According to GlobalData’s company profile on Nippon Steel, vehicle camshaft manufacturing was a key innovation area identified from patents. Nippon Steel's grant share as of June 2023 was 1%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.

Method for producing outer panel with character line using punch

Source: United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Credit: Nippon Steel Corp

A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11684963B2) describes a method for producing an outer panel with a character line, which is a bent surface between two surfaces. The method involves using a punch, a blank holder, and a die to perform press working on a blank. The punch includes a projecting portion for forming the bent surface and a punch shoulder R portion at the top.

One key aspect of the method is the inclusion of a particle fixing portion on the first portion of the punch, which is designed to increase the static friction coefficient between the punch and the blank. This particle fixing portion includes a holding layer that holds particles, and the particles have an embedding ratio of 50 to 80%. The embedding ratio is calculated as the height of the holding layer divided by the average particle size of the particles, multiplied by 100%.

The patent also highlights that the static friction coefficient of the first portion of the punch, which includes the projecting portion and the punch shoulder R portion, is larger than the static friction coefficient of the second portion of the punch, which excludes the first portion. The difference between these two static friction coefficients is specified to be 0.05 or more.

Additionally, the particles used in the particle fixing portion have a Vickers hardness of 700 HV or more, and their average particle size ranges from 5 to 600 µm. The particle ratio of the fixed particles is between 5 to 20%, calculated as the total volume of the particles divided by the volume of the particle fixing portion, multiplied by 100%.

The patent also mentions the possibility of exchanging the particle fixing portion with another one based on the operating condition. Furthermore, it states that the particles come into contact with the non-design surface of the blank, which is the inner surface of the outer panel.

In a separate claim, the patent describes a method for producing an outer panel using a punch, a blank holder, and a die with a unitary structure. This method follows a similar approach as described in the previous claim, with the inclusion of the particle fixing portion on the first portion of the punch. The embedding ratio and other specifications remain the same.

Overall, this patent presents a method for producing outer panels with character lines using specific punch designs and the inclusion of a particle fixing portion to enhance the static friction coefficient during the press working process.

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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.