Hot-Stamping Pilot Pin Positioning for Thermal Shrinkage Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In hot stamping, the positional accuracy of pilot holes is compromised due to material expansion during heating and shrinkage after cooling, leading to potential deviation of the press-formed material on the die, which can cause transfer errors during lifting operations.
Innovation Solution
A positioning device with a pilot pin and drive mechanism that adjusts its position from projecting to immersed within the pin guide hole, ensuring accurate alignment and preventing the material from biting into the pilot pins during shrinkage, utilizing a conical tip and cylindrical body shape for precise engagement and a floating joint to absorb die deviations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all pilot pins are immersed in the die to prevent guide holes from biting into pins during shrinkage, then the harmful effect of material shrinkage is reduced, but the plate material may deviate on the die due to shrinkage forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the pilot pin movable rather than fixed. The pilot pin can move vertically within the die along a guide hole, allowing it to adapt to material shrinkage forces while maintaining positioning function. This dynamic adjustment prevents both the biting issue and deviation problem by letting the pin move with the material rather than resisting it rigidly
Solution Approach 2:
The pilot pin is segmented into functional zones: a tip portion for engagement with guide holes, a body portion for movement within the die, and a base end for support. This segmentation allows different parts of the pin to perform different functions - the tip maintains engagement while the body moves to accommodate shrinkage, resolving the contradiction between preventing biting and preventing deviation
2Device complexity
If the pilot pin remains in a fixed projecting position, then the structure is simple, but the guide holes in shrunk material will bite into the pilot pins
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static pilot pin into a dynamic component that can move vertically. This movement capability is achieved through a simple guide hole structure that allows the pin to slide freely, maintaining structural simplicity while adding the necessary dynamic response to prevent guide hole biting during material shrinkage
3Reliability
If the pilot pin is made movable to accommodate material shrinkage, then the harmful effect of shrinkage is reduced, but the positioning precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The pilot pin is divided into functional segments: the tip portion maintains precise engagement with guide holes for positioning accuracy, while the body portion moves to accommodate shrinkage. This segmentation allows the pin to simultaneously achieve both positioning precision and shrinkage accommodation
Solution Approach 2:
The pilot pin acts as an intermediary element between the die and the plate material. It mediates the interaction by moving to accommodate shrinkage forces while maintaining engagement with guide holes, thus preserving positioning accuracy despite material dimensional changes
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 device effectively maintains positional accuracy and prevents material deviation during heat removal, ensuring accurate transfer and processing of hot-stamped products by adjusting the pilot pin's position in response to thermal changes, thus preventing guide holes from biting into pilot pins and minimizing transfer errors.
Implementation Method 1
when a plate material (blank material) is heated to a high temperature, the plate material expands due to heating
Implementation Method 2
the plate material expands due to heating, and shrinks due to heat removal (cooling) after hot stamping
Data Source
AI summary
A positioning device for hot stamping includes a pilot pin and a driving mechanism for driving the pilot pin. Before a plate material is placed into a press die, when the driving mechanism positions the pilot pin at a predetermined projecting position, a tip portion of the pilot pin projects from a pin guide hole and a body portion of the pilot pin formed further toward a base end side than the tip portion projects from the pin guide hole. Before a process in which the press die removes heat from the plate material after having been press-formed by the press die, when the driving mechanism positions the pilot pin at a predetermined immersed position, the body portion of the pilot pin is immersed in the pin guide hole while only the tip portion of the pilot pin projects from the pin guide hole.