EP1985387A1 - Profiling machine with several successive forming stations and stand for such a profiling machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The machine has a set of converter stations (2) for multi-stage conversion of workpieces. Each converter station is provided with roller-shaped tools (3) supported at an adjustable carrier (8). The workpiece is fed between the tools. A measuring device (14) connected with a data processing device is provided for detecting current positions of a part of the roller-shaped tool supported at the adjustable carrier. The measuring device is attached to the adjustable carriers.

Description

The invention relates to a profiling machine having a plurality of forming stations arranged in line one behind another for the multi-stage forming of a workpiece to be profiled in the longitudinal direction thereof. The present invention further relates to a setting station for such a profiling machine according to the preamble of claim 12.

The forming stations of a profiling machine of the present type are accordingly provided with at least two roll forming tools, of which at least one is mounted in an adjustable holder and between which the workpiece is guided and in this case formed or rolled. In this case, at least one measuring device is provided for detecting the current positions of the rolling molds mounted on the adjustable holders, which is connected to a data processing device and outputs measurement data to the same.

The term roll forming tool is used in the context of the present invention as a generic term for the forming rollers in a forming station, which may be formed as a lower roll, upper roll, side roll, intermediate roll or other role and can serve for forming or rolling of the workpiece.

A profiling machine of the type present here is conceptually a mass-production machine for producing a longitudinally shaped profile from strip material, which is transported virtually endlessly by the profiling machine, or from blanks manufacture. Formed strip material is usually the output of the profiling separated by means of a separator in profile pieces. A profiling machine can thus produce a very large amount of identically shaped profiles in a very short time. However, flexibility is limited in terms of design; a conversion of the profiling on another profile shape or even only on another material for the workpiece to be profiled requires a longer Einfahr- or testing phase with appropriate rejects of material until the profile shape produced meets the requirements.

A central role in the conversion or adjustment or readjustment of a profiling plays the adjustment of the roll nip between two roll forming tools, which were optionally replaced by those with other geometries, in the horizontal and vertical directions, but also in the axial direction. Depending on the forming station in this case two, three or more roll forming tools involved. In order to achieve a high-quality work result, it is indispensable for experienced personnel to manually adjust the adjustable holders of the roll forming tools and, if necessary, to readjust them if the results of the work deteriorate. Due to the large number of existing in a normal profiling station and stored therein roll forming tools with adjustment such adjustment by hand is very time consuming and in addition to the production downtime also due to the committee produced here costly.

In the EP-A-1 245 302 has been proposed for a profiling machine of the present type, to provide all adjustable roll forming tools or their tool holders, so more generally their adjustable brackets, with detection means for detecting their position data and with motor adjustment elements. Both the detection means and the motor adjustment elements are connected to a central data processing device, so that any change of setting values is logged and recourse can be made to records of retrieved setting values at any time, these setting values then being retrievable "at the press of a button". The EP-A-1 245 302 So describes a kind of self-learning system when changing to profile shapes or Workpiece materials that have been previously processed, that make manual retooling superfluous or at least greatly shortened.

However, this profiling machine from the prior art is not optimal for all applications, since the equipment of all adjustable brackets for roll forming tools with detection means and motorized adjustment is very expensive and therefore not worthwhile for all applications. In addition, it is difficult to retrofit existing profiling machines accordingly, if they are not designed from the outset accordingly.

The present invention is therefore based on the object to propose a profiling machine and a setup station of the type mentioned, in which a conversion and / or a readjustment of the forming stations is simplified with respect to the prior art reduced design effort.

This object is achieved by a profiling with the features of claim 1 and by a set-up station with the features of claim 12. Preferred embodiments of the profiling can be found in claims 2 to 11; Preferred embodiments of the setup station are laid down in claims 12 to 22.

According to the present invention, the measuring devices for detecting the current position of at least a portion of the mounted on the adjustable supports roll forming tools are therefore no longer associated with only one adjustable support, but according to the invention at least one measuring device is used, which is assigned to several adjustable brackets. The retrofitting of an already established profiling machine with such a measuring device is much easier and cheaper than retrofitting all adjustable brackets, each with a measuring device. Furthermore, the retrofitting of an already existing profiling machine may be limited to providing the most important adjustable holders for a measuring device and accordingly not equipping all the forming stations with measuring devices.

The measuring devices are connected to a data processing device which receives measurement data from the measuring devices. In this case, a plurality of decentral processing devices may be present, or a common data processing device for all measuring devices. The data processing device may contain desired position data as a comparison data record, in which case the actual position data determined by the measuring devices are then aligned with the desired position data and correction values are determined. These correction values can then be output on a display, for example, so that an operator of the profiling machine receives assistance in adjusting the adjustable roll forming tools. However, even then, when the data processing device only displays the determined actual position data, this can result in assistance in adjusting the roll forming tools; because the operator does not have to measure the roll nip by hand or conclude on the basis of the work result on the adjustments to be made. The determination of actual position data and in particular the comparison with desired position data can even take place during ongoing production in the profiling machine, for example, to enable ongoing quality control.

With the present invention, however, it is also possible in particular to adjust a number of forming stations, which are fastened on a profiling machine section, offline, ie away from the profiling machine, in a set-up station, while production on the profiling machine is still running. For this purpose, a receiving table is provided according to the invention, on which a Profiliermaschinenabschnitt is attached to a number of forming stations. At least one measuring device connected to a data processing device is associated with the receiving table, which detects the current positions of the corresponding roll forming tools at the forming stations. The receiving table does not have to be designed in the form of an actual table, but may also be a frame or the like.

Particular advantages are within the scope of the invention, when both the profiling and the setup station except the measuring device still have at least one manipulator, the function of motorized adjustment for at least a part of the mounted on the adjustable brackets roll forming tools takes over. The measuring device and the manipulator are then connected to a data processing that controls the manipulator and receives measurement data from the measuring device. This makes it possible that initially at least a rough presetting of the adjustable brackets is automatically made by the system, since the control of the manipulator can automatically adjust the roll nip due to the measurement data obtained by the measuring device and a comparison with default values. The system learns by following manually subsequently made adjustment settings, which are made possible by the measuring device, so that later presettings of the forming stations are able to reproduce the final values quite accurately and can be obtained fully automatically. If the desired position data are correspondingly accurate, the system can optionally also automatically and thus automatically adjust the adjustable holders without manual intervention and without the said teach-in process, which accordingly simplifies the retrofitting of a profiling machine.

The motor adjusting elements or the manipulator is not limited to the fact that motors should be used in the true sense. To drive the "motor" adjusting elements may be in the context of the invention rather also a hydraulic or pneumatic drive, such as a fluid cylinder, or a spring-loaded, provided with end stops drive.

In the simplest case, this preferred embodiment of the invention thus achieves an advance coarse adjustment as a setup aid, which already achieves great advantages in that setup errors, such as a confused roll forming tool with colliding deformation angle, are recognized in good time by the system; In the optimized case, the system of the invention which has been developed in this way can carry out the adjustment of conversion stations to be converted completely automatically, inline during a production stop or during production, or offline in a setup station. The time to set up a profiling machine after a conversion or to readjust a profiling machine with deteriorating work results or in a material, product or type change thus shortens in each case significantly, despite relatively low investment costs when installing the manipulator according to the invention and the measuring device. The operation of the experienced personnel can be advantageously maintained, because a manual correction to the adjustable brackets is possible at any time, and this is then preferably logged by the measuring device.

The measuring device can be arranged directly on the manipulator and be guided by this to the adjustable holders to be measured; However, it can also be present several measuring devices, which are arranged on the manipulator. Optionally, one or more measuring devices may be arranged on one or more own measuring carriages or on other suitable holders.

The measuring device can detect, for example, the position of a centering bore on the end face of the shaft of that roll forming tool which is associated with the adjustable holder to be measured. Since such center holes are available anyway, can be concluded with such a measurement very easy to the exact position of the roll forming tool, at least in the horizontal and vertical directions. Preferably, however, the adjustable brackets are provided with indexing elements, such as notches, index discs and the like, on the bearing seat or the working shaft of the associated roll forming tool, on the adjustment of the adjustable support (in particular for the axial adjustment), on spacers and / or the roll forming tool itself Such indexing elements can in particular be detected optically easily, so that the measuring device according to the invention can be realized for example with a semiconductor laser.

An increased accuracy is obtained when the measuring device directly measures the roll gap formed by the attached to the adjustable support roll forming tool and its counterpart. This can be realized for example by means of a transparency unit, so that in the advancing device of the workpiece before and after the nip, a light source and a detector unit are temporarily arranged - because during production, these measuring devices must be taken out of the feed path of the workpiece again. In this context, it is advantageous if the measuring device are mounted on the manipulator for the adjustable brackets or on its own manipulator or carriage. In addition to the measurement of the roll gap by means of a transparency unit, other measurement methods can be used, for example a measurement by means of probes, sensors, spies, ultrasonic detectors, lasers, etc.

In the context of the present invention, it is advantageous if the measuring device is mounted on a measuring carriage which is movable along the forming stations, for example on a rail, while the manipulator is preferably designed as tool setting carriages movable along the forming stations. These carriages can be moved laterally next to the production line in and against the production direction along the forming stations or along a part of the forming stations and thus be moved reproducibly in optionally calibrated, clearly defined assignment to the adjustable brackets.

Finally, the data processing device can preferably track by means of the measuring device a manual adjustment of the adjustable holders provided with motorized adjusting elements and store them as a correction value for future adjustments.

Figur 1

eine Rüststation bzw. einen Abschnitt einer Profiliermaschine in schematischer perspektivischer Darstellung;

Figur 2

die Rüststation aus Figur 1 in Draufsicht;

Figur 3

die Rüststation aus Figur 1 in Frontansicht;

Figur 4

ein Detail aus Figur 3.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described and explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

FIG. 1

a setup station or a section of a profiling machine in a schematic perspective view;

FIG. 2

the set-up station off FIG. 1 in plan view;

FIG. 3

the set-up station off FIG. 1 in front view;

FIG. 4

a detail from FIG. 3 ,

The FIGS. 1 to 3 show schematically views of a Profiliermaschinenabschnitts 1 with four forming stations 2, which are arranged in line one behind the other and each carry four Rollformwerkzeuge 3: a pair of side rollers 3b and a pair of forming rollers 3a, which form a nip 4. In other embodiments of forming stations and more roll forming tools can be involved. The Profiliermaschinenabschnitt 1 shown here is set to a receiving table 5, so that it is a set-up station on which the Profiliermaschinenabschnitt 1 shown for insertion into a profiling machine with further forming stations (not shown) is prepared while the production on the profiling as so far continues. Clamping elements 6 together with (not visible) centering pins ensure a defined and stationary fixing of the profiling machine section 1 on the receiving table 5.

The forming stations 2 each consist of a frame 7 for the forming rollers 3a and a carriage 8 for the side rollers 3b. The side rollers 3b are adjustable by means of a spindle 9, while the forming rollers 3a are each secured by means of adjustable brackets 10 vertically adjustable on the frame 7. In the present case, therefore, the vertical and axial positions of the two forming rollers 3a by means of a respective spindle 11 and corresponding shafts in the frame 7, and the horizontal and axial or horizontal and vertical positions of the side rollers 3b by means of the spindles 9 adjustable.

A (not shown) workpiece thus passes successively in stages all four forming stations 2 and is formed in stages in the respective roll nips 4 to form a profile. The side rollers 3b act in support here in order to obtain the desired profile shape can. However, the desired result can only be obtained if the roll gaps 4 between the roll forming tools 3 are adjusted very precisely, with regard to the desired profile and with regard to the material used. Also, the position of the side rollers 3b is important. Accordingly, the horizontal or vertical position and the axial position of the roll forming tools 3 can be adjusted by means of the spindles 9 and 11, namely at each forming station 2 separately.

According to the invention, a rail 12 is now fastened to the receiving table 5, on which a tool setting carriage 13 and a measuring carriage 14 are held movably. The Werkzeuginstellwagen 13 and the measuring carriage 14 are controlled by a (not shown) data processing device, the measuring carriage 14 carries measuring devices 15, which deliver their measurement data to the data processing device. The measuring devices in the present case consist of two optical detectors 15, in particular CCD cameras, each of which detects an indexing device 17 mounted on adjusting devices 16 on the adjustable tool axes of the forming stations 2 and can detect the respective position of the indexing disk 17 by digitizing the image. In this case, the upper optical detector 15 of the measuring carriage 14 detects the upper adjusting devices 16 on the stands 7, while the lower optical detector 15 detects the lower adjusting devices 16 on the stands 7 and the adjusting devices 16 on the carriages 8.

The Werkzeuginstellwagen 13, however, is designed according to the invention as a manipulator and consequently equipped with controllable, axially and vertically movable actuators 18. These can, as indicated by the double arrows, move up to the adjusting devices 16 of the forming stations 2 and these, controlled by the data processing device, adjust the motor.

Based on FIGS. 1 to 3 It is immediately clear that both the Werkzeuginstellwagen 13 and the measuring carriage 14 is assigned to all four Umformstationen 2 and accordingly equipping the Umformstationen 2 with their own detectors and motors together with the required power supply and signal lines can be advantageously eliminated. The adjusting and measuring devices, and the corresponding lines are rather assigned to the setup station and remain there. In this case, not even the two separate cars shown are necessary, but the optical detectors 15 can also find room on the tool setting 13th However, the present embodiment with two separate carriages increases the flexibility and operating speed of the set-up station shown because a second forming station can be measured while a first forming station is being set.

The functioning of the in the FIGS. 1 to 3 Set-up station shown will usually be chosen such that initially the measuring carriage 14 moves from one forming station 2 to the next and detects the positions of the adjustable brackets 10 and the spindle 9 by means of the attached to the adjusting 16 index discs 17. Then, on the basis of a stored data set which contains the setpoint values for the setting of the roll forming tools 3, the tool setting carriage 13 moves successively to the forming stations 2 and the adjusting devices 16 are actuated in order to set the desired values. If necessary, it can then be measured again with the measuring carriage 14. Insofar as a manual adjustment of the roll forming tools 3 is then still necessary, this can then be carried out, after which the measuring carriage 14 again successively leaves each forming station 2 in order to read out the values of the index discs 17 and deliver them as correction values to the data processing device.

A profiling machine constructed in accordance with the invention can be used as well as in the FIGS. 1 to 3 be shown, the Werkzeuginstellwagen 13 and the measuring carriage 14 then operate a portion of the profiling with four (or more) forming stations 2. Optionally, the Werkzeuginstellwagen 13 and the measuring carriage 14 also drive off the entire profiling, so that not several cars must be present.

This in FIG. 4 illustrated detail of a forming station illustrates the interaction of two forming rollers 3a, which form a profiled nip 4 and are supported during forming of the workpiece by the side rollers 3b. On the basis of this figure, the crucial importance of a precise adjustment of the roll gap 4 is clear, wherein both the upper and the lower forming roller 3a can be adjusted not only vertically but also axially. In order to be able to carry out the measurement according to the invention as directly and accordingly as possible with the greatest accuracy, the upper forming roller 3a is presently provided with a measuring disk 19 which is circumferentially provided with a groove 20, the groove 20 not only for measuring the axial position of the associated roll forming tool 3 serves, but due to a defined depth and a defined cross-section also allows a measurement of the vertical position.

Claims (22)

Profiling machine with a plurality of forming stations (2) arranged in line one behind the other for the multi-stage forming of a workpiece to be profiled in the longitudinal direction, each forming station (2) being provided with at least two roll forming tools (3), of which at least one in an adjustable holder (8, 10) is mounted and between which the workpiece is passed and thereby formed, wherein at least one connected to a data processing means (14, 15) for detecting the current positions of at least a portion of the adjustable holders (8, 10) mounted roll forming tools (3 ) is provided,
characterized,
that the measuring device or the measuring devices (14, 15) is or are each assigned to a plurality of adjustable holders (8, 10). Profiling machine according to claim 1,
characterized,
in that motorized adjusting elements (18) are provided for automatically adjusting at least part of the adjustable holders (8, 10) and connected to the data processing device as a controller, wherein the motorized adjusting elements are formed by at least one manipulator (13, 18) of the plurality of adjustable holders (8, 10) is assigned. Profiling machine according to claim 2,
characterized,
in that the measuring device (15) is arranged on the manipulator (13, 18). Profiling machine according to at least one of claims 1 to 3,
characterized,
that the measuring device comprises a device for directly measuring the nip (4) mounted by on the movable support (10) roll-forming tool (3) and its counterpart is formed. Profiling machine according to at least one of claims 1 to 4,
characterized,
in that the adjustable holders (8, 10) are provided with indexing elements (17, 19, 20) on the bearing seat or the working shaft of the associated roll forming tool (3), on the adjusting devices (16), on spacer sleeves and / or on the roll forming tool (3) are. Profiling machine according to at least one of claims 1 to 5,
characterized,
in that the measuring device (15) is designed such that it detects the position of a centering bore on the end face of the shaft of the rollforming tool (3) associated with the adjustable holder (10). Profiling machine according to at least one of claims 1 to 6,
characterized,
that the measuring device (15) on a along the forming stations (2) movable measuring carriage (14) is mounted. Profiling machine according to at least one of claims 2 to 7,
characterized,
that the manipulator one along the forming stations (2) comprises movable Werkzeugeinstellwagen (13). Profiling machine according to at least one of claims 2 to 8,
characterized,
in that the data processing device is designed such that it retraces a manual adjustment of the adjustable holders (8, 10) provided with motorized adjusting elements by means of the measuring data of the measuring device (14, 15) and stores them as a correction value. Profiling machine according to at least one of claims 1 to 9,
characterized,
in that the data processing device is designed such that, on the basis of the measurement data obtained by the measuring device, it compares the actual positions of adjustable holders (8, 10) with predetermined or pre-set desired positions of the roll forming tools (3) associated with the adjustable holders, determines correction values from the adjustment and outputs them for further processing and / or display. Profiling machine according to claims 2 and 9,
characterized,
in that the data processing device is designed such that it uses the determined correction values to control the motorized adjustment elements. Setting station for a profiling machine with a plurality of forming stations (2) arranged in line one behind the other for multi-stage forming of a workpiece to be profiled in its longitudinal direction, and with at least two roll forming tools (3) per forming station (2), of which at least one in an adjustable holder (8 , 10) is mounted and between which the workpiece is passed and thereby formed, wherein the setup station with a receiving table (5) for receiving a Profiliermaschinenabschnitts (1) with a number of forming stations (2) is provided
characterized,
in that at least one measuring device (15) connected to a data processing device is provided for the detection table (5) to detect the current position of the adjustable to the holders (8, 10) mounted roll forming tools (3) is assigned. Setup station according to claim 12,
characterized,
in that at least one manipulator (13, 18) for adjusting the adjustable holders (8, 10) of the roll forming tools (3) is associated with the receiving table (5), the data processing unit controlling the manipulator (13, 18) and measuring data from the measuring device (13). 14, 15). Setup station according to claim 13,
characterized,
in that the measuring device (15) is arranged on the manipulator (13, 18). Setup station according to at least one of claims 12 to 14,
characterized,
in that the adjustable holders (8, 10) are provided with indexing elements (17, 19) on the bearing seat or the working shaft of the associated roll forming tools (3), on the adjusting devices (16), on spacer sleeves or on the roll forming tool (3). Setup station according to at least one of claims 12 to 15,
characterized,
in that the measuring device (14, 15) is designed such that it detects the position of a centering bore on the end face of the shaft of the rollforming tool (3) associated with the adjustable holder (10). Setup station according to at least one of claims 12 to 16,
characterized,
in that the measuring device (15) is mounted on a measuring carriage (14) movable along the receiving table (5). Setup station according to at least one of claims 12 to 17,
characterized,
in that the manipulator (13, 18) is designed as a tool setting carriage (13) which is movable along the receiving table (5). Setup station according to at least one of claims 12 to 18,
characterized,
that the measuring device comprises a device for directly measuring the nip (4) mounted by on the movable support (8, 10) roll-forming tool (3) and its counterpart is formed. Setup station according to at least one of claims 13 to 19,
characterized,
that the data processing means is designed such that it reconstructs a manual adjustment of the adjustable supports (8, 10) by means of the measurement data of the measuring device (14, 15) and stores it as a correction value. Setup station according to at least one of claims 12 to 20,
characterized,
in that the data processing device is designed such that it compares the actual positions of the adjustable holders (8, 10) with predefined or pre-set desired positions of the roll holders (3) assigned to the adjustable holders on the basis of the measured data obtained from the measuring device determined and outputs this for further processing and / or display. Setup station according to claims 13 and 20,
characterized,
in that the data processing device is designed such that it uses the determined correction values for controlling the manipulator (13, 18).

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