METHOD FOR PRODUCING A THICKNESS-PROFILED METAL STRIP

Abstract

A method for producing a thickness-profiled metal strip in which at least one opening is produced in the metal strip and in a subsequent step, the metal strip is longitudinally rolled with at least one roller that penetrates into the metal strip in some regions across its strip width and thus a thickness profiling at least in the width direction of the metal strip is produced. In order to improve the reproducibility of the method, what is proposed is that at least one hole passing through the metal strip is produced as an opening in the metal strip, over which hole the roller that penetrates into the metal strip longitudinally rolls in order to produce the thickness profiling in the width direction of the metal strip.

Claims

1. A method for producing a thickness-profiled metal strip, comprising: producing at least one opening in the metal strip and, in a subsequent step, longitudinally rolling the metal strip with at least one roller that penetrates into the metal strip in some regions across its strip width, thus producing a thickness profiling at least in a width direction of the metal strip and producing at least one hole passing through the metal strip as an opening in the metal strip, over which hole the roller that penetrates into the metal strip longitudinally rolls in order to produce the thickness profiling in the width direction of the metal strip.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising punching the hole into the metal strip.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising producing at least one row of holes with a plurality of through holes in a longitudinal direction of the metal strip.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising producing at least two through holes of a row of holes in the metal strip in such a way that the through holes are offset in the width direction of the metal strip.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein hole spacings between successive through holes of a row of holes are different.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein a longitudinal separation between successive through holes is greater than twice a hole width of successive holes and less than five times the hole width of the successive holes.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising producing holes with different cross-sectional shapes in the metal strip.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the metal strip is cold-rolled.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising producing a circular hole and/or an oblong hole in the metal strip.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising adjusting the rolling process in such a way that the through hole essentially closes after the longitudinal rolling.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the longitudinal rolling, the hole is closed through material adhesion by joining.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the roller penetrates into the metal strip by a maximum depth of two thirds an initial thickness of the metal strip.

13. A plate cut to length from a thickness-profiled metal strip produced by the method according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] An exemplary embodiment of the subject of the invention is depicted in greater detail in the drawings. In the drawings:

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a production line for carrying out a method for producing a thickness-profiled metal strip,

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a section along the section line II-II in FIG. 1, and

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a detail from FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a continuous rolling line 1 in which a metal strip 1—for example composed of a steel material—is thickness profiled, specifically in its width direction 3. A roller 4 with two cylindrical sections 5, 6 is provided for this purpose. The roller 4 is embodied as a flat longitudinal roller. Although not shown in detail, it is generally just as conceivable, instead of such a flat longitudinal roller, to provide two successive flat longitudinal rollers, each with only one cylindrical section. The flat longitudinal roller 4 cooperates with a mating roll 7 in order to form the roll gaps; the metal strip 2 is rolled longitudinally by means of the roller 4 that protrudes into it in some regions across its strip width 8, namely in two adjacent rolling regions 50, 60. As is particularly clear in FIG. 2, the initial thickness 20 of the metal strip 2 is reduced in these cold-rolled rolling regions 50, 60, which results in a thickness profiling in the width direction 3. As a maximum amount according to the invention, the roller 4 penetrates into the metal strip 2 by a maximum depth of two thirds of the initial thickness 20 of the metal strip 2. The metal strip 2 also has openings 9 in the broad side 10 oriented toward the roller 4, which openings are already present in the metal strip 2 before the longitudinal rolling.

[0025] According to the invention, these openings 9 are embodied as holes 11, 12, 13, 14 that extend through the metal strip 2; these holes are produced in the metal strip 2 in a simple manner by means of a cutting process before the longitudinal rolling of the strip. It is thus possible to reduce a material flow of the material of the metal strip 2 in its longitudinal direction 15 that can occur during the longitudinal rolling of a material strip 2. This avoids an uneven longitudinal flow across the strip width 8, which reliably prevents rippling in the strip. The method according to the invention for producing a thickness-profiled metal strip 2 thus features particularly high reproducibility.

[0026] In general, it should be noted that the openings 9 can have any hole shape. For example, round holes 11, 12 and a slot 14 are shown in FIG. 1—as needed or required, any cross-sectional shapes are conceivable, for example a slot-shaped, polygonal, rectangular, square, etc. cross-sectional shape.

[0027] These openings 9 are punched into the metal strip 2—in an approach that is easy in terms of method—before the longitudinal rolling. This is carried out by means of an indicated punching tool 180, which has a punch and a cooperating female die and is positioned before the roller 4 in the strip advancing direction 17.

[0028] As is also apparent from FIG. 1, the openings 9 are provided one after another in the metal strip 2, forming two rows of holes 18, 19. For this purpose, the punching tool 180, with two associated punches for the two rows of holes 18, 19, is used to jointly punch respective pluralities of through holes 11, 13 and 12, 14, which are correspondingly arranged one after another in the longitudinal direction of the metal strip 2.

[0029] As is clear from FIG. 1, in the row of holes 18 that is composed of holes 11, 13 arranged one after another in the longitudinal direction, the circular holes 13 succeeding one another in the longitudinal direction are arranged offset in the width direction 3 of the metal strip 2. Consequently, the area of the circular holes 13 can be smaller relative to the area of the preceding hole 11 and a continuous flow of material in the longitudinal direction of the metal sheet 2 can nevertheless be reliably interrupted. This is particularly the case since these offset holes 13 overlap each other, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the metal sheet 2. In addition, the hole spacing c or the distances between the circular holes 13 is/are preferably equidistant and the related hole distribution is uniform.

[0030] The hole spacing c between successive through holes 12, 14 of the second row of holes 19 varies or differs, as is apparent from a comparison of the distances between two holes 12 and between the holes 12 and 14.

[0031] As is also apparent in FIG. 1 after the roller 4 in the strip advancing direction 17, the rolling process is adjusted so that the through hole 11, 12, 13, 14 essentially closes after the longitudinal rolling. This facilitates a material-adhesion joining subsequent to the longitudinal rolling and results in a stable welding seam 21. Instead of the welding seam 21 shown, it is also conceivable to use a spot weld, hut this is not shown in detail here.

[0032] FIG. 3 shows the parameters of the rows of holes 18, 19 in greater detail. To this end, it should be generally noted that the longitudinal separation t is understood to be a center-to-center distance in the longitudinal direction between adjacent holes 11, 13 or 12, 14, the hole width w is understood to be a diameter of a circular hole 11, 12, 13 or the smaller opening dimension of a differently shaped hole, 14 such as a slot—where by contrast with this, the hole length 1 is the longer opening dimension of the hole 14.

[0033] As FIG. 3 indicates with regard to the holes 13, the longitudinal separation t between the successive through holes 13 is greater than twice the hole width w of the holes 13 and less than five times the hole width w of the holes 13. This therefore rules out the occurrence of rippling in the strip as the metal strip 2 is undergoing thickness profiling. This stipulation can also easily be applied to the other holes 11, 12, and 14, but this has not been shown in detail in the drawings.