Angled Knife Bolster Forging via Oblique Bead Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for forging a knife with an angled bolster from a single piece of flat steel material face challenges in achieving optimal material distribution and mold filling, leading to inefficient processes and increased scrap rates due to high deformation work and material stress.

Innovation Solution

Aligning the longitudinal axis of the bolster obliquely to the knife's longitudinal axis, with angles between 5 to 60 degrees, allows for better pre-distribution of material, reducing deformation work and stress during forging, and enabling more design flexibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Shape

If the bolster is forged at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the knife from flat material with a centrally aligned bead, then the bolster can be formed, but high deformation work is required leading to insufficient mold filling and increased scrap

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveangled bolster geometryVSAvoidmold filling quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The bead is pre-formed with its longitudinal axis aligned obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the flat material at an angle of 5 to 60 degrees before forging. This preliminary alignment of the bead axis prepares the material distribution in advance, reducing the deformation work required during subsequent forging and enabling complete mold filling for angled bolster geometries.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The bead is formed with asymmetric orientation relative to the flat material, where the longitudinal axis of the bead is deliberately aligned obliquely rather than parallel or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the flat material. This asymmetric pre-alignment optimizes material flow during forging of angled bolsters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

2Shape

If high forming is carried out during forging to create an angled bolster, then the desired geometry is achieved, but large amounts of material must be driven into the blade causing insufficient mold filling

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveangled bolsterVSAvoidforging process efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The oblique alignment of the bead's longitudinal axis is performed as a preliminary action before forging. This pre-positioning of material reduces the complexity and force requirements of the subsequent forging operation, enabling more efficient production of angled bolsters with complete mold filling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Strength

If the bead is formed with oblique alignment to the flat material axis, then deformation work and material stress are reduced, but additional processing steps are required for bead formation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial stress resistanceVSAvoidbead formation process
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The oblique bead alignment is performed as a preliminary forming step using compression or rolling processes before the main forging operation. While this adds an initial preparation step, it significantly reduces the deformation work and material stress during the critical forging phase, improving overall process reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach results in reduced production costs, shorter times, fewer rejects, and improved material distribution, leading to a more stable and efficient forging process with enhanced design options for bolster and blade geometries.

Implementation Method 1

a knife (1) with a blade (2), bolster (3) and tang (4) ... forged from a single piece of flat steel material (5)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPlastic deformation: Plasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2552620B1Method for producing a knife with a bolster
Publication Date: 2015.04.29 ZWILLING J A HENCKELS AG
  • EP2552620B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2552620B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for producing a knife (1) with a blade (2), a bolster (3) and a handle, in particular a tang (4), forged from a single piece of flat steel material (5), wherein, before forging, the flat material (5) is upset in the region between the blade (2) and the handle or tang (4) to form a bead (6), the longitudinal axis (LW) of which is arranged transversely in relation to the longitudinal axis (LM) of the knife, and is then formed by forging to form a bolster (3), which has at least one side edge (K2) positioned obliquely in relation to the longitudinal axis (LM) of the knife, wherein the longitudinal axis (LW) of the bead (6), which later forms the bolster, is oriented obliquely in relation to the longitudinal axis (LM) of the knife (1).