JP7537289B2 - Vehicle manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a vehicle.

In recent years, additive manufacturing technology (so-called "3D printer technology") has been attracting attention. This technology involves irradiating a laser beam onto specific areas of metal powder spread in layers on a stage, repeatedly melting and solidifying the powder, and stacking and integrating multiple metal layers to create three-dimensional objects.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for forming a vehicle body using additive manufacturing technology.

Special table 2018-528118 publication

The inventors are investigating a technique for additive manufacturing of the body directly onto the chassis.
It would be efficient if the body could be additively manufactured directly onto the chassis.
However, when mounting a chassis on a stage and directly additively manufacturing a body on the chassis, there is a large gap between the stage and the chassis, which poses various problems in productivity, such as the need for a large amount of metal powder that does not directly contribute to the molding of the body.

The present invention has been developed in consideration of these circumstances, and provides a vehicle manufacturing method that allows for additive manufacturing of the body directly onto the chassis with high productivity.

A method for manufacturing a vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention includes the steps of:
Mounting the chassis on a stage of an additive manufacturing device;
A process of irradiating a laser beam onto a predetermined area of the metal powder spread in layers on the stage, and repeatedly melting and solidifying the metal powder to laminate and integrate a large number of metal layers to form a three-dimensional body on the chassis.
The stage includes a plurality of blocks each of which can move up and down independently.
After the step of mounting the chassis and before the step of forming the body, the plurality of blocks rise so as to fill the gap between the chassis and the blocks.

In one embodiment of the vehicle manufacturing method of the present invention, the stage of the additive manufacturing device is equipped with multiple blocks that can move up and down independently, and after the process of mounting the chassis and before the process of molding the body, the multiple blocks rise to fill the gap with the chassis. This configuration reduces the amount of metal powder that does not directly contribute to the molding of the body, and enables the body to be additively manufactured directly on the chassis with good productivity.

The chassis includes running parts including tires and wheels, a drive source that drives the wheels, and a control device that controls the drive source, and is capable of automatic running. In the process of mounting the chassis, the chassis may be mounted on the stage by automatically running the chassis to the stage. With this configuration, a transport device for transporting the chassis to the stage is not required.

The multiple blocks may be rectangular prisms that are square in plan view and arranged in a lattice pattern. With this configuration, the shape of the stage can be set appropriately depending on the shape of the chassis and the shape of the body to be molded.

In the process of mounting the chassis, the upper surfaces of the blocks may be flush with the floor surface. This configuration allows the chassis to be easily mounted on the stage.

After the body is shaped, the blocks may be lowered so that their upper surfaces are flush with the floor. This configuration allows the chassis to be easily removed from the stage.

A side stage is provided around the stage, and the side stage includes a plurality of horizontal blocks that can move independently in the horizontal direction, and in the process of forming the body, the plurality of horizontal blocks may move so as to protrude toward the body. With this configuration, the forming range can be narrowed according to the shape of the body, and the amount of metal powder input can be further reduced.

This invention provides a highly productive method for manufacturing vehicles that allows for direct additive manufacturing of the body onto the chassis.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a chassis used in the manufacturing method for the vehicle according to the first embodiment. 1 is a block diagram of a chassis used in a vehicle manufacturing method according to a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a stage of the additive manufacturing apparatus used in the vehicle manufacturing method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a stage of an additive manufacturing apparatus used in the vehicle manufacturing method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating the method for manufacturing the vehicle according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating the method for manufacturing the vehicle according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating the method for manufacturing the vehicle according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating the method for manufacturing the vehicle according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating the method for manufacturing the vehicle according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a method for manufacturing a vehicle according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a method for manufacturing a vehicle according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a method for manufacturing a vehicle according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a method for manufacturing a vehicle according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a method for manufacturing a vehicle according to a second embodiment.

Specific embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, the following description and drawings have been simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation.

First Embodiment
<Chassis configuration>
First, a configuration example of a chassis used in the vehicle manufacturing method according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a plan view of the chassis used in the vehicle manufacturing method according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the chassis used in the vehicle manufacturing method according to the first embodiment.
It should be understood that the right-handed xyz Cartesian coordinate system shown in FIG. 1 and other drawings is for the convenience of explaining the positional relationship of the components. Usually, the positive direction of the z axis is vertically upward, and the xy plane is a horizontal plane, which is common among the drawings.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the chassis is equipped with running parts including tires T1, T2 and wheels W1, W2, a frame FR, a motor MT, a battery BT, a sensor SN, and a control device CTR, and is self-propelled. As shown in Figure 1, a tire T1 is attached to the front wheel W1, and a tire T2 is attached to the rear wheel W2. The running parts include, for example, a suspension, a steering device, a braking device, etc., which are not shown in Figure 1.

The motor MT is mounted, for example, on the frame FR, and is a drive source that drives the wheel W1 via a transmission (not shown). The drive source may be an engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine. The drive source may also drive the wheel W2 or both the wheels W1 and W2.

The battery BT is mounted on the frame FR, for example, and is a power supply device that supplies a power source (electricity) to the motor MT. The battery BT may be a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery, or a fuel cell. When the driving source is an engine, a fuel tank that stores gasoline or diesel and supplies it to the engine corresponds to the power supply device.
In other words, the vehicles to be manufactured by the vehicle manufacturing method according to this embodiment are not limited to electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, and the like that can be driven by a motor, but may also be engine vehicles that can be driven by an engine.

The sensor SN is for recognizing a vehicle ahead, and is, for example, a millimeter wave sensor. As shown in Fig. 2, the sensor SN recognizes an object ahead by transmitting a transmission wave to the vehicle ahead and detecting a reflected wave from the object ahead.
The control device CTR controls the motor MT and other components based on the information (reflected waves) acquired from the sensor SN so that the chassis runs automatically.

<Vehicle manufacturing method>
Next, a method for manufacturing the vehicle according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the vehicle manufacturing method according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a stage of an additive manufacturing apparatus used in the vehicle manufacturing method according to the first embodiment. Figs. 5 to 9 are side views showing the vehicle manufacturing method according to the first embodiment.

In the vehicle manufacturing method according to this embodiment, the body is directly laminated onto the chassis using an additive manufacturing device. Figure 3 is a plan view showing the chassis mounted on the stage ST of the additive manufacturing device, and Figure 5 is a side view showing the chassis mounted on the stage ST of the additive manufacturing device.

First, the chassis is mounted on the stage ST of the additive manufacturing apparatus as shown in Figures 3 and 5. As described above, the chassis can travel automatically, and therefore, for example, the chassis travels automatically and stops on the stage ST of the additive manufacturing apparatus. Therefore, in the vehicle manufacturing method according to this embodiment, a transport device for transporting the chassis to the stage ST is not required.
It is to be noted that the chassis does not have to travel automatically. For example, the chassis may be transported onto the stage ST of the additive manufacturing apparatus by an automatic guided vehicle (AGV).

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the stage ST of the additive manufacturing device used in the vehicle manufacturing method according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of blocks BL1 that can move up and down independently. Each block BL1 is driven, for example, by a drive source (not shown). The blocks BL1 are prisms that are square in plan view and extend in the vertical direction (z-axis direction), and are arranged in a lattice pattern. In other words, as shown in Figure 3, the stage ST is divided into a lattice pattern in plan view. That is, on the stage ST, a plurality of rectangular parallelepiped blocks BL1 are arranged side by side with no gaps in the x-axis and y-axis directions.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, when the chassis is mounted on the stage ST of the additive manufacturing device, all blocks BL1 are stored under the floor, and the top surfaces of all blocks BL1 are flush with the floor surface. Therefore, the chassis can be easily mounted on the stage ST.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, each block BL1 of the stage ST of the additive manufacturing device rises to fill the gap between the stage ST and the chassis. The amount of rise of each block BL1 is determined appropriately depending on the shape of the chassis and the shape of the body to be manufactured. In other words, the stage ST can accommodate various chassis and body shapes.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, all blocks BL1a in the area forming the body BD shown in FIG. 8 are raised to the height of the bottom of the body BD. In this case, the upper surfaces of all blocks BL1a in the area forming the body BD are at the same height and form a single horizontal plane, making it easy to spread the metal powder MP in layers. The layered metal powder MP is called a powder bed.

Alternatively, each block BL1a in the area where the body BD is formed may rise to a predetermined height along the bottom surface shape of the body BD. In this case, the block BL1a in the area where the body BD is formed may penetrate, for example, a gap in the frame FR of the chassis, and the upper surface of the block BL1a in the area where the body BD is formed may, as a whole, form a curved surface or the like along the bottom surface shape of the body BD. In this case, the body BD may be additively manufactured by, for example, laser engineered net shaping (LENS), which does not use a powder bed.

Then, as shown in FIG. 6, a first layer of metal powder MP is spread in layers on each block BL1a in the area where the body BD is to be formed. Here, as shown in FIG. 6, for blocks BL1b in the area where the body is not to be formed and located on the outer edge of the stage ST, the height of one layer of metal powder MP is raised higher than blocks BL1a in the area where the body BD is to be formed. This makes it easy to spread the metal powder MP in layers.

Then, as shown in FIG. 6, a laser beam LB is irradiated onto a predetermined location of the first layer of metal powder MP using, for example, a laser scanner LS, to melt and solidify the predetermined location of the first layer of metal powder MP.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, only the block BL1b in the area where the body BD is not to be formed is further raised by the height of one layer of metal powder MP. Then, a second layer of metal powder MP is laid out in a layer on top of the first layer of metal powder MP. After that, a laser beam LB is irradiated to a predetermined location of the second layer of metal powder MP, and the predetermined location of the second layer of metal powder MP is melted and solidified.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, in the vehicle manufacturing method of this embodiment, an additive manufacturing device is used to irradiate a laser beam onto a specific area of metal powder that has been spread in layers on a stage ST, repeatedly melting and solidifying the powder.
As a result, a three-dimensional body BD in which multiple metal layers are stacked together can be directly formed on the chassis as shown in Fig. 8. Here, as shown in Fig. 8, the block BL1b in the area in which the body BD is not to be formed constitutes the side wall of the modeling tank in the additive manufacturing apparatus.

9, after the formation of the body BD is completed, all the blocks BL1 are lowered so that the upper surfaces of all the blocks BL1 are flush with the floor surface. This makes it possible to easily carry the chassis out of the stage ST.
Then, after removing the metal powder MP remaining on the stage ST, the vehicle (the chassis on which the body BD has been formed) is moved from the stage ST of the additive manufacturing device. As described above, since the chassis can travel automatically, for example, the vehicle travels automatically and moves from the stage ST of the additive manufacturing device.

<Explanation of effect>
When using a conventional additive manufacturing device, there is a large gap between the stage and the chassis. Therefore, a large amount of metal powder that does not directly contribute to the body modeling is required. In addition, supports that support the body must be formed between the stage and the body (until the body modeling starts). Here, the supports must be removed after modeling, which results in poor productivity.

In contrast, in the vehicle manufacturing method according to this embodiment, the stage ST of the additive manufacturing device is equipped with multiple blocks BL1, each of which can move up and down independently. Then, after the chassis is mounted on the stage ST, the multiple blocks BL1 rise to fill the gaps with the chassis before the formation of the body BD begins. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of metal powder that does not directly contribute to the formation of the body BD.

Furthermore, in the vehicle manufacturing method according to this embodiment, since the shaping of the body BD can be started on the elevated stage ST (block BL1a), supports for supporting the body can be reduced.
In this way, the vehicle manufacturing method according to this embodiment makes it possible to perform additive manufacturing of the body directly on the chassis with good productivity.

Second Embodiment
A method for manufacturing a vehicle according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
10 to 14 are side views showing the method for manufacturing a vehicle according to the second embodiment, and correspond to FIGS. 5 to 9, respectively.

First, as shown in FIG. 10, the chassis is mounted on the stage ST of the additive manufacturing device. As described above, the chassis can travel automatically, so for example, the chassis travels automatically and stops on the stage ST of the additive manufacturing device.

Here, as shown in FIG. 10, the additive manufacturing apparatus used in the vehicle manufacturing method according to this embodiment has, in addition to the stage ST, a side stage SST is provided so as to surround the periphery of the stage ST.
When the chassis is mounted on the stage ST of the additive manufacturing apparatus, the stage ST and the side stage SST are stored under the floor.
It should be noted that the side stage SST does not need to surround the entire periphery of the stage ST, but only needs to be provided around at least a portion of the periphery of the stage ST.

Next, as shown in FIG. 11, each block BL1 of the stage ST of the additive manufacturing device rises to fill the gap between the stage ST and the chassis. The amount that each block BL1 rises is determined appropriately depending on the shape of the chassis and the shape of the body to be manufactured. For example, block BL1 rises to a position where it will manufacture the lowest part of the body.

The side stage SST also rises to a predetermined height. The side stage SST constitutes the side wall of the modeling tank in the additive manufacturing device, and is equipped with a number of blocks (horizontal blocks) BL2, each of which can slide independently in the horizontal direction. Each block BL2 is driven, for example, by a drive source (not shown). The blocks BL2 are square prisms in the yz plane view that extend in the horizontal direction (the x-axis direction in FIG. 11), and are arranged in a lattice pattern. In other words, the side stage SST is divided into a lattice pattern in the yz plane view. That is, in the side stage SST, a number of rectangular parallelepiped blocks BL1 are arranged side by side with no gaps in the y-axis and z-axis directions.

Then, as shown in FIG. 11, a first layer of metal powder MP is spread in a layer on block BL1 in the area where the bottom part of the body BD is to be formed. At this time, block BL2 of the side stage SST is protruded toward block BL1 on which the metal powder MP is spread. Here, the top surface of the uppermost block BL2 is higher than the top surface of block BL1 on which the metal powder MP is spread. In other words, the topmost block BL2 forms the outer edge of the area on which the metal powder MP is spread. With this configuration, the metal powder MP can be easily spread in a layer on block BL1.

Then, as shown in FIG. 11, a laser beam LB is irradiated onto a predetermined location of the first layer of metal powder MP using, for example, a laser scanner LS, to melt and solidify the predetermined location of the first layer of metal powder MP.

Next, as shown in FIG. 12, the second layer of metal powder MP is laid in a layer on the first layer of metal powder MP. Then, a laser beam LB is irradiated to a predetermined location of the second layer of metal powder MP, melting and solidifying the predetermined location of the second layer of metal powder MP.

As shown in Figures 11 and 12, in the vehicle manufacturing method of this embodiment, an additive manufacturing device is used to irradiate a laser beam onto a specific area of metal powder that has been spread in layers on a stage ST, repeatedly melting and solidifying the powder.
As a result, as shown in FIG. 13, a three-dimensional body BD can be directly formed on the chassis.

As shown in Figures 11 to 13, as the molding of the body BD progresses, the blocks BL2 located higher in the side stage SST are sequentially protruded toward the body BD. As shown in Figure 13, the blocks BL2 protrude horizontally, so the molding range can be narrowed to match the shape of the body BD. As is clear from a comparison of Figures 8 and 13, the vehicle manufacturing method according to this embodiment can reduce the amount of metal powder input compared to the vehicle manufacturing method according to the first embodiment.

Finally, as shown in Figure 14, after the formation of the body BD is completed, all blocks BL1 are lowered so that the upper surfaces of all blocks BL1 are flush with the floor. The side stage SST is also stored under the floor. This allows the chassis to be easily removed from the stage ST.

Then, after removing the metal powder MP remaining on the stage ST and side stage SST, the vehicle (the chassis on which the body BD has been formed) is moved from the stage ST of the additive manufacturing device. As described above, since the chassis can travel automatically, for example, the vehicle travels automatically and moves from the stage ST of the additive manufacturing device.

<Explanation of effect>
In the vehicle manufacturing method according to this embodiment, the stage ST of the additive manufacturing device also includes multiple blocks BL1 that can move up and down independently. After the chassis is mounted on the stage ST, the multiple blocks BL1 rise to fill the gaps between the stage ST and the chassis before the start of the molding of the body BD. This reduces the amount of metal powder that does not directly contribute to the molding of the body BD.

In addition, with the vehicle manufacturing method according to this embodiment, the body BD can be manufactured starting on the raised stage ST (block BL1), so supports for supporting the body can be reduced. In this way, with the vehicle manufacturing method according to this embodiment, the body can be directly additively manufactured on the chassis with good productivity.

Furthermore, in the vehicle manufacturing method according to this embodiment, the stage ST of the additive manufacturing apparatus is surrounded by a side stage SST. The side stage SST is equipped with a plurality of blocks BL2 that can move independently in the horizontal direction. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 13, the blocks BL2 protrude in the horizontal direction, thereby narrowing the molding range according to the shape of the body BD. Therefore, the amount of metal powder input can be reduced compared to the vehicle manufacturing method according to the first embodiment.
The other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

BD Body BL1, BL1a, BL1b Block BL2 Block (horizontal block)
BT Battery CTR Control device FR Frame LB Laser beam LS Laser scanner MP Metal powder MT Motor SN Sensor SST Side stage ST Stage T1, T2 Tire W1, W2 Wheel

Claims (5)

Mounting the chassis on a stage of an additive manufacturing device;
A process of irradiating a laser beam onto a predetermined area of the metal powder spread in layers on the stage, and repeatedly melting and solidifying the metal powder to laminate and integrate a large number of metal layers to form a three-dimensional body on the chassis.
The stage includes a plurality of blocks each of which can move up and down independently.
After the step of mounting the chassis and before the step of modeling the body, all of the plurality of blocks are raised to the height of the lowest part of the body to be modeled to form one horizontal plane ;
In the process of forming the body,
Among the plurality of blocks, a first block in an area where the body is to be formed maintains the height of the lowest portion, while only a second block in an area where the body is not to be formed and located at the outer edge of the stage rises by a height equivalent to one layer of the metal powder, and the metal powder is spread only on the first block, and the laser beam is irradiated onto the spread metal powder, which is then repeated.
A method for manufacturing a vehicle. The chassis includes:
Running parts including tires and wheels;
A drive source that drives the wheel;
A control device that controls the drive source is provided, and the vehicle is capable of automatic running;
In the step of mounting the chassis, the chassis is automatically driven to the stage, whereby the chassis is mounted on the stage.
A method for manufacturing a vehicle according to claim 1. The plurality of blocks are prisms each having a square shape in a plan view and are arranged in a lattice pattern.
A method for manufacturing a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2. In the step of mounting the chassis, upper surfaces of the plurality of blocks are flush with a floor surface.
A method for manufacturing a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3. After the step of forming the body, the plurality of blocks are lowered so that the upper surfaces of the plurality of blocks are flush with a floor surface.
A method for manufacturing a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images