Device and method for producing at least partially closed hollow profiles with rotatable die halves and low cycle time

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for forming an at least in part closed hollow profile from a board a with a tool comprising a first half having an at least a U-stamp and at least an upper cavity and a second half having two identical at least in part U-shaped die cavities. The U-stamp and the upper cavity of the first tool half are each meshed with an at least in part U-shaped cavity when the tool is shut. The at least one U-stamp and the at least one upper cavity of the first tool half and the at least two at least in part U-shaped die cavities of the second tool half are arranged in a rotationally symmetrical manner to the rotational axis running in the closing direction of the tool.

Claims

1. Device for producing at least in part closed hollow profiles from a board by means of a U-O-forming with a tool, comprising at least a U-stamp and at least an upper cavity in a first tool half, characterised in that at least two identical at least in part U-shaped cavities are provided in a second tool half, the U-stamp and the upper cavity of the first tool half each mesh with an at least in part U-shaped cavity, the at least one U-stamp and the at least one upper cavity of the first tool half and the at least two at least in part U-shaped cavities of the second tool half are arranged along a rotational axis running in a closing direction of the tool and the first and the second tool halves are rotatable relative to one another about said rotational axis such that rotating the first and/or the second tool half positions the U-stamp and the upper cavity to mesh with the first or the second at least in part U-shaped cavity, respectively.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the first or the second tool half is formed in a fixed manner, wherein the first or the second tool half are arranged on a mounting plate which is rotatable about the rotational axis.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein a core pulling device is provided for each cavity of the second tool half.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein guides are assigned to the U-stamp in the first tool half.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the at least in part U-shaped die cavities of the second tool half include side walls, the height of which is at least half of a maximum rolled out side wall length of a hollow profile to be produced.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein the side walls of the at least in part U-shaped die cavities are displaceable at least in partial areas in an outwards direction and these partial areas have inflow curves.

7. Device according to claim 1, wherein the first tool half has a plurality of U-stamps and upper die cavities arranged in pairs and in a rotationally symmetrical manner and the second tool half has an identical number of at least in part U-shaped die cavities which are arranged in a rotationally symmetrical manner to the respective rotation axis.

8. Method for the production of an at least in part closed hollow profile using a device according to claim 1, with the following steps: Insertion of a first level board into a first at least in part U-shaped cavity of the second tool half, Forming of the first board into an at least in part U-shaped board by closing the tool halves using the U-stamp of the first tool half, Opening of the tool and rotation of the first and second tool halves against one another along a rotational axis in the closing direction of the tool such that the U-stamp of the first tool half is positioned above the second at least in part U-shaped cavity of the second tool half and the upper cavity of the first tool half is positioned above the first at least in part U-shaped cavity of the second tool half, Insertion of a second level board into a second at least in part U-shaped cavity of the second tool half, Closing of the tool halves and simultaneous forming of the in part U-shaped first board into an at least in part closed hollow profile using the upper cavity of the first tool half and simultaneously forming the second board into an at least in part U-shaped board using the U-stamp of the first tool half.

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein the first and/or the second tool half is rotated about the rotational axis following the opening of the tool.

10. Method according to claim 8, wherein before the forming of an at least in part U-shaped board into an at least in part closed profile using a core pulling device, a support core is positioned in the respective at least in part U-shaped board in the second tool half.

11. Method according to claim 8, wherein the at least in part U-shaped die cavities have laterally displaceable partial areas of the side walls and when the tool halves are closed the side walls of the upper cavity of the first tool half displace the displaceable partial areas of the side walls of the at least in part U-shaped die cavities of the second tool half in an outwards direction.

12. Method according to claim 8, wherein further processing steps are carried out in the device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention should further be described on the basis of embodiments in connection with the figures. In the figures:

(2) FIGS. 1 to 9 show a schematic side view of a device according to the various processing steps in the production of an at least in part closed hollow profile,

(3) FIG. 10 shows a schematic three dimensional drawing of the device according to the invention with a plurality of U-stamps and upper die cavities arranged in pairs in a first tool half, and

(4) FIGS. 11 and 12 show a schematic plan view of the upper cavity of the first tool half during the threading of the arm of the at least in part U-shaped board.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) FIGS. 1 to 9 show a schematic side view of a device 1 according to the invention for the production of at least in part closed hollow profiles from a board 2 with a tool 3. The tool 3 has two tool halves 6, 8, a U-stamp 4 and an upper cavity 5 being provided in the first tool. The second tool half 8 has two identical at least in part U-shaped die cavities 7 which are arranged in a rotationally symmetrical manner to the rotational axis 9 together with the U-stamp 4 and the upper cavity 5.

(6) When a movement is made to close the tool 3, the U-stamp 4 and the upper cavity 5 are simultaneously meshed with the two at least in part U-shaped die cavities 7 of the second tool half 8. As FIG. 1 shows, guides 11 are also provided, by means of which the material flow of the board can be controlled during the U-forming and which fix the board 2 during the forming. The mounting plate 10 on which both the U-stamp 4 and the upper cavity 5 and the guides 11 of the first tool half 6 are arranged is housed such that it can rotate about the rotational axis 9.

(7) In FIG. 2, the device according to the invention is shown in a closed state. The U-stamp 4 forms the first board 2 inserted into an at least in part U-shaped board, the guides 11 controlling the material flow during the forming by setting an appropriate contact pressing force. After the end position has been reached, the tool opens again until the tool halves 6, 8 can be rotated towards one another. A rotation of the first tool half 6, as shown in the present embodiment, about the rotational axis 9 enables the positioning of the U-stamp 4 above a board 12 which is inserted in the second at least in part U-shaped cavity 7 of the tool half 8. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, a support core 13 is introduced via a core pulling device (not shown) into the now at least in part U-shaped formed board 2 in the at least in part U-shaped cavity of the second tool half 8. Finally, there is a further closing movement of the tool, as shown in FIG. 4.

(8) This closing movement generates both an at least in part closed hollow profile 2 and an at least in part U-shaped board 14. This is the first closing stroke of the tool, in which a complete, in part closed hollow profile 2 is produced.

(9) FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the device in an open state. The in part closed hollow profile 2 can be removed from the opened tool 3, as shown in FIG. 6, and a new board 15 can be inserted into the at least in part U-shaped cavity of the second tool half 8 which becomes free as a result. Finally or before this, there is a further rotation of the first tool half 6 about the rotational axis 9 so that the stamp 4 meshes with the board 15 and the upper cavity 5 of the first tool half 6 meshes with the at least in part U-shaped board 14. Before this, a support core 13 is inserted in the at least in part U-shaped cavity 7 of the second tool half as well.

(10) An embodiment of the device according to the invention following the next closing process in an open state is shown in FIG. 8. It is possible to identify that the U-shaped board 14 in the other, identical U-shaped cavity 7 has been formed into a complete at least in part closed hollow profile 14 and can be removed. Finally, the cavity 7 is loaded with the next board 17. In order to continue the production process, the first tool half 6 is in turn rotated towards the second tool half 8 so that the U-stamp 4 forms the newly inserted board 17 into an at least in part U-shape board when the tool is next closed, FIG. 9.

(11) From the description of the embodiment shown it becomes clear that with the embodiment of the device according to the invention each working stroke can produce a complete, at least in part closed hollow profile and therefore the cycle times for the production can be reduced considerably.

(12) In order to increase the number of items further but also in order to integrate further processing steps, the embodiment shown as an example in FIG. 10 can be used. In a device, two rotatably mounted mounting plates 10 are provided for this purpose which each have a U-stamp 4, an upper cavity 5 and guides 11 in the first tool half 6. The second tool half 8 comprises a total of four identical at least in part U-shaped die cavities 7, which are used for the U-O-forming. In addition, core pulling devices 18 are provided for each at least in part U-shaped cavity 7 of the second tool half 8 in the device 1 in FIG. 10. The device 1 shown in FIG. 10, therefore, shows a capacity which is twice that of the device shown in FIGS. 1 to 9.

(13) In FIGS. 11 and 12, the threading process using the laterally displaceable partial areas 20 of the side walls of the at least in part U-shaped die cavities 7 in the O-forming is shown. The upper cavity 5 has side walls 19 which displace the displaceable partial areas 20 of the side walls of the at least in part U-shaped cavity 7 of the second tool half in an outwards direction with the help of the inflow curves 21 such that the at least in part U-shaped board 2 is threaded into the upper cavity 5 in a particularly secure manner. The inflow curves 21 and the height of the side walls of the at least in part U-shaped die cavities 7 ensure that a particularly reliable threading process is achieved since the spring-back action of the U-shaped board formed in the cavity 7 is low. However, it is also conceivable for the displacement in an outwards direction of the partial areas 20 of the side walls 19 to be actively supported in order to minimise wear on the inflow curves. To this end, the side walls of the at least in part U-shaped cavity 7 have a height of at least half of the maximum, rolled out side wall length of the hollow profile to be produced, so an arm of the at least in part U-profile. Overall, in this way a reliable method of producing at least in part closed hollow profiles with a low cycle time and low investment costs can be provided.