Press-Formed Flange Tube End Structure for Stable Flange Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flange tubes face challenges with high material and machining costs, inefficiency in manufacturing, and accuracy issues due to solid annular bodies formed by cutting, while folded flange tubes struggle with maintaining required accuracy and stability.
Innovation Solution
A tube end member with a tubular part, flat, extending, and tapered parts formed by press-forming, where the folded-back part abuts on the tapered part to prevent recesses and ensure accuracy, reducing material usage and machining time, and improving flatness and accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the flange is formed by cutting a ring-shaped intermediate member of a block member, then the flange tube has high strength and stability, but the material costs and machining costs are high, and the machining time is very long
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the manufacturing method from cutting (subtractive manufacturing) to press-forming (formative manufacturing). The flange is formed by pressing a tubular body between a lower die and upper die, transforming the material shape through applied pressure rather than removing material. This parameter change in the manufacturing process fundamentally resolves the contradiction between manufacturing precision and productivity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the flange is formed by cutting a ring-shaped intermediate member of a block member, then the flange has high structural stability, but the flange tube becomes heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the starting material from a block member to a tubular body, and changes the forming method from cutting to press-forming. This allows the flange to be formed with the required structural stability while using less material and maintaining a lighter overall tube weight, as the tubular body already has an optimized hollow structure.
3Productivity
If the flange is formed by folding an end of a tube body, then the manufacturing costs and manufacturing time are reduced, but the accuracy of the flat part and tapered part cannot be maintained stably
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces dies (lower die and upper die) as intermediary tools between the tubular body and the final flange shape. The dies provide precise geometric constraints and guiding surfaces that ensure the flat part and tapered part are formed with accurate dimensions and stable repeatability, overcoming the accuracy issues of direct folding methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the simple mechanical folding process with a controlled press-forming process using dies. The dies apply controlled pressure and provide geometric guidance, substituting the imprecise folding action with a more controlled forming mechanism that achieves both efficiency and accuracy.
4Device complexity
If the flange is formed by folding an end of a tube body, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the completely hollow space causes instability in maintaining accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The dies serve as intermediaries that provide external support and geometric constraints during the forming process. This prevents the hollow tubular body from deforming unpredictably, ensuring that the flat part and tapered part maintain their required accuracy despite the hollow structure.
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
The solution achieves low manufacturing costs, excellent efficiency, and stable accuracy for flange tubes, reducing weight and leakage while maintaining the required precision for flat and tapered parts, enhancing fuel efficiency and workability in vehicle components.
Implementation Method 1
an edge of the folded-back part abuts on the tapered part so as to prevent a local recess
Implementation Method 2
a flat part formed by bending an end of the tubular part outwards at a substantially right angle
Data Source
AI summary
A tube end member to be provided at an end of a flange tube includes a tubular part configured to be fitted to an end of a tube body of the flange tube, a flat part formed by bending an end of the tubular part outwards at a substantially right angle, in an opposite side to a fitting side of the tubular part to be fitted to the tube body, an extending part formed by bending an outer end of the flat part at a substantially right angle towards the tubular part, a tapered part extending at an angle from an edge of the extending part so as to approach the tubular part, and a folded-back part folded back from an edge of the tapered part into a space S enclosed by the tubular part, the flat part and the extending part. The folded-back part abuts on the tapered part.