Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D37/00—Tools as parts of machines covered by this subclass
  • B21D37/14—Particular arrangements for handling and holding in place complete dies
  • B21D37/145—Die storage magazines
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B23Q—DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING; MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
  • B23Q3/00—Devices holding, supporting, or positioning work or tools, of a kind normally removable from the machine
  • B23Q3/155—Arrangements for automatic insertion or removal of tools, e.g. combined with manual handling
  • B23Q3/15503—Processes characterized by special sequencing of operations or the like, e.g. for optimizing tool changing time or capacity in tool storage
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D37/00—Tools as parts of machines covered by this subclass
  • B21D37/14—Particular arrangements for handling and holding in place complete dies
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P90/00—Enabling technologies with a potential contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation
  • Y02P90/02—Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Definitions

• the invention relates to a forming machine tool for manufacturing an article, comprising a tool holder, a tool feed, a supply of tools and a control device.
• the invention also relates to a method for manufacturing an article.
• Machine tools are used in many different ways in manufacturing technology. With machine tools, semi-finished products, articles or ready-to-sell objects are produced by mechanical processing. Machine tools for metalworking can be provided with different tools, which are tailored to the processing of different materials or the production of a specific article.
• Known machine tools are, for example, metal-cutting machine tools, such as lathes and milling machines, and forming machine tools, such as presses and punching machines.
• the stamping process is chipless and is usually carried out on forming machine tools.
• presses and stamping machines are of comparable design, with stamping machines, in particular automatic stamping machines, being additionally provided with a feed apparatus in comparison to a press.
• the invention is based on the object of providing a forming machine tool which enables rapid tool changes.
• the machine tool for the forming production of an article comprises a tool holder, a tool feed, a supply of tools and a control device, the machine tool being set up to select a tool from the supply depending on the article to be produced and to attach it to the tool holder.
• the tool suitable for producing the article is automatically selected and also attached to the tool holder in an automated manner.
• the tool can be fastened with mechanical or hydraulic fastening means, the fastening means preferably being in the form of clamping means which cause the tool to be fastened to the tool holder in a non-positive manner.
• the position of the clamping means can be monitored by the control device.
• the clamping devices can be equipped with sensors.
• the method according to the invention is designed for forming machine tools, which also include punching machines in the sense of the present invention or count automatic punching machines.
• machine tools which also include punching machines in the sense of the present invention or count automatic punching machines.
• metal-cutting machine tools cost-effective ways of changing tools are already known and can be implemented easily.
• cutting tools the tools and in particular their interface to the tool holder are often standardized and the processing parameters can be easily regulated, for example by changing the feed and speed of the tool.
• an automated tool change can be implemented particularly easily in the case of metal-cutting machine tools.
• the tools can be equipped with a machine-readable code.
• the code can preferably be read out remotely.
• a machine-readable code can be read out automatically by a reading device, with the tool type being stored for the code in the control device. This makes it possible for the machine tool to have a supply with a large number of tools, with the tools being able to be transported and read in by a suitable transport device.
• the code can be read out optically or electromagnetically.
• the tools are provided with an optically readable code, such as a bar code or a DM code (data matrix code).
• electromagnetic readability the reading is carried out by active or passive transmitters attached to the tool. For example, RFID tags can be attached to the tools for this purpose.
• the control device can include an input device for selecting the article.
• the input device can be implemented by an interface via which electronic article information can be transferred to the machine tool.
• a work order in the form of a list of different articles to be manufactured is transferred via the input device.
• the list contains information about the tool required for the production of an item. If an article is to be manufactured from the list, the machine tool can use the list and the tool specified therein to select a tool from the supply of tools and automatically attach it to the tool holder.
• the control device can comprise a memory, a list of articles to be produced being stored in the memory, a tool and a machine-readable code belonging to the tool being assigned to the articles to be produced.
• the list can be entered into the control device using the input device.
• the list is used to assign tools to the items to be manufactured. It is conceivable to generate the list using the input device or to transfer it to the control device via the input device.
• a reading device for reading out the code can be assigned to the tool feed.
• the tool supply also preferably includes a transport device for transporting the tools.
• the transport device can serve to transport the tools and represent the supply of tools at the same time.
• the transport device can be designed as a conveyor belt on which the tools are arranged. The tools can be transported continuously. The tools pass the reading device and the machine tool automatically selects the tool that is assigned to the article to be manufactured.
• a separate tool supply can be assigned to the transport device, in which the tools can be stored in an automated manner and from which the tools can be removed in an automated manner. It is also conceivable to use an automated, driverless transport system to transport the tools between the tool store and the tool supply.
• the tool is then automatically attached to the tool holder. Accordingly, the tools can pass the reading device during transport by means of the transport device, with the reading device detecting the code.
• the control device can have an input device for selecting the article to be produced, with the control device determining the tool required for the production of the article on the basis of the list. This is automated so that the entire tool change and set-up process is possible without manual intervention.
• the machine tool can be an automatic stamping machine.
• stamping machines changing a tool used to be particularly time-consuming, so that only a few tool changes were possible per work shift.
• the punching tool can be exchanged quickly and automatically. This makes it possible to carry out a significantly higher number of tool changes per shift, so that an economical production of small series is also possible without the need for significant warehousing of manufactured items.
• an article to be produced and the tool required for production are determined in a first step, in a second step a tool is selected from the supply of tools and in a third step the tool is switched on attached to the tool holder and in a fourth In step 1, article-specific production parameters are provided by the control device. After the article has been manufactured in the predetermined quantity, the tool can be removed from the tool holder in a fifth step and returned to the supply of tools in a sixth step.
• the machine tool is preferably a punching machine.
• the stock of tools includes a transport device for transporting the tools and a reading device for reading the codes, which are attached to the punching tools.
• a list of articles to be manufactured is stored in the controller's memory.
• a tool and a machine-readable code belonging to the tool are assigned to the articles to be produced.
• the tools are transported via the transport device and are read out during transport by means of the reading device. If the reading device detects a tool belonging to the article to be manufactured, this is taken from the store and attached to the tool supply. After that, the items can be manufactured.
• the next item and the associated tool are selected from the list. First, as described above, the previous tool is removed and then the next tool is removed from the supply of tools and attached to the tool holder.
• FIG. 1 shows a punching machine in the form of an automatic punching machine.
• Figure 1 shows a machine tool 1, which is presently designed as a stamping machine.
• the machine tool 1 semi-finished products in the form of sheet metal strips are formed into articles by means of the stamping machine.
• the Machine tool 1 can be designed, for example, to produce metal support rings for seals from the sheet metal strips.
• the machine tool 1 comprises a tool holder 2, a tool feed 3, a supply 4 of tools 5 and a control device 6.
• the tools 5 are equipped with a machine-readable code 7, the code 7 preferably being in the form of a barcode or DM code and thus being optically readable.
• the control device 6 includes a memory in which a list of articles to be produced can be stored.
• the type of article to be manufactured, the number of articles to be manufactured, the tool 5 belonging to the articles to be manufactured and a machine-readable code 7 belonging to the tool 5 can be stored in the list.
• the control device 6 is connected to an input device 8 .
• the input device 8 has a control panel for selecting articles stored in the memory 1 .
• the input device 8 is provided with an interface via which lists of articles to be produced can be transferred to the memory.
• the control unit 6 monitors the manufacturing process and records when a production order has been completed. As soon as a production order is completed, the control unit 6 causes the tool 5 to be changed. For the replacement of the tool 5, method steps and method parameters for the replacement process are stored in the control unit 6.
• the control unit 6 sends corresponding signals to the tool holder 2, the transport device 9 and the machine tool 1 in order to carry out the necessary movements for the tool exchange.
• the tool exchange includes parameters for both tool removal and tool installation.
• the control unit 6 also specifies parameters for the cutting device, which cuts the band-shaped semi-finished product to length.
• the control unit 6 also causes the correct positioning of the tool 5 and the press ram. Furthermore, the control unit 6 specifies production parameters for the production of the new article, for example the feed rate and the forming rate.
• control unit 6 contains both parameters for the tool change and for the manufacturing process.
• the machine tool 1 has a first control unit for the tool change and a second control unit for the production process.
• Parameters for the tool change are stored in the first control unit and parameters for the production process are stored in the second control unit. Both control units can access a shared memory in which the parameters are stored.
• the tool supply 3 includes a transport device 9 for transporting the tools 5. In the present case, this is designed as a conveyor belt, with the tools 5 being transported continuously on the transport device 9.
• the tool supply 3 is also equipped with a reading device 10 for reading out the machine-readable codes 7 attached to the tools 5 .
• the tools 5 are continuously transported by the transport device 9 until the reading device 10 has detected the tool 5 belonging to the article to be manufactured of the current production order. This is then selected and automatically fed to the tool holder 2 via a feed device belonging to the tool feeder 3 and automatically attached to the tool holder 2 .
• the set-up time can be shortened if the tools 5 are transported via the transport device 9 and a check is made for each tool 5 that passes through the reading device 10 as to whether a production order for the article assigned to the tool 5 is present. If this is the case, the tool 5 is selected and mounted. If this is not the case, the tools 5 are transported further.
• the feed device includes pneumatic adjusting means, by which the tools 5 can be moved in the direction of the tool holder 2 .
• the tool holder 2 comprises hydraulic clamping means, via which the tool 5 can be fastened to the tool holder 2 in a positive and non-positive manner.
• the clamping means are equipped with sensors and can be controlled via the control device 6 .
• the next item is taken from the list and the associated tool 5 is attached to the tool holder 2 after the previous tool 5 has been removed.
• the tool 5 is changed and the production parameters are set automatically and no manual intervention is required.
• the articles manufactured with the machine tool 1 are mostly supplied to transport containers, for example boxes.
• the machine tool 1 is provided with an ejection device, for example in the form of a blow-out unit.
• the control unit 6 can be set up to initiate an exchange of the transport container when a tool change is carried out. This ensures that the manufactured items are stored and transported according to type.
• the transport containers can be moved in a device comparable to the transport device 9 .
• the capacity of the transport container depends on the size of the item. Information about the size of the article is stored in the control unit 6 so that the transport container can be automatically replaced when the capacity is exhausted.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Factory Administration (AREA)
• Multi-Process Working Machines And Systems (AREA)
• Mounting, Exchange, And Manufacturing Of Dies (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=77914354

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 2020
  • 2020-10-26 DE DE102020128061.0A patent/DE102020128061A1/de active Pending
• 2021
  • 2021-09-15 WO PCT/EP2021/075308 patent/WO2022089828A1/de active Application Filing
  • 2021-09-15 US US18/250,363 patent/US20230398648A1/en active Pending
  • 2021-09-15 CN CN202180071544.5A patent/CN116323031A/zh active Pending
  • 2021-09-15 JP JP2023525066A patent/JP2023547628A/ja active Pending
  • 2021-09-15 CA CA3196565A patent/CA3196565A1/en active Pending
  • 2021-09-15 EP EP21777729.1A patent/EP4232218A1/de active Pending

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