The invention relates to a method for producing a composite sheet metal part having at least one metallic region from a composite sheet metal blank which has two outer cover sheets of metal and at least one layer which is arranged between the cover sheets and consists of a plastics material. The invention also relates to a forming tool for producing a corresponding composite sheet metal part from a composite sheet metal blank.
Composite sheet metal parts are frequently used in the form of a sandwich sheet which has two outer cover sheets and a non-metallic layer which usually consists of plastics material and is arranged between the cover sheets. One reason for the increasing use of composite sheet metal parts is that these parts can have characteristics which, in the case of a solid material sheet, are often mutually exclusive. For example, a composite sheet metal part locally allows very good rigidities, in spite of its low weight, and at the same time can provide very good sound absorbing properties. However, many uses require these composite sheet metal parts to be joined with other sheet metal parts or metal parts. The joining methods such as fusion welding and soldering, frequently used for metal sheets, give rise to problems, however, due to the high heat supply thereof. When there is a high heat supply, the composite sheet metal part can be impaired in that the non-metallic layer or plastics layer arranged between the cover sheets is damaged. Consequently, it is often quite difficult to produce a sufficiently good join between a composite sheet metal part and a metal part. Various approaches have been tried hitherto to solve this problem. Japanese patent application JP 06-087079 A teaches preparing the region of a composite sheet metal part used for joining to further parts, for a welded joint in that the region of the composite sheet metal part is initially heated, the two outer cover sheets are bent up in the peripheral region and the plastics layer arranged between the cover sheets is removed using abrasive means. Thereafter, the cover sheets of the peripheral region are welded together, thereby providing a composite sheet metal part which has a metallic region, i.e. a region which has substantially no plastics layer and which can be used for the usual joining methods. However, this method is very complex and cannot be easily automated.
On this basis, the object of the invention is to provide a method and a forming tool by which complex formed composite sheet metal parts can be easily produced in a few steps and which still have metallic regions.
According to a first teaching of the present invention, the above-mentioned object is achieved by a method in that
According to the invention, the at least one metallic region, preferably the metallic regions of the composite sheet metal part, i. e. the regions of the composite sheet metal part in which the plastics layer between the two cover sheets has been substantially removed is produced using a forming tool so that it is easily possible to automate the production of corresponding composite sheet metal parts. The forming tool can be arranged in a press which provides the opening and closing movements. In this respect, the production of the composite sheet metal parts having a metallic region can be integrated into existing production plants only by using forming tools. The production costs of composite sheet metal parts having at least one metallic region are reduced thereby. As already mentioned, the composite sheet metal parts produced in this manner can be joined, for example welded, to other components by the metallic regions.
According to a first embodiment of the method, the at least one selected region of the composite sheet metal blank is heated in the forming tool using means for locally regulating the temperature of said blank. For example, the forming tool surfaces which are in contact with the blank can conductively heat or regulate the temperature of the blank. On the other hand, it is also possible to use other heating methods, for example convective heating or also radiation heating. By heating regions of the composite sheet metal blank in a targeted, local manner, it is possible to remove the plastics layer between the cover sheets only in these regions. By regulating the temperature of the regions of the composite sheet metal parts via the forming tool surfaces, a heating procedure and at the same time the application of force can easily be carried out in a single step by the forming tool surfaces which are in contact with these regions or with this region of the composite sheet metal blank.
Heating elements and optionally cooling elements which regulate the temperature of the composite sheet metal blank at least in the selected region are preferably arranged in the forming tool as means for locally regulating the temperature of the blank. Heating elements can be realised by heating media guides or by electric heating elements. Cooling elements are usually provided by cooling means guides. If heating and cooling elements are provided, for example, the heating of the forming tool surfaces can be restricted particularly precisely to the requisite regions of the forming tool.
According to the next embodiment of the method, shaping means provided in the forming tool shape, deep-draw, cut and/or emboss the composite sheet metal blank during or after the production of the metallic regions. Shaping means include, for example, a deep-drawing punch, an embossing punch, a bending punch, cutting edges or knives. Consequently, the composite sheet metal blank can be subjected to additional shaping steps during the process for producing the metallic regions of the composite sheet metal part, i. e. in a single step, so that further steps are integrated into the method according to the invention.
According to the next embodiment of the method, during the forming of the metallic regions of the composite sheet metal part, the plastics material flows between the cover sheets into cavities provided in the forming tool. The direction of flow of the plastics material, displaced out of the metallic regions, can be purposefully influenced and controlled by the cavities provided in the forming tool. The temperature regulation also provides additional control options. In particular, the cavity makes it possible for the blank to expand in the regions in which the plastics material is displaced.
According to a further embodiment, if metallic cover sheets are used, the deformation resistance of which is greater than the force of the displaced plastics material and if the displaced plastics material cannot cause the deformation of the cover sheets, provided for example in the cavities located in the forming tool are means for penetrating the metallic cover layer as well as means for suctioning away the plastics material issuing out of the openings produced in the cover sheets as a result of the plastics material displacement, which means can suction away the displaced plastics material.
According to the next variant of the method, a ready-trimmed composite sheet metal part can be provided by trimming the composite sheet metal blank using cutting means provided in the forming tool after the introduction of the metallic regions. The integration of the cutting procedure into the shaping or production process for the provision of the metallic regions leads to a further enhancement of automation, since a trimming procedure outside the forming tool is no longer necessary and a substantially finished composite sheet metal part can be produced.
According to a second teaching of the present invention, the above-mentioned object is achieved by a forming tool for producing a composite sheet metal part, comprising
With a blank which is heated in the selected regions, for example outside the tool, a corresponding forming tool is able to apply a force to the selected region or regions so that the cover sheets are pressed together and the plastics layer arranged between the cover sheets issues out of the selected heated regions of the blank or is substantially removed there. The production process for composite sheet metal parts having a metallic region is greatly simplified by the use of the forming tool according to the invention.
According to a first embodiment of the forming tool, provided in the tool are temperature regulating means to regulate the temperature of the composite sheet metal blank in the selected regions. The temperature regulating means can, for example, heat the surfaces of the forming tool or can come into direct contact with the blank. Furthermore, temperature regulating means are also possible which heat the blank convectively or by radiation.
The temperature regulating means preferably comprise heating means and cooling means. Through the use of heating means and cooling means, selected regions can be heated in a targeted manner and the transfer of heat into other regions of the forming tool can be purposefully prevented by the arrangement of cooling means. Consequently, the selected regions of the composite sheet metal blank, from which the plastics material is to be removed, can be heated locally in a targeted manner. Restricting the heating to only the necessary regions of the forming tool can achieve a significantly higher process reliability during the production of the composite sheet metal parts. It is also possible to prevent the transfer of heat out of heated regions of the forming tool into adjacent regions of the tool using materials of a low thermal conduction.
According to the next embodiment of the forming tool, provided in the tool are means by which the composite sheet metal blanks can be shaped, deep-drawn, cut and/or embossed during or after the production of the metallic regions. These additional means make it possible to integrate further working steps into the provision of the metallic regions of the composite sheet metal part and allow a further enhancement of the automation. In particular, these means allow the composite sheet metal part to be produced in a finished state in the forming tool, thereby obviating the need for further working steps.
Also preferably provided in the forming tool are means for joining the cover sheets of the at least one metallic region of the composite sheet metal part, so that the cover sheets can be joined in the metallic regions in the forming tool. For example, a laser welding beam in the forming tool could produce punctiform or seam-shaped joints by a glass fibre. Furthermore, the arrangement of joining electrodes for resistance welding is also possible.
At least one mould cavity is preferably provided which is used to receive thickened regions of the composite sheet metal blank. These thickened regions of the blank are produced by the flow of the plastics material out of the selected, heated regions. The blank can expand in the mould cavities provided for this purpose.
Alternatively or cumulatively, according to a further embodiment, a suction device can be provided for removing the plastics material after it has issued out of the selected regions of the blank. The suction device makes it possible, for example, instead of a mould cavity, to suction up the issuing plastics material directly in the discharge region and to thereby remove it. It is thus possible in principle to dispense with a mould cavity. Nevertheless, the combined use of mould cavities and/or means for penetrating the metallic cover sheets and suction devices is also possible.
In the following, the invention will be described in more detail with reference to embodiments in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
The embodiments of the composite sheet metal blank, illustrated in
First of all,
Here, the heating elements 6 and the cooling elements 7 make it possible to heat two selected regions of the composite sheet metal blank 4 in a correspondingly intense manner, so that the force application means, in the form of the punch 5 which is preferably also temperature-regulated can press the plastics material out of this region 4″ of the blank 4 into the mould cavity 10. For this purpose, the punches 5 are arranged such that they are movable in their vertical position. The next figures show how the plastics material 4b is removed in the correspondingly selected region 4″.
Thus,
This is shown by
In addition to shaped regions, for example embossed or deep-drawn regions, the method according to the invention also affords the possibility of making cutouts in the composite sheet metal part using the forming tool and of simultaneously providing said cutouts with a metallic peripheral region. This is shown in
As can be seen in the enlarged detail in
As already stated, the metallic regions can be joined at certain points or in certain areas,
A further embodiment of the method according to the invention is shown in
A further embodiment of the method according to the invention is shown in
Consequently, composite sheet metal parts can be produced thus for highly diverse purposes of use, for example in automobile construction, shipbuilding, aircraft construction or also for the domestic appliance industry.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2011 055 654 | Nov 2011 | DE | national |
This patent application is a continuation of PCT/EP2012/073178, filed Nov. 21, 2012, which claims priority to German Application No. 102011055654.0, filed Nov. 23, 2011, the entire teachings and disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20140251531 A1 | Sep 2014 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/EP2012/073178 | Nov 2012 | US |
Child | 14282830 | US |