Molding system

Abstract

This molding system comprises a power supply unit that supplies power for heating a metal material. The power supply unit has a power storage unit that stores power. The power supply unit can store power in the power storage unit regardless of the timing when power is necessary for heating the metal material. Thus, the power storage unit can supply a large amount of power at the necessary timing. The power supply unit supplements with the power from the power storage unit at a timing when a supplied power peak occurs. It is thus possible to reduce or stop the consumption of power from a commercial power source at the timing when the supplied power peak occurs. It is thereby possible to suppress an increase in power consumption.

Description

Molding System

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a molding system.

[0002] A conventional molding system is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This molding system heats a metal material and expands and molds the heated metal material.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-220141

[0004] In the molding system described in Patent Document 1, a large current is passed through the metal material to perform resistance heating. When the metal material is heated to a high temperature in a short time by resistance heating, a large peak in commercial power consumption occurs. This can lead to problems such as an increase in the commercial power capacity and restrictions imposed by power companies due to voltage drops.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a molding system that can suppress an increase in power consumption.

[0006] A forming system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a forming unit that forms a heated metal material and a power supply unit that supplies power for heating the metal material, and the power supply unit has a storage unit that stores power and supplements power from the storage unit when a peak in the power being supplied occurs.

[0007] The molding system includes a power supply unit that supplies power for heating the metal material. The power supply unit has a power storage unit that stores power. Therefore, the power supply unit can store power in the power storage unit regardless of when power is needed to heat the metal material. This allows the power storage unit to supply large amounts of power when needed. Therefore, the power supply unit supplements power from the power storage unit when peak power supply levels occur. This makes it possible to reduce or eliminate the use of commercial power when peak power supply levels occur. As a result, it is possible to prevent power consumption from increasing.

[0008] The molding system may further include an electric heating unit that electrically heats the metal material, and the power supply unit may store electric power in the power storage unit when the electric heating unit is not performing electric heating, and supply electric power from the power storage unit to the electric heating unit when the electric heating unit is performing electric heating. This allows the power supply unit to store electric power in the power storage unit over a long period of time when processes other than electric heating are performed. The power storage unit can then supplement electric power during electric heating, when a large amount of power is required.

[0009] The power supply unit may store power in the power storage unit so as to average out the power consumption from the commercial power supply. In this case, it is possible to prevent the power consumption from increasing locally when the power storage unit is storing power.

[0010] The power supply unit may have a switch between the commercial power source and the power storage unit, and may store power in the power storage unit when the switch is turned on. In this case, the switch can be used to control the timing of storing power in the power storage unit.

[0011] The switch may be disposed in the power supply unit. In this case, when the molding system of the present disclosure is introduced into an existing molding system, the molding system including the switch can be constructed simply by replacing the power supply unit.

[0012] The forming system includes a forming unit that forms the heated metal material and a power supply unit that supplies power to heat the metal material. The power supply unit has a storage unit that stores power, and supplements power from the storage unit so that the power consumption of the commercial power source is kept below the allowable value specified by the electric power company or a value based on the allowable value of the power equipment capacity of the installation factory.

[0013] The molding system includes a power supply unit that supplies power for heating the metal material. This power supply unit has a power storage unit that stores power. Therefore, the power supply unit can store power in the power storage unit regardless of when power is needed to heat the metal material. As a result, the power storage unit can supply large amounts of power when needed. Therefore, the power supply unit supplements power from the power storage unit so that the power usage from the commercial power source remains below the allowable value specified by the power company or a value based on the allowable value of the power equipment capacity of the installation factory. As a result, even when a large amount of power is needed, it can be kept below the allowable value by using power from the power storage unit. As a result, it is possible to prevent an increase in power usage.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a molding system capable of suppressing an increase in power consumption can be provided.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a molding system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a specific example of the molding system shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a power supply unit. Fig. 4 is a graph showing power consumption etc. Fig. 5 is a graph showing power consumption etc. Fig. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of a power supply unit of a molding system according to a modified example.

[0016] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0017] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a molding system 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example of the molding system 100 shown in Fig. 1.

[0018] The forming system 100 is a system for manufacturing a formed product by heating a metal material and forming the heated metal material in a forming die. As the metal material, a pipe-shaped metal pipe material 40 as shown in Fig. 2 is used. As the metal material, for example, a carbon steel material or an MnB steel material with improved hardenability is used.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1 , the molding system 100 includes an electrical heating unit 101 , a molding device 103 (molding unit), and a power supply unit 104 .

[0020] The electrical heating unit 101 heats the metal material by passing an electric current through it. The electrical heating unit 101 has electrodes that come into contact with the metal material to pass the current. The power supply unit 104 has a power source that passes an electric current to the electrodes of the electrical heating unit 101. As a result, the metal material itself generates heat through Joule heat due to its own electrical resistance (electrical heating). The molding device 103 is a device that molds the metal material heated by the electrical heating unit 101 using a molding die 102.

[0021] For example, the forming device 103 may have the configuration shown in Fig. 2. The forming device 103 shown in Fig. 2 is a device that performs forming and quenching by supplying a fluid to a heated metal pipe material 40 and bringing it into contact with the forming surface of a forming die. This forming device 103 is equipped with an electrical heating unit 101.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2 , the molding device 103 is an apparatus for molding a metal pipe having a hollow shape by blow molding. Here, the molding device 103 is installed on a horizontal surface. The molding device 103 includes a molding die 102, a drive mechanism 3, a holding unit 4, an electrical heating unit 101, a fluid supply unit 6, a cooling unit 7, and a control unit 8. In this specification, the metal pipe material 40 refers to a hollow article before molding is completed in the molding device 103. The metal pipe material 40 is a pipe material made of a steel type that can be hardened. In addition, among the horizontal directions, the direction in which the metal pipe material 40 extends during molding may be referred to as the "longitudinal direction," and the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction may be referred to as the "width direction."

[0023] The forming die 102 is a die for forming a metal pipe from the metal pipe material 40, and includes a lower die 11 and an upper die 12 that face each other in the vertical direction. The lower die 11 and the upper die 12 are made of steel blocks. Each of the lower die 11 and the upper die 12 has a recess for accommodating the metal pipe material 40. When the lower die 11 and the upper die 12 are in close contact with each other (closed state), each recess forms a space of the target shape for forming the metal pipe material. Therefore, the surface of each recess becomes the forming surface of the forming die 102. The lower die 11 is fixed to a base 13 via a die holder or the like. The upper die 12 is fixed to a slide of the drive mechanism 3 via a die holder or the like.

[0024] The drive mechanism 3 is a mechanism that moves at least one of the lower mold 11 and the upper mold 12. In Fig. 2, the drive mechanism 3 is configured to move only the upper mold 12. The drive mechanism 3 includes a slide 21 that moves the upper mold 12 so that the lower mold 11 and the upper mold 12 are aligned with each other, a pull-back cylinder 22 as an actuator that generates a force that pulls the slide 21 upward, a main cylinder 23 as a drive source that pressurizes the slide 21 downward, and a drive source 24 that applies a drive force to the main cylinder 23.

[0025] The holding unit 4 is a mechanism for holding the metal pipe material 40 disposed between the lower mold 11 and the upper mold 12. The holding unit 4 includes a lower electrode 26 and an upper electrode 27 that hold the metal pipe material 40 at one end of the forming mold 102 in the longitudinal direction, and a lower electrode 26 and an upper electrode 27 that hold the metal pipe material 40 at the other end of the forming mold 102 in the longitudinal direction. The lower electrode 26 and the upper electrode 27 on both sides in the longitudinal direction hold the metal pipe material 40 by sandwiching the vicinity of the end of the metal pipe material 40 from above and below. Grooves having a shape corresponding to the outer peripheral surface of the metal pipe material 40 are formed on the upper surface of the lower electrode 26 and the lower surface of the upper electrode 27. The lower electrode 26 and the upper electrode 27 are provided with drive mechanisms (not shown) that allow them to move independently in the vertical direction.

[0026] The electrical heating unit 101 heats the metal pipe material 40. The electrical heating unit 101 is a mechanism that heats the metal pipe material 40 by passing electricity through the metal pipe material 40. The electrical heating unit 101 heats the metal pipe material 40 between the lower mold 11 and the upper mold 12, while the metal pipe material 40 is separated from the lower mold 11 and the upper mold 12. The electrical heating unit 101 includes the lower electrode 26 and the upper electrode 27 on both sides in the longitudinal direction as described above. The electrical heating unit 101 performs electrical heating using power supplied from the power supply unit 104.

[0027] Here, the state in which the metal pipe material 40 is arranged inside the forming die 102 means a state in which the metal pipe material 40 is arranged in the space between the upper die 12 and the lower die 11, which face each other. In this state, the metal pipe material 40 faces the upper die 12 while being spaced downward from the upper die 12, and faces the lower die 11 while being spaced upward from the lower die 11.

[0028] The fluid supply unit 6 is a mechanism for supplying high-pressure fluid into the metal pipe material 40 held between the lower mold 11 and the upper mold 12. The fluid supply unit 6 supplies high-pressure fluid to the metal pipe material 40, which has been heated by the electrical heating unit 101 to a high temperature, to expand the metal pipe material 40. The fluid supply unit 6 is provided on both longitudinal ends of the forming mold 102. The fluid supply unit 6 includes a nozzle 31 that supplies fluid into the interior of the metal pipe material 40 from an opening at the end of the metal pipe material 40, a drive mechanism 32 that moves the nozzle 31 back and forth relative to the opening of the metal pipe material 40, and a supply source 33 that supplies high-pressure fluid into the metal pipe material 40 through the nozzle 31. The drive mechanism 32 brings the nozzle 31 into close contact with the end of the metal pipe material 40 while ensuring a seal during fluid supply and exhaust, and moves the nozzle 31 away from the end of the metal pipe material 40 at other times. The fluid supply unit 6 may supply a gas such as high-pressure air or an inert gas as the fluid. The fluid supply unit 6 may be integrated into the holding unit 4 having a mechanism for moving the metal pipe material 40 in the vertical direction, and may also be integrated into the same device as the electrical heating unit 101.

[0029] The cooling unit 7 is a mechanism for cooling the forming die 102. By cooling the forming die 102, the cooling unit 7 can rapidly cool the expanded metal pipe material 40 when it comes into contact with the forming surface of the forming die 102. The cooling unit 7 includes flow paths 36 formed inside the lower die 11 and the upper die 12, and a water circulation mechanism 37 that supplies cooling water to the flow paths 36 and circulates the water.

[0030] In this way, the forming die 102 is provided with a quenching mechanism 105 that quenches the formed product 140. The quenching mechanism 105 is composed of the forming surface of the forming die 102 and the cooling unit 7.

[0031] The control unit 8 is a device that controls the entire molding device 103. The control unit 8 controls the drive mechanism 3, the holding unit 4, the electrical heating unit 101, the fluid supply unit 6, and the cooling unit 7. The control unit 8 repeatedly performs the operation of molding the metal pipe material 40 in the forming die 102.

[0032] The control unit 8 controls the drive mechanism 3 to lower the upper die 12 and bring it close to the lower die 11, thereby closing the forming die 102. Meanwhile, the control unit 8 controls the fluid supply unit 6 to seal the openings at both ends of the metal pipe material 40 with the nozzle 31 and supply fluid. As a result, the metal pipe material 40, softened by heating, expands and comes into contact with the forming surface of the forming die 102. The metal pipe material 40 is then formed to conform to the shape of the forming surface of the forming die 102. When a metal pipe with a flange is formed, a portion of the metal pipe material 40 is inserted into the gap between the lower die 11 and the upper die 12, and then the die is closed to crush the inserted portion and form a flange portion. When the metal pipe material 40 contacts the forming surface, it is quenched by the forming die 102, which is cooled by the cooling unit 7, thereby quenching the metal pipe material 40.

[0033] Next, a detailed configuration of the power supply unit 104 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The power supply unit 104 supplies power for heating (electrical heating) the metal pipe material 40. The power supply unit 104 rectifies and smoothes the AC voltage of the commercial power source 55 to convert it into a DC voltage, and switches the DC voltage to apply it to the metal pipe material 40 in the electrical heating unit 101.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 3 , the power supply unit 104 includes a rectifier 50, a smoother 51, a transistor 52, a switch 53, and a power storage unit 54. The power supply unit 104 has lines L1 to L9. Line L1 connects a commercial power supply 55 and the rectifier 50. Lines L2 and L3 connect the rectifier 50 and the transistor 52. Line L2 is a positive line, and line L3 is a negative line. Line L4 supplies power from the transistor 52 to the electrical heating unit 101. Line L6 branches off from line L2 at branch point P1 and connects to the smoother 51. Line L7 branches off from line L3 at branch point P2 and connects to the smoother 51. Line L8 branches off from line L2 at branch point P3 and connects to the power storage unit 54. Branch point P3 is located between the rectifier 50 and branch point P1. The line L9 branches off from the line L3 at a branch point P4 and connects to the power storage unit 54. The branch point P4 is set between the branch point P2 and the transistor 52.

[0035] The rectifier 50 is a device that converts AC voltage from a commercial power source 55 into DC voltage. The rectifier 50 has, for example, a diode bridge. The smoother 51 is a device that removes ripples and noise contained in the DC voltage after rectification and smoothes the DC voltage. The smoother 51 has, for example, a capacitor. The transistor 52 is a device that adjusts the voltage. The transistor 52 controls the voltage applied to the metal pipe material 40 by switching the voltage on and off at high speed. The transistor 52 has, for example, an IGBT.

[0036] The power storage unit 54 is a device that stores power. By connecting the power storage unit 54 in parallel with the smoother 51, the power storage capacity of the smoother 51 can be increased. The power storage unit 54 can supply stored power when needed. For example, a high-capacity capacitor may be used as the power storage unit 54.

[0037] The switch 53 is a device that cuts off commercial power during heating and controls voltage during power storage. The switch 53 is provided on the primary side of the smoother 51. A thyristor, for example, may be used as the switch 53. When the thyristor of the switch 53 is turned on, it switches at high speed to control the duty, thereby controlling the voltage of the power stored in the power storage unit 54.

[0038] 3 , the power supply unit 104 includes a power supply device 60 and a power storage unit 54. The power supply device 60 includes a rectifier 50, a smoother 51, a transistor 52, and a switch 53. However, the power storage unit 54 may also be included in the power supply device 60.

[0039] Next, the operation of the power supply unit 104 will be described with reference to FIG. 4 as well. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the power consumption and other factors during electrical heating in the molding system 100. Graph G1 in FIG. 4 shows the power consumption of the commercial power source 55. Graph G2 in FIG. 4 shows the smoother voltage of the smoother 51. Graph G3 in FIG. 4 shows the power consumption of the commercial power source 55 in the molding system according to the comparative example. Note that the power supply unit of the molding system according to the comparative example does not have a switch 53 or a storage unit 54. The molding system 100 has a timing T1 when the electrical heating unit 101 electrically heats the metal pipe material 40, and a timing T2 when electrical heating is not performed. As shown in graph G3, in the molding system according to the comparative example, a large peak in power consumption occurs at timing T1 when electrical heating is performed.

[0040] The power supply unit 104 supplements power from the power storage unit 54 at the timing when the peak of the power to be supplied occurs. The peak of the power supplied by the power supply unit 104 occurs at the timing T1 when electrical heating is performed. Therefore, the power supply unit 104 supplies power from the power storage unit 54 to the electrical heating unit 101 at the timing T1 when electrical heating is performed by the electrical heating unit 101. The power supply unit 104 also stores power in the power storage unit 54 at the timing T2 when electrical heating is not performed by the electrical heating unit 101.

[0041] The power supply unit 104 stores power in the power storage unit 54 so as to average the power consumption of the commercial power source 55. Specifically, the power supply unit 104 stores power in the power storage unit 54 when the switch 53 is turned on. By switching the switch 53 at high speed, the voltage applied to the power storage unit 54 is controlled, and the switch 53 can keep the power stored in the power storage unit 54 constant at a predetermined power value. Therefore, as shown in graph G1 in FIG. 4 , at timing T2 when power is stored and no electrical heating is being performed, the power consumption is constant. In this way, the switch 53 can average the power consumption of the commercial power source 55 when storing power in the power storage unit 54.

[0042] Power supply unit 104 turns switch 53 OFF at timing T1 when electrical heating is performed, i.e., at the timing when power from power storage unit 54 is supplied to electrical heating unit 101. At this time, switch 53 cuts off the power supply from commercial power supply 55 to power storage unit 54. As a result, as shown in graph G1, the power consumption of commercial power supply 55 becomes zero at timing T1 when electrical heating is performed.

[0043] By the above operation, the smoother voltage gradually increases at time T2 when heating is not performed, as shown in graph G2 in Fig. 4. Furthermore, at time T1 when heating is performed, the smoother voltage drops suddenly due to the use of power from the storage unit 54 and the smoother 51.

[0044] The power supply unit 104 may supplement power from the power storage unit 54 so that the power consumption of the commercial power source 55 falls within a desired range. For example, the power supply unit 104 may supplement power from the power storage unit 54 so that the power consumption of the commercial power source 55 falls below a value based on a tolerance specified by a power company. For example, if a factory using the molding system 100 is subject to usage restrictions due to a voltage drop in the grid voltage supplied by the power company, it is necessary to limit power consumption to below the tolerance specified by the power company. In this case, the power supply unit 104 limits power consumption to below the tolerance or below an upper limit set based on the tolerance. Furthermore, even if there are no restrictions from the power company, a tolerance may occur due to insufficient capacity of the power supply equipment in the factory where the system is installed. The power supply unit 104 limits power consumption to below the tolerance or below an upper limit set based on the tolerance.

[0045] Next, the operation and effects of the molding system 100 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0046] The molding system 100 includes a power supply unit 104 that supplies power for heating (heating by electrical current) the metal pipe material 40. The power supply unit 104 has a power storage unit 54 that stores power. Therefore, the power supply unit 104 can store power in the power storage unit 54 regardless of when power is needed to heat the metal pipe material 40. This allows the power storage unit 54 to supply large amounts of power when needed. Therefore, the power supply unit 104 supplements power from the power storage unit 54 when peak power supply demands occur. This makes it possible to reduce or eliminate commercial power usage when peak power supply demands occur. As a result, it is possible to prevent power usage from increasing.

[0047] The molding system 100 further includes an electrical heating unit 101 that electrically heats the metal pipe material 40, and the power supply unit 104 may store power in the power storage unit 54 at timing T2 when the electrical heating unit 101 is not performing electrical heating, and supply power from the power storage unit 54 to the electrical heating unit 101 at timing T1 when the electrical heating unit 101 is performing electrical heating. This allows the power supply unit 104 to store power in the power storage unit 54 over a long period of time when processes other than electrical heating are performed. The power storage unit 54 can then supplement power at timing T1 when electrical heating is performed, when a large amount of power is required.

[0048] The power supply unit 104 may store power in the power storage unit 54 so as to average the power consumption of the commercial power source 55. In this case, localized increases in power consumption of the commercial power source 55 can be suppressed while power is being stored in the power storage unit 54. For example, graph G4 in FIG. 5 shows the power consumption of the commercial power source 55 when the switch 53 does not average the power consumption. Graph G5 in FIG. 5 shows the smoother voltage of the smoother 51 at that time. Graph G6 in FIG. 5 shows the power consumption of the commercial power source 55 in a molding system according to a comparative example. As shown in graph G4, when power storage in the power storage unit 54 begins, the power consumption increases suddenly, and the storage of power in the power storage unit 54 is immediately completed. In this case, the power consumption increases instantaneously. In contrast, when the switch 53 averages the power consumption, localized increases in power consumption can be suppressed, as shown in graph G in FIG. 4.

[0049] The power supply unit 104 may have a switch 53 between the commercial power supply 55 and the power storage unit 54, and may store power in the power storage unit 54 when the switch 53 is turned on. In this case, the switch 53 can control the timing at which power is stored in the power storage unit 54.

[0050] The switch 53 may be disposed in the power supply device 60. In this case, when the molding system 100 according to this embodiment is introduced into an existing molding system, the molding system 100 including the switch 53 can be constructed simply by replacing the power supply device 60.

[0051] The forming system includes a forming unit that forms the heated metal material, and a power supply unit that supplies power for heating (heating by electrical current) the metal pipe material 40. The power supply unit has a storage unit that stores power, and supplements power from the storage unit so that the power consumption of the commercial power source is kept below the allowable value specified by the electric power company or a value based on the allowable value arising from the power supply equipment capacity of the installation factory.

[0052] The molding system 100 includes a power supply unit 104 that supplies power for heating (heating by electrical current) the metal pipe material 40. The power supply unit 104 has a power storage unit 54 that stores power. Therefore, the power supply unit 104 can store power in the power storage unit 54 regardless of when power is needed to heat the metal pipe material 40. This allows the power storage unit 54 to supply large amounts of power when needed. Therefore, the power supply unit 104 supplements power from the power storage unit 54 so that the power consumption of the commercial power source 55 is kept below the allowable value specified by the power company or the allowable value based on the power facility capacity of the installation factory. As a result, even when a large amount of power is needed, it is possible to keep it below the allowable value by using the power from the power storage unit 54. As a result, it is possible to prevent an increase in power consumption.

[0053] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0054] For example, the molding device in FIG. 2 is merely an example, and the molding device may have any configuration without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0055] For example, the electrical heating unit 101 does not have to be incorporated into the molding device 103, and the metal pipe material 40 may be heated outside the mold, and the heated metal pipe material 40 may be placed in the mold.

[0056] Furthermore, the configuration of the power supply unit 104 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 3 . For example, the power supply unit 104 shown in FIG. 6 may be employed. The power supply unit 104 shown in FIG. 6 has a switch 57 as the switch 53 on the primary side of the rectifier 50 (between the commercial power supply 55 and the rectifier 50). This allows the switch 57 to cut off the commercial power supply 55 at timing T1 of electrical heating. In this case, the power supply unit 104 has a charger 56 for controlling the amount of electricity stored in the power storage unit 54. The charger 56 is provided on the primary side of the smoother 51. The charger 56 can control the current value of the electricity supplied to the power storage unit 54.

[0057] In the above-described embodiment, a molding apparatus for expansion molding a heated metal pipe material has been described. However, the type of molding apparatus is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of molding a heated metal material. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, electrical heating is performed inside the molding apparatus, but electrical heating may also be performed outside the molding apparatus.

[0058] 53...switch, 54...power storage unit, 55...commercial power supply, 100...molding system, 101...electrical heating unit, 103...molding device (molding unit), 104...power supply unit.

Claims

1. A forming system comprising: a forming unit that forms a heated metal material; and a power supply unit that supplies power for heating the metal material, wherein the power supply unit has a power storage unit that stores power, and supplements power from the power storage unit at a timing when a peak in the power supply occurs.

2. A molding system as described in claim 1, further comprising an electric current heating unit that electrically heats the metal material, wherein the power supply unit stores electric power in the power storage unit when the electric current heating unit is not performing the electric current heating, and supplies electric power from the power storage unit to the electric current heating unit when the electric current heating unit is performing the electric current heating.

3. A molding system according to claim 2, wherein the power supply unit stores power in the power storage unit so as to average out the power usage from the commercial power source.

4. A molding system according to claim 1, wherein the power supply unit has a switch between a commercial power source and the power storage unit, and stores power in the power storage unit when the switch is turned on.

5. The molding system of claim 4, wherein the switch is located within the power supply.

6. A molding system comprising: a forming unit which forms a heated metal material; and a power supply unit which supplies power for heating the metal material, wherein the power supply unit has a power storage unit which stores power, and which supplements power from the power storage unit so that the power consumption from the commercial power source is kept below a tolerance value specified by an electric power company or a value based on the tolerance value of the power equipment capacity of the installation factory.

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