Large scale metal forming control system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10112227-B2
Application number	US-201514705738-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2015
Priority date	Nov 7, 2013
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

In certain embodiments described herein, a heated line forming system includes a heating coil system configured to produce a heated line on a surface of a metal part. The heated line forming system also includes an air knife cooling system configured to maintain a dry area for the heated line, and to direct a coolant (e.g., cooling water, liquified gases such as liquid argon, solidified gases such as carbon dioxide snow, and so forth) around the heated line via a spray mechanism such that the coolant does not flow or splash into the heated line on the metal part. In certain embodiments, the heated line forming system includes multiple induction coils arranged along a line and spaced a short distance apart, but which, when operated simultaneously together, form a heated line on a surface of a metal part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heated line forming system comprising:
a heating system configured to produce a heated line on a surface of a metal plate during a thermal forming process;
a cooling system configured to maintain a dry area for the heated line during the thermal forming process;
a liquid-filled bladder, wherein the metal plate is supported by the liquid-filled bladder during the thermal forming process; and
a control system configured to control at least one operational parameter of the heated line forming system to produce a resulting final shape of the metal plate consistent with a thermal forming plan executed by the control system.

2. The heated line forming system of claim 1 , wherein the heating system comprises a plurality of heating heads that are configured to be moved independently of one another by the control system to dynamically adjust the heated line during the thermal forming process.

3. The heated line forming system of claim 1 , wherein the cooling system is configured to direct a cooling medium around the heated line such that the cooling medium is blocked from flowing onto the heated line on the surface of the metal plate during the thermal forming process.

4. The heated line forming system of claim 3 , wherein the cooling system comprises one or more air knives configured to direct air around the heated line to block the cooling medium from flowing onto the heated line.

5. The heated line forming system of claim 3 , wherein the cooling medium comprises water.

6. The heated line forming system of claim 3 , wherein the cooling medium comprises argon or carbon dioxide.

7. The heated line forming system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one operational parameter includes an amount of cooling time the cooling system directs the cooling medium around the heated line.

8. The heated line forming system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one operational parameter includes a temperature of the cooling medium as a function of time.

9. The heated line forming system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one operational parameter includes a flow rate of the cooling medium as a function of time.

10. The heated line forming system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one operational parameter includes an amount of heating time the heating system produces the heated line.

11. The heated line forming system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one operational parameter includes an amount of power applied to the heating system to produce the heated line as a function of time.

12. The heated line forming system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one operational parameter includes positioning of the heated line as a function of time.

13. The heated line forming system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one operational parameter includes a travel speed of the heated line as a function of time.

14. The heated line forming system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal forming plan is created using an artificial neural network.

15. The heated line forming system of claim 14 , wherein the artificial neural network is generated using heated line processing parameters as inputs, and measured surface topography data as outputs, wherein the surface topography data is measured by experimentally forming a test plate that is substantially similar to the metal plate.

16. The heated line forming system of claim 1 , wherein the heated line is produced by a plurality of induction heating coils.

17. The heated line forming system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of induction heating coils are independently positionable by the control system with respect to a support structure.

18. The heated line forming system of claim 17 , wherein the control system is configured to independently control at least one operating parameter of each of the plurality of induction heating coils based at least in part on operating data detected by one or more sensors of the heated line forming system.

19. The heated line forming system of claim 18 , wherein the at least one parameter comprises an amount of bending of the metal plate, a temperature generated by a respective induction heating coil, a distance of a respective induction heating coil from a surface of the metal plate, a travel speed of a respective induction heating coil with respect to the metal plate, a position of a respective induction heating coil with respect to the metal plate, an inductive coupling between a respective induction heating coil and the metal plate, or any combination thereof.

20. The heated line forming system of claim 1 , comprising at least one rigid surface upon which the metal plate is supported during the thermal forming process, wherein the at least one rigid surface does not conform to a final metal plate shape or an intermediate metal plate shape during the thermal forming process.

21. The heated line forming system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid-filled bladder is positioned underneath the metal plate so as to support the metal plate from below during the thermal forming process, and wherein the liquid-filled bladder conforms to a final metal plate shape or an intermediate metal plate shape during the thermal forming process.

22. The heated line forming system of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of heated spots along the heated line are heated simultaneously.

23. A heated line forming system, comprising:
a heating system configured to produce a heated line on a surface of a metal plate during a thermal forming process;
a cooling system configured to maintain a dry area for the heated line during the thermal forming process;
a liquid-filled bladder, wherein the metal plate is supported by the liquid-filled bladder during the thermal forming process, and wherein the liquid-filled bladder conforms to a final metal plate shape or an intermediate metal plate shape during the thermal forming process;
a layer of segmented components disposed between the liquid-filled bladder and the metal plate during the thermal forming process, wherein the layer of segmented components is configured to reduce heat transferred to the liquid-filled bladder from the metal plate during the thermal forming process; and
a control system configured to control at least one operational parameter of the heated line forming system to produce a resulting final shape of the metal plate consistent with a thermal forming plan executed by the control system.

24. The heated line forming system of claim 23 , wherein the layer of segmented components comprise ceramic tiles.

25. A method comprising:
producing a heated line on a surface of a metal plate during a thermal forming process;
maintaining a dry area for the heated line during the thermal forming process;
supporting the metal plate on a liquid-filled bladder during the thermal forming process; and
controlling at least one operational parameter to produce a resulting final shape of the metal plate consistent with a thermal forming plan.

26. The method of claim 25 , comprising moving a plurality of heating head assemblies independently from one another to dynamically adjust the heated line during the thermal forming process.

27. The method of claim 25 , comprising directing a cooling medium around the heated line such that the cooling medium is blocked from flowing onto the heated line on the surface of the metal plate during the thermal forming process.

28. The method of claim 25 , compr

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Jones Jerald Edward
• Rhoades Valerie Lisa
• Cuneo Adam N

Classifications

• B21D5/008 Primary

  combined with heating or cooling of the bends · CPC title

• B21D5/004

  with program control · CPC title

• B21D5/02

  on press brakes without making use of clamping means · CPC title

• B21D37/16 Primary

  Heating or cooling · CPC title

• C21D9/46

  for sheet metals · CPC title