KR20130058064A - Automated pipe forming press comprising a light source for measuring the internal contour of the pipe - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides for shaping the flat product 1 from the outside as well as at least one internal forming tool 3 for shaping the flat product 1 at least stepwise in the radial direction of the product cross section of the slit pipe or preliminary pipe to be manufactured. A molding apparatus for forming flat products 1 into a slit pipe or prepipe product 2, comprising at least one external forming tool 4 for the purpose of forming at least an internal contour of the slit pipe or prepipe product. One or more light sources 7 and one or more receivers 8 for measurement are connected with one or more internal shaping tools 3. In addition, the present invention provides for molding the flat product 1 from the outside, as well as one or more internal forming tools 3 for forming the flat product 1 in the radial direction of the cross section of the slit pipe or pre-pipe product to be manufactured. In a forming method for forming flat products 1 into a slit pipe or pre-pipe product 2, using at least one external forming tool 4 for the purpose, at least one light source 7 and at least one receiver 8 Is connected with the internal forming tool 3 to detect at least the local contour or shape of the shaped flat product 1 formed during the molding process.

Description

AUTOMATTED PIPE FORMING PRESS COMPRISING A LIGHT SOURCE FOR MEASURING THE INTERNAL CONTOUR OF THE PIPE}

The invention includes at least one internal forming tool for shaping the flat product at least stepwise in the radial direction of the cross section of the slit pipe or pre-pipe product to be produced, as well as at least one external forming tool for forming the flat product from the outside. The present invention relates to a molding apparatus and method for forming a flat product into a slit pipe or a preliminary pipe product.

The manufacture of particularly thick pipes, for example for pipeline applications and the like, is usually done through the stepwise shaping of flat products into so-called slit pipes. In the first case, the sheets are spirally wound such that a pipe having a circular cross section is produced through its side edges positioned adjacent to each other and providing a spiral weld seam. In an alternative manufacturing process, stepwise forming is made from flat products to a tubular product that has a substantially circular cross section over its entire length, and eventually becomes a tubular product, and finally the tubular product has a length in the slit pipe or prepipe product. Pipes are provided by providing directional seams.

The shaping of the flat product is normally likewise done in two steps, with the first forming step producing a preliminary product having a contour corresponding to a series of polygons. Then, in the second step, an outline with a substantially circular cross section is achieved by an expander.

Using a pre-bending die and typically two relative supports, or a lower tool in the form of a lower bar, for example, the flat product is locally molded in the first forming step described above, and a number of molding operations of this type By continuing to run, you finally get the type of workpiece that you want.

According to the person skilled in the art, this typically means a two-dimensional "contour" of the pipe cross section and a three-dimensional "shape" of the whole pipe, slit pipe or preliminary pipe product. In this case the shaping is often done according to the operator's experience, and the setting of the degree of shaping in each section, as well as the positioning of the flat product in shaping, presupposes a great deal of experience. If the steel grades of varying strength and correspondingly different forming behavior have to be molded into slit pipes, the process becomes even more complicated. Industrial production of slit pipes of this type therefore presents a clearly complex process due to a number of interference variables such as sheet thickness variation and batch variation as well as elastic recovery after molding.

Apparatus for producing pipes from thin panels of this type are described, for example, in DE 102 32 098 B4 filed with the name "apparatus for producing pipes from thin panels".

In this area of expertise, therefore, this type of complex forming process can be automated as much as possible, while at the same time aiming to meet all the quality requirements of the market and, on the other hand, to avoid subsequent welding processes. There is a need in the contour, preferably the roundness of the cross section, and eventually to make it possible to produce a pipe cross section with the smallest possible deviation from the desired shape.

It is an object of the present invention, with the prior art as a starting point, in an apparatus and method for forming flat products into slit pipes or pre-pipe products, continuous inspection, irrespective of the thickness and material properties of the flat products to be actually formed. And ultimately to providing such an apparatus and method which enables the automation of the molding process itself.

This object is achieved in the sense according to the invention by a device having the features of claim 1 as well as a device having the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are each defined in the dependent claims.

In the sense according to the invention, one or more light sources, such as a super light emitting diode or white light source and one or more receivers, are used in connection with one or more forming tools to measure the internal contour of the slit pipe or prepipe product. In the sense according to the invention, each optical measuring device comprising a light source and a receiver is used. Preferably, however, the measuring device comprises a laser light source and a laser detector.

Thereby, in particular a means of functioning correctly, an apparatus is provided which allows for high precision inspection of the respective forming steps, up to the contour of the entire cross section of the slit pipe or pre-pipe product, preferably to the final inspection of its form. In addition, measurements can be made quickly and integrated in a way that saves mounting space in the pipe forming presses commonly used in the types described earlier, without causing interference to the forming process itself. Finally, depending on the measurement results, each local stepwise molding process or the entire molding process can be inspected continuously, preferably on-line and fully automated, and in some cases readjustment.

This preferred automation of the entire molding process, with continuous tracking of the results of the individual molding steps, not only allows for efficient process procedure management, but also makes it possible to achieve better performance than the moldings that have been applied to practice in the past according to the experience of the system operator. This allows the molding of starting materials with much better control, down to molded sheet structures with defined contours or shapes. Finally, the deviation is much faster and more precisely compensated, and the shaped sheet structure can be manufactured much more surely and precisely. This ultimately results in a lower reject rate in production, thus achieving cost savings, especially with fewer staff requirements.

In addition, since open-loop control and closed-loop control are made periodically according to the results of the individual molding steps or the entire molding process, interference variables such as property variations or inaccuracies can be compensated for immediately during the pre-modeling of the process.

To this end, the light source projects light structures, in particular dots, lines or patterns, on at least partially the inner surface of the shaped flat article. The light structure is particularly preferably variable according to place and / or time. The detection and analysis of the scattered light structure takes place via a receiver and preferably in a suitable control unit, whereby the (two-dimensional) contour and extremely preferably (three-dimensional) form of the slit pipe or prepipe product are It can be measured.

Particularly preferably, the internal forming tool is part of the forming blade of the pipe forming press. In the case of the shaping process, in which the individual steps thereof are substantially shown in FIG. 1, the shaping blades, in particular the tools associated with the blades, are lowered onto the flat product, which is usually seated on two mating supports. . Forming then takes place according to the spacing between the mating supports, the contour of the forming blades themselves and the travel of the forming blades. The molding takes place step by step in the form or in the form of the desired cross-sectional contour of the slit pipe or preliminary pipe product.

Further preferably, the bending of the forming blades and the mating supports over the length of the slit pipe or pipe, as well as the mutual spacing of the mating supports, or the relative positions of the forming blades and the mating supports, are consequently a result of the molding It may be varied in order to be able to influence it as desired.

In the case of the molding process consisting of a plurality of molding processes that are carried out continuously, the apparatus according to the invention and the method according to the invention can be particularly preferably used, in particular for terminating the molding process and After raising the shaping blades from the flat plate product, the local shaping state, in particular the curvature, can be measured simply and reliably.

In addition, preferably, at least one light source and at least one optical receiver are integrated in a common sensor device. The use of the modular construction and the mounting space of the measuring equipment as a whole is thereby particularly advantageously assisted or implemented. As a result, such a device is provided in which the laser sensor device can be mounted to the molding tool in a space-saving manner so that disturbances in the molding process are completely avoided.

Particularly preferably, an embodiment of the device according to the invention is provided in which each light source and each receiver, preferably each integrated sensor device, is mounted on each side of the shaping blade. In this regard, in this connection, the light source is preferably rotatably mounted to the internal forming tool, preferably together with the receiver. This makes it possible, in the context of the device, to allow a single light source to detect the desired measurement results for at least half of the cross section of the slit pipe or prepipe product, respectively.

Particularly preferably, the forming tool disposed on the blade comprises at least one slot or bore, through which the light beam can strike the inner surface of the workpiece in the region of the local forming state itself. Such a device is provided. This allows, in some cases, accurate measurement of the contour and / or shape of the workpiece even during the molding process.

Thus, an apparatus is provided that uses particularly simple means and allows the measurement of the entire cross section of the product to be manufactured without the need to change the structural shape of the internal forming tool, in particular the forming blade.

Preferably at least two light sources and receivers, preferably sensor devices of the type described above, are arranged in such a way that they are preferably distributed equidistantly over the length of the slit pipe or prepipe product. This ensures that the quality requirements for the quality of the pipe over the length of the pipe as well as the roundness of the tip section are assuredly observed. In the manufacture of slit pipes having an 18 meter length, approximately 15 forming tools are typically used, which are arranged in the forming shaping blades of the cavity. In a manner distributed over the length, using three measuring devices, preferably equidistant from each other, the contour or shape of the shaped flat product can be measured with sufficient precision over the entire length of the slit pipe. . While as accurate as possible roundness is required in the area of the end face of the pipe to allow the mutual welding of the two tubes without prior contouring, there is a small standard deviation from the predetermined shape over the length of the pipe. Only the so-called ellipticity is allowed.

Preferably, the light source is mounted to the internal forming tool in a height adjustable manner, preferably together with the receiver. This increases the flexibility of the device, especially in the case of pipe forming presses comprising forming blades, when forming flat products with slit pipes, preferably having different pipe cross sections. The height adjustment of the light source and receiver in this case is such that in an ideal way the light source is positioned substantially near the center point of the final pipe cross section, so that in particular the measurement of the finished pipe cross section is made easy after the last rise of the forming blades. do.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the receiver is connected with a control unit for the shaping process. The control unit very particularly preferably carries out a correction between the setpoint and the actual value for the individual measurements and, based on the correction between the setpoint and the actual value, at least an internal forming tool, in some cases one or more external tools. Output correction values for In this case the control unit extracts the setting values from the memory provided for this, and the correction values for the control of the internal shaping tool are again output as the result of the model being the model for the shaping process and corrected according to the measured actual values.

This makes it possible, as already mentioned at the outset, to finally fully automate the shaping of flat products which are molded into slit pipe or prepipe products, very particularly preferably via open and closed loop control with a control unit.

In terms of the method, the present invention relates to a method in which the light source and the receiver are connected to an internal forming tool and the molding state produced up to that point, preferably the local curvature realized by the internal forming tool in the flat product, is detected at least during the molding process. It is characterized by. In this case, preferably, the detection of the contour or form of the flat product can be continued even after the molding process itself, in order to be able to detect completely the elastic recovery of the previously molded material as a result. Preferably, in particular, the light measurement lasts for a short time after the end of the molding process and thus after the end of contact of the flat product with the internal forming tool. In addition, preferably, a period of light measurement is set which is between 0.5 seconds and 1 second longer than the actual molding process.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the measurement of the contour or shape of the flat product produced by molding is made by a triangulation method. In this case, the light beam is aimed towards the workpiece in a manner known to those skilled in the art. The light beam scattered from the workpiece is then picked up on a spatially resolved receiver by means of an objective lens, for example on CCD lines. Depending on the position of the light spot picked up on the receiver, the distance of the inner surface of the workpiece to the receiver is measured. This provides a particularly simple and controllable way to measure the actual value of the forming path. The contour or shape of the flat product molded on the same path can then be derived from a plurality of measuring points adjacent to each other.

The method according to the invention, like the device according to the invention already discussed in detail above, is particularly preferred for each individual forming step, during the measurement, up to the contour or shape of the entire cross section of the slit pipe or prepipe product. Use a sensor device that is rotated to detect deformation. It is particularly preferably rotatable, so that each light source and receiver is at each side of the inner forming tool, preferably the forming blade, at least a cross section of at least half of the pipe or prepipe product, respectively, can be detected by the sensor device. Is achieved when mounted.

A particularly preferred case is an embodiment of an apparatus and method which allows for permanent rotation of the sensor device about its own axis of rotation and thus above 360 °. Thereby the drive device for the sensor device can be configured particularly simply.

In the following the invention is explained in more detail according to several figures. 1 is shown generally in the prior art, while in FIGS. 2 to 5 there are shown preferred embodiments of the invention. However, the above embodiments should not be considered as limiting the protection scope of the present invention in any way, as defined in the appended claims.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for forming flat products into slit pipes or pre-pipe products, and according to the present invention, irrespective of the thickness and material properties of the flat products to be molded, continuous inspection is possible and finally There is automation of the molding process itself.

1 depicts the individual working steps of the forming process for producing a slit pipe from a flat product.
2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an apparatus according to the invention.
3 is a top view of the light sensor device according to the invention for mounting to a device according to the invention.
4 is a schematic diagram of a triangulation method used in accordance with the present invention.
5 is a flow chart schematically showing a method according to the invention.

1 shows the process of forming a flat product into a slit pipe or pre-pipe product 2 having a substantially circular cross section in eight working steps a) to h). In step a) a flat product 1 is shown with already preformed edge regions 1a, 1b. The edge regions 1, a 1b are typically preformed on the outside of the pipe forming press. As shown in step b), the forming process in the pipe press is initiated by inserting the flat product 1 between two mating supports 4a, 4b and the forming blade 3. The shaping blade 3 can again be moved between the two mating supports 4a, 4b in a vertical direction towards the plate product 1 in an elevated manner again. Then, with the interaction of the actual forming tool 3a of the forming blade 3, as well as the mating supports 4a, 4b, a local forming state is provided in the flat product 1. In working steps a) to d) the first side of the flat product is shaped into a slit pipe cross section, while in steps e) to h) it is formed step by step into the slit pipe 2 on the right side of the flat product 1. The point is shown. These two shaping processes are typically accomplished by successively carrying out a number of local shaping steps inwardly at the side edges 1a, 1b.

2 shows a slit of the flat product 1 in the form of a conventional pipe forming press comprising mating supports 4a, 4b and a forming blade 3 having a substantial forming tool 3a mounted on its head. An apparatus according to the invention for forming into a pipe 2 is shown. 2 shows the final stage of molding. On the shaft portion of the shaping blade 3, laser sensor devices 5a, 5b are mounted on the left and right sides, respectively, through which the contour of the cross section of the pipe 2 can be measured as a whole. The laser sensor devices 5a and 5b are mounted on the shaping blade 3 so that the whole itself is adjustable in height along the arrow A, while the rotational movement shown by the arrow B is a function of the laser sensor devices 5a and 5b. It does not concern the whole housing, but rather only the individual parts of the laser sensor devices 5a, 5b, in particular only light sources (not shown) and laser sensors (not shown). In this case, by means of rotational movements and, in some cases, by height adjustment, the point at which the laser beam 6 emitted by the laser light source passes through the entire cross section of the slit pipe 2 to be formed can be achieved. have.

3 shows a top view of a laser sensor device 5 according to the invention for mounting on a forming blade (not shown). The laser sensor device 5 includes a drive motor 9, an angle measuring device 10, a laser light source 7, and a laser sensor 8 as main components, and the laser light source 7 includes a laser sensor ( Together with 8) form a triangulation sensor according to the invention. All of the components 7-10 of the laser sensor device 5 can be integrated into one housing and reliably connected with the forming blades (not shown) via the interface 11. In addition, the laser sensor device 5 allows the laser beam emitted by the laser light source 7 to pass through the circumference of the slit pipe cross section which is preferably (not shown) and continuously shaped up to that point in time. And mounted away from the forming blade (not shown).

4 schematically shows the measurement principle of the triangulation method. The laser beam 6 emitted from the laser light source 7 impinges on the inner surface of the flat product or already locally formed flat product 1 to be molded at position P1 or position P2 as schematically indicated. . The laser beam scattered by the inner surface is at different points on the detector which are part of the sensor device 8 by the objective lens 12, depending on the position of the inner surface of the flat product 1 relative to the laser light source 7. P1 ', P2'). The positions P1 ′, P2 ′ on the detector of the laser sensor 8 thus permit a direct inference about the positions P1, P2 of the inner surface of the flat product with respect to the laser light source 7.

Finally, Fig. 5 schematically shows a flowchart for carrying out the method according to the invention. Manufacturing takes place as a series of individual steps, starting with a manufacturing method for producing a pipe type involving tool data and workpiece data. Continuously or online, the workpiece or at least the individual molding states are measured by a system according to the invention. From there the calculation of possible correction parameters of the model for the subsequent step (s) is then made. Subsequently, a response is made to the question of whether the final step, ie, the calculation of the calibration parameters, has been carried out. If yes, it means that the slit pipe is accurate and complete to the specification. If no, meaning no execution, the process returns to the manufacturing process for continuing the molding process.

Claims (19)

Forming apparatus for forming flat products 1 into slit pipe or pre pipe products 2, comprising: at least stepwise forming of the flat product 1 in the radial direction of the cross section of the slit pipe or pre pipe product to be produced. In the forming apparatus comprising at least one internal forming tool 3 as well as at least one external forming tool 4 for shaping the flat product 1 from the outside,
Forming apparatus characterized in that at least one light source (7) and at least one receiver (8) for measuring at least the inner contour of the slit pipe or pre-pipe product are connected with at least one internal forming tool (3). 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the light source (7) and the receiver (8) are used to measure the internal shape of the slit pipe or prepipe product. Molding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the internal forming tool (3) is a forming blade of a pipe forming press. 4. Molding apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light source (7) is a laser light source. 5. The shaping device according to claim 1, wherein at least one light source and at least one receiver are integrated in a common sensor device. 6. 6. The device according to claim 3, wherein each light source 7 and each receiver 8, preferably each sensor device 5, is mounted on each side of the shaping blade 3. 7. Molding apparatus, characterized in that. The shaping according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light source (7) is rotatably mounted to the internal shaping tool (3), preferably together with the receiver (8). Device. 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the range of rotation of the light source (7) allows the light (6) to pass through at least half of the cross section of the pipe or prepipe product. The light source according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light source projects a light structure, preferably a point or line, very preferably a pattern, on the inner surface of the slit pipe or prepipe product. Forming device. 10. The molding apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the light structure can vary with place and / or time. The light source (7) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light source (7) is preferably mounted together with the receiver (8) so as to be movable vertically to the internal forming tool (3). Forming device. 12. The receiver (8) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the receiver (8) is connected with a control unit for the molding process and preferably corrected between the set value and the actual value for the individual measurements by the control unit. While this can be done, correction values for at least the internal forming tool 3 can be output on the basis of the correction between the set value and the actual value, thereby very particularly preferably forming into a pipe or prepipe product 2. Molding apparatus, characterized in that the fully automated molding process of the flat plate product (1) can be controlled by the control unit open and closed loop. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein up to 20 plural forming tools 3a, preferably 12 to 16 plural molding tools, as well as two or more, preferably three light sources (1). 7) and shaping device, characterized in that the receivers (8) are arranged, preferably equidistantly distributed over the length of the slit pipe or prepipe product. Forming method for forming flat products 1 into slit pipe or pre pipe products 2, comprising: at least one interior for forming flat product 1 in the radial direction of the cross section of the slit pipe or pre pipe product to be produced In the shaping method using not only the shaping tool 3, but also one or more outer shaping tools 4 for shaping the flat product 1 from the outside,
Molding, characterized in that one or more light sources 7 and one or more receivers 8 are connected with the internal forming tool 3 to detect local contours or shapes thereof at least during the molding process. Way. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the molding is stepwise. 16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the laser measurement lasts longer than the actual molding process, preferably for up to 1 second, particularly preferably between 0.5 and 1 second. The molding method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the curvature of the flat product (1) is measured by a laser triangulation method. 18. The light source (17) according to any one of the claims 14 to 17, wherein the light source (17), preferably together with the receiver (8), during the measurement process, ensures that the laser (6) is at least of the slit pipe or spare pipe product. A molding process, characterized in that it is rotated so as to pass through the half cross section, preferably the entire cross section. 19. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the measurement results are sent to the control unit, which performs a correction between the set value and the actual value for the individual measurements and corrects between the set value and the actual value. On the basis of outputting at least correction values for the internal forming tool 3, whereby very particularly preferably the control unit is preferably plated on a slit pipe or prepipe product 2, preferably online. Molding method, characterized in that to control the open and closed loop of the fully automated molding process.

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