Abstract
A method for calibrating a metal profile blank configured as a hollow-chamber profile having at least one solid wall. A pressing tool is closed in a main direction about one end region of an element of the profile blank until surfaces of the pressing tool lie against a pair of surfaces of the profile blank to be calibrated, deforming and bending the at least one end region of the element. The pressing tool is closed in a secondary direction perpendicular to the main direction until surfaces of the pressing tool lie against surfaces of the at least one end region, and wedge-like limbs of a drive element of the pressing tool engage wedge-like dies of the pressing tool. The pressing tool is closed further in the secondary direction, subjecting the profile blank to plastic deformation so as to reduce or eliminate the bending of the end region.
Claims
1. A method for calibrating a metal profile blank which is configured as a hollow-chamber profile and which has at least one solid wall, comprising: a) providing a metal profile blank which is configured as a hollow-chamber profile and which has at least one element with a longitudinal extent, a transverse extent and a vertical extent, b) inserting at least one end region of the element of the profile blank into a cavity of an open pressing tool, c) closing the pressing tool in such a way that surfaces of the pressing tool are displaced in a main closing direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the profile blank until they come to lie against a pair of surfaces, which are situated opposite one another at a distance, of the at least one end region of the element of the profile blank to be calibrated, d) closing the pressing tool further in the main direction, compression having the effect that the at least one end region of the element of the profile blank is deformed and the element of the profile blank is bent, e) closing the pressing tool in a secondary direction perpendicular to the main direction and to the longitudinal extent of the profile blank until surfaces of the pressing tool come to lie against surfaces of the at least one end region of the element of the profile blank to be calibrated, wedge-like limbs of a drive element of the pressing tool coming into engagement with wedge-like dies of the pressing tool and the wedge-like limbs being supported in this case on supporting or mating elements, a floating mandrel being inserted into at least one hollow chamber of the profile blank, f) closing the pressing tool further in the secondary direction, the moving of the wedge-like limbs of the drive element of the pressing tool against the wedge-like dies of the pressing tool having the effect that the profile blank is subjected to plastic deformation, generated as a result of compression, in the main or secondary direction so as to reduce or eliminate the bending generated in step d), g) opening the pressing tool, and h) removing the profile blank which has now been calibrated to the final profile.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a profile blank composed of an extruded aluminum alloy is used.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a lubricant is applied between the surfaces of the pressing tool that make contact during the compression and the surfaces of the profile blank.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein during the plastic deformation of the at least one element, overcalibration is performed which compensates for an elastic spring-back action of the element.
5. The method as claimed in one of claim 1, wherein the profile blank used is a flat or plate-like profile blank, in particular with at least two different surface portions of oppositely situated surfaces, which define different wall thicknesses.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a profile blank with at least one hollow chamber having a polygonal, in particular rectangular profile cross section is used.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressing tool used is a pressing tool with at least one inner tool, which is introduced preferably at least 50 mm into the end region of the at least one hollow chamber of the profile blank prior to the compression.
8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein both the height and the width of the end region of the hollow-chamber profile blank decreases by at least 0.2%, in particular by between 0.3% and 5%, during the calibration.
9. A pressing tool for calibration of a metal profile blank, which is configured as a hollow-chamber profile, by a method as claimed in claim 1.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] Further aims, advantages, features and application possibilities of the present invention emerge from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings. Here, all the features described and/or illustrated form, on their own or in any desired expedient combination, the subject matter of the present invention, also irrespective of how they are summarized in the claims or how they relate back to preceding claims.
[0037] In the figures:
[0038] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a profile blank for production of a profile which is calibrated in accordance with the invention,
[0039] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a pressing tool according to the invention for calibration of the profile blank as per FIG. 1,
[0040] FIGS. 3 to 5 show individual method steps of a method according to the invention for calibration of a profile blank as per FIG. 1 using a pressing tool as per FIG. 2,
[0041] FIG. 6 shows a second exemplary embodiment of a profile blank for production of a profile which is calibrated in accordance with the invention,
[0042] FIG. 7 shows an exemplary embodiment of a tool according to the invention for calibration of a profile blank to form a profile as per FIG. 6,
[0043] FIGS. 8 to 12 show an illustration of individual method steps for calibration of a profile blank to form a profile as per FIG. 6 using a pressing tool as per FIG. 7, in each case with a detail illustration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0044] In FIG. 1, a first exemplary embodiment of a profile blank 101 for production of a profile according to the invention is now illustrated. Here, the profile blank 101 is configured as a two-chamber hollow profile with hollow chambers 120 and 121 which are arranged one on top of the other and which are separated from one another by a partition 122. The two-chamber hollow profile of the profile blank 101 has in this case a lower surface 108 and an upper surface 109 and a left-hand surface 112 and a right-hand surface 113. In this case, these surfaces 108, 109, 112 and 113 belong to a respective planar element 103 configured as a solid wall 102.
[0045] In FIG. 2, a pressing tool 105 according to the invention is now illustrated, by means of which a profile blank 1 which is configured as a two-chamber hollow profile as per FIG. 6 can be calibrated. Here, all the elements, with the exception of the floating mandrels provided for the hollow chambers 120 and 121, are illustrated. First of all, these are a lower die 114, an upper die 115 and a left-hand die 116 and a right-hand die 117. The upper die 115 and the lower die 114 can be displaced in relation to one another for example via a hydraulic system which is not illustrated here. In the present case, the left-hand die 116 and the right-hand die 117 are of slightly wedge-like configuration, so that limbs 124 and 125 of a drive element 123 that are also of wedge-like configuration can be displaced in relation to one another so as to be supported on supporting elements 126 and 127. The profile blank 101 as per FIG. 6 for the calibration is inserted into the cavity 104 arranged between the dies 114 to 117. Here, the dies 114 to 117 again have surfaces 106, 107, 110 and 111 which, during the calibration, contact the surfaces 108, 109 and 112 and 113 of the profile blank 101.
[0046] In FIG. 3, the profile blank 101 inserted into the cavity 104 of the pressing tool 105 is now illustrated. In this illustration, the pressing tool 105 is also in its open position, the floating mandrels 118 and 119 mentioned above having already been inserted into the hollow chambers 120 and 121. These floating mandrels 118 and 119 are configured as solid inner tools and have an outer contour which corresponds to the inner contour of the hollow chambers 120 and 121 to be calibrated of the profile which is finally produced from the calibrated profile blank 101. The surface 108 of the profile blank 101 is in this case already in contact with the surface 110 of the lower die 114. Between the other surfaces 112, 113 and 109 of the profile blank 101, there is also a gap relative to the surfaces 110, 111 and 107 of the dies 115, 116 and 117.
[0047] As is now illustrated in FIG. 4, the upper die 115 is displaced toward the lower die 114 of the pressing tool 105. In this case, the surface 107 of the upper die 115 now comes to lie against the surface 109 of the profile blank 101, and during the further displacement of the dies 115 and 114 in relation to one another, the walls of the profile blank 101 that comprise the surfaces 112 and 113 are compressed, these walls being both deformed and subjected to bending. The compression is effected in this case in such a way that the floating mandrels 118 and 119 now strike against the walls of the profile blank 101 that comprise the surfaces 106 and 107 and come into abutment there, while the profile blank 101 is further plastically deformed.
[0048] In FIG. 5, the final method step of the pressing operation or compression operation with overcalibration of the profile blank 101 is now illustrated. Here, the left-hand die 116 and the right-hand die 117 have now been displaced in relation to one another by the drive element 123 and the limbs 124 and 125 thereof, along with the mating elements 126 and 127, in such a way that the gap between the walls 110 and 111 of the dies 116 and 117 and the walls 112 and 113 of the profile blank 109 disappears again, and here the profile blank is plastically deformed further so as to eliminate the previously generated bending and is thereby overcalibrated. After the profile blank 101 has been removed from the cavity 104 after the opening of the pressing tool 105, this overcalibration is eliminated as a result of the spring-back property which is inherent to the material, and therefore the finally calibrated profile is produced. It should also be noted that the wall thickness of the profile blank 101 does not change during the calibration thereof. The thickness of the walls of the profile blank corresponds to the thickness of the wall thickness of the calibrated profile. The profile which has now been calibrated in this way can then be supplied for the further use thereof.
[0049] FIG. 6 now shows a third exemplary embodiment of a profile blank, which is intended to be calibrated by the method according to the invention. The profile blank 201 of FIG. 6 is a multi-chamber profile, which is configured in a very complex manner with six different hollow chambers 220, 221, 228, 229, 230, 231. In this case, the individual hollow chambers are separated from one another by partitions 221, 232, 233, 234, 235. The multi-chamber hollow profile of the profile blank 201 has in this case a lower surface 208 and an upper surface 209 and a left-hand surface 212 and a right-hand surface 213. In this case, these surfaces 208, 209, 212 and 213 belong to a respective planar element 203 configured as a solid wall 202. Calibration by means of the common internal high pressure method would be difficult on account of the complex tool design. However, simple calibration can be achieved by means of the calibration method according to the invention.
[0050] The pressing tool 205, with which the profile blank 201 of FIG. 6 is calibrated, is illustrated substantially in FIG. 7, the profile blank 201 having already been inserted into the cavity 204 of the pressing tool 205.
[0051] The construction of the pressing tool 205 corresponds substantially to that of the pressing tool 105 of FIGS. 2 to 5, merely the upper die 215 and the left-hand and the right-hand die 216 and 217 having been adapted to the geometry of the profile blank 201 or of the die 215. For the six hollow spaces 220, 221, 228, 229, 230, 231 of the profile blank 201 used here, use is made of six different floating mandrels 218, 219, 236, 237, 238 and 239 which are inserted into these hollow spaces 220, 221, 228, 229, 230, 231 during the calibration. A detail illustration of the profile blank 201 inserted into the pressing tool 205 is illustrated in FIG. 8.
[0052] As is now illustrated in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the upper die 215 is displaced toward the lower die 214 of the pressing tool 205. In this case, the surface 207 of the upper die 215 now comes to lie against the surface 209 of the profile blank 201, and during the further displacement of the dies 215 and 214 in relation to one another, the walls of the profile blank 201 that comprise the surfaces 212 and 213 are compressed, these walls being both plastically deformed and subjected to bending. The compression is effected in this case in such a way that the floating mandrels 218, 219, 236, 237, 238 and 239 now strike against the walls of the profile blank 201 that comprise the surfaces 208 and 209 and come into abutment there, while the profile blank 201 is further plastically deformed.
[0053] In FIGS. 11 and 12, the final method step of the pressing operation or compression operation with overcalibration of the profile blank 201 is now illustrated. Here, the left-hand die 216 and the right-hand die 217 have now been displaced in relation to one another by the drive element 223 and the limbs 224 and 225 thereof and the mating elements 226 and 227 in such a way that the gap between the walls 210 and 211 of the dies 216 and 217 and the walls 212 and 213 of the profile blank 209 disappears again, and here the profile blank 201 is plastically deformed further so as to eliminate the previously generated bending and is thereby overcalibrated. After the profile blank 201 has been removed from the cavity 204 after the opening of the pressing tool 205, this overcalibration is eliminated as a result of the spring-back property which is inherent to the material, and therefore the finally calibrated profile is produced. It should also be noted that the wall thickness of the profile blank 201 does not change during the calibration thereof. The thickness of the walls of the profile blank corresponds to the thickness of the wall thickness of the calibrated profile. The profile which has now been calibrated in this way can then be supplied for the further use thereof.
LIST OF REFERENCE DESIGNATIONS
[0054] 101 Profile blank [0055] 102 Wall [0056] 103 Element [0057] 104 Cavity [0058] 105 Pressing tool [0059] 106 Surface [0060] 107 Surface [0061] 108 Surface [0062] 109 Surface [0063] 110 Surface [0064] 111 Surface [0065] 112 Surface [0066] 113 Surface [0067] 114 Die [0068] 115 Die [0069] 116 Die [0070] 117 Die [0071] 118 Mandrel [0072] 119 Mandrel [0073] 120 Hollow chamber [0074] 121 Hollow chamber [0075] 122 Partition [0076] 123 Drive element [0077] 124 Limb [0078] 125 Limb [0079] 126 Supporting element [0080] 127 Supporting element [0081] 201 Profile blank [0082] 202 Wall [0083] 203 Element [0084] 204 Cavity [0085] 205 Pressing tool [0086] 206 Surface [0087] 207 Surface [0088] 208 Surface [0089] 209 Surface [0090] 210 Surface [0091] 211 Surface [0092] 212 Surface [0093] 213 Surface [0094] 214 Die [0095] 215 Die [0096] 216 Die [0097] 217 Die [0098] 218 Mandrel [0099] 219 Mandrel [0100] 220 Hollow chamber [0101] 221 Hollow chamber [0102] 222 Partition [0103] 223 Drive element [0104] 224 Limb [0105] 225 Limb [0106] 226 Mating element [0107] 227 Mating element [0108] 228 Hollow chamber [0109] 229 Hollow chamber [0110] 230 Hollow chamber [0111] 231 Hollow chamber [0112] 232 Partition [0113] 233 Partition [0114] 234 Partition [0115] 235 Partition [0116] 236 Mandrel [0117] 237 Mandrel [0118] 238 Mandrel [0119] 239 Mandrel
