METHOD OF SHAPING A COMPONENT

• Main Authors: Foreman Thomas M, Marks Kevin R, Sherwood Tom
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 12.01.2017
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUSMETALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE BY DECARBURISATION, TEMPERING OR OTHERTREATMENTS; MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVINGMATERIAL; METALLURGY; METALLURGY OF IRON; MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PUNCHING METAL; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS ORPROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL

A method of shaping a component includes providing a plurality of work-piece blanks The method also includes generating a contour in each work-piece blank, such that each contour is bordered by a region of material of the respective work-piece blank. The method also includes stacking the work-piece blanks such that the contour of one work-piece blank is aligned with the contours of the other blanks The method additionally includes simultaneously annealing the region of material bordering the respective contour of each stacked work-piece blank to thereby enhance formability of the region of material. Furthermore, the method includes forming a shape in at least one of the work-piece blanks via stretching the annealed region of material bordering the respective contour to thereby shape at least one component. The component can be a structural reinforcement for a vehicle.