Valiant Corporation

Valiant Machine & Tool Inc.

Varian, Inc.

Dominique Baulier

Darius Gheorghita

Gabor Sztvorecz

Philip V Wiens

Doru Baluta

Thomas Stein

Mihaela Petrescu

Justyna Klapacz

Keller McGaffey

Kenneth St Denis

A vehicle framing system for framing an automotive vehicle body from a plurality of separate body components wherein the body components each include a reference surface. The system includes an assembly station having spaced-apart frame members positioned so that, when a vehicle carrier supporting the vehicle body components is positioned at the assembly station, the frame members extend along opposite sides of the vehicle carrier. At least two docking stations are secured to each frame member at predetermined locations. A robot mounts its associated tool arm with a docking station. At least one set of reference block and framing clamp is secured to each tool arm and these framing clamps maintain the reference surfaces of the vehicle body components against the reference blocks to hold the vehicle components at a predetermined position relative to each other. After each robot positions each associated tool arm with the docking station, the robot disengages from the tool arm and then welds the body components together by a welding gun carried by the robots.

Automotive vehicle framing system

Docking apparatus

A hemming die tool assembly for use with an anvil supporting a workpiece to be hemmed. A mounting plate is pivotally secured about an axis relative to the anvil while a vertical slide is slidably attached to the mounting plate along a first direction. An elongated channel is attached to the vertical slide so that the axis of the channel is transverse to the first direction. A hemming tool is secured to the vertical slide while a rocker arm is pivotally secured at one end to the mounting plate about the pivotal axis of the mounting plate while a second end of the rocker arm is longitudinally slidably mounted in the channel. A first cam assembly pivots the mounting plate between a retracted position, in which the hemming tool is positioned away from the workpiece, and an extended position in which the hemming tool overlies the workpiece. A second cam assembly pivots the rocker arm about its pivotal axis and, in doing so, vertically displaces the vertical slide relative to the mounting plate to perform the prehemming operation.

Hemming tool die assembly

A hemming machine having a nest adapted to support a part to be hemmed. A hold down is movable between a retracted position in which the hold down is spaced from the part and an extended position in which the part is sandwiched between the hold down and the nest and a guide surface is formed around the periphery of the hold down. A hemming head having a roller hemmer assembly and mounted to and manipulated by a robotic arm. The roller assembly includes a first roller which engages the guide surface during a roller prehemming operation of the part performed by the robotic arm and a second roller which prehems the part.

Roller hemming machine

A hemming method for performing a 180 degree hem between an inner panel and outer metal panel. A curvilinear prehemming tool is then moved in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the inner and outer panels so that the prehemming tool contacts a protruding coupon on the outer panel and creates a bend line in the coupon at a position spaced outwardly from the outer edge of the inner panel. Thereafter, a final hemming tool moves relative to the panels in a direction substantially parallel to the original plane of the inner and outer panels. This final hemming tool includes a first curvilinear surface which initially contacts the coupon and rolls the coupon such that the edge of the coupon contacts the inner panel. Thereafter, a generally planar wedge section of the final hemming tool contacts the coupon and compresses the coupon against the inner panel thus completing the hemming operation.

Method for performing a 180 degree hem and apparatus for performing the same

A method for sharp, crisp hemming inner and outer aluminum sheet metal panels in which a flange is formed along an outer edge so that the flange extends from a bend line and lies in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane of the outer panel. This bend line, furthermore, has an outer radius in the range of (1.0 mm+t)&#x3e;R&#x3e;(0.2 mm+t) where t=the thickness of the outer panel. The inner panel is then positioned on the outer panel so that an outer edge of the inner panel is adjacent the bend line. The flange is then bent so that the flange overlies the outer edge of the inner panel while simultaneously compressing the flange in the direction towards the bend line. Thereafter, the flange is compressed against the outer peripheral portion of the inner panel thus completing the hem. The present invention thus achieves a sharp radius bend on the outer edge of the panel with a layer radius bend on the inner panel as well as a class 'A' surface on the outer panel adjacent the hem which is free of recoil or other distortion.

Method for hemming

A machine for hemming a sheet metal assembly is disclosed in which the sheet metal assembly includes an inner sheet metal panel and an outer sheet metal panel. The outer panel also has an outer lip which lies in a plane transverse with respect to the plane of the inner panel from a bend line in the outer panel. The inner panel also has an outer edge spaced inwardly a few millimeters from the bend line of the outer panel. The apparatus includes a base and a nest adapted to receive and support the sheet metal assembly, and this nest is movably mounted relative to the base. A final hem tool mounted to the base performs a final hem operation. This final hem tool has a generally planar section overlying the outer edge of the inner panel and a portion of the lip following a prehem operation. The final hemming tool also includes a second curvilinear section adjacent the first planar section and this second curvilinear section overlies the remainder of the lip and extends to the bend line. A tangent of the curvilinear section intersects the plane of the first planar section at an angle of less than 20&deg;. A conventional actuator is utilized to move the nest relative to the sheet metal assembly to compress the sheet metal assembly against the final hemming tool to complete the hem.

Hemming machine

A method for sharp, crisp hemming inner and outer aluminum sheet metal panels in which a flange is formed along an outer edge so that the flange extends from a bend line and lies in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane of the outer panel. This bend line, furthermore, has an outer radius in the range of (1.0 mm&plus;t)>R>(0.2 mm&plus;t) where t&equals;the thickness of the outer panel. The inner panel is then positioned on the outer panel so that an outer edge of the inner panel is adjacent the bend line. The flange is then bent so that the flange overlies the outer edge of the inner panel while simultaneously compressing the flange in the direction towards the bend line. Thereafter, the flange is compressed against the outer peripheral portion of the inner panel thus completing the hem. The present invention thus achieves a sharp radius bend on the outer edge of the panel with a layer radius bend on the inner panel as well as a class &ldquo;A&rdquo; surface on the outer panel adjacent the hem which is free of recoil or other distortion.

A hemming machine is disclosed having a base, a plate mounted to the base and a nest adapted to support a workpiece to be hemmed which is vertically slidably mounted to the base above the plate. An inflatable bladder is sandwiched in between the plate and the nest or even the base and the plate while a source of incompressible fluid selectively inflates the bladder thus vertically displacing the nest relative to the plate.

A hemming machine is disclosed having a base, a nest adapted to support a part to be hemmed, a nest carrier which supports the nest and in which both the nest and nest carrier are vertically movably mounted to the base. At least one hemming die is laterally slidably mounted to the base and movable between an extended position in which the die overlies a portion of the nest, and a retracted position in which the die is spaced laterally outwardly from the nest. A lock unit selectively locks the nest carrier against vertical movement relative to the base in at least one, and preferably two positions, so that, with the nest carrier locked against movement relative to the base, inflation of a hydraulic bladder sandwiched between the nest and nest carrier displaces the nest vertically upwardly from the carrier so that the part carried by the nest is compressed against the hemming dies and performs the hemming operation. Preferably, a single drive shaft not only displaces the nest and nest carrier, but also powers the hydraulic circuit to inflate the bladder and thus upwardly displace the nest relative to the nest carrier with an amplified force required to achieve the final flattening of the hem.

A &ldquo;soft touch&rdquo; lifter for an automotive &ldquo;Body in White&rdquo; geometry station like a framing system is disclosed having a unique lifting assembly for elevating both the automotive body and the underbody tooling to a geometry position. The system includes a lift assembly which is vertically slidably mounted to a stationary base and movable between a first position in which the lift frame is positioned beneath a skid positioned at the geometry station and upon which the automotive body is supported, and a second position elevated from the first position. An underbody tooling assembly is mounted to the lift frame, and this tooling assembly includes a plurality of locators which register with position receptors on the automotive underbody when the skid is positioned at the geometry station.

Soft touch lifter

A workpiece loader/unloader system for an industrial machine, such as a hemmer, is disclosed. The system includes a single pocket shuttle movable between an extended position in which the shuttle overlies a work station on the industrial machine, and a retracted position in which the shuttle is laterally spaced from the work station. A gripper on the shuttle selectively engages and supports the workpiece after the workpiece has been machined at the work station. A loader manipulator is movable between a preload position in which the loader supports an unmachined workpiece at a position laterally spaced from the work station, and a load position in which the loader manipulator overlies the work station. An actuator moves the loader manipulator between the preload and load position. Furthermore, the loader manipulator mechanically engages the shuttle and simultaneously moves the shuttle from its extended position and to its retracted position as the loader manipulator moves from its preload and to its load position. A passive system, such as a spring, returns the shuttle from its retracted and to its extended position.

Workpiece loader/unloader system

A tool which facilitates the alignment of a closure striker with a latch on an automotive panel in which the automotive panel includes at least one alignment opening. The tool includes a plate having an outwardly projecting alignment pin(s) which is positioned within the alignment opening(s) on the automotive panel. A pair of spaced supports are secured to and extend outwardly from the other side of the plate and thus away from the automotive panel. An elongated guide rod is secured to and extends between the supports so that the guide rod is substantially parallel to the side of the plate abutting the automotive panel. A slide is longitudinally movably mounted on the guide rod and carries a striker to be secured to the automotive panel. A centering pin aligned with the striker is mounted to the slide. The latch on the automotive panel abuts against the centering pin when the panel is moved to a preset partially closed position. The engagement between the latch and the centering pin longitudinally displaces the slide along the rod until the striker is properly aligned with the latch. At the very end of its stroke, the latch engages a trigger which releases a pair of locking levers to secure the slide to the rod at its longitudinally adjusted position.

Growing community of inventors

Windsor, CA, United States of America

Dominique Baulier