HVF Tool Holder Damping for Single-Strike Metal Forming

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Solution Overview

Problem

High velocity forming (HVF) processes face challenges in controlling energy delivery to work materials, leading to potential rebound issues and reduced product quality, along with increased wear on apparatus components due to repeated collisions between the plunger and tool.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a dampening arrangement that dissipates kinetic energy of the impact head and tool combination during return movement, preventing rebound and reducing the risk of collisions, by using a combination of first and second dampening elements to control and guide the impact head and tool movement, ensuring precise energy transfer and minimizing tool deformation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If a plunger is used to drive the tool in HVF, then high kinetic energy can be transferred to the workpiece, but the plunger may strike the tool more than one time causing rebound and product defects

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvekinetic energy transferVSAvoidsingle strike control
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A tool holder is introduced as an intermediary component between the plunger and the tool. The tool holder absorbs and manages the rebound energy, preventing the plunger from striking the tool multiple times. This mediator allows the high kinetic energy transfer needed for HVF while controlling the rebound to ensure single-strike reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Strength

If the tool has high stiffness to avoid excessive deformation at strike, then the tool can withstand the impact, but the tool mass increases requiring higher plunger capacity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetool stiffnessVSAvoidtool mass
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The stiffness and mass parameters of the tool are optimized to achieve the minimum required stiffness for withstanding impact while minimizing mass. The tool holder is designed with specific stiffness characteristics that allow it to manage the impact forces without requiring excessive tool mass, thereby reducing the plunger capacity requirement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If damping elements are added to prevent rebound, then product quality improves, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduct qualityVSAvoiddampening arrangement
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tool holder is designed to serve multiple functions: it holds the tool, manages the impact forces, absorbs rebound energy, and provides structural support. By making the tool holder multi-functional, damping elements are not added as separate components, thereby improving product quality without significantly increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Weight of moving object

If lighter tools are used in HVF, then the kinetic energy efficiency improves, but the tool may deform excessively at strike

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetool massVSAvoidtool deformation resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The tool holder acts as a mediator that compensates for the reduced stiffness of lighter tools. It provides the necessary structural support and impact management, allowing lighter tools to be used without excessive deformation while maintaining the kinetic energy efficiency benefits of reduced mass.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 enhances the quality of formed products by preventing unwanted deformation and failure, extends the lifespan of apparatus components, and allows for tighter tolerances in high velocity forming processes by ensuring controlled and precise energy distribution.

Implementation Method 1

a dampening arrangement that dissipates kinetic energy of the impact head and tool combination during return movement

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectKinetic energy dissipation: Viscous Damping

Data Source

PatentEP3826785B1Method of and apparatus for metal forming
Publication Date: 2024.01.03 CELL IMPACT
  • EP3826785B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3826785B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3826785B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for material forming, by means of a movable impact head and tool combination (4) and a drive unit (2; 101), the method comprising moving the drive unit (2; 101) to provide kinetic energy to the impact head and tool combination (4), for the impact head and tool combination (4) to strike a work material (W), so as to form the work material (W), wherein a return movement of the movable impact head and tool combination (4), away from the work material, after the strike of the work material (W) by the impact head and tool combination (4), is dampened.