This invention relates to a method of forming tailored cast blanks, in particular from light metal alloys.

In the automotive industry many components are pressed from blanks. A blank is a piece of metal which has been cut to the right shape and is ready for pressing. More recently, a special type of blank, known as a tailored blank, has been used. A tailored blank is typically made from different thicknesses of metal and/or different grades of metal which are welded together. The main advantage of a tailored blank is that it can have different properties in different areas - for example high strength in one area and deep drawing properties and/or lower strength in another area. Tailored blanks can save weight and can also be cheaper than conventional blanks.

Another trend in the automotive industry is the increased use of aluminium alloys and other light metals such as magnesium alloys. Tailor welded blanks made from aluminium alloys have been used in the industry, but there are concerns about the integrity and performance of the welds and so the industry has been investigating other methods of producing tailored blanks which do not involve welding.

One of the methods for producing tailored blanks which does not involve welding is known as the tailor rolled blank. During the rolling process the roll gap is adjusted in a controlled manner which is synchronised with the speed of the strip so that the rolled strip has thickness changes which are synchronised with the size of the required blanks. When the blanks are then cut out of the rolled strip they have different thicknesses in different areas.

One of the limitations of the original tailor rolled blank concept is the thickness variations are only along the length of the rolled strip so that the thickness variation in the blank is only along one axis. In many cases this is sufficient, but for even more flexibility the industry has also been looking at varying the thickness across the width. This is known as strip profile rolling. For example, both thickness changes and strip profile rolling of flat products are research projects of the Institute of Metal Forming of the Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen. Studies include combining tailor rolling with strip profile rolling to simultaneously change the thickness of the strip in the longitudinal as well as in the width direction. Another area of active research is producing thickness and profile variations at the caster. For example, as described in "Twin-roll casting of strip with tailored thickness variation". Hirt et al. Production Engineering. Research and Development (2006) Bd.13, Nr.2, S.91-94.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a method of forming tailored cast blanks comprises determining at least one of a thickness pattern or profile pattern for a blank; generating a layout for a series of blanks having the determined thickness or profile pattern; and casting a strip in accordance with the layout, including varying width of the caster during casting of the strip.

The method varies width wise edge confinement of molten metal in the caster and hence varies width of the resultant strip, in accordance with the chosen layout of blanks, thereby reducing wastage.

Preferably, the varying the caster width comprises varying an effective position of an edge confinement device on at least one edge of the strip to follow an outline of the layout.

The position variation may be on both edges at the same time, on one edge, then on the other, at different times, or a combination of altering the position of both side barriers together and altering only one side barrier at a time, according to the outline shape required.

Preferably, the varying the caster width comprises varying an effective position of an edge confinement device on both edges of the strip independently to follow an outline of the layout.

Preferably, the edge confinement device comprises one of a mechanical edge dam or an electromagnetic confinement mechanism.

Preferably, the method further comprises varying caster roll gap to modify thickness of sections of the blanks.

Preferably, the method further comprises rolling the cast strip to modify thickness of sections of the blanks.

Preferably, the thickness is modified along the length of the strip, or across the width of the strip to change the profile. Preferably, the method further comprises determining a further pattern for a further blank and integrating the further pattern and the pattern in the layout for casting.

Preferably, the casting and rolling is a continuous process.

Preferably, the cast and rolled strip is formed into a coil.

Preferably, the method further comprises cutting the strip into discrete sections, each section containing at least one tailored cast blank.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, a strip comprising at least one tailored cast blank, the strip comprising an outline which varies on its edges in accordance with a variation in edge confinement device position across the caster width during casting.

An example of a method of forming tailored cast blanks will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 illustrates the process of forming tailor welded blanks;

Figure 2 illustrates the process of forming tailor rolled blanks;

Figure 3 illustrates apparatus for forming tailor cast blanks in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 4 shows a first example of a cast strip formed using the method of the present invention;

Figure 5 shows a second example of a cast strip formed using the method of the present invention; and,

Figure 6 shows a further embodiment of apparatus for forming tailor cast blanks according to the present invention.

Aluminium and other light metal strips are usually produced from either thick cast slabs or ingots up to around 600 mm thick, for example from a direct chill (DC) caster, or in a twin roll caster. In general DC casters are not capable of changing the casting width during casting and so the whole slab or ingot is produced with the same width and therefore the rolled strip has the same width for the whole length of the coil. Some twin-roll casters can change the casting width during casting but this is usually done in order to produce a coil having a different width from the previous coil. Within each coil the width is substantially constant. The same applies to other methods of casting such as belt casting; the cast slabs or cast strip have substantially constant width over the length of a coil.

In the tailor welding process, as illustrated in Fig. l, a complete door panel for automotive use may be divided into segments made from different grades and thicknesses of material in order to optimise the strength and weight of the door panel. Another benefit of splitting the door panel up like this is that the individual segments can be arranged on the rolled strips so as to maximise the utilisation of the rolled strips. From coils 20, 21, 22, 23 of different grade steels, multiple copies of a particular segment are cut. In this example, the thicknesses are 1mm, 2mm, 1.5mm and 2mm respectively, with different segments laid out. The segments are rotated relative to their final arrangement in the door panel and laid out in a pattern which uses as much as possible of the material 24, 25, 26, 27, then the segments A, B, C, D, E are cut from the strips. In some cases, more than one segment is cut from the same strip, as shown by parts C and D. The cost savings from this efficient use of material often outweigh the costs of the welding process, so that the complete tailored blank is actually cheaper than a conventional blank. All the parts required to make up the complete door blank 28 are put in place and then laser welded together along the welding lines 29 before being delivered to the customer.

However, as discussed in the background section, in the case of aluminium and other light alloys there are concerns about the integrity and performance of the welds in tailor welded blanks and so the industry has been looking at tailor rolled and profiled blanks instead. An example of this type of blank is illustrated in Fig.2. A previously formed coiled strip 32 is rolled so that the sections A, B, C, D, E of blank 30 are created on the strip with required thickness for each section, but as they are rolled from a continuous strip they are already joined together, so no welding step is required to form the blank 30. With a tailor rolled blank, whilst it is possible to get different thicknesses in different areas of the blank, it is not possible to maximise the utilisation of the rolled strip in the same way as the tailor welded blank because of rolling the blank as one piece. As a result, with a tailor rolled or 3-D profiled blank there may be significant waste material 31.

In order to reduce this wastage, whilst still benefiting from the absence of welds, the present invention provides a method of forming a blank whereby more efficient use of the strip can be made by adapting the process by which the strip is formed.

Current practices for forming metal strip for rolling include casting discrete slabs of metal which must be reheated before rolling to the correct thickness, casting a strand of metal which is rolled directly off the caster without being cut to length, or casting a strip of constant width and thickness which has to be cut and pressed into shape by end users, resulting in yield and energy losses due to the rolled product being only vaguely similar in size and shape to the end product. Normal practice for metals cast using twin roll casters is to cast at the same width from the beginning of the cast to the end of the cast.

Fig. 3 illustrates apparatus for carrying out the method of the present invention. Molten metal from the caster tundish 10 passes via caster feeder tip 2 to caster rolls 4 to form a strip 16. At each side of the caster feeder tip 2 are electromagnets 1 which act to confine the molten metal in the width direction. During the casting of the strip, by moving one or both of the electromagnets 1 that are situated on one or both sides of the caster feeder tip 2, transversely to the direction of cast, as indicated by the arrows 3, it is possible to modify the flow of liquid metal into the caster rolls 4 and as a

consequence modify the final width of the cast strip in certain regions 7. Varying the extent to which the molten metal is constrained in the width direction before it exits the caster results in the width of the cast strip so formed varying along its length. Cast strip 16 may have a varying width along the length that is directly linked to the change in profile of the final product. This variation in caster width during casting reduces wastage. The caster width may be varied to follow the outline of the blanks being formed in the strip.

In addition, thickness modification may be made either by casting different strip thicknesses or by close coupling a rolling mill stand with the caster. The strip passes through a roll gap between caster rolls, or rolling mill stand rolls. Moving the caster rolls 4 or the rolling mill stand rolls 5 in a direction 6, perpendicular to the direction of cast, to increase or decrease a roll gap, allows the strip thickness 8 to be modified. Thus, the size and shape of the cast and rolled strip may be made as close to the end product as possible by controlling the transverse and perpendicular movements and constraints as required. This has particular relevance to products in the automotive industry, but may be useful in other industries, such as aerospace.

Fig.4 illustrates an example of tailored cast blanks manufactured in accordance with the present invention in which the width changes on only one of the edges 11, 14 of the cast strip 33 by re-positioning the electromagnet 1 on one side only at a position 12 along the length, after an initial section of the blank 15 has been formed and for only part of the length of strip corresponding to each blank. At the end of the first blank, the electromagnet is moved back to its starting position 13 for a period during which the edges of the strip are parallel again.

The arrangement of the blanks illustrated in Fig.4 is not ideal from the point of view of the rate of change of caster width. All of the width change takes place on one side, whereas it is preferable to keep the centre of the rolled strip as close to the centreline of the mill as possible, in order to minimise steering problems. Depending on the size of the blank required and the maximum strip width it is possible to re-arrange the blanks to achieve much lower rates of caster width change and to keep the centre of the strip closer to the caster and mill centreline. One possible arrangement is illustrated in Fig.5. For these blanks which may have been tailor cast / tailor rolled / 3-D profiled the regions A, B, C, D, E are regions of different thickness within the one blank 15. In this example, the electromagnets are moved independently of one another in order to follow the profile of the blanks and also to keep the strip as closely as possible centred about the caster and mill centreline. Thus, the variation may be on both edges at the same time, on one edge, then on the other, at different times, or a combination of altering the position of both electromagnets together and altering only one at a time, whereby the effective edge created by the confinement of the molten metal is varied. The edges 17, 18 of the strip may be substantially parallel with one another in some places, but they are no longer substantially parallel to the centreline of the strip rolling mill. The overall cast rolled strip is however more closely centred with respect to the caster and mill centreline than the example of Fig.4.

After casting and rolling, the strip may be coiled before despatch to the end user, or the strip may be cut into discrete lengths according to the requirements of the final product. The process of casting and rolling may be linked to improve energy savings and improve production rates of coils that are then sent on to customers to be cut into shorter lengths before further intermediate steps of rolling, stamping and cropping. Changes of the width and thickness and cutting to length of the product may be accurately controlled and synchronised by an automation system. Directly modifying the cast width and thickness in the cast strip at the initial casting and hot rolling stage enables the strip dimensions to more closely match those of the final product, so reducing wastage. The width changes are rapid and may be carried out frequently to achieve the variation in width required to significantly reduce the amount of material wasted, or recycled, when the end product is produced. Modifying the width and or thickness of the strip as it is formed reduces the amount of rework required to be made on the strip to complete its transformation into the end product. Continuously casting and rolling metal strip into tailored cast blanks by varying the strip width and thickness during the process eliminates the need to reheat the product before rolling to the correct thickness, as well as reducing yield loss by creating a product as near to the finished dimensions as possible.

A further feature of the present invention is to include a blank for a different component in a part of the strip not otherwise being used, subject to the size or thickness or grade required being sufficiently similar. Another option is to use profiled rolls in the caster and rolling mill to modify the thickness of the strip across the width of the strip, as well as along its length.

In a further embodiment, illustrated in Fig.6, instead of a single profiled roll, a plurality of rolls, offset across the width of the strip may be used. For clarity, the pairs of rolls are illustrated as being offset in the direction of travel of the cast, but they need not be. With suitable supports the pairs of rolls may be located adjacent to one another on the same line parallel to the caster roller axis, or alternate between two lines parallel to the caster roller axis. The roll gaps set for each pair are chosen according to the thickness required at that transverse location across the strip. The cast strip 16 exits the caster rollers 4 and passes through the, or each, pair of rolls of the rolling mill stand according to whether or not the pairs are offset in the direction of the cast. The first pair of rolls 34, positioned towards one edge of the strip, have a different roll gap and hence produce a different thickness in the rolled product to an adjacent pair of rolls, although across the width, if the end product so requires, there may be more than one set of non-adjacent rolls set to the same roll gap. The example shown has another three pairs of rolls 35, 36, 37 each offset from one another in the transverse direction relative to the first pair of rolls 34, but the number of pairs of rolls actually used will depend upon the requirements of the end product. After passing through all of the pairs of rolls, the final strip 38 has width which varies in accordance with the variation as applied by the casting process and a thickness profile modified by the subsequent rolling process. The width of the strip, the thickness of the strip and the cross-sectional profile may be infinitely varied along the length to suit the finished blank requirement.

The examples have been described with reference to the use of electromagnets to constrain the molten metal and so modify the width of the cast strip at different positions along its length, as this is the most flexible way to automate such a method. However, for a relatively small amount of change of width, or a change which is not particularly rapid, mechanical end dams may be used with the caster and moved by actuators, under the control of a controller programmed for the required outline.