System and method for hot stamping of components

Abstract

A system for producing components by hot stamping includes a laser cutting station for cutting a plate from a supplied steel-sheet material. The plate has at least one of a predetermined edge-contour and a predetermined cut-out portion for forming a shape of the component. The plate is stored in a storage station, and is subsequently transferred to a furnace station for heating the plate to a predetermined deformation temperature. A press having a hot stamping tool forms the plate into the shape of the component. The system also includes a measuring station disposed downstream of the press for obtaining measurement data relating to the shape of the component that is formed from the plate. The measurement data obtained using the measuring station is provided to a control module of the laser cutting station via a feedback loop.

Claims

1. A system for producing components by hot stamping, comprising: a laser cutting station for cutting a plate from a supplied steel-sheet material, the plate having at least one of a predetermined edge-contour and a predetermined cut-out portion for forming a shape of a component; a storage station for storing the plate; a furnace for heating the plate to a predetermined deformation temperature, a press having a hot stamping tool for forming the plate into the shape of the component, and a measuring station disposed downstream of the press for obtaining measurement data relating to the shape and/or size of the component that is formed from the plate, wherein the measurement data obtained using the measuring station is provided to a control module of the laser cutting station via a feedback loop.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the storage station is a tempering container.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the measuring station registers all the measurement data via a monitoring unit and compares them with nominal specifications for the component.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the monitoring unit of the measuring station detects deviations from the nominal specifications and delivers the information to the control module of the laser cutting station.

5. A system according to claim 3, wherein the control module of the laser cutting station adapts the cutting based on the measurement data in order to reduce deviations from the nominal specifications in a subsequent component.

6. A method for operating a system according to claim 1, wherein the measuring station registers all the measurement data via a monitoring unit and compares them with nominal specifications for the component.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the monitoring unit of the measuring station detects deviations from the nominal specifications and delivers the information to the control module of the laser cutting station.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the control module of the laser cutting station adapts the cutting based on the measurement data in order to reduce deviations from the nominal specifications.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein a feedback loop between the measuring station and the laser cutting station is created through a connection of the monitoring unit and the control module.

10. A method according to claim 6, wherein parameters of the tool are registered and used for feedback provided to a control module of the laser cutting station.

11. A method for producing components by hot stamping, comprising: using a laser at a laser cutting station, cutting a plate from a supplied steel-sheet material, the plate having at least one of a predetermined edge-contour and a predetermined cut-out portion for forming a shape of a component; storing the plate in a storage station; transferring the plate from the storage station to a furnace and heating the plate in the furnace to a predetermined deformation temperature; transferring the heated plate into a press having a hot stamping tool for forming the plate into the shape of the component; in the press, hot stamping the plate into the shape of the component; at a measuring station disposed downstream of the press, obtaining measurement data relating to the shape of the component that is formed from the plate; and providing the measurement data to a control module of the laser cutting station via a feedback loop.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the storage station is a tempering container and comprising heating the plate in the tempering container prior to transferring the plate to the furnace.

13. A method according to claim 11, comprising registering all the measurement data via a monitoring unit of the measuring station, wherein the monitoring unit compares the measurement data with nominal specifications for the component.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the monitoring unit of the measuring station detects deviations from the nominal specifications of the component and delivers information relating to the deviations to the control module of the laser cutting station.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the control module of the laser cutting station adapts the cutting based on the information relating to the deviations, in order to reduce deviation from the nominal specifications in a subsequent component.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein in the measuring station, the measurement data is obtained by measuring different points over the entire area of the component.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the component is discarded if a deviation occurs between the measurement data and nominal specifications.

18. A method according to claim 6, wherein the storage station is a tempering container, and comprising heating the plate in the tempering container prior to introducing the plate to the furnace.

19. A method according to claim 11, wherein in the measuring station, the measurement data is obtained by measuring different points over the entire area of the component.

20. A method according to claim 19 including discarding the component if a deviation occurs between the measurement data and nominal specifications.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will now be described by way of example only, and with reference to the attached drawing. It should be understood that the drawing is not necessarily to scale. In certain instances, details that are not necessary for an understanding of the disclosure or that render other details difficult to perceive have been omitted.

(2) FIG. 1 shows an exemplary system in accordance with an embodiment of the instant invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(3) FIG. 1 shows an exemplary system, as is used also to create contour cuts in a metal band. The material, for instance the metal band, is unwound from a reel 2 and is provided to a processing station 4 via an aligning station 3. In the aligning station 3, the material is either aligned, or leveled or, indeed, suitably prepared for further processing. The metal band is fed to the processing station 4 via conveyors and/or other transport devices (not illustrated). The processing station 4 is here disposed above the plane of the processing. A work piece support 1 is installed beneath the plane of the processing. After the processing, the workpieces, now separately present, are deposited in a storage station 5. The processing station 4 is a contactlessly working cutting station, for instance a laser cutting station, a water jet cutting station, a plasma cutting station or an erosion cutting station.

(4) In a specific and non-limiting example, the processing station (4) is a laser cutting station. The laser cutting station not only cuts off rectangular pieces from the metal band, but structures the workpiece in its contour and also creates cutouts and recesses. The prefabricated workpieces, after the laser processing station 4, exist in the form of individual plates 10. The plates 10 are deposited as a stack 13 in a storage station 5. The storage station 5 can here be a simple storage station, in which the plates are introduced in such a way that they can easily be removed again. In particular, the plates are introduced and stored in a manner that prevents the blanks from sticking together by adhesion. In a further embodiment of the invention, the storage station 5 can be heated, e.g., a tempering container. In such an embodiment, the plates can be preheated in the tempering container to a temperature above ambient environmental temperature. For instance, the plates can be preheated to a temperature above 100 C., such as for instance 180 C.

(5) The plates 10 from the storage station 5 are introduced into a furnace station 11. In a specific and non-limiting example, the furnace station 11 is designed as a continuous furnace and heats the plates 10 between the storage station 5 and the press 6 to a predetermined temperature as is intended for the hot stamping. From the furnace station 11, the plates 10 are inserted into the tool 12 of the press 6. Then, the forming process takes place. Directly from the tool 12, the deep-drawn component is delivered into a measuring station 7. In the measuring station 7, different measuring points, which are represented schematically in the drawing as small circles, are measured over the entire area of the component. If the result is consistent with the nominal values which are stored in the measuring station 7, the component is accepted and stored. Should a deviation occur, the component is discarded. The deviation of the component from the nominal sizes is registered by a measurement monitoring unit 8, which is connected to the measuring station 7. The monitoring unit 8 relays the deviating values directly to a control module 9, which is connected to the laser cutting station 4. The control module 9 analyses the deviating values and creates parameters therefrom, which serve for the actuation of the laser or lasers for cutting the component.

(6) With the aid of this feedback loop, the components are cut such that, following their deformation in the press 6, they correspond to the nominal sizes.

(7) When the system is calibrated for first-time use, the feedback process requires that roughly 20 plates are produced as scrap until the adjustment of the cutting station leads to the desired result. During ongoing operation, only slight readjustments are then necessary when the measuring station indicates that there is a tendency to deviate from the nominal size.

(8) In order to optimize the control method, it is provided that parameters of the tool 12 are likewise processed. Here, particularly the tool temperature, and possible aging effects of the tool, are important.

(9) By means of the presented feedback loop, the amount of scrap components is reduced.

REFERENCE SYMBOLS

(10) 1 workpiece support 2 reel 3 aligning station 4 processing station 5 storage station 6 press 7 measuring station 8 monitoring unit 9 control module 10 plate 11 furnace station 12 tool 13 stack of plates