Ford Motor Company Limited

Sergey Sergeyevich Kolesov

Sergey Fedorovich Golovashchenko

Andrei Viktorovich Vlassov

Laurent Bernard Chappuis

Vladimir Kondratenko

A method and tool for forming a hem flange. A larger radius bend is initially formed when a pre-hem flange is formed. A sharper radius bend is subsequently formed when the flange is formed. After the flange is formed, conventional hem forming methods and tools may be used to complete formation of a hem that may be used to join inner and outer panels.

Flanging processes with radial compression of the blank stretched surface

A method and tool for forming a hem flange pre-hem and a final hem on a sheet metal panel wherein elastomeric tooling elements are used to apply radial compression during a forming operation. The elastomeric tooling elements are compressed and apply pressure to a side of the sheet metal panel, for example an aluminum panel, that is stretched during a forming process step. A foil layer may be placed between the sheet metal blank and the elastomeric tooling element to reduce friction and further improve forming performance.

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Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Sergey Sergeyevich Kolesov