JP2016002587A - Molding system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a molding system in which a gas supply portion of a molding device does not disturb a metal pipe material to be carried from a preliminarily molding device to the molding device and a metal pipe to be carried from the molding device to a cutting device.SOLUTION: When horizontal directions orthogonal to each other at a center of a molding device 10 that molds a metal pipe are set as a direction X and a direction Y, a preliminarily molding device 2, a molding device 10 and a cutting device 3 are arranged along the direction Y, a gas supply mechanism 40 included in the molding device 10 is arranged along the direction X which is separate from the center of the molding device 10 and orthogonal to the direction Y, so that the gas supply mechanism 40 is configured so as not to be arranged on a carrying pipe route from the preliminarily molding device 2 to the molding device 10 aligned in the direction Y and on a carrying pipe route from the molding device 10 to the cutting device 3 aligned in the direction Y, which prevents the gas supply mechanism 40 from disturbing a pipe to be carried.

Description

  The present invention relates to a forming system for forming a metal pipe.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a molding apparatus that performs molding by supplying a gas into a heated metal pipe material and expanding the material is known. For example, a forming apparatus shown in Patent Document 1 includes an upper die and a lower die that are paired with each other, a holding portion that holds a metal pipe material between the upper die and the lower die, and a metal pipe material that is held by the holding portion. And a gas supply unit for supplying a gas therein. In this molding apparatus, by supplying a gas into the metal pipe material held between the upper mold and the lower mold, the metal pipe material is expanded and molded into a shape corresponding to the shape of the mold. Can do.

Japanese Patent No. 3761820

  Here, prior to expanding a pipe such as a metal pipe material, a preforming such as bending may be performed in advance. Also, the pipe after expansion molding may be cut. When a series of preforming, forming, and cutting processes are continuously performed on the pipe in this way, if the preforming device and the cutting device are simply arranged in a row with respect to the forming device, the components of the forming device (for example, The gas supply unit for supplying gas into the pipe) may interfere when the pipe is conveyed from the preforming device to the molding device and when the pipe is conveyed from the molding device to the cutting device.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and the gas supply unit of the molding apparatus is transported from the preforming apparatus to the molding apparatus and from the molding apparatus to the cutting apparatus. An object of the present invention is to provide a forming system that does not interfere with the metal pipe.

  A molding system for expanding and forming a metal pipe according to the present invention in a mold includes a preforming device for preforming a metal pipe material, and a gas for supplying and expanding a gas into the preformed and heated metal pipe material. A forming device having a supply unit and a cutting device for cutting at least a part of the metal pipe after forming, the horizontal directions orthogonal to each other at the center of the forming device are defined as the first direction and the second direction. In this case, the gas supply unit is separated from the center of the molding device and is provided along the first direction, and the preforming device, the molding device, and the cutting device are disposed along the second direction. ing.

  According to such a molding system, the gas supply unit included in the molding apparatus is separated from the center of the molding apparatus and is orthogonal to the second direction in which the preforming apparatus, the molding apparatus, and the cutting apparatus are arranged. Arranged along the first direction. As a result, when the preformed metal pipe material is transported from the preforming device to the molding device arranged in the second direction, the gas supply unit of the molding device is not disposed on the transport path of the metal pipe material. However, the metal pipe material conveyed from the preforming device to the forming device is not obstructed. Further, when the molded metal pipe is transported from the molding device to the cutting device arranged in the second direction, the gas supply unit of the molding device is not connected to the molding device because the gas supply unit is not disposed on the transport path of the metal pipe. The metal pipe conveyed to the cutting device will not get in the way. Therefore, it is possible to dispose the gas supply unit spaced from the center of the molding device in the first direction, and to arrange the preforming device, the molding device, and the cutting device in the second direction. It becomes possible to reduce the site area.

  Here, it is preferable that a pair of gas supply units is provided along the first direction across the center of the molding apparatus. In this case, when the metal pipe material is conveyed from the preforming device to the forming device, the preforming device can be arranged with respect to the forming device so that the pair of gas supply portions do not interfere with the metal pipe material. Moreover, when a metal pipe is conveyed from a shaping | molding apparatus to a cutting device, a cutting device can be arrange | positioned with respect to a shaping | molding apparatus so that a pair of gas supply part may not interfere with a metal pipe.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the preforming device, the molding device, and the cutting device are sequentially arranged along the second direction. In this case, a series of preforming steps, forming steps, and cutting steps can be continuously applied to the metal pipe material (metal pipe) in order.

  Further, the molding system includes a wall provided on one side in the first direction from the molding device, a gas supply source provided on one side in the first direction from the wall, and supplying gas to the gas supply unit, It is preferable to provide. In this case, the distance between the forming device and the wall in the first direction can be reduced. Therefore, the site area of the molding system can be further reduced.

  Thus, according to the present invention, the gas supply unit of the molding apparatus does not interfere with the metal pipe material conveyed from the preforming apparatus to the molding apparatus and the metal pipe conveyed from the molding apparatus to the cutting apparatus, and is placed A molding system capable of reducing the area can be provided.

1 is a schematic plan view of a molding system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic block diagram of a shaping | molding apparatus and a blow mechanism. It is sectional drawing along the III-III line | wire shown in FIG. 2, Comprising: It is a schematic sectional drawing of a blow molding die. It is an enlarged view of the periphery of an electrode, (a) is a view showing a state in which the electrode holds a metal pipe material, (b) is a view showing a state in which a seal member is in contact with the electrode, and (c) is a front view of the electrode FIG. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process by a shaping | molding apparatus, Comprising: (a) is a figure which shows the state by which the metal pipe material was set in the metal mold | die, (b) is a figure which shows the state by which the metal pipe material was hold | maintained at the electrode. is there. It is a figure which shows the blow molding process by a shaping | molding apparatus, and a subsequent flow. It is a figure which shows a metal pipe material and a metal pipe, Comprising: (a) is a figure which shows the metal pipe material before preforming, (b) is a figure which shows the metal pipe material after preforming, (c) is in the middle of shaping | molding The figure which shows a metal pipe material, (d) is a figure which shows the metal pipe after shaping | molding, (e) is a figure which shows the metal pipe after cut | disconnecting the edge part. It is a figure which shows the other example of the operation | movement of a blow molding die, and the change of the shape of metal pipe material, (a) is a figure which shows the state which set the metal pipe material to the blow molding die, (b) is blow molding The figure which shows the state of time, (c) is a figure which shows the state by which the flange part was shape | molded by the press.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a molding system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same part or an equivalent part, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

<Configuration of molding system>
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a molding system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a forming system 1 includes a preforming device 2 for preforming a metal pipe material, a forming device 10 for forming a preformed metal pipe material, and at least a part of the formed metal pipe. And a cutting device 3 for cutting the main body. In addition to the above-described configuration, the molding system 1 is preformed with a gas supply source 4 that supplies high-pressure gas (gas) to the molding apparatus 10, and a wall 5 that is provided between the molding apparatus 10 and the gas supply source 4. A first handling device 6 for conveying the metal pipe material from the preforming device 2 to the forming device 10, a second handling device 7 for conveying the formed metal pipe from the shaping device 10 to the cutting device 3, and a gas supply source 4 and a path 8 serving as a path through which gas is supplied to the molding apparatus 10.

  In the following description, the pipe formed by the forming apparatus 10 is referred to as a metal pipe 80 (see FIG. 7D), and the pipes before being formed by the forming apparatus 10 are the metal pipe materials 14 to 14B (FIG. 7). (See (a) to (c)). A pipe obtained by cutting both ends 80c and 80d of the metal pipe 80 with the cutting device 3 is referred to as a metal pipe 90 (see FIG. 7E).

  Further, for the sake of explanation, the horizontal directions orthogonal to each other at the center of the molding apparatus 10 as shown in FIG. 1 are defined as a direction X (first direction) and a direction Y (second direction), respectively. The preforming device 2, the forming device 10, and the cutting device 3 are arranged in this order along the direction Y. That is, the molding device 10 is sandwiched between the preforming device 2 and the cutting device 3 in the direction Y. More specifically, the preforming device 2 is disposed on one side in the direction Y with respect to the molding device 10, and the cutting device 3 is disposed on the other side in the direction Y with respect to the molding device 10. Therefore, the region between the preforming device 2 and the forming device 10 becomes a conveying path for the linear metal pipe material 14A extending along the direction Y, and the region between the forming device 10 and the cutting device 3 is , A conveyance path for the linear metal pipe 80 extending along the direction Y.

  The wall 5 is provided on one side in the direction X with respect to the molding apparatus 10, and the gas supply source 4 is provided on one side in the direction X with respect to the wall 5.

  The first handling device 6 is disposed on the other side in the direction X from the molding device 10 and is disposed between the preforming device 2 and the cutting device 3. More specifically, the first handling device 6 is disposed on the other side in the direction X than the molding device 10 and is disposed on one side in the direction Y. The second handling device 7 is disposed on the other side in the direction X with respect to the molding device 10, and is disposed between the molding device 10 and the cutting device 3. More specifically, the second handling device 7 is disposed on the other side in the direction X than the molding device 10 and is disposed on the other side in the direction Y.

  The preforming device 2 is a device that deforms the metal pipe material 14 into a desired shape by performing preforming on the conveyed metal pipe material 14. Preliminary molding here refers to plastic deformation of the metal pipe material 14 before the metal pipe 80 is molded by the molding apparatus 10. Examples of the preforming include various plastic processing such as bending processing or printing pressure processing. In the present embodiment, the preforming device 2 performs a bending process (pre-bending process) on a predetermined position of the metal pipe material 14. Therefore, the preforming apparatus 2 includes, for example, a part for gripping the metal pipe material 14 and a part for applying pressure to the gripped metal pipe material 14 to perform bending.

  The forming apparatus 10 deforms a preformed metal pipe material 14A (see FIG. 7B) into a desired shape using a blow molding die (die) 13 (see FIG. 2), thereby forming a metal pipe. It is a device that obtains 80. The forming apparatus 10 includes a pipe holding mechanism 30 (see FIG. 2) that holds the end of the metal pipe material 14A, and a pair of gas supply mechanisms (gas supply parts) 40 that supply and expand gas to the metal pipe material 14A. 40. The pair of gas supply mechanisms 40, 40 are arranged along the direction X across the center of the molding apparatus 10. The pair of gas supply mechanisms 40, 40 includes a region between the preforming apparatus 2 and the forming apparatus 10 that is a conveyance path of the metal pipe material 14 </ b> A, and a forming apparatus 10 and a cutting apparatus 3 that are the conveyance path of the metal pipe 80. Not located in the area between. Each of the pair of gas supply mechanisms 40, 40 is connected to the gas supply source 4 via a path 8. Details of a further configuration of the molding apparatus 10 and details of a molding method by the molding apparatus 10 will be described later.

  The cutting device 3 is a device that obtains the metal pipe 90 by cutting at least a part of the formed metal pipe 80. Examples of the method of cutting the metal pipe 80 by the cutting device 3 include various cutting processes such as laser processing, press processing, and wire cut processing. In the present embodiment, the cutting device 3 cuts the end portions 80c and 80d of the metal pipe 80 that are not formed by irradiating a laser. The metal pipe 90 formed by this laser cutting can be shipped as a product through, for example, a polishing process.

  The gas supply source 4 is a device that supplies high-pressure gas to the pair of gas supply mechanisms 40 and 40 via the path 8. The gas supply source 4 has, for example, a compressor and an air tank, and performs molding of the metal pipe material 14A installed in the molding apparatus 10 using the high-pressure gas supplied from the gas supply source 4 (details will be described later). To do). As the high-pressure gas, for example, high-pressure air or high-pressure nitrogen is used.

  The wall 5 is a concrete wall that is installed between the molding apparatus 10 and the gas supply source 4 in the direction X and extends along the direction Y. By disposing the wall 5 on the opposite side of the preforming device 2 and the cutting device 3 with the molding device 10 interposed therebetween, the distance in the direction X between the wall 5 and the molding device 10 can be reduced. The wall 5 can also be used as a protective wall when, for example, a trouble occurs in the molding apparatus 10 or the gas supply source 4.

  The first handling device 6 is a device that conveys the metal pipe material 14 </ b> A from the preforming device 2 to the forming device 10. As the first handling device 6, for example, a robot arm having multiple axes, a transfer feeder, or the like is used. In the present embodiment, a robot arm is used from the viewpoint of installing the metal pipe material 14 </ b> A at a predetermined position in the forming apparatus 10.

  The second handling device 7 is a device that conveys the metal pipe 80 from the forming device 10 to the cutting device 3. As the second handling device 7, for example, a robot arm having multiple axes, a transfer feeder, or the like is used. In the present embodiment, a robot arm is used from the viewpoint of installing the metal pipe 80 at a predetermined position in the cutting device 3.

<Configuration of molding device and blow mechanism>
FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the molding apparatus and the blow mechanism. As shown in FIG. 2, the molding apparatus 10 that molds the metal pipe 80 includes a blow molding die 13 including an upper die 12 and a lower die 11, and a slide 82 that moves at least one of the upper die 12 and the lower die 11. And a driving unit 81 that generates a driving force for moving the slide 82, a pipe holding mechanism 30 that holds the metal pipe material 14A between the upper mold 12 and the lower mold 11, and a pipe holding mechanism 30. A pair of gas supply mechanisms 40 for supplying high-pressure gas (gas) into the metal pipe material 14A, and a heating mechanism (heating unit) 50 for energizing and heating the metal pipe material 14A held by the pipe holding mechanism 30. And the drive unit 81, the pipe holding mechanism 30, the operation of the blow molding die 13, the control unit 70 for controlling the heating mechanism 50, and the blow molding die 13 are forced. And a water circulation mechanism 72 for water cooling is configured. Further, the pair of gas supply mechanisms 40 are connected to a blow mechanism 60 that supplies high-pressure gas.

  The control unit 70 closes the blow molding die 13 when the metal pipe material 14A is heated to the quenching temperature (AC3 transformation point temperature or higher) and injects high-pressure gas into the heated metal pipe material 14A. Take control. Therefore, the control unit 70 controls the operation of the blow mechanism 60 in addition to the pipe holding mechanism 30 and the heating mechanism 50.

  The lower mold 11 is fixed to a large base 15. The lower mold 11 is composed of a large steel block and includes a cavity (concave portion) 16 on the upper surface thereof. Further, an electrode storage space 11a is provided in the vicinity of the left and right ends (left and right ends in FIG. 1) of the lower mold 11, and the first electrode is configured to be movable up and down by an actuator (not shown) in the electrode storage space 11a. 17 and the second electrode 18 are provided. On the upper surfaces of the first electrode 17 and the second electrode 18, semicircular arc-shaped concave grooves 17a and 18a corresponding to the lower outer peripheral surface of the metal pipe material 14A are formed (see FIG. 4C). It can be placed so that the metal pipe material 14A fits into the concave grooves 17a and 18a. Further, tapered concave surfaces 17b and 18b whose front surfaces (surfaces on the outer side of the mold) of the first and second electrodes 17 and 18 are recessed in a tapered shape toward the concave grooves 17a and 18a are formed. Yes. A cooling water passage 19 is formed in the lower mold 11 and includes a thermocouple 21 inserted from below at a substantially central position. The thermocouple 21 is supported by a spring 22 so as to be movable up and down.

  The pair of first and second electrodes 17 and 18 located on the lower mold 11 side constitute a pipe holding mechanism 30, and the metal pipe material 14 </ b> A can be moved up and down between the upper mold 12 and the lower mold 11. Can support you. The thermocouple 21 is merely an example of a temperature measuring means, and may be a non-contact temperature sensor such as a radiation thermometer or an optical thermometer. If a correlation between the energization time and the temperature can be obtained, the temperature measuring means can be omitted and configured sufficiently.

  The upper mold 12 is a large steel block having a cavity (concave portion) 24 on the lower surface and a cooling water passage 25 built therein. The upper mold 12 has an upper end fixed to the slide 82. The slide 82 to which the upper mold 12 is fixed is suspended by the pressure cylinder 26 and is guided by the guide cylinder 27 so as not to sway laterally. The drive unit 81 according to the present embodiment includes a servo motor 83 that generates a drive force for moving the slide 82. The drive unit 81 is configured by a fluid supply unit that supplies a fluid that drives the pressurizing cylinder 26 (operating oil when a hydraulic cylinder is used as the pressurizing cylinder 26) to the pressurizing cylinder 26.

  The control unit 70 can control the movement of the slide 82 by controlling the amount of fluid supplied to the pressurizing cylinder 26 by controlling the servo motor 83 of the driving unit 81. Note that the drive unit 81 is not limited to the one that applies a driving force to the slide 82 via the pressure cylinder 26 as described above. For example, the servo motor 83 is generated by mechanically connecting the drive unit to the slide 82. The driving force to be applied may be applied to the slide 82 directly or indirectly. For example, an eccentric shaft, a drive source (for example, a servo motor and a reducer) that applies a rotational force that rotates the eccentric shaft, and a conversion unit that converts the rotational motion of the eccentric shaft into a linear motion and moves the slide (for example, Or a connecting rod or an eccentric sleeve). In the present embodiment, only the upper mold 12 moves, but the lower mold 11 may move in addition to the upper mold 12 or instead of the upper mold 12. In the present embodiment, the drive unit 81 may not include the servo motor 83.

  Further, in the electrode storage space 12a provided in the vicinity of the left and right ends (left and right ends in FIG. 2) of the upper mold 12, like the lower mold 11, an actuator (not shown) can be moved up and down. A first electrode 17 and a second electrode 18 are provided. On the lower surfaces of the first and second electrodes 17 and 18, semicircular arc-shaped grooves 17a and 18a corresponding to the upper outer peripheral surface of the metal pipe material 14A are formed (see FIG. 4 (c)). The metal pipe material 14A can be fitted into the concave grooves 17a and 18a. Further, tapered concave surfaces 17b and 18b whose front surfaces (surfaces on the outer side of the mold) of the first and second electrodes 17 and 18 are recessed in a tapered shape toward the concave grooves 17a and 18a are formed. Yes. Therefore, the pair of first and second electrodes 17 and 18 positioned on the upper mold 12 side also constitute the pipe holding mechanism 30, and the metal pipe material 14 </ b> A is moved up and down by the pair of upper and lower first and second electrodes 17 and 18. When sandwiched from the direction, the outer periphery of the metal pipe material 14A can be surrounded so as to be in close contact with the entire periphery.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the blow mold 13 as viewed from the side. This is a cross-sectional view of the blow molding die 13 taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2, and shows the state of the die position during blow molding. As shown in FIG. 3, a rectangular cavity 16 is formed on the upper surface of the lower mold 11. A rectangular cavity 24 is formed on the lower surface of the upper mold 12 at a position facing the cavity 16 of the lower mold 11. When the blow mold 13 is closed, the cavity 16 of the lower mold 11 and the cavity 24 of the upper mold 12 are combined to form a main cavity portion MC that is a rectangular space. As shown in FIG. 3 (a), the metal pipe material 14A arranged in the main cavity portion MC expands to come into contact with the inner wall surface of the main cavity portion MC as shown in FIG. 3 (b). The main cavity portion MC is formed into a shape (here, a rectangular cross section).

  As shown in FIG. 2, each of the pair of gas supply mechanisms 40 includes a cylinder unit 42, a cylinder rod 43 that moves forward and backward in accordance with the operation of the cylinder unit 42, and a tip of the cylinder rod 43 on the pipe holding mechanism 30 side. And a seal member 44 coupled to the. The cylinder unit 42 is mounted and fixed on the base 15 via a block 41. A taper surface 45 is formed at the tip of the seal member 44 so as to be tapered, and is configured so that it can be fitted and brought into contact with the taper concave surfaces 17 b and 18 b of the first and second electrodes 17 and 18. (See FIG. 4). The seal member 44 is provided with a gas passage 46 that extends from the cylinder unit 42 side toward the tip and through which the high-pressure gas supplied from the blow mechanism 60 flows.

  The heating mechanism 50 includes a power source 51, a lead wire 52 extending from the power source 51 and connected to the first electrode 17 and the second electrode 18, and a switch 53 interposed in the lead wire 52. When the information is transmitted from (A), the control unit 70 acquires temperature information from the thermocouple 21 and controls the pressurizing cylinder 26, the switch 53, and the like.

  The water circulation mechanism 72 includes a water tank 73 that stores water, a water pump 74 that pumps up and pressurizes the water stored in the water tank 73 and sends the water to the cooling water passage 19 of the lower mold 11 and the cooling water passage 25 of the upper mold 12. It consists of a pipe 75. Although omitted, a cooling tower for lowering the water temperature and a filter for purifying water may be interposed in the pipe 75.

  The blow mechanism 60 includes a high-pressure gas source 61, an accumulator 62 that stores the high-pressure gas supplied by the high-pressure gas source 61, a first tube 63 that extends from the accumulator 62 to the cylinder unit 42, and the first tube 63. A pressure control valve 64 and a switching valve 65 interposed between the second tube 67 and the second tube 67 extending from the accumulator 62 to the gas passage 46 formed in the seal member 44. And an on / off valve 68 and a check valve 69. The gas supply source 4 shown in FIG. 1 is configured by the high-pressure gas source 61 and the accumulator 62 in the blow mechanism 60. Further, the second tube 67, the on / off valve 68, and the check valve 69 in the blow mechanism 60 constitute the path 8 shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the path 8 includes a first tube 63, a pressure control valve 64, and a switching valve 65.

  The pressure control valve 64 serves to supply the cylinder unit 42 with a high-pressure gas having an operating pressure adapted to the pressing force required from the seal member 44 side. The check valve 69 serves to prevent the high pressure gas from flowing back in the second tube 67. The switching valve 65 and the on / off valve 68 are controlled by the control unit 70.

<Operation of molding system>
Next, the operation of the molding system 1 will be described. FIG. 5 shows a process from a pipe feeding process for feeding the metal pipe material 14A as a material to a current heating process for energizing and heating the metal pipe material 14A. First, a metal pipe material 14 of a steel type that can be hardened (see FIG. 7A) is prepared. The metal pipe material 14 is held in the preforming apparatus 2, and the metal pipe material 14 is bent to obtain the metal pipe material 14A (see FIG. 7B). As shown in FIG. 5 (a), the metal pipe material 14A is placed (loaded) on the first and second electrodes 17 and 18 provided on the lower mold 11 side by the first handling device 6 (see FIG. 1). ) Since the concave grooves 17a and 18a are formed in the first and second electrodes 17 and 18, the metal pipe material 14A is positioned by the concave grooves 17a and 18a. Next, the control unit 70 (see FIG. 2) controls the pipe holding mechanism 30 to cause the pipe holding mechanism 30 to hold the metal pipe material 14A. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5B, an actuator (not shown) that allows the first electrode 17 and the second electrode 18 to move forward and backward is operated, and the first and second electrodes 17 positioned above and below each other. , 18 are brought into close contact with each other. By this contact, both ends of the metal pipe material 14A are sandwiched by the first and second electrodes 17 and 18 from above and below. Further, this clamping is performed in such a manner that the metal pipe material 14A is in close contact with each other due to the presence of the concave grooves 17a and 18a formed in the first and second electrodes 17 and 18. However, the configuration is not limited to the configuration in which the metal pipe material 14A is in close contact with the entire circumference, and the first and second electrodes 17 and 18 may be in contact with part of the metal pipe material 14A in the circumferential direction. .

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 2, the controller 70 heats the metal pipe material 14 </ b> A by controlling the heating mechanism 50. Specifically, the control unit 70 turns on the switch 53 of the heating mechanism 50. Then, electric power is supplied from the power source 51 to the metal pipe material 14A, and the metal pipe material 14A itself generates heat (Joule heat) due to the resistance existing in the metal pipe material 14A. At this time, the measured value of the thermocouple 21 is constantly monitored, and energization is controlled based on the result.

  FIG. 6 shows the blow molding process by the molding apparatus and the subsequent flow. As shown in FIG. 6, the blow molding die 13 is closed with respect to the heated metal pipe material 14 </ b> A, and the metal pipe material 14 </ b> A is disposed and sealed in the cavity of the blow molding die 13. Thereafter, the cylinder unit 42 of the gas supply mechanism 40 is operated to seal both ends of the metal pipe material 14A with the seal member 44 (see also FIG. 4). After the sealing is completed, high-pressure gas is blown into the metal pipe material 14A, and the metal pipe material 14A softened by heating is deformed so as to follow the shape of the cavity, thereby obtaining the metal pipe material 14B.

  The metal pipe material 14A is softened by being heated to a high temperature (around 950 ° C.), and can be blow-molded at a relatively low pressure. Specifically, when compressed air of 4 MPa and normal temperature (25 ° C.) is adopted as the high-pressure gas, the compressed air is eventually heated to around 950 ° C. in the sealed metal pipe material 14A. The compressed air expands thermally and reaches about 16-17 MPa based on Boyle-Charles' law. That is, the metal pipe material 14A at 950 ° C. can be easily expanded by the thermally expanded compressed air, and the metal pipe 80 can be blow-molded through the metal pipe material 14B.

  The outer peripheral surface of the metal pipe material 14B blown and expanded is brought into contact with the cavity 16 of the lower die 11 and rapidly cooled, and at the same time, brought into contact with the cavity 24 of the upper die 12 and rapidly cooled (the upper die 12 and the lower die 11 are Since the heat capacity is large and the temperature is controlled at a low temperature, if the metal pipe material 14B comes into contact, the heat of the pipe surface is taken away to the mold side at once, and quenching is performed. Such a cooling method is called mold contact cooling or mold cooling. Immediately after being quenched, austenite transforms into martensite. In the latter half of the cooling, the cooling rate was reduced, so that the martensite transformed into another structure (truthite, sorbite, etc.) due to recuperation. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform a separate tempering process. In the present embodiment, cooling is performed by supplying a cooling medium to the metal pipe 80 instead of or in addition to mold cooling.

  As described above, blow molding is performed on the metal pipe material 14A, cooling is performed, and mold opening is performed, thereby obtaining the metal pipe 80 having the substantially rectangular cylindrical pipe portion 80a and the flat flange portion 80b. (Refer FIG.7 (d)).

  Next, with reference to FIG. 8, the state of shaping | molding by the upper mold | type 12 and the lower mold | type 11 is demonstrated in detail. In the following description, the metal pipe material 14B being formed and the portion corresponding to the pipe portion 80a of the metal pipe 80 before the mold opening are referred to as “first formed portion 14a” and the portion corresponding to the flange portion 80b. Is referred to as "second molded portion 14b".

  As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, in the molding apparatus 10 according to the present invention, blow molding is performed in a state where the upper mold 12 and the lower mold 11 are completely closed (clamped). Not. That is, by maintaining a constant separation state, blow molding is performed in a state where the sub-cavities SC1 and SC2 are formed beside the main cavity MC. In this state, the main cavity portion MC is formed between the surface of the cavity 24 at the reference line LV1 and the surface of the cavity 16 at the reference line LV2. Further, a sub-cavity portion SC1 is formed between the surface of the first protrusion 12b outside the main cavity portion MC in the upper die 12 and the surface of the first protrusion 11b outside the main cavity portion MC in the lower die 11. The Similarly, a sub-cavity portion SC2 is formed between the surface of the second protrusion 12c outside the main cavity portion MC in the upper die 12 and the surface of the second protrusion 11c outside the main cavity portion MC in the lower die 11. Is done. The main cavity portion MC and the subcavity portions SC1 and SC2 are in communication with each other. In the present embodiment, the upper mold 12 and the surface of the first protrusion 12b of the upper mold 12 and the surface of the first protrusion 11b of the lower mold 11 constituting the subcavity SC1 are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. It extends to the end of the lower mold 11 in the width direction (the right side in FIG. 8). Similarly, each of the surface of the second protrusion 12c of the upper mold 12 and the surface of the second protrusion 11c of the lower mold 11 constituting the subcavity SC2 is spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. 11 extends to the end in the width direction (left side in FIG. 8). Therefore, the subcavities SC1 and SC2 communicate with the outside of the mold. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8B, the metal pipe material 14B softened by heating and injected with the high-pressure gas enters not only the main cavity part MC but also the sub-cavity parts SC1 and SC2, and expands. To do.

  In the example shown in FIG. 8, the main cavity portion MC is configured to have a rectangular cross section, and thus the metal pipe material 14A is formed into a rectangular cross section by blow molding according to the shape. In addition, the said part respond | corresponds to the 1st shaping | molding part 14a used as the pipe part 80a. However, the shape of the main cavity portion MC is not particularly limited, and any shape such as a circular cross section, an elliptical cross section, or a polygonal cross section may be employed in accordance with a desired shape. Further, since the main cavity portion MC and the sub-cavity portions SC1 and SC2 communicate with each other, a part of the metal pipe material 14B enters the sub-cavity portions SC1 and SC2. The said part corresponds to the 2nd shaping | molding part 14b used as the flange part 80b by being crushed.

  As shown in FIG. 8C, the separated upper mold 12 and lower mold 11 are brought close to each other after blow molding or in the middle of blow molding. By this operation, the volumes of the sub-cavities SC1 and SC2 are reduced, and the internal space of the second molded portion 14b disappears and is folded. That is, as the upper mold 12 and the lower mold 11 approach, the second molded portion 14b of the metal pipe material 14B entering the subcavities SC1 and SC2 is pressed and crushed. As a result, the second molded portion 14b that is crushed along the longitudinal direction of the metal pipe material 14B is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the metal pipe material 14B. In addition, although it depends on the kind of the metal pipe material 14, the time from the blow molding to the completion of the press molding of the flange portion 80b is completed in about 1 to 2 seconds.

  In the example shown in FIG. 8, a second molded portion that is crushed between the surface of the first protrusion 12 b of the upper mold 12 and the surface of the first protrusion 11 b of the lower mold 11 that constitute the subcavity SC <b> 1. A gap corresponding to the thickness of 14b (that is, flange portion 80b) is formed. Similarly, between the surface of the second protrusion 12c of the upper mold 12 and the surface of the second protrusion 11c of the lower mold 11 constituting the sub-cavity portion SC2, the second molded portion 14b (ie, flange) is crushed. A gap corresponding to the thickness of the portion 80b) is formed. Even in this state, the sub-cavities SC1 and SC2 are in communication with the outside of the mold. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 8, the subcavities SC1 and SC2 are formed from the start of molding to the completion of molding when the flange 80b of the metal pipe 80 (the second molded portion 14b of the metal pipe material 14B) is molded. Communicating with the outside of the mold. As a result, since the air in the sub-cavities SC1 and SC2 can escape to the outside of the mold from the start of molding to the completion of molding, the quality of the molded product can be improved.

  Further, due to the approach of the upper mold 12 and the lower mold 11 after blow molding, not only the second molded portion 14b of the metal pipe material 14B entering the subcavity portions SC1 and SC2, but also the metal of the main cavity portion MC portion. The first molded portion 14a of the pipe material 14B is also crushed. However, since it is heated and softened, it can be finished into a metal pipe 80 free from loosening and twisting by adjusting the mold closing speed and compressed gas.

  The metal pipe 80 obtained in this way is transported from the molding device 10 to the cutting device 3 using the second handling device 7, and both end portions 80 c of the metal pipe 80 that have not expanded. The metal pipe 90 which is a molded product is obtained by cutting 80d (see FIG. 7E).

  In this way, according to the molding system 1 that performs a series of processes, the preforming device 2, the molding device 10, and the cutting device 3 are arranged in this order along the direction Y, and a pair of gas supply mechanisms 40 included in the molding device 10 is provided. , 40 are arranged along a direction X orthogonal to the direction Y across the center of the molding apparatus 10. Thus, when the preformed metal pipe material 14A is transported from the preforming device 2 to the molding device 10 arranged in the direction Y, the pair of gas supply mechanisms 40, 40 are not arranged on the transport path of the metal pipe material 14A. The pair of gas supply mechanisms 40, 40 do not interfere with the metal pipe material 14A conveyed from the preforming device 2 to the forming device 10. Further, when the molded metal pipe 80 is transported from the molding device 10 to the cutting device 3 arranged in the direction Y, the pair of gas supply mechanisms 40, 40 are not disposed on the transport path of the metal pipe 80, and thus the pair of gases The supply mechanisms 40 and 40 do not interfere with the metal pipe 80 conveyed from the forming apparatus 10 to the cutting apparatus 3. Accordingly, the pair of gas supply mechanisms 40, 40 can be arranged in the direction X, and the preforming device 2, the forming device 10, and the cutting device 3 can be arranged in the direction Y. Can be reduced.

  Further, since the preforming device 2, the molding device 10, and the cutting device 3 are arranged in this order along the direction Y, a series of preforming steps, forming steps, and cutting steps are performed using the metal pipe material 14A ( It can be continuously applied to the metal pipe 80) in order.

  The molding system 1 includes a wall 5 provided on one side in the direction X with respect to the molding apparatus 10, and a gas supply source 4 that is provided on one side in the direction X with respect to the wall 5 and supplies gas to the gas supply unit 104. Therefore, the distance in the direction X between the molding apparatus 10 and the wall 5 can be reduced. Therefore, the site area of the molding system 1 can be further reduced.

  The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the molding apparatus 10 in the above embodiment does not necessarily have the heating mechanism 50. The metal pipe material 14 </ b> A may already be heated when installed in the forming apparatus 10. In this case, the pipe holding mechanism 30 may not be configured by the first electrode 17 and the second electrode 18.

  Further, both the pair of gas supply mechanisms 40, 40 in the above embodiment may not be connected to the gas supply source 4, and one of the pair of gas supply mechanisms 40, 40 may be connected to the gas supply source 4. Good. In these cases, one of the pair of gas supply mechanisms 40, 40 may be a mechanism for discharging high-pressure gas.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although a pair of gas supply mechanism 40,40 is provided along the direction X on both sides of the center of the shaping | molding apparatus 10, the said pair of gas supply mechanism 40,40 is united. You can also That is, the gas supply mechanism 40 is provided along the direction X while being separated from the center of the molding apparatus 10.

  Moreover, although the flange part is provided in the metal pipes 80 and 90 in the said embodiment, the shaping | molding system 1 is applicable also when shape | molding the metal pipe which is not provided with a flange part.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Molding system, 2 ... Pre-forming apparatus, 3 ... Cutting apparatus, 4 ... Gas supply source, 5 ... Wall, 6 ... 1st handling apparatus (handling apparatus), 7 ... 2nd handling apparatus, 10 ... Molding apparatus, 11 ... Lower mold, 12 ... Upper mold, 13 ... Blow molding mold (mold), 14, 14A, 14B ... Metal pipe material, 30 ... Pipe holding mechanism, 40 ... Gas supply mechanism (gas supply section), 50 ... Heating Mechanism: 60 ... Blow mechanism, 70: Control part, 80, 90 ... Metal pipe, 80a ... Pipe part, 80b ... Flange part, 80c, 80d ... End part, MC ... Main cavity part, SC1, SC2 ... Subcavity part, X direction (first direction), Y direction (second direction).

Claims (4)

A molding system in which a metal pipe is expanded and molded in a mold,
A preforming device for preforming a metal pipe material;
A molding apparatus having a gas supply section for supplying and expanding a gas into the preformed and heated metal pipe material;
A cutting device for cutting at least a part of the metal pipe after forming,
When the horizontal directions perpendicular to each other at the center of the molding apparatus are defined as the first direction and the second direction, the gas supply unit is spaced apart from the center of the molding apparatus and is provided along the first direction. And
The molding system, wherein the preforming device, the molding device, and the cutting device are arranged along the second direction.   The molding system according to claim 1, wherein a pair of the gas supply units are provided along the first direction with a center of the molding apparatus interposed therebetween.   The molding system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the preforming device, the molding device, and the cutting device are arranged in this order along the second direction. A wall provided on one side in the first direction with respect to the molding device;
The molding system according to claim 1, further comprising: a gas supply source that is provided on one side in the first direction from the wall and supplies the gas to the gas supply unit.

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