FR3074434B1 - INSTALLATION AND METHOD FOR FOLDING METAL SHEET PROFILES - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a folding installation of opening metal profiles comprising at least one module for feeding the profiles to the installation, a module for abutting the profiles, a module for advancing and guiding profiles in the installation, a folding module of the profiles comprising a means for holding shaped profiles during folding comprising a jaw (16, 17) with variable spacing, said jaw forming a first member with variable spacing for keeping shaped profiles and surrounding a second member for holding (23) profiles during folding. The folding module comprises at least two second shaped holding members (23) of the profiles and the second shaped holding members (23) are of variable spacing (F2). The invention also relates to a method of folding using such an installation.

Description

INSTALLATION AND METHOD FOR FOLDING METAL PROFILES

OPENING

The present invention relates to an installation and a method of folding metal profiles of openings.

Opening means the movable parts of windows, doors and glazed doors, whether these openings are located inside or outside a building. The metal sections, usually made of aluminum, are intended to form frames, for example square or rectangular, in which the glazed portions of the openings are maintained. The dimensions of the frames, both in terms of width, length and thickness are variable, it being understood that there are openings to single, double, triple or quadruple glazing or more, which impacts on the thickness of the frame and therefore on the dimensions of the constituent sections of this one.

The profiles used are generally configured in flat-bottomed U-shaped cross-section. The width of the profile, so the width of the bottom, depends directly on the thickness of the frame, so that it is intended to maintain a single glazing, double or other. The openings, by their geometric shapes are, for example, parallelograms at right angles. To achieve such frames are folded at right angles straight profiles of a length of up to six meters, it being understood that the current width of these profiles generally varies from eight to thirty millimeters.

The folding takes place in several defined zones of the profile which correspond to the dimensions, length or width, of the finished frame. Installations are known that make it possible to produce frames for openings from profiles. US-A-4,754,632 describes such an installation with a holding member adapted to abut the ends of the folded rail and form the frame. Such a solution is dedicated to a given type of profile. EP-A-1 285 708 discloses an installation with an articulated folding finger enabling a right angle to be made in the frame while preserving the nominal dimensions of the profile. Here too, the installation, if it makes it possible to achieve various dimensions of the frame, requires a tool change, in this case the bending punch, when the thickness of the frame to be made varies, so when the width of the profile changes . EP-A-2862644 discloses a folding machine having a fixed bending punch and adjustable gap bending jaws which provide the bending of the profile around the punch in various thicknesses. Such a solution allows a greater variability in the width of the profile to be folded but also involves a change of punch when one wants to bend a profile of a width smaller than that of the punch.

Furthermore, it is important to make frames with a constant thickness throughout the profile, especially at the corners of the frame. This implies that the width of the profile, and its U-shaped geometric shape, are preserved throughout the frame, without loss or deformation of the profile, for all the widths of profiles commonly encountered, it being understood that the thicknesses of the metals used to form the profiles are standardized and between 5 mm and 10 mm. Furthermore, a folding installation must be able to perform folding operations at a rate of at least one frame per minute. In addition, such a folding installation must offer sufficient adaptability to fold profiles of different widths, to obtain frames of various thicknesses, by minimizing the operations necessary to adapt the installation. It is to these objectives that the invention intends to respond more particularly by proposing a folding installation of metal profiles of openings that can be used to produce frames of different dimensions and thicknesses, with a minimum of parts, without any change of organs on easy installation and maintenance, adapted to use the different types of existing profiles. For this purpose, the subject of the invention is an installation for folding metal opening profiles comprising at least one module for feeding the profiles to the installation, a module for abutting the profiles, a module for feeding and guiding of the profiles in the installation, a folding module of the profiles comprising a means for holding in the form of the profiles during folding comprising a jaw with variable spacing, said jaw forming a first member with variable spacing for maintaining the shape of the profiles and surrounding a second member for holding profiles during folding, a finishing module for the frames and a module for receiving the finished frames, characterized in that the folding module comprises at least two second holding members in the shape of the profiles and the second shaped holding members are of variable spacing.

Thanks to the invention, the folding module comprises elements with variable spacing, namely the jaw and the holding member, which makes it possible to adapt, without tool change, the folding module to the various widths of profiles. to bend, this covering the full extent of the width range of profiles commonly encountered. The invention thus allows optimum use of the installation, preserving production rates and offering optimum adaptability. Indeed, thanks to the invention, the folding installation is able to achieve up to at least 140 frames per hour.

According to advantageous but non-compulsory aspects of the invention, such an installation may comprise one or more of the following features: the second shaped holding members are generally of triangular shape with asymmetrical sides. - The ends of the second shaped holding members are configured in pin or rounded finger at the end. - The fingers are each provided with a countersink formed on one side intended to be facing one side of the profile wall. - The counterbores extend from the free end of each second retaining member in the direction of the base thereof. The invention also relates to a method of folding metal profiles of openings, using an installation according to any one of the preceding features, comprising at least the following steps: - a) bringing at least one profile on the installation from a profile storage facility, - b) abutting the profiles before their introduction into the installation, -c) moving and guiding the profiles in the installation, prior to their bending, - d) bending the profiles to form frames of predefined dimensions, - e) to finish by sawing the profiles the frames obtained in step d), - f) to receive and store the finished frames in step e), - characterized in that before the step d) of bending, an additional step g) is performed to position the first and second variable spacing members constituting the shape-keeping means of the profiles on the inner and outer faces. profiles.

According to advantageous but non-mandatory aspects, such a method may comprise at least one of the following steps: during step g), the profile is positioned before closing the cheeks of the jaw constituting the first holding member on the faces external walls of the profile. during step g), the second holding member is positioned between the walls of the profile when the latter is held by the first member. - Before step g), the constituent fingers of the second retaining member is spaced in shape against the inner faces of the walls of the profile. The invention will be better understood and other advantages thereof will appear more clearly on reading the following description of several embodiments of the invention, given by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to following drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a front view of a profile folding installation according to one embodiment of the invention, - Figure 2 is a side view, according to the arrow II and another scale of the installation of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a partial front view, on a larger scale and centered on the folding module of the installation of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a view of FIG. FIG. 5 is a front view on a larger scale of detail V in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view from FIG. high and on a larger scale a part of the m bending form of FIG.

Figure 1 illustrates, in a simplified manner, a folding installation of opening metal profiles 1. Here, the profiles, known per se, are not illustrated for ease of reading. It is the same storage facilities profiles before folding and storage facilities finished frames obtained by folding in the facility. The installation 1 is powered by a storage facility, also called store, which stores enough profiles in a variety of sizes to be able to continuously feed the installation 1 during its period of use, typically a day working. Alternatively, the capacity of the store is adapted, especially if the installation is called to operate 24 hours a day.

The profiles used in the installation 1 are known per se. It consists of metal profiles, typically aluminum or stainless steel, with a U-shaped cross-section, with a length ranging from 3 m to 6 m, a width of between 6 mm and 30 mm for a height ranging from 5 mm to 10 mm. In other words, the installation 1 is able to fold all the profiles commonly encountered to form opening frames, for example square or rectangular. It is conceivable that such an installation 1 is able to fold profiles to make frames of another geometric shape than square or rectangular, for example in a triangle. The arrival of the profiles in the installation 1 is carried out from the right of Figure 1. Alternatively, the arrival of the profiles is located on the left of the installation. This power supply of the installation 1 in profiles is materialized by the arrow F. A module of supply of the profiles, not illustrated, ensures a regular supply of profiles in the installation 1, that by adapting to the speeds of realization of the frames in the installation 1. The supply module comprises drive members in translation of the profiles. The module is advantageously disposed at the output of a section storage module, not shown. It thus provides a physical connection between the installation 1 and a section storage facility. The supply module is therefore preferably disposed between the installation 1 and a storage installation of the profiles while being removable relative thereto. Such a feed module is adapted to feed profiles to the installation 1 while adapting to variations in bending speed of the installation, therefore to production rates.

A first constituent module of the installation 1, looking at the right part of FIG. 1, is a splicing module 2 of the profiles. The module 2 comprises holding plates 3. The plates 3 are arranged perpendicular to each other, on either side of the path of the profiles during their movements in the installation 1. The plates 3 hold the profiles in position when they pass through the module 2. Drive means, not visible in Figure 1, provide translation displacement of the profiles in the module 2 so that the profiles follow one another without space between the ends facing the two profiles neighbors. Thus, continuity is achieved in the movement of the profiles, without dead time in the bending of the fact that the butted sections are, de facto, supported in the installation 1 as if it were a single profile of infinite length.

The drive means comprise drive belts, preferably made of synthetic material. The use of synthetic belts makes it possible to avoid as much as possible any marking of the profile, particularly when the latter is made of aluminum. In addition the material of the drive belts has a coefficient of friction sufficient to drive the profiles avoiding any phenomenon of shifting. For this, the hardness of the belt is lower than that of the profile. At the exit of the butting module, on the left, looking at FIG. 1, the profiles are supported by an advance and guide module 4.

The module advance and guide 4 comprises, as the module 2, holding plates, drive belts, preferably also non-aggressive material for the profiles, and rollers 5. The rollers 5 can move precisely the profiles, orienting and guiding them, according to at least one axis and, in another embodiment not illustrated, up to three XYZ axes. For this, the holding plates 3 and the rollers 5 are movable, with a predefined stroke. Sensors detect the position of the profile when it enters the module 4 and control the necessary displacements of the holding plates 3 and rollers 5 to position the profile at the output of the module 4, before it enters the folding module 6.

The folding module 6 is particularly illustrated in Figures 3 to 6. It will therefore be described in more detail later.

Looking at FIG. 1, before folding by the folding module 6, the profiles pass through a marking module 7. This module 7, which is not mandatory for making the folding of the profiles according to the invention, makes it possible to print and / or or to burn information on the profile. This includes all technical information to identify the finished frame and its physical and mechanical characteristics. Preferably, the marking is performed by a laser 8, according to a technique known per se. To the left of the module 6, looking at FIG. 1, so after the folding of the profiles, the formed frames pass through a finishing module 9. Once folded, so with the free ends of the profile forming the frame facing one of the other and ready to receive the glazing and ready to be abutted by gluing, welding or other technique known per se, for example with insertion of a connecting piece, the folded sections are sawed by a saw 10 constituting the module of finish 9.

Once sawn, the finished frames are transferred to a receiving table 11. The table 11 is inclined relative to the vertical. The frames are then evacuated to a storage area and / or packaging. The table 11 is particularly visible in Figures 1 and 2. Note, looking at Figures 1 and 2, the different modules 2, 4, 6, 7, 9 are aligned in the lower part of the table 11. As is apparent of Figure 2, the drive members 12 of the different modules are arranged perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the profiles, under the table 11. Thus, looking at the installation 1, only are visible, as shown in Figure 1, the parts of modules in which the profiles move. The other constituent elements of the modules of the installation 1 are located under the table 11. The set of modules is carried by a frame 13.

The folding module 6 is now described in detail. It comprises a rail 14 for moving the profile. The advance of the profile is generated and controlled by pressing rollers 15. The movement is effected between the parallel cheeks 16, 17 of a clamping jaw. Here, the cheek 16 is movable, according to the double arrow F2, with respect to the cheek 17 which is stationary. In this way is moved away or closer cheeks 16, 17. The jaw 16, 17 is constitutive of a means for holding shaped profiles during folding. The jaw 16, 17 thus constitutes a first variable spacing member for maintaining shaped profiles.

The folding module 6 comprises a folding member 18 positioned in the extension of the rail 14. This member 18 is generally in the form of a flattened chute. Thus, it can receive different widths of profiles. The member 18 is pivotally mounted about a rotation shaft 19. The pivoting of the member 18 is effected in a direction illustrated by the double arrow F1 between a bottom dead center corresponding to an alignment of the member 18 with the rail 14, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and a top dead center in which the member 18 is angularly positioned relative to the rail 14.

In this case the member 18 can rotate up to about 140 ° relative to the rail 14, according to the binding angles required. The pivoting movement of the member 18 around the shaft 19 is provided by a jack 20. The latter is located behind the fold plane P materialized by a support plate 21, so as not to hinder the movement of the member 18 and the profile. For this, the movement of the jack 20 is transmitted to the member 18 by a connecting rod 22.

The module 6 also comprises at least two retaining members 23 of the profiles. Advantageously, the number of members 23 is two. In non-illustrated variant, the number is greater, for example three. The members 23 are also constituting the means for maintaining the shape of the profiles during folding and define a second variable spacing member for maintaining shaped profiles.

The purpose of the members 23 is to maintain, from the inside of the profile, the walls and the bottom of the profile during bending, in order to preserve the parallelism of the lateral walls of the profile and the constancy of the thickness, avoiding any deformation of the profile and / or stretching of material during folding. Furthermore, the members 23 define a fulcrum for the folding of the profile by the member 18. De facto, the position of the members 23 also defines the area where the folding is performed on the profile.

As is particularly apparent in Figures 5 and 6 the two members 23 are mounted on the plates 24. The plates 24, shaped rectangular plates, have their largest angularly oriented dimensions in the direction of movement of the profiles. Here, the angle α, shown in Figure 5 between the longitudinal axis A of the plates 24 and the vertical, is between 30 ° and 60 °.

The members 23 are generally triangular in shape. They are fixed by their large bases 25 on one end 26, in this case corresponding to the width, of each plate 24. Thus, the members 23 are located in the extension of plates 24. The fixing is advantageously carried out definitively, by welding, machining or other technique known per se.

The free ends 27 of the members 23 are identical. They are configured in lug or rounded finger at its free end, with sides 270, 271 asymmetrical and rectangular cross section. Alternatively, the cross section is different, for example square. Subsequently, the term finger will be preferentially used.

The fingers 27 each have a face 28 facing the corresponding face 28 of the other finger 27. The faces 28 are flat, so that the fingers 27 of each member 23 can be in mutual contact by their respective faces 28 . In this configuration, illustrated in Figure 6, the total width L23 of the two adjoining members 23 corresponds substantially to the minimum width of a profile, so the minimum spacing between its walls. Such a width L23 is close to 8 mm.

The opposite faces 29 to the faces 28 of each finger 27 are each provided with an identical countersink 30. Each countersink 30 is made on the width of the finger 27 and over the entire length of the short side 271 of the finger 27.

The plates 24, and therefore the members 23, can move away in translation along the double arrow F2 along a shaft 31 secured to a part 32, under the action of a jack 33 visible in Figures 1 , 3 and 4.

The piece 32, which de facto forms the support of the second variable spacing member for maintaining the shape of the profiles, is mounted to move in translation along the double arrow F3. The piece 32 is held on a shaft 34. Thus, it is possible to bring together move the fingers 27 away from the profiles when they are in position on the folding member 18.

The folding method with a folding installation as described above and in accordance with the invention is now described with reference to the various figures.

The first step is the supply of profiles of the installation, in a continuous and controlled way. For this, a feed module ensures the transfer of the profiles from a storage facility to the installation 1. The next step is, with the butting module 2, to abut the profiles so as to obtain a profile of length, if not infinite, equal to the cumulative length of all the profiles present in the storage facility, before replenishment of the latter in profiles.

After the support of the displacement module and the marking, optional, of the profiles in the marking module 7, the profiles are introduced into the folding module 6. This step can be broken down into several sub-steps.

First, the cheek 16 is moved away from the cheek 17 of the first member for keeping shaped profiles, and therefore of the jaw. This movement is effected either before or after or concomitantly with an initial movement of the second variable-gauge holding member. At this stage, the fingers 27 are distal to the profiles.

The spacings of the first and second holding members are greater than the width of the profile to be bent. Thus, it advances the profile in position between the cheeks 16, 17 of the jaw. Once the profile in place, we bring the cheek 16 of the cheek 17 so that the cheeks 16, 17 are in contact with the outer faces of the profile walls. This contact is made so that it is sufficient to maintain the walls of the U-shaped profile, avoiding any opening thereof by spacing the branches of the U constituting the profile. The clamping force of the flanges 16, 17 must be adapted so as not to mark and / or deform the profile.

Once the jaw is in position, it advances the piece 32, according to F3, to bring the members 23, more precisely the fingers 27, in position in the space defined between the legs of the U of the profile. Advantageously, the fingers 27 have previously been spaced apart from each other until the face 29 of each finger 27 is in contact with an inner face facing the walls of the profile. In another embodiment of the invention, the fingers 27 are spaced after their placement in the profile. In this way, each branch of the U constituting the profile, and therefore the side walls thereof, is maintained both on the outside and on the inside by respectively the first and second holding members, namely the cheeks 16, 17 of the jaw and the fingers 27. The maintenance is sufficient to avoid any deformation of the walls of the profile during its folding, which ensures the maintenance of a constant profile width without stretching material at the wall of the profile and without making fold of material.

The geometrical shape of the fingers 27 makes it possible, on the one hand, by the countersink 30 to disengage an area for the folded portion of the profile and, on the other hand, by the presence of a slightly convex portion on the face 29 of the finger 27 in the zone without counterbore 30, initiating a folding, for example at right angles, of the profile without generating a bead at the bending.

When the profile is folded, the part 32 moves in translation in the opposite direction, according to the double arrow F3 to release the members 23 of the profile. The cheek 16 deviates from the cheek 17 and the rollers 19 ensures the displacement of the folded section, therefore de facto of the frame thus produced to a finishing module 9. The portions of unfolded sections and located outside the frame are sawn so as to obtain a frame in a defined shape and size. The falling profiles thus obtained are advantageously butted to form profiles which are delivered either in a storage facility for later use or reintroduced into the folding plant 1, for a new folding cycle.

The finished frames are still open to receive the glazing. They are evacuated on the table 11 and then directed either to a storage area and / or packaging in the case of a future use or in another place, or oriented towards an assembly line opening in the case of a immediate use.

Claims (9)

1. - Folding installation (1) of opening metal profiles comprising at least one module for feeding the profiles to the installation, an abutment module (2) of the profiles, an advancing and guiding module ( 4) profiles in the installation, a folding module (6) of the profiles comprising a means for holding shaped profiles during folding comprising a jaw (16, 17) with variable spacing, said jaw forming a first spacer member variable for keeping the profiles in shape and surrounding a second shaped holding member (23) for the profiles during folding, a finishing module (9) for the frames and a receiving module (11) for the finished frames, characterized in that the folding module (6) comprises at least two second shaped holding members (23) of the profiles and in that the second shaped holding members (23) are of variable spacing (F2). 2. - Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the second shaped holding members (23) are generally triangular in shape with sides (270, 271) asymmetrical. 3. - Installation according to claim 2, characterized in that the ends (27) of the second shaped holding members (23) are configured in pin or finger rounded at the end. 4. - Installation according to claim 3, characterized in that the fingers (27) are each provided with a recess (30) formed on a face (29) intended to be opposite one side of the profile wall. 5. - Installation according to claim 4, characterized in that the countersinks (30) extend from the free end (27) of each second shaped holding member (23) towards the base (25) of the -this. 6. - Process for folding metal profiles of openings, using an installation (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising at least the following steps: - a) bring (F) at least one profile on the installation from a profile storage facility, - b) abut (2) the profiles before their introduction into the installation, -c) move and guide (4) the profiles in the installation, prior to their folding, - d) folding (6) the profiles to form frames of predefined dimensions, - e) finishing (9) by sawing the profiles the frames obtained in step d), - f) receiving (11) and storing the frames finished in step e), - characterized in that prior to step d) of folding, an additional step g) is performed to position the first (16, 17) and second (23) members to variable spacing and constituting the means for keeping shaped profiles on the internal faces and external profiles. 7. - Folding method according to claim 6, characterized in that during step g), the profile is positioned before closing the cheeks (16, 17) of the jaw constituting the first holding member on the outer faces walls of the profile. 8. - Folding method according to claim 7, characterized in that, in step g), the second (23) holding member is positioned between the walls of the profile when the latter is held by the first (16, 17) organ. 9. - A method according to claim 6, characterized in that before step g), the fingers (27) constituting the second (23) holding member shaped against the inner faces of the walls of the profile.