Patent Application
20170056951
The present disclosure relates to stamping dies that are used to form parts from sheet metal.
Stamping dies are often utilized for forming parts from sheet metal blanks. For example, the automotive industry often uses stamping dies to form vehicle body components.
A stamping die is provided. The stamping die includes a die block, a punch, and a trap wall. The punch is configured to engage the die block in order to form a part from a sheet metal blank. The trap wall is secured to the punch and configured to restrict the flow of sheet metal into the die block during punch and die block engagement. The trap wall is adjustable with respect to the punch such that trap wall adjustment alters the flow of sheet metal into the die block.
A stamping die is provided. The stamping die includes a die block, a punch, and a pair of adjustable trap walls. The die block defines a cavity and the punch is configured to engage the die block such that sheet metal blank forms a part inside the cavity. The pair of adjustable trap walls is secured to opposing sides of the punch and is configured to restrict sheet metal flow into the cavity. The trap walls are adjustable relative to the punch such that adjustment of the trap walls alters the flow of sheet metal into the cavity.
A two-sided stamping die is provided. The die set is configured to form a part from a 7xxx series aluminum alloy blank upon the closing of the die set. The die set defines cooling channels that are configured to cool the die set such that the die set quenches the part upon the closing of the die set. A pair of adjustable trap walls is secured to opposing ends of a first side of the die set and is configured to contact a top surface of the aluminum alloy blank upon closing the die set such that the flow of the aluminum alloy blank is restricted. An adjustment of the trap walls relative to the die set alters the flow of aluminum alloy blank into the die set.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments may take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures may be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations.
Hot stamping is a manufacturing process that involves simultaneously forming a part from a pre-heated sheet metal blank and quenching the pre-heated sheet metal blank in a two-sided stamping die. The high pressure contact between the stamping die and the sheet metal blank conductively cools and quenches the blank. Formability of the part in the stamping die may be improved by tailoring the blank shape to be more consistent with the final part shape. Alternatively, the surface of the die may be modified to improve formability.
Dies may be constructed to dimensions that are based on a model generated by a computer aided design program and assessed by a finite element analysis program. Constructing the die based on the computer model is typically accurate for dies used in conventional room temperature forming processes but is typically not as accurate for dies used in elevated temperature forming processes. Since the computer model may not be accurate for constructing dies used for elevated temperature forming processes, additional machining will likely be required. Additional machining of a die to arrive at the correct dimensions for the desired formability is a process of trial an error that leads to increased set up times.
Including adjustable trap walls on the die allows for modification of the die without additional machining. The sheet metal blank may be constrained or released by the adjustable trap walls in order to support formability within the die. The adjustable trap walls may be adjusted in order to catch the sheet metal blank and restrict sheet metal flow into the cavity. The trap walls may also be adjusted in order to create a gap between the die surface and the sheet metal blank to allow for more sheet metal material to flow into the die. The addition of adjustable trap walls to the die allows for decreased set ups times by eliminating the need for additional machining of the die in order to obtain the desired formability.
Referring to
The stamping die 10 may also include at least one trap wall 26 that is configured to restrict the flow of the sheet metal blank 20 into the die block 14 and cavity 16 during punch 12 and die block 14 engagement. The trap walls 26 may be secured to the punch 12 and configured to contact a top surface of the sheet metal blank 20 during punch 12 and die block 14 engagement. The trap walls 26 may also be adjustable such that a trap wall adjustment with respect to the punch 12 alters the flow of the sheet metal blank 20 into the die block 14 and cavity 16.
Referring to
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A first set of shims (which comprises at least one shim) 50 may be disposed between the trap walls 26 and horizontal surfaces 52 of the punch 12 such that a movement of one of one shims 50 results in an adjustment of the trap walls 26 in the longitudinal direction 18. A second set of shims (which comprises at least one shim) 54 may be disposed between the trap walls 26 and vertical surfaces 56 of the punch 12 such that a movement of one of the shims 54 results in an adjustment of the trap walls 26 in the lateral direction 46. The trap walls 26 may define slots 58 that extend in the longitudinal direction 18. The fasteners 28 that secure the trap walls 26 to the punch 12 may pass through the slots 58 and engage the punch 12 such that the trap walls 26 are movable along the slots 58 in the longitudinal direction 18.
Alternatively, adjustment mechanisms other than shims may be used to adjust the trap walls 26 in either the longitudinal direction 18 or lateral direction 46. For example, the adjustment mechanisms may include grind blocks that may be used to adjust traps walls 26 to the correct dimensions by removing material from the grind blocks via a grinding process, or the adjustment mechanisms may be push-pull blocks that engage the trap walls 26 via fasteners and are capable of adjusting the trap walls 26 relative to the push-pull blocks via the fasteners. The disclosure should not be construed as limited to the types of adjustment mechanisms listed above but should include any type of mechanism that is capable of adjusting the trap walls 26 relative to the punch 12.
The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics may be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. As such, embodiments described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics are not outside the scope of the disclosure and may be desirable for particular applications.
