The present invention relates to a hybrid component, according to the features disclosed in the preamble of patent claims 1 and 2.
The present invention relates to a method for producing a hybrid component, according to the features disclosed in patent claim 12.
It is known from the prior art to produce hybrid components, in particular, for motor vehicles. The term “hybrid component” is defined as a component that is composed of two individual components; and the two individual components are made of materials that are different from each other.
For example, it is known to couple metallic components with plastic components, in particular, components made of fiber reinforced composite material.
However, even metallic components consisting of multiple parts are often produced together. In this case, two different metallic materials are used that cannot in essence be thermally joined to each other or can be thermally joined to each other only under special conditions. This includes, in particular, the coupling of a steel material with a material made of a light metal alloy.
In addition, it has been demonstrated by the prior art that the punch riveting process by means of thermal joining or joining by means of hole-forming screws is useful precisely for mass production. However, the drawback is that it is necessary to use additional auxiliary means, for example, in the case of punch riveting, that, on the one hand, have to be kept in stock and, on the other hand, are associated with higher production costs.
Furthermore, the prior art discloses a weld stud process, in which first a rivet is riveted into a component to be joined; and then the rivet is welded together with the second component to be joined. In this case, too, a riveting process has to be carried out first; and for this purpose, the rivet has to be kept once again in stock and incurs, as an external component, additional costs.
The German patent DE 10 2009 017 376 A1 discloses a method for producing a support structure. This method provides a hole for a first component, which is brought into contact with a second component in a positive locking manner and then in the following step is heated over the length of the entire hole so that a liquefied material is created in the hole, in order to form a rivet-like joint after the material has cooled down. However, all joints that are produced with rivets or joints with rivet shapes have a distinct projecting length. Furthermore, the German patent DE3140368A discloses an articulated shaft made of an aluminum tube, onto which a rotor made of steel sheet is welded. For this purpose, a fusion welding process is carried out, such that a weld pin engages over the outside of the rotor in the manner of a rivet head.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide, starting from the prior art, a hybrid component and a method for producing the hybrid component, which has two mutually different materials and which can be manufactured inexpensively, reliably and safely.
The aforementioned object is achieved with a hybrid component exhibiting the features disclosed in patent claims 1 and 2.
The process engineering part of the invention is achieved with a method for producing a hybrid component, according to the features disclosed in patent claim 12.
Advantageous variants of the embodiment of the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent patent claims.
The hybrid component comprises a steel component and a light metal component. The hybrid component is designed, in particular, as a hybrid component for a motor vehicle. For this purpose, the steel component rests with its surface flush against the light metal component at least in certain regions or, more specifically, in certain sections. A joint connection engages with the steel component from behind in a positive locking manner. The joint connection is designed in such a way that a recess, which extends through the steel component and tapers towards the light metal component, is formed on the steel component; and a weld filler material, which is coupled with the light metal component by material bonding, engages with the recess from behind. The hybrid component is characterized, according to the invention, by the feature that the weld filler material extends from the light metal component in such a way that it only partially extends through the recess, or by the feature that a surface of the welding material is designed to terminate level with the top side of the steel component.
In an alternative variant of the embodiment, the hybrid component is characterized, according to the invention, by the feature that the steel component is coated; and that the weld filler material is connected to the coating by material bonding.
Thus, it is possible within the scope of the invention to produce the joint connection in a very simple and efficient way and, hence, the coupling of the hybrid component. For this purpose, the steel component is provided with a recess. In this case, the recess can be made, in particular, by punching, however, preferably also by cutting out, for example, with a laser or a water jet cutting process. Both components (steel component, light metal component) are then brought into abutting contact and aligned in relation to each other. Then a weld filler material is put into the recess of the steel component; and a material connection to the light metal component is produced by welding the weld filler material with the light metal component. In so doing, the resulting molten weld filler material mechanically engages with the steel component from behind or undercuts the steel component in a positive locking manner owing to the tapering recess. The advantage that is essential for the invention is that this method can be carried out with already existing production systems, for example, in particular, arc-welding units.
Within the context of the invention, the recess, which tapers towards the light metal component, means, as a highly preferred variant of the embodiment of the invention, that the two components may lie one above the other; and then the recess in the steel component tapers from a top side, which faces away from the light metal component, to a bottom side that abuts the light metal component. However, this can also mean, within the context of the invention, that the steel component and the light metal component only overlap at the edge; and the recess is not closed circumferentially, but rather is open towards the edge of the steel component. Then the weld filler material engages laterally in the steel component in the manner of a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. The recess is formed in such a way that it tapers preferably from the top side to the bottom side of the steel component and, furthermore, also tapers towards the open edge region.
The two components, thus, the steel component and the light metal component, may already have their final contour. However, the two components may also exist first in the form of sheet metal blanks and/or profiles. After the blanks and/or profiles are coupled with the joint connection according to the invention, they may then be fed to a forming process or to any other further processing process.
The recess is designed so as to be, in particular, round, star shaped, angular, in particular, polygonal, as a slot and/or in any combination of the aforementioned variants of the embodiment of the invention. This geometric shape relates largely to the plan view. Thus, in the case of a round, in particular, circular recess and a production by punching, a round recess, which tapers from a top side of the steel component to a bottom side, would be punched into the steel component.
In all cases, an inner circumferential surface of the recess is formed in such a way that it has an oblique course. Thus, said inner circumferential surface does not run at a 90 deg. angle towards the surfaces of the steel component that surround the recess, but rather is slightly beveled, such that the recess, extending through the steel component, tapers in the direction of the light metal component. The inner circumferential surface of the recess extends preferably at an angle of more than 60 deg. and less than 90 deg. to the surface of the steel component, in particular, at an angle of less than or equal to 87 deg. greater than 70 deg. and even more preferably at an angle of less than or equal to 85 deg. and greater than or equal to 75 deg. As a result, the recess has a tapering cross section, where in this case the tapering cross section is formed, in particular, in a V shape or a Y shape. The respective converging legs themselves can have a linear course, but also a digressive or progressive course. However, the important aspect in this case is that the legs taper towards the side of the steel component that is oriented relative to the light metal component.
The taper ensures that the steel component is mechanically held by the weld filler material when hardened. It would also be conceivable within the scope of the invention that the cross section is configured in an X shape or, more specifically, in the shape of an hourglass, such that an upper region is designed to taper first towards the light metal component and then to expand again over the rest of the course.
The weld filler material that is used also includes, in particular, a light metal alloy or an alloy based on copper and/or brass. Preferably, a metal inert gas [MIG] metal active gas [MAG] welding process is used. It is especially preferred that the weld filler material may have a shrinking property on cooling or, more specifically, on solidifying, such that the light metal component is also pressed against the steel component in the coupling region due to the shrinkage of the weld filler material in connection with the taper.
An additional advantage that is essential for the invention consists of the feature that a coated steel component and/or a steel component having high strength or ultra high strength properties is and/or are used. The coating may be, in particular, an anti-corrosion coating, which is even more preferably bonded with the steel component by means of an intermetallic phase. Neither the coating nor the high strength or ultra high strength joining properties of the steel component are appreciably or significantly affected by the coupling process of the invention. For this purpose, a weld filler material is selected; in particular, a weld filler material that has a melting temperature that is less than that of the steel component and, in particular, less than that of the coating, but is at least equal to or higher than the melting point of the light metal component. As a result, the thermal metallurgical process of the weld filler material and the light metal component has a negligible effect or does not have any adverse effect at all on the surrounding material joint of the steel component and/or the coating of the steel component.
Preferably, the steel component has a metallic coating, in particular, an anti-corrosion coating. In this case, the anti-corrosion coating is preferably a zinc coating. It is also possible to provide an aluminum based coating, for example, an aluminum silicon [AlSi] coating. Then the weld filler material preferably also has constituents of zinc and/or aluminum. As a result, there is a good possibility that the weld filler material will couple with the coating by metallurgical bonding.
When the recess is formed, the coating of the steel component is displaced preferably into the circumferential surface of the recess at least to some extent, so that the result is a better metallurgical bonding with the steel component and a geometrically precise, positive locking connection of the parts. Preferably, the weld filler material terminates more or less flush with the top side of the steel sheet component, with the top side being located opposite the light metal component. Within the context of the invention, the term “flush” means that there is a flat surface or an uneven surface, which projects beyond the top side in a humpy manner only due to the process conditions. It is not affected by the weld filler material splattering or flowing on the top side above the inner circumferential surface, a feature that is unavoidable during mass production.
Furthermore, it is particularly preferred that the hybrid component has, in a longitudinal orientation, a plurality of joint connections, in particular, arranged so as to be oriented in a row, where in this case the individual joint connections are spaced apart from each other. This arrangement makes it possible to produce, in particular, a sill or also a pillar of a motor vehicle or, more specifically, a roof pillar as a hybrid component.
Furthermore, it is particularly preferred that a sealing system be arranged over the joint connection on the side opposite the light metal component. This sealing system may be made, for example, of a metallic material. However, it is made preferably of a flexible material, in particular, a plastic and/or rubber material. In particular, the sealing system is glued on and/or vulcanized on. Then, the hybrid component can be used, in particular, in the area of doors and hinged hoods, the A pillar, the C pillar or the D pillar of the vehicle.
In the case of a joint connection, it is possible within the scope of the invention that the joint connection extends from the light metal in such a way that it projects only into the recess or that it penetrates this recess only partially. This arrangement makes it possible to avoid a rivet head that projects beyond the steel component, at or on the joint connection. A sealing system can rest flat without an air gap or can rest with its surface flush against the surface of the steel component, such that the inventive joint connection does not cause any damage to or deformation of the sealing system.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for producing a hybrid component with at least some of the aforementioned properties, the method being characterized by the following process steps:
Furthermore, it is particularly preferred that the steel component be produced and formed by thermoforming and press hardening, before the steel component is coupled with the light metal component. In this case, it is particularly preferred that the recesses be introduced before or during the thermoforming and the press hardening. The welding of the weld filler material with the light metal component does not affect or only negligibly affects the resulting strength properties of the hardened steel component.
Furthermore, it is possible that the steel component or, more specifically, steel strip or rather a steel blank for producing the steel component is coated. After the coating operation has been completed, the recess can then be produced. The (uncoated) inside edge or, more specifically, the inner circumferential surface of the recess can be sealed by the melting of the filler material in such a way that corrosion is avoided and/or that the filler material is connected by metallurgical bonding to the coating lying on the top side of the steel component, such that in this case, too, sealing also takes place.
For this purpose it is particularly preferred that the melting temperature of the weld filler material be at or below the melting temperature of the coating.
When using a weld filler material that contracts/shrinks selectively upon cooling, the steel component is pressed simultaneously against the light metal component due to the shrinkage or, more specifically, the contraction of the weld filler material.
Other advantages, features, properties and aspects of the present invention are the subject matter of the following description. Preferred variants of the embodiment of the invention are shown in schematic form in the figures. These variants of the embodiment of the invention serve only to make it easier to understand the invention.
The same reference numerals are used for identical or similar components in the figures, even if the description is not repeated for the sake of simplicity.
According to
According to one variant of the embodiment shown in
According to the embodiment from
On the right-hand side relative to the image plane of
In the region of the sealing system, the inventive recesses in the steel component 1 are filled in an securing manner by means of the weld filler material 6 by means of the inventive recess 3, with the effect that the joint connection 7 to the inner door panel 20 is formed. Additional joint connections 7 can be seen when coupling the inner door panel 20 with the lock reinforcement 25.
Furthermore, it can be seen in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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102015109471.1 | Jun 2015 | DE | national |