Sheet metal system and manufacturing process joining incremental forming and direct metal deposition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018185921-A1
Application number	US-201715398164-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 4, 2017
Priority date	Jan 4, 2017
Publication date	Jul 5, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition, includes a plate. A groove is created in the plate. A direct metal deposition tool is positioned within the groove. A material is deposited by the direct metal deposition tool onto a surface within the groove creating a rib.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition, including:
a plate; a groove created in the plate; a direct metal deposition tool temporarily positioned within the groove; and a material deposited by the direct metal deposition tool onto a surface within the groove creating a rib.

2 . The sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition of claim 1 , wherein the material deposited matches a material of the plate.

3 . The sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the groove is depressed below a planar surface defined by a first plate portion and a second plate portion.

4 . The sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition of claim 1 , wherein the rib extends across an entire width of the groove transverse to a longitudinal axis of the groove.

5 . The sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition of claim 1 , wherein the material is deposited by the direct metal deposition tool onto an additional surface of the plate.

6 . The sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition of claim 1 , further including a movable machine portion movable toward and away from a table, the movable machine portion having:
a tool holding head whose movement is controlled by a computer operated machine; and a retractable and extendable incremental forming tool supported by the tool holding head, the incremental forming tool adapted to depress the plate to create the groove.

7 . The sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition of claim 6 , wherein the direct metal deposition tool is supported by the tool holding head.

8 . The sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition of claim 1 , wherein the direct metal deposition tool defines a 3D printer head.

9 . The sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition of claim 1 , wherein a final height of the rib includes multiple layers of material individually and sequentially deposited by the direct metal deposition tool.

10 . The sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition of claim 9 , wherein the rib having the final height is repeated at multiple locations in the groove.

11 . The sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition of claim 1 , wherein the groove has a curved geometry, and the rib has a curved geometry substantially matching the curved geometry of the groove.

12 . The sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition of claim 1 , wherein the groove extends across an entire width of the plate.

13 . The sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition of claim 1 , wherein the groove includes opposed groove walls integrally connected to and transversely extending from a groove bottom wall, the groove bottom wall having a convex shaped outer surface in a longitudinal direction of the groove.

14 . The sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition of claim 1 , wherein the groove includes:
a semi-spherical geometry having a semi-spherical shaped wall; and multiple ones of the ribs including intersecting first and second ribs integrally connected to the semi-spherical shaped wall and to a central connector.

15 . A method for operating a sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition, comprising:
depressing an incremental forming tool into a plate deforming the plate to create a groove, with a surface of the groove depressed below a planar surface defined by a first plate portion and a second plate portion; temporarily positioning a direct metal deposition tool within the groove; and depositing a material by operation of the direct metal deposition tool onto the surface creating a rib.

16 . The method for operating a sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition of claim 15 , including further depressing the plate within the groove using the incremental forming tool to increase a depth of the groove after depositing the material to create the rib.

17 . The method for operating a sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition of claim 16 , including further operating the direct metal deposition tool to increase a height of the rib up to the depth of the groove.

18 . The method for operating a sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition of claim 15 , further including continuing to deposit the material onto the rib using the direct metal deposition tool until the rib directly contacts each of a first groove edge and an oppositely facing second groove edge.

19 . The method for operating a sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition of claim 15 , further including continuing to deposit the material onto the rib using the direct metal deposition tool until the rib extends across an entire width of the groove.

20 . A method for operating a sheet metal system having incremental forming and direct metal deposition, comprising:
depressing an incremental forming tool into a plate deforming the plate to create a groove having a first depth; removing the incremental forming tool from the groove; temporarily positioning a direct metal deposition tool within the groove; depositing a material by operation of the direct metal deposition tool onto a surface of the groove creating a rib; removing the direct metal deposition tool from within the groove; returning the incremental forming tool into the groove; further depressing the incremental forming tool into the plate to create a groove second depth greater than the first depth; moving the incremental forming tool out of the groove; returning the direct metal deposition tool into the groove; and depositing an additional amount of the material by operation of the direct metal deposition tool onto the rib to increase a height of the rib.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Tong Yiran

Classifications

• B22F10/25

  Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS] · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B22F7/04 Primary

  with one or more layers not made from powder, e.g. made from solid metal · CPC title

• B22F2007/042

  characterised by the layer forming method · CPC title

• B23K2101/006

  Vehicles · CPC title