METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SHEET-STEEL BLANKS

METHODE SERVANT A FABRIQUER DES FLANS DE TOLE D'ACIER

English Abstract

Abstract
A method of manufacturing sheet-steel blanks from much longer
slabs removed from strip. The longitudinal edges of the slabs
are trimmed straight and welded together and the blanks are cut
out of the edge-welded slabs. The longitudinal edges of two
slabs as long as 4000 mm are brought together and continuously
trimmed simultaneously over their total length.
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Claims

Claims
1. A method for producing sheet-steel blanks comprising
the steps of: supplying a strip of sheet-steel; removing
slabs from said strip of sheet-steel, said slabs having a
length exceeding substantially the lengths of said blanks;
trimming straight longitudinal edges of said slabs; welding
together trimmed longitudinal edges of said slabs; cutting out
said blanks from the welded-together slabs, longitudinal edges
of two slabs as long as 4000 mm being brought together and
continuously trimmed simultaneously over their total length.
2, A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the
longitudinal edges of said two slabs abut while being trimmed.
3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the
longitudinal edges of said two slabs overlap while being trimmed.
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Description

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1 METHOD OF MANUF~CTU~XN~; SHEET-S~EEL BLANKS
2 The present inventlon concarns a method of manufacturing ~heet~
3 stQel blank~ a~ reclted ln the preamble to Clalm 1.
Blank~ of thi~ typ2 c~n be emplo~ed to produce 3tamped or bent
6 component~ for automobile bodle~ for example. German Patent 4
7 235 110 describQ~ how they can belmanufactured strong enough to
8 stand up to the 3tra~sQ~ they wlll encounter.
Slab~ up to 30 times a~ long a~ the final blank~ are cut from
11 steel s~rlp. ~he ~l~b~ are trimmed ~traight along ~he edge~
12 with a 31~b ~hearer for example. ~he trimmed ~lab~ are
13 forward~d to welding apparatu~ and wolded together along the
14 longitudinal edges. The welded-together ~lab# ars introduced
lnto a stamping press and blank~ of the desired shape cut out
16 of them wlth appropriat~ dies.
17 :~ :
18 The advant~ge of ~uch a method la that trimming the edge~ of
19 the ~lab~ wlth the ~l~b 0hear0r ~or example improves edge-to- ; :
edge tlghtness for butt welding wlth a laser or electron beam :::
21 and overlap flt for ~queeze-~eam welding.
22
23 Thl~ advantage, however, is attainable only with shearers of
24 conventlonal ~ize, which c~n make cuts of up to only about 4000
mm. Wh~n much longer slab~ need to be welded together along -`
26 the longitudlnal ~dges, the expenditures involved in producing
27 dlmonslonally stable dies and ad~u~ting them to cut ~traight
,

21 32231
1 edge~ with as llttle burr ~ po~lble increa~e out of
2 proportlon, and thl~ particular ~tage in the method become~
3 problematic.
The ob~ect of the pre~nt lnventio~ accordingly an improved
6 and ~i~ple method of th~ a~ore~ald genu~ that can al30 be
7 employed to manu~acture ~heet-~teel blank~ definitely longer
8 than 4000 ~m and with stralght longi~udin~l edges.
., .
This ob~ct i8 ~t~lned ~3 reclted in ~he body of Claim 1.
11
12 Advantageou~ ~ltern~tlve ~nd adv~nced ver~ion~ of the method in
13 accordance wlth the pre~ant lnvention are reclted in Claim~ 2
14 and 3.
16 The method ln accordance with the pre~ent invention can also be
17 employed to ~dvantage to ~bt~in parallel edgae that dlverge
18 from the ntraight by varying how the sheet travel~ through the
19 devlce to an~uro that the longitudinal sdges of the slabs are
in contact before any cutting occurs.
21
22 Another e~senti~l advantag~ of the method i~ that, ~lnce sheet-
23 8te91 slab~ of any de~i~ed length can be cut, ~he length of the
24 ~labs can alway~ be optimally adapted to the length of the
blank as well a3 to ~hipp~ng and warehou~ing conditions.
26 ~he method ln accordance with the present invention will now be
27 ~pecifi~d wlth ref~rence to the accompanying schematic drawing.
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~y~
2~3223~
,
Flgure 1 illuE~rates one ver~loll of the method by way of a
2 ~ection through the ~he~t-~teel slab~,
4 Figu:re 2 illu~tratea the same ver~ion in per~pectl~e,
6 Figure 3 ~llu~tr~te~ ~notllq~r ver310n o~ the method by way of a
7 ~action through the ~l~b~, ~nd
9 Figura 4 illu~tr~te~ ~tlll ~nothex varsion of the method by way
o~ a ~ec~lon throuyh the ~lab~.
1 1
12 Sheet-steel slab are cu~ from appropria~e strips. The ~lab~ ~:
13 ar~ longer, 30 time~ a~ long ~or instance, than the final
14 blank~ will be evlderlt rom Figure~ 1 ancl 2, ~lab~ 1 and ~ :
2 ara po~itioned with their longitudinal edgas 3 and 4 together ~:
16 and advanced through an un~llustrated dovice that accommodates -:
17 a cutter. The cutter compri~e~ rotatlng circular blade~
18 specifically upp~r blade 5 and lowor blad~q 6. Blade~ S and 6
l9 trlm a narrow strip from sl~b~ 1 and 2 over their total length.
2~ ~`
21 The g~p between any two ~d~acent point~ ~long the trimmad and .;~
22 ready-to-weld longltudinal edges 3 and 4 will preclsely equal
23 tha thlcknes~ of upper blad~ 5 or the di~tanca between lower ~
24 blade~ 6. . ~ .
~5
26 ~lgure 3 illu~tr~e~ another version of the method in
27 accordance wi~h th~ pre~ent invention wherein 31ab~ 1 and 2
`~
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2~3223~
1 ~dYance wi~h the?ir longltudlnal edge~? 3 ~nd 4 overlapping
2 through a device aecommodating a cutter that comprise?P.? rotating
3 circular blades, speclfically an upper blade 5 and a lower
4 blade 6, which trim a n~rrow strip from each overlapping slab
1 and 2 OV8r ~helr total length ln a single operatiQn.
7 ~?he trimmsd longitudinal edges 3 and 4 will accordingly be
8 hlghly p~rallel.
Flgure 4- illustr~tas anoth~r ver~?ion of the method in
11 accordance wlth the present lnventlon. Slabs 1 and 2 are
12 forced with their lonyitudinal edgQs i and 4 toge~h~r down
13 again~t p~ral 1Q1 and ~?tationary straight lower blade~ 7 by
14 appropria~e ~?Uppre~80r~?? 8 &O tlght that the edges are elevated
only a f~w millimaters above the edge~ 9 and 10 of lower blades
16 7-
17
18 A rotating clrcular upper blade 5 a? thick a~ the di&tance19 between &traight low?~r blade~? 7 deE?cend~ to between them and
roll~ along them, removing a strip 11 as wide as the overlap
21 ~?rom aach longitud~nal edge 3 ~nd 4.
22
23
24
27 .
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Representative Drawing