Spin forming process and apparatus for manufacturing articles by spin forming
AssigneeCambridge Enterprise Limited
InventorsJulian M. Allwood, Omer Music
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spin forming process and apparatus is disclosed. A workpiece (e.g. sheet metal) is rotated with respect to a forming roller which bears against one of the outer and inner surfaces of the workpiece to deform the workpiece towards a required shape. First and second support rollers bears against the opposite surface of the workpiece. Computer control of the positions of the forming roller and the first and second support rollers allow non-axisymmetric shapes to be manufactured by spin-forming.
Claims23
A spin forming process for manufacturing an article of a required shape from a workpiece, the workpiece having, with reference to the required shape of the article, an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the process comprises:
- mounting the workpiece at a mounting region, there being defined a proximal end of the workpiece and a distal end of the workpiece, the proximal end of the workpiece being closer than the distal end of the workpiece to the mounting region of the workpiece;
- rotating the workpiece with respect to a forming tool, the forming tool bearing against one of the outer and inner surfaces of the workpiece to deform the workpiece towards the required shape, the forming tool comprising a forming roller having a width in a direction parallel to a rotation axis of the forming roller;
- providing a first support which bears against the opposite surface of the workpiece compared with the forming tool, the first support comprising a first support roller having a width in a direction parallel to a rotation axis of the first support roller, the workpiece rotating with respect to the first support;
- and
- providing a second support which bears against the opposite surface of the workpiece compared with the forming tool, the second support comprising a second support roller having a width in a direction parallel to a rotation axis of the second support roller, the workpiece rotating with respect to the second support, the rotation of the workpiece being about a workpiece rotation axis defining an axial direction of the workpiece, and wherein the rotation of the workpiece further defines a radial direction of the workpiece perpendicular to the axial direction of the workpiece, and wherein the first support is disposed proximally of the second support and the forming tool is disposed distally of the second support so that no overlap occurs between the width of the forming roller and the width of the second support roller in at least one of the axial direction of the workpiece and the radial direction of the workpiece.
An apparatus for manufacturing an article of a required shape from a workpiece by spin forming, the workpiece having, with reference to the required shape of the article, an outer surface and an inner surface, the apparatus comprising:
- a base;
- a rotatable workpiece mount operatively associated with the base, the rotatable workpiece mount providing for rotatable mounting of the workpiece in the apparatus at a mounting region of the workpiece, there being defined a proximal end of the workpiece and a distal end of the workpiece, the proximal end of the workpiece being closer than the distal end of the workpiece to the mounting region of the workpiece;
- a forming tool operatively associated with the base for bearing against one of the outer and inner surfaces of the workpiece to deform the workpiece towards the required shape, the forming tool comprising a forming roller having a width in a direction parallel to a rotation axis of the forming roller;
- a first support operatively associated with the base for bearing against the opposite surface of the workpiece compared with the forming tool, the first support comprising a first support roller having a width in a direction parallel to a rotation axis of the first support roller;
- and
- a second support operatively associated with the base for bearing against the opposite surface of the workpiece compared to the forming tool, the second support comprising a second support roller having a width in a direction parallel to a rotation axis of the second support roller, wherein the apparatus is operable to cause the workpiece to rotate with respect to the first and second supports, and wherein the rotation of the workpiece is about a workpiece rotation axis defining an axial direction of the workpiece, and wherein the rotation of the workpiece defines a radial direction of the workpiece perpendicular to the axial direction of the workpiece, the first support being disposed proximally of the second support and the forming tool being disposed distally of the second support so that no overlap occurs between the width of the forming roller and the width of the second support roller in at least one of the axial direction of the workpiece and the radial direction of the workpiece.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.