Method for manufacturing a housing part

Abstract

Method for manufacturing a housing part (1) for a control device, in particular for a motor vehicle, wherein the housing part (1) has a base body (2) which defines at least a recess (4) for a cooling channel (5) of a coolant circuit at least partially, which is covered by a cover plate (3) to form the cooling channel and / or wherein the cover plate (3) defines at least a recess (4) for a cooling channel (5) of a coolant circuit at least partially, which is covered by the base body (2) to form the cooling channel, wherein the base body (2) and the cover plate (3) have a three-dimensional contour with at least two different levels (6, 7), wherein the cover plate (3) and the base body (2) are joined by friction stir welding.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a housing part for a control device, in particular for a motor vehicle, wherein the housing part has a base body which defines at least a recess for a cooling channel of a coolant circuit at least partially, which is covered by a closing plate to form the cooling channel and / or wherein the closing plate defines at least a recess for a cooling channel of a coolant circuit at least partially, which is covered by the base body to form the cooling channel.

[0002] Methods for manufacturing housing components for control devices, specifically for motor vehicles, in which the housing component has a base body in which a cooling channel for a coolant circuit is formed, and which is initially open and then covered by a cover plate to close the cooling channel, are generally known from the prior art. For example, the cover plate is welded onto the base body so that the recess in the base body, which forms part of the cooling channel, is covered by the cover plate, thus forming the cooling channel. In other words, the cover plate adds a wall, and the recess, which defines, for example, two walls and a bottom, is completed by the cover plate to form a closed cooling channel.

[0003] Any method can be used to connect the cover plate to the base body, provided that the cooling channel is tightly sealed in the area of ​​the cooling channel path to prevent coolant from escaping and entering the control unit or the interior of the housing. Due to varying requirements regarding the available installation space or the individual components housed within the enclosure—for example, the type and arrangement of electronic components of the control unit or a high-voltage storage device also housed within the enclosure—the geometry of the base body or cover plate may deviate from a purely flat design.

[0004] In cases where the cooling channel does not extend in a single plane but is arranged on at least two levels, connecting the end plate to the base body is correspondingly complex. This is usually solved by using different end plates for the various levels of the housing part, each individually connected to the base body on its assigned level. This is more complex because multiple end plates must be provided and mounted on the base plate. Furthermore, the individual sections of the cooling channel, which are arranged on different levels, must be connected to each other, for example, by appropriate pipes. The design of such a housing part is therefore complex.

[0005] The invention is based on the objective of providing an improved method for manufacturing a housing part for a control device, which is in particular less expensive.

[0006] The problem is solved by a method according to claim 1. The dependent claims relate to possible embodiments.

[0007] As described, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing a housing part for a control device, particularly for a motor vehicle, wherein the housing part comprises a base body that defines at least one recess for a cooling channel of a coolant circuit, which is covered by a cover plate to form the cooling channel. The cooling channel, in particular, forms a section of a cooling channel in which coolant is circulated to cool a housing or the components contained therein, which housing the housing part comprises. In other words, a housing part is manufactured by providing a base body in which at least one recess is provided or which forms at least one recess. The recess can thus, for example, define two wall sections and a bottom section of the cooling channel.If the base body is considered in isolation, the recess is open in one direction, for example, opposite the bottom section. This opening is covered by connecting the base body to the end cap, so that the cooling channel is thus closed. Alternatively, by attaching the end cap to the base body, the cooling channel is closed, thus forming a section of the cooling channel. The finished cooling channel is therefore closed, i.e., so tightly sealed that coolant cannot escape from the cooling channel, except at the inlet and outlet sections.

[0008] The cooling channel can extend exclusively within the base body and be covered by the cover plate, or extend exclusively within the cover plate and be covered by the base body, or the cooling channel can be formed section by section within the base body and section by section within the cover plate, so that in the assembled state the cooling channel is formed between the base body and the cover plate.

[0009] The invention is based on the finding that the base body and the closure plate have a three-dimensional contour with at least two different levels, wherein the closure plate and the base body are joined by friction stir welding. The invention thus proposes using a continuous closure plate and a continuous base body and joining them by friction stir welding. This eliminates the need, as required in the prior art, to provide several individual closure plates for different levels of the base body or the cooling channel, which must be individually connected to a base body or different base bodies.

[0010] Both the base body and the closure plate have a three-dimensional contour, meaning that sections of the closure plate and sections of the base body are arranged at different levels. The three-dimensional contour or the different levels can, for example, refer to or be located at different z-dimensions or different z-positions. In particular, the x-direction and the y-direction define the plane of the base body and the closure plate, respectively, with the z-direction being perpendicular to this plane.

[0011] Thus, both parts, i.e., the base body and the cover plate, exhibit a three-dimensional structure. By forming the cooling channel within the housing part, or by means of the cover plate and base body, a highly integrated assembly is achieved in which a section of a cooling channel of a cooling device is directly integrated into a housing part, for example, the wall or the bottom of the housing for the control unit or for the high-voltage storage device to which the control unit is assigned. In addition to structurally accommodating the components of the control unit and / or the high-voltage storage device, the housing part is thus designed to perform temperature control, in particular cooling.

[0012] In principle, the cooling channel can also be used to convey coolant at any temperature, thus enabling heating or warming. The terms "cooling" and "cooling channel" can therefore also be understood as "temperature control" or "temperature control channel." Defined mounting surfaces for components of the control electronics or control unit can be provided on the end plate or the base body. The control unit and its components are thus in thermal exchange with the coolant via the wall or the upper surface of the base body of the housing section facing away from the end plate.

[0013] As previously described, the base body and the closure plate have a three-dimensional structure. This means, in particular, that at least two sections can be arranged on different levels. In one embodiment of the method, the closure plate and / or the base body can have a first level and a second level, which are connected to each other by means of a transition section, with a weld seam for joining the base body and the closure plate following the three-dimensional contour. In particular, it is thus possible for the recess in the base body, which forms the cooling channel, to also extend from the first level to the second level and thus also run through the transition section.

[0014] The recess is covered by the cover plate in the first level, the second level, and the transition section. The three-dimensional contours of the base body and the cover plate follow each other, allowing the weld seam to run continuously from the first level through the transition section to the second level. This significantly simplifies the manufacturing process, as it eliminates the need to position different cover plates on different areas of the base body and weld them using separate welding processes. Furthermore, the transition between the levels is also simplified, since the cooling channel can extend through the transition section between the two levels, thus connecting them.

[0015] Furthermore, the method can be designed so that the cooling channel within the base body has at least one wall section, with a free end of the wall section forming a contact surface for welding to the end cap. As described, the recess or the cooling channel can have multiple walls or wall sections. For example, the recess is formed in or by the base body in such a way that the cooling channel is bounded by two wall sections and a bottom section. In this case, the end cap, when attached to the base body, forms the top and thus the termination of the cooling channel. The free ends of the wall sections therefore project from the center of the base body and face the end cap. The free ends thus form the contact surfaces where the wall sections or the base body are in contact with the end cap. In these areas, orIt is therefore possible to carry out the welding of the closure plate in these installation areas.

[0016] The recess in the base body can be designed in virtually any way desired. For example, the base body can also be die-cast, allowing the recess to be created integrally or simultaneously with the casting process. The upper surfaces of the cooling channel walls can then serve as contact surfaces for the cover plate. The end faces of the base body, or the wall sections of the base body, are thus welded to the cover plate.

[0017] The process can further stipulate that a weld seam is formed outside the interior of the housing. Specifically, the weld seam can be formed exclusively outside the interior of the housing. This ensures, for example, that if the weld seam is compromised, such as by a leak, the coolant escaping from the cooling channel does not enter the interior but is instead released to the outside. Thus, the weld seam is not formed inside the housing, and the interior of the housing remains free of weld seams in the connection between the end plate and the base body.

[0018] In particular, it can be provided that the cover plate and the base body are welded together from the underside of the cover plate, which faces away from the base body. This means that the welding of the cover plate takes place from the side of the cover plate, and thus the side of the base body facing the interior has no weld seams. Instead, welding is performed from the underside, which faces outwards when the housing part is assembled. If the weld seam is damaged and a leak occurs in the cooling channel, the coolant, for example water, does not flow into the interior but is released into the environment. This ensures, in particular, the electrical and / or electronic safety of the control unit and / or the high-voltage storage device located in the housing.

[0019] In a further embodiment of the method, the connection area can be designed as a ramp, with at least one inlet and / or outlet connection. For example, the connection area has a linear or curved ramp extending in the z-direction. As described, the connection area can thus also be part of the three-dimensional contour of the base body. The cover plate has a corresponding three-dimensional contour, so that it also covers the connection area and closes the cooling channel in this area. The connection area has the inlet and / or outlet connection through which coolant can be introduced into or discharged from the part of the cooling channel formed by the cooling channel and extending within the base body.

[0020] The process can further provide that the cooling channel has at least one central web, wherein a first part of the end surfaces of the cooling channel are welded in a first welding process and a second part of the end surfaces of the cooling channel, in particular the central web, are welded in a second welding process. Friction stir welding can thus be carried out in two welding steps or two process steps. In the first welding process or the first welding pass, a first part of the end surfaces is welded, i.e., the contact surfaces of the walls or wall sections of the recess. In the second welding process or in a second welding pass, the remaining part of the end surfaces, i.e., the contact surfaces of the wall sections of the cooling channel, is welded to the closure plate. A contact surface of the central web, which separates two subsections of the cooling channel, can also be welded to the closure plate.

[0021] As previously described, the base body and the closure plate can be provided or manufactured using various methods. In one embodiment of the method, the base body can be manufactured or provided as an aluminum die-cast part and / or the closure plate as a formed sheet metal part. The base body can be manufactured as a casting or die-cast part from any material, in particular aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The closure plate can also be manufactured from any material, for example, also aluminum. Magnesium or corresponding alloys can also be used for the base body or the closure plate. The closure plate can be manufactured by forming, in particular cold forming, a sheet metal part, for example, by deep drawing.

[0022] In addition to the method, the invention relates to a housing part for a control device, in particular for a motor vehicle, wherein the housing part has a base body which at least partially defines at least one recess for a cooling channel path of a coolant circuit, which is covered by means of a cover plate to form the cooling channel, wherein the base body and the cover plate have a three-dimensional contour with at least two different levels, wherein the cover plate and the base body are joined by means of friction stir welding.

[0023] Furthermore, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a housing with a housing part as previously described. The motor vehicle may also have a control device arranged in the housing containing the housing part. In addition to the control device, a high-voltage storage device may be arranged in the housing. As described, the control device and / or the high-voltage storage device in the housing can be cooled or, more generally, temperature-controlled by a cooling device of the motor vehicle. The motor vehicle thus has a corresponding cooling device designed to circulate coolant through the cooling channel.

[0024] All advantages, details, designs and / or features described in relation to the process are fully transferable to the housing part and the motor vehicle.

[0025] The invention is explained with reference to exemplary embodiments and the figures. The figures are schematic representations and show: Fig. 1 A schematic representation of a housing lower part for a control device according to an exemplary embodiment in a sectional view; Fig. 2 a schematic representation of a housing lower part according to an exemplary embodiment in top view; Fig. 3 a schematic representation of a housing lower part according to an exemplary embodiment in a sectional view; and Fig. 4 A schematic representation of a housing lower part according to an exemplary embodiment in a sectional view.

[0026] Fig. Figures 1-3 each show a housing part 1 for a control device (not shown in detail), specifically for a motor vehicle. The control device can, for example, be configured to control an electric drive system or a high-voltage storage device. The housing part 1 comprises a base body 2 and a cover plate 3. The base body 2 has a recess 4 for a cooling channel 5 of a coolant circuit. To manufacture the housing part 1, the cover plate 3 is placed onto the base body 2 and welded, in particular by friction stir welding.

[0027] For example, from Fig. 1, Fig. As can be seen from Figure 2, the base body 2 and the closure plate 3 each have a three-dimensional contour, which, purely by way of example, has two different levels 6, 7 that are arranged differently, particularly in the z-direction. The respective representations are shown with reference to a Cartesian coordinate system or an xyz coordinate system. The side from which the closure plate 3 is welded onto the base body 2 can form the underside of the housing part 1 or of a housing to which the housing part 1 can be attached or connected, for example as a housing lower part. It follows that the weld seam formed for the connection between the closure plate 3 and the base body 2 is therefore not located in the interior, but in an exterior space or on an exterior section, in particular exclusively.

[0028] Fig. 1, Fig. Figure 2 further shows that a transition section 8 is arranged between levels 6 and 7, connecting them. The two three-dimensional contours of the base body 2 of the closure plate 3 are thus also connected three-dimensionally; that is, the weld is also formed three-dimensionally by welding along the three-dimensional contour of the base body 2 and the closure plate 3. Advantageously, it is therefore not necessary to provide different closure plates 3 for the different levels 6 and 7, but rather a single closure plate 3 can be manufactured as a single part, for example, according to a so-called "one-sheet" concept. The closure plate 3 therefore follows the three-dimensional contour of the base body 2 to cover the recess 4 and thus form the cooling channel 5.

[0029] In Fig. Figure 1 further shows that in a connection area 9, the closure plate 3 is ramp-shaped, meaning that the closure plate 3 rises towards the inlet and / or outlet connection of the connection area 9 and thus follows the three-dimensional contour of the base body 2 in this area as well. Coolant can be supplied to the cooling channel via the connection area 9 or introduced into the cooling channel 5 via the inlet connection and discharged again from the outlet connection. The flow direction, indicated by arrows, can also be reversed. The connection area 9 thus allows a cooling or temperature control device (not shown in detail) to be coupled to the housing part 1. A function is therefore integrated into the housing part 1, so that the housing part 1 can also be referred to as a functional part.

[0030] Consequently, it is not necessary to install an additional cooling structure or heat exchanger; heat exchange can take place directly within the housing part 1. For example, at least one electrical and / or electronic component of the control device can be thermally coupled to the housing part 1, allowing thermal exchange with the coolant to occur via a wall of the housing part 1. The housing part 1, or more generally the housing containing the housing part 1, thus represents a highly integrated assembly.

[0031] For example, in Fig. 2, Fig. As shown in Figure 3, each recess 4, or the recess 4 as a whole, is bounded by wall sections 10 and a base 11. The free ends of the wall sections 10, i.e., those surfaces that are bounded by a center of the base body 2 or the closure plate 3 (see Figure 3), are bounded by wall sections 10 and a base 11. Fig. 4) point away, forming contact surfaces 12 on which the closure plate 3 can be welded to the base body 2. In Fig. 2, Fig. Figure 3 shows an example of a central web 13, which further subdivides the cooling channel track 5.

[0032] For example, it is possible to divide the connection between the closure plate 3 and the base body 2 into at least two welding processes. For example, in a first welding process, a first contact surface 12 can be welded to the closure plate 3. In a second welding process, a contact surface 12 that forms on the central web 13 can be welded. In the first welding process, an extension 14 can also be welded, for example, together with the outer contour or the contact surface 12 located furthest outwards with respect to a center point.

[0033] The base body 2 can, for example, be manufactured as a die-cast part. Aluminum or an aluminum alloy can be used as the material for the base body 2. Aluminum or an aluminum alloy can also be used for the closure plate 3. The closure plate 3 can be manufactured, for example, by sheet metal forming, in particular by deep drawing.

[0034] As described, housing part 1 can be part of a housing 1 intended for a motor vehicle. Specifically, a high-voltage storage device and / or a control unit can be arranged in the housing enclosed by housing part 1. The preceding description is therefore also fully applicable to a housing that includes housing part 1 or to a motor vehicle that comprises such a housing with housing part 1.

[0035] The housing part 1 shown herein can be manufactured in particular by means of the method described herein. For this purpose, as described, the base body 2 is joined to the closing plate 3 by friction stir welding. The preceding description is therefore also fully applicable to the method for manufacturing the housing part 1.

[0036] Fig. Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment in which the cooling channel 5 differs from the embodiment in Fig. 3 is formed in the closure plate 3. Combinations of the illustrated embodiments are also possible, in which the cooling channel 5 extends section by section into the closure plate 3 and the base body 2, or is bounded or formed by them. The foregoing description is fully based on Fig. 4 transferable and vice versa.

[0037] The advantages, details and features described in relation to the individual figures or to the individual embodiments can be combined, interchanged and transferred to one another as desired. REFERENCE MARK LIST 1 housing part 2 basic shapes 3. Locking plate 4. Indentation 5 Cooling channel track Level 6, 7 8 Transition section 9 Connection area 10 wall area 11 Floor 12 Plant area 13 Middle walkway 14. Extension

Claims

[1] Method for manufacturing a housing part (1) for a control device, in particular for a motor vehicle, wherein the housing part (1) has a base body (2) which defines at least a recess (4) for a cooling channel (5) of a coolant circuit, which is covered by a cover plate (3) to form the cooling channel, and / or wherein the cover plate (3) defines at least a recess (4) for a cooling channel (5) of a coolant circuit, which is covered by the base body (2) to form the cooling channel, characterized by , that the base body (2) and the closure plate (3) have a three-dimensional contour with at least two different levels (6, 7), wherein the closure plate (3) and the base body (2) are joined by friction stir welding. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by, that the closure plate (3) and / or the base body (2) have a first level (6) and a second level (7) which are connected to each other by means of a transition section (8), wherein a weld seam for connecting the base body (2) and the closure plate (3) follows the three-dimensional contour. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the cooling channel (5) in the base body (2) has at least one wall area (10), wherein a free end of the wall area (10) forms a contact surface (12) for welding with the closure plate (3). [4] Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that a weld seam is formed outside the interior of a housing comprising the housing part (1). [5] Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the closure plate (3) and the base body (2) are welded together from an underside of the closure plate (3) facing away from the base body (2). [6] Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least one connection area (9) having at least one inlet connection and / or outlet connection is designed in a ramp shape. [7] Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the cooling channel track (5) has at least one central web (13), wherein a first part of the contact surfaces (12) of the cooling channel track (5) are welded in a first welding process and a second part of the contact surfaces (12) of the cooling channel track (5), in particular the central web (13), are welded in a second welding process. [8] Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the base body (2) is provided as an aluminum die-cast part and / or the closure plate (3) as a formed sheet metal part. [9] Housing part (1) for a control device, in particular for a motor vehicle, wherein the housing part (1) has a base body (2) which defines at least a recess (4) for a cooling channel (5) of a coolant circuit, which is covered by a cover plate (3) to form the cooling channel and / or wherein the cover plate (3) defines at least a recess (4) for a cooling channel (5) of a coolant circuit, which is covered by the base body (2) to form the cooling channel, characterized by , that the base body (2) and the closure plate (3) have a three-dimensional contour with at least two different levels (6, 7), wherein the closure plate (3) and the base body (2) are joined by friction stir welding. [10] Motor vehicle comprising a housing with a housing part (1) according to the preceding claim.

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