Metal frame and method for manufacturing the same
A method for manufacturing a metal frame, such as a tractor cab frame, that can reduce scrap material, simplify the manufacturing process, improve the structural integrity of the frame, and eliminate the use of overlapping joint areas. According to one embodiment, the manufacturing method includes the steps of: blanking a number of individual metal segments, joining the individual metal segments together to form a welded blank assembly, stamping the welded blank assembly to form a stamping assembly that includes the desired perimeter, and forming the stamping assembly by bending the stamping assembly into the final shape of the three-dimensional metal frame. The resultant metal frame preferably includes at least one metal segment that is shared between adjacent sides of the structure and is bent along its length to form a smooth transitioning corner lacking overlapping joint areas.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 60/760,273 filed on Jan. 19, 2006, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein.
FIELD OF INVENTIONThe present invention generally relates to a method for manufacturing a metal frame, and more particularly, to a manufacturing method that utilizes a combination of blanking, welding, stamping and forming steps to improve the process and the structure produced thereby.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONA number of different manufacturing processes have been developed over the years that produce various types of metal structures, such as frames and other structural components oftentimes found in vehicles, agricultural machinery, construction machinery, lawn and garden equipment, etc.
With reference to
Turning now to
According to one embodiment, there is provided a method for manufacturing a metal frame having at least first and second sides. The method generally comprises the steps of: (a) producing a plurality of individual metal segments; (b) welding the plurality of individual metal segments together to form a welded blank assembly; (c) stamping the welded blank assembly to form a stamping assembly; and (d) forming the stamping assembly into the metal frame by bending the first and second sides so that they are aligned relative to one another.
According to another embodiment, there is provided a method for manufacturing a metal frame having at least first and second sides. The method generally comprises the steps of: (a) blanking a plurality of individual metal segments generally in the form of simple shapes so that they can be tightly arranged on a piece of sheet metal stock; (b) welding the plurality of individual metal segments to form a welded blank assembly, wherein the welded blank assembly includes segments of the first side and segments of the second side joined together in an edge-to-edge arrangement that lacks overlapping joint areas; (c) stamping the welded blank assembly to form a stamping assembly that has a different perimeter than the welded blank assembly; and (d) forming the stamping assembly into the metal frame by bending the stamping assembly so that the first and second sides are joined by a shared metal segment that is bent along its length to form a corner having a smooth transition.
According to another embodiment, there is provided a metal frame for use with a piece of movable equipment. The metal frame generally comprises: a first side window panel having a first plurality of blanked metal segments welded together; a second side window panel having a second plurality of blanked metal segments welded together; and a center windshield panel having a third plurality of blanked metal segments welded together. The first side window panel and center windshield panel share a first elongated vertical pillar that is bent along its length to form a first corner, and the second side window panel and center windshield panel share a second elongated vertical pillar that is bent along its length to form a second corner.
A preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements, and wherein:
The following description is directed to an improved method for manufacturing a metal frame, such as a frame or other structural component found on a vehicle or piece of agricultural equipment. This method generally reduces the production of scrap material or offal, decreases the number of manufacturing steps, and eliminates the use of certain overlapping joint areas, to name but a few of its attributes. With reference to
According to a first step of the present method, a number of individual metal segments 60-78 are first blanked from one or more pieces of sheet metal stock. The sheet metal stock can be provided in the form of coils, flat panels, or any other suitable form known in the art, and is preferably made of steel, aluminum, or alloys thereof. Of course, segments 60-78 can all have a uniform thickness or they can be formed from sheet metal stock of varying thicknesses, depending on the structural requirements of the different segments. For example, if one of the metal segments is a vertical pillar that when assembled carries the weight of a door, it may be desirable to use thicker sheet metal than is used on other non-weight bearing segments (sometimes referred to as a tailor-welded blank). Each of the segments 60-78 shown in
Once the blanking step is completed, segments 60-78 are laid out in the desired arrangement and are joined together via laser welding, mash seam welding, butt welding or any other appropriate welding or joining technique known in the art. This results in the generally planar, unitary welded blank assembly 80 shown in
Next, welded blank assembly 80 is loaded into a stamping press and is stamped to provide it with a different perimeter and three-dimensional shape, which results in a stamping assembly 88. With reference to
Lastly, stamping assembly 88 is loaded into a metal forming machine so that it can be formed into the three-dimensional tractor cab frame 50 shown in
It is to be understood that the foregoing description is not a definition of the invention, but is a description of one or more preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention. The invention is not limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed herein, but rather is defined solely by the claims below. Furthermore, the statements contained in the foregoing description relate to particular embodiments and are not to be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention or on the definition of terms used in the claims, except where a term or phrase is expressly defined above. Various other embodiments and various changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiment(s) will become apparent to those skilled in the art. All such other embodiments, changes, and modifications are intended to come within the scope of the appended claims.
As used in this specification and claims, the terms “for example,” “for instance,” “like,” and “such as,” and the verbs “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and their other verb forms, when used in conjunction with a listing of one or more components or other items, are each to be construed as open-ended, meaning that that the listing is not to be considered as excluding other, additional components or items. Other terms are to be construed using their broadest reasonable meaning unless they are used in a context that requires a different interpretation.
Claims
1. A method for manufacturing a metal frame having at least first and: second sides, comprising the steps of:
- (a) producing a plurality of individual metal segments;
- (b) welding the plurality of individual metal segments together to form a welded blank assembly;
- (c) stamping the welded blank assembly to form a stamping assembly; and
- (d) forming the stamping assembly into the metal frame by bending the first and second sides so that they are aligned relative to one another.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises producing the plurality of individual metal segments by blanking them generally in the form of simple shapes so that they can be tightly arranged on a piece of sheet metal stock to minimize the amount of scrap material.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises producing the plurality of individual metal segments from pieces of sheet metal stock of varying thickness so that weight bearing segments of the metal frame can be made from thicker sheet metal than non-weight bearing segments.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises welding the plurality of individual metal segments together so that at least one of the plurality of individual metal segments is shared by both the first and second sides of the metal frame.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one shared metal segment is a vertical pillar that is shared by a center windshield panel and a side window panel.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises welding the plurality of individual metal segments together in an edge-to-edge arrangement to form a single welded blank assembly that lacks overlapping joint areas between individual metal segments.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises stamping the welded blank assembly to form a generally flat stamping assembly with a different perimeter and three-dimensional shape than the welded blank assembly.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises forming the stamping assembly into the metal frame by bending the first and second sides so that they are generally perpendicularly-aligned relative to one another.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises forming the stamping assembly into the metal frame by bending the first and second sides of the metal frame so that they are joined by a shared metal segment that is bent along its length to form a corner having a smooth transition.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second sides of the metal frame include a center windshield panel and a side window panel, and the shared metal segment is a vertical pillar.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal frame is part of a tractor cab frame, and first and second sides of the metal frame include a center windshield panel and a side window panel.
12. A method for manufacturing a metal frame having at least first and second sides, comprising the steps of:
- (a) blanking a plurality of individual metal segments generally in the form of simple shapes so that they can be tightly arranged on a piece of sheet metal stock to minimize the amount of scrap material produced;
- (b) welding the plurality of individual metal segments to form a welded blank assembly, wherein the welded blank assembly includes segments of the first side and segments of the second side joined together in an edge-to-edge arrangement that lacks overlapping joint areas;
- (c) stamping the welded blank assembly to form a stamping assembly that has a different perimeter than the welded blank assembly; and
- (d) forming the stamping assembly into the metal frame by bending the stamping assembly so that the first and second sides are joined by a shared metal segment that is bent along its length to form a corner having a smooth transition.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein step (a) further comprises blanking the plurality of individual metal segments from pieces of sheet metal stock of varying thickness so that weight bearing segments of the metal frame can be made from thicker sheet metal than non-weight bearing segments.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the metal frame is part of a tractor cab frame, first and second sides of the metal frame include a center windshield panel and a side window panel, and the shared metal segment is a vertical pillar.
15. A metal frame for use with a piece of movable equipment, comprising:
- a first side window panel having a first plurality of blanked metal segments that are welded together;
- a second side window panel having a second plurality of blanked metal segments that are welded together; and
- a center windshield panel having a third plurality of blanked metal segments that are welded together, wherein the first side window panel and center windshield panel share a first elongated vertical pillar that is bent along its length to form a first corner that extends between the first side window panel and center windshield panel in a smooth transition, and the second side window panel and center windshield panel share a second elongated vertical pillar that is bent along its length to form a second corner that extends between the second side window panel and center windshield panel in a smooth transition.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 18, 2007
Publication Date: Jul 19, 2007
Applicant: Shiloh Industries, Inc. (Cleveland, OH)
Inventors: James F. Keys (Northville, MI), Mark A. Schimming (Saline, MI), Jonathan W. Fisk (Canton, MI)
Application Number: 11/654,859
International Classification: B21D 53/88 (20060101);