U-O FORMING OF A COMPONENT CURVED ABOUT THREE SPATIAL AXES

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for producing a shaped sheet metal component from a billet by means of U O forming, wherein firstly a preform is created by the U-forming and then a final shaping is performed by the O forming to give a final form.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A process of producing a shaped sheet metal component from a billet by U-O forming, the process comprising: providing a planar billet, U-forming the billet to give a U-preform, near-net-shape cutting of the U-preform, placing the U-preform into an intermediate forming tool and bending-up a plurality of protruding legs of the U-preform, placing a filling body in the U-preform with the bent-up legs, and bending ends of the bent-up legs to overlap with the filling body, pulling the filling body out of the U-preform after said bending the ends of the legs, so as to generate elastic and plastic deformation of the ends and to obtain an intermediate form, and O-forming the intermediate form.

11. A process of producing a shaped sheet metal component from a billet by U-O forming, the process comprising: providing a planar billet, shaping the billet on a shaping tool with a first curvature about a first spatial axis, driving a shaping press into the billet that has been shaped with the first curvature, the shaping press creating a second curvature of the billet about a second spatial axis, which is substantially orthogonal with respect to the first spatial axis, and simultaneously producing a third curvature about a third spatial axis, the third spatial axis being substantially orthogonal with respect to the first spatial axis and to the second spatial axis, wherein said shaping and driving create a U-preform, the driving-in of the shaping press creating the first curvature on the U-preform, and O-forming the U-preform.

12. A process according to claim 10, wherein the O-forming is performed by bending the bent ends of the legs further inward, and then bringing a plurality of face sides of the bent ends together.

13. A process according to claim 12, wherein, in said bringing the face sides of the bent ends together, a press-shaping tool having a closed mold cavity in cross section is used to cause the face sides to come into contact with one another.

14. A process according to claim 13, wherein, after said bending the bent ends of the legs further inward, the intermediate form has a maximum width that is narrower than a maximum width of the mold cavity.

15. A process according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the U-preform or the intermediate form is produced with at least one of a cross section varying in a longitudinal direction or a varying wall thickness.

16. A process according to claim 14, wherein the maximum width of the intermediate form is at least 5% narrower than the maximum width of the mold cavity.

17. A process according to claim 10, wherein at least the O-forming is performed as hot-forming.

18. A process according to claim 10, wherein the O-forming of the intermediate form is performed in a tool, the intermediate form being laid on a component holder and being shaped into an O-form by lateral moving together of mold jaws and lowering of a die onto a top side of the intermediate form.

19. A process according to claim 14, wherein the maximum width of the intermediate form is at least 10% narrower than the maximum width of the mold cavity.

20. A process according to claim 14, wherein the maximum width of the intermediate form is at least 15% narrower than the maximum width of the mold cavity.

21. A process according to claim 14, wherein the maximum width of the intermediate form is at least 20% narrower than the maximum width of the mold cavity.

22. A process according to claim 10, wherein at least the O-forming is performed as hot-forming with subsequent press quenching.

23. A process according to claim 10, wherein said U-forming the billet comprises: shaping the billet on a shaping tool with a first curvature about a first spatial axis, and driving a shaping press into the billet that has been shaped with the first curvature, the shaping press creating a second curvature of the billet about a second spatial axis, which is substantially orthogonal with respect to the first spatial axis, and simultaneously producing a third curvature about a third spatial axis, the third spatial axis being substantially orthogonal with respect to the first spatial axis and to the second spatial axis, wherein said shaping and driving create the U-preform, the driving-in of the shaping press creating the first curvature on the U-preform.

24. A process according to claim 11, wherein the O-forming of the U-preform is performed in a tool, the U-preform being laid on a component holder and being shaped into an O-form by lateral moving together of mold jaws and lowering of a die onto a top side of the U-preform.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Further advantages, features, properties and aspects of the present disclosure form the subject matter of the following description. Embodiments are illustrated in the schematic figures. These serve as an aid to understanding the embodiments. In the figures:

[0032] FIGS. 1A to 1D, 2, 3A-3C, 4, 5A-5B, and 6-10 show the various method steps for producing the component, and

[0033] FIGS. 11 to 14 show an alternative embodiment of the method with respect to the O-forming.

[0034] In the figures, the same reference numerals are used for identical or similar components, even though a repeated description is omitted for reasons of simplification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] FIGS. 1A to 1D show a deep-drawing tool 2, in order to be formed from a planar metal billet 1 initially provided on a deep-drawing tool 2 for the purpose of U-forming and so as to form a preform. The billet 1 is placed into the deep-drawing tool 2 and a holding-down device 4 is lowered onto a die 3, illustrated in FIG. 1B. In so doing, a first curvature 5 is created about a spatial axis X, with the result that the billet 1 is preformed having an arc or a wave. Two or three curvatures could also be created so as to be offset in a manner parallel to one another about the first spatial axis X, for example in accordance with the principle of a wave profile.

[0036] A shaping press 6 then moves into the deep-drawing tool 2 and creates a second curvature 7, illustrated in FIG. 2 about a second spatial axis Y. The press 6 is however also simultaneously curved in its longitudinal direction about a third spatial axis Z. This is evident in the plan view of FIG. 1C. The movement of the shaping press 6 into the billet 1 thus not only creates the second curvature 7 about the second spatial axis Y but also creates the first curvature 5 about the first spatial axis X on the U-preform 11, and also a third curvature 29 about a third spatial axis Z. A plurality of third curvatures can also be made, each about the spatial axis Z, with the result that a wave form is likewise created in the plan view in FIG. 1C and also discussed later in relation to the U-preform in the plan view in FIG. 3B.

[0037] The second spatial axis Y and the first spatial axis X and the third spatial axis Z extend transversely with respect to one another, however they need not intersect. The spatial axes X, Y and Z may, however, also be arranged in an angle range of 60 to 110 degrees, like 70 to 100 degrees, with respect to one another. The spatial axes need not intersect; they may extend so as to be offset with respect to one another. If both were to be projected into a plane, they would extend in the above-mentioned angle range or transversely with respect to one another.

[0038] A U-preform 11 is therefore prepared having a first curvature 5 about a first spatial axis X and a second curvature 7 about a second spatial axis Y, and a third curvature 29 about a third spatial axis Z, in accordance with FIGS. 3A to 3C. For the sake of clarity, here the second spatial axis Y is represented in a manner following the curvature 5 about the first spatial axis X. The U-preform 11 has a U-shape, each of the legs 8 of which is cut at ends 9. This cut is a near-net-shape cut. Face sides 10 are thus produced at the ends 9. The face sides 10 extend over the length L of the U-preform 11. The intermediate forming according to the disclosure now takes place, as illustrated in FIGS. 5, 5A, and 5B.

[0039] The U-preform 11 is set down on an anvil 12 and a filling body 13 is introduced into the preform 11. Further tool parts 14 of an intermediate forming tool 15 are then used to bend up the legs 8, in the end region 9 thereof. This takes place such that the ends 9 of the legs 8 are bent up pointing toward one another. Said ends 9 thus overlap the filling body 13 at least in portions, as illustrated in FIG. 5A. The tool parts 14 are then opened, as indicated by the dashed arrows. In order that the filling body 13 can now be pulled out of the intermediate form 16 produced in this way, at least one pin 17 is provided and engages through the filling body 13 and presses against the base 18 of the intermediate form 16, with the result that when the filling body is pulled out, the legs 8 are elastically outwardly deformed, as illustrated in FIG. 5B. Additionally, a slight plastic deformation of the legs 8 can also take place here.

[0040] An O-forming then follows said intermediate forming step, in two further method steps. Firstly, the intermediate form 16 produced in this way is in turn set down on another anvil 19, and the legs 8, the ends 9 of the legs 8, are bent further inward with tool parts 20 of an O-forming tool, as illustrated in FIG. 7. A holding pin 21 is provided here and presses the base 18 of the intermediate form against the anvil 19, with the result that the legs 8 are bent further toward one another, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0041] In a further, subsequent method step of the O-forming, a press-shaping tool 24 having a top tool 22 and a bottom tool 23 is then used. A mold cavity 25, according to FIG. 10, has a width B25 that is wider than a width B16 of the intermediate form 16 after the first method step of the O-forming (c.f. FIG. 10). The press-shaping tool 24 is then closed, as illustrated in FIG. 9. This results in a closed mold cavity. The face sides of the ends are placed against one another and a transformed sheet metal molding 26, also referred to as a shaped component, of closed cross section is produced. The outer lateral surface 27 of said transformed sheet metal molding 26 bears extensively on the inner lateral surface 28 of the mold cavity 25 on all sides.

[0042] FIGS. 11, 12, 13 and 14 show an alternative embodiment of the method according to the disclosure with respect to the O-forming. FIGS. 11 and 12 show a cross section through the same tool at different points in time. FIGS. 13 and 14 show a respective side view and cross-sectional view of the same tool at different points in time. In accordance with FIGS. 11 and 13, the initially produced U-form or intermediate form is set down on a component holder 30. The U-form may be a U-form produced by U-forming or the U-preform produced according to the disclosure. Said U-form may however also be the intermediate form 16 that was produced with the manufacturing step in FIG. 5B. In the case of this intermediate form 16, in a modification with respect to FIGS. 6 to 9, one tool is then used for further O-forming. Here, firstly the legs 8 are bent toward one another in a transverse direction Q by lateral mold jaws 31. Consecutively or concurrently, an upper die 32 begins to be lowered, with the result that the ends 9 of the legs 8 are formed toward one another and thereby the O-forming, that is to say the production of a hollow profile having a closed cross section, is produced. This shaping process is completed in FIGS. 12 and 14, which illustrate the shaped sheet metal component 33 produced. Mandrels 34 are driven into the end sides, so as to prevent the intermediate form or U-form from tilting after being set down on the component holder 30. This driving-in of the mandrels 34 takes place for part of the length portion in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate form 16. In this way, the intermediate form 16 is fixed during the shaping process and held against tilting or other slipping on the component holder 30. After completion of the O-forming process illustrated in FIG. 14, the mandrels 34 are then pulled out laterally from or from the end sides of the shaped sheet metal component 33 produced, obliquely upward to the left and obliquely upward to the right in the figure (not illustrated in greater detail).

[0043] The foregoing description of some embodiments of the disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The specifically described embodiments explain the principles and practical applications to enable one ordinarily skilled in the art to utilize various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.