Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Sergio Angotti

Dimitar Petrov Filev

James Wayne Lowe

John T Reed

Dean A Gericke

Lawrence Anderson Queener

Lou Ratsos

Ramakrishna P Koganti

Velmurugan Devarajan

Bryan Mikula

Jennifer Taverna

A system and method for interactively optimizing shipping density of racked parts by a user is provided. The system includes a user computer system, a communications network, a remotely located computer system, a data storage device a computer-generated model of a component part; a computer-generated model of a container for transporting the component part and an executable shipping density optimization software program. The methodology includes the steps of the user selecting the component part model and container. The methodology also includes the steps of analyzing the shipping density of component parts within the container. The methodology further includes the steps of identifying a bottleneck feature and modifying the bottleneck feature and determining the optimized density of the modified component parts in the container.

System and method of interactively optimizing shipping density for a container

A hydroforming process forms a hydroformed automotive component as a multiple cell member having an integral internal rib separating the cells and reinforcing the hydroformed component to increase the strength of a hydroformed component with a given size and shape. The tubular blank can be manufactured through a roll-forming process or by welding two structural tubular members, to form a tubular blank that has multiple cells with an internal rib separating the cells. The hydroforming process injects fluid under pressure into each of the cells to expand the tubular blank into the shape defined by the die holding the blank. The internal web separating the cells of the blank becomes an integral internal reinforcement spanning the component to enhance the strength, rigidity and stiffness of the component. Providing differential pressure on the multiple cells can stretch and twist the internal rib for positioning internally as desired.

Double hydroformed tube with integral reinforcement

Growing community of inventors

Canton, MI, United States of America

Sergio Angotti