Multi-station continuous hot stamping production line and method

Abstract

A production line sequentially includes a feeding platform, a feeding robot, a pressing unit, a conveying robot, a quenching device, a discharging robot, and a conveyor belt. The pressing unit includes a heating device, a die device, and at least one press used for mounting the die device. The heating device is used for wholly or partially heating the preformed blank to produce a hot blank, and the die device is used for stamping the hot blank, holding the hot blank at a certain pressure, and shaving and punching the hot blank, so as to produce a hot stamped part. The production line can continuously achieve rapid heating, stamping, pressure holding, shaving, punching, and quenching. Heating efficiency is improved, and a transferring process before stamping the hot blank is avoided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A multi-station continuous hot stamping production line, characterized in that the production line sequentially comprises a feeding platform, a feeding robot, a pressing unit, a conveying robot, a quenching device, a discharging robot, and a conveyor belt, wherein:
 the feeding platform is used for placing a preformed blank,   the feeding robot is used for transferring the preformed blank to the pressing unit,   the pressing unit includes a heating device, a die device, and at least one press used for mounting the die device, wherein the heating device is used for wholly or partially heating the preformed blank to produce a hot blank, and the die device is used for stamping the hot blank, holding the hot blank at a certain pressure, and shaving and punching the hot blank, so as to produce a hot stamped part,   the conveying robot is used for conveying the hot stamped part to the quenching device,   the quenching device is used for quenching the hot stamped part, and   the discharging robot is used for transferring a quenched workpiece to the conveyor belt.   
     
     
         2 . The production line according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the heating device is an electrical heating device which comprises a power supply, electrodes, and insulating members, wherein:
 the electrodes are mounted on the insulating members and are located at upper and lower sides of the preformed blank, and portions of the electrodes located at either the lower side or the upper side of the preformed blank are connected with the power supply, wherein in a power-on state, the power supply, the electrodes, and the preformed blank together form an electrically conductive loop, and a current flows through the preformed blank and produces joule heat which heats the preformed blank.   
     
     
         3 . The production line according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the heating device is a laser heating device which comprises a laser head, and a laser that is connected with the laser head, wherein:
 the laser head is used to produce a high-energy laser beam to heat the preformed blank.   
     
     
         4 . The production line according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the heating device is an induction heating device which comprises an induction coil, and an iron core disposed in the induction coil, wherein:
 in a power-on state, the induction coil and the iron core produce an alternating magnetic field, and the preformed blank generates an induced current in presence of the alternating magnetic field and is thus heated.   
     
     
         5 . The production line according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the die device comprises a stamping-shaving punching progressive die, and provided is one press which is called press A, wherein:
 the stamping-shaving punching progressive die is mounted on the press A.   
     
     
         6 . The production line according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the die device comprises a hot forming die and a shaving punching die, and provided are two presses which are press B and press C, respectively, wherein:
 both the hot forming die and the heating device are mounted on the press B, and the shaving punching die is mounted on the press C, and   the press B and the press C are provided therebetween with a robot.   
     
     
         7 . The production line according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the quenching device includes a quenching chamber, and a movable clamping member and a spraying member that are provided in the quenching chamber, wherein:
 the movable clamping member is mounted slidably at top of the quenching chamber and is used to transfer the hot stamped part grasped by the conveying robot to the discharging robot, and the spraying member is used to spray a quenching medium onto the hot stamped part in motion.   
     
     
         8 . The production line according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the quenching device includes a quenching bath which is provided therein with a quenching medium. 
     
     
         9 . The production line according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the preformed blank is made of a material selected from a group including, but not limited to, ultra-high-strength sheet steel, high-strength sheet steel, sheet metal of aluminum alloy, or sheet metal of titanium alloy. 
     
     
         10 . A multi-station continuous hot stamping method, characterized in that the method comprises:
 a heating step S 1 , during which a feeding robot grasps a preformed blank from a feeding platform and places the preformed blank on a die device, and then the preformed blank is immediately heated wholly or partially by a heating device to a stamping temperature to produce a hot blank;   a stamping and pressure holding step S 2 , during which the die device stamps the hot blank and holds the hot blank at a certain pressure for 2 s to 5 s, so as to obtain a hot stamped part;   a shaving and punching step S 3 , during which the die device shaves and punches the hot stamped part;   a quenching step S 4 , during which a conveying robot grasps the hot stamped part and transfers the hot stamped part to a quenching device in which the hot stamped part is quenched; and   a cooling step S 5 , during which a discharging robot transfers a quenched hot stamped part to a conveyor belt and the hot stamped part is then cooled in air.