Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Ohio State Innovation Foundation

Ryan M Hahnlen

Marcelo J Dapino

Leon M Headings

Mark Bryant Gingerich

Duane Trent Detwiler

Allen Benson Sheldon

Benjamin Adam Hoffman

Andrew Keenan Swayne

Matthew Scheidt

Tyler J Rupp

Alex Walter Kawczak

Kevin Scott Schnipke

Peter Michael Schupska

Hongqi Guo

Philip Vais

Joshua P Dowd

Amitkumar Patil

A method for preparing a multi-material component including providing a fiber reinforced component, the fiber reinforced component having one or more working layers of a fiber reinforced composite material, wherein each of the one or more working layers includes one or more fiber reinforced composite material laminae. The method includes attaching the fiber reinforced component to a multi-material transition component, wherein the multi-material transition component includes a metallic component and a transition laminate includes a transition material, wherein the transition laminate includes one or more partially embedded transition laminae each having a first embedded end that is embedded in the metallic component. Also provided are multi-material transition components and multi-material components provided by the method.

Functional integration of transition structures into fiber reinforced composite layups

A door ring assembly is provided. The door ring assembly includes a frame member that includes a reinforcement. The reinforcement is solid-state bonded to the frame member. The frame member further includes a body and a first leg. The first leg extends outward from the body. Further, the first leg intersects with the body to form a corner radius, and the reinforcement is positioned on at least a portion of the corner radius.

Solid-state reinforced door ring

A forming tool including an additive manufactured polymer shell defining a first side and an opposite second side. The forming tool includes a support structure mechanically connected to the second side of the shell. The support structure may be formed by pouring a molten backfill material into the shell, and solidifying the backfill material. The backfill material includes a low melting temperature metal, fusible alloy, or other element. The solidified backfill material has a strength and rigidity greater than the polymer used to make the shell. The first surface of the shell includes a complex surface for bringing into contact with a material in a stamping process to form a stamped part.

Low melting temperature metal fill for additively manufactured tools

A fastening inclusion is provided and includes a hard point made of coalesced metal sheets, metal or fiber flanges extending from edges of the hard point, and a fastener arranged on the hard point. The fastening inclusion can be incorporated into a fiber reinforced polymer structure by interleaving the flanges with fiber reinforced resin plies, and then curing the fiber reinforced plies to form a composite structure. The fastener on the hard point may be used for mechanically connecting the composite structure to a separate component, such as a metal component on a vehicle.

High strength mechanical fastening inclusions for fiber reinforced polymer structures

According to one aspect, the present disclosure provides a system for manufacturing transition structures including fiber threads embedded within a metal component. The system may include a supply of base sheet metal. The system may include a conveyor supported on a plurality of rollers and configured to move the base sheet metal in a production direction. The system may include a plurality of stages arranged in the production direction. Each stage may include a channel forming device configured to form a channel in the base sheet metal, a fiber inserting device configured to insert a portion of a fiber material into the channel, and one or more ultrasonic welders configured to consolidate a layer of metal foil over the fiber. The disclosure includes methods of using the system to produce transition structures and reinforced components.

Continuous ultrasonic additive manufacturing

A vehicle roof stiffener includes at least one fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) portion and at least one metal or metal alloy portion. The FRP portion includes at least one transition structure including a metal or a metal alloy. At least some of the fibers of the FRP portion are embedded in the transition structure. The metal or metal alloy portion is secured to the transition structure of the FRP portion. In an example vehicle roof stiffener, the metal portion extends parallel to a longitudinal axis of a vehicle, and the FRP portion extends transverse to the longitudinal axis. The example vehicle roof stiffener may include a front FRP portion, a rear FRP portion, and two metal side portions. The metal side portions and the FRP portions may be joined by welding the transition structures to the metal portions.

Multi-material vehicle roof stiffener

A transition structure includes a metallic portion, a fiber portion including a plurality of tows embedded within the metallic portion and extending out from the metallic portion forming a fabric, and a binding material forming a matrix surrounding the fiber portion embedded within the metallic portion. The fiber portion may be attached to or form part of a composite vehicle component. The transition structure may join a metallic component and a composite component. The transition structure may be manufactured by creating first channels within a layer of a metallic substrate, inserting fiber tows into the first channels, placing a first metallic layer over the metallic substrate and the fiber tows, consolidating the metallic layer to the metallic substrate, and binding the fiber tows within a resin. Prior to binding, additional layers of channels and fiber tows may be consolidated onto the first metallic layer.

Hybrid structures for joining of metals and continuous fiber materials

A composite component includes a reinforcement bonded to a base component by a bond formed by, or reinforced with, a localized coupling in the base component. The bond may be formed by ultrasonic additive manufacturing. The localized coupling may include a compression of the base component, a weld in the base component, or a heat affected zone of the weld. Where the bond is formed by the localized coupling, the localized coupling encompasses the reinforcement. Where the bond is reinforced with the localized coupling, the localized coupling may encompass the reinforcement, or be arranged at an inside radius of a turn in the reinforcement. The reinforcement results in the composite component having enhanced properties such as lower density, increased strength, stiffness, or energy absorption capabilities.

Post-process interface development for metal-matrix composites

A reusable mold for injection molding and molding method includes a reusable mold member, a mold cavity defined in the mold member, and at least one heat sink recess defined in the mold member for accommodating a heat sink material therein for rapidly removing heat from the mold cavity when the mold member is used to injection mold a molded part. The reusable mold injection molds a molded part and rapidly removes heat from the mold cavity via a heat sink material accommodated in the at least one heat sink recess.

Reusable mold for injection molding and molding method

A method of adding a reinforcement to a metal blank prior to a forming process. The reinforcement is attached via ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) to create a composite blank which is then subjected to a forming process to bend and deform the composite blank and form a reinforced vehicle component. The reinforcement is placed on the metal blank such that after being subjected to the forming process, there is reinforcement in key areas of the formed vehicle component. The reinforcement results in the final formed vehicle component having enhanced properties such as lower density, increased strength, stiffness, or energy absorption capabilities.

Features of dissimilar material-reinforced blanks and extrusions for forming

A vehicle body assembly is described herein, including a first structural component and a second structural component. The first structural component may be a roof component or a side panel, and include a first part including a first metal and a second part including a second metal different than the first metal. The second part is formed on a peripheral edge portion of the first part and defines a mounting flange for the first structural component. The second part is joined to the first part via an ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) interface. The second structural component is including the second metal and is joined to the second part at the mounting flange via a resistance spot weld (RSW) joint.

UAM resistance spot weld joint transition for multimaterial automotive structures

A manually operated wheeled machine includes a housing and an engine mounted to the housing via a mounting structure. The mounting structure includes a tubular spacer defining a through hole. The spacer has a first end directly abutting the engine and a second end inserted in a mounting hole extended through the housing. The second end of the spacer is offset axially inwardly from a lower surface of the housing. A damping element axially mounted to the spacer is directly engaged to the first end of the spacer. A washer axially mounted to the spacer is interposed between and directly contacts each of the damping element and an upper surface of the housing. A fastener is extended through mounting hole and the spacer from the lower surface of the housing for connection with the engine.

Engine mounting structure for walk-behind wheeled machine

A vehicle hood includes a unitary metallic hood frame including a plurality of embosses having respective curved surfaces and a plurality of openings. The vehicle hood includes a metallic reinforcement material welded to a subset of the respective curved surfaces of the metallic hood frame. The vehicle hood includes a hood skin attached to the hood frame. The selective placement of metallic reinforcement material may reduce deflection of the vehicle hood while reducing weight compared to metal supports or a thicker metallic hood frame.

Hood frame reinforcement for deflection mitigation

Welded assemblies and related methods of making the welded assemblies include a first component of a first metal material, a second component of a second metal material that is different from the first metal material, and a transition material including one or more of a high entropy alloy, a pure element, and an alloy that is not a high entropy alloy, and that is arranged between and contacting the first component and the second component. An ultrasonic weld joins the transition material to the first component, and a fusion weld joins the first component to the second component. The fusion weld contact the first component, the second component, and the transition material. The amount or level of one or more of galvanic corrosion, intermetallic compounds, and solidification cracking in the fusion weld is less than if the first component was fusion welded directly to the second component.

Growing community of inventors

Dublin, OH, United States of America

Ryan M Hahnlen