Ford Motor Company Limited

Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Darryl Leigh Young

Eugene E Rhodes

Josef Hirmann

David L Brightwell

Raj Sohmshetty

Rohit Telukunta

Torsten Hallfeldt

Varinder Singh Saini

Barry W Blumel

Gary J Blankenberger

A die apparatus including a first die element and a second die element is provided. The first die element is arranged with the second die element for disposal of a blank therebetween and includes a coolant channel and a trim groove for alignment with a trim line of the blank. A groove insert is disposed within the trim groove arranged to support a portion of the blank extending thereover and to reduce a cooling rate of the blank. The groove insert may be of a material including reflective radiation characteristics to reduce heat transfer from portions of the blank adjacent the trim line. The first die element may include a cavity aligned with a pierce region of the blank so that the pierce region does not contact an adjacent die element surface.

Apparatus and method for piercing and trimming hot stamped parts

A method to manufacture a steel die having a Physical Vapor Deposition wear resistant coating on a profile surface and a steel die formed thereby is disclosed. The steel die is subjected to quenching and tempering to achieve a Rockwell hardness in the range of about 40-45 Rc and then subjected to machining to form a profile surface. The surface is then subjected to Physical Vapor Deposition of a wear resistant coating that may be multiple layers of CrN, AlCrN, TiCrN, TiN, TiCN or TiAlN, and preferably is alternating layers of TiN&#x2014;TiCN&#x2014;TiN. The coating is applied at a sufficient thickness to impart wear resistance to the steel die. The steel dies are useful in sheet metal stamping operations.

Wear resistant coated sheet metal die and method to manufacture a wear resistant coated sheet metal forming die

A method of making a heat exchanger core (,) having a stack of fins (,) having collared holes through which tubes (,) are laced. An overlying fin is supported on an underlying fin by collars (,) around the holes in one of the fins. Leading lengthwise end portions (,) of the tubes are corrugated and each tube is laced, via its leading lengthwise end portion, through a respective set of aligned holes in the fins. Then the tubes are mechanically staked to at least some of the fins in the stack by expanding the cross sections of the corrugated leading lengthwise end portions of the tubes against the collared holes in those fins through which the corrugated leading end portions pass (FIGS.,).

Method of making a robust gosper fin heat exchanger

A method of finishing a length, particularly a leading end (66), of an aluminum heat exchanger core tube (30) that has a flattened, oblong cross section to facilitate lacing through an aluminum fin stack. A widthwise intermediate portion of the tube that, in the cross section, is intermediate opposite widthwise end portions is corrugated by squeezing the widthwise intermediate portion in the direction of the cross section thickness (FIGS. 5 and 6). While the corrugated widthwise intermediate portion is being held squeezed, the widthwise end portions of the tube cross section are reformed to size the tube end to a desired overall width and a desired overall thickness free of substantial springback when the corrugated widthwise intermediate portion ceases to be held squeezed (FIGS. 7, 8, 9).

Method of manufacturing a flat corrugated tube

A fin for use in a heat exchanger of the type comprising a plurality of fluid carrying tubes for transporting heat exchange fluid is disclosed. The fin includes a generally planar base 24 having a longitudinal axis generally perpendicular to the direction of air flowing entering the heat exchanger 10 and a transverse axis generally parallel to the direction of air flow. The axes define a main plane disposed at a predetermined angle (.theta.) relative to the direction of air flow entering the heat exchanger. The fin 22 further includes a plurality of apertures 30 for receiving tubes 20 therethrough and a plurality of louvres 32 disposed on the base 24 extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base. The angle .theta. can be between 140 and 175 degrees to the direction of air flow entering the heat exchanger.

Plate fin heat exchanger

A manifold assembly 14 is disclosed which includes a tank member 26 and a header plate 28. Each of the tank member 26 and header plate 28 includes a flange portion 38, 50, respectively which when in a mating engagement, form at least one brazing contact surface between the two components.

Heat exchanger manifold assembly

A heat exchanger (10) for an automotive vehicle includes a pair of manifolds (12, 14) each including a header portion (24) and a tank portion (26). The tank portion (26) includes a predetermined number of generally horizontal rib portions (30) formed therein at predetermined positions. The heat exchanger (10) further includes a plurality of tubular elements (16) disposed in spaced, substantially parallel relation and which define flow paths for the coolant between the manifolds (12, 14). At least one of the tubular elements (32) has a length greater than an adjacent tubular element (16) and extends through the header portion into mating engagement with the rib portion (30) of the tank (26) of one of the manifolds to form baffle means (36) for preventing the flow of coolant therepast.

Integral baffle assembly for parallel flow heat exchanger

A heat exchanger for an automotive vehicle includes a frame having a pair of headers and a pair of side supports disposed between the headers at opposite ends thereof. Each of the side supports includes a generally planar base and a pair of flanges extending from the based portion. The side supports include a thermal stress relieving zone defined by an elliptical aperture disposed in the based portion.

Method of making a heat exchanger with thermal stress relieving zone

A heat exchanger for an automotive vehicle is disclosed including a frame having a pair of headers and a pair of side supports disposed between the headers at opposite ends thereof. Each of the side supports includes a generally planar base and a pair of flanges extending from the based portion. The side supports including a thermal stress relieving zone defined by an elliptical aperture disposed in the based portion.

Heat exchanger with thermal stress relieving zone

An apparatus for producing a thermal stress-relieving zone in an automotive heat exchanger having a frame including a pair of channel-shaped side supports is disclosed, the apparatus including a support mechanism for receiving and supporting the heat exchanger and a zone-producing mechanism for producing a stress-relieving zone in one of the side supports. The zone-producing mechanism includes a side support engaging device for engaging the side support at a predetermined location and a shearing mechanism which reciprocates between a first and second position to shear the side support.

Growing community of inventors

Belleville, MI, United States of America

Darryl Leigh Young