Spring Strut Forks from Extruded Profiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing spring strut forks for motor vehicles are not economical and lack efficiency, despite providing lightweight and stable components.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of a metallic extruded profile with a central main chamber and offset longitudinal chambers, heat treatment, and specific machining processes to form spring strut forks with enhanced strength and fracture toughness, allowing for the production of lightweight and stable components with improved manufacturing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional cutting and deformation methods are used to produce spring strut forks from light metal extruded profiles, then lightweight and stable components are achieved, but the production process is not economical and lacks efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The extruded profile is divided into multiple longitudinal chambers (at least four) arranged offset around the main chamber, allowing the workpiece to be segmented into multiple semifinished parts simultaneously. This enables parallel production of multiple spring strut forks from a single extruded profile, significantly improving productivity while maintaining manufacturing economy.
Solution Approach 2:
The extruded profile is prepared in advance with pre-formed longitudinal chambers and wall portions that will become the fork arms. This preliminary structuring of the material reduces the complexity of subsequent machining operations and enables more efficient production processes.
2Strength
If heat treatment is applied to extruded profiles to increase strength and fracture toughness, then component performance is improved, but production time and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Heat treatment parameters (temperature, time, cooling rate) are optimized and integrated into the production process flow. By carefully controlling these parameters and potentially combining heat treatment with other operations, the process achieves desired strength and fracture toughness properties while minimizing additional production time.
3Productivity
If multiple longitudinal chambers are arranged offset around the main chamber, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but the extruded profile complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The offset longitudinal chambers serve multiple functions: they define the positions of multiple spring strut forks to be produced simultaneously, provide material for fork arm formation, and enable efficient utilization of the extruded profile. This multi-functionality justifies the increased profile complexity by delivering significant productivity benefits.
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 method results in more economical and efficient production of spring strut forks with increased strength and fracture toughness, enabling better weight management and stability while reducing production costs.
Implementation Method 1
One aspect of the invention provides for the extruded profiles (starting profiles), the semifinished parts or the spring strut forks to be entirely or partially heat-treated. By means of the heat treatment, the strength and the fracture toughness are set in the spring strut forks in targeted fashion.
Implementation Method 2
Here, they may be immediately subsequently quenched, whereby separate subsequent heat treatment can be omitted.
Data Source
AI summary
An efficient method for producing spring strut forks for motor vehicles is presented. In each case two spring strut forks are produced from a metallic extruded profile as a starting product. The extruded profile has a central, middle main chamber and four longitudinal chambers which are arranged offset with respect to one another over the circumference of the main chamber. Wall portions of the main chamber which are situated between the longitudinal chambers are removed, and the extruded profile is severed into two semifinished parts. Each semifinished part has one cylinder portion and two oppositely situated arm portions which project relative to the cylinder portions. The semifinished parts are subsequently mechanically machined, and one spring strut fork is produced from each semifinished part.