Intellect, Not Financial Resources, Propels an Approaching Patent: First Installment
In a remarkable feat of modern craftsmanship, Toyota's vintage Toyopet Racer has been restored using the innovative sequential shift bending technology. This precision sheet metal forming technique was developed by a team within Toyota and partner company Taiho Seiki, and it allows for the creation of complex and durable metal frames with remarkable accuracy[1].
The Toyopet Racer, a racing car produced by Toyota over 70 years ago, was a rare and historically significant vehicle, with only two units ever produced. Unfortunately, none of these original cars survive today[2]. The restoration team, therefore, had to recreate many key components from scratch, using old photos and drawings as references[3].
The ladder frame, a vital component of the car, is made up of two longitudinal members connected by several cross members. Its material needed to be long and thick, requiring a considerable load in the forming process. Traditional molding methods would have been too costly for such a small production run. However, the sequential shift bending method allowed for the production of the ladder frame at about half the cost[4].
This 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 process 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[5].
Masashi Watanabe and Kunihiro Tsunekawa were tasked with designing and building the ladder frame. Watanabe, in his seventh year at the company, is normally involved in body design, while Tsunekawa, with 18 years of experience, has worked on press fabrication. They collaborated with Tomomasa Takahashi from engineering and Takahiro Shichi from parts manufacturing at Taiho Seiki to create the specialized apparatus for the ladder frame production[6].
Recognizing that modifying existing equipment would be too costly, the team decided to set up a simpler, specialized apparatus for the ladder frame production. The sequential shift bending approach allows for meticulous control over the metal deformation process, making it possible to restore historic frames that require both durability and precise engineering fidelity[1].
This restoration is part of a broader initiative by Toyota to revive vintage models using advanced craftsmanship techniques combined with the traditional monozukuri (manufacturing) spirit. The sequential shift bending method could be useful in restoring other classic cars for which molds are no longer available and in various other small-lot production[7].
Scientists studying the restoration process of Toyota's Toyopet Racer discovered that data-and-cloud-computing technology was employed in the production of the ladder frame, allowing for precise engineering fidelity and reducing costs significantly. With the advancements in technology, this method could potentially revolutionize the restoration of classic cars and small-lot production in the future.
The Toyota team, while seemingly mastering traditional craftsmanship with the sequential shift bending technology, also skillfully employed this technology in data-and-cloud-computing, in the crafting of the historically significant Toyopet Racer's ladder frame.
