EP1305124B1 - A product and a method of manufacturing tubular products by exposing a tubular blank to inner pressure - Google Patents

A product and a method of manufacturing tubular products by exposing a tubular blank to inner pressure Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1305124B1
EP1305124B1 EP01938901A EP01938901A EP1305124B1 EP 1305124 B1 EP1305124 B1 EP 1305124B1 EP 01938901 A EP01938901 A EP 01938901A EP 01938901 A EP01938901 A EP 01938901A EP 1305124 B1 EP1305124 B1 EP 1305124B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
blank
indentations
profile
piece
shape
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP01938901A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1305124A1 (en
Inventor
Claes-Hakan Lundgren
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Platform Claes-H Kan Lundgren
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Platform Claes-H Kan Lundgren
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Platform Claes-H Kan Lundgren filed Critical Platform Claes-H Kan Lundgren
Publication of EP1305124A1 publication Critical patent/EP1305124A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1305124B1 publication Critical patent/EP1305124B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D15/00—Corrugating tubes
    • B21D15/02—Corrugating tubes longitudinally
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21C—MANUFACTURE OF METAL SHEETS, WIRE, RODS, TUBES OR PROFILES, OTHERWISE THAN BY ROLLING; AUXILIARY OPERATIONS USED IN CONNECTION WITH METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL
    • B21C37/00—Manufacture of metal sheets, bars, wire, tubes or like semi-manufactured products, not otherwise provided for; Manufacture of tubes of special shape
    • B21C37/06—Manufacture of metal sheets, bars, wire, tubes or like semi-manufactured products, not otherwise provided for; Manufacture of tubes of special shape of tubes or metal hoses; Combined procedures for making tubes, e.g. for making multi-wall tubes
    • B21C37/065—Manufacture of metal sheets, bars, wire, tubes or like semi-manufactured products, not otherwise provided for; Manufacture of tubes of special shape of tubes or metal hoses; Combined procedures for making tubes, e.g. for making multi-wall tubes starting from a specific blank, e.g. tailored blank
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21C—MANUFACTURE OF METAL SHEETS, WIRE, RODS, TUBES OR PROFILES, OTHERWISE THAN BY ROLLING; AUXILIARY OPERATIONS USED IN CONNECTION WITH METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL
    • B21C37/00—Manufacture of metal sheets, bars, wire, tubes or like semi-manufactured products, not otherwise provided for; Manufacture of tubes of special shape
    • B21C37/06—Manufacture of metal sheets, bars, wire, tubes or like semi-manufactured products, not otherwise provided for; Manufacture of tubes of special shape of tubes or metal hoses; Combined procedures for making tubes, e.g. for making multi-wall tubes
    • B21C37/08—Making tubes with welded or soldered seams
    • B21C37/0803—Making tubes with welded or soldered seams the tubes having a special shape, e.g. polygonal tubes
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D26/00—Shaping without cutting otherwise than using rigid devices or tools or yieldable or resilient pads, i.e. applying fluid pressure or magnetic forces
    • B21D26/02—Shaping without cutting otherwise than using rigid devices or tools or yieldable or resilient pads, i.e. applying fluid pressure or magnetic forces by applying fluid pressure
    • B21D26/033—Deforming tubular bodies
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D26/00—Shaping without cutting otherwise than using rigid devices or tools or yieldable or resilient pads, i.e. applying fluid pressure or magnetic forces
    • B21D26/02—Shaping without cutting otherwise than using rigid devices or tools or yieldable or resilient pads, i.e. applying fluid pressure or magnetic forces by applying fluid pressure
    • B21D26/06—Shaping without cutting otherwise than using rigid devices or tools or yieldable or resilient pads, i.e. applying fluid pressure or magnetic forces by applying fluid pressure by shock waves
    • B21D26/08—Shaping without cutting otherwise than using rigid devices or tools or yieldable or resilient pads, i.e. applying fluid pressure or magnetic forces by applying fluid pressure by shock waves generated by explosives, e.g. chemical explosives
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D35/00—Combined processes according to or processes combined with methods covered by groups B21D1/00 - B21D31/00

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to methods of manufacturing products of metal and other materials having similar properties of material, by which methods a blank is formed having the shape of a closed profile and by which the blank is then deformed into the final shape of the product.
  • tubular metal blanks or work pieces are employed as semi-manufactures for the manufacture of finished products having a specific shape.
  • the finished product is normally given its final shape by being expanded by means of mechanical or hydraulic pressure that is applied at the inner side of the blank.
  • a very current example of such manufacture that employs semi-manufactures in the shape of tubular blanks or work pieces is the method of manufacturing that is generally known as "hydroforming", and especially the variant thereof that may be referred to as "internal hydroforming".
  • a tubular blank is positioned in a tool having an internal cavity being formed so that it corresponds to the final shape of the product.
  • the ends of the blank are sealed and a fluid of a very high pressure is introduced therein so that the blank is forced out into engagement with the tool and is given its final shape.
  • the expansion of the blank causes tensioning of the material and thereby a change of its properties that is in most case undesirable.
  • the outer dimension of the blank should therefor be well adapted to the shape of the tool in order to minimize tensioning of the material. This in turn means that it may be necessary to produce a great number of tubular blanks of different diameters and to keep them in stock for future manufacturing.
  • tubular blanks of many different diameters involves high costs, predominantly in short series production, whether they are produced for instance through drawing, rolling or extrusion.
  • hot forming of metals there are also general limitations with regard to the smallest thickness of the material that can be produced.
  • U.S. Patent No. 2 707 820 discloses a method of manufacturing tubular members, and specifically a method of producing metal tanks or vessels of larger dimensions.
  • An extrusion of tank blanks is considered in accordance with this document.
  • the costs of the extrusion method increase dramatically with increasing tube diameter, partly since the cost of the actual press tools increases but primarily due to the size of the press that has to be employed for generating the required pressure.
  • the costs for producing a specific tank size is reduced by extruding the tubular member with a significantly smaller outer diameter than that of the finished tank but with a corrugated wall.
  • the tubular member is expanded to its final dimensions by applying inner hydraulic pressure to it, whereby the expansion is obtained by "unfolding" the corrugations. Thereby, the material is also subjected to minimal tensioning during the final shaping or forming thereof.
  • extrusion may well be employed for producing tubes or pipes or other closed profiles of steel.
  • this method is normally restricted to the manufacture of profiles of a non-ferrous metal.
  • a change of tool i.e. the die as well as the core, is required as soon as there is a slight change of the profile, such as a change of the outer diameter as well as of the shape, size and/or mutual positions of the corrugations.
  • the invention overcomes the above problems in an efficient and satisfactory manner.
  • a general object of the invention is to provide a solution to the problem of being able to quickly and conveniently manufacture generally tubular profiles such as blanks or semi-manufactures intended for a final forming of products having different dimensions and shape.
  • a basic object of the invention is therefore to provide a simple and appropriate method of manufacturing generally tubular basic profiles or blanks that are intended to form final products having different dimensions and different cross section shapes after being subjected to a final deformation thereof.
  • the invention provides a method of manufacturing products by producing a blank having a closed profile and an at least partially corrugated wall and by deforming said blank into the final shape of the product.
  • the blank is produced by roll-forming a generally sheet-like piece of material, on the one hand for profiling or shaping the blank and on the other hand for closing the profile of the blank, and by subsequently firmly connecting the sides of the blank.
  • the final shape of the product is then obtained by deforming the blank in a manner that is in itself previously known. In this manner, a comparatively simple adjustment is obtained for manufacturing blanks having different profiles adapted to the final product in question and/or to the final forming thereof through deformation. This in turn leads to significantly reduced job times and costs when compared to the conventional methods.
  • the blank is provided with indentations or corrugations during the roll-forming, said indentations being distributed uniformly or alternatively non-uniformly around the circumferential surface of the blank.
  • a blank is provided with indentations during the roll-forming, said indentations having the same or alternatively different depth.
  • the deformation of the blank is carried out by applying mechanical or alternatively hydraulic pressure to the inner or outer surfaces, respectively of the entire blank or alternatively only to portions of said inner or outer surfaces, respectively.
  • Yet another embodiment of the invention relates specifically to the manufacturing of products that are given their final shape by hydroforming, specifically "internal" hydroforming.
  • blanks are formed through the roll-forming operation so that they have different contents of material, in the form of indentations of different depth and/or width, but have the same outer diameter. This means that the manufacturing may be rationalized further since only one outer diameter of the profiles has to be produced in the pipe mill, although the profiles shall be deformed into final products having different shapes and sizes.
  • the blanks are also provided with a varying number of indentations having different mutual positions in dependence upon the deformed final shape of each blank.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide a work piece or blank for hydroforming, said blank having a profiled or contoured surface so that the material of the blank will be subjected to a minimum amount of tensioning during the hydroforming operation.
  • the present invention provides the following advantages:
  • FIG. 1A very schematically illustrates an example of a roll-forming machine 1 of a conventional design. Conventionally, such a machine consists of a number of stations 2, only one is illustrated in fig 1A, that are positioned after one another in the forming direction.
  • Each station comprises a pair of upper and lower shafts 3 and 4, respectively, on which upper and lower forming rolls 5 and 6, respectively, are supported, Said upper and lower forming rolls cooperate in pairs and between them form indentations 8 in the piece of matetial M1. Normally, some of the rolls simultaneously serve to advance the material M1. The depth of the indentations 8 in the piece of material M1 is gradually increased in the subsequent stations 2 and the indentations reach their final shape in the last station.
  • the invention is in no way restricted to the design of the roll-forming machine illustrated in principle herein or to the design thereof described in said patent.
  • the pipe mill 7 is included as a final station in or connects to the roll-forming machine 1 and consists of a number of sub-stations 7A of which only one is illustrated in fig. 1B, each comprising a lower roll 7B and an upper roll 7C.
  • This forming operation is carried out in such a manner that the indented or profiled piece of material M1 is gradually closed to the desired profile shape by the pipe mill 7, by means of the roll sets being positioned one after the other.
  • This is schematically illustrated in figure 1B by means of the intermediate shapes M1', M1' of the piece of material being drawn with dashed lines.
  • the general design of such pipe mills is part of the prior art and does not form any part of the present invention.
  • the major difference compared to the conventional pipe mills is that the gap between the upper and lower rolls has to be increased corresponding to the height or depth of the indentations in the piece of material, so that the indentations are not deformed at this stage.
  • the piece of material M1 is formed with longitudinal indentations 8 in the roll-forming machine 1.
  • said longitudinal indentations 8 are formed with the same depth and pitch and in this first step they will be given the shape that is illustrated in figure. 2A.
  • the indentations 8 have a generally trapezoidal shape and are uniformly distributed across the piece of material M1.
  • the piece of material is formed to a generally cylindrical profiled tubular shape P1 in the pipe mill 7, i.e. in the final station of the roll-forming machine. Said tubular shape P1 is illustrated with solid lines in fig. 2B.
  • the facing edges of the piece of material are then connected to each other by means of conventional methods, such as welding or cold welding for metals and adhesive bonding or welding for other materials.
  • the blank is ready for the final forming through deformation.
  • the form of the final product 9 is illustrated with dashed lines, and in this case it is a matter of an expansion of all available material in the indentations 8, so that the final product 9 is given the shape of a smooth cylinder.
  • the expansion of the profile P1 to the shape of the final product may be carried out mechanically, for instance by means of a mandrel, but in a presently preferred application the expansion is performed by means of a fluid under high pressure, i.e. through hydroforming.
  • the hydroforming that is in itself known, the expansion is generally performed in such a way that by applying high hydraulic inner pressure thereto the blank P1 is formed against the inner surface of a tool that has the intended final shape and that is not illustrated here.
  • the basic object of the invention is to provide a method that eliminates the disadvantages of the conventional technique and to specifically achieve this by providing a very flexible method of manufacturing that permits quick and simple adaptation or adjustment to the final product in question.
  • An example of this great flexibility shall now be described with specific reference to figs. 3A-B and 4A-B.
  • Fig. 3A illustrates an embodiment where in a roll-forming machine a piece of material M2 has been provided with the same number of longitudinal indentations 18 as the piece of material M1 according to fig. 2A.
  • the indentations 18 are formed having a much greater depth than the indentations 8 according to fig. 2A.
  • the piece of material M2 may in the same final station be formed to a blank P2 having the same outer diameter as the profile P1. This means that much more material is available for an expansion without cold tensioning to the shape of the final product 19.
  • the final product 19 has a significantly larger diameter than the final product 9 according to fig. 2B.
  • Fig. 4A-B illustrates a further example of a variation that is possible to produce in a relatively simple manner through the roll-forming.
  • This variant may likewise be made with one and the same pipe mill, i.e. in the form of a blank profile P3 having the same outer diameter as those of the previous embodiments.
  • This variant is specifically suited for the expansion through hydroforming of other final shapes 29 than absolutely cylindrical shapes since different amounts of material for the expansion without cold tensioning is concentrated in different parts of the profile P3. As is best illustrated in fig. 4A this is achieved by forming indentations 28, 28' having different depth in different parts of the plate M3 corresponding to the different portions of the circumference of the final product 29.
  • FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate designs having generally sinusoidal indentations 38 and. 38', respectively, that in fig. 5A are uniformly distributed over the piece of material M4 and that in fig. 5B are non-uniformly distributed in the piece of material M5, corresponding to the intended final shape (not illustrated) after deformation.
  • the shape of the indentations 38, 38' as well as the distribution thereof may be varied freely within the scope of the invention.
  • figs. 6A-C illustrate examples of other final products 39, 49, 50 that may be produced within the scope of the invention.
  • the illustrated designs of said examples are all based on the blank profile P1 that is illustrated in fig. 6A and that corresponds to the profile according to fig. 2A.
  • Fig. 6B illustrates a design where the blank profile P1 according to fig. 6A has been expanded to a tapered or conical final product 39 by being expanded gradually more and more towards one end 39A, whereas it has been maintained in its original shape in the other end 39B.
  • the conical shape is obtained by means of said expansion and at the same time the indentations become more and more shallow towards the expanded end 39A.
  • said end 39A may be expanded to a cylindrical shape in those cases where, for a specific application, the indentations do not need to be continuous.
  • figs. 6C and 6D is illustrated a further variant where the blank profile P1 according to fig. 6A is expanded so to say linearly. This is done by applying inner pressure, preferably mechanically, for instance along two diametrically opposite lines at the inner surface of the blank P1. Supplementing this inner pressure by an outer pressure that strives to flatten the blank will form a product 49 according to fig. 6C having inner and outer channels. Like in the embodiment according to fig. 6B the blank has here been expanded gradually more and more towards an end 49A thereof, whereas the indentations in the other end 49B have on the whole maintained their original shape.
  • the invention also comprises a deformation of blanks by applying pressure to their outer surface, i.e. by forcing the entire outer surface or portions thereof inwardly, or by a combination of expansion and such inward forcing.
  • the invention is presently regarded as having one of its most important applications within the hydroforming technique.
  • it is thereby above all possible to employ also tubular blank of high-strength materials, and to do so without running the risk of changing the material properties.
  • the conventional techniques such a risk of changing the material properties will exist as a result of the cold tensioning that occurs by the deformation of a cylindrical tubular blank.
  • it is further suggested in accordance with the invention to heat the plate in connection with the roll-forming of the indentations. Specifically, the plate is heated locally in the area of the indentations or (for indentations having sharp comers) alternatively very locally, only in the area of the comers or edges of the indentations.
  • Such a local heating may advantageously be performed by means of laser and serves the purpose of eliminating, as far as possible, cold tensioning of the material also during the roll-forming.
  • a blank P1 as described above may be arranged inside a tubular second product P4 and may then be expanded into engagement with the second tubular product P4. Said method may be used for instance for repairing a broken conduit.
  • the blank may be formed of a material having properties that differ from those of the material of the second tubular product, to thereby obtain a composite product 59 having different internal and external properties of material. This embodiment may for instance be used for lining an existing pipe with a nobler metal.
  • the invention also comprises manufacturing blanks and products from other materials having similar properties, that is materials that are possible and suitable to roll-form and to deform to their final shape, for instance synthetic materials.
  • the basic material is preferably a substantially flat sheet or plate of the material in question, but other sheets or plates may naturally also be used, for instance sheets or plates having a certain preformed structure.
EP01938901A 2000-06-20 2001-06-06 A product and a method of manufacturing tubular products by exposing a tubular blank to inner pressure Expired - Lifetime EP1305124B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE0002309 2000-06-20
SE0002309A SE517435C2 (sv) 2000-06-20 2000-06-20 Tillverkningsmetod för framställning av profilerade produkter som deformeras till slutlig form genom tryck mot ämnets vägg samt ämne
PCT/SE2001/001253 WO2001097996A1 (en) 2000-06-20 2001-06-06 A product and a method of manufacturing tubular products by exposing a tubular blank to inner pressure

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1305124A1 EP1305124A1 (en) 2003-05-02
EP1305124B1 true EP1305124B1 (en) 2005-03-16

Family

ID=20280166

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP01938901A Expired - Lifetime EP1305124B1 (en) 2000-06-20 2001-06-06 A product and a method of manufacturing tubular products by exposing a tubular blank to inner pressure

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1305124B1 (sv)
AT (1) ATE290933T1 (sv)
AU (1) AU2001264472A1 (sv)
DE (1) DE60109454D1 (sv)
SE (1) SE517435C2 (sv)
WO (1) WO2001097996A1 (sv)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA2753092C (en) 2009-03-19 2018-04-03 Magna International Inc. Method of producing tailored tubes
DE102013103811B3 (de) 2013-04-16 2014-03-20 EISENBAU KRäMER GMBH Verfahren zum Herstellen eines mehrlagigen Großrohres
DE102014108145A1 (de) * 2014-06-10 2015-12-17 EISENBAU KRäMER GMBH Verfahren zum Herstellen eines mehrlagigen Großrohres

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2707820A (en) * 1950-10-11 1955-05-10 Julian L Reynolds Method for making tubular elements
SE348955B (sv) * 1971-10-15 1972-09-18 Verkstads Ab Tibo
SE443100B (sv) * 1982-03-26 1986-02-17 Sven Runo Vilhelm Gebelius Sett att framstella ett koniskt rorformigt element jemte element framstellt enligt settet
DE3378067D1 (en) * 1983-09-29 1988-10-27 Sven Runo Vilhelm Gebelius Supporting member
FR2731927B1 (fr) * 1995-03-21 1997-06-13 Lorraine Laminage Procede de fabrication d'une boite metallique de forme
DE19803738B4 (de) * 1998-01-30 2004-04-01 Wagon Automotive Gmbh Verfahren zur Herstellung von Hohlprofil-Bauteilen, Hohlprofil zur Durchführung des Verfahrens sowie Verwendung eines solchen Verfahrens

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2001097996A1 (en) 2001-12-27
AU2001264472A1 (en) 2002-01-02
EP1305124A1 (en) 2003-05-02
SE517435C2 (sv) 2002-06-04
SE0002309D0 (sv) 2000-06-20
ATE290933T1 (de) 2005-04-15
DE60109454D1 (de) 2005-04-21
SE0002309L (sv) 2001-12-21

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