"Method For Hydroforming And A Hydrofomed Product"
Abstract:
The object is to raise the yield by greatly eliminating the disposed amounts of the tube ends, prevent wrinkles due to closing the mold while applying internal pressure, cutting the plurality of steps of hydroforming and pre-processing of the tube ends, cutting the mold costs by simplifying the mold mechanism, and obtaining a hydroformed product formed with a flange along its entire length.
For this reason, the present invention provides a hydroforming method which places a metal tube to a lower mold in the state with the tube ends sticking out from it and injects a pressurizing fluid into the metal tube through the inside of a seal punch and gradually presses seal punches against tube ends of the metal tube to apply a predetermined pressing force and fill the inside of the metal tube with the pressurizing fluid to apply a predetermined internal pressure, next, in the state with the internal pressure and pressing force applied, lowers the upper mold and closes the mold so as to deform the tube and end the processing in the state with the tube ends sticking out from the mold, and, further, boosting the internal pressure in the metal tube after closing the mold and ending the forming operation and a hydroformed product processed using these methods and having a flange across the entire length in the longitudinal direction.
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Notices, Deadlines & Correspondence
DESCRIPTION
Method for hydroforming and a hydroformed product
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a hydroforming method comprising placing a metal tube in a mold, closing the mold, then applying internal pressure inside the tube to form it to a predetermined shape and a hydroformed product formed by this.
BACKGROUND ART
The general processing steps in conventional hydroforming will be explained below using FIG. 1.
First, a metal tube 1 shorter in length than the mold is placed inside a groove of the lower mold 2 so that the tube ends of the metal tube 1 are positioned inside from the end faces of the mold (same figure (a)). The metal tube 1 of this example is an example of a straight tube. In the case of a bent tube, it is necessary to perform the bending in advance so as to become a shape matching the groove of the lower mold 2.
Next, the upper mold 3 is lowered to close the mold and clamp the metal tube 1 between the lower mold 2 and the upper mold 3 (same figure (b)).
After that, the seal punches 4 and 5 are made to advance. Water is inserted as a pressurizing fluid from the seal punch 4 having a water insertion port 6 while making the punches advance. Substantially simultaneously with the water 7 being filled inside the metal tube 1, the seal punches 4 and 5 are made to contact the end faces of the metal tube 1 to seal them to prevent the water 7 from leaking (same figure (c)).
After that, the pressure inside the metal tube 1 (below, referred to as the internal pressure) is raised
to obtain the hydroformed product 8 (same figure (d)). To prevent the water 7 from leaking and secure a seal at this step, the cross-sectional shape of the tube ends 9 of the metal tube 1 and the tube end vicinities 9' may be made the same circular shapes as before being worked.
However, when the end faces of the final product 10 are not the same shapes as the tube material, since the tube ends 9 and tube end vicinities 9' and the transition parts 11 are unnecessary, they are cut off and discarded (same figure (e)). That is, the yield falls by that amount.
An example reducing this drop in yield is described in "Automobile Technology (vol. 57, no. 6 (2003), p. 23)". In this example, the tube ends are not circular, but are rectangular in cross-section the same as the end face shapes of the final product shape. However, in this case, before placing the metal tube to the mold, preforming for forming the tube ends into rectangular cross-sections becomes necessary.
In the method described in Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2004-42077, a metal tube with a circular cross-section is placed as it is to the lower mold so that the tube ends of the metal tube become inside the end faces of the mold. Along with the descent of the upper mold, the tube ends are made to deform to rectangular cross-sections. The rectangular cross-section seal punches are made to abut against these as is, then the pressurizing fluid is supplied to the inside of the metal tube for axial pressing as necessary. However, while this method can be applied to elliptical, rectangular, oblong, and other relatively simple cross-sections, the front ends of the seal punches must be formed to the same shapes as the ends of the shaped article. Application to complicated cross-sections is considered difficult.
Further, to prevent wrinkles forming at the time of closing the hydroforming mold, the practice has been to
close the mold while applying internal pressure. With the method, it is necessary to seal the tube ends after finishing closing the mold, so for example as described in Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2001-9529, the method is adopted of closing the mold at just the tube ends and pushing the seal punches to secure a seal, then closing the mold at the tube center. Accordingly, the tube ends in this case are limited to a circular, elliptical, or other simple cross-sectional shapes.
On the other hand, hydroforming has the defect of the difficulty of spot welding and bolting with other parts after shaping. Therefore, technology for forming a flange at the time of hydroforming is proposed in Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2001-259754 or Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2006-61944. However, with these methods, pluralities of hydroforming steps or separate punches able to move in the mold become necessary. Further, with the method, it is believed difficult to form a flange along the entire length while applying internal pressure.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In the present invention, the object is to raise the yield of the hydroformed product by forming even the tube ends to the product shape as much as possible. Further, the inventors propose a hydroformed product having a flange along its entire length in the longitudinal direction formed by a single step.
To solve the problem, the present invention has as its gist the following:
(1) A hydroforming method characterized by placing a metal tube in a lower mold in a state with tube ends sticking out from the mold, injecting pressurized fluid into the metal tube through an inside of a seal punch while pressing seal punches against the tube ends of the metal tube to apply a predetermined pressing force,
filling the inside of the metal tube with a pressurized fluid to apply a predetermined internal pressure, then, while applying the internal pressure and pressing force, lowering the upper mold and closing the mold, deforming the tube along with the tube end and finishing the forming operation in the state with the tube ends sticking out from the mold.
(2) A hydroforming method as set forth in (1), characterized by, after closing the mold, further boosting the internal pressure in said metal tube and ending the forming operation.
(3) A hydroforming method as set forth in either (1) or (2), characterized in that when a sectional area of a metal part of said metal tube in a cross-section vertical to an axial direction of said metal tube is S1 [mm2] , a sectional area of an inside of said metal tube is S2 [mm2], an yield stress of said metal tube is YS [MPa], and said predetermined internal pressure is P1 [MPa], a force F1 [N] pressed by said seal punches when closing the mold satisfies formula (1):
Pi • S2+0 . 3YS • Si