Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Nia R Harrison

S George Luckey, Jr

Amanda Kay Freis

Peter A Friedman

Andrey M Ilinich

Raj Sohmshetty

James Maurice Boileau

Aindrea McKelvey Campbell

David John Hill

Constantin Chiriac

Michael William Danyo

Elizabeth Bullard

Ronald Paul Cooper

Mikhail Minevich

Yingbing Luo

Dennis Cedar

Rosa Lynda Nuno

Brian Michael Brown

Suranjeeta Dhar

Patrice White-Johnson

George S Luckey

A welded structural assembly and method, in one form, includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate adjacent the upper substrate, a fastener, and a sealing member. The fastener includes a shank portion, a first head portion, and a second head portion. The shank portion extends through the upper substrate and into the lower substrate. The shank is welded to the lower substrate. The first head portion has an outer periphery and an underside. The second head portion is frangibly coupled to the first head portion. The sealing member is disposed under the first head portion between the upper substrate and the first head portion. The sealing member contacts the underside and extends beyond the outer periphery such that the sealing member extends radially outward beyond all points of the first head portion.

Friction element weld element modification to increase corrosion resistance of thermal mechanical joint

The present disclosure is generally directed toward a high volume manufacturing method for forming high strength aluminum parts. The method includes acquiring material blanks that are made of 7xxx series aluminum alloy, heating the blanks to a solvus temperature of the material, and stamping and quenching the heated blanks to form multiple parts. The parts are cooled to a second temperature lower than the solvus temperature during the quenching operation. The method further includes performing one or more structural modifications of the parts within a set time period that is less than or equal to 24 hours. The method further includes racking the parts with a gap defined between two adjacent parts, artificially aging the parts with an industrial oven, and pretreating the parts with a chemical solution.

High volume manufacturing method for forming high strength aluminum parts

A first method is disclosed for forming a tubular reinforcement that comprises the steps of: providing a 7xxx aluminum tube, heating tube to at least 450&#xb0; C. and water quenching the tube in less than or equal to 20 seconds after heating. All of the forming processes on the tube are then completed from within 1 to 8 hours of quenching. A second method for forming a tubular reinforcement is disclosed that comprises the steps of providing a 7xxx-O temper aluminum tube and forming the tube into a predetermined shape. The tube in then heated the tube to at least 450&#xb0; C. and quenched the tube with water or air in a hydroforming die just prior to or while hydroforming the tube.

Heat treatment and tube forming process for high strength aluminum tube body structure reinforcements

In at least one embodiment, an assembly is provided comprising a first member including a 6xxx series aluminum alloy heat treated to have a yield strength of at least 200 MPa and an r/t (bendability) ratio of up to 0.4. One or more members may be secured to the first member with a rivet (e.g., a self-piercing rivet). The heat treated alloy may have a yield strength of at least 260 MPa and may have a bendability ratio of up to 0.3. A method of forming an assembly is also provided, including heat treating a 6xxx series aluminum alloy to produce an alloy having a yield strength of at least 200 MPa and an r/t (bendability) ratio of up to 0.4 and riveting a member including the heat treated alloy to one or more additional members.

Heat treatment to improve joinability of aluminum sheet

Methods of heat treating aluminum alloys are disclosed. The method may include forming a sheet of solution heat-treated, quenched, and aged 6xxx series aluminum having a sheet average yield strength of at least 100 MPa into a component. The component may then be attached to an assembly and at least a portion of the assembly may be painted. The method may then include heat treating the assembly to cure the paint and to increase a component average yield to at least 240 MPa. In another embodiment, the method may include progressively forging a sheet of T4-tempered 6xxx series aluminum into a component using multiple dies and artificially aging the component at 210&#xb0; C. to 240&#xb0; C. for 20 to 40 minutes to a component average yield strength of at least 300 MPa. The methods may reduce component cycle time and may reduce strength gradients within the component.

Artificial aging of strained sheet metal for strength uniformity

A furnace assembly for hot-stamping vehicle components includes a support structure, a movable visor, a heat element, and a set of blocks. The support structure defines a cavity and an opening sized to receive a blank. The movable visor is mounted to the support structure and defines a first zone partially open to the cavity via the opening. The heat element is disposed within the cavity. Each of the blocks of the set of blocks is disposed on one side of the heat element to define a second zone and aligned with the opening to receive a vehicle component blank upon the blocks. The set of blocks and visor are arranged with one another such that portions of the blank are heated at different temperatures in the first zone and the second zone.

Furnace assembly and method for hot-stamping vehicle components

A hot-stamping furnace includes a housing defining a heating chamber partitioned into compartments configured to have different temperatures. The heating chamber includes an opening that is at least partially covered by a door movably mounted on the housing. The door is configured to extend over only a portion of the opening when in a closed position. A detachable panel extends from an edge of the door such that the panel extends over a portion of the opening that the door does not extend over.

Hot-stamping furnace and method of hot stamping

Methods of processing an aluminum alloy component are disclosed. The method may include solution heat treating the component at a solution heat treatment (SHT) temperature of 500&#xb0; C. to 535&#xb0; C., quenching the component in a liquid quenching medium having a temperature of 75&#xb0; C. to 95&#xb0; C., and artificially aging the component at an artificial aging (AA) temperature of 200&#xb0; C. to 250&#xb0; C. to a yield strength of at least 200 MPa. The component may be a 6XXX series aluminum alloy, which may be (or have been) progressively stamped. The component may be artificially aged to an r/t ratio of less than 0.3. The liquid quenching medium may be water and may have a temperature of 82&#xb0; C. to 88&#xb0; C. The method may further include joining the aluminum alloy component to a second component with a self-piercing rivet. The disclosed methods may reduce distortion in the component while maintaining high strength and bendability.

Heat treatment for reducing distortion

A method of age hardening a 7xxx series aluminum alloy is provided that includes heat treating the alloy at a first temperature for a first exposure time and heat treating the alloy at a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature for a second exposure time. The age hardening process may be used to form an alloy having a yield strength of at least 490 MPa and the total age hardening time may be 8 hours or less. In one example, the first heat treatment is performed at 100&#xb0; C. to 150&#xb0; C. for 0.2 to 3 hours and the second heat treatment is be performed at 150&#xb0; C. to 185&#xb0; C. for 0.5 to 5 hours.

Artificial aging process for high strength aluminum

A stamping die is provided. The stamping die includes a die block, a punch, and a trap wall. The punch is configured to engage the die block in order to form a part from a sheet metal blank. The trap wall is secured to the punch and configured to restrict the flow of sheet metal into the die block during punch and die block engagement. The trap wall is adjustable with respect to the punch such that a trap wall adjustment alters the flow of sheet metal into the die block.

Adjustable stamping die

In at least one embodiment, a metal blank is provided including a metal sheet having a surface including at least one pair of channels defined therein. Each channel may have a first portion extending from an edge of the blank and a second portion in an interior of the blank. The second portion may be wider than the first portion. The blank may include at least one pair of thermocouple wires, with one wire being attached to each second portion. An adhesive material may be disposed in each second portion. The wires may be attached by welding and the adhesive material may be a metallic composite adhesive. The disclosed blank may be used to calibrate or otherwise assess a process where the blank is being heated or cooled, such as aluminum hot-stamping.

Temperature measurement device for metal sheet

A system and a method of processing an F-temper aluminum alloy. An F-temper aluminum alloy blank may be heated and positioned in the die set such that the blank does not touch the die set. The blank may be formed into a part and quenched when the die set is closed.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Nia R Harrison