Continuous process for producing a shaped steel member
AssigneeNoble Advanced Technologies, Inc.
InventorsTad Machrowicz, Frank McNulty, Jeff Bladow
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A continuous process for producing a shaped metal member from a feedstock comprising a flat web of metal includes a roll-forming station for shaping the web, a cutting station for cutting the shaped web into individual members, and a processing station for altering a physical characteristic of the metal comprising the members. The processing may include heat treating and/or shaping. The process may also be operable to carry out further operations such as marking, inspection, sorting and the like. Also disclosed is an apparatus for carrying out the process.
Claims23
A continuous process for producing a shaped, steel member, said process comprising the steps of:
- providing a coiled, substantially flat web of steel;
- providing a roll-forming station, said roll-forming station including a plurality of roller dies operable in combination to progressively shape said web of steel passing therethrough;
- feeding said web of steel into said roll-forming station so that the roller dies therein shape said web of steel into a continuous, elongated body of steel having a preselected cross-sectional profile;
- cutting said continuous, elongated body of steel into a plurality of members, each member having said preselected cross-sectional profile;
- providing a heating station;
- feeding said members into said heating station;
- heating said members in said heating station so as to alter a physical characteristic of said members;
- shaping said members after they have been heated;
- and
- providing a controlled atmosphere around said members from the time said members are removed from the heating station until they are shaped.
A continuous process for producing a shaped, metal member, said process comprising the steps of:
- providing a coiled, substantially flat web of metal;
- providing a roll-forming station, said roll-forming station including a plurality of roller dies operable in combination to progressively shape said web of metal passing therethrough;
- feeding said web of metal into said roll-forming station so that the roller dies therein shape said web of metal into a continuous, elongated body of metal having a preselected cross-sectional profile;
- cutting said continuous, elongated body of metal into a plurality of members, each member having said preselected cross-sectional profile;
- providing a heating station;
- feeding said members into said heating station;
- processing said members in said heating station so as to alter a physical characteristic of the metal comprising said members;
- shaping said members after they have been heated;
- and
- providing a controlled atmosphere around said members from the time said members are removed from the heating station until they are shaped to a predetermined configuration.
A continuous process for producing a shaped, metal member, said process comprising the steps of:
- providing a coiled, substantially flat web of metal;
- providing a roll-forming station, said roll-forming station including a plurality of roller dies operable in combination to progressively shape said web of metal passing therethrough;
- feeding said web of metal into said roll-forming station so that the roller dies therein shape said web of metal into a continuous, elongated body of metal having a preselected cross-sectional profile;
- cutting said continuous, elongated body of metal into a plurality of members, each member having said preselected cross-sectional profile;
- providing a heating station;
- collecting a plurality of members, grouping said members into at least two groups, wherein each of said at least two groups has at least two members, and sequentially feeding each of said at least two groups into said heating station;
- processing said members in said heating station so as to alter a physical characteristic of the metal comprising said members;
- shaping said members after they have been heated;
- and
- providing a controlled atmosphere around said members from the time said members are removed from the heating station until they are shaped to a predetermined configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.