An automotive panel assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes a first panel, a second panel, and a flange of the first panel folded over an edge region of the second panel to hem together the first and second panels. The flange of the first panel includes a textured geometry that interlocks with a textured geometry of the edge region.

The invention is a continuous gutter guard manufacturing process and a one-piece gutter guard article made therefrom which crimps a wire mesh filtration screen within the recesses of upper and lower supports of the one-piece gutter guard article. The wire mesh filtration screen has no underlying support, which is characteristic of a one-piece gutter guard construction. The upper and lower edges of the mesh filtration screen remain in a planar, non-embossed state, such that any ridges or patterns embossed into the screen do not follow into the portion of the screen that is crimped within the upper and lower supports of the gutter guard. This construction prevents the formation of debris pockets which can significantly reduce the performance of a one-piece gutter guard.

A roller hemming device includes a backing metal, a guide roller, a bending roller, a pressing unit, and a swinging unit. The backing metal includes an abutment surface and a guide surface. The abutment surface is brought into abutment against a first panel member. The guide roller is moved in an extending direction of the guide surface with abutting against the guide surface. With being moved synchronously with the guide roller, the bending roller presses a bent peripheral edge portion of the first panel member via the backing metal such that the bent peripheral edge portion of the first panel member is pinched between the bending roller and the guide roller, and folds the bent peripheral edge portion of the first panel member back to a periphery edge portion of a second panel member. The pressing unit presses the bending roller toward the backing metal.

A folding tool (2) and a method for bend folding a workpiece (5) in multiple steps. The folding tool (2) includes three or more driven folding elements (13, 17, 21) which are positioned above one another and are fed to a common folding point, at least one folding element (17, 21) performing a swiveling movement. The folding tool (2) is used for successively creating folds with fold angles of about 160° or more in a plurality of folding steps.

A hemming path planning method and a hemming system are provided. The hemming path planning method includes the following steps. An initial contour data of a target is scanned to obtain. A first segment of the hemming path is planned according to the initial contour data. The first segment corresponds to a first bending angle. A second segment of the hemming path is planned according to the initial contour data and an expected springback amount related to the first bending angle. The second segment corresponds to a second bending angle. The first segment and the second segment are combined to obtain a continuous hemming path.

A hem punch is floating-supported to a slide cam by a floating-support mechanism. After the hem punch is moved to be positioned at a pre-hemming start position by a driver cam, preliminary hemming is performed. Subsequently, the hem punch is moved to be positioned at a final-hemming start position by the driver cam, and then the hem punch is moved downward by the floating-support mechanism to perform final hemming.

Flanging press for folding over a flange of a component, preferably of a vehicle part, the press being arranged in a stationary manner and including at least the following: (a) a basic structure with a flanging bed, against which the component can be pressed in a pressing direction in order for the flange to be folded over, (b) a flanging die unit with a flanging die for folding over the flange, (c) and a pressing drive for generating a pressing force which acts on the component in order for the flange to be folded over, (d) wherein the flanging die and the flanging bed can be moved relative to one another in the pressing direction by the pressing drive in order for the pressing force to be exerted, characterized in that (e) the pressing drive includes a bellows which can be subjected to the action of pressurized fluid, preferably compressed gas, and, under the action of pressure, acts on the flanging die unit or the flanging bed in the pressing direction and thus generates at least some of the pressing force, and the bellows has a bellows surface which extends transversely to the pressing direction and can be subjected to the action of the pressurized fluid.

Adjoining edges of adjacent honeycomb core panel sections are mechanically interlocked. In one embodiment, the method includes forming a first edge along a first cellular core panel section. The first edge includes a first plurality of edge cell walls along the first edge. The method further includes forming a second edge along a second cellular core panel section, wherein the second edge includes a second plurality of edge cell walls along the second edge. The first edge is positioned proximate to the second edge. At least a portion of at least one of the first plurality of edge cell walls is mechanically interlocked with at least a portion of at least one of the second plurality of edge cell walls to form a joint therebetween. A composite structure may be at least partially produced by such a method.

The disclosure relates to a method for producing a overlapping connection, in which at least two overlapping components are connected to one another via a folded flange, with a first edge of a first component being folded over a second edge of a second component to form the folded flange, along with a body component that includes such an overlapping connection for a vehicle and a stamping tool for such a body component. According to the disclosure at least one connection region is formed on the folded flange, in which the stamping tool stamps the first component through the second component at least one stamping point, with displaced material of the first component passing into the second component and producing a positive connection.

A tool for field notching metal roof panels to allow the panels to properly nest within an end lap condition, the notching tool operable between an open and closed position. The notching tool is comprised of two mechanism assemblies, each assembly comprised of two handles with the proximal end of each handle connected to either a first jaw body or a second jaw body and the distal end of each handle connected to a handle separation member that spans the distance to the opposing mechanism assembly. At the distal end of each of the jaw bodies a pair of dies, male and female, that span the distance between the first and second mechanism assemblies. The male and female dies are used for severing excess material from the roof panel edges.