Intellectual Brainpower Paves Way for Pending Patent: Initial Installment
The Toyopet Racer, a classic racing car produced by Toyota over 70 years ago, has seen a significant revival in its ladder frame, thanks to an innovative metalworking technique known as "sequential shift bending". This method, developed in response to the constraint of a limited budget for the Toyopet Racer restoration project, allows for the creation of a high-precision frame at about half the cost of conventional molding methods.
The largest component of the revived ladder frame was the ladder frame itself, which consists of two longitudinal members and several cross members. To create this complex chassis part without casting, the team at Taiho Seiki was contacted for the possibility of using a specialized bending technique. The team, led by Masashi Watanabe and Kunihiro Tsunekawa, decided to use the "sequential shift bending" method.
This processing method uses a newly developed bending machine to gradually form pipe-shaped metals by applying a moderate force and repeatedly shifting the processing point as the shape is formed. This allows for precise bending of metal components in sequence, enabling the reconstruction or fabrication of complex chassis parts like the ladder frame without using traditional forming molds or dies.
The team faced challenges in converting hand-drawn diagrams into 3D data and figuring out how to build the ladder frame without casting. However, they were able to borrow the idea from the bending process for small square pipes and adapt it to the larger, more complex components of the Toyopet Racer's ladder frame.
The "sequential shift bending" method minimizes creasing and warping by filling the gap between the inner and outer metal layers with an insert that is firmly sandwiched in place from the top and bottom. This ensures a smooth and accurate bending process.
In addition to the ladder frame, many key components had to be made from scratch based on old photos and drawings. Once the metal has been machined into the desired form, engineers remove the insert and weld the sides of the outer and inner layers together. The engine, transmission, and the body are then mounted on the ladder frame.
The Toyopet Racer is one of the many classic vehicles that could benefit from this innovative bending technique. The "sequential shift bending" method should be useful in restoring other classic cars for which molds are no longer available. With its cost-effective and precise nature, this method is likely to become a go-to solution for restorers and fabricators in the future.
The groundbreaking "sequential shift bending" method, applied to the creation of the Toyopet Racer's ladder frame, showcases its potential in data-and-cloud-computing, as it required the conversion of hand-drawn diagrams into 3D data. This innovative technology allows for the fabrication of complex chassis parts like the ladder frame, without the need for traditional molding methods, thus contributing to the science of vehicle engineering.
