The disclosure relates to a method for joining metal sheets resting on one another with a variable total thickness by a clinching device comprising at least one punch and a die arranged coaxially to the punch. The punch is controllable by an electronic control unit and movable in an axial direction relative to the die. The metal sheets are arranged in a plane between the punch and the die, and the penetration depth necessary for joining the metal sheets is adjustable. Before joining the metal sheets, the current total thickness is determined with the aid of the control unit and the penetration depth is set depending on the total thickness. The method includes: storing a number of different total thicknesses or total thickness ranges in the control unit, assigning a penetration depth to a total thickness or to a total thickness range, and calibrating the clinching device.

A pre-fitting nest and a method serve for forming a crown from a plurality of U-shaped electrically conductive hairpins to then be able to install the crown in a machine element of an electric machine, e.g., a stator. Here, an accommodating member has a plurality of grooves in which the legs of the hairpins are accommodated. The grooves are annularly disposed about a center and extend perpendicularly to the plane of the accommodating member. With respect to their size and geometry, they are configured such that in each case a first leg of a hairpin rotates within the groove thus to enable an unconstrained positioning of the second leg of the hairpin in another groove. One or several crowns formed from hairpins are provided for introduction into a machine element and inserted into the machine element.

A pre-fitting nest and a method serve for forming a crown from a plurality of U-shaped electrically conductive hairpins to then be able to install the crown in a machine element of an electric machine, e.g., a stator. Here, an accommodating member has a plurality of grooves in which the legs of the hairpins are accommodated. The grooves are annularly disposed about a center and extend perpendicularly to the plane of the accommodating member. With respect to their size and geometry, they are configured such that in each case a first leg of a hairpin rotates within the groove thus to enable an unconstrained positioning of the second leg of the hairpin in another groove. One or several crowns formed from hairpins are provided for introduction into a machine element and inserted into the machine element.

Combined sheets and a method of producing combined sheets. A combined sheet includes a main sheet including a first main indentation feature providing a first overhang over a first portion of the main sheet and a second main indentation feature providing a second overhang over a second portion of the main sheet. The combined sheet also includes a foundation sheet abutting the main sheet. The foundation sheet includes a first foundation indentation feature crimped to the first main indentation feature and a second foundation indentation feature crimped to the second main indentation feature. The first overhang and the second overhang provides overhangs in different directions to prohibit separation of the foundation sheet from the main sheet. The method of producing the combined sheet includes co-locating the main sheet to abut the foundation sheet and pressing one or more indentation punches for forming indentation features providing overhangs in different directions.

An exterior panel for hypersonic transport vehicles is formed of a superplastic metal alloy such as titanium for accommodating high thermal stresses of hypersonic flight. The exterior panel, designed as re-usable on such transport vehicles, includes an exterior skin configured for atmospheric exposure, and an interior skin configured for attachment to structural frame members of the transport vehicles. An intermediate skin is situated between a pair of multicellular cores; each multicellular core is sandwiched between the exterior and interior skins, one core being situated between the exterior and intermediate skins, while the other is situated between the intermediate and interior skins. An airflow channel (AFC) extends through at least one of the multicellular cores for cooling of the exterior panel. Each multicellular core is superplastic formed and diffusion bonded to the other, as well as to its respective pair of skins to form an exterior panel having a unified structure.

Metal sheets are connected in that a hole is introduced into metal sheets of a first stack, and a region of metal sheets of a second stack are deformed in a stack direction. The deformed region can be plastically deformed in such a way that there is interlocking of the deformed region with at least one metal sheet lying below same. In embodiments, the hole has a shape with a reduced width at the center.

A method for stacking sheet metal parts composed of an electrical steel strip or sheet in order to form lamination stacks, each with a stack height within a tolerance range from a predetermined desired stack height, including stacking the sheet metal parts, which have a hot-melt adhesive varnish layer on at least one flat side, preheating the hot-melt adhesive varnish layers and putting the hot-melt adhesive varnish layers under pressure, then determining the stack height of the individual lamination stacks and adjusting the stack height if necessary, and then finally heating the hot-melt adhesive varnish layers.

A method for stacking sheet metal parts composed of an electrical steel strip or sheet in order to form lamination stacks, each with a stack height within a tolerance range from a predetermined desired stack height, including stacking the sheet metal parts, which have a hot-melt adhesive varnish layer on at least one flat side, preheating the hot-melt adhesive varnish layers and putting the hot-melt adhesive varnish layers under pressure, then determining the stack height of the individual lamination stacks and adjusting the stack height if necessary, and then finally heating the hot-melt adhesive varnish layers.

A multi-axis roll-forming system for forming a stepped diameter in a cylinder includes a support that spins about a rotation axis while supporting a workpiece that includes the cylinder. A first actuator translates a first roller perpendicularly to the rotation axis. A second actuator moves a multi-axis roller radially outward, relative to the rotation axis, and upward along the rotation axis. The system may also include a first roller arm to which the multi-axis roller is coupled. The first roller arm is connected to a pivot joint having a pivot axis that is perpendicular to the rotation axis. The second actuator may include a linear-drive actuator that is coupled to the first roller arm and extends along the rotation axis to force the multi-axis roller to pivot about the pivot axis.

A multi-axis roll-forming system for forming a stepped diameter in a cylinder includes a support that spins about a rotation axis while supporting a workpiece that includes the cylinder. A first actuator translates a first roller perpendicularly to the rotation axis. A second actuator moves a multi-axis roller radially outward, relative to the rotation axis, and upward along the rotation axis. The system may also include a first roller arm to which the multi-axis roller is coupled. The first roller arm is connected to a pivot joint having a pivot axis that is perpendicular to the rotation axis. The second actuator may include a linear-drive actuator that is coupled to the first roller arm and extends along the rotation axis to force the multi-axis roller to pivot about the pivot axis.