Sheet Metal Profile Production via Edge Upsetting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing sheet metal profiles with smooth, crack-free surfaces, such as fine blanking, result in significant waste due to the need for a clamping edge for ring teeth, and the process is inefficient for achieving the required profile height and surface quality.
Innovation Solution
A method involving an upsetting process to thicken the edge area of the sheet metal part, followed by a cutting process that supports the thickened edge to create a compressive stress and prevent cracking, eliminating the need for a clamping edge and allowing for a clean, smooth cut surface. This method also enables the use of lower surface pressure materials for counter-teeth, such as aluminum die-cast alloys, and can produce both external and internal profiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If fine blanking with ring teeth is used to achieve a clean cut surface, then the cut surface quality is improved, but a clamping edge is required which increases material waste
Solution Approach 1:
The edge area of the sheet metal part is thickened in advance through an upsetting process before the cutting operation. This preliminary thickening creates a localized volume increase at the edge area, providing sufficient material height to support the cutting process without requiring a clamping edge, thereby reducing material waste while enabling clean cutting
2Shape
If the edge area is thickened through upsetting to achieve profile height, then the profile height is improved, but the sheet metal part geometry becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The upsetting process thickens only the edge area of the sheet metal part where the profile is to be produced, rather than thickening the entire part. This localized geometric modification creates the necessary profile height while minimizing overall part complexity and maintaining simplicity in other areas of the component
3Manufacturing precision
If ring teeth with clamping edge are used for fine blanking, then cut surface quality is improved, but the device complexity increases due to ring tooth mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The complex ring tooth mechanism and its associated clamping edge are completely removed from the device. Instead, a simplified support element is introduced to support the thickened edge area during cutting. This extraction of the unnecessary ring tooth component significantly reduces device complexity while the thickened edge area continues to provide the necessary support for achieving clean cut surfaces
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 process achieves a clean, crack-free cut surface without the need for ring teeth, reduces waste, and allows for cost-effective production of profiles with increased tooth width, suitable for functional surfaces like driving toothing, while minimizing material oversize and enabling the use of lower surface pressure materials for counter-teeth.
Implementation Method 1
the thickened edge area is supported during the cutting process. This creates a compressive stress that changes the stress state in the shearing area in such a way that the shear yield point is reached before the shear fracture point
Implementation Method 2
the edge area of the sheet metal part, which is to receive the profile, is thickened in at least one upsetting process
Data Source
Figure 1~1d
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a profile (2) at an edge region of a sheet metal part (1), wherein the sheet metal part (1) can be produced from a blank (3) having a thickness (s) and the profile (2) by shearing. According to the invention, the edge region is thickened by at least one swaging process to a profile height (h) > (s) and the profile (2) is then cut in the thickened edge region (5a), wherein the thickened edge region (5a) is supported perpendicular to the cutting direction.