Method of manufacturing an automobile suspension part

• US 9,527,369 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2013
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kobe Steel Limited
• Original Assignee: Kobe Steel Limited
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Shogo, Inagaki, Yoshiya
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Roy
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORILLO, JANELL COMBS
• Application Number:
  US13/890,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20130239412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 1/06 Heating or cooling methods or arrangements specially adapted for performing forging or pressing operations B21J5/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 5/02 Die forging; Trimming by making use of special dies ; Punching during forging
• CPC Class Codes: B21K 1/74 forked members or members with two or more limbs, e.g. U-bolts, anchors
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/12 with two attachment points on the sprung part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/124 the arm having triangular or Y-shape, e.g. wishbone
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/7102 Aluminium alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/8101 by casting
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/81022 by forging
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/84 Hardening
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/001 Suspension arms, e.g. constructional features B60G7/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/04 of aluminium or alloys based thereon
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49622 Vehicular structural member making

Abstract

For manufacturing an aluminum alloy automobile suspension part, an ingot material is heat treated and forged, a through-hole is formed therein and it is subjected to thermal refining. A minimum length between a rib end on a side of the through-hole and a through-hole end is made 6 mm or larger.

Claims

1. A manufacturing method of an aluminum alloy automobile suspension part having a through-hole, a rib and a web connecting the rib and the through-hole, wherein a normal section of the automobile suspension part that includes the rib and whose crystal grain is not coarsened has a yield strength of 270 MPa or larger and a recrystallization ratio of ≦

10%, the method comprising;

an ingot material preparing step of preparing an ingot material;

a heat treatment step of performing heat treatment of the ingot material;

a shaping step of shaping the heat-treated ingot material to form a shaped member;

a forging step of forging the shaped member;

a through-hole forming step of forming a through-hole in the forged shaped member; and

a thermal refining step of performing thermal refining of the forged shaped member on which the through-hole is formed, wherein

a minimum length of the web between a rib end on a side of the through-hole and a through-hole end is 6 mm or larger.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the aluminum alloy is a 6000 series aluminum alloy.