Sandwich Material Profiles With Plastic-Free Edges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing composite sheet metal parts with sandwich materials fail to create lightweight profiles that are comparable in properties to metal profiles while maintaining a plastic-free connection, which is essential for efficient manufacturing and resistance spot welding in vehicle construction.
Innovation Solution
The method involves shaping sandwich materials into profiles with overlapping or touching plastic-free edge areas, which are then connected using positive, non-positive, or cohesive methods such as welding or clinching, allowing for the production of resilient, lightweight components with metal cover layers and a thermoplastic layer, avoiding the use of plastic in the connection area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If sandwich materials are used to produce profiles, then weight is reduced compared to solid metal profiles, but plastic-free connection areas cannot be achieved with existing methods
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic material is extracted or removed from specific edge regions of the sandwich material to create plastic-free connection areas. This allows the metal cover layers to be exposed and directly connected at the edges, enabling resistance spot welding and other metal-to-metal joining methods while maintaining the lightweight advantage of sandwich construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The sandwich material is designed with non-uniform plastic distribution: plastic-free edge regions are created at connection areas while plastic is retained in other regions. This local differentiation allows metal-to-metal connections at edges where needed, while maintaining plastic reinforcement in areas requiring structural integrity or damping.
2Ease of manufacture
If plastic is removed from edge regions to enable metal connection, then resistance spot welding becomes possible, but the structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The sandwich material is designed with non-uniform plastic distribution: plastic-free edge regions are created at connection areas while plastic is retained in other regions. This local differentiation allows metal-to-metal connections at edges where needed, while maintaining plastic reinforcement in areas requiring structural integrity or damping.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution utilizes the composite nature of sandwich materials (metal cover layers combined with plastic core) to achieve both objectives: metal edges for welding and plastic core for structural strength. The composite structure allows each material to perform its optimal function.
3Device complexity
If conventional forming tools are used for shaping sandwich materials, then existing systems can be accessed, but complex conversions are required to achieve plastic-free edge areas
Solution Approach 1:
The forming process is designed to create profiles with edge regions that naturally expose metal cover layers, preparing the material in advance for connection operations. By shaping the profile to have accessible metal edges during the forming process itself, subsequent connection operations can proceed without additional complex equipment.
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 enables the creation of lightweight sandwich material profiles with properties comparable to solid metal profiles, facilitating efficient manufacturing and resistance spot welding, while reducing material costs and complexity in existing systems.
Implementation Method 1
the plastic can therefore be heated and/or displaced, separated and/or removed relatively easily from the edge regions
Implementation Method 2
a cohesive connection takes place by means of gluing or welding, in particular by means of roller seam welding, pinch seam welding, laser welding or resistance spot welding
Data Source
Figure 1A~1E
Figure 2a~2b
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a component (9) from a sheet- or strip-like sandwich material (1), comprising at least two metallic cover layers (2, 3) and at least one layer of plastic (4) arranged between the metallic cover layers, wherein the sandwich material (1) is at least partially heated along at least one selected edge region in order to soften the plastic (4) in the edge region (6, 6'), which is displaced substantially completely from the edge region (6, 6') by action of force on at least one of the metallic cover layers (2, 3) and, as a result, a plastic-free edge region (6, 6') is produced, in which the metallic cover layers (2, 3) come into contact with each other in an area or point by point. The invention further relates to a component (9) made of a sandwich material (1), comprising at least two metallic cover layers (2, 3) and at least one layer of plastic (4) arranged between the metallic cover layers. According to the invention, the sandwich material (1) comprises a plastic-free region (6, 6') along at least one edge, in which the metallic cover layers (2, 3) come into contact with each other in an area or point by point.