Magna International Inc.

John Richard Potocki

Alexander Zak

Steven Reece Falter

Randy S Beals

William Andrew Kokosza

Tad Stewart Wiseman

A component formed of metal, such as aluminum, and including a hollow core is provided. The component can be used as a cradle, rail, A-pillar, twist axle, control arm, or shock tower, for example. The component is manufactured by a high pressure vacuum die casting (HPVDC) process. To form the component with the hollow core, a blown or stamped hollow glass core is placed in a die cavity of the high pressure vacuum die casting apparatus, and the metal is melted and injected into the die cavity around the glass core. The metal is then cast and solidifies around the glass core. After the casting process, the glass core can be shattered, removed from the cast component, and recycled.

Manufacture of hollow core high pressure vacuum die cast components

A system for removing a heat check feature on an aluminum casting formed by a high pressure die casting process is provided. The system includes a laser source, a robotic arm, and a heat check sensor. The heat check sensor develops a surface profile of at least part of the casting and transmits heat check feature information to the laser source to project the beam of laser light thereon. The projection of the beam of laser light can be varied in time and power, which can depend on surface profile information obtained from the sensor. Once at least a portion of the heat check feature is removed, the casting is placed against another part such that the joint interface is primarily the portion where the heat checking has been removed. Self-piercing rivets are then driven into the casting and the part to permanently join them together.

Method of removal of heat checking

An automatic system (10) and method for cleaning grease and debris from a die (12), such as a die (12) which stamps or trims aluminum or steel sheets used to form exterior vehicle body panels and thus should be free of dents and scratches, is provided. The system (10) includes multiple stations (22) and die handling arms (18), (20) or a conveyor (28) for moving the die (12) between the multiple stations (22). One of the stations (22) includes a spraying device (26) for cleaning and rinsing the die (12). Another one of the stations (22) includes an air blower (24) for removing loose debris from the die (10) and also for drying the die (10) after the washing step.

Automatic cleaning system and method for removing debris from dies

A method for conditioning a welded vehicle body assembly is provided. The method includes welding the vehicle body member to at least one additional vehicle body member together to form the welded vehicle body assembly, the welded vehicle body assembly includes a weld area; and laser annealing a weld heat affected zone adjacent to the weld area to soften material in the weld heat affected zone.

System for conditioning material using a laser and method thereof

A system and method for laser cutting a plurality of parts, for example metal chassis components, using a plurality of laser cutting apparatuses is provided. The system includes a plurality of the laser cutting apparatuses disposed in a single enclosed cell for simultaneously trimming multiple parts. The system also includes at least one inner chamber and at least one set of double doors for transferring the parts in and out of the enclosed cell without any light escaping the cell. The parts are conveyed through the first door to the inner chamber while the second door is closed, and through the second door to the enclosed cell while the first door is closed. The system also includes robots continuously preloading and unloading the parts to maximize the laser trimming time.

System and method for high output laser trimming

A riveted assembly includes a first panel member having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a second panel member having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; and a rivet. The first and second panel members are positioned such that at least a portion of the second surface of the first panel member is in contact with at least a portion of the first surface of the second panel member. The rivet extends into and engages the first surface of the first panel member, and has an outwardly flared portion about which a portion of the first panel member and the second panel member are deformed, such that the rivet mechanically connects the first panel member to the second panel member at a connection region. The second surface of the second panel member has a differential height surface portion at least at the connection region.

Surface design for self piercing rivet button formation

The method includes the step of positioning the sheets in an at least partially overlapping relationship. The method continues with the step of inserting a rivet that has a height through an overlapping area of the sheets. The method proceeds with the step of, with the rivet at a temperature in the range of 15-30&#xb0; Celsius, collapsing the rivet between a pair of ramming surfaces to shorten the rivet and partially expand the rivet outwardly to lock the rivet with the sheets. The entire method results in a very strong connection between the sheets and with a great durability at a low cost.

Method of attaching sheets together

A roll forming assembly for forming a transverse strut from a tube is provided. The roll forming assembly includes a heater, such as an induction heater, for heating a tube to a predetermined annealing temperature. Next, the tube is fed to a roll former, which includes a plurality of forming wheels to shape the tube into a transverse strut. Servo motors are operably coupled to the forming wheels for adjusting the positions of the forming wheels in a radial direction during the roll forming process to give the transverse strut a variable profile along its length. After the roll forming process is completed, the transverse strut is quenched so that its base material is given a predetermined microstructure.

Transverse strut and method of forming a transverse strut

A system for forming a plurality of hot stamped steel parts for automotive applications includes a furnace with a stack of sealed chambers, each containing an individual heater, for simultaneously heating a plurality of blanks. Each chamber is removable from the furnace, so that if the heater contained therein malfunctions, the heater can be repaired while the other chambers continue to heat the blanks. Each chamber also comprises a shelf including a plurality of driven rollers for conveying the blanks through the furnace. A blank feeder also including a plurality of driven rollers extends continuously from the furnace to a hot forming apparatus. The hot forming apparatus includes a plurality of cavities for shaping one or more of the blanks into a plurality of the parts.

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Armada, MI, United States of America

John Richard Potocki