EP1484123B1 - Method and apparatus for manufacturing a bent profile - Google Patents

Abstract

The bent stock producing process produces stock (15) from raw material (3) such as sheet metal. This is done in a single rolling, forming and bending machine. The raw material is first sent to a forming device (6) in order to form the rod stock (13). The rod stock is then send to a bending station (18) to form the bent stock.

Description

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing bending profiles according to the preamble of the independent claims.

The prior art discloses separate, stand-alone devices and methods on the one hand for producing a bar profile from a base material (for example sheet metal material) and on the other hand for bending this bar profile.

The production of a bar profile is preferably accomplished by a roll-profiling method for the production of closed, partially open or open profiles of different cross-sectional design and wall thickness design of sheet metal strip, in particular of a so-called "coil", a very large supply reel.

The subsequently performed on a separate machine bending of the previously produced on the roll-profiling machine bar profile is carried out in particular by the 2- or 3-dimensional profile roll bending process.

Disadvantage is that the production of bar profiles and subsequent bending of the bar profiles on separate machines is very time consuming and also requires increased logistics, since an intermediate storage and transport between the machines is necessary. In addition, the loss of material is therefore not insignificant, since the standard bar profiles are offered only in predefined lengths and then often lost when cutting the finished bent bar profile 10-20% of the length as a blend of the ends between the profiles. Thus, the production of a 2- or 3-dimensional bending profile is very costly and time consuming.

With the US 5,813,594 A an apparatus and a method for forming bumpers from a high tensile strength steel for vehicles in a continuous process is disclosed, which forms a hollow body of two juxtaposed, tubular regions and the hollow body is formed from a sheet, which in a bending station by means of inner and outer bending core is formed into a closed profile and in the inner bending core two mandrel bars are arranged with a holder which remain during the closing bending process in the profile to ensure a proper guidance of the reshaped profile, wherein the forming process is a gravity bending.
This invention has the significant disadvantage that the forming method used here produces very high frictional forces, which cause thin-walled profiles to invade, buckle or even buckle and thus reduce the bending quality.
In addition, this forming process is not suitable for forming a high strength material, such as spring steel, since this bending forming process with an inner and outer core causes the profile after deformation deformed back, as the decisive Auswalzvorgang to apply the necessary forming forces in the structure of the material to be formed does not apply.
As a result, the bending accuracy and deformation rate in comparison to the device and method according to the invention is substantially lower.

With WO 01/51228 A discloses a method and apparatus for producing a roll-bent bumper metal part in a continuous process, which feeds a sheet of a forming device and formed by appropriately arranged forming rollers in an open profile, wherein the profile is supported during the forming by a chain link mandrel , which has mirror-symmetrically arranged side parts and transforms the sheet into a semi-open profile.
This invention has the disadvantage that with this support due to the chain link mandrel closed profiles can not be reshaped.

In addition, with this forming technique also no high forming accuracies can be achieved.

No. 6,386,011 B1 discloses a device for producing a roll-bent semi-open profile in a continuous process, which feeds a metal sheet to a forming device and converts it into an open profile by means of appropriately arranged forming rolls, wherein the profile is supported by a chain link mandrel during forming and the sheet is closed a semi-open profile transforms.
This invention has the significant disadvantage that with this support due to the support during forming closed profiles can not be reshaped.
In addition, with this forming technique also no high forming accuracies can be achieved.

No. 5,974,932 A discloses a device for producing a roll-bent profile in a continuous process, which feeds a metal sheet to a forming device and converts it into a profile by means of appropriately arranged forming rolls, wherein the profile is calibrated and guided in a calibrating station which is simultaneously designed as a punch ,
This invention has the disadvantage that here a deformation is not performed by Auswalzrollen and the profile during forming in the region of the bending zone has no mandrel shaft for support, which thus can occur thin-walled profiles, bumps or even buckling.

The invention is therefore based on the object to further develop a continuous process for producing and bending bar profiles of sheet material in a single device of the type mentioned.

To solve the technical teaching of the independent claims.

An essential feature of this is that a method and an apparatus is used which combines the method for producing the bar profile and the method for bending the produced bar profile in a single roll-forming-bending machine (RFB), wherein the production of the bar profile Forming a metal strip has transverse to the conveying direction and the bending of the bar profile has a rolling in the conveying direction of the bar profile.

The advantage here is that the sheet metal profiles produced in a continuous flow process can be bent as continuously on one and the same device and in particular on a "flying Abtrennanlage" (sawing, cutting, shearing, etc.) without interruption (and thus without significant waste) to target -Mass be cut so that the finished manufactured and curved profiles can be made very quickly and therefore cost with a single device without intermediate storage and intermediate transport.

The ready-made bent parts thus produced are then preferably also passed on continuously via an automatic handling system.

By an appropriate arrangement of the mandrel bar bending head to the bridge, the profiles can be either left or right, up or down bend.

Further advantageous embodiments are defined in the subclaims.

Structure of the device according to the invention (RFB system)

The roll bending head is preceded by a bridge construction for receiving a movable mandrel station. This can be operated motor-driven (CNC controlled) or manually over the entire bridge length.

The mandrel station has the task over a mandrel bar the mandrel shank tool, which is positioned in the roll bending head, exactly on the bend line to hold position. The flat bridge top with a variety of mounting options takes the necessary for profile production role stations with drive, welding and grinding device, Dornstangenführungen u.a. on. Separate complete band end welding machine and double reel for the coil. Downstream of the roll bending head is a flying separation plant.

profile production

The bridge length depends on the number of roll stations required for profile production, with or without welding, grinding stations. etc. It can be made on a RFB system according to the invention, the most varied profiles in shape and size. The so-called forming flower of a resulting profile determines the location position of the mandrel station. With a closed profile, the positioning is made at the place where the Umformblume just enough opening of the two plate ends of the sheet metal strip width allows that the mandrel bar holder with the mandrel bar in the closing gap cavity just fits into it. Depending on the profile shape and profile type (closed, partially open, open), the mandrel bar length (dimension between mandrel bar holder and mandrel shank tool) is different.

For open profiles usually eliminates the mandrel shaft tool and thus the mandrel. For partially open or closed profiles, mandrel shank tools are required in every case.

Function of the method according to the invention (RFB method)

As a rule, thin-walled sheet-metal profiles are very difficult to bend and usually not bend at all using conventional bending methods.

Profile roll bending is ideally suited for free-form bending of rolled sheet metal profiles. For the first time, the combination of rolled profile production from the coil and profile roll bending enables the continuous production of curved thin to thin-walled sheet metal profiles in 2 and 3-dimensional design. A "flying separation unit" with automatic handling system following the bending head secures the transfer process of the production.

Uniform arches, arcs with different radii in one plane, as well as 3-dimensional curved and torsioned arches open up a new economical dimension in the production with the RFB process.

Possible applications and materials

Bumpers, Space Frame (large side car part, which combines several conventional components), door frames, window frames, chassis frame in the automotive field, and much more.

Steels, aluminum, titanium and magnesium and their alloys are preferably used as the material for the profiles, in particular in the motor vehicle and aviation industries.

Of course, the invention includes both completely rebuilt RFB plants that operate according to the RFB method, but also the conversion and The addition of existing systems for the production of profiles or systems for bending profiles, depending on the application.

Further features, applications and advantages are illustrated by way of example in the appended figures in the form of a preferred embodiment of the invention, which, however, is not intended to be limiting for the invention.

Figur 1:

Eine Vorderansicht der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung zum Herstellen von Biegeprofilen aus einem Blech-Coil;

Figur 2:

Vergrößerte Detaildarstellung der Dornstangenhalterung und Dornstangenführung;

Figur 3:

Die Dornstangenhalterung und Dornstangenführung nach Figur 2 in der Seitenansicht in Pfeilrichtung III gesehen, wobei die Umformblume des zu bildenden Profils dargestellt ist;

Figur 4:

Vergrößerte Detaildarstellung der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung zum Herstellen von Biegeprofilen nach Figur 1 in der Seitenansicht in Pfeilrichtung IV gesehen;

Figur 5:

Vergrößerte Detaildarstellung eines Teils des Biegekopfes aus Figur 1.

It shows:

FIG. 1:

A front view of the device according to the invention for producing bending profiles from a sheet metal coil;

FIG. 2:

Enlarged detail of the mandrel bar holder and mandrel bar guide;

FIG. 3:

The mandrel bar holder and mandrel bar guide according to Figure 2 seen in the side view in the direction of arrow III, wherein the forming flower of the profile to be formed is shown;

FIG. 4:

Enlarged detailed view of the device according to the invention for producing bending profiles of Figure 1 seen in the side view in the direction of arrow IV;

FIG. 5:

Enlarged detailed representation of a part of the bending head from FIG. 1.

Figure 1 shows a front view of the device according to the invention for producing bending profiles from a sheet-metal coil 1, which is wound here on each a reel 2. The double reel system offers the advantage that only small changeover times from coil to coil are required or two sheets 3 can be processed into a profile 13. The plate 3 is then removed from the reel 2 in the conveying direction 4 (here 0.6 to 1.6 m / s conveying speed) and initially fed to an optional strip end welding machine 5, to be subsequently introduced into the actual profile-forming device 6. This profile-forming device 6 is known in principle from the prior art and includes a series of roller stations 7, which are connected in series in the conveying direction 4 of the sheet 3 in succession.

Between the upstream front roller stations 7a and the downstream rear roller stations 7b are the welding station 8, the seam grinding station 9, the seam inspection station 10, the calibration station 11 and a station 12 for forming square and rectangular pipes (Turks head).

Downstream of the last roller of the rear roller stations 7b, the bending head 14 is arranged, which is associated with a second main component of the inventive device for producing bending profiles, namely the bending device 18. In the bending head 14 enters the finished but still unbent profile 13 from the profile Forming station 6 a. By 2- or 3-dimensional bending in the bending head 14, the unbent profile 13 is deformed into the bent bending profile 15, which is then separated by the cutting device 16 to the desired length. The cutting device 16 may be, for example, a flying saw, or a pair of scissors or a flame cutting station or laser cutting station or the like. It is important that the separating member 17 of the cutting device 16 can adapt to the curved profile 15, so that the separating member 17 must be movable, 2- or 3-dimensional.

To the bending device 18 still belongs to the mandrel station 19, which is arranged displaceably in the direction of displacement 20 on the bridge 21, on which bridge 21 and the entire profile-forming station 6 is mounted. The longitudinal displacement of the mandrel station 19 is provided only outside the profile production and allows easy and quick adaptation of the system to another profile. The mandrel station 19 has the task of the mandrel on the, the mandrel shaft (for the Bending) opposite side to wear. The mandrel station 19 is thus at a position just before closing the profile or before the completion of the profile. A mandrel shank is only needed for closed and semi-closed profiles, but can be omitted or removed for open profiles.

Figure 2 now shows an enlarged detail of the mandrel rod holder 19 with mandrel 22, wherein downstream of the further support of the mandrel 22, one or more mandrel rod guides 23 may be provided. These mandrel guides 23 include at least two opposing revolving rollers 24, 25 which receive between them the sheet 3 to be deformed. The one roller 24 is arranged on the mandrel rod 22 fixed or longitudinally displaceable, the other role fixed or longitudinally displaceable on the bridge 21.

Figure 3 shows the deformation of the sheet 3 to the profile 13 over numerous intermediate stages when passing through the roller stations 7 as viewed in the conveying direction 4 of the material 3, 13. Also, it can be seen that the outer roller 25 is wider than the inner roller 24 of the mandrel bar guide 23rd

Figure 4 shows an enlarged detail of the inventive device for producing bending profiles of Figure 1. The bridge 21 is mounted on feet 26 and carries the roller stations 7. The drive 27 for the roles of the roller stations 7 sits on a widening 21 a of the bridge 21 and is accomplished via the cardan shafts 28 which drive the rollers 29. Between the rollers 29, the forming flower 30 of the forming sheet 13 to be formed from the sheet metal 3 is shown in some steps. In the core of Umformblume 30 and the mold profile 13, the mandrel 22 can be seen which is connected via the mandrel rod holder 31 and the cantilever 32 again with the bridge 21. The cantilever 32 can be replaced by a closed portal yoke 33, which is then connected to the bridge 21 on both sides of the profile. Of course cantilever 32 and portal yoke 33 can also be connected to the feet 26 or with any other stationary component of the bending device 18th

The longitudinal drive of the mandrel station 19 in the directions of movement 20 is performed by the drive 34.

Figure 5 shows an enlarged detail of a part of the bending head 14 of the bending device 18, which is already known per se from the prior art and goes back to the same applicant.

The manufactured profile 13 is introduced in the conveying direction 4 in the bending head 14, and exits downstream as a bending profile 15 to be fed to the cutting station 16. The bending head 14 consists of support roller 35, roller 36, bending roller 37 and center roller 38, wherein only the middle roller 38 is driven, the other roles are driven only. The actual deformation of the profile 15 takes place between the rolling roller 36 and the middle roller 38, between which the mandrel shaft 39 is in the bending line 43, ie in the force flow of the pressing force, which mandrel shaft 39 is located at the other end of the mandrel 22, opposite the mandrel station 19th ,

By rolling out the material of the profile 13 on the rolling roller 36, the neutral fiber is displaced from the middle of the profile 13 down to the middle roller 38, so that there is already a bending of the profile 13 alone, which only supported by the bending roller 37 is adjusted and adjusted to a defined value. As a result, even very thin-walled profiles 13 can be bent with high precision and quality, without resulting in surface deformations (orange effect) or even tearing of the material.

The mandrel shaft 39 is preferably cooled by a micro-lubrication system 40 known from the prior art (FIG. 4), via the cantilever arm 32 or the portal 33 of the mandrel station 19 and via the mandrel rod support 31 and the mandrel rod 22 is supplied to the mandrel shaft 39. On Dornschaft 39 are then low-wear hardening or hardened removable plate to which the lubricant / coolant is passed.

The roller 36 and the cooperating central roller 38 are movable toward each other in the feed directions 41, for adjusting the force on the profile 13. The support roller 35 and the bending roller 37 are also in the directions of feed 41 in the direction of the profile 13 and the bending profile 15th deliverable, but additionally still perpendicular to it in the delivery directions 42.

Figure Legend

• 1 coil
• 2 reel
• 3 sheet metal
• 4 conveying direction of 3
• 5 band end welding machine
• 6 shaping device
• 7 roller stations, 7a front roller stations, 7b rear roller stations 8 welding station
• 9 seam grinding station
• 10 seam testing station
• 11 Calibration station
• 12 Turkish head
• 13 manufactured profile
• 14 bending head
• 15 bending profile
• 16 cutting station
• 17 separating organ
• 18 bending device
• 19 thorn station
• 20 shift direction
• 21 bridge, 21a widening of 21
• 22 mandrel
• 23 mandrel guide
• 24 inner rollers
• 25 outer rollers
• 26 feet
• 27 drive
• 28 cardan shaft
• 29 rolls
• 30 forming flower
• 31 mandrel holder
• 32 cantilever
• 33 Portal yoke
• 34 drive
• 35 support roller
• 36 rolling roller
• 37 bending foil
• 38 middle roll
• 39 Dornschaft
• 40 micro-lubrication
• 41 Adjustment direction vertical
• 42 Adjustment direction horizontal
• 43 bending line

Claims (10)

1. Method for manufacturing bent profiles (15) from raw material (3) in a single rolling, forming and bending machine (RFB) for the manufacture of a closed, semi-closed or open rod profile, the rod profile (13) being formed from sheet metal (3) transverse to the conveying direction (4), and for bending the rod profile manufactured in this way, characterised in that the bending of the rod profile takes place via rolling of the rod profile (13) in the conveying direction (4).
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the sheet metal (3) is first fed into a forming device (6) to form the rod profile (13), the rod profile (13) being subsequently transferred to a bending station (18) with a bending head (14) to form the bent profile (15).
3. Method according to claim 2, characterised in that the rod profile (13) is conveyed continuously in the rolling, forming and bending machine (RFB).
4. Method according to claim 3, characterised in that the profiles (13) are bent into the bent profiles (15) two or three-dimensionally in the bending head (14).
5. Method according to claim 4, characterised in that the manufactured finished bent parts are transported continuously further via an automatic handling system.
6. Device for manufacturing bent profiles (15) from raw material (3) in a single rolling, forming and bending machine (RFB), with a forming device (6), for the manufacture of a closed, semi-closed or open rod profile, the rod profile (13) being formed from sheet metal (3) transverse to the conveying direction (4), and with a device for bending the rod profile manufactured in this way, characterised in that the device for bending the profile in a longitudinal direction consists of a bending station (18) with a bending head (14), the rolling roller (36) of which and driven middle roll (38) of which hold between them the profile (13) to be bent, and that the bending station (18) contains a mandrel station (19) for bending semi-closed or closed profiles, and has a mandrel rod support (31) at one end for supporting a mandrel rod (22), a mandrel shaft being at the other end of the mandrel rod (22), located in the interior of the profile (13) to be formed, between the rolling roller (36) and the middle roll (38) in the bending line (43).
7. Device according to claim 6, characterised in that the forming device (6) has a series of rolling stations (7a, 7b) and at least one welding station (5, 8) and/or a grinding station (9) and/or an inspection station (10) and/or a calibration station (11) and/or a station (12) for making square cross-section profiles (13).
8. Device according to claim 7, characterised in that the mandrel station (19) with mandrel support member (31) is located in the region of the forming bloom (30) of the profile to be made (13).
9. Device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterised in that a cutting station (16) with cutting member (17) is connected downstream to the bending station (18) for cutting off the finished bent profile (15).
10. Device according to claim 9, characterised in that the cutting member (17) is movable and/or rotatable in two or three axes, according to the shape of the bent profile (15).

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