Hydroforming Tool Clamp Leverage Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hydroforming processes require large presses and auxiliary equipment to hold tool halves together, resulting in high capital investments and restricted workspace, limiting the use of robots for loading and unloading blanks.
Innovation Solution
A device with a pivot-connected second portion acting as a lever, amplifying the force applied by a length-variable power member to hold tool parts together, reducing the need for large hydraulic cylinders and auxiliary equipment, allowing the device to be smaller, more cost-effective, and easily placed on a factory floor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If large presses are used to hold tool halves together during hydroforming, then sufficient holding force is achieved, but device dimensions and capital investment increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two separate portions (first portion with anvil and second portion with clamp) that can be independently positioned and adjusted. This segmentation allows the force application mechanism to be distributed rather than concentrated in a single large press structure, reducing overall device dimensions while maintaining sufficient holding force.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a conventional single-point force application (large press) to a distributed force application system where the second portion can be positioned at multiple locations around the tool half. This spatial distribution in multiple dimensions allows achieving sufficient total holding force without requiring a single large-dimensional press structure.
2Force
If conventional presses with auxiliary equipment are used, then holding force is sufficient, but capital investment and foundation requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for large auxiliary equipment such as foundation structures, large hydraulic systems, and complex support frameworks that are typically required for conventional presses. By using the device's own structure to generate and transmit holding force, these external auxiliary systems become unnecessary, significantly reducing capital investment and simplifying manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is designed to be self-sufficient, where the second portion acts as both the actuating mechanism and the force transmission element. The portion itself provides the structural support and force application capability without requiring external auxiliary equipment, making the system self-service and eliminating the need for expensive foundation and support infrastructure.
3Force
If clamps are arranged at equal distances along the whole long sides of tool halves, then holding force is distributed, but accessible space for robots is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The second portion is designed to be movable and repositionable along the tool half, allowing dynamic adjustment of its position rather than being fixed at equal distances. This dynamic positioning capability enables the system to provide distributed holding force when needed while creating clear access paths for robots when repositioned, resolving the contradiction between force distribution and accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of uniformly distributing clamps along the entire length of tool halves, the invention concentrates the force application at specific localized positions where the second portion is positioned. This localized force application is sufficient for hydroforming while leaving other areas of the tool half accessible to robots, optimizing both holding force and accessibility without requiring uniform clamp distribution.
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 achieves a significantly larger resultant force for holding tool parts together using a smaller power member, eliminating the need for large presses and auxiliary equipment, enabling more efficient hydroforming with improved accessibility for robots to load and unload blanks.
Implementation Method 1
a first lever which is longer than a second lever by means of which a resultant larger force is created acting between said force transmitting surfaces
Implementation Method 2
a corresponding force ratio between the supplied force and the resultant force is obtained. The resultant force, which holds the tool parts together during a hydroforming process, may be many times larger than the supplied force.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device and a method for holding tool parts together during a hydroforming process. The device comprises a first portion comprising a first force transmitting surface and a second portion comprising a second force transmitting surface, which are connected by means of a pivot, and a length variable power member which, with a force, tends to turn the second portion in relation to the first portion around the pivot by means of a first lever which is longer than a second lever by means of which a resultant larger force is created which acts between said force transmitting surfaces for holding the tool parts together during a hydroforming process.