MAGNESIUM HYBRID PARTS AND PROCESSES
A light weight alloy part is molded in a mold containing at least one weldable metal insert, so that portions of portions of the alloy part lap portions of the insert to securely lock the weldable insert to the light weight alloy part. The resulting hybrid part is thus both light weight and weldable to other assemblies and sub-assemblies.
This application claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/840,486 filed Jul. 21, 2010 which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/229,838, filed Jul. 30, 2009.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the manufacture of light weight parts for assembly with other parts. Such parts are frequently used in airplanes and vehicles.
2. Background Art
British Patent 686,428 issued in 1954 discloses riveting strips of steel sheet metal to elongated aluminum-magnesium alloy profiled bearers. Steel sheet metal is welded to the strips of steel sheet metal.
Mellis et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0271793, published Nov. 29, 2007 discloses a suspension arm for use in a vehicle, in which a coupling for assembling the arm to other components of the vehicle is attached to a tubular member made of steel, aluminum or the like, using a cast-in-place technique, rather than conventional welding.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn the present invention, a light weight alloy part is molded in a mold containing at least one weldable metal insert, so that portions of portions of the alloy part lap portions of the insert to securely lock said weldable insert to the light weight alloy part. The resulting hybrid part is thus both light weight and weldable to other assemblies and sub-assemblies.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the written specification and drawings.
The principles of a preferred embodiment are disclosed, by way of example, in a vehicle part 200 as described herein and illustrated in
Secured to the tubular member 104 of the main frame 102 is a steering column support bracket 106. The known steering column support bracket 106 includes an upper or top plate 108 having a substantially rectangular configuration as illustrated in
For purposes of securing the steering support bracket 106 to the tubular member 104, the support bracket 106 can be directly welded to the tubular member 104, through MIG welding and resistance welding processes. Weld lines for the support bracket 106 and the tubular member 104 are shown as lines 120 in
As previously described, the known vehicle part 100 includes the steering bracket support column 106 which is comprised of steel or steel alloys, and which are of relatively substantial weight. To reduce the weight and still permit the use of welding processes to secure a support bracket to a main frame in the manufacture of the vehicle part, the preferred embodiment 200 illustrated in
The preferred embodiment comprised of the vehicle part 200 is specifically shown in
More specifically, and with respect to
The main frame 202 includes a tubular member 204 extending substantially along the entirety of the length of the main frame 202. Secured to the tubular member 204 of the main frame 202, through welding processes, is a steering column support bracket 206. The steering column support bracket 206, when assembled with the main frame 202, performs the same functions as the steering column support bracket 106 previously described with respect to the vehicle part 100. However, unlike the steering column support bracket 106, the steering column support bracket 206 of the preferred embodiment comprises a magnesium part 208 which is molded to weldable steel inserts 210. The magnesium part 208 is shown in a perspective and stand-alone configuration in
In addition to the magnesium part 208, the steering column support bracket 206 also includes steel inserts 210. The steel inserts 210 are also shown in a perspective and stand-alone configuration in
With respect to the center insert 212, and as shown particularly in
Turning to the side inserts 214, each side insert 214 is comprised of an outwardly extending steel wing 222. The steel wings 222 are shown in detail primarily in
Reference is now made to
Reference is now made primarily to
To appropriately secure the steel inserts 210 to the magnesium part 208, the previously described holes 228 are positioned relative to the mold for the magnesium part 208, so that the holes 228 in the top plate 216 and in the upper portions of the outwardly extending steel wings 222 are located below the center portion 230 and the outwardly extending wings 248 of the magnesium part 208. When in these positions, and also with respect to the holes 228 located in the flanges 218 and 224 of the steel inserts 210, the holes 228 will permit molten magnesium injected into the mold to flow from one side of each of the steel inserts 210 to the other side. When the molten magnesium hardens, the resultant steering column support bracket 206 will have the configuration as particularly shown in
In addition to the advantageous functions of the holes 228, another aspect of the preferred embodiment for the vertical part 200 is the use of a series of beads 250. The beads 250 are particularly shown in
Certain other aspects of the preferred embodiment and other embodiments can also be described. With respect to the holes 228, it should be noted that the holes 228 can take other shapes and configurations within the steel inserts 210. Of primary importance is that the holes or other formations in the steel inserts are positioned below what could be characterized as the “magnesium line” so as to allow the magnesium to flow through the holes or other formations during the molding stage, for purposes of effectively locking the steel inserts 210 to the magnesium part 208.
With the steel inserts 210 forming part of the steering column support bracket 206, the support bracket 206 can still be welded to the tubular member 204 or other components of the main frame 202. That is, although the preferred embodiment advantageously utilizes a magnesium part 208 for the support bracket 206, the use of the steel inserts 210 still provide the capability of welding (such as by MIG welding or resistance welding) the bracket 206 to the main frame 202. Accordingly, the general process of assembling the steering column support bracket 206 to the main frame 202 is not substantially changed in that the bracket 206 is still welded to the tubular member 204.
It is also possible to achieve the advantages of the embodiment, while having a differing relative configuration of the steel inserts 210 and the magnesium part 208. For example, at least part of the steel inserts 210 could be positioned in other locations relative to the magnesium part 208 and the entirety of the support bracket 206. That is, at least part of the steel inserts 210 could be positioned in the middle of the entirety of the support bracket 206, with openings positioned within the magnesium part 208. Such a configuration would allow for the capability of more extensive welding positions.
The steel utilized for the steel inserts 210 can be one of a number of variations. For example, it is believed that any 1008-1020 hot rolled, cold rolled or plate steel may be utilized for the steel inserts 210. It may also be possible to utilize aluminum. However, a potential difficulty with the use of aluminum is that distortion must be avoided.
Also, it should be emphasized that the preferred embodiment described herein is directed specifically to a main frame 202 and steering column support bracket 206. It is clear from the foregoing description that the advantageous processes associated with the preferred embodiment may be used for various types of structural components, in vehicles and for other purposes.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the pertinent arts that other embodiments of hybrid parts and processes associated with manufacture thereof can be designed. That is, the principles of hybrid parts and processes for manufacture are not limited to the specific embodiment described herein. Accordingly, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and other variations of the above-described illustrative embodiment may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the embodiment.
Claims
1. A hybrid part for structural uses, comprising:
- a weldable connecting insert comprising a weldable first material, adapted to be connected to separate structures through one or more welding processes;
- a non-consumable structural member comprising a second material having a relatively low metallurgical weldability and also having a lower density than said first material; and
- said weldable connecting insert being securely connected to and locked in place relative to said structural member through portions of said second material being formed to lap portions of said insert, whereby said structural member can be welded to other components by welding said weldable connecting inserts to said other components.
2. A hybrid part in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said weldable connecting insert comprises a plurality of apertures positioned relative to said structural member so as to receive a flow of a portion of said second material, when said second material is in a molten state.
3. A hybrid part in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said weldable connecting insert comprises one or more beads formed on surfaces of said weldable connecting insert, positioned so as to prevent any of said second material from covering surfaces of said weldable connecting insert which need to be exposed for purposes of facilitating welding of said weldable connecting insert to said separate structures.
4. A hybrid part in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said second material is magnesium.
5. A hybrid part in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said weldable first material is a steel.
6. A hybrid part in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said weldable connecting insert comprises:
- a plurality of apertures extending through portions of said weldable connecting insert for receiving portions of said second material, when said portions are in a molten state; and
- a plurality of beads formed on surfaces of said weldable connecting insert, positioned so as to prevent other portions of said second material from covering surfaces of said weldable connecting insert which need to be exposed for purposes of facilitating welding of said weldable connecting insert to said separate structures.
7. A hybrid part in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that said weldable connecting insert further comprises:
- a center insert section having a top plate and extending flanges downwardly extending from opposing sides of said top plate, with said center insert having a subset of said plurality of apertures; and
- a pair of opposing side insert sections, each of said side insert sections having a downwardly extending flange and outwardly extending steel wings, and further having a second subset of said plurality of apertures.
8. A method for forming a hybrid part for structural uses, comprising:
- providing a weldable connecting insert comprising a weldable first material, adapted to be connected to separate structures through one or more welding processes, and placing said insert into a mold;
- molding a structural member, comprising a second material having a relatively low weldability and also having a lower density than said first material, in said mold so that portions of said structural member lap portions of said insert to securely lock said weldable connecting insert to said structural member, whereby said structural member can be welded to other components by welding said weldable connecting inserts to said other components.
9. The method in accordance with claim 8, characterized in that said weldable connecting insert comprises a plurality of apertures positioned relative to said structural member so as to receive a flow of a portion of said second material, when said second material is in a molten state.
10. The method in accordance with claim 8, characterized in that said weldable connecting insert comprises one or more beads formed on surfaces of said weldable connecting insert, positioned so as to prevent any of said second material from covering surfaces of said weldable connecting insert which need to be exposed for purposes of facilitating welding of said weldable connecting insert to said separate structures.
11. The method in accordance with claim 8, characterized in that said second material is magnesium.
12. The method in accordance with claim 8, characterized in that said weldable first material is a steel.
13. The method in accordance with claim 8, characterized in that said weldable connecting insert comprises:
- a plurality of apertures extending through portions of said weldable connecting insert for receiving portions of said second material, when said portions are in a molten state; and
- a plurality of beads formed on surfaces of said weldable connecting insert, positioned so as to prevent other portions of said second material from covering surfaces of said weldable connecting insert which need to be exposed for purposes of facilitating welding of said weldable connecting insert to said separate structures.
14. The method in accordance with claim 13, characterized in that said weldable connecting insert further comprises:
- a center insert section having a top plate and extending flanges downwardly extending from opposing sides of said top plate, with said center insert having a subset of said plurality of apertures; and
- a pair of opposing side insert sections, each of said side insert sections having a downwardly extending flange and outwardly extending steel wings, and further having a second subset of said plurality of apertures.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 13, 2013
Publication Date: Feb 27, 2014
Inventors: Wojciech Krzewinski (Mississauga), Ben Reginella (Bradford), Matthew M. McNutt (Lapeer, MI), Anca Matache (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI)
Application Number: 14/026,352
International Classification: B22D 19/04 (20060101); B22D 25/06 (20060101);