Hot stamping die and apparatus

Abstract

A hot stamping die, comprising an upper die (11) and a lower die (12), a mold cavity for placement of a workpiece (4) being formed between the upper die and the lower die, cavities being provided in both the upper die and the lower die, and hollowed-out portions (13) being provided at target positions on the sides of the upper die and the lower die close to the mold cavity, and leading to the cavities, such that a medium in the cavities is sprayed onto the workpiece by means of the hollowed-out portions; and further comprising a plurality of spraying bodies (14) which are mounted in the cavity of the upper die and / or lower die, and a plurality of medium pipes (15) arranged in the cavities, the medium pipes being used for providing the medium for the spraying bodies, and the pressure of the medium pipes being adjustable. Also disclosed is a hot stamping apparatus, comprising the hot stamping die. The hot stamping die can improve the molding accuracy and efficiency of workpieces, and effectively eliminate quenching deformation phenomena of the workpieces. The quenched workpieces exhibit good weldability and surfaces thereof are less prone to oxidation.

Description

A thermoforming mold and equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510123329.5, filed on January 24, 2025, entitled "A Thermoforming Mold and Equipment", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to the field of thermoforming technology, and in particular to a thermoforming mold and thermoforming equipment. Background Technology

[0003] With the automotive industry's stringent control over energy consumption and the rapid growth of new energy vehicles, the demands for vehicle safety and lightweighting are becoming increasingly urgent. Hot-formed steel, due to its ultra-high strength and relatively low processing difficulty, is widely used in automotive structural components. The main production process of hot-formed steel involves heating steel sheets to above Ac3, allowing the steel microstructure to achieve full austenitization, followed by rapid cooling. This comprehensively enhances the strength of the steel sheet, achieving a yield strength of over 1000 MPa. Furthermore, the demand for hot-and-cold zone components is increasing significantly, particularly in battery protection, where a single component must possess both high strength and guaranteed weldability.

[0004] In related technologies, a common method for quenching is to install circulating water channels inside the mold. This structure represents indirect heat conduction quenching, where quenching time and temperature are controlled by the water channels, flow rate, and water temperature within the mold. This indirect heat conduction to the workpiece results in a long quenching time, a large contact area with the workpiece, and potential damage to the galvanized layer, thus affecting the performance of parts with hot and cold zones. For some rounded corners and complex hot-formed parts, the machining and layout of the water channels are difficult and costly, and ensuring uniform cooling is challenging. The overall mold weight is also significant, leading to high manufacturing costs. Alternatively, a hot and cold zone method exists, but this involves complex mold design, making it difficult to adjust the hot and cold zone positions once formed. Different transition zones are required, resulting in significant design and machining difficulties, high tonnage, high costs, long maintenance and delivery times, and substantial investment.

[0005] Therefore, how to improve the precision and efficiency of thermoforming molds is a technical problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a thermoforming mold and thermoforming equipment that can effectively improve the cooling rate of the workpiece, making the cooling rate of the workpiece uniform and controllable, and has a wide range of applications.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0008] A thermoforming mold, comprising:

[0009] An upper mold and a lower mold are provided, with a cavity formed between the upper mold and the lower mold for inserting a workpiece. Both the upper mold and the lower mold have cavities inside, and each of the upper mold and the lower mold has a hollow portion at a target position near the cavity. The hollow portion communicates with the cavity so that a medium in the cavity can be sprayed onto the workpiece through the hollow portion.

[0010] A plurality of jets are provided, wherein the jets are installed in the cavities of the upper mold and / or the lower mold;

[0011] Several media conduits are disposed within the cavity, the media conduits being used to supply media to the jet, and the pressure of the media conduits being adjustable.

[0012] On the other hand, the pressure in at least two of the media pipelines is different; or, the temperature of the medium in at least two of the media pipelines is different; or, the type of medium in at least two of the media pipelines is different.

[0013] On the other hand, it also includes an upper mold connecting plate and a lower mold connecting plate. The upper mold is mounted on the upper mold connecting plate and moves according to the upper mold connecting plate. The lower mold is mounted on the lower mold connecting plate and moves with the lower mold connecting plate.

[0014] On the other hand, the location of the hollowed-out portion corresponds to the location of the hard area of ​​the workpiece, and the installation location of the jet body corresponds to the location of the hollowed-out portion.

[0015] On the other hand, the hollowed-out portion is located between two adjacent support contact portions, and the support contact portions and the hollowed-out portion are arranged alternately; the support contact portion is in the shape of an elastic strip.

[0016] On the other hand, the width of the supporting contact portion is 3-50mm, the width of the hollow portion is 3-90mm; and / or, the distance between the spray body and the workpiece is 120-600mm; the spray shape of the spray body is conical, and the central angle of the cone is less than or equal to 125°.

[0017] On the other hand, the supporting contact portion is made of stainless steel.

[0018] On the other hand, it also includes a connector for installing the media conduit into the cavity, the position of which is adjustable to change the position and angle of the media conduit in the cavity.

[0019] On the other hand, it also includes:

[0020] A plurality of pressurization devices, wherein the number of media pipelines is the same as the number of pressurization devices, and they correspond one-to-one;

[0021] A controller, connected to the pressurizing device, is used to acquire the positions of the soft and hard zones of the workpiece and determine the target pressure required for each of the media pipelines based on the positions of the soft and hard zones of the workpiece; it is also used to control the operation of the pressurizing device based on the target pressure.

[0022] The present invention also provides a thermoforming apparatus, comprising the thermoforming mold described in any one of the above claims.

[0023] The thermoforming mold provided by the present invention includes: an upper mold and a lower mold, wherein a cavity for inserting a workpiece is formed between the upper mold and the lower mold, both the upper mold and the lower mold having internal cavities, and both the upper mold and the lower mold having a hollow portion at a target position near the cavity, the hollow portion communicating with the cavity to allow a medium in the cavity to be sprayed onto the workpiece through the hollow portion; a plurality of spray bodies, wherein the spray bodies are installed in the cavities of the upper mold and / or the lower mold; and a plurality of medium pipelines disposed in the cavity, the medium pipelines being used to provide a medium to the spray bodies, and the pressure of the medium pipelines being adjustable. The thermoforming mold provided by this invention forms a specific shape and size of a workpiece through a cavity structure between an upper mold and a lower mold. To meet the requirements for soft and hard partitioning in the workpiece, both the upper and lower molds have internal cavities, and hollow portions are provided on the side of each mold near the cavity. These hollow portions are located at target positions on the upper and lower molds, determined based on the soft and hard partitioning of the workpiece. Specifically, the harder areas of the workpiece have higher cooling rates, allowing the hollow portions to be positioned accordingly. By arranging a medium conduit within the cavity, and distributing several nozzles on the medium conduit, the medium within the medium conduit is sprayed onto the workpiece, thereby ensuring improved cooling of the harder areas of the workpiece. However, for soft areas on the workpiece, there is no need to set hollow sections, thus reducing the cooling rate of the workpiece. More specifically, for positions corresponding to hard areas of the workpiece, the number and size of hollow sections can be appropriately increased to increase the contact area between the medium and the workpiece, thereby increasing the cooling rate of the workpiece in that area. Furthermore, the arrangement direction of the medium pipeline is adapted to the shape of the workpiece, and the medium pressure in the same medium pipeline is the same. For example, the pressure in the medium pipeline corresponding to the hard area of ​​the workpiece can be greater than the pressure in the medium pipeline corresponding to the soft area of ​​the workpiece. Alternatively, different temperature control can be achieved for the soft and hard areas by setting different medium types or different medium temperatures in different medium pipelines, thereby improving the forming accuracy and efficiency of the workpiece, effectively eliminating the workpiece quenching deformation phenomenon, and ensuring good weldability of the quenched workpiece with a surface that is not easily oxidized.

[0024] In one embodiment, a plurality of pressurizing devices are provided, and the number of media pipelines corresponds one-to-one with the number of pressurizing devices. A controller is connected to the pressurizing devices and is used to acquire the positions of the soft and hard areas of the workpiece, and determine the target pressure required for each media pipeline based on the positions of the soft and hard areas of the workpiece. The controller is also used to control the operation of the pressurizing devices based on the target pressure. This configuration, through the controller controlling the pressurizing devices and adjusting the pressure in the media pipelines, satisfies the injection pressure of the ejector on each media pipeline. Since the media pipelines correspond one-to-one with the pressurizing devices, only the distribution positions of the soft and hard areas in the workpiece need to be acquired to adjust the pressure applied by the pressurizing devices accordingly. This enables automatic control, improves the degree of automation, reduces human interference, maximizes the accuracy and efficiency of workpiece thermoforming, and improves product quality.

[0025] The thermoforming equipment provided by the present invention is equipped with the above-mentioned thermoforming mold. Since the thermoforming mold has the above-mentioned technical effects, the thermoforming equipment equipped with the thermoforming mold should also have the corresponding technical effects. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or related technologies, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the thermoforming mold provided by the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the supporting contact part and the hollow part in the upper mold and lower mold shown in Figure 1;

[0029] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the jet and medium pipeline in Figure 1;

[0030] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the upper and lower molds of the thermoforming mold shown in Figure 1 when they are closed.

[0031] Figure 5 shows one embodiment of the hot and cold partitioning in the thermoforming mold provided by the present invention;

[0032] Figure 6 shows another implementation of the hot and cold partitioning in the thermoforming mold provided by the present invention;

[0033] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the thermoforming equipment provided by the present invention;

[0034] Figure 8 is a diagram of the transmission control mechanism of the thermoforming equipment shown in Figure 1;

[0035] Figure 9 is a structural diagram of the water circulation system in the thermoforming equipment shown in Figure 1.

[0036] Reference numerals: 1. Thermoforming mold; 2. Thermoforming equipment; 4. Workpiece; 11. Upper mold; 12. Lower mold; 13. Hollowed-out part; 14. Sprayer; 15. Medium pipeline; 16. Upper mold connecting plate; 17. Lower mold connecting plate; 18. Upper connector; 19. Lower connector; 110. Support contact part; 21. Equipment frame; 22. Upper slider; 23. Lower slider; 24. Transmission assembly; 24-1. Power component; Power conversion component 24-2; Torque transfer mechanism 24-3; Feedback encoder 24-4; Brake transmission component 24-5; Rotary connection component 24-6; Balance cylinder 24-7; Upper mold water supply installation adapter 25; Upper water channel interface 26; Lower water channel interface 27; Exhaust gas collection component 28; Water circulation system 29; Circulating water collection tank 29-1; Return water component 29-2; Water storage tank component 29-3; Water supply component 29-4; Secondary filter 29-5; Tertiary filter 29-6; High-pressure water pump 29-7; Water supply pipeline 29-8; Guide mechanism 210; Quenching equipment protective cover 211; Mold mounting position 212. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The core of this invention is to provide a thermoforming mold and thermoforming equipment that can be adapted to different workpieces, has low manufacturing cost, small size, and good forming effect.

[0038] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] Hot forming technology refers to the process of heating steel plates at high temperatures to achieve full austenitization of the steel structure, followed by rapid cooling, thereby comprehensively improving the strength of the steel plates and making the yield strength of the steel reach more than 1000MPa. For example, using this material in automobile body parts can reduce the weight of the car body while increasing the strength of the car body and achieving higher impact safety. Therefore, hot forming technology has been widely used in the automotive industry.

[0040] In the thermoforming process of related technologies, compression molding and quenching are key steps to achieve the final performance, while the mold is a crucial factor in controlling the cooling process. The initial design of indirect thermoforming molds calculates the energy transferred from the heated workpiece per unit time by considering the thermal conductivity parameters of the water channels and materials, and defines the workpiece's strength by defining the cooling rate. However, compression molding and quenching presents the following challenges: First, precisely controlling the placement of the heated steel workpiece into the mold cavity is difficult, increasing the complexity of process control. Second, the shape of the heated steel workpiece is usually not flat; structures such as corners can lead to inconsistent cooling rates, resulting in uneven internal hardness and uncontrollable strength. Third, the water channels within the mold do not directly contact the steel workpiece, resulting in slow cooling rates and low cooling efficiency. Fourth, the cost of thermoforming quenching molds is high, making them unaffordable for most companies and significantly limiting the widespread adoption of indirect thermoforming.

[0041] In this embodiment, referring to Figures 1 to 6, the thermoforming mold 1 includes:

[0042] An upper mold 11 and a lower mold 12 are provided, and a cavity for inserting a workpiece 4 is formed between the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12. Both the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12 have cavities inside. Furthermore, a hollow portion 13 is provided at a target position on the side of the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12 near the cavity. The hollow portion 13 communicates with the cavity so that the medium in the cavity can be sprayed onto the workpiece 4 through the hollow portion 13.

[0043] A plurality of jets 14 are installed in the cavities of the upper mold 11 and / or the lower mold 12;

[0044] Several media lines 15 are disposed in the cavity. The media lines 15 are used to supply media to the jet 14, and the pressure of the media lines 15 is adjustable.

[0045] Specifically, this thermoforming mold 1 is suitable for most thermoforming materials in the automotive industry, including high corrosion-resistant steel plates and sheets with single or composite coatings such as hot-dip galvanized, hot-dip zinc-nickel, hot-dip galvanized iron alloy coatings, electro-galvanized, electro-galvanized nickel, hot-dip aluminized zinc, and hot-dip aluminized silicon. Products produced using this mold exhibit excellent mechanical and corrosion resistance during application and are suitable for front and rear bumpers, longitudinal load-bearing beams, roof side beams, door panel reinforcing ribs, transverse support beams, floor passages, suspension brackets, A / B pillars, door sill safety structures, battery pack shells, and other parts in both traditional fuel vehicles and new energy vehicles.

[0046] The thermoforming mold 1 provided by this invention forms a specific shape and size of workpiece 4 through the cavity structure between the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12. To meet the requirements for soft and hard partitioning in workpiece 4, this application provides cavities inside both the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12, and provides hollow portions 13 on the side of the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12 near the cavity. The hollow portions 13 should be located at target positions in the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12, which are determined based on the soft and hard partitioning on workpiece 4. Specifically, the hard areas of workpiece 4 have a higher cooling rate, so the hollow portions 13 can be placed at the corresponding positions. By arranging a medium pipe 15 in the cavity, and distributing several spray bodies 14 (nozzles) on the medium pipe 15, the medium in the medium pipe 15 is sprayed onto the workpiece 4, thereby ensuring an increased cooling rate in the hard areas of workpiece 4. For the soft areas on part 4, there is no need to set the hollowed-out portion 13, thus reducing the cooling rate of part 4. More specifically, the number and size of the hollowed-out portions 13 at the positions corresponding to the hard areas of part 4 can be adjusted as needed to change the contact area between the medium and part 4, thereby increasing the cooling rate of part 4 at that location. Furthermore, the arrangement direction of the medium pipes 15 is adapted to the shape of part 4, and the medium pressure in the same medium pipe 15 is the same. For example, the pressure in the medium pipe 15 corresponding to the hard area of ​​part 4 can be greater than the pressure in the medium pipe 15 corresponding to the soft area of ​​part 4. Alternatively, different medium types or different medium temperatures can be set in different medium pipes 15 to achieve different temperature control for soft and hard areas, improve the forming accuracy and efficiency of part 4, effectively eliminate the quenching deformation phenomenon of part 4, and ensure good weldability of the quenched part 4 with a surface that is not easily oxidized. This thermoforming mold can meet the thermoforming processing requirements of soft and hard partitions or all hard areas, and also has the characteristics of accurate forming, good weldability, effective elimination of quenching deformation, and surface that is not easily oxidized.

[0047] In some implementations, the pressures within at least two media conduits 15 are different; the higher the pressure, the faster the workpiece 4 cools. Different requirements can be met by setting different pressures for the soft and hard areas. Of course, the pressures within each media conduit 15 can also be the same.

[0048] In some implementations, the temperatures of the media in at least two media conduits 15 are different. The lower the temperature, the faster the workpiece 4 cools down. Different requirements can be met by setting different temperatures for the soft and hard areas. Of course, the temperatures in each media conduit 15 can also be the same.

[0049] In some implementations, at least two media lines 15 contain different types of media. Regarding the selection of the media, for example, liquid water, compressed air, or a gas-liquid mixture can be chosen. By introducing different types of media into the media lines 15, different cooling requirements can be met. Of course, the types of media in all media lines 15 can also be the same.

[0050] Specifically, through the above settings, hot and cold zones can be achieved by setting different pressures in each medium pipeline 15, or by adding heating rods to adjust the temperature of the medium in each medium pipeline 15, or by introducing different media into the medium pipeline 15 to control the hot and cold zones.

[0051] In some embodiments, the device further includes an upper mold connecting plate 16 and a lower mold connecting plate 17. The upper mold 11 is mounted on the upper mold connecting plate 16 and moves according to the movement of the upper mold connecting plate 16. The lower mold 12 is mounted on the lower mold connecting plate 17 and moves with the lower mold connecting plate 17. Furthermore, the upper mold connecting plate 16 and the lower mold connecting plate 17 are respectively mounted on the upper slider 22 and the lower slider 23 of the thermoforming equipment 2. By moving the upper slider 22 and the lower slider 23 closer to or further away from each other, the upper mold connecting plate 16 and the lower mold connecting plate 17 can move closer to or further away, thereby completing the mold closing and opening of the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12.

[0052] In some embodiments, the location of the hollow portion 13 corresponds to the hard area of ​​the workpiece 4. Since the medium in the hollow portion 13 is in direct contact with the workpiece 4, the medium can cool the workpiece 4 more quickly through the hollow portion 13, resulting in higher hardness in that area. Furthermore, to enhance the effect of the spray body 14 on the workpiece 4, the installation position of the spray body 14 corresponds to the position of the hollow portion 13. Of course, the position of the spray body 14 can also be adjusted as needed or according to the size and shape of the cavity. The cooling rate of the workpiece 4 is mainly adjusted by the location and size of the hollow portion 13, as well as the pressure, temperature, and type of the medium.

[0053] In some embodiments, the hollow portion 13 is located between adjacent support contact portions 110, and the support contact portions 110 and the hollow portion 13 are arranged alternately. By arranging the support contact portions 110 and the hollow portion 13 alternately, it is convenient to process and improves the positional constraint on the workpiece 4. Furthermore, the density of the hollow portion 13 at the position corresponding to the hard area of ​​the workpiece 4 can be appropriately increased.

[0054] The supporting contact portion 110 is in the shape of an elastic strip. Specifically, the supporting contact portion 110 adopts a strip-shaped structure. By leaving a certain elastic margin in the supporting contact portion 110, it can accommodate the entire quenching process of the workpiece 4, which is heated to a temperature above Ac3, cooling down to 180°C. Since the workpiece 4 has a large deformation during the entire quenching process, the strip-shaped structure plays a certain role in constraining the shape change of the workpiece 4, which is beneficial to the hot forming of the workpiece 4 and improves the forming accuracy of the workpiece 4.

[0055] In some embodiments, the width of the support contact portion 110 is 3-50mm. The width of the support contact portion 110 should not be too small, as this would affect the support effect on the workpiece 4. Nor should it be too large, as this would result in poor cooling. The width of the hollow portion 13 is 3-90mm. The width of the hollow portion 13 should not be too small, as this would result in poor cooling. Nor should it be too large, as this would affect the width of the support contact portion 110, thus failing to provide good support for the workpiece 4. And / or, the distance between the spray body 14 and the workpiece 4 is 120-600mm. The distance between the spray body 14 and the workpiece 4 refers to the distance between the spray body 14 and the workpiece 4 after the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12 are closed. The size of the distance between the spray body 14 and the workpiece 4 will be adjusted as needed according to the spray rate and flow rate of the medium. The spray shape of the spray body 14 is conical, and the central angle of the cone is less than or equal to 125°. This setting allows the medium to be sprayed onto the workpiece 4 better, improving the cooling speed of the workpiece 4. Furthermore, the transition zone between soft and hard partitions ranges from 3mm to 60mm, making it widely applicable.

[0056] In some embodiments, the support contact portion 110 is made of stainless steel to improve service life; specifically, in order to improve the wear resistance of the support contact portion 110, the thickness of the support contact portion 110 can be increased, or a wear-resistant coating can be applied to the surface of the support contact portion 110.

[0057] In some embodiments, a connector is also included for installing the media conduit 15 into the cavity. The position of the connector is adjustable to change the position and angle of the media conduit 15 in the cavity. Specifically, the connector includes an upper connector 18 and a lower connector 19, with two of each. The media conduit 15 in the upper mold 11 is installed between the two upper connectors 18, and the media conduit 15 in the lower mold 12 is installed between the two lower connectors 19. The installation height of the media conduit 15 in the upper mold 11 can be adjusted via the upper connector 18, and the installation height of the media conduit 15 in the lower mold 12 can be adjusted via the lower connector 19, thereby changing the distance between the jet 14 and the workpiece 4.

[0058] In some implementations, it also includes:

[0059] Several pressurization devices are provided, and the number of media pipelines 15 is the same as the number of pressurization devices, and they correspond one-to-one.

[0060] The controller, connected to the pressurization device, is used to obtain the positions of the soft and hard areas of the workpiece 4 and determine the target pressure required for each medium pipeline 15 based on the positions of the soft and hard areas of the workpiece 4; it is also used to control the operation of the pressurization device based on the target pressure.

[0061] The above setup controls the pressurization device through the controller, adjusting the pressure in the medium pipeline 15 to meet the injection pressure of the injector 14 on each medium pipeline 15. Since the medium pipeline 15 corresponds one-to-one with the pressurization device, it is only necessary to obtain the distribution position of the soft and hard areas in the workpiece 4 to adjust the pressure applied by the pressurization device accordingly. This enables automatic control, which is beneficial to improving the degree of automation, reducing interference from human factors, maximizing the accuracy and efficiency of thermoforming of the workpiece 4, and improving product quality.

[0062] Specifically, in one embodiment, the thermoforming mold 1 is a thermoforming mold 1 device with soft and hard partitions and a fully hard partition. During the hot stamping process, the hollowed-out part 13 directly contacts the workpiece 4 or the thermoformed part heated to Ac3 or above. The medium pipeline 15 is used to store and transport the cooling medium. It is connected to the upper mold 11 or the lower mold 12 through connectors at both ends. There are multiple spray bodies 14, which are mechanically and sealingly connected to the connection holes of the medium pipeline 15. The upper connecting base plate and the lower connecting base plate of the mold are connected to the upper mold 11 or the lower mold 12 through mechanical connectors. The upper and lower connecting base plates of the mold are respectively connected to the upper slide block 22 and the lower slide block 23 of the press. When the pressure of the medium pipeline 15 reaches the pressure threshold of 0.3 MPa to 3 MPa, the medium is transported to multiple spray bodies 14 through the medium pipeline 15. The spray bodies 14 on each medium pipeline 15 spray the cooling medium under different pressures to carry out the quenching process. Excess cooling medium is recycled and reused through a dedicated pipeline. The medium pipeline 15 is equipped with a pressurization device with a pressure value of 0.3 MPa to 3 MPa. The pressurization device has automatic start and stop functions and adjustable and controllable pressure value. Multiple spray bodies 14 are arranged according to the shape of the workpiece 4. The atomized particle size of each spray body 14 is between 90 micrometers and 400 micrometers, and the flow rate is between 80 ml per minute and 1000 ml per minute. The installation distance between the spray body 14 on different medium pipelines 15 and the workpiece 4 is different, ranging from 120 mm to 600 mm from the spray start position to the workpiece 4. The spray angle of the spray body 14 is within 135°, and its spray shape is a solid cone or a hollow cone. The material of the supporting contact part 110 can be steel with a surface coating or directly made of stainless steel. The spray body 14 can adopt an upper and lower layout structure, that is, the medium pipeline 15 and the spray body 14 are arranged in both the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12, or a single upper layout structure, or a single lower layout structure.

[0063] Specifically, the hot stamping process using the thermoforming mold 1 includes:

[0064] Step S1: Cutting galvanized steel sheet: Process the steel into coils or sheets and cut them to the required size; or cutting Al-Si steel sheet can also be used; of course, bare steel sheet without coating can also be used.

[0065] Step S2: Cold stamping: The steel workpiece 4 is formed by cold stamping using a mold;

[0066] Step S3: Heating: Heat the steel workpiece 4 to above Ac3; when the steel surface has no coating in step S1, in step S3, first heat the steel workpiece 4 to above 700℃ at 12-28℃ / s, then heat it to above AC3 at 1-5℃ / s, and hold it at that temperature for 28-55s; when the steel is surface treated by any of the following methods in step S1: Zn plating, Al plating, Al-Si plating, and high-temperature oxidant coating, in step S3, when the temperature is below 500℃, the heating rate of the steel workpiece 4 is 8-15℃ / s, then heat it to between 560℃ and 980℃ at 15-30℃ / s, then heat it to above Ac3 at 1-5℃ / s, and hold it at that temperature for 28-55s;

[0067] Step S4: Transfer workpiece 4 to the hot stamping machine;

[0068] Step S5: The upper mold 11 assembly is closed along the X direction, gradually fitting into the workpiece 4 and pressing into the lower mold 12 assembly.

[0069] Step S6: Activate the pressurization device to supply water to the medium pipeline 15. Under the pressure, multiple jets 14 start to spray the medium to perform hot forming quenching on the workpiece 4.

[0070] Step S7: The pressurization device stops after quenching is completed;

[0071] Step S8: The upper mold 11 assembly moves in the opposite X direction until the mold opening is completed.

[0072] The above process involves the upper mold 11 descending along the X direction and the lower mold 12 clamping the workpiece 4, thus completing the clamping and shaping of the hot-stamped part. The opening of the pressurizing device causes multiple jets 14 to perform quenching spraying. The pressurizing device opens after the clamping action, and the mold opening action occurs before the pressurizing device closes. This process enhances the controllability of steel quenching while simplifying the hot forming process. In the first stage, a fluid blowing method is used to directly contact the surface of the steel workpiece 4 heated to above AC3, reducing its temperature to 250-450°C within a controlled time of 2-10 seconds. In the second stage, a fluid blowing method is used to directly contact the surface of the steel workpiece 4, reducing its temperature to below 100°C within a controlled time of 2-10 seconds, meeting the performance characteristics of the workpiece 4. Alternatively, the surface temperature of the steel workpiece 4 can be continuously cooled without the need for two stages, for example, within a controlled time of 2-30 seconds. The temperature drops below 100℃ within a short time; the mold structure design is simplified, the cooling speed of steel workpiece 4 is improved, and the cooling of steel workpiece 4 is more uniform and controllable; it solves the problem that in related technologies, the hot and cold partitioning is basically divided by making different functional modules on the mold, which makes it difficult to implement in relatively small areas, and the mold structure of hot and cold partitioning is relatively complex. The coexistence of water channels and heating elements in one mold also poses safety hazards; the hot and cold partitioning method of this mold is simple to set up and change, can be modularly designed, is lightweight, and has high adaptability and flexibility for changing the product structure and the position of hot and cold partitions.

[0073] In addition to the thermoforming mold 1 described above, the present invention also provides a thermoforming apparatus 2 including the thermoforming mold 1 described above.

[0074] In this embodiment, referring to Figures 7 to 9, the thermoforming equipment 2 includes:

[0075] Equipment frame 21;

[0076] The upper slider 22 and the lower slider 23 are both mounted on the equipment frame 21. The upper slider 22 is used to drive the upper mold 11 to move, and the lower slider 23 is used to drive the lower mold 12 to move.

[0077] The transmission assembly 24 is mounted on the equipment frame 21. The transmission assembly 24 includes a power component 24-1, a power conversion component 24-2 connected to the power component 24-1, a torque transfer mechanism 24-3 connected to the power conversion component 24-2, and a feedback encoder 24-4 for obtaining the rotation angle of the torque transfer mechanism 24-3. Both the power conversion component 24-2 and the torque transfer mechanism 24-3 are gear-shaped. The torque transfer mechanism 24-3 is used to drive the upper slider 22 to move toward or away from the lower slider 23.

[0078] The controller, power unit 24-1 and feedback encoder 24-4 are all connected to the controller. The controller is used to control the action of power unit 24-1 according to the rotation angle of torque transfer mechanism 24-3 obtained by feedback encoder 24-4.

[0079] Specifically, the rotation of the torque transfer mechanism 24-3 drives the upper slider 22 to move up and down, realizing the opening and closing of the mold of the entire equipment; the power component 24-1 provides power support for the downward pressing, positioning and lifting of the upper slider 22. The power component 24-1 can adjust the torque of the equipment according to the actual needs of the equipment, thereby controlling the pressure of the equipment. Its tonnage can be controlled between 1-600T and can be adjusted; the power component 24-1 can cooperate with the torque transfer mechanism 24-3 and provide signal feedback to form a closed-loop control of the transmission position, achieving position accuracy control. Its repeatability can reach ±0.03mm; by replacing the power conversion component 24-2 and the torque transfer mechanism 24-3 with different specifications, the transmission ratio between the power conversion component 24-2 and the torque transfer mechanism 24-3 can be from 1 to 100 to meet different usage requirements.

[0080] The thermoforming equipment 2 utilizes gear transmission between the power component 24-1, the power conversion component 24-2, and the torque transfer mechanism 24-3 to improve the positional movement accuracy of the upper slider 22, thereby effectively improving the mold closing position accuracy between the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12, and thus improving the machining accuracy of the workpiece 4. Furthermore, by adding a feedback encoder 24-4, the rotation angle of the torque transfer mechanism 24-3 is obtained by the feedback encoder 24-4 and fed back to the controller, thereby better feedback of the block's movement position, further improving the mold closing position accuracy between the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12, and further improving the machining accuracy of the workpiece 4.

[0081] In some embodiments, the transmission assembly 24 further includes a brake transmission component 24-5, which transmits power from the power component 24-1 to the power conversion component 24-2. The brake transmission component 24-5 is connected between the power component 24-1 and the power conversion component 24-2, and is also connected to a controller. The controller is further used to stop the brake transmission component 24-5 after the upper slider 22 moves to the target position. The brake transmission component 24-5 is also a transmission gear. The brake transmission component 24-5 is connected to the power component 24-1 and meshes with the power conversion component 24-2 to transmit the action of the power component 24-1 to the power conversion component 24-2. The brake transmission component 24-5 can protect the power component 24-1 and also improve the positioning accuracy of the equipment and enhance the overall positioning stability of the equipment.

[0082] In some embodiments, the transmission assembly 24 further includes a rotating connecting component 24-6, one end of which is hinged to the torque transfer mechanism 24-3 and the other end is hinged to the upper slider 22. The torque transfer mechanism 24-3 pulls the upper slider 22 up and down through the rotating connecting component 24-6 to ensure the smooth lifting and lowering of the upper slider 22. The transmission assembly 24 constitutes the power source of the device and the closed-loop position control mechanical part of the entire device.

[0083] In some embodiments, the number of power conversion components 24-2, torque transfer mechanisms 24-3, and rotating connection components 24-6 are all at least two, and they are symmetrically distributed along the left and right sides of the brake transmission component 24-5. At least one rotating connection component 24-6 is distributed and connected to the left and right sides of the upper slider 22. With this arrangement, the two sides of the upper slider 22 move synchronously, resulting in better positional accuracy.

[0084] In some embodiments, the transmission assembly 24 also includes a balancing cylinder 24-7, which is used to balance the physical weight of the upper slider 22 and the upper mold 11, reducing the torque and power of the power component 24-1 and achieving energy saving. The maximum mold opening and closing speed of this equipment can reach 2m / s, and its mold opening and closing speed can also reach 0.1-2m / s, and the speed is adjustable; the stroke of the upper mold 11 can reach 0-4m, and the mold opening distance can be adjusted within the range of 0-3m; due to the high control precision of this equipment, the worktable size of its lower module can be 3500mm*5000mm to meet the processing requirements of small tonnage, large-size workpieces 4.

[0085] In some embodiments, the upper part of the lower slide block 23 is provided with a worktable, and the worktable is provided with a plurality of positioning grooves for positioning the lower mold 12 and a plurality of fixing grooves for fixing the lower mold. The positioning grooves and fixing grooves are arranged in an array. Specifically, the worktable of the lower slide block 23 has a cross-shaped positioning groove for positioning when changing molds and installing molds. That is, when using the same model of thermoforming mold 1, the positioning block can be installed in the positioning groove without repeated positioning, thus improving the mold installation efficiency. The fixing groove is a T-shaped groove, which can be used to connect and fix the lower mold 12 of the thermoforming mold 1 to ensure the stability of the position of the lower mold 12.

[0086] In some implementations, it also includes:

[0087] The upper mold water supply installation adapter 25 is used to connect to external pipelines. The upper mold water supply installation adapter 25 is mounted on the equipment frame 21, and the upper mold 11 is equipped with a quick-release connector that can be detachably connected to the upper mold water supply installation adapter 25. The quick-release connector is connected to the medium pipeline 15. Specifically, the upper mold water supply installation adapter 25 can be directly integrated into the equipment frame 21 or bolted to the equipment frame 21. The external pipeline transfers the medium to be cooled to the upper mold water supply installation adapter 25 through a flexible or rigid connection. The upper mold 11 of the thermoforming mold 1 has a quick-change connector, through which a flexible or rigid pipe can be connected to supply the cooling medium. Alternatively, a lower mold water supply installation adapter can be included for connecting to external pipelines. The lower mold water supply installation adapter is mounted on the equipment frame 21, and the lower mold 12 is equipped with a quick-release connector that can be detachably connected to the lower mold water supply installation adapter. The quick-release connector is connected to the medium pipeline 15. Specifically, the lower mold water supply installation adapter can be directly integrated into the equipment frame 21, or connected to the equipment frame 21 by bolts. External pipelines transfer the cooling medium to this lower mold water supply installation adapter via flexible or rigid connections. The lower mold 12 of the thermoforming mold 1 has a quick-connect fitting, through which a flexible or rigid pipe can be connected to supply the cooling medium. Furthermore, the upper mold water supply installation adapter 25 and the lower mold water supply installation adapter are compatible with both high and low pressures, ranging from 0.1 MPa to 30 MPa, to meet the needs of different operating conditions.

[0088] In some embodiments, an upper water channel interface 26 and a lower water channel interface 27 are also included. The upper water channel interface 26 is installed on the upper slider 22, and the lower water channel interface 27 is installed on the lower slider 23. The upper water channel interface 26 is connected to a quick-release connector, and the upper water channel interface 26 is connected to the upper mold water supply installation adapter 25 through a hose or rigid pipe, thereby delivering the medium to the upper mold 11 to facilitate the quenching process.

[0089] In some implementations, it also includes:

[0090] Waste gas collection component 28 is used to collect waste gas during the quenching process. Waste gas collection component 28 is installed on the top of equipment frame 21.

[0091] A water circulation system 29 is used to collect and recycle the medium. The water circulation system 29 includes: a circulating water collection tank 29-1 for storing cooling water recovered from the self-heating forming mold 1 and performing primary filtration on the cooling water; a return water component 29-2 for drawing cooling water from the thermoforming mold 1 and transporting it to the circulating water collection tank 29-1, the return water component 29-2 being connected to the circulating water collection tank 29-1; a water storage tank component 29-3 for storing the primary filtered circulating water in the circulating water collection tank 29-1, the water storage tank component 29-3 stabilizing water pressure and volume to make the water supply process of the quenching equipment more stable and smooth; and a water supply component 29-4 for obtaining the collected circulating water. The primary filtered circulating water in the header 29-1 is then transported to the water storage tank component 29-3. The water storage tank component 29-3 is connected to a water supply channel for supplying cooling water to the thermoforming mold 1. A secondary filter 29-5 and / or a tertiary filter 29-6 are installed on the water supply channel to perform secondary and / or tertiary filtration on the cooling water in the water supply channel. The secondary filter 29-5 filters the water in the water supply channel, and the tertiary filter 29-6 filters the water in the water supply channel again to ensure the cleanliness of the water used by the equipment. A high-pressure water pump 29-7 is installed on the water supply pipe 29-8 to regulate the water supply pressure in the water supply channel, and its adjustable range is 0-3 MPa.

[0092] In some embodiments, a guide mechanism 210 is also included, installed within the equipment frame 21. The upper slider 22 is slidably connected to the guide mechanism 210. The lower slider 23 is slidably installed within the equipment frame 21 and can slide from inside the equipment frame 21 to the outside to replace the mold. In this configuration, the guide mechanism 210 can be a guide rail, such as a steel guide rail. The guide mechanism 210 improves the smoothness of the upper slider 22 during lifting, thereby further improving the positional accuracy of the upper slider 22 and thus improving the positional accuracy of the upper mold 11. Furthermore, since the lower slider 23 can slide from inside the equipment frame 21 to the outside, i.e., the lower slider 23 is a movable worktable that can extend laterally out of the equipment frame 21 for mold replacement, this increases the convenience and timeliness of mold replacement.

[0093] In some embodiments, the bottom of the equipment frame 21 is also provided with an equipment base. The equipment frame 21 is installed on the equipment base, which can better support the equipment frame 21 and ensure the stability of the equipment frame 21, thereby ensuring the smooth movement of the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12.

[0094] In some embodiments, a quenching equipment protective cover 211 is also installed on the equipment frame 21 to protect against splashing of the medium during the quenching process. A mold mounting position 212 is also installed on the equipment frame 21, through which the thermoforming mold 1 is installed and replaced.

[0095] In one specific embodiment, the thermoforming equipment 2 includes an equipment frame 21 and an equipment base. The equipment frame 21 comprises two parts: one part is mounted on the equipment base, and the other part carries the transmission assembly 24. These three parts constitute the main frame of the equipment, supporting all mechanism installations and mechanisms, as well as the installation positions of standard parts. The power component 24-1 provides power system support for the up-and-down movement and positioning of the equipment. The brake transmission component 24-5 is used to transmit the power of the power component 24-1 and to brake when positioning is required. The power conversion component 24-2 is used to extend the space of the transfer power system, so that the entire worktable can be evenly stressed. The torque transfer mechanism 24-3 is used to expand the stress space of the equipment and increase the downward pressure tonnage of the equipment. The guide mechanism 210 is used to balance the smoothness of the up-and-down movement of the entire upper slider 22. The upper slider 22 is provided with a mounting groove and a mounting plate for mounting the upper part. Mold 11; The hot forming mold 1 is a hot and cold partition hot forming mold 1, used for the quenching operation of the entire process of hot forming parts; The lower slide block 23 is provided with an installation groove and an installation plate, which is the installation part of the lower mold 12 and is used to fix the lower mold part of the hot forming mold 1; The balancing cylinder 24-7 is used to balance the installation groove and installation plate of the upper slide block 22, as well as the physical weight of the upper mold 11, to reduce the torque and power of the power system and play an energy-saving role; The waste gas collection device is used to collect the waste gas in the hot forming quenching process and to recycle it centrally. Its flow rate can replace the air in the equipment once every 10 seconds; The upper water channel interface 26 is used to connect the upper mold 11 of the hot forming mold 1 with soft and hard partitions, and the upper water channel interface 26 provides the medium for quenching operation of the upper hot forming mold 1; The lower water channel interface 27 is used to connect the lower mold 12 of the hot forming mold 1 with soft and hard partitions, and the lower water channel interface 27 provides the medium for quenching operation of the lower mold 12. The above settings reduce the device's power consumption, improve its efficiency, and decrease its footprint.

[0096] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0097] The thermoforming mold provided by this invention has been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the embodiments above are merely for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to this invention without departing from its principles, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A thermoforming mold, characterized in that, include: An upper mold (11) and a lower mold (12) are provided, and a cavity for inserting a workpiece (4) is formed between the upper mold (11) and the lower mold (12). Both the upper mold (11) and the lower mold (12) have cavities inside. Furthermore, the upper mold (11) and the lower mold (12) have a hollow portion (13) at a target position near the cavity. The hollow portion (13) communicates with the cavity so that the medium in the cavity can be sprayed onto the workpiece (4) through the hollow portion (13). A plurality of jets (14) are installed in the cavities of the upper mold (11) and / or the lower mold (12); Several media conduits (15) are disposed within the cavity, the media conduits (15) being used to supply media to the jet (14), and the pressure of the media conduits (15) being adjustable.

2. The thermoforming mold according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure in at least two of the media conduits (15) is different; or the temperature of the medium in at least two of the media conduits (15) is different; or the type of medium in at least two of the media conduits (15) is different.

3. The thermoforming mold according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an upper mold connecting plate (16) and a lower mold connecting plate (17). The upper mold (11) is mounted on the upper mold connecting plate (16) and moves according to the upper mold connecting plate (16). The lower mold (12) is mounted on the lower mold connecting plate (17) and moves with the lower mold connecting plate (17).

4. The thermoforming mold according to claim 1, characterized in that, The location of the hollowed-out portion (13) corresponds to the location of the hard area of ​​the workpiece (4), and the location of the jet (14) corresponds to the location of the hollowed-out portion (13).

5. The thermoforming mold according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hollow portion (13) is located between two adjacent support contact portions (110), and the support contact portions (110) and the hollow portion (13) are arranged alternately; the support contact portion (110) is in the shape of an elastic strip.

6. The thermoforming mold according to claim 5, characterized in that, The width of the supporting contact portion (110) is 3-50mm, and the width of the hollow portion (13) is 3-90mm; and / or, the distance between the jet body (14) and the workpiece (4) is 120-600mm; the jet body (14) has a conical shape, and the central angle of the cone is less than or equal to 125°.

7. The thermoforming mold according to claim 5, characterized in that, The supporting contact portion (110) is made of stainless steel.

8. The thermoforming mold according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, It also includes a connector for installing the media conduit (15) into the cavity, the position of which is adjustable to change the position and angle of the media conduit (15) in the cavity.

9. The thermoforming mold according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Also includes: A number of pressurizing devices, wherein the number of media pipelines (15) is the same as the number of pressurizing devices, and they correspond one-to-one; The controller is connected to the pressurizing device. The controller is used to obtain the position of the soft area and hard area of ​​the workpiece (4) and determine the target pressure required by each of the media pipelines (15) according to the position of the soft area and hard area of ​​the workpiece (4); it is also used to control the operation of the pressurizing device according to the target pressure.

10. A thermoforming apparatus, comprising a thermoforming mold (1), characterized in that, The thermoforming mold (1) is the thermoforming mold according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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