Stamping system and stamping method for forming structural composite components
The stamping system addresses rapid cooling issues by heating thermoplastic composites to their melting point and using a heat transfer component to delay crystallization, enabling efficient formation of complex composite components.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024221249
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-12-22
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-18
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-30
AI Technical Summary
Conventional stamping processes for thermoplastic composite materials face challenges in maintaining the material's malleability due to rapid cooling after heating, which limits the time available for shaping before crystallization occurs.
A stamping system that includes a blank heater to raise the material to its melting point and a heat transfer component to delay crystallization, allowing for controlled heat transfer and extended molding time using a press with a mold configuration to shape the material.
The system enables the formation of complex composite components by maintaining material flexibility, facilitating high-speed manufacturing of thin-walled and complex structures with reduced equipment requirements.
Smart Images
Figure 2025111384000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Background Art
[0001]
[0001] Various processes have been developed to mold composite materials into a desired shape. One such process for molding composite materials into a desired shape is stamp forming. Conventional stamping processes use a heater to heat a thermoplastic composite blank to a predetermined temperature. The predetermined temperature exceeds the crystallization temperature. The thermoplastic composite blank is then introduced into a tool. In the tool, pressure is applied to mold the thermoplastic composite blank into the desired shape. However, the thermoplastic composite blank begins to cool as soon as it leaves the heater and cools rapidly when it contacts the tool. In order to achieve the desired shape during a conventional stamping process, the tool needs to mold the thermoplastic composite blank before the temperature drops below the crystallization temperature.
Summary of the Invention
[0002]
[0002] Therefore, it is desirable to develop a stamping system that delays heat transfer between a composite material blank and a mold. The system increases the amount of time available to mold composite components during the molding process.
[0003]
[0003] The present disclosure provides a stamping system for forming a structural composite component. The stamping system includes a blank formed of a composite material. The composite material has a crystallization temperature. The stamping system also includes a blank heater configured to heat the blank to its melting point to define a heated blank. The melting point is higher than the crystallization temperature of the composite material. Further, the stamping system includes a press movable to an open position providing an opening for receiving the heated blank and movable to a closed position for stamping the heated blank. The press includes a mold having a predetermined configuration configured to change the heated blank to a predetermined configuration of the mold when the press is in the closed position for stamping the heated blank. The stamping system also includes a heat transfer component cooperating with the heated blank and the mold to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank when the heated blank is disposed within the opening of the press.
[0004]
[0004] The present disclosure also provides a stamping method for forming a structural composite component. A blank formed of a composite material is heated to its melting point via a blank heater to define a heated blank. The melting point is higher than the crystallization temperature of the composite material. The heated blank is inserted into an opening of a press. The press is closed over the heated blank. Pressure is applied to the heated blank while the press is closed for stamping the heated blank. The press includes a mold having a predetermined configuration configured to change the heated blank to a predetermined configuration of the mold when the press applies pressure to the heated blank. Heat transfer between the heated blank and the tool is controlled via a heat transfer component to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank.
[0005]
[0005] The detailed description and the drawings, i.e., the figures, support and explain the present disclosure, but the scope of the present disclosure is defined only by the claims. Although the best mode for carrying out the claims and some of the other configurations have been described in detail, there are various alternative designs and configurations for implementing the present disclosure as defined within the appended claims.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0006]
Figure 1
[0006] It is a schematic perspective view of a structure shown as an aircraft.
Figure 2
[0007] It is a schematic diagram of a stamping system using a heat transfer component including a first liner and a second liner attached to a press die.
Figure 3
[0008] It is a schematic diagram of a stamping system having a first liner and a second liner attached to a blank.
Figure 4
[0009] It is a schematic diagram of a stamping system having a first liner and a second liner that are movable into a press separately from a blank.
Figure 5
[0010] It is a schematic diagram of a stamping system using a heat transfer component including a tool heater movable via an orbit.
Figure 6
[0011] It is a schematic diagram of a stamping system having a tool heater movable via a robot.
Modes for Carrying Out the Invention
[0007]
[0012] The present disclosure can be extended to variations and alternatives using representative configurations shown as examples in the drawings and described in detail below. The various aspects of the invention of the present disclosure are not limited to the various configurations of the present disclosure. Rather, the present disclosure is intended to cover modifications, equivalents, combinations, and alternatives that fall within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
[0008]
[0013] One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that all directional references (e.g., above, below, upper, lower, downward, upward, top, bottom, left, right, vertical, horizontal, etc.) are used descriptively with respect to the figures to assist the reader's understanding and do not represent a limitation (e.g., position, orientation, or use) with respect to the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Further, terms such as "first," "second," "third," etc. may be used to describe separate components. Such terms may include the recited terms, their derivatives, and similar terms. Further, the term "substantially" may refer to a slight inaccuracy or slight variation in a condition, quantity, value, or dimension, some of which are within the manufacturing variations or tolerances.
[0009]
[0014] As used herein, it should be understood that an element or step in the singular following the words "a" or "an" does not necessarily exclude a plurality of such elements or steps. Further, any reference to "a configuration" is not intended to be construed as excluding the existence of additional configurations incorporating the recited features. Further, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, a plurality of configurations "comprising" or "having" one or more elements having a particular property may include additional elements not having that property. The expression "at least one" as used herein should be interpreted as a non-exclusive logical "or," i.e., including A and / or B, etc., depending on the number of components.
[0010]
[0015] Referring to the drawings, throughout several figures, like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts, and a structure 10 shown as an exemplary vehicle as a flying vehicle is generally shown in FIG. 1. The structure 10 may include components that are formed by being stamp formed using a stamping system 12 described herein. The stamping system 12 described herein is generally used to form composite components 14. The composite components 14 are ultimately assembled with various parts to fabricate the structure 10.
[0011]
[0016] The structure 10 may be of any suitable configuration and may include, without limitation, movable platforms such as vehicles, trains, ships, aircraft, equipment, agricultural implements, robots, etc., immovable platforms such as buildings, equipment, agricultural implements, robots, etc., or any other suitable structure. Thus, the composite components 14 may be formed in a desired configuration to accommodate the desired structure 10, including, without limitation, the movable and immovable platforms described above. As suggested above, the composite components 14 may be part of a flying vehicle. Non-limiting examples of flying vehicles may include airplanes, helicopters, jets, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, space shuttles, drones, payloads, or any other suitable flying vehicle. Thus, the composite components 14 may be part of a wing, fuselage, nose, tail, or any other suitable feature of a flying vehicle. As another example, the composite components 14 may be part of a vehicle. Non-limiting examples of vehicles may include automobiles, trucks, off-road vehicles, or any other suitable vehicle.
[0012]
[0017] Referring to FIGS. 2-6, the stamping system 12 includes a blank 16 formed of a composite material and / or a thermoplastic polymer material. Thus, in certain configurations, the composite material of the blank 16 can include a thermoplastic composite material. Generally, the composite material has a crystallization temperature. The blank 16 is the composite material before the desired shape of the composite component 14 is produced. That is, the blank 16 is the first, unfinished, composite material that is ultimately used to produce the final composite component 14. The blank 16 can include a first side 18 and a second side 20 opposite the first side 18. By using the stamping system 12 described herein, a greater variety of types of blanks 16 can be used to form various composite components 14. For example, the blank 16 can be a thin-walled structure, a structure having one or more pre-lamps, a structure having complex surface features, or any other blank that can be formed using the stamping system 12 described herein.
[0013]
[0018] Referring to FIGS. 2-6, the stamping system 12 also includes a blank heater 22 configured to heat the blank 16 to its melting point to define a heated blank 16. The melting point is higher than the crystallization temperature of the composite material. By heating the blank 16 to its melting point, the heated blank 16 becomes sufficiently fluid and / or flexible to be stamped or formed into the desired shape. When the crystallization temperature is reached, the composite component 14 has solidified to the extent that the composite component 14 is no longer flexible for the forming process.
[0014]
[0019] In any of the plurality of configurations of this specification, the heated blank 16 can be movable via a movable platform 24 such as an orbit, a robot, a shuttle, etc. The movable platform 24 is interconnected between the plurality of stations of the stamping system 12 and thus is given the same number in the drawings. It should be understood that the movable platform 24 can be an individual movable platform 24 that moves respective parts between the respective stations of the stamping system 12.
[0015]
[0020] The blank heater 22 can be of any suitable configuration for heating the blank 16 to its melting point, and non-limiting examples of the blank heater 22 can include an oven (such as an infrared oven) or any suitable oven or heater.
[0016]
[0021] The stamping system 12 includes a press 26 that is movable to an open position that provides an opening 27 for receiving the heated blank 16 and is movable to a closed position for stamping the heated blank 16. The press 26 includes a die 29 having a predetermined configuration configured to change the heated blank 16 to a predetermined configuration of the die 29 when the press 26 is in the closed position for stamping the heated blank 16.
[0017]
[0022] Generally, the mold 29 may include a first surface 28 and a second surface 30 that face each other. The opening 27 is disposed between the first surface 28 and the second surface 30 when the press 26 is in the open position. The press 26 is also movable to a closed position for applying pressure to the heated blank 16 through the mold 29 to form the composite component 14. More specifically, the press 26 is configured to apply a predetermined amount of pressure to the heated blank 16 through the mold 29 over a predetermined amount of time so as to reach a complete lamination pressure to form or stamp the blank 16 into the desired shape of the composite component 14. Thus, a predetermined configuration of the mold 29 is stamped onto and / or into the heated blank 16. Thereby, the final configuration of the composite component 14 is complementary to the predetermined configuration of the mold 29. When the heated blank 16 enters the press 26, the heated blank 16 is sufficiently fluid to allow a complete lamination pressure to be reached during the forming process since it has been heated to its melting point. The press 26 may be of any suitable configuration, and the mold 29 may be of any suitable configuration for forming or stamping the composite component 14 into the desired configuration. Additionally, the mold 29 may be interchangeable with various configurations of the mold 29 and can thus be removed from, interchanged with, and reinstalled onto the press 26 as desired.
[0018]
[0023] The stamping system 12 also includes a heat transfer component 32 that cooperates with the heated blank 16 and the mold 29 to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank 16 when the heated blank 16 is disposed within the opening 27 of the press 26. That is, the heat transfer component 32 decelerates the heat transfer between the heated blank 16 and the mold 29 when the press 26 is closed to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank 16. Accordingly, the heat transfer component 32 decelerates the heat transfer from the heated blank 16 when the press 26 is closed to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank 16. By delaying the heat transfer, the cooling rate of the heated blank 16 is reduced, and thus, during the forming process, the complete lamination pressure is reached and additional time is obtained to maintain the complete lamination pressure. Accordingly, by delaying the cooling rate, a greater variety of types of blanks 16 can be used to form the various composite components 14. Further, by delaying the cooling rate, the viscoelastic behavior of the heated blank 16 is controllable.
[0019]
[0024] The stamping system 12 can use various features or ways to obtain the desired heating to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature, and some of these configurations are described below.
[0020]
[0025] For example, referring to FIGS. 2-4, the heat transfer component 32 can include a first liner 34 and a second liner 36. The first liner 34 and the second liner 36 can be in different positions depending on the configuration of FIGS. 2-4. Generally, in these configurations of FIGS. 2-4, each of the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 creates a barrier configured to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank 16. In other words, the heat transfer component 32 can act as a barrier, buffer, insulator, or the like to delay the cooling rate of the heated blank 16. Accordingly, generally, the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 reduce the heat transfer rate between the blank 16 and the mold 29.
[0021]
[0026] The first liner 34 and the second liner 36 may be any suitable material for delaying the onset of crystallization temperature, and non-limiting examples of materials may include metals, (one or more) materials, (one or more) polymer materials, or any other suitable material for delaying the onset of crystallization temperature. More specifically, examples of materials for the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 may include steel, polyimide, Kapton, etc. Generally, the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 may be formed as a film, layer, foil, etc. Thus, when Kapton is used as liners 34, 36, liners 34, 36 are generally referred to as Kapton foils. Further, when steel is used as liners 34, 36, liners 34, 36 are generally referred to as steel foils. Generally, when using steel, the steel foil is a low thermal conductivity type of steel material.
[0022]
[0027] Referring to FIG. 2, the heat transfer component 32 is attached or affixed to the mold 29. More specifically, the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 are attached to the mold 29. That is, the first liner 34 covers the first surface 28 of the mold 29, and the second liner 36 covers the second surface 30 of the mold 29. Generally, when the press 26 is closed, the heated blank 16 is sandwiched between the first surface 28 and the second surface 30, and pressure is applied to the heated blank 16. Thus, when pressure is applied to the heated blank 16 through the press 26 via the mold 29, the first liner 34 abuts against the first side 18 of the heated blank 16, and the second liner 36 abuts against the second side 20 of the heated blank 16. Thereby, in order to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank 16, the heat transfer from the heated blank 16 is decelerated.
[0023]
[0028] Referring to Figure 3, in this configuration, the heat transfer component 32 is temporarily attached to the blank 16. More specifically, the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 are removably attached to the blank 16. That is, during the forming process, the first liner 34 covers the first side 18 of the blank 16, and the second liner 36 covers the second side 20 of the blank 16. Generally, when the press 26 is closed, the heated blank 16 is sandwiched between the first surface 28 of the mold 29 and the second surface 30 of the mold 29, and pressure is applied to the heated blank 16. Thus, when pressure is applied to the heated blank 16 through the press 26 via the mold 29, the first liner 34 abuts against the first surface 28 of the mold 29, and the second liner 36 abuts against the second surface 30 of the mold 29. Thereby, in order to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank 16, the heat transfer from the heated blank 16 is decelerated. That is, the heat transfer component 32 decelerates the heat transfer from the heated blank 16 when the press 26 is closed in order to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank 16.
[0024]
[0029] Continuing to refer to FIG. 3, the stamping system 12 may include an end effector 38 configured to remove the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 from the composite component 14 when the press 26 is opened again after molding the composite component 14. That is, when the composite component 14 is molded within the mold 29, the press 26 is opened again, and the composite component 14 is movable by a movable platform 24, such as a track, a robot, a shuttle, etc., to be removed from the press 26. Then, the end effector 38 may grip the first liner 34, engage with the first liner 34, etc., to remove or extract the first liner 34 from the first side 18 of the composite component 14. Then, the end effector 38 may grip the second liner 36, engage with the second liner 36, etc., to remove or extract the second liner 36 from the second side 20 of the composite component 14. The end effector 38 may be attached to a movable arm and / or a robot. The end effector 38 may first remove the first liner 34 from the first side 18 and then remove the second liner 36 from the second side 20. Alternatively, the end effector 38 may first remove the second liner 36 from the second side 20 and then remove the first liner 34 from the first side 18. Alternatively, the end effector 38 may remove the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 simultaneously or concurrently.
[0025]
[0030] Referring to FIG. 4, the heat transfer component 32 is separated from the blank 16 and the press 26 / die 29. That is, the heat transfer component 32 is not attached to or affixed to the blank 16, and similarly, is not attached to or affixed to the die 29. In the configuration of FIG. 4, two heaters 22, 40 are used. One is for the press 26 / die 29 and the other is for the blank 16. As described above, the blank heater 22 is used to heat the blank 16 to its melting point. Further, the stamping system 12 may include a liner heater 40 configured to heat the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 to a predetermined temperature to define the heated first liner 34 and second liner 36. The liner heater 40 may be any suitable configuration for heating the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 to their melting point and may include, by non-limiting example, an oven (non-limitingly, conductive heating or induction heating, etc.) or any other suitable heater. Also, in one embodiment of FIG. 4, the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 may be formed of foil (non-limitingly, steel foil, etc.).
[0026]
[0031] When the heated first liner 34 and the second liner 36 reach a predetermined temperature, the heated first liner 34 and the second liner 36 can be moved into the press 26 to heat the first surface 28 and the second surface 30 of the mold 29. Further, when the blank 16 is heated to its melting point, then the heated blank 16 can be moved into the press 26. Thus, the heated blank 16, the heated first liner 34 and the second liner 36 are disposed within the opening 27 of the press 26. Thereby, the heated first liner 34 is disposed between the first side 18 of the heated blank 16 and the mold 29, and the heated second liner 36 is disposed between the second side 20 of the heated blank 16 and the mold 29. More specifically, when the heated blank 16 is disposed inside the press 26, the heated first liner 34 is disposed between the first side 18 of the heated blank 16 and the first surface 28 of the mold 29, and the heated second liner 36 is disposed between the second side 20 of the heated blank 16 and the second surface 30 of the mold 29. When the press 26 is closed, the heated blank 16 is clamped between the heated first liner 34, the heated second liner 36, the first surface 28 of the mold 29, and the second surface 30 of the mold 29.
[0027]
[0032] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, yet other configurations of the heat transfer component 32 are shown. In these configurations, the heat transfer component 32 may include a tool heater 42 configured to heat the first surface 28 and the second surface 30 of the mold 29 inside the opening 27 of the press 26. Generally, the tool heater 42 may include a movable platform 24 configured to move the tool heater 42 into the opening 27 of the press 26 in an initial heating state to heat the first surface 28 and the second surface 30 (of the mold 29) to a predetermined temperature. The movable platform 24 can also move out of the opening 27 of the press 26 in a final heating state when a predetermined temperature is reached.
[0028]
[0033] The movable platform 24 may be of any suitable configuration, and non-limiting examples include a track as shown in FIG. 5, a shuttling rail, a robot and / or a robot arm as shown in FIG. 6, or any other suitable movable platform for moving the tool heater 42 to and from the press 26. Additionally, the tool heater 42 may be of any suitable configuration, and non-limiting examples include an infrared heater, an induction heater, a conductive heater, or any other suitable tool heater for heating the first surface 28 and the second surface 30 of the mold 29.
[0029]
[0034] If the tool heater 42 is an induction heater, the tool heater 42 may include a first susceptor 44 attached to or embedded within the first surface 28 of the mold 29, and a second susceptor 46 attached to or embedded within the second surface 30 of the mold 29. The first susceptor 44 and the second susceptor 46 cooperate with an induction heater for induction heating the first surface 28 and the second surface 30 of the mold 29. For illustrative purposes, if the tool heater 42 is an induction heater, the first susceptor 44 and the second susceptor 46 are shown as dashed-dotted lines in FIGS. 5 and 6 to indicate optional features of using the susceptors 44, 46.
[0030]
[0035] The present disclosure also provides a stamping method for forming a composite component 14 for a structure 10. By using this stamping system 12 and method, thin-walled structures, small-scale structures, and / or complex structures can be stamped on a large scale, and equipment requirements can be reduced. Thus, high-speed manufacturing of the composite component 14 can be obtained by using this stamping system 12 and method described herein. The method may have various steps or processes depending on the type of heat transfer component 32 being used, each of which is described below.
[0031]
[0036] Generally, in any of the plurality of configurations of the present specification, to define the heated blank 16, the blank 16 is heated to its melting point via the blank heater 22. As described above, the melting point is higher than the crystallization temperature of the composite material. The plurality of arrows A in FIGS. 2-6 represent the heating of the blank 16 within the blank heater 22. Again, as described above, the blank 16 is formed of the composite material.
[0032]
[0037] Next, the heated blank 16 is inserted into the opening 27 of the press 26. In any of the plurality of configurations of the present specification, the heated blank 16 may be movable via the movable platform 24. The press 26 is in an open position to receive the heated blank 16. That is, when the blank 16 is heated above the crystallization temperature, the heated blank 16 moves to the press 26 to stamp the heated blank 16 into the desired configuration.
[0033]
[0038] Next, the press 26 is closed over the heated blank 16. That is, when the heated blank 16 is disposed within the opening 27 of the press 26, the press 26 moves to a closed position. While the press 26 is closed to stamp the heated blank 16, pressure is applied to the heated blank 16. As described above, the mold 29 of the press 26 has a predetermined configuration configured to change the heated blank 16 to the predetermined configuration when the press 26 applies pressure to the heated blank 16. More specifically, when the press 26 is in the closed position, the press 26 may apply pressure to the heated blank 16 via the mold 29 to stamp or shape the heated blank 16 into the desired form. The pressure applied to the heated blank 16 via the mold 29 via the press 26 continues until the complete lamination pressure is reached and is maintained for a predetermined amount of time. Thereby, the process of forming / stamping the composite component 14 is completed.
[0034]
[0039] When the heated blank 16 exits the blank heater 22, the heated blank 16 begins to cool. Also, when engagement or contact occurs between the heated blank 16 and the mold 29, heat transfer takes place. Further, when pressure is applied to the heated blank 16 through the mold 29, heat transfer occurs. Therefore, it is desirable to slow down this heat transfer. Accordingly, the heat transfer component 32 described herein controls heat transfer to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank 16. That is, the method also includes controlling the heat transfer between the heated blank 16 and the mold 29 through the heat transfer component 32 to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank 16. By controlling the heat transfer, the press time can be increased. Thereby, it is possible to ensure the time to reach the complete lamination pressure. In other words, by controlling the heat transfer as described herein, the heated blank 16 can be pressed for a longer period as desired.
[0035]
[0040] When a predetermined amount of time for applying pressure has elapsed, the press 26 opens and the stamped composite component 14 is removed from the press 26. Briefly stated, after forming the composite component 14, the composite component 14 is removed from the press 26. Therefore, to remove the completed composite component 14, the press 26 is returned to the open position and the composite component 14 is removed therefrom. Next, the stamping process of the composite component 14 is completed and the composite component 14 can be moved to a finishing process or an assembly process as desired.
[0036]
[0041] Next, returning to the heat transfer component 32, each of the plurality of configurations is described in relation to the method.
[0037]
[0042] Referring back to FIGS. 2 to 4, in these configurations, the heat transfer component 32 includes a first liner 34 and a second liner 36. As described above, each of the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 generates a barrier for delaying the onset of the crystallization temperature. Controlling the heat transfer between the heated blank 16 and the mold 29 via the heat transfer component 32 further includes controlling the heat transfer between the heated blank 16 and the mold 29 via the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank 16.
[0038]
[0043] Referring to FIG. 2, in this configuration, the first liner 34 covers the first face 28 of the mold 29, and the second liner 36 covers the second face 30 of the mold 29. The first liner 34 and the second liner 36 are respectively attached to the first face 28 and the second face 30 of the mold 29. Thus, the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 remain attached to the mold 29 during the process of molding the composite component 14. For example, when the press 26 moves between the open position and the closed position, the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 move correspondingly.
[0039]
[0044] Continuing with FIG. 2, in this configuration, when applying pressure to the heated blank 16 via the press 26, controlling the heat transfer between the heated blank 16 and the mold 29 through the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 further includes bringing the first liner 34 into contact with the first side 18 of the heated blank 16 and bringing the second liner 36 into contact with the second side 20 of the heated blank 16. During the pressing process, the heated blank 16 is clamped between the first surface 28 of the mold 29 and the first liner 34 with respect to the first side 18 of the heated blank 16, and is clamped between the second surface 30 of the mold 29 and the second liner 36 with respect to the second side 20 of the heated blank 16. The first liner 34 and the second liner 36 create a barrier between the heated blank 16 and the first surface 28 and the second surface 30 to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature during stamping within the press 26. When the pressing process is completed, the press 26 is opened to move back to the open position, and the composite component 14 is removed from the press 26. Since the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 are attached to the mold 29, these liners 34, 36 can be reused to repeat the forming process for a new blank.
[0040]
[0045] Referring to FIG. 3, in this configuration, the first liner 34 covers the first side 18 of the blank 16, and the second liner 36 covers the second side 20 of the blank 16. That is, the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 are attached to the blank 16. However, the liners 34, 36 attached to the blank 16 are temporary until the composite component 14 is stamped or formed, which will be further described below.
[0041]
[0046] Continuing with FIG. 3, in this configuration, when applying pressure to the heated blank 16 via the press 26, controlling heat transfer between the heated blank 16 and the mold 29 through the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 further includes abutting the first face 28 of the mold 29 against the first liner 34 and abutting the second face 30 of the mold 29 against the second liner 36. During the press process, the heated blank 16 is clamped between the first face 28 and the first liner 34 with respect to the first side 18 of the heated blank 16, and is clamped between the second face 30 and the second liner 36 with respect to the second side 20 of the heated blank 16. The first liner 34 and the second liner 36 create a barrier between the heated blank 16 and the first face 28 and the second face 30 to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature during stamping within the press 26. When the press process is completed, the press 26 moves back to the open position and the composite component 14 is removed from the press 26. Next, the first liner 34 is removed from the first side 18 of the composite component 14 after removing the composite component 14 from the mold 29, and further, the second liner 36 is removed from the second side 20 of the composite component 14 after removing the composite component 14 from the mold 29. The first liner 34 and the second liner 36 can be removed by an end effector 38 or any other suitable mechanism for gripping / removing the liners 34, 36. Any order of removing the liners 34, 36 from the composite component 14 is suitable for this process. That is, the first liner 34 may be removed first, the second liner 36 may be removed first, or both liners 34, 36 may be removed simultaneously. When the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 are removed from the composite component 14, the composite component 14 can be moved to a final process or an assembly process as desired. When this process is repeated for a new blank, a new first liner and a new second liner are attached to the new blank.
[0042]
[0047] Referring back to FIG. 4, in this configuration, the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 are not attached to the press 26 / die 29, nor are they attached to the heated blank 16. Instead, the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 are movable into the press 26 independently of the heated blank 16, and the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 are heated separately from the blank 16. Thus, in this configuration, the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 are heated via a liner heater 40 to define the heated first liner 34 and the heated second liner 36. The arrow B in FIG. 4 represents the heating of the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 within the liner heater 40. Generally, heating the blank 16 via the blank heater 22 and heating the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 via the liner heater 40 are performed before inserting the blank 16 into the opening 27 of the press 26. In certain configurations, heating the blank 16 via the blank heater 22 and heating the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 via the liner heater 40 are performed simultaneously.
[0043]
[0048] Continuing again with FIG. 4, when the blank 16 reaches its melting point, the heated blank 16 moves into the press 26, and when the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 reach a predetermined temperature, the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 move into the press 26. More specifically, the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 enter the press 26 from the liner heater 40, while the heated blank 16 enters the press 26 from the blank heater 22. Thus, inserting the heated blank 16 into the opening 27 of the press 26 further includes inserting the heated first liner 34, the second liner 36, and the heated blank 16 into the opening 27 of the press 26. Thereby, the heated first liner 34 is disposed between the first side 18 of the heated blank 16 and the die 29, and the heated second liner 36 is disposed between the second side 20 of the heated blank 16 and the die 29. During the pressing process, the heated blank 16 is clamped by the first surface 28 and the first liner 34 against the first side 18 of the heated blank 16, and is clamped by the second surface 30 and the second liner 36 against the second side 20 of the heated blank 16. The first liner 34 and the second liner 36 create a barrier between the heated blank 16 and the first surface 28 and the second surface 30 to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature during stamping within the die 29. When the pressing process is complete, the press 26 moves back to the open position, the composite component 14 is removed from the press 26 (arrow C in FIG. 4 indicates the composite component 14 after being removed from the press 26), and the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 return to the liner heater 40. In that case, the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 can be reheated to repeat the stamping / molding process for another blank.
[0044]
[0049] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, in these configurations, generally, the mold 29 is heated, and thus, the first liner 34 and the second liner 36 are excluded. In these configurations, the heat transfer component 32 includes the tool heater 42. Thus, before inserting the heated blank 16 into the opening 27 of the press 26, the first surface 28 of the mold 29 is heated via the tool heater 42, and the second surface 30 of the mold 29 is heated via the tool heater 42. More specifically, while the blank 16 is being heated in the blank heater 22 at another location, the tool heater 42 enters the press 26 to heat the first surface 28 and the second surface 30 of the mold 29. The plurality of arrows D in FIGS. 5 and 6 represent the heating of the first surface 28 and the second surface 30 of the mold 29 via the tool heater 42. The movable platform 24 controls the movement of the tool heater 42. For illustrative purposes, FIG. 5 shows the movable platform 24 as a track, and FIG. 6 shows the movable platform 24 as a robot. Regardless of the configuration of the movable platform 24, the movable platform 24 controls the movement of the tool heater 42 relative to the mold 29.
[0045]
[0050] Continuing with FIGS. 5 and 6, the tool heater 42 is inserted into the opening 27 of the press 26 to heat the first surface 28 and the second surface 30. When the first surface 28 and the second surface 30 reach a predetermined temperature, the tool heater 42 is removed from the opening 27 of the press 26, and then, the heated blank 16 can be inserted into the opening 27 of the press 26. That is, removing the tool heater 42 is done before inserting the heated blank 16 into the opening 27 of the press 26. The arrow E in FIG. 5 indicates that after the mold 29 is heated and the blank 16 is heated, the process moves to the next stage.
[0046]
[0051] During the pressing processes of FIGS. 5 and 6, the heated blank 16 is clamped between the first face 28 and the second face 30 of the die 29. By preheating the first face 28 and the second face 30 via the tool heater 42, the first face 28 and the second face 30 create a barrier between the heated blank 16 and the first face 28 and the second face 30 in order to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature during stamping within the press 26. When the pressing process is completed, the press 26 is opened and thus moves back to the open position, and the composite component 14 is removed from the die 29 (arrow C in FIGS. 5 and 6 indicates the composite component 14 after being removed from the press 26). The composite component 14 can then be moved to a final process or an assembly process, as desired.
[0047]
[0052] The order or sequence in which the (one or more) methods as described above are executed is for illustrative purposes, and it should be understood that other orders or sequences are within the scope of the present teachings. It should also be understood that the methods may include other features not specifically described immediately above.
[0048]
[0053] Furthermore, teachings may be described herein with respect to the constituent elements of the functions and / or logical blocks and / or various processing steps. Accordingly, the controller may control the stamping process described herein. For example, the controller may communicate with heaters 22, 40, 42, press 26, any sensors, movable platform 24, etc. Accordingly, the controller may identify / monitor the temperatures of heaters 22, 40, 42, blank 16, liners 34, 36, etc., and use this information to determine when to move the heated blank 16, when to open / close the press 26, when and for how long to apply pressure to the heated blank 16, when to move the liners 34, 36, etc. Accordingly, the controller includes a processor and memory and is configured to execute instructions from the memory via the processor to control the stamping system 12 and the associated method. It should be understood that such block components may be composed of any number of hardware, software, and / or firmware configured to perform the specified functions.
[0049]
[0054] The controller may be a host machine or a distributed system, for example, a computer such as a digital computer or a microcomputer, and the memory may be a tangible non-transitory computer-readable memory such as a read-only memory (ROM) or a flash memory. The controller may also have a random access memory (RAM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a high-speed clock, an analog / digital (A / D) circuit and / or a digital / analog (D / A) circuit, as well as any necessary input / output circuits and related devices, and any necessary signal conditioning circuits and / or signal buffering circuits. Thus, the controller may include, for example, all software, hardware, memory, algorithms, connections, sensors, etc. necessary to control the stamping system 12. Thus, a control method operable to control the stamping system 12 may be embodied as software or firmware associated with the controller. It should be understood that the controller may also include any device capable of analyzing data from various sensors, comparing the data, and making decisions necessary to control and / or monitor the stamping system 12. Optionally, two or more controllers may be utilized and may communicate with each other.
[0050]
[0055] Although the best mode and other configurations for carrying out the present disclosure have been described in detail, those skilled in the art related to the technology to which the present disclosure pertains will recognize various alternative designs and configurations for practicing the present disclosure within the scope of the appended claims. Further, the features of the configurations shown in the drawings or described in this specification need not necessarily be understood as being independent embodiments of each other. Rather, each feature described in one embodiment of the configuration can be combined with one or more other desired features from other configurations, resulting in other configurations not described either verbally or by reference to the drawings. Thus, such other configurations are included within the framework of the appended claims.
[0051]
[0056] As used herein, a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware “configured to” perform a specified function is not meant to be one that can only perform the specified function without any change and that may be able to perform the specified function after further modification. In other words, a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware “configured to” perform a specified function is specifically selected, created, implemented, utilized, programmed, and / or designed for the purpose of performing that specified function. As used herein, the phrase “configured to” means the existing characteristics of a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware that enable it to perform the specified function without further modification. For the purposes of the present disclosure, a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware described as “configured to” perform a particular function may additionally or alternatively be described as “adapted to” and / or “operative to” perform that function.
[0052]
[0057] The examples of the various configurations described herein are for the purpose of providing an overall understanding of the structure of the various configurations. These examples are not intended to comprehensively describe all elements and features of the devices and systems that utilize the structures or methods described herein. By examining the present disclosure, many other multiple configurations may become apparent to those skilled in the art. Other multiple configurations may be utilized and derived from the present disclosure such that structural and logical substitutions and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure and the drawings should be regarded as exemplary rather than restrictive.
[0053]
[0058] The following clauses provide some exemplary configurations of the stamping system 12 and method as disclosed herein.
[0054]
[0059] Clause 1. A stamping system for forming a structural composite component, comprising a blank formed of a composite material, the composite material having a crystallization temperature, a blank heater configured to heat the blank to a melting point to define a heated blank, the melting point being higher than the crystallization temperature of the composite material, a press movable to an open position providing an opening for receiving the heated blank and movable to a closed position for stamping the heated blank, the press including a die having a predetermined configuration configured to change the heated blank to the predetermined configuration when the press is in the closed position for stamping the heated blank, and a heat transfer component cooperating with the heated blank and the die to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank when the heated blank is disposed within the opening of the press.
[0055]
[0060] Clause 2. The heat transfer component includes a first liner and a second liner, each of the first liner and the second liner generating a barrier configured to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank, the stamping system according to Clause 1.
[0056]
[0061] Clause 3. The mold includes a first surface and a second surface that face each other. When the press is in the open position, the opening is disposed between the first surface and the second surface. The first liner covers the first surface of the mold, and the second liner covers the second surface of the mold. When pressure is applied to the heated blank through the press and the mold, the first liner abuts against the first side of the heated blank, and the second liner abuts against the second side of the heated blank. The heat transfer component decelerates heat transfer from the heated blank to delay the start of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank. The stamping system according to clause 1 or 2.
[0057]
[0062] Clause 4. The mold includes a first surface and a second surface that face each other. When the press is in the open position, the opening is disposed between the first surface and the second surface. The blank includes a first side having the first liner covering the first side and a second side having the second liner covering the second side. When pressure is applied to the heated blank through the press and the mold, the first liner abuts against the first surface of the mold, and the second liner abuts against the second surface of the mold. The heat transfer component decelerates heat transfer from the heated blank to delay the start of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank. The stamping system according to clause 1 or 2.
[0058]
[0063] Clause 5. The press is movable to the closed position to apply the pressure to the heated blank through the mold to form the composite component. The heat transfer component decelerates heat transfer from the heated blank when the press is closed to delay the start of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank. The stamping system according to any one of clauses 1, 2, or 4.
[0059]
[0064] Clause 6. When the press is reopened after molding the composite component, it further includes an end effector configured to remove the first liner and the second liner from the composite component, the stamping system according to any one of Clauses 1, 2, 4, or 5.
[0060]
[0065] Clause 7. It further includes a liner heater configured to heat the first liner and the second liner to a predetermined temperature to define the heated first liner and the heated second liner, and the heated blank, the heated first liner, and the heated second liner are arranged such that the heated first liner is disposed between the first side of the heated blank and the mold, and the heated second liner is disposed between the second side of the heated blank and the mold, within the opening of the press, the stamping system according to Clause 1 or 2.
[0061]
[0066] Clause 8. The heat transfer component includes a tool heater configured to heat the first surface and the second surface of the mold inside the opening of the press, the stamping system according to Clause 1.
[0062]
[0067] Clause 9. The tool heater includes a movable platform configured to move the tool heater into the opening of the press in an initial heating state to heat the first surface and the second surface to a predetermined temperature, and to move the tool heater out of the opening of the press in a final heating state when the predetermined temperature is reached, the stamping system according to Clause 1 or 8.
[0063]
[0068] Clause 10. The press is movable to the closed position to apply the pressure to the heated blank through the mold in order to mold the composite component, and the heat transfer component decelerates heat transfer from the heated blank when the press is closed to delay the start of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank. The stamping system according to any one of clauses 1 to 9.
[0064]
[0069] Clause 11. A stamping method for forming a structural composite component, comprising heating a blank formed of a composite material to a melting point through a blank heater to define a heated blank, wherein the melting point is higher than the crystallization temperature of the composite material, heating to the melting point, inserting the heated blank into an opening of a press, closing the press onto the heated blank, applying pressure to the heated blank while the press is closed to stamp the heated blank, wherein the press includes the mold having a predetermined configuration configured to change the heated blank to the predetermined configuration when the press applies the pressure to the heated blank, applying pressure, and controlling heat transfer between the heated blank and the mold through a heat transfer component to delay the start of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank.
[0065]
[0070] Clause 12. The heat transfer component includes a first liner and a second liner, each of the first liner and the second liner generates a barrier for delaying the start of the crystallization temperature, and controlling heat transfer between the heated blank and the mold through the heat transfer component further includes controlling heat transfer between the heated blank and the mold through the first liner and the second liner to delay the start of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank. The method according to clause 11.
[0066]
[0071] Clause 13. The mold includes a first surface and a second surface facing each other, and when the press is in the open position, the opening is disposed between the first surface and the second surface. The first liner covers the first surface of the mold, the second liner covers the second surface of the mold, and controlling heat transfer between the heated blank and the mold through the first liner and the second liner further includes, when pressure is applied to the heated blank through the press, bringing the first liner into contact with a first side of the heated blank and bringing the second liner into contact with a second side of the heated blank. The method according to Clause 11 or 12.
[0067]
[0072] Clause 14. The mold includes a first surface and a second surface facing each other, and when the press is in the open position, the opening is disposed between the first surface and the second surface. The blank includes a first side having the first liner covering the first side and a second side having the second liner covering the second side. Controlling heat transfer between the heated blank and the mold through the first liner and the second liner further includes, when pressure is applied to the heated blank through the press, bringing the first surface of the mold into contact with the first liner and bringing the second surface of the mold into contact with the second liner. The method according to Clause 11 or 12.
[0068]
[0073] Clause 15. Forming the composite component by pressing the heated blank within the press; after forming the composite component, removing the composite component from the press; after removing the composite component from the mold, removing the first liner from the first side of the composite component; and after removing the composite component from the mold, removing the second liner from the second side of the composite component, the method according to any one of clauses 11, 12, or 14.
[0069]
[0074] Clause 16. Further comprising heating the first liner and the second liner via a liner heater to define a heated first liner and a heated second liner, wherein inserting the heated blank into the opening of the press further comprises inserting the heated first liner, the heated second liner, and the heated blank into the opening of the press such that the heated first liner is disposed between the first side of the heated blank and the mold, and the heated second liner is disposed between the second side of the heated blank and the mold, the method according to clause 11 or 12.
[0070]
[0075] Clause 17. Heating the blank via the blank heater and heating the first liner and the second liner via the liner heater are performed before inserting the blank into the opening of the press, the method according to any one of clauses 11, 12, or 16.
[0071]
[0076] Clause 18. Heating the blank via the blank heater and heating the first liner and the second liner via the liner heater are performed simultaneously, the method according to any one of clauses 11, 12, 16, or 17.
[0072]
[0077] Clause 19. The heat transfer component includes a tool heater, and the method further includes heating a first surface of the mold via the tool heater and heating a second surface of the mold via the tool heater before inserting the heated blank into the opening of the press, the method according to clause 11.
[0073]
[0078] Clause 20. The method according to clause 11 or 19, further including removing the tool heater from the opening of the press, and removing the tool heater is performed before inserting the heated blank into the opening of the press.
Claims
1. A stamping system (12) for forming a composite material component (14) for a structure (10), comprising: a blank (16) formed of a composite material; a blank heater (22) configured to heat the blank (16) to a melting point higher than the crystallization temperature of the composite material to define a heated blank (16); a press (26) movable to an open position providing an opening (27) for receiving the heated blank (16) and movable to a closed position for stamping the heated blank (16), the press (26) having a die (29) with a predetermined configuration configured to change the heated blank (16) to the predetermined configuration when the press (26) is in the closed position for stamping the heated blank (16), and a heat transfer component (32) cooperating with the heated blank (16) and the die (29) to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank (16) when the heated blank (16) is disposed within the opening (27) of the press (26).
2. The stamping system (12) according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer component (32) includes a first liner (34) and a second liner (36), each of the first liner (34) and the second liner (36) generating a barrier configured to delay the onset of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank (16).
3. The die (29) includes a first face (28) and a second face (30) facing each other, the opening (27) being disposed between the first face (28) and the second face (30) when the press (26) is in the open position; the first liner (34) covers the first face (28) of the die (29), and the second liner (36) covers the second face (30) of the die (29). When pressure is applied to the heated blank (16) via the press (26) and through the mold (29), the first liner (34) abuts against the first side (18) of the heated blank (16), the second liner (36) abuts against the second side (20) of the heated blank (16), and the heat transfer component (32) decelerates heat transfer from the heated blank (16) to delay the start of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank (16), the stamping system (12) according to claim 2.
4. The mold (29) includes a first surface (28) and a second surface (30) facing each other, and when the press (26) is in the open position, the opening (27) is disposed between the first surface (28) and the second surface (30). The blank (16) includes a first side (18) having the first liner (34) covering the first side (18), and a second side (20) having the second liner (36) covering the second side (20). When pressure is applied to the heated blank (16) via the press (26) and through the mold (29), the first liner (34) abuts against the first surface (28) of the mold (29), the second liner (36) abuts against the second surface (30) of the mold (29), and the heat transfer component (32) decelerates heat transfer from the heated blank (16) to delay the start of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank (16), the stamping system (12) according to claim 2.
5. The press (26) is movable to the closed position to apply the pressure to the heated blank (16) via the mold (29) to form the composite component (14), and the heat transfer component (32) decelerates heat transfer from the heated blank (16) when the press (26) is closed to delay the start of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank (16), the stamping system (12) according to claim 4.
6. The stamping system (12) according to claim 5, further comprising an end effector (38) configured to remove the first liner (34) and the second liner (36) from the composite component (14) when the press (26) is opened again after forming the composite component (14).
7. Further comprising a liner heater (40) configured to heat the first liner (34) and the second liner (36) to a predetermined temperature to define a heated first liner (34) and a heated second liner (36). The heated blank (16), the heated first liner (34), and the heated second liner (36) are disposed within the opening (27) of the press (26) such that the heated first liner (34) is disposed between the first side (18) of the heated blank (16) and the die (29), and the heated second liner (36) is disposed between the second side (20) of the heated blank (16) and the die (29). The stamping system (12) according to claim 2.
8. The heat transfer component (32) includes a tool heater (42) configured to heat a first surface (28) and a second surface (30) of the die (29) inside the opening (27) of the press (26). The stamping system (12) according to claim 1.
9. The tool heater (42) includes a movable platform (24) configured to move the tool heater (42) into the opening (27) of the press (26) in an initial heating state to heat the first surface (28) and the second surface (30) to a predetermined temperature, and to move the tool heater (42) out of the opening (27) of the press (26) in a final heating state when the predetermined temperature is reached. The stamping system (12) according to claim 8.
10. The press (26) is movable to the closed position to apply pressure to the heated blank (16) via the mold (29) in order to shape the composite component (14), and the heat transfer component (32) is configured to slow down heat transfer from the heated blank (16) when the press (26) is closed in order to delay the start of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank (16). The stamping system (12) according to claim 1.
11. A stamping method for forming a composite component (14) for a structure (10), comprising: heating a blank (16) formed of a composite material to a melting point higher than the crystallization temperature via a blank heater (22) to define a heated blank (16); inserting the heated blank (16) into an opening (27) of a press (26); closing the press (26) over the heated blank (16); applying pressure to the heated blank (16) while the press (26) is closed to stamp the heated blank (16), wherein the press (26) includes the mold (29) having a predetermined configuration configured to change the heated blank (16) to the predetermined configuration when the press (26) applies the pressure to the heated blank (16), and controlling heat transfer between the heated blank (16) and the mold (29) via a heat transfer component (32) to delay the start of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank (16).
12. The heat transfer component (32) includes a first liner (34) and a second liner (36), and each of the first liner (34) and the second liner (36) generates a barrier for delaying the start of the crystallization temperature. Controlling heat transfer between the heated blank (16) and the mold (29) via the heat transfer component (32) further includes controlling heat transfer between the heated blank (16) and the mold (29) via the first liner (34) and the second liner (36) to delay the start of the crystallization temperature of the heated blank (16). The method according to claim 11.
13. The mold (29) includes a first surface (28) and a second surface (30) facing each other, and when the press (26) is in the open position, the opening (27) is disposed between the first surface (28) and the second surface (30). The first liner (34) covers the first surface (28) of the mold (29), and the second liner (36) covers the second surface (30) of the mold (29). Controlling heat transfer between the heated blank (16) and the mold (29) through the first liner (34) and the second liner (36) further includes, when pressure is applied to the heated blank (16) through the press (26), bringing the first liner (34) into contact with a first side (18) of the heated blank (16) and bringing the second liner (36) into contact with a second side (20) of the heated blank (16). The method according to claim 12.
14. The mold (29) includes a first surface (28) and a second surface (30) facing each other, and when the press (26) is in the open position, the opening (27) is disposed between the first surface (28) and the second surface (30). The blank (16) includes a first side (18) having the first liner (34) covering the first side (18) and a second side (20) having the second liner (36) covering the second side (20). Controlling heat transfer between the heated blank (16) and the mold (29) through the first liner (34) and the second liner (36) further includes, when pressure is applied to the heated blank (16) through the press (26), bringing the first surface (28) of the mold (29) into contact with the first liner (34) and bringing the second surface (30) of the mold (29) into contact with the second liner (36). The method according to claim 12.
15. Forming the composite component (14) from pressing the heated blank (16) within the press (26). After forming the composite component (14), removing the composite component (14) from the press (26). After removing the composite component (14) from the mold (29), removing the first liner (34) from the first side (18) of the composite component (14), and The method according to claim 14, further comprising, after removing the composite component (14) from the mold (29), removing the second liner (36) from the second side (20) of the composite component (14).
16. Further comprising heating the first liner (34) and the second liner (36) via a liner heater (40) to define a heated first liner (34) and a heated second liner (36), Inserting the heated blank (16) into the opening (27) of the press (26) further comprises arranging the heated first liner (34) between the first side (18) of the heated blank (16) and the mold (29), and arranging the heated second liner (36) between the second side (20) of the heated blank (16) and the mold (29). The method according to claim 12, further comprising inserting the heated first liner (34), the heated second liner (36), and the heated blank (16) into the opening (27) of the press (26).
17. Heating the blank (16) via the blank heater (22) and heating the first liner (34) and the second liner (36) via the liner heater (40) are performed before inserting the blank (16) into the opening (27) of the press (26). The method according to claim 16.
18. Heating the blank (16) via the blank heater (22) and heating the first liner (34) and the second liner (36) via the liner heater (40) are performed simultaneously. The method according to claim 17.
19. The heat transfer component (32) includes a tool heater (42), and the method The method according to claim 11, further comprising heating a first surface (28) of the die (29) via the tool heater (42) and heating a second surface (30) of the die (29) via the tool heater (42) before inserting the heated blank (16) into the opening (27) of the press (26).
20. further comprising removing the tool heater (42) from the opening (27) of the press (26), The method according to claim 19, wherein removing the tool heater (42) is performed before inserting the heated blank (16) into the opening (27) of the press (26).