WO2007112720A1 - Forming method and tool - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a tool (1) for forming a section (3) of a body (5). The tool comprises at least one movable retaining device (7) and at least one forming punch (9) movable in the direction of the retaining device, wherein the section to be formed is arranged between retaining device and forming punch, and the forming punch, during the forming, is moved from an initial position (11) into a defined end position (13) relative to the section to be formed. In order to limit the construction space and the forces to be applied, it is proposed according to the invention that the tool comprise a wedge element (19) which is in contact with the retaining device and/or a die (15) in such a way that a movement of the wedge element causes a movement of the retaining device and/or of the die in the forming direction (17). The invention also relates to a method of forming by means of the tool.

Description

Method and tool device for forming

The invention relates to a tool device for forming at least a portion of a less accurately positioned body according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method for forming using this tool device according to the preamble of claim 7.

From DE 10 2004 038 208 A1 a tool device is known for reshaping at least one section of a less precisely positioned body by such an amount that the section to be reshaped lies in a more precisely defined position. This tool device comprises a movable holding device and a movable in the direction of the holding device forming die, wherein the portion to be formed between the holding device and forming die is arranged. During reshaping, the holding device is first positioned on the section to be reshaped. Then, the forming punch is moved in the direction of the holding device, resulting in a deformation of the portion which is arranged between the holding device and forming die leads.

After this so-called free deformation, a further process step is usually carried out on the formed section, for example the punching of a hole in this section. To do this, the surface of this section must first be smoothed.

The invention has for its object to provide in the tool means, with which the free forming and to the free forming subsequent process steps can be carried out in a simple manner and with the least possible space.

The object is achieved by the features of claim 1.

Thereafter, the holding device comprises a wedge element which is in abutting contact with the holding device and / or a die such that a movement of the wedge element causes a movement of the holding device and / or the die in the forming direction.

In the following, an element is to be understood by die, which exerts a relative movement on the section to be reshaped and thereby effects a further deformation of the section, while holding device is to be understood as an element which is or is brought into abutting contact with the body and has the function of Counterpart has.

In this way, on the one hand a die for smoothing the surface is available, which can be moved by a drive movement in a direction that is not directly in the forming direction. Thus, no space for the drive of the die is blocked in the actual forming movement. Therefore, the tooling can be made very narrow and used even in confined spaces for forming sections that are accessible only from one side. It can therefore be used in particular when sections of bodies are to be reshaped, which are already mounted in a larger unit, for example a motor vehicle body.

Furthermore, by the wedge element, the very high forces required to smooth the surface of the section or to counteract during forming can be absorbed without further clamping measures. In an advantageous embodiment of the forming die is attached to a leg of a substantially L-shaped bracket whose other leg is slidably mounted at the end of a base body of the tool device. Base body and bracket thereby form a Umformzange that is suitable to be introduced into spaces (claim 2).

In a further preferred embodiment of the tool device, the wedge element is formed by a wedge slide, which is guided in the base body. This can then be moved by a likewise attached to the base cylinder in a very simple manner. To move the wedge surface only a very small force must be applied through the cylinder (claims 3 and A).

Furthermore, the tool device advantageously comprises a stamping tool. With the aid of a punching tool, a through hole, which serves for example for receiving fastening means, can be produced in the section to be formed (claim 5).

In a further possible embodiment, a spring bearing is provided between the wedge element and the holding device and / or die. In this way, a biasing force on the die or the holding device can be exercised, which allows easy return of these elements to their original positions (claim 6).

Furthermore, the object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 7. This method is characterized by the use of a wedge element for moving a die and / or a holding device for smoothing the surface of the deformed portion or for generating a counterforce. By this simple and space-saving means, the method can be advantageously applied even in hard to reach bodies. In an advantageous embodiment, the method comprises the following steps: First, the positioning of the holding device takes place on the section to be reshaped, then the section to be reshaped is transformed by a movement of the forming die in the direction of the holding device. Subsequently, the female part within the holding device is moved in the direction of the forming punch of the wedge member for smoothing the surface of the deformed portion. (Claim 8).

In a further possible embodiment, the positioning of the holding device relative to the portion to be reshaped initially takes place without a contact being made between the holding device and the section. Then, a common displacement of die and holding device, until a

Contact between holding device and section takes place. Subsequently, the portion to be reshaped by a movement of the forming die in the direction of the holding device against the resistance of the spring-loaded

Reshaped die. In this way, the probing of the holding device is accelerated and simplified to the portion to be reshaped (claim 9).

In a further preferred embodiment, a stop is formed by wedge element and die, up to which the section to be reshaped is formed by the forming die. Thus, the wedge receives a further function and serves to form a stop, which is also adjustable in height in the forming direction. Furthermore, while the deformed portion is simultaneously smoothed (claim 11).

Advantageously, a punching operation is subsequently carried out on the formed section. This can be done in a simple and precise manner on the previously smoothed surface of the deformed portion (claim 12).

Further embodiments and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the remaining dependent claims and the description. In the drawings, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to several embodiments. Show it:

1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of the tool device,

2 is a detailed view of the tool device of FIG. 1 with the forming die in the starting position,

3 shows the detail of FIG. 2 with the forming punch in the end position,

FIG. 4 shows the detail illustration according to FIG. 3 with the die during smoothing of the section to be reshaped, FIG.

Fig. 5 is a detailed view of another embodiment of the

Tool device with the forming punch in the starting position,

Fig. 6 shows the detailed view of FIG. 5 after the probing of the holding device and

Fig. 7 shows the detail of Fig. 5 after the forming of the reshaped portion.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a tool device 1, which comprises a base body 27, which is attached, for example, to an industrial robot or to a robot arm and can be moved through it in space.

At this base body 27, a substantially L-shaped bracket 23 is mounted, in the direction of the double arrow 37, for example by an electric motor drive 47, not shown here, relative to the main body 27 is movable. The bracket 23 comprises two legs 21, 25, which are arranged perpendicular to each other, so that the free end of the second leg 25 is displaceable relative to the main body 27. At this free end is a substantially circular cylindrical forming die 9, which is rigidly connected to the second leg 25. The longitudinal axis of the forming punch 9 corresponds to the forming direction 17 and thus extends parallel to the first leg 21 of the bracket 23rd

Opposite the forming die 9 is located on the base body 27 of the tool device 1, a holding device 7. This includes a rigidly connected to the base body 27 holding body 8, which substantially the

Has a shape of a circular cylinder jacket. Furthermore, the

Tooling a die 15. The die 15 is substantially circular cylindrical, wherein its outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the holding body 8. Thus, the die 15 is within the

Holding body 8 movable in the axial direction. This tool device 1 is also referred to as Umformzange.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the tool device 1. It can be seen that the movement of the die 15 and the holding device 7 in FIG

Forming direction 17 is generated by a corresponding linear movement 39 of a wedge member 19, which is in contact with correspondingly shaped remote surfaces 41, 43 of the die 15 and the holding body 8. The linear movement 39 of the wedge element 19 is thereby deflected by the wedge shape by 90 °, so that the die 15 and the holding body 8 undergo a movement in the forming direction 17. Deviating from this

Embodiment, it is in principle possible to move die 15 and holding device 7 individually or together, as will be explained below.

In this embodiment, the wedge member 19 is formed by a wedge slide 29. This is guided within the body 27 and movable in this. The drive of the wedge slide 29 is effected by a connected to the base body 27, for example, pneumatic cylinder 31. The drive can also be done hydraulically or electrically, depending on the desired drive power. Due to the deflection of the movement of the wedge slide 29 by 90 °, the tool device 1 can be made very narrow in the forming 17, so that it can be used even with low available working space.

In addition to the translational movement of the wedge slide 29 and a rotational movement of the wedge member 19 or a combined rotational and translational movement of the same is possible. For example, the

Wedge element 19 additionally have a non-rotationally symmetric geometry, by the rotation of the wedge slide 29, a movement of the

Die and / or the holding device 7 causes in the forming 17. For example, this could be a cone-shaped combined with an eccentric one

Be geometry.

In operation, the tool device 1 is brought by means of a robot into the starting position 11 shown in FIG. In this starting position 11, the holding body 8 is in abutting contact with a section 3 of a body 5 to be reshaped, for example a body panel component.

Subsequently, a sliding movement of the bracket 23 with the attached forming die 9 in the forming 17 relative to the stationary

Basic body 27 instead. In this case, the section to be reshaped 3 by the

Forming stamp 9 formed in the direction of the die 15 until the forming die 9 has reached the end position 13 shown in FIG. Here is the

Forming stamp 9 in the end position 13 is not in abutment with a part of the holding device 7, so it is a so-called free forming.

The defined movement of the forming punch 9 for forming can be controlled or limited by a remote from the forming die 9 and the Holding device 7 arranged stop done, as shown in detail in DE 192 994 0038 A1 or in DE 192 2004 038 209 A1.

Subsequent to the forming takes place in this embodiment, a smoothing of the deformed portion 3. This is necessary because the embossing surface after the free forming has unevenness that complicate further processing. A flat embossing surface is achieved by the die 15, as shown in Fig. 4, is moved by a linear movement 39 of the wedge slide 29 in the forming direction 17 to the deformed portion 3. The die 15 then exerts a correspondingly high force on the section 3, which leads to a smoothing of this section 3. For example, the cylinder 31 exerts a predetermined force on the wedge slide 39 over a certain period of time, which it transmits to the die 15. This process of embossing with subsequent surface smoothing is also referred to as straightening.

In a subsequent method step, for example by means of the punching tool 33, which is located in this embodiment behind the forming die 9 and is moved therethrough, at least one through hole punched in the exact position formed section 3, to attach there, for example, a fastener.

FIGS. 5 to 7 show a further exemplary embodiment of the tool device 1. Identical parts are designated by the same reference numerals. In the following, only the differences between the exemplary embodiments will be discussed.

The example according to FIGS. 5 to 7 differs from the first example in that the wedge element 19 is used to position the holding device 7 and the die 15 so that the free forming can be carried out. It is therefore a probing process. Here are holding body 8 and die 15 together by the wedge member 19 in Forming 17 displaced. Furthermore, a spring bearing 35 is provided between the die 15 and wedge element 19, so that the die 15 in turn can be moved relative to the holding body 8 in the forming direction 17.

In operation, first the tool device 1 is prepositioned relative to the body 5 or to the section 3 to be formed, for example by the robot. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6, the wedge slide 29 is actuated via the cylinder 31 so that, as a result of the movement of the wedge element 19, the counter body 8 and the die 15 move together in the forming direction 17 inclined by 90 ° to the wedge slide movement 39 they come to concern at section 3. In this case, the pressure of the cylinder 31 must be set so that no deformation of the section 3 takes place. Due to the design of the wedge element 19 occurs now when applying a counter force depending on the angle of the wedge member 19 and its material, a self-locking, so that the holding body 8 can not move axially.

Subsequently, the forming punch 9 is again moved by a defined path in the end position 13, as shown in Fig. 7, so that the deformation of the section 3, as explained in the first example, takes place. The die 15 is doing accordingly. In a subsequent punching process, the die 15 is required to provide the punch 33 with the required resistance.

In the method illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7, it is further possible to perform an additional smoothing of the section 3 after the free forming. For thin sheets, the smoothing of the section 3 is done automatically by the spring force, which is exerted by the spring bearing 35 on the die 15. If it is thicker sheets, a second, relative to the first movable wedge member may be provided for smoothing after forming, which in a subsequent step, a movement of the die 15 in the direction of section. 3 effected relative to the holding body 8, so that the die 15 exerts the necessary force for smoothing the portion 3. This could also be done by a combination of a translational movement of the wedge member 19 for fixing the holding body 8 with a subsequent rotational movement to move the wedge member 19 in the forming 17 to the section 3 with the force required for smoothing. For this purpose, the wedge element 19 would have to have a corresponding geometry, as explained above.

With the arrangement shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, it is further possible, the die 15 as a stop for the forming die 9 in the forming of the

Section 3 to use. For this purpose, either the die 15 must be arranged immovably with respect to the holding device 7 with the axial distance to the surface 5 facing the body 5, which corresponds to the desired forming depth of the section 3. Alternatively, the spring support 35 can be designed so that the die 15 retracts as shown and at a defined depth provides a sufficiently high resistance to the

Limit deformation.

Claims

claims 1. Tool device (1) for forming at least a portion (3) of a less accurately positioned body (5) by such an amount that the reshaped portion (3) in contrast lies in a more precise position, with at least one portable Holding device (7) and at least one in the direction of the holding device (7) movable forming die (9), wherein the reshaped portion (3) between holding means (7) and forming die (3) is arranged and the forming die (9) during forming relative to the to be transformed section (3) from a starting position (11) is brought into a defined end position (13), characterized in that the tool device (1) comprises a wedge element (19) which is in abutting contact with the holding device (7) and / or a die (15) a movement of the wedge element (19) a movement of the holding device (7) and / or the die (15) in Forming direction (17) causes. 2. Tool device according to claim 1, characterized in that the forming punch (9) on a leg (21) of a substantially L-shaped bracket (23) is fixed, the other leg (25) displaceable at the end of a base body (27) of Tool device (1) is mounted. 3. Tool device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the wedge element (19) by a wedge slide (29) is formed, which is guided in the base body (27). 4. Tool device according to claim 3, characterized in that the wedge slide (29) by a cylinder (31) is actuated. 5. Tool device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the tool device (1) comprises a punching tool (33). 6. Tool device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that between the wedge element (19) and holding means and / or die (15) is provided a spring bearing (35). 7. A method for forming at least one section (3) on a less accurately positioned body (5) by an amount such that the section (3) to be formed lies in a more precisely defined position by means of a tool device (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 6. 8. The method of claim 7 with the following method steps: Positioning the holding device (7) on the section (3) to be formed, - Forming of the reshaped portion (3) by a movement of the forming punch (9) in the direction of the holding device (7), - Moving the die (15) within the holding device (7) in the direction of the forming punch (9) by means of the wedge element (19) for smoothing the deformed portion (3). 9. The method of claim 7 with the following steps: Positioning the holding device (7) in relation to the section (3) to be formed, without touching the holding device (7) and section (3), - common displacement of the die (15) and holding device (7) by means of the wedge element (19) until a contact between the holding device (7) and die (15) and the portion to be formed (3), - Forming the reshaped portion (3) by a movement of the forming punch (9) in the direction of the holding device (7) against the resistance of the spring-loaded die (15). 10. The method of claim 9, wherein a subsequent smoothing of the portion (3) to be formed is performed. 11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein by wedge element (19) and die (15) and / or holding device (7) a stop is formed, which limits the deformation of the reshaped portion (3) by the forming die (9) , 12. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein subsequently a punching operation on the formed portion (3) is performed.