Zone heating methods and apparatuses for metal workpieces for forging
AssigneeMSP Industries Corporation
InventorsKevin Edmonds, Jeffery Stenger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for heating workpieces that are to be warm forged into parts having integral portions of different configurations, such as reduced portions and upset portions. The corresponding portions of the workpieces are heated to different temperatures in a zone heating apparatus such that the reduced portion is formed before the upset portion is formed when the part is formed from the workpiece in a single forging stroke of a forging press. The zone heating apparatus may include spaced heating coil assemblies, each having a heating coil. Workpieces are pushed through the heating assemblies of the zone heating apparatus in steps, with one portion of each workpiece undergoing more heating cycles than the other portion.
Claims31
A method of heating a workpiece, having first and second ends, for warm forging, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing 1st through Nth heating assemblies;
- and
- advancing the workpiece through the heating assemblies in N time increments, wherein the first and second ends of the workpiece are not in the same heating assembly during each of the N time increments and are simultaneously in separate respective heating assemblies during at least one of the N time increments, and the second end being substantially unheated during at least one of the N time increments, such that the first end undergoes heating in N time increments, and the second end undergoes heating in M time increments, where M<N.
Apparatus for warm forging a part having a reduced end and an upset end during a single forging stroke, comprising:
- a heating apparatus that heats ends of a workpiece such that a first end of the workpiece differs in temperature from a second end of the workpiece;
- a forging punch-and-die combination configured to deform the heated workpiece into the part;
- and
- at least one holding finger activated by a pneumatic cylinder to hold the workpiece in at least one specified location with respect to the heating assemblies, the at least one holding finger being movable between a clamp position at which the workpiece is held stationary and a release position at which the workpiece can slide past the at least one holding finger.
Apparatus for heating workpieces to be forged into parts, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of spaced heating assemblies aligned in a row;
- a tray member which extends through said plurality of heating assemblies, and slidably supports and laterally retains said workpieces, said tray member having at least one open portion that allows access to the workpieces from a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the workpieces;
- and
- a pusher assembly which is aligned with said heating assemblies and moves said workpieces through said heating assemblies;
- wherein the heating assemblies are spaced such that when one end of one of the workpieces is in one of the heating assemblies, the other end of the one of the workpieces is in another of said heating assemblies.
A process for heating workpieces to be used in metal forging to a desired temperature range, comprising:
- providing a plurality of spaced heating assemblies in alignment, a tray member which extends through the plurality of heating assemblies and supports and laterally retains the workpieces, and a pusher member which engages and moves the workpieces along the tray through the heating assemblies, said tray member having at least one open portion that allows access to the workpieces from a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the workpieces;
- placing said workpieces in said tray one at a time;
- and
- activating the pusher member at desired time increments after one of said workpieces is placed in the tray and moving the workpieces one distance increment along the tray.
A method of heating a workpiece, having first and second portions, for warm forging, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing 1st through Nth heating assemblies;
- and
- advancing the workpiece through the heating assemblies in N time increments wherein the first and second portions of the workpiece are not in the same heating assembly during each of the N time increments and are simultaneously in separate respective heating assemblies during at least one of the N time increments, and the second portion being substantially unheated during at least one of the N time increments, such that the first portion undergoes heating in N time increments and the second portion undergoes heating in M time increments, where M<N.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.