Hemming is a forming operation in which the edges of the sheet are folded or folded over another part in order to achieve a tight fit. Normally hemming operations are used to connect parts together, to improve the appearance of a part and to reinforce part edges.
In car part production, hemming is used in assembly as a secondary operation after deep drawing, trimming and flanging operations to join two sheet metal parts (outer and inner) together. Typical parts for this type of assembly are hoods, doors, trunk lids and fenders.
The accuracy of the hemming operation is very important since it affects the appearance of the surface and surface quality. Material deformations, which occur during the hemming process, can lead to dimensional variations and other defects in parts. Typical hemming defects are splits or wrinkles in the flange, material overlaps in the corner areas or material roll-in. This is why it is important to use simulation tools in order to, on the one hand, better understand the hemming process and, on the other hand, significantly reduce the number of “trial and error” loops during tryout und production.
There are various types of hemming operations:
Conventional die hemming is suitable for mass production. In die hemming, the flange is folded over the entire length with a hemming tool. Normally the actual hemming is a result of a forming operation in which the flange is formed with a hemming tool after the drawing and trimming operations have been completed. The formed flange is then hemmed in several process steps. These steps include, for example, the pre-hemming and final hemming depending on the respective opening angle of the flange. Production plants for conventional die hemming are very expensive, but the cycle times are very low.
Roll hemming is carried out incrementally with a hemming roller. An industrial robot guides the hemming roller and forms the flange. Roll hemming operation can also be divided into several pre-hemming and final hemming process steps. Roll hemming is very flexible to use and tool costs are significantly lower as compared to those of conventional die hemming. However, the cycle times are much higher since the hemming is realized using a hemming roller which follows a defined path.
Further information on hemming at AutoForm:
Efficient Planning of Hemming Processes
Simulation Software for Efficient Planning of Hemming Processes
AutoForm Training for Hemming
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