Alcan Technology & Management Ltd.

Markus Gehrig

Christian Leppin

Pius Schwellinger

Oliver Liebhard

A deformation element having a single or multi-chamber hollow section with a longitudinal axis to accommodate energy of impact acting in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the section. The deformation element contains outer section walls that form inner and outer section wall faces. The outer section walls are divided into section wall end lengths and lengths and section wall intermediate lengths, whereby the abutting section wall end length of a pair of outer section walls form corner regions with corners. The wall thicknesses of the section wall end lengths are greater than the wall thickness of the section wall lengths neighboring the section wall end lengths, with the result that a thickening of the section wall is provided in the corner region.

Energy-absorbing deformation element for vehicles

A process for forming an initial section or like component featuring a hollow interior to a final shape by high internal pressure in the sealed hollow interior using a medium that can flow. In order to shape-form the initial section featuring at least one corner region&#x2014;preferably at least two corner regions&#x2014;the wall sections adjacent to the corner region are preshaped in a curved manner&#x2014;as viewed in cross-section&#x2014;counter to the direction of applied pressure, and subsequently re-shaped by applying the high internal pressure of the medium that can flow, displacing the corner region in the direction in which the pressure is applied. To that end a section with hollow space delimited by section walls is employed in which two section walls define each corner region of the section cross-section, whereby at least one of the section walls at the corner region features a region that is curved in cross-section. Preferred is a polygonal cross-section, the section walls of which feature the inwards curved region between each of the corner regions or, such in which selected section walls connecting two corner regions each feature a curved region.

Method for shaping an initial profile or a similar workpiece using an internal high pressure and profile therefor

A device for forming a single or mutli-chamber workpiece by high internal pressure created by a medium capable of flow in the hollow interior of the workpiece. The device contains a forming tool with a cavity accommodating the workpiece and pressure generating equipment for generating the high internal pressure. The pressure generating equipment contains a displacement pump with a pressure converter having a longitudinally coupled displacement body with different working surface areas A , A , which operates with a stroke frequency f, whereby strokes of the pressure converter cause a pressure p created on the primary side to be raised until a higher secondary pressure p is reached on the secondary side.

High internal pressure forming process

A process for forming a starting profile with a profile cavity by a bending forming process and an internal high pressure produced in a sealed profiled cavity by way of a fluid, including the steps of initially, before forming by internal high pressure, forming a starting profile at a distance from free ends of the starting profile and across a longitudinal axis of the starting profile into a cross-section with favorable bending properties, by one of transversely inwardly bent side walls of the starting profile, folding during bending, flat pressing or a flat high-sided profile produced in an extrusion process.

Method for forming an initial profile or a tool of the kind and a profile therefor

The invention relates to a method for shaping an initial profile ( ) or a similar workpiece, which comprises a profile space, into a final profile by using an internal high pressure that is generated in the sealed profile space by a flowable active medium. In order to shape the initial profile ( ) comprising at least one corner area ( ), preferably at least two corner area ( ), wall sections ( ) which connect in the corner area ( ) are preshaped such that their cross-sections are curved counter to the direction of pressure, and are subsequently straightened by the internal high pressure of the flowable active medium while displacing the corner area ( ) in a direction of pressure. To this end, a profile comprising a profile space that is delimited by profile walls ( ) is used in which two profile walls ( ) define a corner area ( ) of the profile cross-section, whereby at least one of the profile walls ( ) connecting in the corner area ( ) is provided with an area ( ) having a curved cross-section. A polygonal cross-section whose profile walls ( ) between the corner areas ( ) each comprise the inwardly curved area ( ) or with which selected profile walls ( ) which connect two corner areas ( ) preferably offer a curved area ( ).

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Schaffhausen, Switzerland

Markus Gehrig