Front Axle Beam With Variable Flange Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current front axle beams face challenges in achieving high rigidity while maintaining a compact size and reducing weight, which is essential for improving driving stability and fuel efficiency, especially when densely packed with engines and steering components.
Innovation Solution
A production method involving die forging and subsequent pressing steps to form a front axle beam with an H-shaped cross section, where at least one flange has a maximum thickness at its joined part to the web and includes thin and thick parts, allowing for increased rigidity without increasing the overall size or weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the front axle beam is made heavier to increase rigidity, then driving stability is improved, but fuel efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flange thickness is varied locally along its length, with the thickest portion positioned at the joined part to the web. This local quality variation optimizes rigidity where it is most needed while reducing weight in less critical areas, resolving the contradiction between overall rigidity and weight reduction
2Strength
If the front axle beam size is increased to improve rigidity, then driving stability is improved, but the space for surrounding parts deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly increasing the beam size, the invention applies localized thickness variation to the flange, concentrating material where structural performance is most critical. This achieves the required rigidity with minimal increase in overall beam dimensions, preserving space for surrounding components
3Productivity
If die forging is used to produce the front axle beam, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but shape flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The complex thickness variation profile is built into the forging die itself, allowing the intricate flange geometry to be formed in a single die forging operation. This preliminary action embeds the shape complexity in the tooling, maintaining manufacturing efficiency while achieving the desired geometric flexibility
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 method enhances the bending and torsional rigidity of the front axle beam per unit weight, allowing for a more stable and efficient vehicle performance without the need for larger or heavier components.
Implementation Method 1
a material is die forged by forging dies which are paired with each other at a central axis of the web part to form the web part and the flanges
Implementation Method 2
the joined part of the flange to the web part is pressed by a first die from an outer side in a web part extending direction to form thick parts in regions outside of the joined part
Data Source
AI summary
In a pressing step, a first forged product is pressed by a first die, and thereby, a second forged product including a rough flange having a thickness-changing portion is produced. The thickness-changing portion includes a front part protruding frontward from a side of a rough web part and a rear part protruding rearward from the side of the rough web part. Each of the front part and the rear part includes a first part, and a second part that is thicker than the first part and is located farther from the rough web part than the first part. In the pressing step, at least a part of the rough flange that is above or below the web part (thick part) is pressed by the first die, whereby the material of the first forged product in the part is caused to flow frontward and rearward, and the thickness-changing portion is formed.