Roller Shaping Faces for Variable-Thickness Metal Blanks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current roll forming processes cannot incrementally vary the thickness of a metal sheet across its transverse direction, requiring additional manufacturing steps like welding or brazing to achieve desired thickness variations.
Innovation Solution
A variable thickness roll forming system using multiple sets of cylindrical rollers with strategically positioned shaping faces that alter the thickness of the metal sheet in a transverse direction, creating a central portion and outer portions with varying thicknesses, allowing for incremental reductions of up to 40% in specific areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If traditional roll forming processes are used to alter thickness in the longitudinal direction, then thickness variation along the feed direction is achieved, but thickness variation across the transverse direction cannot be achieved, requiring additional manufacturing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different spacing distances between the first and second rollers at different locations across the transverse width of the metal sheet. Specifically, the spacing varies from a first spacing distance at a first location to a second spacing distance at a second location, enabling different portions of the sheet to be thinned to different thicknesses in a single pass through the roll forming system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the roll forming process into multiple roller sets, where each roller set can independently control the thickness at different transverse locations. This segmentation allows the system to achieve complex thickness profiles across the sheet width without requiring multiple sequential manufacturing steps.
2Shape
If additional manufacturing steps like welding or brazing are added to achieve thickness variations, then desired thickness profiles can be achieved, but production time and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the thickness variation action preliminarily within the roll forming process itself, before any subsequent manufacturing steps. By incorporating variable spacing between rollers, the desired thickness profile is achieved during the primary forming operation, eliminating the need for later welding, brazing, or machining operations to add or remove material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the thickness variation function into the standard roll forming process by adding variable spacing capability to the roller configuration. This combines what would traditionally be separate operations (forming and thickness modification) into a single integrated process step.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform thickness is maintained throughout the metal sheet, then manufacturing simplicity is preserved, but material properties and weight optimization are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating regions of different thicknesses at different locations across the metal sheet based on specific functional requirements. This allows weight reduction in areas where material is not needed while maintaining adequate thickness in areas requiring structural strength, optimizing the overall weight-strength ratio without complicating the manufacturing process.
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
Enables the production of metal blanks with precise thickness variations without the need for additional manufacturing steps, enhancing material properties through work hardening and providing weight savings while maintaining strength.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the sets of rollers incrementally alters a thickness of the metal sheet in a direction transverse to a feed direction of the metal sheet
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a roll forming system (10) for forming a variable thickness blank and to a method for forming a variable thickness blank. The roll forming system includes at least two sets of cylindrical shaped rollers. Each of the sets of rollers include: a first roller (38) including a face (42) which is linear where the first roller contacts the metal sheet; and a second roller (40) including multiple shaping faces positioned about a perimeter and directed toward the face (42) of the first roller. Each roller set incrementally alters a thickness of a metal sheet (12) in a direction transverse to a metal sheet feed direction when the metal sheet is passed between the first and second rollers. The metal sheet after passing between the first and second rollers forms a roll formed blank (25) having a first portion and a second portion positioned in the direction transverse to the feed direction with respect to the first portion, the first portion thicker than the second portion.