Bending die, and apparatus and method for manufacturing automotive suspension arm using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9248488-B2
Application number	US-201113109164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2011
Priority date	Jun 10, 2010
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

A bending die used in the apparatus for manufacturing the automotive suspension arm to bend a rod-like raw material and produce a bent material includes a lower bending die including a mounting portion for mounting thereon the rod-like raw material and an upper bending die including a pressing portion for vertically pressing the rod-like raw material mounted on the lower bending die. The mounting portion and the pressing portion include a lower die contact portion and an upper die contact portion each formed into a shape along the bent shape of the bent material to come in contact with the bent material. The lower die contact portion includes, in the middle portion thereof, a groove portion formed to have a size which allows a moving means to grip the bent material in non-contact relation with the bent material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bending die used in an apparatus for manufacturing an automotive suspension arm to bend an elongated raw material transported therein with a transport system and produce a bent material, comprising:
a lower bending die having an upper surface, longitudinal sides separated from each other in a longitudinal direction, and lateral sides extending at least partially between said longitudinal sides,
the lower bending die including two support grooves extending into the lower bending die from a portion of the upper surface, the support grooves further extending generally in the longitudinal direction for mounting the elongated raw material during bending,
the lower bending die further including an access groove extending into the lower bending die from the upper surface, in a middle portion of the lower bending die, so as to divide the two support grooves from each other, wherein the access groove extends transverse to the two support grooves and extends deeper into the lower bending die than the two support grooves, so as to provide access for the transport system to grip the bent material; and
an upper bending die including a pressing portion whose shape in the longitudinal direction corresponds to that of the portion of the upper surface having the two support grooves, wherein the pressing portion is able to vertically press the elongated raw material mounted in a the support groove of the lower bending die.

2. A bending die according to claim 1 , wherein the upper die has a contact portion including, in a middle portion thereof, a non-contact portion which does not come in contact with the bent material.

3. An apparatus for manufacturing an automotive suspension arm using the bending die according to claim 2 , comprising:
at least one forging device in which the bending die, a bust forging die that forges the bent material formed with the bending die to produce a bust forged material, and a finish forging die that forges the bust forged material to produce a finish forged material are juxtaposed;
a trimming device that trims a burr portion of the finish forged material; and
a transport system, wherein the transport system transports the elongated raw material onto the bending die, transports the bent material to the bust forging die, transports the bust forged material to the finish forging die, and transports the finish forged material out of the forging device to the trimming device.

4. An apparatus for manufacturing the automotive suspension arm according to claim 3 , wherein the transport system includes:
a first transport device that transports the elongated raw material onto the bending die, and transports the bent material to the bust forging die;
a second transport device that transports the bust forged material to the finish forging die; and
a third transport device that transports the finish forged material out of the forging device to the trimming device.

5. An apparatus for manufacturing the automotive suspension arm according to claim 3 , wherein, in the forging device, a rough forging die that forges the bust forged material to produce a rough forged material is further juxtaposed, and, in the finish forging die, the rough forged material is forged to produce the finish forged material, and the transport system transports the bust forged material to the rough forging die, and transports the rough forged material to the finish forging die.

6. A method for manufacturing the automotive suspension arm using the manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5 , comprising:
vertically pressing the elongated raw material to bend the elongated raw material using the bending die and produce the bent material;
forging the bent material using the bust forging die to produce the bust forged material;
forging the bust forged material using the rough forging die to produce the rough forged material;
forging the rough forged material using the finish forging die to produce the finish forged material; and
trimming a burr portion of the finish forged material using the trimming device to manufacture the automotive suspension arm.

7. A method for manufacturing an automotive suspension arm using the manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3 , comprising:
vertically pressing the elongated raw material to bend the elongated raw material using the bending die and produce the bent material;
forging the bent material using the bust forging die to produce the bust forged material;
forging the bust forged material using the finish forging die to produce the finish forged material; and
trimming a burr portion of the finish forged material using the trimming device to manufacture the automotive suspension arm.

8. An apparatus for manufacturing an automotive suspension arm using the bending die according to claim 1 , comprising:
at least one forging device in which the bending die, a bust forging die that forges the bent material formed with the bending die to produce a bust forged material, and a finish forging die that forges the bust forged material to produce a finish forged material are juxtaposed;
a trimming device that trims a burr portion of the finish forged material; and
a transport system, wherein the transport system transports the elongated raw material onto the bending die, transports the bent material to the bust forging die, transports the bust forged material to the finish forging die, and transports the finish forged material out of the forging device to the trimming device.

9. An apparatus for manufacturing the automotive suspension arm according to claim 8 , wherein the transport system includes:
a first transport device that transports the elongated raw material onto the bending die, and transports the bent material to the bust forging die;
a second transport device that transports the bust forged material to the finish forging die; and
a third transport device that transports the finish forged material out of the forging device to the trimming device.

10. A method for manufacturing an automotive suspension arm using the manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9 , comprising:
vertically pressing the elongated raw material to bend the elongated raw material using the bending die and produce the bent material;
forging the bent material using the bust forging die to produce the bust forged material;
forging the bust forged material using the finish forging die to produce the finish forged material; and
trimming a burr portion of the finish forged material using the trimming device to manufacture the automotive suspension arm.

11. An apparatus for manufacturing the automotive suspension arm according to claim 8 , wherein, in the forging device, a rough forging die that forges the bust forged material to produce a rough forged material is further juxtaposed, and, in the finish forging die, the rough forged material is forged to produce the finish forged material, and the transport system transports the bust forged material to the rough forging die, and transports the rough forged material to the finish forging die.

12. A method for manufacturing the automotive suspension arm using the manufacturing apparatus according to claim 11 , comprising:
vertically pressing the elongated raw material to bend the elongated raw material using the bending die and produce the bent material;
forging the bent material using the bust forging die to produce the bust forged material;
forging the bust forged material using the rough forging die to produce the rough forged material;
forging the rough forged material using the finish forging die to produce the finish forged material; and
trimming a burr portion of the finish forge

Assignees

• Takeuchi Koji
• Nakano Masashi
• Kitamoto Chihiro
• Suzuki Shunsuke
• Hamada Hirotoshi
• Kobe Steel Ltd

Inventors

• Takeuchi Koji
• Nakano Masashi
• Kitamoto Chihiro
• Suzuki Shunsuke
• Hamada Hirotoshi

Classifications

• B21J9/022

  multi-stage forging presses (handling devices B21K27/00) · CPC title

• B21D53/88

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

• B23P2700/14

  Suspension elements of automobile vehicles · CPC title

• B60G2206/83

  Punching · CPC title

• B60G2206/81022

  by forging · CPC title