Warm forming process and apparatus for transverse bending of an extruded aluminum beam to warm form a vehicle structural component
AssigneeShape Corp.
InventorsHelen Weykamp, Kenneth E. McKellar, David DeVries
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for warm forming an aluminum beam, such as an aluminum component for a vehicle, includes providing an extruded aluminum beam with a hollow cross-sectional shape. A portion of a forming die is heated to a desired temperature, so as to heat a portion of the aluminum beam in the die to a temperature below the artificial aging temperature of the aluminum beam. The heated aluminum beam is deformed to a desired shape with the die in a direction transverse to a length of the aluminum beam.
Claims16
A method for warm forming an aluminum beam, said method comprising:
- extruding an aluminum beam to an extruded length with a hollow cross-sectional shape, wherein the aluminum beam comprises a 7000 series aluminum alloy;
- after extruding the aluminum beam, naturally aging the aluminum beam at a temperature below 40 degrees Celsius for at least 24 hours prior to deforming the aluminum beam;
- after naturally aging the aluminum beam, placing the aluminum beam in a die without solutionizing the aluminum beam at any time after extrusion;
- heating a portion of the die;
- conductively heating a first portion of the aluminum beam with the heated portion of the die to a desired temperature below an artificial aging temperature of the aluminum beam, wherein the desired temperature is greater than 37 degrees Celsius and less than 150 degrees Celsius;
- and
- deforming the first portion of the aluminum beam from an extruded shape to a desired shape with the die in a direction transverse to the extruded length of the aluminum beam, wherein the die deforms the aluminum beam in a transverse direction to reduce an enclosed area of the hollow cross-sectional shape at the first portion of the aluminum beam.
A method for warm forming an aluminum beam, said method comprising:
- providing an extruded aluminum beam that comprises a 7000 series aluminum alloy;
- naturally aging the extruded aluminum beam for at least 24 hours prior to deforming the extruded aluminum beam;
- after naturally aging the extruded aluminum beam, placing the extruded aluminum beam in a die without solutionizing the aluminum beam at any time after extrusion and prior to placement in the die;
- conductively heating a portion of the extruded aluminum beam with a heated portion of the die above a threshold temperature of 37 degrees Celsius and below I 50 degrees Celsius;
- and
- deforming the heated portion of the extruded aluminum beam from an extruded shape to a desired shape with the die in a direction transverse to an extruded length of the extruded aluminum beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.