US20090000708A1 - Method for manufacture of complex heat treated tubular structure - Google Patents
Method for manufacture of complex heat treated tubular structure Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20090000708A1 US20090000708A1 US11/770,887 US77088707A US2009000708A1 US 20090000708 A1 US20090000708 A1 US 20090000708A1 US 77088707 A US77088707 A US 77088707A US 2009000708 A1 US2009000708 A1 US 2009000708A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- tube
- heating
- forming
- quenching medium
- portions
- 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.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
- C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
- C21D9/00—Heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering, adapted for particular articles; Furnaces therefor
- C21D9/08—Heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering, adapted for particular articles; Furnaces therefor for tubular bodies or pipes
- C21D9/085—Cooling or quenching
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
- C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
- C21D1/00—General methods or devices for heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering
- C21D1/34—Methods of heating
- C21D1/42—Induction heating
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
- C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
- C21D1/00—General methods or devices for heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering
- C21D1/34—Methods of heating
- C21D1/52—Methods of heating with flames
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
- C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
- C21D1/00—General methods or devices for heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering
- C21D1/78—Combined heat-treatments not provided for above
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
- C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
- C21D7/00—Modifying the physical properties of iron or steel by deformation
- C21D7/02—Modifying the physical properties of iron or steel by deformation by cold working
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
- C21D—MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
- C21D7/00—Modifying the physical properties of iron or steel by deformation
- C21D7/13—Modifying the physical properties of iron or steel by deformation by hot working
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02P10/00—Technologies related to metal processing
- Y02P10/25—Process efficiency
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- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Metallurgy (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Heat Treatment Of Articles (AREA)
Abstract
A method for manufacturing a complex heat treated tubular structure includes making a tube assembly having tube portions along its length of differing characteristic. The tube assembly is formed by lengthwise tube bending and hydroforming to provide a desired shape. The tube is formed by lengthwise tube bending and hydroforming to provide a desired shape. The tube is supported in a locating fixture having a plurality of supports spaced along the tube to support the tube against distortion. A local region of the tube is heated in at least one local region to a temperature to heat treat the local region. A quenching medium is then flushed through the hollow interior of the tube, and the tube is removed from the locating fixture..
Description
- The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a heat treated and shaped tubular structure.
- It is known in the manufacture of vehicles and other articles to utilize metallic hollow tubes that are assembled and formed to provide complex and precise tubular structures that are both dimensionally accurate and of high strength.
- Furthermore, it is known that metals can be heat treated to alter the physical and metallurgical properties of the metal. Such heat treating processes involves the heating of the metal to a degree that affects the crystal phase of the metal microstructure, and then quickly cooling the metal in a quenching bath. Depending on the alloy and other considerations, such as concern for maximum hardness vs. cracking and distortion, cooling may be done with forced air or other gas, or a liquid such as oil, a polymer dissolved in water, water or brine. Upon being rapidly cooled, the microstructure of the metal is altered. Depending upon the temperature that is reached, and the nature of the quenching, the desired characteristic of toughness, ductility and strength can be obtained.
- It would desirable to provide improvements in the manufacture of tubular structures in order to enable and perform the efficient joining together and forming and reliable heat treating of complex formed and shaped tubular structures made of formed tubes.
- A method for manufacturing a complex heat treated tubular structure includes making a tube assembly having tube portions along its length of differing characteristic. The tube assembly is formed by lengthwise tube bending and hydroforming to provide a desired shape. The tube is supported in a locating fixture having a plurality of supports spaced along the tube to support the tube against distortion. A local region of the tube is heated in at least one local region to a temperature to heat treat the local region. A quenching medium is then flushed through the hollow interior of the tube, and the tube is removed from the locating fixture.
- Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating exemplary embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
- The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
-
FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a tubular structure that has been assembled by end to end welding together of three tube portions; and -
FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a tubular structure clamped in a locating fixture and connected to a source of quenching medium. - The following description of certain exemplary embodiments is exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.
- Referring to
FIG. 1 a tube assembly, generally indicated at 10 is comprised of threeseparate tube portions - As seen in
FIG. 1 , thecenter tube portion 14 has been bent along its axial length, either before or after being welded to thetube portions - In addition, the tube portions can be formed to vary the cross sectional shape thereof, preferably by hydroforming. Such hydroforming operations are well known and involve the capture of the tube within a cavity of a die and then the pressurization of a fluid within the tube to expand the tube outwardly into the shape of the die cavity. The hydroforming operation can be performed either before the tube portions are welded together end to end or after the tube portions are welded together end to end.
- In
FIG. 2 , thetube assembly 10 ofFIG. 1 is subjected to a heat treating process. Thetube assembly 10 has been placed in a locating fixture that includes spaced apartfixtures Fixture 20 is typical of the fixtures and includes alower cradle 30 that supports the weight of thetube assembly 10 and anupper clamp 32 that clamps the tube in place on thelower cradle 30. Theupper clamp 32 can be manually operated or is preferably operated by a hydraulic or pneumatic or motorized mechanism. - An
induction coil 36 is situated around thetube portion 14 and connected to an electricalcurrent source 38. When electrical current is conducted to theinduction coil 36, alocal region 42 of thetube assembly 10 is heated to a temperature in the range of 850 to 950 degrees C. for a typical steel, or a different temperature for other materials such as heat treatable aluminum or other alloys, in order to affect the crystal structure of the metal, while thetube assembly 10 is fixedly supported by thefixtures tube assembly 10. In particular, as shown inFIG. 2 , aninlet seal 50 is installed in the left hand end of thetube assembly 10 and anoutlet seal 52 is installed in the right hand end of thetube assembly 10. The inlet seal and theoutlet seal 52 are connected to a quenchingmedium source 58 by hoses or piping orducts quenching medium source 58 is a tank, a pump and associated valves. The quenching medium may also be a gas, in which case thequenching medium source 58 is a tank and a fan or compressor or other gas handling apparatus. The quenching medium, whether liquid or gas is flowed through the hollow interior of thetube assembly 10 until thelocal region 42 has been cooled. The quenching medium is then drained, the inlet and outlet seals removed, and thetube assembly 10 is unclamped from the locating fixture. - The foregoing description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations thereof are intended to be within the scope of the invention. It will be understood that the heat treating can be performed at any selection region along the length of the
tube assembly 10, wherever it is desired to affect the microstructure by heat treatment and quenching. Theinduction coil 36 can be repositioned along the length of thetube assembly 10, or a plurality of such induction coils can be employed to enable the heat treatment of several regions at the same time. Alternatively, the local regions of the tube can be heated by flame heating or laser heating or other know heating methods. Fixtures are provided in the number and at the locations that assure that the heating and cooling of the selected regions do not cause sagging or distortion of the precisely formed, shaped and sized tube assembly.
Claims (18)
1. A method for manufacturing a heat treated tubular structure comprising:
providing a length of tube by preassembly of tubular portions end to end;
forming the tube to a desired shape;
supporting the formed tube in a locating fixture having a plurality of supports spaced along the tube;
heating the tube in at least one local region to a temperature to heat treat the local region;
and quenching the heated local region of the tube by flushing a quenching medium through the tube.
2. The method of claim 1 comprising said quenching medium being a gas.
3. The method of claim 1 comprising said quenching medium being a liquid.
4. The method of claim 1 comprising said tube being preassembled by either end-to-end welding of tube portions of differing material characteristic or end to end welding of blanks of differing characteristic that are then rolled to tube shape and edge welded.
5. The method of claim 1 comprising said forming of the tube being a bending operation.
6. The method of claim 1 comprising said tube being hydroformed prior to being supported in the locating fixture.
7. The method of claim 1 comprising heating the local area of the tube after the tube is supported in the locating fixture.
8. The method of claim 1 comprising heating of the local area of the tube by placing an induction coil around the tube and conducting electric current through the induction coil.
9. The method of claim 8 comprising supporting the tube in the locating fixture and then conducting the electric current through the induction coil.
10. A method for manufacturing a tubular structure comprising:
welding together end to end a plurality of hollow tube portions to provide a length of assembled hollow tube;
forming the tube to a desired shape;
supporting the formed tube in a locating fixture having a plurality of tube supports spaced along the tube;
heating the tube at at least one local region along the length thereof;
installing an inlet seal at one end of the tube and an outlet seal at the other end of the tube;
and flowing a quenching medium through inlet seal, through the hollow tube, and out the outlet seal to rapidly cool and quench the heated local area of the tube by flushing the entire length of the tube with the quenching medium.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the quenching medium being either a liquid or a gas.
12. The method of claim 10 in which the forming of the tube is at least one of bending of the tube along its longitudinal length or hydroforming of the tube to form its cross-sectional shape.
13. The method of claim 10 in which the local region that is heated is a region that has been previously formed.
14. The method of claim 10 comprising the heating being performed by at least one of a laser, an induction coil or a flame.
15. A method for manufacturing a tubular structure comprising:
providing a plurality of lengths of tube portions differing from one another in at least one characteristic;
welding the tube portions together end to end to a make a single tube having a continuous open hollow interior;
forming the tube to a desired shape by lengthwise tube bending and cross-sectional hydrofoming;
fixedly supporting the formed tube in a locating fixture having a plurality of supports spaced along the tube;
heating the tube in at least one local area to a temperature of 850 to 950 degrees;
clamping the tube in a plurality of tube supports spaced along the length of the tube prior to the heating so that the tube is supported against distortion by the heating;
and quenching the heated local area of the tube by flushing a quenching medium through the continuous open hollow interior of the tube.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the forming being a tube bending operation performed either before or after the welding together of the tube portions.
17. The method of claim 15 further comprising the forming being a hydroforming operation performed either before or after the welding together of the tube portions.
18. The method of claim 15 further comprising the forming being a tube bending operation and a hydroforming operation.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/770,887 US20090000708A1 (en) | 2007-06-29 | 2007-06-29 | Method for manufacture of complex heat treated tubular structure |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/770,887 US20090000708A1 (en) | 2007-06-29 | 2007-06-29 | Method for manufacture of complex heat treated tubular structure |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20090000708A1 true US20090000708A1 (en) | 2009-01-01 |
Family
ID=40158976
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/770,887 Abandoned US20090000708A1 (en) | 2007-06-29 | 2007-06-29 | Method for manufacture of complex heat treated tubular structure |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20090000708A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20120060982A1 (en) * | 2010-03-12 | 2012-03-15 | Benteler Automobiltechnik Gmbh | Method of producing press-hardened structural parts |
CN106276083A (en) * | 2015-05-29 | 2017-01-04 | 宝山钢铁股份有限公司 | A kind of transporter and method processing bend pipe for high frequency heat |
JP2019210509A (en) * | 2018-06-04 | 2019-12-12 | 日本製鉄株式会社 | Three-dimensional hot bending and quenching equipment and quenching method |
Citations (15)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2888374A (en) * | 1955-05-17 | 1959-05-26 | Mannesmann Ag | Process for depth-hardening of long tubes or the like |
US4032369A (en) * | 1976-02-02 | 1977-06-28 | The Timken Company | Method for quenching ferrous tubing to achieve full hardening without quench cracking |
US4229235A (en) * | 1977-10-25 | 1980-10-21 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Heat-treating method for pipes |
US4354883A (en) * | 1978-06-07 | 1982-10-19 | Daiichi Kashuha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Method for improving the residual stress in austenitic stainless steel pipes and the like by induction heating |
US4448615A (en) * | 1982-05-06 | 1984-05-15 | Uop Inc. | Method of spot annealing tubing |
US4575054A (en) * | 1982-02-08 | 1986-03-11 | Kruppert Enterprises, Inc. | Apparatus for quenching steel pipes |
US4576654A (en) * | 1982-04-15 | 1986-03-18 | General Electric Company | Heat treated tube |
US4731131A (en) * | 1985-01-23 | 1988-03-15 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Method of subjecting welded structure to heat treatment |
US4803037A (en) * | 1982-03-15 | 1989-02-07 | The Algoma Steel Corporation, Limited | Pipe quenching apparatus |
US5215829A (en) * | 1990-01-24 | 1993-06-01 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Method for strengthening pressure resistance of a hollowed metallic structure and a pressure resistant structure made thereby |
US5333775A (en) * | 1993-04-16 | 1994-08-02 | General Motors Corporation | Hydroforming of compound tubes |
US5992197A (en) * | 1997-03-28 | 1999-11-30 | The Budd Company | Forming technique using discrete heating zones |
US6014879A (en) * | 1997-04-16 | 2000-01-18 | Cosma International Inc. | High pressure hydroforming press |
US6702980B2 (en) * | 2002-04-30 | 2004-03-09 | Martinrea Industries, Inc. | Annealing apparatus |
US20060113010A1 (en) * | 2004-12-01 | 2006-06-01 | Noboru Saitou | Heat treatment method and device for piping |
-
2007
- 2007-06-29 US US11/770,887 patent/US20090000708A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (15)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2888374A (en) * | 1955-05-17 | 1959-05-26 | Mannesmann Ag | Process for depth-hardening of long tubes or the like |
US4032369A (en) * | 1976-02-02 | 1977-06-28 | The Timken Company | Method for quenching ferrous tubing to achieve full hardening without quench cracking |
US4229235A (en) * | 1977-10-25 | 1980-10-21 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Heat-treating method for pipes |
US4354883A (en) * | 1978-06-07 | 1982-10-19 | Daiichi Kashuha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Method for improving the residual stress in austenitic stainless steel pipes and the like by induction heating |
US4575054A (en) * | 1982-02-08 | 1986-03-11 | Kruppert Enterprises, Inc. | Apparatus for quenching steel pipes |
US4803037A (en) * | 1982-03-15 | 1989-02-07 | The Algoma Steel Corporation, Limited | Pipe quenching apparatus |
US4576654A (en) * | 1982-04-15 | 1986-03-18 | General Electric Company | Heat treated tube |
US4448615A (en) * | 1982-05-06 | 1984-05-15 | Uop Inc. | Method of spot annealing tubing |
US4731131A (en) * | 1985-01-23 | 1988-03-15 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Method of subjecting welded structure to heat treatment |
US5215829A (en) * | 1990-01-24 | 1993-06-01 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Method for strengthening pressure resistance of a hollowed metallic structure and a pressure resistant structure made thereby |
US5333775A (en) * | 1993-04-16 | 1994-08-02 | General Motors Corporation | Hydroforming of compound tubes |
US5992197A (en) * | 1997-03-28 | 1999-11-30 | The Budd Company | Forming technique using discrete heating zones |
US6014879A (en) * | 1997-04-16 | 2000-01-18 | Cosma International Inc. | High pressure hydroforming press |
US6702980B2 (en) * | 2002-04-30 | 2004-03-09 | Martinrea Industries, Inc. | Annealing apparatus |
US20060113010A1 (en) * | 2004-12-01 | 2006-06-01 | Noboru Saitou | Heat treatment method and device for piping |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20120060982A1 (en) * | 2010-03-12 | 2012-03-15 | Benteler Automobiltechnik Gmbh | Method of producing press-hardened structural parts |
CN106276083A (en) * | 2015-05-29 | 2017-01-04 | 宝山钢铁股份有限公司 | A kind of transporter and method processing bend pipe for high frequency heat |
JP2019210509A (en) * | 2018-06-04 | 2019-12-12 | 日本製鉄株式会社 | Three-dimensional hot bending and quenching equipment and quenching method |
JP6992680B2 (en) | 2018-06-04 | 2022-01-13 | 日本製鉄株式会社 | 3D hot bending quenching device and quenching method |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |