two ends of the support beam pipe body, the support beam pipe body is a pipe body structure manufactured by hot gas expansion forming process, the connecting plate is provided with a reinforcing rib and a positioning hole, the two ends of the support beam pipe body are provided with a first avoiding groove and a second avoiding groove, the first avoiding groove is located at the positioning hole, and the reinforcing rib is installed in the second avoiding groove.

2. The engine front support beam formed by a hot gas forming process of claim 1, wherein: The support beam pipe body includes a middle pipe body and two end pipe bodies, two end pipe bodies are fixed to the two ends of the middle pipe body, and the end pipe body is used for connecting with the connecting plate.

3. The engine front support beam formed by a hot gas forming process of claim 2, wherein: The cross-sectional area of the middle pipe body is greater than that of the end pipe body, and the end pipe body is provided with a flat surface.

4. The engine front support beam formed by a hot gas forming process of claim 2, wherein: The connecting plate includes a first panel and a second panel, the second panel is closer to the middle pipe body than the first panel, and the included angle between the first panel and the second panel is obtuse.

5. The engine front support beam formed by a hot gas forming process of claim 4, wherein: The reinforcing rib is arranged at the connection between the first panel and the second panel, and the positioning hole is arranged on the second panel.

6. The engine front support beam formed by a hot gas expansion forming process of claim 4, wherein: The two sides of the end pipe body and the first panel are provided with a first weld, and the two sides of the end pipe body and the second panel are provided with a second weld.

7. The engine front support beam formed by a hot gas forming process of claim 6, wherein: The length of the first weld is 100mm, and the length of the second weld is 115mm.

8. The engine front support beam formed by a hot gas forming process of claim 1, wherein: The material of the support beam pipe body is 22MnB5, the yield strength of the material of the support beam pipe body is 1000MPa, the tensile strength of the support beam pipe body is 1400MPa, and the wall thickness of the support beam pipe body is 2mm.

9. The engine front support beam formed by a hot gas forming process of claim 1, wherein: The material of the connecting plate is 610 stainless steel, the yield strength of the connecting plate is 500MPa, the tensile strength of the connecting plate is 610MPa, and the thickness of the connecting plate is 2mm.

10. The engine front support beam formed by a hot gas forming process of claim 1, wherein: The connecting plate is provided with a plurality of fixing through holes.

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