Press forming method for a semi-solid metal material and press forming apparatus for a semi-solid metal material

Abstract

Provided is a press forming method for a semi-solid material, including: a semi-solid material carrying step of carrying a semi-solid material into a lower die; a first press forming step of regulating, under a Z-direction regulation state in which a change in the Z direction's dimension corresponding to a pressing direction is regulated by an upper die, a change in one of the dimensions in X and Y directions by compressing the material with a transverse punch so that the one becomes equal to a dimension of the product, and then stopping the punch at a position of the compression; and a second press forming step of moving, under a state in which the change in the one is regulated in the above step, the upper die in the pressing direction to compress the material so that the Z direction's dimension becomes equal to the product's dimension.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A press forming method for a semi-solid metal material, comprising:
 a semi-solid metal material carrying step of carrying a semi-solid metal material, which is manufactured from molten metal of a metal material into an axially symmetric shape, into a recessed portion of a lower die, the recessed portion conforming to a shape of a press-formed product;   a first press forming step of regulating, under a Z-direction regulation state in which, among a dimension of the carried semi-solid metal material in an X direction, a dimension of the carried semi-solid metal material in a Y direction, and  3 -dimension of the carried semi-solid metal material in a Z direction, a change in the dimension of the semi-solid metal material in the Z direction corresponding to a pressing direction is regulated by bringing the semi-solid metal material into abutment on an upper die, a change in one of the dimension of the semi-solid metal material in the X direction and the dimension of the semi-solid metal material in the Y direction by compressing the semi-solid metal material with a transverse punch so that the one of the dimension of the semi-solid metal material in the X direction and the dimension of the semi-solid metal material in the Y direction becomes equal to a dimension of the press-formed product, and then stopping the transverse punch at a position of the compression; and   a second press forming step of moving, under a state in which the change in the one of the dimension of the semi-solid metal material in the X direction and the dimension of the semi-solid metal material in the Y direction is regulated in the first press forming step, the upper die in the pressing direction to compress the semi-solid metal material so that the dimension of the semi-solid metal material in the Z direction becomes equal to the dimension of the press-formed product.   
     
     
         2 . A press forming method for a semi-solid metal material according to  claim 1 , wherein the second press forming step comprises elongating the semi-solid metal material so that another one of the dimension of the semi-solid metal material in the X direction and the dimension of the semi-solid metal material in the Y direction becomes equal to the dimension of the press-formed product, 
     
     
         3 . A press forming method for a semi-solid metal material according to  claim 1 , wherein the Z-direction regulation state in the first press forming step comprises a state in which the upper die compresses the semi-solid metal material so that, among the dimension of the carried semi-solid metal material in the X direction, the dimension of the carried semi-solid metal material in the Y direction, and the dimension of the carried semi-solid metal material in the Z direction, the dimension of the semi-solid metal material in the Z direction corresponding to the pressing direction becomes a predetermined dimension, and then the upper die is stopped at the position of the compression to regulate the change in the dimension of the semi-solid metal material in the Z direction. 
     
     
         4 . A press forming method for a semi-solid metal material according to  claim 1 , further comprising, after the second press forming step, performing processing with a punch moving toward the semi-solid metal material under a state in which the upper die is stopped at the position of the compression.