This invention relates to a structural composite panel made of aluminium including two parallel sheets joined together by profiles and its method of manufacture. The invention is particularly useful in the field of large-size vehicle construction.
Hollow composite panels are used in a large number of structures. In particular, horizontal panels are used as flooring and vertical panels are used to produce separations in the fields of structural engineering, industrial construction, and in the transportation field (particularly shipbuilding, truck construction and aircraft construction).
In the case of horizontal panels used in the transportation field (boat deck, truck floor), there is a strong advantage in reducing the weight of the panels so as to contribute to a reduction in the total empty weight and to thereby enable savings in fuel, an increase in the weight transported and/or increased speed.
FR 1 024 889 discloses a plurality of geometries for hollow composite panels including two walls held by separating parts consisting of thin corrugated or embossed metal sheets or the like, running uninterruptedly over the entire surface of a panel element.
The use of metal sheets does not make it possible to achieve sufficient degrees of mechanical strength for the most demanding constructions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,938 (Donati) discloses a sandwich panel including at least one sheet and at least one fretted element the size of which is substantially similar to that of the sheet and the cross-sectional profile of which has a succession of adjacent trapezoidal patterns. The method of manufacture includes a step for winding the fretted element, which is difficult to consider for thick metal, which limits the application of this invention in terms of mechanical strength.
FR 2,207,581 (Wendel-Sidelor) discloses a hollow steel slab made of two plates held at a distance by U-shaped connecting elements and lined by watertight side elements, all elements being adhesively bonded.
EP 0 589 054 (Nippon Steel) discloses stainless steel honeycomb panels comprising a corrugated sheet or parallel groove materials.
WO 02/32598 (Kujala et al.) discloses a metal sandwich structure comprising a core which consists of a plurality of individual honeycomb sections spaced from each other, and a first and second cover panel attached to the sections by laser welding, the cover panels having their skirts brought to the proximity of each other by means of deflections.
In these inventions, the benefit of the use of aluminum is not considered. The use of aluminum to produce this type of panel, in place of denser materials such as steel, can, however, enable an appreciable weight reduction.
EP 1 133 390 (Corus Aluminum) discloses a composite aluminum panel comprising two parallel plates and/or sheets secured to the peaks and troughs of a corrugated aluminum stiffener sheet preferably via welding. One particular alloy (an alloy of the 5XXX family, containing zinc) was selected for the manufacture of the corrugated sheet. The mechanical strength properties of the panel obtained are not specified.
Another alternative is to produce a panel by welding hollow structural members. EP 1 222 993 A1 (Hitachi) thus discloses the assembling of hollow shape members by welding in order to produce a panel. This technique has the disadvantage of requiring numerous joining operations due to the limited width of the hollow shape members, which weakens the structure. In this same patent application honeycomb panels comprising edge members joined by friction stir welding are also disclosed.
The disadvantages of existing metal panels are many. In the methods including a fusion welding step, a sometimes unacceptable deformation of the panels occurs. Furthermore, when an intermediate sheet is used, the mechanical strength of the panels is limited by the characteristics of the intermediate sheet. As a matter of fact, it is difficult, and would require a costly investment, to obtain corrugated or fretted sheets from thick sheets, such as, in particular, sheets the thickness of which is greater than 1 mm or even 2 mm. Prior art panels are substantially symmetrical transversally and/or longitudinally although it would be desirable to be able to easily customize, as needed locally, the mechanical strength of the panel to the stresses that it will have to undergo, so as to optimise the local compromise between its weight and its mechanical strength.
In accordance with aspects of the invention, a metal composite panel intended for construction is provided and includes at least two substantially parallel sheets and, arranged between them, profiles substantially parallel to each other and fastened to said sheets, characterized in that said profiles, numbering at least three, serve as separators making it possible to separate said sheets and are arranged so that the average distance between two adjacent profiles is not necessarily uniform but suited to the local conditions of use of said panel.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method for manufacturing a metal composite panel including at least two substantially parallel sheets and, arranged between them, at least three profiles substantially parallel to each other, fastened to said sheets, and serving as separators making it possible to separate said sheets is provided. Said method includes the following successive steps:
(a) the thickness of the sheets,
(b) the geometry of the profiles,
(c) the distance between the profiles, so as to obtain the panel having the lowest weight possible which withstands the stress determined in step (ii), and, if the weight obtained is greater than that determined in step (i), one returns back to step (iii),
Still other aspects of the invention are the use of a composite panel according to the invention as the floor of a rolling or flying vehicle or as the floor, deck or ramp of a floating vehicle.
a shows an example of a starting geometry for calculating the parameters of the composite panel.
b to 3d show three examples of geometries obtained.
The designation of alloys follows the rules of The Aluminum Association, known to those skilled in the art. Tempers and heat treatments are defined in the European Standard EN 515. The chemical composition of standardized aluminum alloys is defined, for example, in the Standard EN 573-3.
The term “sheet” is used here for rolled products of any thickness.
The term “profile” is used here to designate a wrought product having a uniform cross section over its entire length, other than a bar, wire, tube, sheet or strip.
According to the invention, a metal panel is referred to as composite in the sense that it consists of several metal elements assembled together. A metal composite panel according to an embodiment of the invention includes at least two sheets 21 and 22 substantially parallel and, arranged between them, profiles 3 substantially parallel to each other and fastened to said sheets. Profiles in a metal panel according to an embodiment of the invention number at least three and preferably at least ten, and serve as separators making it possible to separate said sheets. Profiles are arranged so that the average distance between two adjacent profiles is not necessarily uniform but suited to the local conditions of use of said panel.
In the case of a composite panel used as a truck floor, the profiles can thus be spaced farther apart in the portion of the panel close to the cab, over which no materials-handling machine can run, than in the portion close to the other end over which materials-handling machines travel. The precise adaptation of the panel to the local conditions of use makes it possible to significantly reduce the weight of the panel for a given application.
The ratio R=h/d between the distance between the sheets h and any of the distances d between adjacent profiles is carefully chosen. As a matter of fact, if this ratio R is too high, the panel does not locally have the desired mechanical strength and, if this ratio is too low, the weight of the panel per unit of area is locally too high. In one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the ratio R is between about 0.2 and about 1.5, and preferably between about 0.4 and about 1.0.
If the composite panel is used as flooring, it is advantageous to distinguish between the upper sheet 21, in contact with the transported load, and the lower sheet 22. It is advantageous for the upper sheet 21 to have mechanical properties (R0.2, Rm) (Tension yield strength (TYS) and Ultimate tensile strength (UTS) respectively) and/or thickness superior to those of the lower sheet 22. The superior mechanical properties of this stronger sheet are obtained, in particular, by the choice of the alloy and/or the temper. Considering the stresses imposed, which are typically those of a floor capable of supporting motorized vehicles possibly transporting loads, the optimal thickness of the stronger, or upper, sheet is typically between about 2 and about 4 mm and that of the other, or lower, sheet is typically between about 1 and about 3 mm. The thickness of the upper sheet is advantageously at least about 30% and preferably at least about 50% thicker than the lower sheet, particularly when the lower sheet has mechanical properties at least equal to those of the upper sheet. For an engraved sheet, the thickness of the sheet is understood to mean the thickness without the thickness of the embossment. The upper sheet is directly in contact with the loads transported and must ensure mechanical functions as well as contact functions. The function of the lower sheet is to reinforce the panel assembly and, for certain applications, to protect the upper sheet and the profiles from exterior flying particles, in particular so as to prevent their corrosion. In one embodiment of the invention, however, an open-worked lower sheet is used in order to limit the weight of the panel.
Furthermore, in the case where the panel is used as flooring, it is advantageous for the upper face of the upper sheet to provide a non-skid function. An engraved sheet can advantageously be used, i.e., a sheet on which a pattern has been engraved or embossed, on one or both faces. The upper face of the upper sheet is advantageously engraved. It is also possible to use a sheet that has been rendered non-skid by any other method, for example, grooving or sanding. To illustrate, an embossment including a plurality of elongated lines, substantially linear or not, is well suited. Such patterns are known by the designations standardized in the Standard EN1386 “Damier (Checkered) 2,” “Damier (Checkered) 5,” “Losange (Lozenge),” “Grain d'orge (Barley corn),” “Amande (Almond),” as well as other designations such as “Grain de riz (grain of rice),” “Diamants (diamonds),” “Pomme de pin (pine cone),” “Damier (Checkered) 3” (derived from Damier (Checkered) 2 with three parallel lines instead of 2), “Damier (Checkered) 4” (derived from Damier (Checkered) 5 with 4 parallel lines instead of five). All of these designations succinctly and figurative describe the shape of the pattern. The “Damier (Checkered)” type of sheets are also called D2, D3, D4, D5, according to the number of parallel lines which make up the pattern. To illustrate, a pattern which is suitable for carrying out this invention is the one described in the French patent FR 2 747 948 (Pechiney Rhenalu), the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
When the panel is rectangular, the profiles can be oriented either in the direction parallel to the length of the panel or in the direction perpendicular to the length of the panel. When the panel is used as a floor for a rolling or flying vehicle, in particular such as a truck, a railway car, a cargo plane, or a material-handling means such as a container, the profiles are advantageously oriented in the direction perpendicular to the length of the panel, as in the example of
The profiles used within the scope of the invention are preferably obtained by extrusion. The profiles 3 used in an embodiment of the invention include at least one transverse portion 31 intended to space apart the sheets and at least two lateral portions 321 and 322 intended to come into contact with the sheets 21 and 22, as shown in
At least one transverse portion 31 is advantageously inclined by 50 to 700, preferably by about 5° to about 60°, and more preferably between about 10° and about 45°, in relation to the direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the sheets. The end of the lateral portions in contact with the sheets is advantageously rounded, because an end with a sharp edge, typically a right angle, is disadvantageous to assemble by adhesive bonding. Typically, the thickness of the profile is not identical in the transverse portion and the lateral portions. In one embodiment of the invention, the thickness of the profile is greater in the transverse portion than in the lateral portions.
In one embodiment of the invention shown in
In a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in
The preferred embodiment shown in
Additional profiles, having an identical or different geometry from the one used for the separator profiles 3, can be used along the periphery of the panel so as to partially or completely close the space between the sheets.
In order to obtain a panel having an optimal compromise between weight and performance, light alloys are favorable. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sheets and profiles are made of an aluminum alloy.
The sheets used within the scope of the invention are advantageously made of a 5XXX alloy, preferably a 5052, 5083, 5086 or 5383 alloy. For a panel used as flooring, a sheet made of a 5083, 5086 or 5383 alloy is advantageously used for the upper sheet while a sheet made of a 5052 or 5383 alloy is advantageously used for the lower sheet. The temper of the sheets used is typically an H temper.
The profiles used within the scope of the invention are advantageously made of a 5XXX alloy, typically in an H temper, or 6XXX, typically in the T5 or T6 temper.
Different alloy families are preferably used for the sheets, on the one hand, and for the profiles, on the other hand.
The corrosion resistance of the selected alloys is important, in particular for certain applications (in particular for panels intended for shipbuilding). In one embodiment of the invention, clad sheets are used. In the case where the panel is used as flooring, it is particularly advantageous for the lower face of the lower sheet to be clad.
The composite panels according to the invention are used as the floor of a rolling vehicle, as the floor, deck and/or ramp of a floating vehicle or as the floor of a flying vehicle.
The design and manufacture of the composite panel according to an aspect of the invention can be broken down into the following steps:
In a first step, based on the application for which said panel is intended, a determination is made of the maximum acceptable cost and weight for its construction. This technical-economic requirement is determined by various criteria possibly including, in particular, the cost of the existing solutions based on their weight.
In a second step, based on the application for which said panel is intended, a determination is made of the maximum mechanical stress likely to be exerted on the panel. This estimate can be made by a calculation required by a regulation or chosen on the basis of a particular use. In the case of shipbuilding, the level of stress and its method of evaluation is generally imposed by certification authorities members of IACS (International Association of Classification Societies) such as the DNV (Det Norske Veritas), Lloyd's Register, ABS (American Bureau of Shipping), and Veritas, in particular. For example, this type of specification is found in the DNV HSC Part 5, Chapter 2 “Car Ferry” rules.
In other specific cases, practical criteria are chosen which reflect the use that will be made of the panel. One example of applied stress is provided in
The target stress level can be defined in terms of deformation of the panel and/or in terms of the maximum level of acceptable local stress. The maximum level of acceptable local stress depends on the elastic limit of the materials used and the anticipated conditions of use. Thus, a safety factor is defined in relation to the elastic limit of the material, in order to take into account, among other things, the fatigue deformation conditions.
In a third step, an elastic limit and a density are chosen for the sheets and the profiles. These values are reasonably determined on the basis of materials utilized for constructing the panel.
In a fourth step, the optimal geometry for the composite panel is calculated. The objective of this step is to find the panel having the lowest possible weight which withstands the stresses determined in the second step. This geometry can be determined by numerical simulation or another calculation method.
In a first phase, a starting geometry is defined for calculating purposes. One advantageous example of a starting geometry is provided in
The calculations, preferably carried out using finite elements, consist in varying the various parameters: thickness of the sheets, length and thickness of each sub-segment of the profiles, so as to obtain an optimized solution, i.e., a solution having the best compromise between the weight of the panel, the maximum level of the local stresses and/or of the deformation of the panel. Stress in the joints between components must be considered.
In calculating, the thickness of the sheets always remains greater than a minimum value of about 0.1 mm, and preferably about 0.5 mm. The thickness of the profile sub-segments is preferably either zero (in this case, the profile sub-segment is not used) or greater than a minimum value of about 0.5 mm, and preferably greater than about 1 mm. To generate two profiles, the length of the profile sub-segments having zero thickness may not be equal to zero (see
In
In
For practical and economic reasons, it is possible to set certain parameters: it is possible, for example, to impose an identical thickness for the lower sheet and the upper sheet, or to impose an “omega” shape for the profile by limiting the number of sub-segments.
It is observed that, in many cases, optimization comes down to finding the best compromise between the height of the transverse portions (sub-segments “c” and “j” in
Optimization can also take economic requirements into account, e.g., such as the cost of assembling the profiles with respect to the number of profiles used and the cost of manufacturing the optimized geometries.
The weight of the structure obtained by the first pass calculation is compared to the objective determined in the first step. If the weight obtained is greater than this objective, one goes back to the third step. Characteristics, such as length and thickness of the parts, of the proposed design are modified to obtain the pre-selected weight.
In a fifth step, the cost of the solution obtained can be calculated. Preferably, the metal alloys for reaching the elastic limit and density conditions are selected, and the cost is determined for obtaining the sheets and profile for these alloys in the optimized geometry. The difference between, on the one hand, the cost of the solution obtained by making an appropriate choice of the metal materials for the optimized geometry, and, on the other hand, the cost objective determined at the first step is calculated and, if it is positive, one goes back to the third step. Again, the characteristics, including for example the dimensions of the parts and the alloys from which they are made, are modified to obtain a suitable solution.
In a sixth step, the sheets and the profiles having the desired geometry are supplied in the selected alloy.
In a seventh step, the panel is preferably assembled. In order to prevent deformation during assembly, and to obtain a satisfactory flatness of the panel, the assembly is carried out using a method in which there is no melting of the metal. Methods requiring a heat treatment of the panel at a temperature greater than about 200° C. or even greater than about 150° C. (such as the treatment required for curing an adhesive) generate a loss of mechanical properties.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sheets and profiles are assembled via adhesive bonding without curing, using a bicomponent epoxy type of adhesive, the elements being assembled via pressurization, typically between about 50 and about 100 kg/m2, and the temperature of the panel not exceeding about 100° C., and preferably not exceeding ambient temperature, during the adhesive bonding step or later. So as to control the thickness of the adhesive, it is possible to introduce a metal wire of controlled thickness between the lateral portions of profiles 321 and 322 and the sheets 21 and 22. It is also possible to introduce balls of a calibrated diameter into the adhesive. In another embodiment of the invention, a protuberance of the surface of the profile is made in the direction H on the segments in contact with the sheets 321 and 322, so as to control the thickness of the adhesive.
A surface treatment is preferably carried out prior to assembly via adhesive bonding.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the panels are assembled via friction stir welding.
In this example, the structure was calculated for a composite panel according to the invention, optimized for a stress as described in
In another embodiment, a panel was made in which the thickness of the upper sheet and that of the lower sheet were equal to 3 mm and the distance between the profiles was 80 mm. The upper sheet was made of 5086 alloy at H244 temper, while the lower sheet was made of 5383 alloy at H34 temper. The structural sheets were made of 6005 alloy at T6 temper. The sheets and the profiles were assembled via adhesive bonding using a bicomponent epoxy type adhesive. The thickness of the adhesive was controlled owing to a piano string positioned on the portions of the profiles in contact with the sheets, in the area of lowest stress. The adhesive was cross-linked under pressure without heating.
A sample of the panel obtained having a dimension of 500 mm by 1300 mm was tested under a force of 30,000 N applied at the center of the sample. No cracking was observed, whether on the adhesive, the profiles or the sheets. The maximum displacement observed was 6 mm.
In this example, the structure was calculated for a composite panel according to the invention, optimized for a stress as described in
In a first calculation, the stress within the adhesive was not taken into account and the target was to obtain a maximum stress (von Mises) within aluminum lower than 200 MPa. The following parameters were optimized: thickness of the upper and lower sheet; distance between the profiles; profile shape (length and thickness of the various starting sub-segments). The local stress was calculated for each.
The local stress was calculated for each unit cell of the calculation and the maximum local stress thus was obtained for each geometry involved. The optimized geometry thus obtained was further optimized by taking into account the adhesive elasticity and the stress within the adhesive. For this second calculation, two starting points were compared: a first configuration (Geometry 1) which corresponds exactly to the optimized geometry obtained from the first calculation and a second configuration (Geometry 2) wherein 4 sub-segments were added to the shape described by
The optimized geometry obtained with Geometry 1 such as shown on
The optimized geometry obtained with Geometry 2 such as shown on
Calculated stresses are provided in Table 1.
Geometry 2 is clearly advantageous, with a drop of about 50% of the various maximum stresses within the adhesive.
While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. For example, different stress values, different alloys, and thickness can be adjusted to different values to obtain a different solution.
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