Blank positioning method and positioning device

Abstract

To solve the problem in which: a conventional positioning device of a blank material has a low yielding percentage of material since continuous excess thickness is integrated with the blank material.SOLUTION: A positioning method is given in which blank materials B1 - B4 are positioned to a processing machinery. The positioning method integrally forms, when the blank materials B1 - B4 are formed by a blanking press, a plurality of local positioning parts A at the outer peripheral edge parts of the blank materials B1 - B4, and then the positioning parts A are respectively engaged with a plurality of position regulation parts R arranged in the processing machinery to position the blank material B1 - B4, so that the yielding percentage of material is improved to be capable of providing accurate positioning.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for positioning a blank used to position a blank in a processing machine. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of a conventional blank positioning device is described in Patent Document 1. The positioning device described in Patent Document 1 includes a locking pin that is driven forward and backward by a cylinder. The locking pin has a pair of retaining pins near its tip that can protrude and retract radially. The positioning device advances the locking pins through positioning holes formed in the blank to penetrate the tip, then brings the retaining pins into a protruding state and retracts the locking pins until they abut against the blank, thereby holding the blank in a fixed position.

[0003] Furthermore, blanks are generally formed by punching out a continuous material such as a coil material using a blanking press, and are then formed into a desired product through several processes. Conventionally, an excess portion having a fixed width in the direction of the continuous material is integrally formed with the blank, and a positioning hole is formed in the excess portion. The blank is then positioned in each process using the positioning hole and a locking pin as described in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3258356 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the conventional blank positioning device described above, the continuous excess material portion is integrated with the blank, which reduces the yield of the material, and therefore improvement has been desired.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional situation, and aims to provide a blank positioning method and positioning device that can accurately position a blank while improving the yield of the material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The method for positioning blanks according to the present invention is a method for arranging a plurality of blanks on the same plane and positioning them in a processing machine. In this positioning method, when forming the blanks using a blanking press, a plurality of local positioning portions are integrally formed on the outer periphery of the blanks and in the vicinity of adjacent blanks. Then, the positioning portions are engaged with a plurality of positioning members arranged in the processing machine, respectively, to position the blanks. In the processing machine, the blanks are positioned and then clamped, and then the blanks are joined together by welding to produce tailored blanks made up of multiple blanks. It is characterized by the fact that

[0008] A blank positioning device according to the present invention is a device for positioning a blank in a processing machine. The blank has a plurality of localized positioning regions integrally formed on its outer periphery, the positioning regions including a convex positioning region that protrudes from the outer periphery of the blank and has an arc at its tip, and a concave positioning region formed by cutting out a semicircular shape from the outer periphery of the blank. The positioning device also includes position restricting members that are disposed on the processing machine and engage with the positioning regions, the position restricting member that engages with the convex positioning region being a concave position restricting member having a semicircular head section and a tapered inner circumferential surface with a radius that gradually decreases in a downward direction, and the position restricting member that engages with the concave positioning region being a convex position restricting member having a circular head section and a tapered outer circumferential surface with a radius that gradually increases in a downward direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The blank positioning method and positioning device according to the present invention employs the above-described configuration, thereby enabling accurate positioning while improving the yield of the blank. In particular, when joining adjacent blanks together in a processing machine, the positioning portions are located near the adjacent blanks, so the joining portions can be positioned and fixed with high precision. do. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] In a first embodiment of the blank positioning method and positioning device of the present invention, FIG. 1A is a plan view showing a plurality of blanks, FIG. 1B is a plan view showing a tailored blank formed by joining blanks together, and FIG. 1C is a perspective view showing a suspension member in which the tailored blanks are the precursors of the member. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a processing machine. [Figure 3] 1A is a plan view showing the blank and the jig body, FIG. 1B is a plan view showing the convex positioning portion, and FIG. 1C is a plan view showing the concave positioning portion. [Figure 4] 1A is a plan view and a cross-sectional view of a concave position restricting member, FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the concave restricting member at a different angle, and FIG. 1C is a plan view and a cross-sectional view of a convex position restricting member. [Figure 5] 1A is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a positioning portion of a blank is engaged with a position restricting member, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the blank is clamped, following FIG. [Figure 6] 10A is a plan view showing a plurality of blanks, and FIG. 10B is a perspective view showing an enlarged view of a tailored blank after flange forming, in a second embodiment of the blank positioning method according to the present invention. [Figure 7] 1A is a cross-sectional view illustrating a welded portion between blank pieces, and FIG. 1B is a plan view illustrating a welding defect. [Figure 8] 10 is a graph showing the relationship between welding speed and gap between blanks. [Figure 9] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the process of flange forming on a tailored blank material, with (A) a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the state before flange forming, (B) a horizontal cross-sectional view based on the horizontal cross-section indicated by line AA in FIG. 1A, and (C) a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the state after flange forming. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] First Embodiment 1 to 5 are diagrams illustrating a first embodiment of a blank positioning method and positioning device according to the present invention. The positioning method and positioning device of this embodiment are used to position the blank shown in Fig. 1 in the processing machine shown in Fig. 2. Although Figs. 1 and 2 show four blanks as an example, the above-described positioning method and positioning device can be applied to positioning individual blanks, and there is no limit to the number of blanks.

[0012] 1 constitute a tailored blank material TB, which allows selection of the optimum thickness, material or strength for each portion. The tailored blank material TB in this embodiment is a precursor to a suspension member 100 for a vehicle.

[0013] The blanks B1 to B4 shown in Fig. 1(A) are formed by blanking press from continuous material such as coil material. As an example, the two blanks B1 and B2 shown on the left and right of Fig. 1(A) have a relatively large thickness, while the two blanks B3 and B4 shown on the top and bottom of Fig. 1(A) have a relatively small thickness.

[0014] The blanks B1 to B4 are joined by welding the left and right blanks B1 and B2 to the upper blank B3, and by welding the left and right blanks B1 and B2 to the lower blank B4 to obtain the tailored blank TB shown in Figure 1(B). The tailored blank TB is formed by joining the blanks B1 to B4 together at welds W, and has an opening H in the center.

[0015] The tailored blank material TB is then subjected to a predetermined plastic working process to become the suspension member 100 shown in Fig. 1(C). In the suspension member 100, the left and right blank materials B1 and B2 in Fig. 1(A) form a pair of side members 101 and 102, and the top and bottom blank materials B3 and B4 form a pair of cross members 103 and 104.

[0016] The blank positioning method of the present invention is used to position the above-mentioned blanks B1 to B4 in a processing machine. That is, in the positioning method, when the blanks B1 to B4 are formed by a blanking press, a plurality of local positioning regions A are integrally formed on the outer periphery of the blanks B1 to B4, as shown in Fig. 1(A). Then, the positioning method engages the positioning regions A with a plurality of position restriction members R arranged in the processing machine, respectively, to position the blanks B1 to B4.

[0017] The processing machine shown in Fig. 2 includes a base 1 on which a plurality of blanks B1-B4 are arranged on the same plane, a plurality of jig bodies 2 shown in Fig. 3(A) corresponding to the blanks B1-B4 arranged on the base 1, a plurality of clamps 3 which clamp the blanks B1-B4 between the jig bodies 2, and a welder (not shown) which joins the blanks B1-B4 together. A welding robot can be used as the welder. This processing machine produces a tailored blank TB made up of a plurality of blanks B, as shown in Figs. 1(A) and (B).

[0018] 3B and 3C, the positioning regions A of the blanks B1 to B4 include a convex positioning region A1 that protrudes from the outer periphery of the blanks B1 to B4 and has an arc at its tip, and a concave positioning region A2 that is a semicircular notch cut out from the outer periphery of the blanks B1 to B4. The convex and concave positioning regions A1 and A2 in the illustrated example have arcs with approximately the same radius of curvature, but the radii of curvature may be different.

[0019] The protruding positioning element A1 is tongue-shaped, and preferably has an arc of more than 180 degrees at its tip, as shown in the figure, and a constricted shape where it joins the blank. This allows the protruding positioning element A1 to rotate within a predetermined range when it engages with the positioning member R (described below), absorbing positional errors in the blank.

[0020] In the positioning method and positioning device of the present invention, it is desirable to provide at least two positioning regions A on one blank, and in this case, either one of the convex positioning region A1 and the concave positioning region A2 may be provided, or both. Furthermore, the number and positions of the positioning regions A can be selected appropriately, and it is also effective to select either the convex (A1) or the concave (A2) in consideration of stress concentration that occurs during plastic processing in the subsequent process.

[0021] However, in this embodiment, when welding adjacent blanks together, the welded portions must be positioned and fixed with high precision, so each blank B1 to B4 has a convex positioning portion A1 and a concave positioning portion A2 integrally formed in the vicinity of the adjacent blank.

[0022] As shown in Figures 4(A) to (C), the position control member R includes a concave position control member R1 having a head 11 with a semicircular cross section and a tapered inner surface 12 with a radius that gradually decreases in the downward direction, and a convex position control member R2 having a head 21 with a circular cross section and a tapered outer surface 22 with a radius that gradually increases in the downward direction.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3(A), the concave position restricting member R1 is disposed on the jig body 2, the upper surface of which serves as the mounting surface 2A for the blank. As shown in Figures 4(A) and (B), the concave position restricting member R1 comprises a head 11 having a semicircular cross section and a tapered inner peripheral surface 12, a base portion 13 disposed below the head 11, and a coil spring 14 interposed between the head 11 and the base portion 13 to elastically hold the head 11 in a state in which it protrudes from the mounting surface 2A. The head 11 is semicylindrical overall, with a semicircular horizontal cross section.

[0024] More specifically, the recessed position restricting member R1 has a cylindrical case 16 with a guide bush 15 fixed inside, and a head 11, a base 13, and a coil spring 14 arranged on the axis of the case 16. The head 11 has, on its lower side, a shaft 17 that is guided by the guide bush 15, and a large diameter portion 18 that abuts against the guide bush 15 to restrict upward movement. The coil spring 14 is interposed between the large diameter portion 18 and the base 13.

[0025] The tapered inner peripheral surface 12 of the head 11 of the concave position-limiting member R1 has a radius of curvature in the axial middle portion that corresponds to the arc of the convex positioning portion A1. Furthermore, the head 11 has a tapered guide surface 19, whose radius gradually increases upward, continuous with a vertical portion 19a above the tapered inner peripheral surface 12. This gives the head 11 a recessed portion that is open on the top and side surfaces. The large-diameter end of the guide surface 19 opens at the top of the head 11, making it easier to engage the convex positioning portion A1 with the tapered inner peripheral surface 12.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 3(A), the convex position restricting member R2 is disposed on the jig body 2, the upper surface of which serves as the mounting surface 2A for the blank. As shown in Fig. 4(C), the convex position restricting member R2 includes a head 21 having a circular cross section and a tapered outer peripheral surface 22, a base 23 disposed below the head 21, and a coil spring 24 interposed between the head 21 and the base 23 to elastically hold the head 21 in a state protruding from the mounting surface 2A.

[0027] More specifically, the convex position restricting member R2 has a cylindrical case 26 with a guide bush 25 fixed inside, and the head 21, base 23, and coil spring 24 are arranged on the axis of the case 26. The head 21 has, on its lower side, a shaft 27 that is guided by the guide bush 25, and a large-diameter portion 28 that abuts against the guide bush 25 to restrict upward movement. The coil spring 24 is interposed between the large-diameter portion 28 and the base 23.

[0028] The tapered outer peripheral surface 22 of the head 21 of the convex position-limiting member R2 has a radius of curvature in the axial middle portion that corresponds to the arc of the concave positioning portion A2. Furthermore, the head 21 has a tapered guide surface 29, whose radius gradually decreases upward, continuously above the tapered outer peripheral surface 22 via a vertical portion 29a. This gives the head 21 a pointed top, which facilitates the engagement of the concave positioning portion A2 with the tapered outer peripheral surface 22.

[0029] In the positioning method and positioning device, as shown in Fig. 3(A), the convex positioning portions A1 and concave positioning portions A2 of the blanks B1 to B4 engage with the tapered inner peripheral surface 12 and tapered outer peripheral surface 22 of the concave position restricting member R1 and convex position restricting member R2 in a processing machine. At this time, the positioning device holds the blanks B1 to B4 in a state spaced apart from the mounting surface 2A of the jig body 2, as shown in Fig. 5(A), because the arcs of the convex positioning portion A1 and the concave positioning portion A2 have the same radius of curvature as the intermediate portions of the tapered inner peripheral surface 12 and the tapered outer peripheral surface 22.

[0030] In this embodiment, the blanks B1 to B4 are joined together by welding in a processing machine, so the outer peripheral edges of the blanks B1 to B4 must be precisely butted together. Furthermore, when using thick blanks B1 and B2, it is necessary to form a minute gap between the outer peripheral edges of the blanks to allow the filler material to enter, and to maintain the width of the gap uniform throughout the entire weld.

[0031] Therefore, the positioning device described above engages the convex positioning portions A1 and concave positioning portions A2 of the blanks B1 to B4 with the tapered inner peripheral surface 12 and tapered outer peripheral surface 22 of the concave position regulating member R1 and the convex position regulating member R2, thereby holding the blanks B1 to B4 spaced apart from the mounting surface 2A of the jig body 2, and then presses the blanks B1 to B4 with the clamp 3.

[0032] As a result, the concave position restricting members R1 and convex position restricting members R2 of the positioning device compress the coil springs 14 and 24, and as shown in Figure 5(B), the heads 11 and 21 descend together with the shafts 17 and 27 and large diameter portions 18 and 28. At this time, the positioning device's engagement of the convex positioning portion A1 with the concave position restricting member R1 and the engagement of the concave positioning portion A2 with the convex position restricting member R2 work to support each other, adjusting for variations in the positional accuracy of each, and ultimately clamping the blanks B1 to B4 securely between the mounting surface 2A of the jig body 2 and the clamp 3.

[0033] As described above, the blank positioning method and device positions the blanks B1 to B4 by engaging multiple local positioning areas A integrally formed during the blanking press with position control members R in the processing machine. Therefore, the blanks B1 to B4 do not require continuous excess material for forming positioning holes, thereby improving yield and achieving accurate positioning of the blanks B1 to B4 on the processing machine.

[0034] Furthermore, according to the above positioning method, in the manufacture of a tailored blank material TB formed by joining a plurality of blank materials B1 to B4, it is possible to obtain a high-quality tailored blank material TB in which the blank materials B1 to B4 are accurately joined together. Furthermore, because the above tailored blank material TB is a member precursor of the suspension member 100 for a vehicle, it can contribute to improving the molding precision of the suspension member 100.

[0035] Furthermore, the above-mentioned positioning device can achieve accurate positioning with a relatively simple structure by adopting a combination of a convex positioning portion A1 and a concave positioning portion A2 integrally molded in the blanks B1 to B4, and a concave position regulating member R1 having a tapered inner surface 12 and a convex position regulating member R2 having a tapered outer surface 22.

[0036] Furthermore, in the positioning device, the concave and convex positioning members R1, R2 each include a head 11, 21, a base 13, 23, and a coil spring 14, 24. The positioning device holds the blanks B1-B4 away from the mounting surface 2A of the fixing jig 2 with the convex and concave positioning portions A1, A2 engaged with the tapered inner peripheral surface 12 and the tapered outer peripheral surface 22. As a result, when the positioning device presses the blanks B1-B4 against the mounting surface 2A in the processing machine, i.e., when the blanks B1-B4 are clamped, the two engaging portions work to support each other, adjusting for variations in the positional accuracy of each blank, and achieving accurate positioning of the blanks B1-B4.

[0037] Second Embodiment 6 to 9 are diagrams illustrating a second embodiment of a blank positioning method and device according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0038] The four blanks B1 to B4 shown in Fig. 6(A) are positioned in a processing device (see Fig. 2) and then joined together by welding to form a tailored blank (see Fig. 1B), as in the first embodiment. Although not shown, these blanks B1 to B4 have convex and concave positioning portions (reference numerals A1 and A2 in Fig. 1) as in the first embodiment.

[0039] The tailored blank material is a precursor to an automobile suspension member, and its peripheral edge is subjected to flange forming as a plastic processing step in a subsequent process. This results in the tailored blank material becoming the suspension member 100 shown in Figure 6(B). The suspension member 100 has a pair of sandwich members 101, 102, a pair of cross members 103, 104, and a central opening H, with flanges F on the outer peripheral edge and the inner peripheral edge of the opening H.

[0040] In the blank positioning method according to the present invention, when joining the blanks B1 to B4 together by welding in a processing machine, as described above, it is possible to form a minute gap S between the outer peripheral edges of the blanks to allow the filler material to enter. Therefore, in this embodiment, the blanks B1 to B4 are positioned facing each other with the gap S in the processing machine, and then joined by welding to produce a tailored blank made up of a plurality of the blanks B1 to B4.

[0041] For example, tailored blanks used for automobile suspension members have a relatively large thickness, so as shown in Figure 7(A), it is necessary to form a weld bead WB that extends from the front side to the back side of the blanks B1 to B4, a so-called full penetration weld bead WB, to ensure sufficient joint strength.

[0042] If welding is performed without any gap S between the blanks, it is difficult for the filler metal to penetrate between the blanks, so the welding speed must be slowed down to form a weld bead WB that reaches the back surface of the blank. This also increases the takt time required to manufacture one tailored blank.

[0043] In contrast, this embodiment achieves the same effects as the previous embodiment, and in particular, because the blanks B1 to B4 are welded facing each other with a gap S between them, the filler metal can easily penetrate between the blanks, allowing a weld bead WB that reaches the back surface of the blank to be formed in a short time. As an example, the welding speed can be increased from 700 mm / min to 1000 mm / min, reducing the welding time by about 70%. This reduces the takt time and improves production efficiency.

[0044] Furthermore, in the above positioning method, as a more preferred embodiment, it is more effective to set the gap S between the blanks B1 to B4 to 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm, and further it is more effective to set the welding speed when welding the blanks B1 to B4 to 50 mm / min to 2000 mm / min.

[0045] Here, in order to specify the gap S between the blanks and the welding speed, an experiment was conducted in which the size of the gap S and the welding speed were changed under constant welding conditions. As a result, the relationship between the welding speed and the gap S between the blanks was clarified, as shown in the graph in Figure 8. In Figure 8, the area on the right with the matte finish is the area where a good weld bead WB was obtained, and the area on the left with the diagonal lines is the area where the weld was poor.

[0046] If the gap S between the blanks is less than 0.5 mm, the filler metal will not penetrate sufficiently, resulting in insufficient penetration, i.e., the weld bead will not reach the back surface of the blank. On the other hand, if the gap S exceeds 1.0 mm, the gap will be excessive, causing the molten metal to fall out and forming a hole Q as shown in Figure 7(B). It was found that by setting the gap S between the blanks to 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm, the filler metal will penetrate sufficiently, preventing the formation of a hole and forming a good weld bead WB that reaches the back surface of the blank.

[0047] Furthermore, if the welding speed is less than 50 mm / min, the insufficient speed will result in overheating, causing the molten metal to fall off and creating a hole Q. On the other hand, if the welding speed exceeds 2000 mm / min, the excessive speed will prevent the supply of filler metal from keeping up, resulting in a shortage of molten metal and an insufficient joint. It has been found that by setting the welding speed between 50 mm / min and 2000 mm / min, it is possible to form a good weld bead WB that reaches the back surface of the blank while preventing hole Q caused by overheating and a shortage of filler metal.

[0048] In principle, it is desirable to increase the welding speed as the gap S between the blanks increases, but the size of the gap S and the welding speed may be appropriately combined depending on the material and thickness of the blanks, the type of filler metal, etc.

[0049] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the tailored blank TB is subjected to flange processing at its peripheral edge in a subsequent process. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6(B), the weld lines WL connecting the blanks B1 to B4 are formed along the flange forming direction (the direction of arrow A shown in the enlarged view of Fig. 6B) within an area that includes at least the flange processing region of the tailored blank TB.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 6(A), the weld lines WL between the blanks B1 to B4 overlap the cutting lines of the blanks that are butted together. Therefore, each of the blanks B1 to B4 can be blanked in advance in a blanking press along the cutting lines that run along the forming direction of the flanges F.

[0051] In addition, forming the weld line WL along the forming direction of the flange F within the range including the flange processing region is, in other words, forming the weld line WL within the above range along the movement direction of the flange processing mold, or forming the weld line WL within the above range along a direction perpendicular to the bend line (symbol VL in FIG. 6A) that forms the base end of the flange F.

[0052] Here, when flange processing is performed using a press mold, if the above-mentioned weld line WL is inclined with respect to the forming direction of the flange F, the forming mold, which descends vertically, will come into sliding contact with the weld line WL from an oblique direction, making it easy for the weld bead WB to be scraped off as a whole. In addition, tensile loads will be generated in opposite directions across the weld line WL, which may reduce the strength of the joint.

[0053] In contrast, in this embodiment, the weld line WL is arranged along the molding direction of the flange F, so that the direction of movement of the mold and the direction of the weld line WL are aligned, making it difficult for the weld bead WB to be scraped off, preventing the generation of the above-mentioned tensile load and a decrease in the strength of the joint.

[0054] Figure 9 shows a press die suitable for the above-mentioned flange processing. The press die shown in the figure has a lower die 51 and an upper die 52 equipped with a pad 52A and a flange forming portion 52B, and a slit 52C is formed in the flange forming portion 52B at a position corresponding to the weld line WL of the tailored blank material TB. This slit 52C is open toward the center of the die (left side in Figure 9) and has a depth equal to or greater than the length of the flange F.

[0055] The press die positions the tailored blank material TB on the lower die 51 so that the fold line VL, which forms the base end of the flange F, coincides with the edge of the lower die 51 and the weld line WL coincides with the slit 52C, as shown in Figure 9(B). Next, the press die lowers the upper die 52, and as shown in Figure 9(A), the leading pad 52 presses and fixes the tailored blank material TB onto the lower die 51. Thereafter, as the press die lowers the flange forming portion 52B, as shown in Figure 9(C), the press die forms the flange F by bending it around the peripheral edge of the tailored blank material TB.

[0056] As described above, the weld line WL of the tailored blank material TB is formed along the forming direction of the flange F within a range that includes at least the flange processing region. In contrast, the press die described above has a flange forming portion 52B with a slit 52C that corresponds to the weld line WL. As a result, when flange processing is performed using the press die described above, the flange forming portion 52, which is the metal mold, does not come into contact with the weld bead WB, and no tensile loads are generated in opposing directions across the weld bead WB, so a decrease in the strength of the weld can be reliably prevented.

[0057] The blank positioning method and positioning device according to the present invention are not limited in configuration to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] A Positioning area A1 Convex positioning part A2 Recessed positioning area B1~B4 blank material F flange R Position control member R1 Recessed position control member R2 Convex position control member S Gap TB Tailored Blank Material WL welding line 11,21 Head 12 Tapered inner surface 22 Tapered outer surface 2 Jig body 2A Mounting surface 3 Clamp 13,23 Base 14,24 coil spring 100 Suspension member

Claims

1. A method for arranging a plurality of blanks coplanarly and positioning them on a processing machine, comprising: When forming the blank by a blanking press, a plurality of local positioning portions are integrally formed on the outer peripheral edge of the blank and in the vicinity of adjacent blanks; Then, the positioning portions are engaged with a plurality of position regulating members arranged on the processing machine, thereby positioning the blank. a blank positioning method for manufacturing a tailored blank comprising a plurality of blanks, the method comprising: positioning the blanks in the processing machine; clamping the blanks; and joining the blanks together by welding.

2. 2. The method for positioning a blank according to claim 1, wherein the blanks are placed facing each other with a gap between them and then joined by welding in the processing machine to produce the tailored blank made up of a plurality of the blanks.

3. 3. The method for positioning blanks according to claim 2, wherein the gap between the blanks is 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm.

4. 4. The method for positioning a blank according to claim 3, wherein the welding speed when welding the blanks together is 50 mm / min to 2000 mm / min.

5. The tailored blank material is subjected to flange processing on its peripheral edge in a subsequent process, 2. The method for positioning a blank piece according to claim 1, wherein the weld lines between the blank pieces are formed along the flange forming direction within a range that includes at least a flange processing region of the tailored blank piece.

6. 1. An apparatus for positioning a blank in a processing machine, comprising: The blank material has a plurality of local positioning portions integrally formed on an outer peripheral edge portion, the positioning portion includes a convex positioning portion that protrudes from the outer peripheral edge of the blank and has an arc at its tip, and a concave positioning portion that is a semicircular notch cut out from the outer peripheral edge of the blank, a position restricting member that is disposed on the processing machine and engages with the positioning portion; the position restricting member that engages with the convex positioning portion is a concave position restricting member having a head that is semicircular in cross section and a tapered inner circumferential surface whose radius gradually decreases downward, A blank positioning device characterized in that the position regulating member that engages with the concave positioning portion is a convex position regulating member having a head that is circular in cross section and a tapered outer peripheral surface whose radius gradually increases in the downward direction.

7. a jig body having an upper surface on which the blank is placed and on which the convex position restricting member and the concave position restricting member are disposed, The convex position restricting member and the concave position restricting member each include the head, a base portion disposed below the head, and a coil spring interposed between the head and the base portion to elastically hold the head in a state protruding from the placement surface, 7. The blank positioning device according to claim 6, wherein the blank is held away from the placement surface with the convex positioning portion and the concave positioning portion of the blank engaged with the tapered inner peripheral surface and the tapered outer peripheral surface of each of the heads, respectively.

8. 8. The blank positioning device according to claim 7, wherein the processing machine is equipped with a plurality of the jig bodies corresponding to a plurality of the blanks arranged on the same plane, clamps that hold the blanks between the jig bodies, and a welding machine that joins the blanks together, and produces tailored blanks made up of a plurality of the blanks.

9. 9. The blank positioning device according to claim 8, wherein the tailored blank is a member precursor that is processed into a suspension member in a subsequent process.

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