FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a rolling device, in particular to a rolling device
for three-dimensional curved surface forming or thin sheet (plate) rolling of a sheet
metal (sheet), which belongs to a field of mechanical engineering. The present invention
also relates to a method for curved surface forming and thin sheet metal rolling corresponding
thereto.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Currently, three-dimensional curved surface forming of a sheet is mainly achieved
by adopting a forming method using a die, which involves a high cost and a long cycle
of die manufacturing and adjusting, and a large die and a large press are needed if
a large-size three-dimensional curved surface is to be formed by using a die. When
a forming method using a die is adopted, the die processing cycle is long, and a large
amount of manpower and materials will be consumed, so that a requirement of small-batch
or personalized production can not be met; it is impracticable at all to adopt a forming
method using a die especially for large-size three-dimensional curved surface parts,
and if a manual way is adopted, the forming quality of the surface part is poor, the
labor intensity is high, and the production efficiency is low. In the prior art, a
traditional plate bending device can be used to form a cylindrical, conical or other
simple curved surface, but it has difficulty in forming a real three-dimensional curved
surface. A three-dimensional flexible bending processing method can be used to form
a three-dimensional curved surface, but it adopts discrete working rolls, resulting
in a low surface quality of a formed part, and thus the application and development
thereof are restricted. Furthermore, generally sheet rolling is mostly achieved by
adopting a large-diameter two-roll or multi-roll mill. For thin sheet rolling, since
the elastic flattening of a roll is directly proportional to the diameter of the roll,
the elastic flattening value of the roll per se is often larger than the rolling reduction
of the sheet metal to be rolled if a large-diameter two-roll mill is adopted to roll
the thin sheet. Therefore, when the material of a roll is selected, the roll diameter
must be reduced if the elastic flattening value of the roll is to be reduced. On the
other hand, when the roll diameter is relatively large, the contact area between the
roll and the sheet metal is large, and the rolling force needed to roll the sheet
metal is also large; therefore, the diameter of the roll also needs to be reduced
if the rolling force is to be reduced. However, with a reduction of the diameter of
the roll, a problem of insufficient rigidity of the roll may occur accordingly, and
at the same time a roll neck that transfers the rolling torque also becomes smaller;
therefore, a plurality of backup rolls are needed to support a small-diameter working
roll in multiple directions respectively, and the small-diameter working roll is driven
by the backup rolls. Such a multi-roll mill can meet a requirement of a small diameter
and a high rigidity of the working roll, but it increases the structural complexity
and the manufacturing cost thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a rolling device capable of achieving
three-dimensional curved surface forming or thin sheet rolling of a sheet metal simply,
quickly and at a low cost, and provide a method corresponding thereto.
[0004] The present invention provides a rolling device for three-dimensional curved surface
forming or thin sheet rolling of a sheet metal, comprising a forming roll, a supporting
mechanism, an adjusting mechanism and a driving mechanism, characterized in that the
forming roll comprises an upper forming roll and a lower forming roll, which have
small diameters and are easy to be bending deformed; the supporting mechanism is a
multi-point supporting mechanism or an overall supporting mechanism for supporting
the forming roll; the adjusting mechanism is a multi-point shape adjusting mechanism
and/or an overall displacing mechanism, capable of adjusting the shape and/or relative
height of the forming roll; and the driving mechanism is capable of applying a torque
to one or two ends of the upper forming roll and/or the lower forming roll, so that
the upper forming roll and/or the lower forming roll are/is caused to rotate, and
whereby a sheet metal is passed through a roll gap between the upper forming roll
and the lower forming roll and is roll formed.
[0005] For the rolling device according to the present invention, by adopting the above
structure, the upper forming roll and/or the lower forming roll can be caused to have
a certain deflection, and the roll gap between the upper forming roll and the lower
forming roll can be distributed non-uniformly, so that the sheet metal has different
compression ratios at different regions in the same cross section in the width direction,
and whereby the sheet metal has a non-uniform, longitudinal extension at different
points in the width direction, and finally the sheet metal is deformed non-uniformly
in a rolling process to achieve three-dimensional curved surface forming. It should
be noted that the device is suitable for forming a long-size three-dimensional curved
surface part. If the adjusting mechanism adjusts the shape(s) of the upper forming
roll and/or the lower forming roll or the relative height of the forming roll, so
that the roll gap between the upper and lower forming rolls is distributed non-uniformly,
thin sheet or ultra-thin sheet rolling or variable section rolling can be achieved.
With a small forming force required by the device, a consecutive forming or shaping
of a large sheet metal can be achieved by a small-sized equipment. As compared with
a traditional die forming device, the device has the following advantages: the procedures
for designing, manufacturing and tryout a die can be eliminated, the production cycle
can be shortened, the working efficiency can be improved, and the processing cost
can be reduced; and as compared with the way of manual forming, the surface quality
of the formed part can be improved, and materials, manpower and processing time can
be saved. Therefore, the rolling device according to the present invention can achieve
three-dimensional curved surface forming or thin sheet rolling of a sheet metal simply,
quickly and at a low cost.
[0006] Advantageously, the forming roll is a rotating body having a generatrix of a straight
or curved line, and the number of each of the upper forming roll and the lower forming
roll is one or more.
[0007] By adopting the above structure, without requiring the adjusting mechanism to adjust
the shape of the forming roll, the non-uniformity of the roll gap can be achieved
by the change of the generatry of the forming roll, so that the forming roll can be
rotated without a deflection or with a small deflection, thereby a fatigue load on
the forming roll can be reduced and the service life of the forming roll can be increased.
When there are one upper forming roll and one lower forming roll, single-pass rolling
can be achieved; and when there are a plurality of upper forming rolls and a plurality
of lower forming rolls, consecutive multi-pass rolling can be achieved.
[0008] Advantageously, the upper forming roll and/or the lower forming roll can be composed
of two roll segments, which are capable of being rotated in opposite directions with
different speeds, in opposite directions with the same speed, in the same direction
with different speeds or in the same direction with the same speed.
[0009] By adopting the above structure, the adjusting mechanism can adjust the shapes of
the two roll segments respectively, and the driving mechanism can apply torques to
the two roll segments respectively, so that acting forces and friction forces with
different values and in opposite directions, with the same value and in opposite directions,
with different values and in the same direction, or with the same value and in the
same direction can be applied on two sides of the sheet metal respectively, and thereby
two sides of the sheet metal are rotated with different speeds or the same speed,
or are fed with different speeds or the same speed, so as to achieve rotary forming
or curved feeding and forming.
[0010] Advantageously, a centering mechanism can be arranged between the two roll segments,
and the centering mechanism is used to fix a point on the sheet metal, so that the
sheet metal is incapable of being moved as a whole, but only capable of being rotated
about the point. The centering mechanism mainly consists of a clamping mechanism and
a rotating mechanism.
[0011] By adopting the above structure, a point of the sheet metal can be fixed under the
action of the clamping mechanism and the rotating mechanism, so that the sheet metal
can be caused to rotate about the fixed point, and thus an overall movement of the
sheet metal during rotation is avoided.
[0012] Advantageously, the adjusting mechanism changes the deflection or the relative height
of the forming roll according to need before the sheet metal is passed through the
roll gap and is roll formed; or it changes the deflection or the relative height of
the forming roll in real time according to need during a process in which the sheet
metal is passed through the roll gap and is rolled.
[0013] By adopting the above structure, the deflection of the forming roll can be adjusted
to a degree as required by the multi-point shape adjusting mechanism before a rolling
process, so that the roll gap between the upper forming roll and the lower forming
roll is distributed non-uniformly, then different compression ratios are generated
at different regions in the same cross section of the width direction of the sheet
metal, and whereby the sheet metal is longitudinally extended non-uniformly at different
points in the width direction, and finally the sheet metal is deformed in the rolling
process to achieve three-dimensional curved surface forming. Different curved surfaces
can be formed by controlling the distribution or profile of the values of the roll
gap: if a value of the roll gap in a central region of the forming roll is smaller
than the values of the roll gap in two side regions, and the roll gap changes gradually,
then a spherical curved surface or a spherical-like curved surface can be formed;
if the value of the roll gap in the central region of the forming roll is larger than
those in the two side regions, and the roll gap changes gradually, then a saddle-shaped
curved surface or a saddle-like curved surface can be formed; if the value of the
roll gap in the central region of the forming roll is larger than those in the two
side regions, the roll gap changes gradually, and the sheet metal is fed along a diagonal
direction, or a value of the roll gap on one side of the forming roll is larger than
that on the other side of the forming roll, the roll gap between the forming rolls
changes gradually, and a value of the roll gap at the side where it is originally
large becomes smaller gradually and the roll gap in the other side where it is originally
small becomes larger gradually in the forming process, then a twisted surface or the
like can be formed; if the roll gap between the forming rolls has an undulated distribution,
then an undulated curved surface can be formed; if the multi-point shape adjusting
mechanism adjusts the deflection(s) of the upper forming roll and/or the lower forming
roll in real time during a process in which the sheet metal is rolled, so that the
shape of the roll gap between the upper forming roll and the lower forming roll changes
in real time, and whereby the sheet metal undergoes different strains at different
time and different regions, then a free curved surface can be roll formed; if the
values of the roll gap in various regions of the forming roll are the same, a thin
flat sheet can be rolled; in addition, the overall displacing mechanism can also adjust
the relative height of the forming roll before a rolling process, or the overall displacing
mechanism adjusts the relative height of the forming roll in real time during the
rolling process, then thin sheet rolling or variable section sheet rolling can be
achieved.
[0014] Advantageously, the overall supporting mechanism is a flexible supporting mechanism
for providing a full-length support for the forming roll, and the flexible supporting
mechanism has a sectional dimension larger than that of the forming roll, but is capable
of being flexurally deformed; and the adjusting mechanism is a multi-point shape adjusting
mechanism for performing a multi-point shape adjustment to the forming roll through
the flexible supporting mechanism, or it further comprises an overall displacing mechanism
for adjusting the relative height of the forming roll.
[0015] By adopting the above structure, the supporting mechanism has a rigidity larger than
that of the forming roll, but can be caused to a bending deformation under the action
of the multi-point shape adjusting mechanism, so that the shape of the forming roll
after a shape adjustment changes more uniformly, and at the same time the number of
shape adjustment points can also be reduced, the rigidity of the forming roll is increased,
and thus the forming quality is improved. Furthermore, the adjusting mechanism may
further comprise an overall displacing mechanism for adjusting the relative height
of the forming roll; and the adjustment may be performed before a forming process,
and may also be performed in real time during the forming process, so as to form different
curved surfaces.
[0016] Advantageously, the overall supporting mechanism is a rigid supporting mechanism
for providing a full-length support for the forming roll, and the rigid supporting
mechanism has a sectional dimension much larger than that of the forming roll, the
rigid supporting mechanism does not undergo a deformation or only undergoes a deformation
in a very small degree during a rolling process; and the adjusting mechanism is an
overall displacing mechanism for adjusting the relative height of the forming roll.
[0017] By adopting the above structure, thin sheet rolling, ultra-thin sheet rolling or
variable section sheet rolling can be achieved. The overall supporting mechanism has
a property of high-rigidity, and does not undergo a deformation or only undergoes
a deformation in a very small degree during a forming process, so that it can be used
to replace supporting rolls in a multi-roll rolling device, and then the rigidity
of the forming roll can be ensured while the structure of the device is simplified,
and a bending deformation of the forming roll during the rolling process can be prevented.
Furthermore, the overall displacing mechanism can adjust the relative height of the
forming roll; and the adjustment may be performed before the forming process, and
may also be performed in real time during the forming process, so as to achieve different
types of rolling.
[0018] Advantageously, the overall supporting mechanism is kept in surface contact with
and sliding fit to the forming roll, and an oil groove is formed on a contact surface
between the overall supporting mechanism and the forming roll, and additionally, one
or more oil passages opening from the outside to the contact surface are formed in
the overall supporting mechanism.
[0019] By adopting the above structure, one or more oil grooves and oil passages are arranged
inside the overall supporting mechanism, a lubricant can consecutively enter the contact
surface between the overall supporting mechanism and the forming roll by a principle
of a sliding bearing or a dynamic pressure bearing, and an oil film is generated on
the contact surface to separate the overall supporting mechanism from the forming
roll, thereby the friction between the overall supporting mechanism and the forming
roll is reduced.
[0020] Advantageously, the driving mechanism comprises at least one driving roll, and the
forming roll is driven by the driving roll, the driving roll is located between the
supporting mechanism and the forming roll, the supporting mechanism is kept in surface
contact with and sliding fit to the driving roll, and the driving roll is kept in
line contact with and rolling fit to the forming roll.
[0021] By adopting the above structure, the driving roll can apply a torque to a supported
region of the forming roll, so as to reduce the moment of force generated by the forming
roll due to the action between the forming roll and the sheet metal, increase the
overall rotational torque of the forming roll, and avoid a rotational hysteresis phenomenon
in the central region of the forming roll due to the action between the forming roll
and the sheet metal, thereby the service life of the forming roll is prolonged, and
at the same time the forming precision of the formed part is improved.
[0022] Advantageously, the rolling device further comprises one flexible holding mechanisms
for holding the sheet metal before and/or after a forming process, arranged in front
of the forming roll and/or behind the forming roll along a traveling direction of
the sheet metal.
[0023] By adopting the above structure, in the case where the sheet metal is large and thin,
the sheet metal before and/or after a forming process can be held by the flexible
holding mechanism, so as to suppress additional deformations of the sheet metal due
to gravity or the like when the sheet metal is fed and/or discharged, and improve
the forming quality.
[0024] Advantageously, the flexible holding mechanism comprises any one of a soft-shaft-based
holding mechanism, a plurality of floating holding units and a multi-point holding
mechanism with a function of height adjustment.
[0025] By adopting the above structure, the flexible holding mechanism can hold the sheet
metal before and/or after a forming process, and the flexible holding mechanism can
adjust a holding height according to the shape of the sheet metal, so as to adapt
to the shape of the sheet metal, and inhibit additional deformations of the sheet
metal due to gravity or the like when the sheet metal is fed and/or discharged.
[0026] As described above, the present invention provides a rolling device for three-dimensional
curved surface forming or thin sheet rolling of a sheet metal, capable of achieving
three-dimensional curved surface forming or thin sheet rolling of a sheet metal simply,
quickly and at a low cost.
[0027] In addition, the present invention also provides a rolling method for three-dimensional
curved surface forming or thin sheet rolling of a sheet metal by using the above rolling
device, comprising an adjusting step and a rolling step, wherein in the adjusting
step, the adjusting mechanism adjusts the shape(s) or the relative height(s) of the
upper forming roll and/or the lower forming roll, so that the roll gap formed between
the upper forming roll and the lower forming roll is non-uniformly distributed or
uniformly distributed; and in the rolling step, a sheet metal is passed through the
roll gap, and the sheet metal is rolled by the upper forming roll and/or the lower
forming roll. Furthermore, the adjusting step can be executed before the rolling step,
or the adjusting step and the rolling step are executed simultaneously. According
to the method, three-dimensional curved surface forming or thin sheet rolling of a
sheet metal can be achieved simply, quickly and at a low cost.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028]
Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a rolling device 100 related to one embodiment of the
present invention.
Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a rolling device 200 related to another embodiment of
the present invention.
Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a rolling device 300 related to another embodiment of
the present invention.
Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a rolling device 400 related to another embodiment of
the present invention.
Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a rolling device 500 related to another embodiment of
the present invention.
Fig. 6 is a schematic view of a rolling device 600 related to another embodiment of
the present invention.
Fig. 7 is a schematic view of a rolling device 700 related to another embodiment of
the present invention.
Fig. 8 is a schematic view of a rolling device 800 related to another embodiment of
the present invention.
Fig. 9 is a schematic view of a rolling device 900 related to another embodiment of
the present invention.
Fig. 10 is a schematic view of a rolling device 1000 related to another embodiment
of the present invention.
Fig. 11 is a schematic view of a rolling device 2000 related to another embodiment
of the present invention.
Fig. 12 is a structural exemplary view of a multi-point shape adjusting mechanism
and a multi-point supporting mechanism related to the present invention.
Fig. 13 is another structural exemplary view of a multi-point shape adjusting mechanism
and a multi-point supporting mechanism related to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0029] A rolling device related to the present invention is further described below in an
exemplary way in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0030] Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a rolling device 100 related to one embodiment of the
present invention, and is a sectional schematic view taken in a direction perpendicular
to a direction along which a sheet metal is passed through during a rolling process
in which the sheet metal is passed through a roll gap and is rolled.
[0031] The rolling device 100 comprises a forming roll 1 (generally also be termed as working
roll in the art) for rolling a sheet metal 4, a multi-point supporting mechanism 2a
with a function of supporting the forming roll 1, a multi-point shape adjusting mechanism
3 with a function of adjusting the shape of the forming roll 1, and a driving mechanism
(not shown) for rotating the forming roll; the forming roll 1 comprises an upper forming
roll 1a and a lower forming roll 1b, each of the upper forming roll 1a and the lower
forming roll 1b is supported by a plurality of multi-point supporting mechanisms 2a,
the multi-point shape adjusting mechanism 3 can cause a bending deformation to the
upper forming roll 1a and the lower forming roll 1b respectively, and can cause a
roll gap (i.e. the region through which the sheet metal 4 is passed during the rolling
process) between the upper forming roll 1a and the lower forming roll 1b to be distributed
non-uniformly, and the driving mechanism cause the upper forming roll 1a and the lower
forming roll 1b to rotate so that the sheet metal is passed through the roll gap and
is roll formed.
[0032] In the rolling device 100, the upper forming roll 1a and the lower forming roll 1b
are cylindrical rolls with relatively small diameters respectively, so that the rolls
are easy to be bending deformed due to the small diameters thereof, and under the
action of the multi-point shape adjusting mechanism 3, the upper forming roll 1a and
the lower forming roll 1b can be bent in different degrees respectively, so that a
roll gap between the upper forming roll 1a and the lower forming roll 1b is distributed
non-uniformly, and the roll gap in a central region is smaller than those in two side
regions, the driving mechanism applies a torque at one or two ends of the forming
roll 1, so that different compression ratios are generated at different regions in
the same cross section of the width direction of the sheet metal 4, and whereby the
sheet metal 4 is extended non-uniformly at different points in the width direction,
and finally the sheet metal 4 is deformed in the rolling process to achieve three-dimensional
curved surface forming.
[0033] In addition, there may also be the following situations in the rolling device 100,
but it is not limited to these situations. The roll gap of the forming roll 1 in the
rolling device 100 is non-uniformly distributed, and different curved surfaces are
formed by controlling the non-uniform distribution of the roll gap: if the roll gap
in the central region of the forming roll 1 is smaller than those in the two side
regions, and the roll gap changes gradually, a spherical curved surface or a spherical-like
curved surface can be formed; if the roll gap in the central region of the forming
roll 1 is larger than those in the two side regions, and the roll gap changes gradually,
a saddle-shaped curved surface or a saddle-like curved surface can be formed; if the
roll gap in the central region of the forming roll 1 is larger than those in the two
side regions, the roll gap changes gradually, and the sheet metal 4 is fed along a
diagonal direction, or the roll gap on one side of the forming roll 1 is larger than
that on the other side thereof, the roll gap changes gradually, and the gap at the
side where it is originally large becomes gradually smaller and the gap at the side
where it is originally small becomes gradually larger in the forming process, a twisted
surface or the like can be formed; if the roll gap of the forming roll 1 has an undulated
distribution, an undulated curved surface can be formed; if a plurality of multi-point
shape adjusting mechanisms 3 adjust the deflection(s) of the upper forming roll 1a
and/or the lower forming roll 1b in real time during a process in which the sheet
metal 4 is rolled, so that the shape of the roll gap between the upper forming roll
1a and the lower forming roll 1b changes in real time, and whereby the sheet metal
4 is subjected to different strains at different time and different regions, then
a free curved surface can be roll formed; if the values of the roll gap in various
regions of the forming roll 1 are the same, a thin flat sheet can be rolled; in addition,
the relative height of the forming roll 1 can be adjusted by an overall (integral)
displacing mechanism before a rolling process or the relative height of the forming
roll 1 can be adjusted in real time by the overall displacing mechanism during the
rolling process, so as to achieve thin sheet rolling or variable section sheet rolling.
In addition, by applying a torque at one or two ends of the forming roll 1 through
the driving mechanism, two small-diameter forming rolls 1 can be adopted to achieve
thin sheet rolling.
[0034] Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a rolling device 200 related to another embodiment
of the present invention, and is a sectional schematic view in a direction perpendicular
to a direction along which a sheet metal is passed through during a process in which
the sheet metal is passed through a roll gap and is rolled.
[0035] For the conciseness of description, only the differences between the rolling device
200 and the rolling device 100 are described below. An upper forming roll 1a and a
lower forming roll 1b of the rolling device 200 are also cylindrical rolls with relatively
small diameters, but only one of the forming rolls 1 is bent under the action of a
multi-point shape adjusting mechanism 3, so that a value of the roll gap in a central
region of the two forming rolls 1 is smaller than those in two side regions. The driving
mechanism applies a torque at one or two ends of the forming roll 1, so that different
plastic deformations are generated on the sheet metal 4 at different regions during
a consecutive rolling process to form a curved surface shape. Of course, it is also
be possible for the values of the roll gap in the two side regions of the two forming
rolls 1 to be smaller than that of the central region, or for a value of the roll
gap of one side region to be smaller than that of the other side region, or for the
roll gap to be undulated. It is also possible to adjust the deflection of the forming
roll in real time by the multi-point shape adjusting mechanism 3 during the forming
process, to achieve free curved surface forming; in addition, in the case where the
forming roll 1 is not bent, the rigidity of the forming roll 1 is increased by means
of a multi-point support function of a multi-point supporting mechanism 2a for the
forming roll, and a torque is applied to one or two ends of the forming roll 1 by
the driving mechanism, a thin flat sheet rolling process can be performed by adopting
two small-diameter forming rolls 1.
[0036] Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a rolling device 300 related to another embodiment
of the present invention, and is a sectional schematic view in a direction perpendicular
to a direction along which a sheet metal is passed through during a process in which
the sheet metal is passed through a roll gap and is rolled.
[0037] In the rolling device 300, the generatrices of the upper forming roll 1a and the
lower forming roll 1b are arc lines, so that the two forming rolls 1 can produce a
roll gap distributed non-uniformly between them without being bent, and a value of
the roll gap of a central region is smaller than those of two side regions. A multi-point
supporting mechanism 2a supports the forming roll 1, and a multi-point shape adjusting
mechanism 3 can cause a bending deformation to the forming roll 1. Of course, it is
also be possible for the value of the roll gap of the central region to be larger
than those of the two side regions of the two forming rolls 1, or for a value of the
roll gap of one side region to be smaller than that of the other side region, so that
non-uniform plastic strains are generated at different regions of the sheet metal
4.
[0038] Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a rolling device 400 related to another embodiment
of the present invention, and is a sectional schematic view in a direction perpendicular
to a direction along which a sheet metal is passed through during a process in which
the sheet metal is passed through a roll gap and is rolled.
[0039] For the conciseness of description, only the differences between the rolling device
400 and the rolling device 300 are described below. The rolling device 400 adopts
an upper forming roll 1a and a lower forming roll 1b, the generatrix of the lower
forming roll 1b is an arc line, and the generatrix of the upper forming roll 1a is
a straight line, so that a value of a roll gap in a middle region of the two forming
rolls 1 is smaller than the values of the roll gap in two end regions of the two forming
rolls 1 without being bent. A multi-point supporting mechanism 2a supports the forming
roll 1, and a multi-point shape adjusting mechanism 3 can also cause a bending deformation
to the forming roll 1. Of course, it is also be possible for a value of the roll gap
of a central region to be larger than those of two side regions of the two forming
rolls 1, or for a value of the roll gap of one side region to be smaller than that
of the other side region, so that non-uniform plastic strains are generated at different
regions of the sheet metal 4. In addition, the device may also be configured such
that only the generatrix of the upper forming roll 1a is an arc line, and the generatrix
of the lower forming roll 1b is a straight line.
[0040] Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a rolling device 500 related to another embodiment
of the present invention, and is a sectional schematic view in a direction perpendicular
to a direction along which a sheet metal is passed through during a process in which
the sheet metal is passed through a roll gap and is rolled.
[0041] The rolling device 500 adopts an upper forming roll 1a and a lower forming roll 1b,
each of which is divided into two segments respectively, and rotary forming or curved
feeding and forming of the sheet metal 4 is achieved by applying torques of different
magnitudes in opposite directions to the segmented forming rolls 1. The upper forming
roll 1a and the lower forming roll 1b can be bent through a multi-point shape adjusting
mechanism 3 respectively, so that an overall roll gap is non-uniformly distributed,
and a value of the roll gap of a central region is smaller than those of two side
regions; torques of different magnitudes in opposite directions are applied to the
segmented forming rolls by a driving mechanism, to achieve rotary forming or curved
feeding and forming of the sheet metal 4, so that a plastic deformation in the central
region is larger than a plastic deformation in the two side regions of the sheet metal
4. Of course, it is also be possible for the value of the roll gap of the central
region to be larger than those of the two side regions of the overall roll gap, so
that the plastic deformation in the central region is larger than the plastic deformation
in the two side regions of the sheet metal 4; and it is also possible for a value
of the roll gap of one side region to be smaller than that of the other side region
of the overall roll gap, so that a plastic deformation in the one side region is larger
than a plastic deformation in the other side region of the sheet metal 4.
[0042] Fig. 6 is a schematic view of a rolling device 600 related to another embodiment
of the present invention, and is a sectional schematic view in a direction perpendicular
to a direction along which a sheet metal is passed through during a process in which
the sheet metal is passed through a roll gap and is rolled.
[0043] For the conciseness of description, only the differences between the rolling device
600 and the rolling device 500 are described below.
[0044] The rolling device 600 is provided with a centering mechanism 5 between two divided
segments of an upper forming roll 1a and a lower forming roll 1b. The centering mechanism
5 causes the sheet metal 4 to rotate about a centering axis during a forming process,
and prevents the sheet metal 4 from displacing as a whole during a rotary forming
process.
[0045] Fig. 7 is a schematic view of a rolling device 700 related to another embodiment
of the present invention, and is a sectional schematic view in a direction perpendicular
to a direction along which a sheet metal is passed through during a process in which
the sheet metal is passed through a roll gap and is rolled.
[0046] For the conciseness of description, only the differences between the rolling device
700 and the rolling device 100 are described below.
[0047] The rolling device 700 is provided with a flexible overall supporting mechanism 2b
between a forming roll 1 and a multi-point shape adjusting mechanism 3, the overall
supporting mechanism 2b has a rigidity larger than that of the forming roll 1, but
can be bent together with the forming roll 1, the overall supporting mechanism 2b
can restrict the forming roll 1 in multiple directions, and the multi-point shape
adjusting mechanism 3 can cause a deformation to the forming roll 1 by adjusting the
shape of the overall supporting mechanism 2b, so as to result in a non-uniform distribution
of the roll gap.
[0048] Fig. 8 is a schematic view of a rolling device 800 related to another embodiment
of the present invention.
[0049] Unlike the rolling device 700, the rolling device 800 is provided with a rigid overall
supporting mechanism 2b, the section of which is much larger than that of the upper
forming roll 1a or the lower forming roll 1b, and thus the rigidity thereof is much
larger than that of the upper forming roll 1a and the lower forming roll 1b. The overall
supporting mechanism 2b with a high rigidity supports the upper forming roll 1a and
the lower forming roll 1b in multiple directions, and the contact length is larger
than the rolling width, so that the rigidity and the strength of the upper forming
roll 1a and the lower forming roll 1b during a rolling process are significantly increased.
The overall supporting mechanism adjusts the relative height of the forming roll 1
before a rolling process, or adjusts the relative height of the forming roll 1 in
real time during the rolling process. The rolling device 800 is simple in structure,
small in size and low in manufacturing cost, and can achieve rolling of thin sheets,
thin strips, thin films or wide sheet metal by using a small-diameter forming roll.
In addition, in the rolling device 800, there may also be, but not limited to the
situation where the forming roll 1 may be a rotating body, the generatrix of which
is a curved line, to achieve different roll gap distributions and form different curved
surfaces. An oil groove may be formed on a contact surface of the overall supporting
mechanism 2b for supporting the forming roll 1, and one or more oil passages opening
from the outside to the contact surface may be formed on the overall supporting mechanism
2b, to reduce a friction between the upper forming roll 1a and the lower forming roll
1b and the overall supporting mechanism 2b by a principle of a sliding bearing or
a dynamic pressure bearing. During the rolling process, the roll gap may be adjusted
in real time by the overall supporting mechanism 2b, to achieve rolling of a sheet
metal with a variable section or forming of a free curved surface, and of course an
overall displacing mechanism may also be provided to perform an overall adjustment
to the roll gap in real time, to achieve rolling of a sheet metal with a variable
section or forming of a free curved surface.
[0050] Fig. 9 is a schematic view of a rolling device 900 related to another embodiment
of the present invention.
[0051] For the conciseness of the description, only the differences between the rolling
device 900 and the rolling device 700 or 800 are described below. In the rolling device
900, each of an upper forming roll 1a and a lower forming roll 1b is supported by
two driving rolls 6 (of course, more driving rolls 6 may also be provided respectively),
which are in contact with a respective one of the two forming rolls 1, and a torque
is applied to the roll body of each forming roll 1 by the driving roll 6, so that
the rotating torque of the forming roll 1 can be increased significantly.
[0052] Fig. 10 is a schematic view of a rolling device 1000 related to another embodiment
of the present invention, and is a sectional schematic view in a direction perpendicular
to a direction along which a sheet metal is passed during a process in which the sheet
metal is passed through a roll gap and is rolled.
[0053] The rolling device 1000 is provided with a row of flexible holding mechanisms 7 with
a function of height adjustment in an inlet and an outlet for the sheet metal 4 being
rolled respectively, the flexible holding mechanism may adopt a multi-point holding
mechanism, a soft-shaft-based holding mechanism or a plurality of floating holding
units for flexibly holding the sheet metal 4 in the inlet and the outlet thereof.
[0054] Fig. 11 is a schematic view of a rolling device 2000 related to another embodiment
of the present invention, and is a sectional schematic view in a direction parallel
to a direction along which a sheet metal is passed through during a process in which
the sheet metal is passed through a roll gap and is rolled.
[0055] The rolling device 2000 adopts a plurality of rows of flexible holding mechanisms
7 with a function of height adjustment in a direction of the inlet and a direction
of the outlet respectively. Also, a multi-point holding mechanism, a soft-shaft-based
holding mechanisms or a plurality of floating holding units may be adopted for flexibly
holding the sheet metal 4 in the inlet and the outlet.
[0056] Fig. 12 is a structural exemplary view of a multi-point shape adjusting mechanism
and a multi-point supporting mechanism related to the present invention. Of course,
the structures of the multi-point shape adjusting mechanism and the multi-point supporting
mechanism related to the present invention are not limited thereto. A forming roll
1 is restricted by an open shaft sleeve 8, which is embedded in a swing angle block
10; the swing angle block 10 is connected to a bracket 11 by a pin shaft 9, and the
swing angle block 10 swings to ensure a consecutive and smooth flexure of the forming
roll 1 in a shape adjustment process; and the bracket 11 is connected to an adjusting
body 13 by a screw 12, and a shape adjusting lead screw 14 rotates to bring the adjusting
body 13 and the bracket 11 to move up and down, thereby the functions of support and
shape adjustment are achieved. In order to improve the property of wear resistance
of the shaft sleeve 8, the shaft sleeve 8 can be made of a material for sliding bearing,
such as copper. In order to reduce friction, a lubricant can be added in the shaft
sleeve 8. The multi-point shape adjusting mechanism 3 controls the deflection of the
forming roll 1 in a region supported by a multi-point supporting mechanism 2a, through
the rotation of the shape adjusting lead screw 14. A plurality of multi-point shape
adjusting mechanisms 3 are used for a multi-point control of the forming roll 1 in
an axial direction, so that the deflection of the forming roll 1 can be adjusted according
to need, and a non-uniform distribution of the roll gap between the upper forming
roll 1a and the lower forming roll 1b in the axial direction is achieved. Of course,
an oil groove and an oil passage may also be arranged on a contact surface between
the shaft sleeve 8 and the forming roll 1.
[0057] Fig. 13 is another structural exemplary view of a multi-point shape adjusting mechanism
and a multi-point supporting mechanism related to the present invention. Of course,
the structures of the multi-point shape adjusting mechanism and the multi-point supporting
mechanism related to the present invention are not limited thereto. A forming roll
1 and two driving rolls 6 are restricted by an open shaft sleeve 8, which is embedded
in a swing angle block 10; the swing angle block 10 is connected to a bracket 11 by
a pin shaft 9, and the swing angle block 10 swings to ensure a consecutive and smooth
flexure of the forming roll 1 in a shape adjustment process; and the bracket 11 is
connected to an adjusting body 13 by a screw 12, and a shape adjusting lead screw
14 rotates to bring the adjusting body 13 and the bracket 11 to move up and down,
thereby the functions of support and shape adjustment are achieved. A torque is applied
to a roll body region of the forming roll 1 by the driving roll 6, so as to increase
the rotational torque of the forming roll 1. In order to improve the property of the
wear resistance of the shaft sleeve 8, the shaft sleeve 8 can be made of a material
for sliding bearing, such as copper. In order to reduce friction, a lubricant can
be added in the shaft sleeve 8. The multi-point shape adjusting mechanism 3 controls
the deflection of the forming roll 1 in a region supported by a multi-point supporting
mechanism 2a through the rotation of the shape adjusting lead screw 14. A plurality
of multi-point shape adjusting mechanisms 3 are used for a multi-point control of
the forming roll 1 in an axial direction, so that the deflection of the forming roll
1 can be adjusted according to need, and a non-uniform distribution of the roll gap
between the upper forming roll 1a and the lower forming roll 1b in the axial direction
is achieved. Of course, an oil groove and an oil passage may also be formed on a contact
surface between the shaft sleeve 8 and the driving roll 6 and/or the forming roll
1. Furthermore, the number of the driving rolls is not limited to two.
[0058] In addition, the present invention also provides a curved surface rolling method
for three-dimensional curved surface forming of a sheet metal 4 by using the above
rolling device, comprising a shape adjusting step and a rolling step. In the shape
adjusting step, the upper forming roll 1a and/or the lower forming roll 1b are/is
supported by a multi-point supporting mechanism 2a or an overall supporting mechanism
2b, and through the multi-point shape adjusting mechanism 3, the upper forming roll
1a and/or the lower forming roll 1b can be caused to a bending deformation, and a
roll gap formed between the upper forming roll 1a and the lower forming roll 1b is
distributed non-uniformly; and in the rolling step, the sheet metal 4 is passed through
the roll gap, and the upper forming roll 1a and/or the lower forming roll 1b perform/perfomrs
a roll forming process on the sheet metal 4. In this method, the shape adjusting step
may be performed before the rolling step, the shape adjusting step and the rolling
step may also be performed simultaneously, i.e., the deflections of the upper forming
roll 1a and the lower forming roll 1b are changed and the shape of the roll gap between
the forming rolls 1 is changed while the sheet metal 4 is rolled. According to the
method, three-dimensional curved surface forming or thin sheet rolling of the sheet
metal 4 can be achieved simply, quickly and at a low cost. In addition, the overall
displacing mechanism adjusts the roll gap without changing the flexure of the forming
roll 1 before a forming process; or the overall displacing mechanism adjusts the roll
gap without changing the flexure of the forming roll 1 during the forming process.
According to the method, thin sheet rolling or variable section sheet rolling can
be achieved simply, quickly and at a low cost.
[0059] The present invention is described above in details in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings and the particular embodiments. Apparently, the above description and the
contents shown in the drawings shall be interpreted as exemplary, instead of limiting
the present invention. Obviously, various modifications or amendments can be made
by those skilled in the art based on the present invention, and these modifications
or amendments shall fall within the scope of the present invention.
Reference Numerals:
[0060]
1 Forming roll
1a Upper forming roll
1b Lower forming roll
2a Multi-point supporting mechanism
2b Overall supporting mechanism
3 Multi-point shape adjusting mechanism
4 Sheet metal
5 Centering mechanism
6 Driving roll
7 Flexible holding mechanism
8 Shaft sleeve
9 Pin shaft
10 Swing angle block
11 Bracket
12 Screw
13 Adjusting body
14 Shape adjusting lead screw
100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 2000 Rolling device
1. A rolling device, comprising a forming roll, a supporting mechanism, an adjusting
mechanism and a driving mechanism, characterized in that,
the forming roll comprises an upper forming roll and a lower forming roll, which have
small diameters and are easy to be bending deformed;
the supporting mechanism is a multi-point supporting mechanism or an overall supporting
mechanism for supporting the forming roll;
the adjusting mechanism is a multi-point shape adjusting mechanisms and/or an overall
displacing mechanism, capable of adjusting the shape and/or relative height of the
forming roll;
the driving mechanism is capable of applying a torque to one or two ends of the upper
forming roll and/or the lower forming roll, so that the upper forming roll and/or
the lower forming roll are/is caused to rotate, and whereby a sheet metal is passed
through a roll gap between the upper forming roll and the lower forming roll and is
roll formed.
2. The rolling device according to claim 1, characterized in that,
the forming roll is a rotating body having a generatrix of a straight or curved line;
the number of each of the upper forming roll and the lower forming roll is one or
more.
3. The rolling device according to claim 1, characterized in that,
the upper forming roll and/or the lower forming roll are/is composed of two roll segments,
which are capable of being rotated in opposite directions with different speeds, in
opposite directions with the same speed, in the same direction with different speeds
or in the same direction with the same speed.
4. The rolling device according to claim 3, characterized in that,
a centering mechanism is arranged between the two roll segments, for fixing a point
on the sheet metal, so that the sheet metal is incapable of being moved as a whole,
but only capable of being rotated about the point.
5. The rolling device according to claim 1, characterized in that,
the adjusting mechanism changes a deflection or relative height of the forming roll
according to need before the sheet metal is passed through the roll gap and is roll
formed; or changes the deflection or relative height of the forming roll in real time
according to need during a process in which the sheet metal is passed through the
roll gap and is roll formed.
6. The rolling device according to claim 1, characterized in that,
the overall supporting mechanism is a flexible supporting mechanism for providing
a full-length support for the forming roll, and the flexible supporting mechanism
has a sectional dimension larger than that of the forming roll, but is capable of
being flexurally deformed;
the adjusting mechanism is a multi-point shape adjusting mechanism for performing
a multi-point shape adjustment to the forming roll through the flexible supporting
mechanism, or it further comprise an overall displacing mechanism for adjusting the
relative height of the forming roll.
7. The rolling device according to claim 1, characterized in that,
the overall supporting mechanism is a rigid supporting mechanism for providing a full-length
support for the forming roll, the rigid supporting mechanism has a sectional dimension
much larger than that of the forming roll, and does not undergo a deformation or only
undergoes a deformation in a very small degree during a rolling process;
the adjusting mechanism is an overall displacing mechanism for adjusting the relative
height of the forming roll.
8. The rolling device according to claim 1, characterized in that,
the overall supporting mechanism is kept in surface contact with and sliding fit to
the forming roll, and an oil groove is formed on a contact surface between the overall
supporting mechanism and the forming roll, and additionally, one or more oil passages
opening from the outside to the contact surface are formed in the overall supporting
mechanism.
9. The rolling device according to claim 1, characterized in that,
the driving mechanism further comprises at least one driving roll, and the forming
roll is driven by the driving roll, the driving roll is located between the supporting
mechanism and the forming roll, the supporting mechanism is kept in surface contact
with and sliding fit to the driving roll, and the driving roll is kept in line contact
with and rolling fit to the forming roll.
10. The rolling device according to claim 1, characterized in that,
the rolling device further comprises one or more flexible holding mechanisms for supporting
the sheet metal before and/or after a forming process, arranged in front of and/or
behind the forming roll along a traveling direction of the sheet metal.
11. The rolling device according to claim 10, characterized in that,
the flexible holding mechanism comprises any one of a soft-shaft-based holding mechanism,
a plurality of floating holding units and a multi-point holding mechanism with a function
of height adjustment.
12. A rolling method for sheet rolling by using the rolling device according to one of
claims 1-11, characterized in that,
the method comprises an adjusting step and a rolling step,
in the adjusting step, the adjusting mechanism adjusts the shape(s) or relative height(s)
of the upper forming roll and/or the lower forming roll, so that the roll gap formed
between the upper forming roll and the lower forming roll is non-uniformly distributed
or uniformly distributed;
in the rolling step, a sheet metal is passed through the roll gap, and the sheet metal
is roll formed by the upper forming roll and/or the lower forming roll.
13. The rolling method according to claim 12, characterized in that,
the adjusting step is executed before the rolling step, or the adjusting step and
the rolling step are executed simultaneously.