Sheet Metal Forming via Axial Tool Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing complex shaped sheet metal parts, such as body parts for motor vehicles, are costly due to high investment in multi-stage forming processes and tools, and often result in lower quality products.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a forming tool with axially movable tool parts to shape sheet metal into complex free-form surfaces without stretching or compressing the material, using CAD-determined cutting to retain initial thickness and form contour lines with controlled bending radii and angles, allowing for one-stage forming with high quality and reduced tooling costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multi-stage forming processes and deep-drawing processes are used to produce complex shaped sheet metal parts, then the quality of the sheet metal parts is improved, but the investment costs for systems and tools increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The complex sheet metal part is divided into multiple free-form surfaces that are delimited by contour lines. Each free-form surface is formed independently through controlled bending operations along specific contour lines, allowing the complex geometry to be achieved through sequential localized forming rather than requiring complex multi-stage deep-drawing equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The starting blank is cut with a contour that corresponds to the exact development of the final part before forming begins. This preliminary cutting action defines the precise geometry that will be formed, eliminating the need for extensive trimming and finishing operations that would otherwise be required in traditional multi-stage processes
2Shape
If traditional multi-stage forming processes are used, then complex shapes can be produced, but the production cost is high especially for small quantities
Solution Approach 1:
The forming process uses controllable bending operations along contour lines that can be dynamically adjusted during forming. The contour lines define the geometry of free-form surfaces, and the bending radius and angle can be controlled to achieve complex shapes while maintaining flexibility for different production quantities without requiring expensive retooling
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the forming parameters by controlling bending radius and bending angle along contour lines rather than using fixed deep-drawing parameters. This allows the same forming tool to produce complex shapes with varying geometries by adjusting bending parameters, reducing the need for multiple specialized tools for different production volumes
3Shape
If the sheet metal material is stretched or compressed during forming, then complex free-form surfaces can be formed, but the sheet metal thickness changes and quality decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of stretching or compressing the sheet metal material to form free-form surfaces, the invention inverts the approach by bending the material along contour lines while maintaining constant thickness. The forming is achieved through controlled bending with constant bending radius, preventing material thinning or thickening that would occur with stretching or compression
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 method enables the production of high-quality complex sheet metal parts with reduced investment costs, suitable for small quantities, and offers design flexibility, achieving quality comparable to deep-drawn parts without deep-drawing processes, while allowing for integrated components like front flaps and underbodies.
Implementation Method 1
axial movement of these tool parts relative to one another, with the starting blank being formed into a ready-to-install sheet metal part in such a way that at least two free-form surfaces are formed... with the sheet metal material not being stretched or compressed during forming, so that the sheet metal thickness of the original blank is retained
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~3b
Figure 4a~4b
AI summary
The method involves cutting a uniform blank plate (10) whose contour corresponds to an accurate processing of a pre-finished sheet metal shaped part (30) in a plane. The blank plate is a positioned in a material-deforming tool, where two tool parts of the material-deforming tool are axially movable to each other. A transformation of the blank plate is performed in the pre-finished sheet metal shaped part in such a manner that two control surfaces and/or free forming surfaces (32) are formed and delimited from each other in sections by a contour line (34). An independent claim is also included for a complex sheet metal shaped part.