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
  • B21D28/00—Shaping by press-cutting; Perforating
  • B21D28/02—Punching blanks or articles with or without obtaining scrap; Notching
  • B21D28/06—Making more than one part out of the same blank; Scrapless working
• • 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
  • B21D22/00—Shaping without cutting, by stamping, spinning, or deep-drawing
  • B21D22/20—Deep-drawing
  • B21D22/28—Deep-drawing of cylindrical articles using consecutive dies
• • 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
  • B21D51/00—Making hollow objects
  • B21D51/16—Making hollow objects characterised by the use of the objects
  • B21D51/26—Making hollow objects characterised by the use of the objects cans or tins; Closing same in a permanent manner
• • 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
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T83/00—Cutting
  • Y10T83/04—Processes
  • Y10T83/06—Blanking
• • 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
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T83/00—Cutting
  • Y10T83/929—Tool or tool with support
  • Y10T83/9411—Cutting couple type
  • Y10T83/9447—Shear type

Definitions

• the disclosed concept relates generally to tooling assemblies and, more particularly, to tooling assemblies for forming containers.
• the disclosed concept also relates to blanking tools and associated methods. Background Information
• Tooling assemblies for forming cups or container bodies have conventionally involved forming material (e.g., without limitation, a sheet metal blank) conveyed between the punch and the die of a press.
• forming material e.g., without limitation, a sheet metal blank
• the blank is cut (e.g., sheared) from a substantially flat sheet of material (e.g., without limitation, aluminum; steel), which is typically supplied in a coil or stacked sheets.
• the punch then extends downwardly into the die, forming the blank into a cup or can body. See, for example and without limitation, in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,124,613 and 7,240,531 , which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
• Figures 1 A and 2 show a conventional blanking tool 2 having a 4-point shear 4 for cutting or shearing blanks 6 from material 8 (e.g., without limitation, sheet metal), as shown in Figure 3.
• material 8 e.g., sheet metal
• the shear 4 is compressed against the material 8 to cut or shear the blanks 6 ( Figures 3 and 4).
• the shear 4 and, in particular, a number of high points 10,12,14,16,18,20,22,24 e.g., surfaces which extend outwardly from the bottom of the blanking tool 2, as best shown in Figure 2) of the shear 4 engage and are compressed against the material 8.
• the contact areas, or locations at which the high points 10,12,14,16,18,20,22,24 engage the material 8, are best shown in Figure 3.
• high points 10,12,14,16 at least partially engage, and are compressed against, the product area 26 of the material 8, whereas high points 18,20,22,24 engage the web 28 (e.g., the area of scrap material between blanks 6, sometimes referred to as the "skeleton") of the material 8.
• the product area 26 is the area which is subsequently formed into a cup 30 ( Figure 5).
• the high points 10,12,14,16 can undesirably scratch or otherwise blemish (e.g., without limitation, scuff; mar) the blank 6 ( Figure 4), which can translate into a defect in the cup 30 ( Figure 5), and ultimately cause a problem with the finished product (e.g., without limitation, beer/beverage can; food can) (not shown)).
• blemished area 32 in the cup 30 of Figure 5 resulting from the contact area 10 ( Figures 3 and 4) of the shear 4 engaging and damaging the blank 6 ( Figures 3 and 4) during the blanking process.
• the 6-point shear 54 includes a number of high points
• 60,62,64,66,68,70 engage, and are compressed against, the product area 26' of the web 8' during the blanking process.
• High points 72,74,76,78,80,82 engage the web 28' (e.g., the area of scrap material between blanks 6') of the material 8'.
• portions of the 6-point shear 54 also engages and, therefore, can scratch or otherwise blemish (e.g., without limitation, scuff; mar) the blank 6' ( Figure 7).
• the blanking tool effectively shears blanks without contacting the blanks themselves and potentially causing damage (e.g., without limitation, scratched or otherwise blemished).
• a blanking tool for cutting a number of blanks from a sheet of material.
• the sheet of material includes a product area corresponding to the area of the material where the blanks are located, and a web area corresponding to the area of the material between the blanks.
• the blanking tool comprises: a shear including a first side, a second side disposed opposite the first side, an outer diameter, and an inner diameter; and a plurality of contact surfaces disposed on the second side of the shear. The contact surfaces are structured to engage only the web of the material.
• a tooling assembly for a press.
• the press is structured to receive a sheet of material to perform a number of machining operations thereto.
• the tooling assembly comprises: first tooling structured to be coupled to a first portion of the press; second tooling structured to be coupled to a second portion of the press opposite the first tooling, the first tooling and the second tooling being structured to cooperate to engage the sheet of material therebetween; and a blanking tool coupled to the first tooling, the blanking tool comprising: a shear including a first side, a second side disposed opposite the first side, an outer diameter, and an inner diameter, and a plurality of contact surfaces disposed on the second side of the shear.
• the shear of the blanking tool cooperates with a portion of the second tooling to cut a number of blanks from the material.
• the material includes a product area corresponding to the area of the material where the blanks are located, and a web corresponding to the area of the material between the blanks. The contact surfaces of the blanking tool engage only the web.
• a method for forming blanks comprises: providing a press including first tooling and second tooling disposed opposite the first tooling; coupling a blanking tool to the first tooling, the blanking tool comprising a shear including a first side, a second side disposed opposite the first side, and a plurality of contact surfaces disposed on the second side; feeding a sheet of material between the first tooling and the second tooling; and actuating the press to engage the sheet of material with the shear, thereby cutting a number of blanks from the material.
• the sheet of material includes a product area corresponding to the area of the material where the blanks are located, and a web corresponding to the area of the material between the blanks, and the contact surfaces of the blanking tool engage only the web.
• Figure 1 A is a bottom plan view of a blanking tool having a 4-point shear
• Figure IB is a plan view of the contact areas of the 4-point shear of Figure
• Figure 2 is an isometric view of the 4-point shear of Figure IB;
• Figure 3 is a top plan view of a sheet of material, showing the location where blanks are formed and the areas where the 4-point shear contacts the material and the blanks;
• Figure 4 is top plan view of one of the blanks of Figure 3, showing a blemished area caused by tool contact;
• Figure 5 is a simplified isometric view of a finished cup having been formed from the blemished blank of Figure 4;
• Figure 6A is a bottom plan view of a blanking tool having a 6-point shear
• Figure 6B is a plan view of the contact areas of the 6-point shear of Figure
• Figure 7 is a top plan view of a portion of a sheet of material, showing the location where blanks are formed and the areas where the 6-point shear contacts the material and the blanks;
• Figure 8 is an isometric view of a blanking tool, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed concept;
• Figure 9A is a bottom plan view of the blanking tool of Figure 8.
• Figure 9B is a plan view of the contact points of the blanking tool of Figure 9A;
• Figure 10 is a top plan view of a portion of a sheet of material, showing the location where blanks are formed and the areas where the blanking tool contacts only the skeleton (i.e., scrap area, or web) of the material, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed concept;
• Figure 11 is a bottom plan view of the blanking tool of Figure 9A, also showing a grinding wheel in simplified form;
• Figure 12 is a section view taken along line 12-12 of Figure 11;
• Figure 13 is a section view taken along line 13-13 of Figure 1A;
• Figure 14 is a section view taken along line 14-14 of Figure 9A;
• Figure 15 is a side elevation section view of a press incorporating a tooling assembly and blanking tool therefor, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed concept.
• Figure 16 is an enlarged view of a portion of the press and tooling assembly and blanking tool therefor of Figure 15.
• embodiments of the disclosed concept will be described as applied to cutting (e.g., shearing) blanks from a sheet of material (e.g., without limitation, sheet metal) to subsequently form cups and containers (e.g., without limitation, beverage/beer cans; food cans) from the blanks, although it will become apparent that they could also be employed to suitably cut (e.g., shear) blanks of any known or suitable material for a wide variety of different purposes and uses.
• a sheet of material e.g., without limitation, sheet metal
• cups and containers e.g., without limitation, beverage/beer cans; food cans
• fastener and “fastening mechanism” refers to any suitable connecting or tightening mechanism for securing one component to another expressly including, but not limited to, bolts and the combinations of bolts and nuts (e.g., without limitation, lock nuts) and bolts, washers and nuts.
• number shall mean one or an integer greater than one (i.e., a plurality).
• Figures 8 and 9A show a blanking tool 102 for use with a tooling assembly 300 ( Figure 15) of a press 400 ( Figure 15).
• the blanking tool 102 is a six-point shear 104 (i.e., cutedge), although it will be appreciated that the disclosed concept could be employed with a shear (not shown) having any known or suitable alternative number, shape and/or configuration of points (e.g., without limitation, a four-point shear (not shown)).
• the example shear 104 includes opposing first and second sides 106,108, an outer diameter 110, and an inner diameter 112.
• the specific dimensions of the outer diameter 110 and the inner diameter 1 12 are not meant to be limiting aspects of the disclosed concept. It will be appreciated, however, that the inner diameter 112 of the shear 104 is generally the same size as the diameter of the blanks 6" ( Figure 10), which are cut (e.g., sheared) by the shear 104.
• 118,120,122,124,126,128 (six are shown) are disposed on the second side 108 of the shear 104.
• the contact surfaces 118,120,122,124,126,128 constitute high points, or locations which extend outwardly from the second side 108 of the shear 104.
• the contact surfaces 118,120,122,124,126,128 are formed by machining (e.g., without limitation, grinding) the second side 108 of the shear 104 to form a plurality of machined surfaces
• the disclosed concept involves selective machining of the blanking tool 102 to control the manner in which the shear 104 engages the material 8" ( Figure 10) from which blanks 6" ( Figure 10) are made.
• the contact areas 118,120,122,124,126,128 (e.g., pattern and/or location of contact) of the shear 104 (Figures 8, 9A, 11, 12, 14 and 15) with respect to the material 8" ( Figure 10), are best shown in Figures 9B and 10.
• the material 8" will include a product area 26", corresponding to the area of the material 8" where the blanks 6" are located, and a web or skeleton 28", corresponding to the area of scrap material between such blanks 6".
• the disclosed shear 104 does not contact the product area 26" of the material 8". Therefore, the blanks 6" are effectively sheared, without being contacted or damaged (e.g., without limitation, scratched or otherwise blemished).
• problems known to be associated with the prior art such as damage caused to blanks (see blanks 6 of Figures 3 and 4; see also blanks 6' of Figure 7) by the shear (see shear 4 of Figures 1A and 2; see also shear 54 of Figure 6A), or by the stock plate (see, for example, stock plate 306 of Figures 15 and 16), during the blanking process resulting in a defect in the cup (see, for example, blemished cup 30 of Figure 5), and ultimately in a potentially flawed finished product (e.g., without limitation, can body (not shown)), is eliminated.
• contact area 118 is preferably shaped substantially similarly to the web or skeleton 28" of the material 8".
• contact area 118 for example, includes three arcuate sides 142,144,146.
• the first arcuate side 142 is substantially flush with respect to the inner edge of the shear 104, which defines the inner diameter 112 thereof, as shown in Figure 11.
• the second arcuate side 144 is shaped substantially similarly to, and is generally parallel with respect to, the opposing corresponding arcuate portion of the web 28" , which is defined by the removal of the blank 6" adjacent to side 144.
• the third arcuate side 146 is shaped substantially similarly to, and is generally parallel with respect to, the opposing corresponding arcuate portion of the web 28", which is defined by the removal of the blank 6" adjacent to side 146.
• the contact area 118 generally has a triangular shape corresponding to the generally triangular shape of the corresponding portion of the web 28" of material 8", wherein each of the arcuate sides 142,144,146 is concave, as shown. It will, however, be appreciated that any known or suitable alternative number, shape and/or configuration of contact areas (not shown) could be employed to engage only the web 28" of the material 8" in accordance with the disclosed concept.
• Figures 11 and 12 show a grinding wheel 200 (shown in simplified form in phantom line drawing; also shown in Figure 12 in an alternative vertical orientation) machined (e.g., without limitation, grinding) surface 130 to form the desired high-point contact areas 118,128 ( Figure 11) by removing material from the second side 108 of the shear 104, between the contact areas 1 18,128, as previously discussed.
• the machined surfaces for example surface 130, between contact areas, for example contact areas 118,128, is preferably machined to have a desired predetermined shear angle 190 (best shown in the enlarged section view of Figure 14).
• the shear angle 190 of Figure 14 Comparing the shear angle 190 of Figure 14 to the shear angle 90 of the prior art blanking tool 2 of Figure 13, it will be appreciated that the machined surface 130 follows, or is disposed at, the shear angle 190, whereas the prior art shear 4 of Figure 13 has no equivalent machined surface, and does not follow the shear angle 90 but rather includes an additional high point or contact area (see, for example, high point 10 of shear 4 of Figures 1A and 2).
• the shear angle 190 is greater than the shear angle 90 of the prior art shear of Figure 13, although it will be appreciated that the specific dimension of the shear angle 190 is not meant to be a limiting aspect of the disclosed concept.
• the shear angle 190 in accordance with one non-limiting embodiment of the disclosed concept could be up to about 30 degrees.
• Figures 15 and 16 show the disclosed blanking tool 102 employed with a tooling assembly 300 of a press 400 (partially shown in section view), in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the disclosed concept.
• the tooling assembly 300 includes first tooling (e.g., upper tooling from the perspective of Figures 15 and 16, indicated generally by reference 302) and second tooling (e.g., lower tooling from the perspective of Figures 15 and 16, indicated generally by reference 304), which is disposed opposite from the upper tooling 302.
• the aforementioned sheet of material 8" (shown in simplified form in phantom line drawing in Figures 15 and 16) is fed into the press 400 between the upper tooling 302 and lower tooling 304.
• the shear 104 is coupled to the upper tooling 302 using any known or suitable fastening mechanism.
• the shear 104 shown and described herein includes a number of bolt holes 1 14,116 (shown in Figures 9A, 1 1 and 12; not shown in Figure 8 for simplicity of illustration) for bolting the blanking tool 102 to the upper tooling 302.
• the sheet of material 8" is fed into the press 400, for example from a coil (not shown) or stack of such sheets (not shown), and the press 400 is actuated to advance the upper tooling 302 and, in particular, the shear 104, toward the lower tooling 304 and, in particular the stock plate 306, such that the material 8" is engaged and cut (e.g., shears) the material 8" to form the aforementioned blanks 6" ( Figure 10).
• the stock plate 306 supports the material 8" as it is fed through the tooling assembly 300 (e.g., without limitation, die set).
• the aforementioned contact areas 118,120,122,124,126,128 (all shown in Figures 9A-11) of the shear 104 contact only the web or skeleton 28" of the material 8", as shown in Figure 10 and as previously described hereinabove with respect thereto.
• the stock plate 306 is resilient (e.g., without limitation, supported by springs, pneumatically, or hydraulically) to allow it to move downward as the shear 104 pushes against it, with the material 8" trapped therebetween.
• the stock plate 306 helps to lift the web or skeleton 28" ( Figure 10) portion of the material 8" while the blank 6" ( Figure 10) is drawn down through the blank and draw die 308 to form a cup (not shown, but see cup 30 of Figure 5).
• a further advantage of the disclosed blanking tool 102 is longer tool life. That is, in operation, the prior art shear (see, for example, shear 4 of Figures 1 A and 2) impacts the stock plate 306 (with material 8" sandwiched therebetween) at relatively high speeds and tonnage, such that areas of the stock plate 306 opposite certain high points (see, for example, high points 18,20,22,24 of Figures 1A-3) of the shear 4 ( Figures 1A and 2) become worn.
• the disclosed shear 104 employs fewer contact areas 1 18,120,122,124,126,128 (six are shown), wherein each of the contact areas 118,120,122,124,126,128 has a relatively large surface area (compare, for example, the relatively small surface area of high points 18,20,22,24 of shear 4 of Figures 1A and 2, to the relatively large surface area of high points
• the blanking tool 102 may optionally further include a carbide ring 310 inserted into the shear 104, as shown for example and without limitation in Figure 16. That is, because carbide is very hard, the cutting or blanking edge of the tool 102 will last longer if the carbide ring 310 is employed. It will be appreciated that the carbide ring 310 preferably does not have any bearing on the geometry of the blanking tool 102.
• the disclosed blanking tool 102 provides a shear 104 for effectively cutting (e.g., shearing) blanks 6" (Figure 10), without engaging any portion of each blank 6" ( Figure 10). Therefore, damage (e.g., without limitation, scratching or otherwise blemishing) of the blank 6" during the blanking process is eliminated, thereby eliminating the potential for contact defects in the cup (see blemished cup 30 of Figure 5) or end product (e.g., without limitation, container; beer/beverage can; food can (not shown)) formed from the blank 6", which is known to be associated with prior art blanking tools (see blanking tool 2 of Figures 1A and 2; see also blanking tool 52 of Figure 6A).

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Shaping Metal By Deep-Drawing, Or The Like (AREA)
• Perforating, Stamping-Out Or Severing By Means Other Than Cutting (AREA)
• Punching Or Piercing (AREA)
• Mounting, Exchange, And Manufacturing Of Dies (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

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Publications (1)

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Citations (7)

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• 2011
  • 2011-02-28 JP JP2012557078A patent/JP5792751B2/ja active Active
  • 2011-02-28 EP EP11753794.4A patent/EP2544837B1/en active Active
  • 2011-02-28 WO PCT/US2011/026438 patent/WO2011112376A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2011-02-28 US US13/036,103 patent/US20110219926A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2011-02-28 CN CN201180013054.6A patent/CN102791398B/zh active Active
• 2016
  • 2016-12-12 US US15/375,482 patent/US10710140B2/en active Active

Patent Citations (7)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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