Method for producing a shaped sheet metal part having wall thicknesses differing from each other by region, and axle subframe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10226809-B2
Application number	US-201615557679-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2016
Priority date	Mar 13, 2015
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

A method for producing a shaped sheet metal component having wall thicknesses differing from each other is disclosed including providing a sheet metal material having a constant wall thickness, pre-shaping the sheet metal material into a preform by means of a hold-down press, producing at least one bulge in an inner region such that the material is stretched and has a reduced wall thickness, flattening and/or extending the produced preform, cutting the sheet metal material in order to form a blank before, during, or after the pre-shaping, and shaping the blank into the shaped sheet metal component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of producing a sheet-metal formed component having regions with mutually different wall thicknesses, said method comprising:
providing a sheet-metal material with an initial constant wall thickness;
preforming the sheet-metal material to obtain a preform by means of a blank holder press, wherein, in an inner region, at least one bulge is generated such that the material is ironed and has a reduced wall thickness;
flattening and/or spreading out the produced preform;
separating the sheet-metal material before, during or after the preforming, to obtain a blank;
trimming and/or introducing holes into the blank; and
forming the blank to obtain the sheet-metal formed component, wherein the sheet-metal formed component is an axle subframe with regions with mutually different wall thickness, and with screw attachment surfaces, coupling regions and/or bearing receptacles for attachment of links and/or spring struts.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sheet-metal material is a sheet-metal blank or a sheet-metal strip.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one bulge comprises
two bulges which are oriented in opposite directions relative to an original plane of the sheet-metal material, or
two bulges which are oriented in the same direction relative to an original plane of the sheet-metal material, or
a undulating shape.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the bulge extends over an entire width of the sheet-metal material.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising
before, during or after the preforming, providing the sheet-metal material with incisions over a part of a width of the sheet-metal material at two opposite margins of the sheet-metal material.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sheet-metal material, as a result of said preforming, has a width which corresponds to an initial width of the sheet-metal material before said preforming.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the flattened and/or spread-out blank has a length which is greater than a length of the sheet-metal material in an initial state before said preforming.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising austenitizing, hot-forming, and hardening the preformed blank.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising austenitizing the sheet-metal material before said preforming the sheet-metal material.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the blank holder press has at least two blank holders respectively at least at two opposite sides of the inner region, and
as a result of said preforming, the at least one bulge is generated in the inner region and between the at least two blank holders.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sheet-metal material, as a result of said preforming, has a width which is reduced in relation to an initial width of the sheet-metal material before said preforming.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein, in said preforming, the sheet-metal material remains flat under the at least two blank holders.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said flattening and/or spreading out flattens the at least one bulge.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said preforming results in the at least one bulge having the reduced wall thickness with a homogeneous cross-sectional profile.

15. An axle subframe for a motor vehicle, wherein the axle subframe is produced as a sheet-metal formed component in accordance with the method of claim 1 ,
wherein said axle subframe is produced as a sheet-metal formed component with regions with mutually different wall thickness,
wherein the axle subframe has a butterfly shape with
two end sections, and
a central section located between said end sections in a longitudinal direction of the axle subframe, and connecting said end sections,

wherein, in the central section, the axle subframe has a region with reduced wall thickness, which region extends over an entire width of the central section in a transverse direction of the axle subframe and over a part of a length of the central section in the longitudinal direction,
wherein, in each end section of the two end sections, the axle subframe has a further region with reduced wall thickness, which further region extends over a part of a width of the end section in the transverse direction and over a part of a length of the end section in the longitudinal direction, and
wherein, on the axle subframe, screw attachment surfaces, coupling regions and/or bearing receptacles are provided for attachment of links and/or spring struts.

16. The axle subframe as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the further region with reduced wall thickness in each of the end regions narrows inwardly in the longitudinal direction from a free end of the end region.

17. The axle subframe as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the further region with reduced wall thickness in each of the end regions is bordered on both sides in the transverse direction by a region with larger wall thickness.

18. The axle subframe as claimed in claim 17 , wherein each of the end sections has a circular recess at a narrowed end of the end section and bordering both the further region with reduced wall thickness and the region with larger wall thickness.

19. The axle subframe as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the axle subframe is a shell with an at least partially encircling flange margin.

20. The axle subframe as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the axle subframe has a two-shell configuration, wherein the two shells have a hollow profile in cross section which is closed at least in sections.

21. A method of producing a sheet-metal formed component having regions with mutually different wall thicknesses, said method comprising:
providing a sheet-metal material with a constant wall thickness;
preforming the sheet-metal material to obtain a preform by means of a press tool, wherein, in said preforming,
in an inner region, at least one bulge is generated, and
a marginal bulge is generated at each of outer regions which delimit the inner region, an amplitude of the marginal bulge is greater than an amplitude of the bulge in the inner region;

flattening and/or spreading out the produced preform;
separating the sheet-metal material before, during or after the preforming, to obtain a blank;
trimming and/or introducing holes into the blank; and
forming the blank to obtain the sheet-metal formed component, wherein the sheet-metal formed component is an axle subframe with regions with mutually different wall thickness, and with screw attachment surfaces, coupling regions and/or bearing receptacles for attachment of links and/or spring struts.

22. A method of producing a sheet-metal formed component having regions with mutually different wall thicknesses, said method comprising:
providing a sheet-metal material with a constant wall thickness,
preforming the sheet-metal material to obtain a preform by means of a press tool, wherein, in said preforming,
in an inner region, at least one bulge is generated in the sheet-metal material, and
at two opposite sides of the inner region, during closure of the press tool, two barrier edge bends are respectively generated in the sheet-metal material and effect a slowed follow-on flow of the material outside the barrier edge bends into the inner region between the barrier edge bends, and forming the at least one bulge in the inner region betwee

Assignees

• Benteler Automobiltechnik Gmbh

Inventors

• Henksmeier Thomas
• Hochapfel Erik
• Friesen Dieter

Classifications

• B21D25/00 Primary

  Working sheet metal of limited length by stretching, e.g. for straightening · CPC title

• B21D53/88

  other parts for vehicles, e.g. cowlings, mudguards · CPC title

• B21D53/90

  axle-housings · CPC title

• B62D21/11 Primary

  with resilient means for suspension {, e.g. of wheels or engine; sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions} · CPC title

• B21D35/006

  Blanks having varying thickness, e.g. tailored blanks · CPC title