Method of machining an opening in a plurality of blanks
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorsLaurent Bernard CHAPPUIS, S. George LUCKEY, Andrey M ILINICH, Keith ZOBAY
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Abstract
A method and a system are disclosed for making an article of manufacture from a blank defining an internal opening. A stack of blanks are aligned and the internal openings of the blanks in the stack of blanks are machined by a rotary cutting tool to a finished dimension. The blanks are clamped together before machining in a numerically controlled machine tool. The blanks are subsequently formed individually in a sheet metal forming operation in which the inner perimeter of the internal openings is expanded as the blank is formed.
Claims12
A system for manufacturing a sheet metal part from a blank defining an opening, the system comprising:
- stacking a stack of blanks on a base with the openings in alignment;
- a machine tool including a rotary cutter that cuts material from the openings in the stack of blanks to form a machined blank;
- and
- at least one forming tool that individually forms and expands the opening of each of the machined blanks.
An article of manufacture comprising a blank defining an internal opening that is initially punched from a sheet metal segment, wherein an inner periphery of the internal opening is a machined surface.
A method of manufacturing a sheet metal part comprising:
- cutting a plurality of blanks each including a blanked edge from a plurality of sheet metal panels;
- stacking the plurality of blanks with the blanked edges generally aligned;
- and
- machining blanked edges of the plurality of blanks with a rotary cutting tool to a finish dimension.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.