DE102022102467B4 - ABSORPTION DEVICE, DRILL AND METHOD FOR RELEASING COMPONENTS FROM A RESIDUAL GRID - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for releasing components (10) from a residual grid (12) of a plate-shaped or tubular workpiece by means of a sorting device (20) for releasing components (10) resulting from the separation of a plate-shaped or tubular workpiece from a residual grid (12) of the Workpiece, after the components (10), apart from at least one respective connecting web (14), have been separated from the plate-shaped or tubular workpiece to form a gap (16) surrounding the components (10) and immediately adjacent to the respective connecting web (14 ) a respective through-opening (18) has been produced in the residual grid (12) during separation, the sorting device (20) comprising a drilling tool (22) with a drill (24) which is designed to be immersed in the respective through-opening (18) and to separate the components (10) from the residual skeleton (12), the at least one connecting web (14) is removed from the component (10) in question, the drill having at least one of the following properties: - the drill (24) is an HSS drill or an HSS-E drill; the drill (24) has a titanium-nitrite coating or an aluminum-titanium-nitrite coating; - a drilling diameter of the drill (24) is larger than a diameter of the through opening (18) and the drill (24) points at its front end has a positioning element (36), which is preferably designed to be complementary in shape to the through opening (18); - the drill (24) is a two-stage step drill, the first drilling stage (36) of which has a tip angle (α) of 113 to 135 degrees and its second drilling stage (38) has a tip angle (β) of 113 to 135 degrees; - the first drilling stage (36) widens conically; - the drill (24) has three cutting edges; - a drill shaft (40) has three chamfers ( 42); - a drilling diameter is smaller than the width of the remaining grid web spacing between the components (10); - a core thickness of the drill (24) is dimensioned as follows: k > 0.3 * d2, where k is the core thickness and d2 is the diameter of the drill (24) corresponds; the method comprising that at least one of the components (10) is separated from the residual skeleton by inserting the drill into the relevant through opening (18) and removing the at least one associated connecting web (14) from the component (10).

Description

The invention relates to methods for releasing components resulting from the separation of a plate-shaped or tubular workpiece from a residual skeleton of the workpiece.

Laser-cut components that are held in a residual skeleton using a so-called microjoint can often only be separated or sorted out of the residual skeleton in question with a great deal of effort and effort. The microjoint often holds the components in question very firmly in the skeleton, so that a lot of force and time is necessary to remove the part from the skeleton. When laser cutting components, also known as blanks, it is common practice to leave microjoints between the components to be manufactured and the sheet metal sheet in question. Usually a minimal part of the relevant contour of the components is not cut through during laser cutting. This means that the components to be manufactured can initially be held securely within the skeleton of the metal sheet. However, as mentioned, completely separating and sorting the components from the residual skeleton can be relatively difficult and time-consuming.

Even with other methods, not just laser cutting of components from a sheet metal sheet, it can be difficult to separate components from a residual skeleton of a workpiece if they have not previously been completely separated from the workpiece because it makes sense from a process engineering point of view to have a connecting bar , e.g. in the form of a micro- or nanojoint, a microweld or in another form, between the respective component and the residual grid.

From the DE 10 2014 212 714 A1 a drill head is known which extends along an axis of rotation in the axial direction and has a frontal central region with first main cutting edges, an adjoining intermediate region and an adjoining outer region with second main cutting edges. The intermediate region expands in the axial direction towards the outer region and in particular forms an expanding conical surface. This achieves a centering effect via the intermediate area.

From the EP 1 622 735 B1 is a hard material drill with webs divided by flutes and at least two main cutting edges, each of which has a cutting corner and a transition to the cross cutting edge, the main cutting edge starting from the cutting corner being continuously convex in the axial direction at least in sections.

From the DE 33 16 193 A1 , US 2013 / 0 136 552 A1 , US 2014 / 0 363 249 A1 Other variants of drills are known.

From the WO 2017/ 162 497 A1 a processing machine for the separating processing of a plate-shaped material is known with a processing station in which the separating processing is carried out by a processing head, with a loading and unloading station which is arranged outside the processing station and with at least one pallet for receiving the plate-shaped material, which is between the processing station and the loading and unloading station can be moved, the loading and unloading station having a mobile sorting device which extends at least partially over the workpiece support and can be moved at least partially along a workpiece support of the pallet in the loading and unloading station.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a solution by means of which components can be particularly easily separated from a residual skeleton of a workpiece, to which they are still connected via at least one connecting web after a separation process.

This task is solved by the method according to claim 1. Further possible embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims, the description and the figures.

The invention relates to a method for removing components from a residual skeleton of a plate-shaped or tubular workpiece by means of a sorting device. The method begins in particular after the components have been separated from the plate-shaped or tubular workpiece, apart from at least one respective connecting web, with the formation of a gap surrounding the components, and a respective through opening has been produced in the residual grid immediately adjacent to the respective connecting web during separation. In the method according to the invention, at least one of the components is separated from the residual skeleton by inserting the drill into the relevant through opening and removing the at least one associated connecting web from the component. The rotating drill drills the through opening further and removes the connecting web adjacent to the through opening from the component to be removed.

The sorting device is designed to remove components from a residual grid of the workpiece when separating a plate-shaped or tubular workpiece. The components to be detached using the sorting device were separated from the workpiece by at least one respective connecting web separated to form a gap surrounding the components, with a respective through opening being produced in the residual grid adjacent, in particular immediately adjacent, to the respective connecting web during separation. The components have therefore been separated from the workpiece after the actual separation process, for example by laser cutting, punching, plasma cutting, water jet cutting or other separation processes, apart from the at least connecting web. The connecting bar ensures that the respective component is held on or in the skeleton.

The advantages described in connection with the sorting device also apply to the method according to the invention and vice versa, with the sorting device in particular having means for carrying out the method steps.

In other words, the connecting web is a material web that is deliberately initially left over and which connects the respective component to the remaining grid. This can be, for example, a microjoint, nanojoint or microweld. The connecting web can, but does not have to, have the same material thickness as the workpiece or the remaining grid of the workpiece. For the purposes of the invention, the tubular workpiece does not have to be round or oval tubes. Instead, the tubular workpiece can also have an angular cross-section, for example a rectangular tube.

The sorting device comprises a drilling tool with a drill, which is designed to plunge into the respective through opening and to remove the at least one connecting web from the component in question in order to separate the components from the residual grid. Furthermore, the sorting device can have a holding device which is designed to hold the respective component, in particular while the connecting web is being removed using the drilling tool. During the production of the components, for example, a laser cutting machine cuts the respective components out of the workpiece, e.g. a metal sheet, but leaves at least one connecting web, e.g. in the form of a microjoint, for each component. In other words, at least a part between the components and the workpiece is not severed during the cutting process, for example during laser cutting. Since such connecting webs are often small compared to the component to be manufactured, the part that is not severed is also referred to as a microjoint, for example. The connecting web can be understood to mean any connection between the residual skeleton and the component that must be severed or removed before the component is completely separated from the residual skeleton. The laser cutting machine can be, for example, a 2D laser flatbed machine. It is also possible for several connecting bars to be left for each component. In this case, respective through openings are created in the residual skeleton for each connecting web in the immediate vicinity during the separation process.

The tool, which is designed to plunge into the respective through opening and to remove at least one connecting web from the relevant component in order to separate the components from the residual skeleton, is according to the invention a drilling tool with a drill. It is also possible that instead of a drilling tool it is, for example, a milling tool, for example in the form of a hand milling machine, a nibbler, a slotting shear, an oxyfuel cutting device (particularly if the skeleton is made of structural steel) and/or a plasma cutter. The drill has at least one of the following properties: the drill is an HSS drill or an HSS-E drill; the drill has a titanium-nitrite coating or an aluminum-titanium-nitrite coating; a drilling diameter of the drill is larger than a diameter of the through opening and the drill has at its front end a positioning element which is preferably designed to be complementary in shape to the through opening; the drill is a two-stage step drill, the first drilling stage of which has a tip angle α of 113 to 135 degrees and the second drilling stage of which has a tip angle β of 113 to 135 degrees; the first drilling stage expands conically; the drill has three cutting edges; a drill shank has three bevels; a drilling diameter is smaller than the width of the residual grid spacing between the components; a core thickness of the drill is dimensioned as follows: k > 0.3 * d ₂ , where k corresponds to the core thickness and d ₂ corresponds to the diameter of the drill.

The sorting device is therefore set up to separate the respective components cut from the workpiece, which are still held on the residual grid by means of the connecting webs. In particular, the typically otherwise necessary grinding of the connecting webs on the respective component edges of the components can be omitted. The sorting device can use the drilling tool to remove the respective microjoints and thereby release the relevant components from the residual grid and optionally also hold them at the same time using the optional holding device, so that the components can be removed from the residual grid safely, quickly and reliably. Here, the relevant connecting webs are mechanically removed or separated from the components, with the holding device optionally holding the relevant ones during insertion of the drilling tool Can already hold components. The respective components can then be removed from the residual skeleton, for example by means of a lifting movement, manually or automatically, with the component optionally being held by means of the holding device. By means of the sorting device, it is possible in particular to completely remove the connecting webs from the components, so that the typical grinding of component edges on the components, thus a rework step, can be saved.

As already mentioned, respective through openings are produced in the residual grid adjacent to the respective connecting webs during laser cutting. During the actual separation process of the components from the workpiece, for example by laser cutting, not only the components - apart from the connecting webs - are separated from the metal sheet by the separation process. During the separation process, said through openings are also produced in the vicinity of the respective connecting webs, for example directly adjacent to them. The through openings can be round holes, for example, but all possible other cross-sectional shapes, such as polygonal cross-sectional shapes and the like, are also possible. The through openings are therefore placed close to the respective connecting webs in the residual grid. A respective distance from the through opening to the relevant connecting web can, for example, be less than or equal to 1 mm. The through opening can, for example, be made opposite the relevant connecting web. A respective center point of the through opening can, for example, lie in alignment with the center point of the relevant connecting web.

Using the drilling tool, the respective passage opening in the remaining grid can be drilled out in order to completely remove the components in order to remove the relevant connecting web. The drill of the drilling tool can have a larger diameter than the through openings. For example, the drill can have a diameter that is 1 mm larger than the through openings. The drill can be centered in the relevant through hole in order to drill it out. By drilling out the respective through opening, the associated connecting web is also removed at the same time, as this is also separated or removed by the drill. The components can be held during this process or afterwards, for example, by the holding device, which can be part of the sorting device, so that the relevant components can then be removed from the residual grid by means of the holding device of the sorting device. For example, a lifting movement upwards, i.e. away from the residual grid, can be carried out by means of the sorting device or by means of the holding device.

By means of the sorting device, it is therefore possible, when producing components from a workpiece, to remove the components particularly easily and quickly from a residual grid of the workpiece by cutting the respective connecting webs or removing them from the components by immersing the drill in the respective through openings. Little effort is required to remove the connecting bars in question. In addition, using the sorting device, it is possible to remove the connecting webs from the components almost or completely without leaving any residue, so that the connecting webs do not have to be subsequently removed from the components, for example by regrinding them.

As already mentioned above, it can be provided that the tool has a drilling tool with a drill, a milling tool, a nibbler, a slotting scissors and/or a plasma cutter. The drilling tool with the drill can be, for example, a cordless drill. Other drilling tools are also possible. The milling tool can be, for example, a milling drill, by means of which the respective through openings can be drilled out to remove the microjoints. It is also possible for the tool to have a nibbler to remove the respective microjoints, with the laser-cut through openings then serving as a starting point for the nibbler. Alternatively or additionally, the tool of the sorting device can also have slitting scissors that are designed to separate the microjoints. In this case, the laser-cut through openings serve as a starting point for the slitting scissors. Alternatively or additionally, it is also possible for the tool to have a plasma cutting machine, for example with a hand-held torch for cutting open the respective microjoints. In this case, the through openings in the residual skeleton are used for piercing the residual skeleton with the torch of the plasma cutting machine. In this way, splashes in particular can be avoided. Using said drilling tool, the microjoints can be removed from the respective components particularly easily, quickly, precisely and reliably by drilling out the respective through openings. Furthermore, the chip volume can be kept low when drilling through the through opening.

wobei

• - R_B der äußerste Radius des Bohrers ist;
• - R_D der vorgegebene Radius der Durchgangsöffnungen ist;
• - B die vorgegebene Breite des Spalts ist;
• - A ein vorgegebener Abstand zwischen einer Gutteilkontur des jeweiligen Bauteils und der jeweiligen Durchgangsöffnung, wobei insbesondere gilt, dass A höchstens R_B - R_D entspricht.

A further possible embodiment of the invention provides that the outermost radius of the Drill of the drilling tool train is specified according to this formula: $${\text{R}}_{\text{b}}={\text{R}}_{\text{D}}+\text{B/}2+\text{A},$$

where

• - R _B is the outermost radius of the drill;
• - R _D is the predetermined radius of the through openings;
• - B is the predetermined width of the gap;
• - A is a predetermined distance between a good part contour of the respective component and the respective through opening, in particular that A corresponds to at most R _B - R _D.

In other words, the outermost radius of the drill can correspond to the distance from the center of the through hole to the center of the gap previously created by laser cutting, plus said distance A, which is defined as described above. However, it is also possible to dimension the radius or the outermost diameter of the drill so that when the drill is immersed in the respective through openings, the connecting web is completely drilled away or removed. In particular, the drill can be dimensioned in terms of its radius so that when it is immersed centrally into the respective through-opening, the drill does not touch the respective components and is therefore not damaged.

• - der Bohrer ist ein HSS-Bohrer oder ein HSS-E-Bohrer;
• - der Bohrer weist eine Titan-Nitrit-Beschichtung oder eine Aluminium-Titan-Nitrit-Beschichtung auf;
• - ein Bohrdurchmesser des Bohrers ist größer als ein Durchmesser der Durchgangsöffnung und der Bohrer weist an seinem vorderen Ende ein Positionierelement auf, das vorzugsweise formkomplementär zu der Durchgangsöffnung ausgebildet ist;
• - der Bohrer ist ein zweistufiger Stufenbohrer, dessen erste Bohrstufe einen Spitzenwinkel von 113 bis 135 Grad und dessen zweite Bohrstufe einen Spitzenwinkel von 113 bis 135 Grad aufweist;
• - die erste Bohrstufe weitet sich konisch auf;
• - der Bohrer weist drei Schneiden auf;
• - ein Bohrerschaft weist drei Fasen auf;
• - ein Bohrdurchmesser ist kleiner als die Breite des Restgitterabstandes zwischen den Bauteilen;
• - eine Kerndicke des Bohrers ist folgendermaßen dimensioniert: k > 0,3 * d₂, wobei k der Kerndicke und d₂ dem Durchmesser des Bohrers entspricht (bei einem mehrstufigen Bohrer z.B. dem größten Durchmesser des Bohrers).

The sorting device can therefore have such a drill, the possible design of which is described below. The drill has at least one of the following properties:

• - the drill is an HSS drill or an HSS-E drill;
• - the drill has a titanium-nitrite coating or an aluminum-titanium-nitrite coating;
• - a drilling diameter of the drill is larger than a diameter of the through opening and the drill has a positioning element at its front end, which is preferably designed to be complementary in shape to the through opening;
• - the drill is a two-stage step drill, the first drilling stage of which has a tip angle of 113 to 135 degrees and the second drilling stage of which has a tip angle of 113 to 135 degrees;
• - the first drilling stage expands conically;
• - the drill has three cutting edges;
• - a drill shank has three chamfers;
• - a drilling diameter is smaller than the width of the residual grid spacing between the components;
• - A core thickness of the drill is dimensioned as follows: k > 0.3 * d ₂ , where k corresponds to the core thickness and d ₂ to the diameter of the drill (for example, in the case of a multi-stage drill, the largest diameter of the drill).

Compared to HSS drills or HSS-E drills, standard drills can have a short service life when drilling laser-cut holes or through openings, so that such standard drills can break and wear out quickly. A problem can be a nitrite layer on or on the laser-cut through openings, since this nitrite layer has a very high hardness. In addition, bevelled edges of the laser-cut through openings can pose a problem, as some of these also have to be drilled out. HSS or HSS-E drills are tough and not brittle. This allows them to better withstand bends that can occur if the drilling process is not straight; e.g. due to angular errors when drilling the through openings manually. Quick centering in the through openings to be drilled can also be difficult. Therefore, it can be provided that the drill is an HSS drill or an HSS-E drill. HSS stands for High Speed Steel, i.e. high-performance, quick-processing steel that is used as the base material for the drill, which can be a metal drill. HSS drills are very hard and heat-resistant. It is therefore possible to work at a high speed for longer with an HSS drill, for example. The alloying element cobalt is particularly important. If the steels have a cobalt content of 5% or 8%, then these steels form their own alloy group, which is identified with the abbreviation HSS-E.

The drill can also have a titanium nitrite coating (TiN) or an aluminum titanium nitrite coating (AlTiN). Other coatings can also be provided on the drill, such as titanium aluminum nitrite (TiAIN). Such coatings allow the drill to have a particularly good or long service life.

A drilling diameter, in particular the outermost diameter, of the drill can be larger than a diameter of the through opening, wherein the drill can have a positioning element at its front end, which preferably has a shape that complements the through opening is formed. In other words, the drill can basically be a single-stage drill, at the front end or at the tip of which the positioning element extends, for example as a cutting-free extension of the drill. The wording “complementary in shape” is to be understood as meaning that the positioning element can be inserted into the through opening with largely no play (e.g. with a maximum play of a fraction, e.g. 1/5, of the cutting gap width). The positioning element can in particular have a cylindrical shape. A cylindrical positioning element can in particular be complementary in shape to a circular through opening. However, it can also be complementary in shape to a through opening with, for example, a jagged or polygonal cross section, if the positioning element is centered or fixed in the through opening by the surfaces or inwardly directed corners or spikes of the through opening. The positioning element is preferably designed to immerse into the through opening and to position the drill exactly in or on the through opening. The diameter of the positioning element therefore has essentially the same diameter as the through opening. It goes without saying that the outer diameter of the positioning element must be slightly smaller than the diameter of the through opening so that the positioning element can dip into the through opening with little resistance. For example, the diameter of the positioning element can be 0.1 mm to 1 mm smaller than the diameter of the through opening. The diameter of the positioning element can also be, for example, between 0.5 mm and 10 mm, preferably at most 5 mm, smaller than the diameter of the drill. It is further understood that the positioning element and the drill are concentric to one another. The positioning element can be made of the same material as the drill, but can also be made of a different material. For example, the positioning element can be made of a metal or a plastic. The positioning element can have a conically tapered tip at its front end in the drilling direction. Alternatively, the positioning element can be designed to be essentially flat or rounded (eg hemispherical) at its front end. A flat or rounded design of the front end of the positioning element can prevent the drill from damaging a storage structure (e.g. a storage grid) on which the workpiece is stored or, for example, a rear wall of a tubular workpiece, after the through-opening has been completely expanded.

Compared to the flattened version, for example, a curve or a tapered (e.g. rounded) tip can serve as a centering aid when inserting the positioning element into the through opening. The positioning element can preferably have a length that is less than a workpiece thickness of the workpiece to be machined. The length of the positioning element can be, for example, between 1 mm and 10 mm, preferably between 3 mm and 6 mm, for example 5 mm. The positioning element or a front part of the positioning element can also be rotatably mounted. If the drill accidentally hits a surface or a workpiece element (e.g. counter wall of a tubular workpiece) during (or after) widening the through opening, the positioning element or the front part of the positioning element does not rotate with the drill and thus protects the surface or the workpiece element from damage. Since the positioning element is primarily used to position the drill, it does not need to have any cutting edges.

According to a variant, the drill can be a two-stage step drill, the first drilling stage of which can have, for example, a tip angle of 113 to 135 degrees and the second drilling stage of which can have a tip angle of 113 to 135 degrees. However, other point angles are also possible for the respective drilling stages. In this variant, the first drilling stage of the step drill can be viewed as a positioning element of the drill, while the second drilling stage represents the drill itself. If the positioning element is designed as a first drilling stage with a tip and cutting edges, then the diameter of the positioning element can also correspond exactly to the diameter of the through opening. In order to position or center the drill (ie the second drilling stage), the drill with its first drilling stage in this case easily makes its way into the through opening. It can be provided that the first drilling stage widens conically, for example from 3 mm to 3.4 mm. In general, the expansion can be designed in such a way that it corresponds to a respective edge bevel of the respective laser-cut through openings. The length of the first drilling stage can be, for example, 2 to 6 mm, for example 5 mm. The drill can have three cutting edges, each of which has a width of 1 mm, for example. In addition, a drill shaft of the drill can have three chamfers. The drill shaft can, for example, be ground with three bevels, with a respective bevel width being, for example, 1 mm. This can prevent the drill from slipping in a jaw chuck of the associated drill or the associated drilling tool. In order to avoid a drill breakage, the drill can be kept short. This can mean, for example, the following: The drill length for sheet metal thicknesses from 4 mm to 30 mm is less than 65 mm, for example 55 mm. The spiral length can be, for example, 30 mm, whereby the drill shaft can have a length of 25 mm. For sheet metal thicknesses less than 4 mm, the drill length can be less than 34 mm, for example, whereby the spiral length can then be 9 mm and the drill shank can be 25 mm, for example. In addition, it can be provided that a drill core is designed to be as large as possible. A groove profile should be wide and flat so that the drill core is as large as possible so that it does not break quickly. The drill core can be, for example, 2.4 mm with a groove depth of 2.6 mm. Two or three chip spaces can be provided.

If the workpiece from which the components are to be cut is made, for example, from a 6mm CrNi steel, the drill can have the following properties, for example: The drill is an HSS spiral step drill with a TiAIN coating. The drill has two stages. The first drilling stage has a tip angle of 130 degrees, three cutting edges, a diameter of 3 mm, with an expansion to 3.5 mm, i.e. an increase in diameter. The expansion from 3 mm to 3.5 mm corresponds to an edge bevel of a laser cut of the respective through openings. The length of the first drilling stage is 5 mm. The second drilling stage can have a point angle of 130 degrees, also with three cutting edges and a diameter of 5 mm. The drill core of the second drilling stage can have a diameter of 2.4 mm with a groove depth of 2.6 mm. Three chip spaces are provided. The drill length can be 55 mm, with 33 mm being the spiral length and 25 mm being the drill shank. The drill shaft can be ground with three bevels, whereby the bevel width can be 1 mm.

If the workpiece from which the components are cut is, for example, a CrNi steel with a sheet thickness of 1 mm, the drill for drilling out the microjoints can be designed as follows: It is an HSS spiral step drill with a TiAIN coating. The drill has two stages. The first drilling stage can have a tip angle of 130 degrees, three cutting edges and a diameter of 3 mm with an expansion to 3.4 mm, i.e. an increase in diameter. The expansion from 3 mm to 3.4 mm can correspond to an edge bevel of the respective laser cut of the through openings. By expanding from 3 mm to 3.4 mm, the thin sheet in question, i.e. the sheet metal with a thickness of 1 mm made of CrNi steel, can also be easily drilled. The expansion or increase in diameter ensures that the drill is centered securely, even in thin sheet metal, and the drill hole does not fray as a result. The length of the first drilling stages can be 5 mm. The second drilling stage can have a point angle of 130 degrees, three cutting edges and a diameter of 5 mm. The drill core has a diameter of 2.4 mm with a groove depth of 2.6 mm. Three chip spaces can be provided here. The drill length can be 34 mm, with 9 mm being the spiral length and 25 mm being the drill shank. The drill shaft can in turn be ground with three bevels, whereby the bevel width can be 1 mm.

Alternatively, it is also possible that the drill is a simple twist drill made of HSS without steps. In addition, it is also possible to provide special HSS spiral step drills with a coating (TiN, AlTiN). In general, the drill can have two stages. The drill can also be, for example, a step drill with three drilling stages. For example, the first stage can have a diameter of 3 mm, the second stage can have a diameter of 4 mm and the third stage can have a diameter of 5 mm. Such a design as a three-stage drill can prove to be particularly suitable for thin sheet metal with a thickness of 1 mm. In addition, it is also possible for the drill to be a peeling drill, the diameter of which widens, for example, from 2 mm to 5 mm. Such a peeling drill can be particularly suitable for thin sheet metal with a sheet thickness of 1 mm.

A further possible embodiment of the invention provides that the holding device is designed to hold the respective component using magnetic force and/or negative pressure. The holding device can therefore have a magnet, for example an electromagnet, in order to hold the respective components. Alternatively or additionally, the holding device can have, for example, a suction cup which is designed to hold the respective components by applying a negative pressure. The holding device can therefore hold the components particularly securely, both when removing the connecting webs and for removing the components from the residual grid after the respective connecting webs have been removed.

According to a further possible embodiment of the invention, the sorting device can have a translational guide with two stops to limit the movement of the holding device. By means of the guide, it is possible to guide the movement of the holding device particularly precisely. Said stops also make it possible to easily limit the movement of the holding device, which can facilitate precise handling of the components. For example, a handle can be provided on the holding device so that a worker can hold the holding device completely can be easily operated manually, i.e. can move translationally, the guide ensuring that the holding device is guided precisely in translation.

A further possible embodiment of the invention provides that the sorting device is designed for manual handling by a worker, i.e. a machine operator, or the sorting device is designed for the automated removal of the components from the residual grid and for automatic component removal. In the event that the sorting device is designed for manual handling by a machine operator, the tool for separating the components from the residual skeleton can be, for example, a cordless drill. The holding device, which can have a magnet and/or a suction cup, for example, can be arranged on the cordless drill in a translationally guided manner. Using a cordless drill, a worker can easily drill out the through openings in order to remove the microjoints from the components. In the meantime, he can use the holding device attached to the cordless drill to hold the component in question, for example magnetically or using suction force, and after completely removing the microjoint, he can easily remove the component from the remaining grid. If, on the other hand, the sorting device is designed for the automated removal of the components from the residual grid and for automatic component removal, the sorting device can be, for example, a type of stationary robot. This can carry out all of the previously described steps for removing and removing the components completely automatically. Other configurations of the sorting device are also possible, so that it is designed for the automated removal of the components from the residual grid and for automatic component removal.

A further possible embodiment of the invention provides that the sorting device has a drilling depth limitation for the drill, comprising a receptacle which can be fastened to a drill shaft on the outer circumference and a drilling depth stop made of plastic, which is rotatably mounted on an outer lateral surface of the receptacle and is immovable in the axial direction for receiving , wherein the drilling depth stop forms a collar around the drill in the mounted state of the drilling depth limiter and limits an immersion depth of the drill into the through opening when a support surface of the drilling depth stop comes into contact with the residual grid.

When cutting the connecting webs using the drill, it could happen that the drill is guided slightly at an angle and therefore breaks in the through opening to be drilled. In addition, if the drill is tilted, the good part, i.e. the component in question, can be damaged by accidentally being drilled using the drill. In addition, the drilling times can be relatively long if you slip too far into the through hole to be drilled when cutting through the connecting webs. Conventional drilling depth limits can also rotate on the drill and thereby scratch a good part surface, i.e. the relevant surface of the components, especially if chips are dragged through the drilling depth limit. Thanks to the drilling depth stop made of plastic, which is rotatably mounted on an outer surface of the holder, it does not scratch the surface of the good part. In particular, the drilling depth stop can be made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). As soon as the drilling depth stop with its support surface comes into contact with the residual grid firmly enough while the drill is immersed in the through opening, the drill can continue to rotate, with the drilling depth stop made of plastic no longer rotating due to the rotatable bearing. This free mounting of the drilling depth stop results in virtually no relative movement in the sense of a rotation of the drilling depth stop relative to the respective component surface. At best, the drilling depth stop only moves or rotates briefly relative to the component surface in question, namely when the drilling depth stop with its support surface only comes into very slight contact with the component surface and/or the residual grid. The drilling depth stop can be mounted so that it can rotate particularly easily, so that even a small normal force is sufficient for the drilling depth stop to stop when the support surface of the drilling depth stop comes into contact with the residual grid and/or the component. The relatively soft material of the drilling depth stop can also prevent the component surface from being scratched.

A further possible embodiment of the invention provides that the drilling depth stop has at least one opening for chip removal. The drilling depth stop can also have several openings for chip removal. The at least one opening for chip removal is designed in such a way that when the through openings are drilled to remove the connecting webs, the corresponding chips can be removed particularly well. This can also prevent the components from being damaged when removing the connecting bars.

According to a further possible embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the receptacle has an outer part with a threaded hole for a grub screw for fixing the receptacle to the drill shaft, the receptacle being a Has inner part that is partially inserted into the outer part. In addition, the drilling depth stop is freely rotatable on the inner part and is fixed in the axial direction by both the inner part and the outer part. Said grub screw can therefore be screwed into the holder through the threaded hole in the radial direction in order to reliably fix it on the drill shaft. The inner part, which is partially inserted into the outer part, serves as a bearing for the freely rotatable mounting of the drilling depth stop. In addition, the drilling depth stop is fixed in the axial direction by both the inner part and the outer part, so that the drilling depth stop only has a single degree of freedom, namely a rotational degree of freedom. The entire drilling depth limitation can therefore be reliably fixed on the drill shaft, with the drilling depth stop being able to be mounted in a particularly easy, freely rotatable manner, which on the one hand ensures a reliable drilling depth limitation and, on the other hand, ensures that the respective components are not damaged when drilling out the through openings to remove the connecting webs.

A further possible embodiment of the invention provides that the inner part is screwed into the outer part. The inner part can have an accessible tip at the front for screwing the inner part in and out. The inner part can therefore be easily screwed into and out of the outer part, for example to replace the drilling depth stop if necessary, especially if it is worn out.

A further possible embodiment of the invention provides that the inner part is inserted into the outer part and in turn has a threaded hole aligned with the threaded hole of the outer part for the grub screw to fix the receptacle on the drill shaft. Both the outer part and the inner part each have a threaded hole, which are arranged in alignment in the radial direction. Said grub screw can then be screwed through both threaded holes in order to attach the drilling depth limiter to the shaft of the drill.

In particular, the drilling depth limitation can be designed in two different variants. In the first variant, the drilling depth limiter consists of three parts. A cylindrical part made of iron with an internal thread, which is attached to the drill with a grub screw. This cylindrical part made of iron is the holder in question. The drilling depth limit on the drill can be adjusted using the grub screw. The holder can first be moved on the drill shaft so that the desired drilling depth limitation is correctly positioned, after which the grub screw is then screwed in to fix the drilling depth limitation in the desired positioning on the drill. A second cylindrical inner part made of iron can be provided which has an external thread which is screwed into the first cylindrical part. This second cylindrical inner part is the inner part mentioned above. The exposed, temperature-resistant plastic made of PTFE can then sit on the second cylindrical inner part, which is the freely rotatable drilling depth stop mentioned above. So that the drilling depth stop made of plastic cannot slip forwards or backwards, it is held or fixed in the axial direction by the two cylindrical parts. Because the two cylindrical parts are only screwed together, the drilling depth stop made of plastic can be replaced particularly easily by loosening the screw connection between the two cylindrical parts.

A second variant of the drilling depth limit can also consist of three parts, again a cylindrical part made of iron with a threaded hole for a grub screw and a second cylindrical inner part made of iron, which is inserted into the first cylindrical inner part. This cylindrical inner part also has a threaded hole for the grub screw, with the two threaded holes being arranged in alignment with one another. In this case, after positioning the drilling depth limiter on the drill as desired, the grub screw is screwed in through both threaded holes that are aligned with each other. The grub screw is screwed continuously through both cylindrical parts. On the second cylindrical inner part sits the drilling depth stop made of temperature-resistant plastic, which can be made of PTFE, for example. So that the drilling depth stop cannot slip forwards or backwards, it is held by the two cylindrical parts or fixed in the axial direction. By loosening the grub screw, the two cylindrical parts can be released and the drilling depth stop can be replaced if necessary.

The drilling depth limitation can, for example, be dimensioned so that its diameter is not larger than 20 mm. This means that the drilling depth limiter can rest well on the residual mesh, especially if the residual mesh has a web width of 10 mm, for example. Especially if the drilling depth stop is made of PTFE, the drilling depth stop does not become soft even when the drill is heated, since PTFE is quite temperature-resistant. This allows you to Also, do not press any drilling chips into the drilling depth stop, which can avoid scratches on the components.

In the course of the method, it can be provided that the component is removed from the residual grid by means of a holding device after the connecting web has been removed. The holding device can, but does not have to be, part of the sorting device. It can be provided that the holding device is used to hold or fix the component during the drilling of the through opening, i.e. when removing the connecting web.

A possible embodiment of the method according to the invention provides that it is counted how many of the components were removed from the residual skeleton by monitoring a power consumption of the drilling tool and comparing it with a predetermined power consumption curve, which involves a separation process, i.e. a single cycle for cutting through the relevant connecting web , characterized by means of the drilling tool. There may be little transparency as to how many of the components have already been removed from the skeleton. Counting which and how many of the components have already been removed can be error-prone, time-consuming and not very convenient, especially if the removed components are counted by hand, which can be very laborious. Instead, it can be provided to automatically count how many of the components were removed from the residual grid by monitoring said power consumption of the drilling tool and comparing it with a predetermined power consumption curve, which characterizes a respective separation process of the connecting webs by means of the drilling tool. If the drilling tool has, for example, a cordless drill, the counting can be carried out by monitoring the power consumption and power consumption, for example by monitoring voltage curves and/or current curves within the battery. If one of the connecting bars is drilled out, a high power consumption is detected. When the respective drilling process is completed, the power consumption drops again. The component was therefore loosened and could be removed. The total number of components removed is increased by 1 after detection of such a predetermined power consumption curve. The counting can be done, for example, by measuring the power consumption and power loss in terms of current/voltage of the drilling tool. If another tool is used to separate the connecting bars instead of the drilling tool, the same procedure can also be used with these tools in order to automatically count the number of components removed. If one of the connecting webs is drilled out or removed, a correspondingly high power consumption on the drilling tool is detected. When the drilling process is finished, the power consumption of the drilling tool drops accordingly, for example the speed of the drill in question drops to 0 revolutions per minute. In this case, the component was then detached from the remaining skeleton and could be removed. If the measurement of power consumption and power loss has gone through such a cycle, it can be assumed that one of the components has been detached and removed from the skeleton, after which the total number of removed parts is increased by 1. This makes it possible to count in a very simple, automatic and reliable way how many of the components have already been removed from the scrap skeleton.

Another possible embodiment of the method provides that data characterizing the number of components removed from the residual skeleton is transmitted to an app and/or to an ERP system. “ERP” stands for Enterprise Resource Planning and describes the resource planning of a company or organization. An ERP system can include a variety of business and operational data that is centrally processed and stored in a database. The sorting device can, for example, be equipped with a Bluetooth or a WLAN-based radio interface, so that information or data regarding the performance measurement can be sent to an app, for example a smartphone, a tablet or a PC, and/or to an ERP system can be handed over. In this way, it can be transparently shown how many of the components have already been removed using the sorting device or how many of the components the relevant connecting bar has already been removed, thus also how many of the components still need to be removed. This data can also be transferred to a cloud, for example. By transferring the data characterizing the number of components removed from the skeleton to an app and/or to an ERP system and/or to a cloud, it is possible to reliably monitor at any time how many of the components have already been removed.

According to a further possible embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the number of components removed from the residual skeleton is compared with a predetermined total number of components to be removed from the residual skeleton, with information regarding the components still to be removed if not all components have yet been removed be issued. This means that it can be reliably determined at any time whether all components have already been removed from the skeleton have been taken or not. If this is not the case, said information is output regarding the components that still need to be removed, so that, for example, a worker who operates the sorting device can easily be informed about how many and which components still need to be removed from the scrap grid. For this purpose, it can be provided, for example, that the information regarding the components still to be removed is output by outputting a flashing signal on the sorting device; the component to be removed next and/or the associated passage opening is illuminated using a light source, for example using a laser pointer; and/or it is displayed on the sorting device, in particular by means of a display, which components still need to be removed from the residual grid and where they are arranged.

If all components have not yet been removed, said flashing signal can be output on the sorting device. For example, the sorting device can flash red briefly or for a longer period of time by activating an LED or the like, so that a worker can recognize via the flashing signal that he has not yet removed all of the components from the residual grid. Alternatively or additionally, it is possible for information regarding the components to be removed to be transferred to a laser projection unit, so that the component to be removed next and/or the associated through opening is illuminated by means of said laser pointer. In this way, a worker can easily recognize which component he should next remove from the residual skeleton, for example by inserting the drill into the optically marked through opening in order to remove the connecting bar and then remove the relevant component from the residual skeleton. In addition, it is alternatively or additionally possible for the sorting device, for example by means of a display, to display which components still need to be removed from the residual grid and where they are arranged. For example, by looking at the sorting device, a worker can easily see which components are still where within the skeleton and need to be removed.

Further features of the invention can be seen from the following description of the figures and from the drawing. The features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description as well as the features and combinations of features shown below in the description of the figures and/or in the figures alone can be used not only in the combination specified in each case, but also in other combinations or on their own, without the scope of the invention to leave.

• 1 ein aus einer Blechtafel mittels Laserschneiden herausgetrenntes Bauteil sowie ein dabei verbliebenes Restgitter der Blechtafel;
• 2 eine schematische Darstellung des Bauteils, wobei dieses noch über einen Microjoint mit dem Restgitter verbunden ist, und wobei ein Bereich rund um den Microjoint vergrößert dargestellt ist;
• 3 eine erste mögliche Ausführungsform einer Absortiervorrichtung zum Entnehmen derartiger lasergeschnittener Bauteile aus einem Restgitter einer Blechtafel, wobei die Absortiervorrichtung zur manuellen Bedienung durch einen Werker ausgelegt ist;
• 4 eine weitere mögliche Ausgestaltung der Absortiervorrichtung, wobei diese zum automatisierten Herauslösen solcher Bauteile aus Restgittern sowie zur automatischen Bauteilentnahme ausgelegt ist;
• 5 einen Bohrer für solche Absortiervorrichtungen, mittels welchem die Microjoints entfernt werden können;
• 6 eine weitere schematische Darstellung rund um den Bereich eines Microjoints, wobei verschiedene Bemaßungen angegeben sind, mittels welchen eine Dimensionierung des Bohrers definiert ist;
• 7 eine teilweise geschnittene Seitenansicht einer Bohrtiefenbegrenzung;
• 8 eine Frontalansicht der Bohrtiefenbegrenzung;
• 9 eine teilweise geschnittene Seitenansicht einer weiteren möglichen Ausgestaltung der Bohrtiefenbegrenzung; und
• 10 eine Frontalansicht der weiteren möglichen Ausgestaltung der Bohrtiefenbegrenzung.

The drawing shows in:

• 1 a component separated from a sheet metal sheet using laser cutting and a remaining skeleton of the sheet metal sheet;
• 2 a schematic representation of the component, which is still connected to the residual skeleton via a microjoint, and an area around the microjoint is shown enlarged;
• 3 a first possible embodiment of a sorting device for removing such laser-cut components from a residual skeleton of a metal sheet, the sorting device being designed for manual operation by a worker;
• 4 a further possible embodiment of the sorting device, which is designed for the automated removal of such components from residual grids and for automatic component removal;
• 5 a drill for such sorting devices, by means of which the microjoints can be removed;
• 6 a further schematic representation around the area of a microjoint, with various dimensions being specified, by means of which a dimensioning of the drill is defined;
• 7 a partially sectioned side view of a drilling depth limiter;
• 8th a front view of the drilling depth limiter;
• 9 a partially sectioned side view of a further possible embodiment of the drilling depth limitation; and
• 10 a front view of the further possible design of the drilling depth limit.

In the figures, identical or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

A component 10, which was separated by laser cutting from an unspecified metal sheet, and a remaining skeleton 12 of the metal sheet are in 1 shown. In 2 the component 10 is shown, although it has not yet been completely separated from the residual skeleton 12, since the component 10 is still connected to the residual skeleton 12 via a microjoint 14. During laser cutting, a cutting gap 16 is created by creating the desired outer contour of the Component 10 is moved with the laser in question. The at least one microjoint 14 is left standing, so this area is not cut through during laser cutting, so that the component 10 initially remains held on the residual grid 12 by the microjoint 14.

In the course of laser cutting, a through opening 18 is produced in the residual skeleton 12 adjacent to the microjoint 14. In other words, the laser cuts a hole in the residual grid 12 near the microjoint 14 in the form of the through opening 18. In the present case, the through opening 18 is shown to be circular, but it can also have completely different shapes, for example an angular shape and the like. Such a microjoint 14, which can also be referred to as a nanojoint depending on the size, can reliably hold such components 10 to the skeleton 12. However, it can take a lot of effort and effort to then separate and sort these components 10 from the residual skeleton 12. Because such microjoints 14 hold the components 10 very strongly or firmly in the residual skeleton 12, so that a lot of force and time may be necessary to remove the component 10 in question from the residual skeleton 12.

In 3 a possible embodiment of a sorting device 20 for removing such components 10 from such residual grids 12 is shown in a schematic perspective view. In the present case, the sorting device 20 is designed for manual handling by a worker. The sorting device 20 comprises a tool designed as a cordless drill 22, which is designed to immerse into the respective through openings 18 and to remove the at least one microjoint 14 from the relevant component 10 in order to separate the relevant components 10 from the residual skeleton 12. For this purpose, the cordless drill 22 has a drill 24. Furthermore, the sorting device 20 includes a holding device 26, which is designed to hold the respective components 10. In the case shown here, the holding device 26 has a magnet 28 which is designed to hold the respective components 10. This can be, for example, a permanent magnet or an electromagnet. The holding device 26 also includes a handle 30 that a worker can operate to move the holding device 26 translationally. In addition, the sorting device 20 has a translational guide 32 with two stops 34 to limit the movement of the holding device 26. The guide 32 can be designed so that it can be opened so that the holding device 26 can be easily removed from the cordless drill 22.

In 4 Another possible embodiment of the sorting device 20 is shown in a perspective view. This embodiment of the sorting device 20 is designed for automatically removing the components 10 from the residual grid 12 and for automatic component removal. This embodiment of the sorting device 20 can, for example, be a type of robot, which in turn can have a drill 24 which is designed to plunge into the respective through openings 18, drill them open and thereby remove or cut through the microjoint 14, so that the respective components 10 can then be easily removed from the skeleton 12.

This embodiment of the sorting device 20 can also have a suitably designed and unspecified holding device, which can be designed to fix or hold the component 10 during the drilling process and then to remove it from the residual grid 12, for example by a lifting movement upwards remove. In 5 a possible embodiment of the drill 24 is shown in a side view. The drill 24 can be an HSS drill, which can have, for example, a titanium-nitrite coating or an aluminum-titanium-nitrite coating. In the present case, the drill 24 is designed as a two-stage step drill, which has a first drilling stage 36 and a second drilling stage 38, the first drilling stage 36 acting as a positioning element for positioning the second drilling stage 38 or the entire drill 24 in or on the through opening 18 of a workpiece serves. The first drilling stage 36 can, for example, have a tip angle of 118 to 130 degrees, whereby the second drilling stage 38 can also have, for example, a tip angle of 118 to 130 degrees. Contrary to the present illustration, the first drilling stage 36 can also expand conically from its tip towards the second drilling stage 38. The drill 24 can, for example, have three cutting edges, with a drill shank 40 being able to have three chamfers 42 serving as clamping surfaces. The first drilling stage 36 can have a diameter d ₁ of, for example, 3.5 mm, whereby the second drilling stage 38 can have a diameter d ₂ of, for example, 5 mm.

The two-stage design of the drill 24 promotes good drill centering. The expansion of the drilling step 36 (not shown in the present illustration), for example from 3 mm to 3.5 mm, also promotes good drill centering. This expansion or conical design of the first drilling stage 36 can be adapted to a corresponding edge bevel of the relevant through openings 18. In other words, the conical expansion of the first drilling stage 36 can be based on it be adapted to how the respective edge bevel of the through openings 18 is designed. This allows the drill 24 to be easily centered when inserted into the through openings 18. The largest possible tip angles α, β and said coating of the drill 24, for example with TiN, AlTiN, TiAIN and the like, also promote wear protection of the drill 24, so that it is protected from burning out, becoming dull or breaking. The specific dimensioning of the drill 24 can be adapted to the material properties and dimensions, in particular material thickness, of the metal sheet in question from which the components 10 are manufactured. In addition, the dimensioning of the drill 24 also depends on how the through openings 18 are dimensioned.

wobei

• - R_B der äußerste Radius des Bohrers ist;
• - R_D der vorgegebene Radius der lasergeschnittenen Durchgangsöffnung ist;
• - B die vorgegebene Breite des Schnittspalts ist, der durch den Laserschneidvorgang hergestellt wird.
• - A ein vorgegebener Abstand zwischen einer Gutteilkontur des jeweiligen Bauteils (10) und der jeweiligen Durchgangsöffnung (18) ist, wobei insbesondere gilt, dass A höchstens R_B - R_D entspricht.

Based on 6 A possible dimensioning of the drill 24 is shown with regard to its diameter. In the present case, the area around one of the microjoints 14 and one of the through openings 18 is shown again in a schematic top view. The outermost radius R _B of the drill 24 can be specified, for example, according to the following formula: $${\text{R}}_{\text{b}}={\text{R}}_{\text{D}}+\text{B/}2+\text{A},$$

where

• - R _B is the outermost radius of the drill;
• - R _D is the predetermined radius of the laser-cut through hole;
• - B is the specified width of the cutting gap created by the laser cutting process.
• - A is a predetermined distance between a good part contour of the respective component (10) and the respective through opening (18), in particular that A corresponds to at most R _B - R _D.

If the drill 24 is immersed in the through opening 18, the through opening 18 is drilled open by the drill 24, as a result of which the relevant microjoint 14 is removed at some point. The drill 24 can be dimensioned such that the microjoint 14 is only partially or at least almost completely removed. The drill 24 is ideally dimensioned so that when drilling the through openings 18 it can be ensured that the component 10 is not affected when the microjoint 14 is drilled away or removed.

In 7 a drilling depth limiter 44 for the drill 24 is shown in a partially sectioned side view. The drilling depth limiter 44 has a receptacle 46 that can be attached to the drill shaft 40 on the outer circumference. Furthermore, the drilling depth limiter 44 includes a drilling depth stop 48 made of plastic, which is rotatably mounted on an outer lateral surface 50 of the receptacle 46 and is immovable in the axial direction relative to the receptacle 46. In the assembled state, the drilling depth stop 48 forms a kind of collar around the drill 24 and limits an immersion depth of the drill 24 into the relevant through openings 18, namely when a support surface 50 of the drilling depth stop 48 comes into contact with the component 10 or the residual grid 12. The drilling depth stop 48 can be made, for example, from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

In the embodiment shown here, the receptacle 46 comprises an outer part 52 with a threaded hole 54 for a grub screw (not shown here) for fixing the receptacle 46 on the drill shaft 40. The receptacle 46 also includes an inner part 56 which is partially inserted into the outer part 52. The drilling depth stop 48 is freely rotatable on the outer surface 50 of the inner part 56 and is fixed in the axial direction by both the inner part 56 and the outer part 52. Both the outer part 52 and the inner part 56 can be made of an iron alloy or steel alloy. The inner part 56 can be screwed into the outer part 52, whereby corresponding threads (not shown here) can be present.

In 8th the drilling depth limiter 44 is shown in a frontal view. Here, respective chambers 58 designed as openings for chip removal can be seen. Furthermore, the inner part 56, which is not specified here, has a plurality of slots 60, which serve to easily screw the inner part 56 into and out of the outer part 52. By unscrewing the inner part 56 from the outer part 52, the drilling depth stop 48 made of plastic can be replaced if necessary, i.e. if it is worn out.

In 9 Another possible embodiment of the drilling depth limiter 44 is shown in a partially sectioned side view. This embodiment differs from the previously described embodiment in that both the inner part 56 and the outer part 52 each have a threaded hole 54, which can be arranged in alignment with one another in the radial direction in order to screw the grub screw (not shown here) through and thus the drilling depth limit 44 To attach the shaft 40 of the drill 24. The inner part 56 can easily be inserted into the outer part 52. The Bohrtie fenanschlag 48 is in turn mounted freely rotatable on the inner part 56 and is fixed in the axial direction by both the inner part 56 and the outer part 52.

In 10 the further embodiment of the drilling depth limiter 44 is again shown in a front view. If in the embodiment the drilling depth stop 48, which is also made of plastic, is worn out, it can also be replaced. By loosening the grub screw, not shown, the two cylindrically shaped parts, i.e. the outer part 52 and the inner part 56, can be detached from one another, after which the drilling depth stop 48 made of plastic can then be replaced if necessary.

Some possible process steps are explained below, which serve to remove said components 10 from the residual skeleton 12. The means previously described in connection with the figures can be used for this. The respective components 10 are completely separated from the relevant residual skeleton 12 by inserting the tool of the sorting device 20, which is designed, for example, as a cordless screwdriver 22, into the relevant through-opening 18, whereby this is widened in order to remove the associated microjoint 14 from the respective component 10 and to completely detach this from the residual skeleton 12. During this process, the respective component 10 can be held by means of the holding device 26, for example magnetically or by negative pressure. The respective component 10 can then be removed from the residual skeleton 12, for example by an upward lifting movement.

It can be counted how many of the components 10 have already been removed from the residual skeleton 12 by monitoring a power consumption of the tool in question, for example the cordless drill 22, and comparing it with a corresponding power consumption curve, which represents a separation process, i.e. a type of cycle Microjoints 14 characterized by the tool. The predetermined power consumption curve can, for example, relate to a voltage curve and/or current curve, which is characteristic of a drilling process of the through openings 18 in the course of removing the microjoint 14.

Data about the power consumption and power loss, for example on a battery of the cordless drill 22, can be monitored and compared with the predetermined power consumption curve that occurs during a separation process of the microjoint 14. Whenever such a predetermined power consumption curve has been detected, a counter is counted up by one, since it can be assumed that a microjoint 14 has been removed and thus one of the components 10 has also been removed from the residual grid 12. If the components 10 are each still anchored in the residual grid 12 by means of several such microjoints 14, then it can be provided, for example, that the corresponding power consumption curve is adjusted or that it is simply only counted up when such power consumption curves, for example, twice or several times in accordance with the Number of existing microjoints 14 per component 10 have been passed through.

Data characterizing the number of components 10 removed from the residual skeleton 12 can be transmitted, for example, to an app and/or to an ERP system. The cordless drill 22 can, for example, have a radio interface in order to transmit such data, for example via Bluetooth or via WLAN signal, so that this data can be sent, for example, to an app on a computer, a smartphone, a tablet computer or the like and/or to reach the said ERP system. The data can also be transferred to a cloud, for example.

In addition, it can also be provided that the number of components 10 removed from the residual skeleton 12 is compared with a predetermined total number of components 10 to be removed from the residual skeleton 12, whereby if not all components 10 have yet been removed, information regarding the remaining components Components 10 to be removed are output. The information regarding the components 10 that are still to be removed can be output, for example, by outputting a flashing signal on the relevant sorting device 20. This is particularly useful if the sorting device 20 is designed for manual handling, for example as in 3 shown as an example. The component to be removed next and/or the associated through opening can also be illuminated using a laser pointer.

Corresponding information can be transmitted to a suitable system that has the laser pointer. In this way, a worker can be signaled which of the components 10 he should remove exactly and at which point, by illuminating the component 10, for example using the laser pointer.

Alternatively or additionally, the associated through opening 18 can also be illuminated using the laser pointer, so that the worker knows directly which through opening 18 he should drill open next, for example, in order to remove the relevant microjoint 14, after which the component 10 in question can then be easily removed from the skeleton 12. In addition, it is also possible, for example, for a display to be provided on the sorting device 20, by means of which it is shown which of the components 10 can still be removed from the residual grid 12 and where they are arranged.

By means of the explained sorting device 20 and the corresponding method, it is therefore possible in a particularly simple, quick and reliable manner to remove components 10 from a residual grid 12 of the metal sheet during laser cutting of a metal sheet by removing the corresponding microjoints 14 from the respective component 10 in the above-mentioned manner be removed.

In connection with the figures, it was described that the components 10 were separated from said metal sheet by laser cutting - apart from the microjoints 14. Other separation methods are also possible to separate the components 10. It doesn't have to be metal sheets either. These can be a wide variety of plate-shaped or tubular workpieces, from which the components 10 are separated using a wide variety of methods - i.e. not just laser cutting - whereby the components 10 are initially still attached to the residual skeleton 12 by connecting webs - for example in the form of said microjoints 14 being held. The holding device (26) can, but does not have to be, part of the sorting device 20.

REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST

10

Component

12

Residual grid

14

Microjoint

16

cutting gap

18

Passage opening

20

Sorting device

22

Tool

24

drill

26

Holding device

28

magnet

30

Grab handle

32

translational leadership

34

attacks

36

first stage of drilling

38

second drilling stage

40

drill shank

42

Chamfering the drill shank

44

Drilling depth limitation

46

Recording

48

Drilling depth stop

50

Support surface of the drilling depth stop

52

External part of the recording

54

Threaded hole

56

Interior part of the recording

58

Opening for chip removal

60

slots

α

Point angle of the first drilling stage

β

Point angle of the second drilling stage

b

Width of the cutting gap

d1

Diameter of the first drilling stage

d2

Diameter of the second drilling stage

RD

Radius of the laser-cut opening

RB

outermost radius of the drill

Claims (6)

Method for releasing components (10) from a residual grid (12) of a plate-shaped or tubular workpiece by means of a sorting device (20) for releasing components (10) resulting from the separation of a plate-shaped or tubular workpiece from a residual grid (12) of the Workpiece, after the components (10), apart from at least one respective connecting web (14), have been separated from the plate-shaped or tubular workpiece to form a gap (16) surrounding the components (10) and immediately adjacent to the respective connecting web (14 ) a respective through-opening (18) has been produced in the residual grid (12) during separation, the sorting device (20) comprising a drilling tool (22) with a drill (24) which is designed to be immersed in the respective through-opening (18) and to separate the components (10) from the residual skeleton (12), at least one connecting web (14) is removed from the component (10) in question, the drill having at least one of the following properties: - the drill (24) is an HSS drill or an HSS-E drill; the drill (24) has a titanium-nitrite coating or an aluminum-titanium-nitrite coating; - A drilling diameter of the drill (24) is larger than a diameter of the through opening (18) and the drill (24) has a positioning element (36) at its front end, which preferably has a shape that complements the through opening voltage (18) is formed; - the drill (24) is a two-stage step drill, the first drilling stage (36) of which has a tip angle (α) of 113 to 135 degrees and the second drilling stage (38) of which has a tip angle (β) of 113 to 135 degrees; - the first drilling stage (36) expands conically; - The drill (24) has three cutting edges; - A drill shaft (40) has three chamfers (42); - a drilling diameter is smaller than the width of the remaining grid web spacing between the components (10); - a core thickness of the drill (24) is dimensioned as follows: k > 0.3 * d ₂ , where k corresponds to the core thickness and d ₂ corresponds to the diameter of the drill (24); the method comprising that at least one of the components (10) is separated from the residual skeleton by inserting the drill into the relevant through opening (18) and removing the at least one associated connecting web (14) from the component (10). Procedure according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the component (10) is removed from the residual grid (12) by means of a holding device (26) after the connecting web (14) has been removed. Procedure according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that it is counted how many of the components (10) were removed from the residual skeleton (12) by monitoring a power consumption of the drilling tool (22) and comparing it with a predetermined power consumption curve, which involves a separation process of one of the connecting webs (14). characterized by means of the drilling tool (22). Procedure according to Claim 3 , characterized in that data characterizing the number of components (10) removed from the residual skeleton (12) is transmitted to an app and/or to an ERP system. Procedure according to Claim 3 or 4 , characterized in that the number of components (10) removed from the residual skeleton (12) is compared with a predetermined total number of components (10) to be removed from the residual skeleton (12), whereby not all components (10) have been removed yet , information regarding the components (10) that are still to be removed are output. Procedure according to Claim 5 , characterized in that the information regarding the components (10) still to be removed is output by - a flashing signal is output on the sorting device (20); - the component (10) to be removed next and/or the associated through opening (18) is illuminated by means of a light source; - and/or on the sorting device (20), in particular by means of a display, it is displayed which components (10) are still to be removed from the residual grid (12) and where they are arranged.

Images