Abstract: Steel sheets for hot stamping accommodated in a far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace are stably supported over a long period of time using steel sheet support members having a small projected area and inhibited from thermally deforming. The far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace includes: heating units and a ceiling unit arranged in a vertical direction with multiple stages to accommodate aluminum-coated steel sheets or zinc- coated steel sheets for hot stamping; and far-infrared radiation heaters disposed within the heating units and the ceiling unit to heat the steel sheets for hot stamping to a temperature ranging from the Ac3 transformation temperature to 950° C. Steel sheet support members are mounted to the heating units to support the steel sheets for hot stamping by point contact or line contact with the steel sheets for hot stamping.

Abstract: This heating furnace includes a housing having a pair of side walls, a workpiece support material configured to support a workpiece having a flat plate shape in a horizontal posture between the pair of side walls, a planar heater configured to heat the workpiece supported by the workpiece support material from above or below, a power feeding device configured to feed power to the planar heater, and a heater support material configured to support the planar heater in a horizontal posture.

Abstract: This workpiece transportation member includes at least one pair of support beams that each have a configuration where a placing portion configured to allow a heated workpiece to be placed is provided at an upper end portion, extend in a predetermined length direction, and are disposed at an interval in a width direction orthogonal to the length direction and a connecting portion configured to connect the at least one pair of support beams to each other at a position below the position of the upper end portion.

Abstract: A far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace for steel sheets for hot stamping, the furnace including far-infrared radiation heaters having flexibility that are prevented from deflecting even during heating at temperatures ranging from the Ac3 transformation temperature to 950° C. The furnace includes: multiple-staged heating units that accommodate steel sheets, each heating unit formed by thermal insulation materials disposed around the periphery; and far-infrared radiation heaters positioned above and below the heating units. A far-infrared radiation heater is received by first metal strips. The first metal strips are disposed so that their strong axis direction approximately corresponds to the direction of gravity and supported by support pieces so as to be expandable and contractible in a longitudinal direction by thermal expansion or thermal contraction. The support pieces are disposed outside the thermal insulation materials in the heating units and a ceiling unit.

Abstract: A bending apparatus has (a) a first manipulator which feeds a hollow metal blank of closed cross section in its lengthwise direction, (b) a second manipulator which supports a first support means disposed at a first position and a metal blank while feeding it, a heating means disposed at a second position downstream of the first position in the blank feed direction for heating all or part of the circumference of the blank, and a cooling means disposed at a third position downstream of the second position for cooling a portion of the heated blank, and (c) a third manipulator which constitutes a second support means disposed at a fourth position downstream of the third position in the feed direction of the blank and which moves two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally while supporting at least one location of the metal blank to bend the metal blank into a desired shape.

Abstract: A bent product having a three-dimensionally bent portion intermittently or continuously in the lengthwise direction is manufactured by supporting a steel pipe at a first position A while feeding it in the lengthwise direction, locally heating the steel pipe being fed at a second position B, cooling the heated portion of the steel pipe at a third position C, and varying the position of a gripping means, which grips the steel pipe in a region ID downstream of the third position C, in a three-dimensional direction including the feed direction of the steel pipe in a workspace including a space on the upstream side of the third position C in the feed direction of the steel pipe to impart a bending moment to the heated portion of the steel pipe.

Abstract: A bent product having a three-dimensionally bent portion intermittently or continuously in the lengthwise direction is manufactured by supporting a steel pipe at a first position A while feeding it in the lengthwise direction, locally heating the steel pipe being fed at a second position B, cooling the heated portion of the steel pipe at a third position C, and varying the position of a gripping means, which grips the steel pipe in a region D downstream of the third position C, in a three-dimensional direction including the feed direction of the steel pipe in a workspace including a space on the upstream side of the third position C in the feed direction of the steel pipe to impart a bending moment to the heated portion of the steel pipe.

Abstract: Provided is a far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace for steel sheets for hot stamping, the furnace including far-infrared radiation heaters having flexibility that are prevented from deflecting even during heating at temperatures ranging from the Ac3 transformation temperature to 950° C. The far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace includes: multiple-staged heating units that accommodate steel sheets for hot stamping, each heating unit formed by thermal insulation materials disposed around the periphery; and far-infrared radiation heaters positioned above and below the heating units. A far-infrared radiation heater (14-1) is received by a plurality of first metal strips (26) so as to be disposed approximately horizontally.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to stably support steel sheets for hot stamping accommodated in a far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace over a long period of time using steel sheet support members having a small projected area and inhibited from thermally deforming. The far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace of the present invention includes: heating units and a ceiling unit arranged in a vertical direction with multiple stages to accommodate steel sheets for hot stamping that are aluminum-coated steel sheets or zinc-coated steel sheets; and far-infrared radiation heaters disposed within the heating units and the ceiling unit to heat the steel sheets for hot stamping to a temperature ranging from the Ac3 transformation temperature to 950° C. Steel sheet support members are mounted to the heating units to support the steel sheets for hot stamping by point contact or line contact with the steel sheets for hot stamping.

Abstract: A bending apparatus has (a) a first manipulator which feeds a hollow metal blank of closed cross section in its lengthwise direction, (b) a second manipulator which supports a first support means disposed at a first position and a metal blank while feeding it, a heating means disposed at a second position downstream of the first position in the blank feed direction for heating all or part of the circumference of the blank, and a cooling means disposed at a third position downstream of the second position for cooling a portion of the heated blank, and (c) a third manipulator which constitutes a second support means disposed at a fourth position downstream of the third position in the feed direction of the blank and which moves two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally while supporting at least one location of the metal blank to bend the metal blank into a desired shape.

Abstract: A bending apparatus has (a) a first manipulator which feeds a hollow metal blank of closed cross section in its lengthwise direction, (b) a second manipulator which supports a first support means disposed at a first position and a metal blank while feeding it, a heating means disposed at a second position downstream of the first position in the blank feed direction for heating all or part of the circumference of the blank, and a cooling means disposed at a third position downstream of the second position for cooling a portion of the heated blank, and (c) a third manipulator which constitutes a second support means disposed at a fourth position downstream of the third position in the feed direction of the blank and which moves two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally while supporting at least one location of the metal blank to bend the metal blank into a desired shape.

Abstract: A positioning apparatus and a working system which can position a workpiece with better accuracy at a lower cost and in a reduced space even when the workpiece is heavy are provided. The positioning apparatus has 3 robot arms (1)-(3) each having an arm and an actuator which drives the arm, a mounting platform (5) which is supported by the ends of the three robot arms (1)-(3), a securing jig (6) which secures a workpiece W which is mounted on the mounting platform (5) to the mounting platform (5), and a controller (9) which controls the operation of each of the actuators.

Abstract: A bending apparatus has (a) a first manipulator which feeds a hollow metal blank of closed cross section in its lengthwise direction, (b) a second manipulator which supports a first support means disposed at a first position and a metal blank while feeding it, a heating means disposed at a second position downstream of the first position in the blank feed direction for heating all or part of the circumference of the blank, and a cooling means disposed at a third position downstream of the second position for cooling a portion of the heated blank, and (c) a third manipulator which constitutes a second support means disposed at a fourth position downstream of the third position in the feed direction of the blank and which moves two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally while supporting at least one location of the metal blank to bend the metal blank into a desired shape.

Abstract: A method for three-dimensionally bending a workpiece comprises feeding the workpiece by a feeding unit provided at an upstream side of the workpiece, supporting the workpiece by a supporting unit at a downstream side of the feeding unit, processing the workpiece by clamping the workpiece with a three-dimensionally movable unit that is provided downstream of the supporting unit, heating a local part of the workpiece in a temperature range which allows quenching to be performed, applying a bending moment to the heated local part of the workpiece by the three-dimensionally movable unit in association with the supporting position and/or the moving speed of the workpiece after the heating step, and rapidly quenching the heated portion. Even when a high-strength workpiece is bent, it is possible to effectively obtain a product having excellent shape fixability and uniform hardness distribution at low costs for wide application for bending sophisticated automobile parts.

Abstract: A three-dimensionally bending machine comprises a supporting unit to support a workpiece and a feeding unit to feed the workpiece from an upstream side of the workpiece. A heating and cooling unit, provided around the outer circumference of a portion of the workpiece downstream of said supporting unit heats the portion of workpiece in a temperature range for plastic deformation and quenches and rapidly cools the deformed workpiece. A three-dimensionally movable unit, provided downstream of said heating and cooling unit, supports the metal material and controls the supporting position and/or the moving speed of the metal material to apply the bending moment in association with a feed amount, a heating amount, and a cooling amount of the workpiece. Even when a high-strength workpiece is bent, a workpiece having excellent shape fixability and uniform hardness distribution can be made, especially for application to sophisticated automobile parts.

Abstract: A method for three-dimensionally bending a workpiece comprises feeding the workpiece by a feeding unit provided at an upstream side of the workpiece, supporting the workpiece by a supporting unit at a downstream side of the feeding unit, processing the workpiece by clamping the workpiece with a three-dimensionally movable unit that is provided downstream of the supporting unit, heating a local part of the workpiece in a temperature range which allows quenching to be performed, applying a bending moment to the heated local part of the workpiece by the three-dimensionally movable unit in association with the supporting position and/or the moving speed of the workpiece after the heating step, and rapidly quenching the heated portion. Even when a high-strength workpiece is bent, it is possible to effectively obtain a product having excellent shape fixability and uniform hardness distribution at low costs for wide application for bending sophisticated automobile parts.

Abstract: A three-dimensionally bending machine comprises a supporting unit to support a workpiece and a feeding unit to feed the workpiece from an upstream side of the workpiece. A heating and cooling unit, provided around the outer circumference of a portion of the workpiece downstream of said supporting unit heats the portion of workpiece in a temperature range for plastic deformation and quenches and rapidly cools the deformed workpiece. A three-dimensionally movable unit, provided downstream of said heating and cooling unit, supports the metal material and controls the supporting position and/or the moving speed of the metal material to apply the bending moment in association with a feed amount, a heating amount, and a cooling amount of the workpiece. Even when a high-strength workpiece is bent, a workpiece having excellent shape fixability and uniform hardness distribution can be made, especially for application to sophisticated automobile parts.

Abstract: A bent member having a bent portion with an extremely small bend radius is manufactured by supporting a rectangular tube by a first support means disposed at a first position A while performing relative feeding of the rectangular tube in its lengthwise direction, locally heating the rectangular tube by a heating means disposed at a second position B, cooling the rectangular tube by a cooling means disposed at a third position C, and at the time of working, applying a shear force to the heated portion of the rectangular tube with a shear force applying means 14 disposed in a downstream region D by moving the device 14 two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally simultaneously in the feed direction of the rectangular tube and in a direction generally parallel to a transverse cross section in the lengthwise direction of the rectangular tube which was heated by the heating means.

Abstract: A positioning apparatus and a working system which can position a workpiece with better accuracy at a lower cost and in a reduced space even when the workpiece is heavy are provided. The positioning apparatus has 3 robot arms (1)-(3) each having an arm and an actuator which drives the arm, a mounting platform (5) which is supported by the ends of the three robot arms (1)-(3), a securing jig (6) which secures a workpiece W which is mounted on the mounting platform (5) to the mounting platform (5), and a controller (9) which controls the operation of each of the actuators.

Abstract: A bending apparatus which manufactures a bent metal member with high productivity and excellent dimensional has a first support mechanism, which supports a steel tube while feeding it, a heating mechanism, which heats all or a portion of the steel tube, a cooling mechanism, which forms a high temperature portion in part of the steel tube by cooling a portion of the heater steel tube, a second support mechanism, which imparts a bending moment to the high temperature portion and bends the steel tube to a desired shape by moving two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally while supporting at least a portion of the steel tube, and a deformation preventing mechanism, which prevents deformation of the steel tube. At least one of the second support mechanism and the deformation preventing mechanism has a chuck which has a tubular member with a circular, polygonal, or special transverse cross section for gripping the steel tube.