Method of forming hemming tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9443040-B2
Application number	US-201514590392-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2015
Priority date	Jan 6, 2015
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A method of forming a hemming tool includes providing a computer generated model of a panel including a flange in an unhemmed position and of a hemming tool including a hemming surface. Hemming the flange with the hemming tool is virtually simulated in the computer generated model. At least one non-conformity is identified along the flange in the computer generated model after virtually simulating hemming. The computer generated model is then modified to a modified computer generated model by adjusting the flange to change the at least one defect. Hemming the flange in the unhemmed position with the hemming tool is then virtually simulated in the modified computer generated model in the modified computer generated model.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a hemming tool, the method comprising:
providing a computer generated model of a panel including a flange in an unhemmed position and of a hemming tool;
virtually simulating hemming the flange in the unhemmed position with the hemming tool in the computer generated model;
identifying at least one non-conformity along the flange in the computer generated model after virtually simulating hemming;
modifying the computer generated model to a modified computer generated model by adjusting the flange to change the at least one non-conformity;
virtually simulating hemming the flange in the unhemmed position in the modified computer generated model with the hemming tool in the modified computer generated model; and
wherein the hemming tool in the computer generated model includes a hemming surface and wherein modifying the computer generated model includes adjusting the hemming surface based on the flange in the modified computer generated model, and further comprising fabricating the hemming tool to include the hemming surface of the modified computer generated model.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising fabricating a pre-hem tool based on the unhemmed flange in the modified computer generated model.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the flange in the unhemmed position in the modified computer generated model includes a pre-hem flange angle and wherein fabricating the pre-hem tool includes fabricating a surface of the pre-hem tool configured to deform a flange on a panel having the pre-hem flange angle.

4. The method as set forth in 2 wherein the flange in the unhemmed position in the modified computer generated model includes a pre-hem flange bend position and wherein fabricating the pre-hem tool includes fabricating a surface of the pre-hem tool configured to deform a flange on a panel at the pre-hem flange bend position.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising fabricating a flanging die based on the unhemmed flange in the modified computer generated model.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5 further comprising determining an original flange angle based on the flange in the unhemmed position in the modified computer generated model and further comprising fabricating a surface of the flanging die configured to deform a flange on a panel having the original flange angle.

7. The method as set forth in claim 5 further comprising determining an original flange bend position and wherein fabricating the flanging die includes fabricating a surface of the flanging die configured to deform a flange on a panel at the original flange bend position.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising fabricating a trimming die based on the unhemmed flange in the modified computer generated model.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8 further comprising determining an original flange length based on the unhemmed flange in the modified computer generated model and further comprising fabricating a surface of the trimming die configured to trim a panel to include a flange having the original flange length.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the at least one non-conformity includes at least one of wrinkling, cracking, splitting, creeping, and creasing.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein adjusting the hemming surface includes adjusting at least one of a contour of the hemming surface and an angle of attack of the hemming surface relative to the flange.

12. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein adjusting the flange includes adjusting at least one of a length of the flange and an angle of the flange relative to the hemming surface.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Viswanathan Karthik
• Liasi Evangelos
• Foresi Marc
• Petrey Roger
• Haynes Joseph

Classifications

• G06F30/15

  Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design · CPC title

• B21D39/021

  for panels, e.g. vehicle doors · CPC title

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• B21D37/20 Primary

  Making tools by operations not covered by a single other subclass · CPC title

• G06F30/23

  using finite element methods [FEM] or finite difference methods [FDM] · CPC title