Tangential Nozzle Temper Station for Metal Transition Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tempering stations struggle to define and adjust the transition region between sub-areas of varying strength in metal components during the press-hardening process, leading to unwanted leakage and blurring of the transition region due to gaps between partition walls and components.
Innovation Solution
A tempering station equipped with tangential nozzles that discharge fluid streams tangentially or parallel to the component surface, creating an aerodynamic seal and minimizing leakage, allowing for precise control of the transition region without the need for component contact with partition walls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If partition walls are used to delimit sub-areas, then thermal separation is improved, but gap leakage occurs causing transition region blurring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies pneumatic principles by using a high-speed air stream discharged tangentially along the component surface. This fluid flow creates an aerodynamic seal that prevents cold air leakage into the hot sub-area, eliminating the harmful effect of gap leakage while maintaining thermal separation. The air stream acts as a dynamic barrier that compensates for any gaps between partition walls and the component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the state of the cooling medium from static (partition walls) to dynamic (high-speed air stream). By discharging air at high velocity, the system creates a moving boundary that adapts to the component surface, preventing leakage through gaps. This parameter change from static to dynamic operation resolves the contradiction between thermal separation and leakage prevention.
2Reliability
If partition walls touch the component, then thermal sealing is improved, but positioning precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The high-speed air stream creates a self-adjusting aerodynamic seal that does not require physical contact with the component. The fluid flow automatically adapts to the component surface geometry, maintaining effective thermal sealing without demanding high positioning precision. This eliminates the need for partition walls to touch the component while still achieving reliable thermal separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The air stream system is self-regulating and automatically adjusts to the component surface, creating its own sealing effect through the high-velocity flow. The system serves itself by using the component's own surface geometry to guide the air flow and create the sealing effect, eliminating the need for external positioning precision or physical contact.
3Ease of operation
If gaps are maintained between partition walls and component, then component freedom of movement is improved, but cold air leakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The high-speed air stream creates a dynamic sealing effect that allows gaps to be maintained between partition walls and the component while preventing cold air leakage. The fluid flow fills and seals the gaps as it moves along the component surface, enabling component freedom of movement without sacrificing thermal sealing effectiveness.
4Temperature
If conventional nozzles are used for air cooling, then cooling effect is achieved, but transition region blurring occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses tangential nozzles that discharge air along the curved surface of the component rather than perpendicular to it. This curved flow path follows the component geometry and creates a smooth transition zone, preventing abrupt temperature changes and reducing transition region blurring. The curved air stream naturally conforms to the component surface, creating a more precise temperature gradient.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional perpendicular nozzle discharge to tangential discharge along the component surface. This dimensional change in the air flow direction (from normal to tangential) creates a more controlled cooling pattern that respects the component geometry and produces sharply defined transition regions rather than blurred zones.
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 solution enables sharply delineated transition regions, with sizes ranging from approximately 1 mm to 60 mm, primarily determined by heat conduction, and is tolerant to positioning errors, ensuring accurate strength distribution in metal components.
Implementation Method 1
discharge a fluid stream for cooling at least a first sub-area of the component... the nozzle is a tangential nozzle... creating an aerodynamic seal and minimizing leakage
Implementation Method 2
discharge a fluid stream for cooling at least a first sub-area of the component
Implementation Method 3
transition region sizes ranging from approximately 1 mm to 60 mm, primarily determined by heat conduction
Data Source
AI summary
A tempering station for the partial heat treatment of a metal component, which includes an apparatus for the heat treatment of a metal component, and the use of at least one tangential nozzle in a tempering station for the partial heat treatment of a metal component. The tempering station for partial heat treatment of the metallic component comprises a processing plane disposed in the tempering station, the component being able to be disposed in said plane, and at least one nozzle which points to the processing plane and is provided and adapted for discharging a fluid stream for cooling at least a first sub-area of the component, wherein the at least one nozzle is a tangential nozzle. The tempering station and the apparatus make it possible in particular to adjust, as reliably and/or precisely as possible, a transition region between the different heat-treated sub-areas of the component, in particular to keep said region as small as possible.