This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. ยง 119(a) to German Application No. 10 2015 207 124.3, filed on Apr. 20, 2015, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The invention relates to processing panel-like work-pieces, in particular metal sheets, and handling a processing product that has been produced from a panel-like workpiece.
U.S. 2003/014 7729 A1 discloses an example machine arrangement that includes a punching machine for the punch-processing of metal sheets and a loading and unloading device. A stationary punching station of the punching machine has an upper punching tool on an upper frame leg of the punching machine and a lower punching tool disposed opposite to the upper punching tool on a lower frame leg of the punching machine. A support part of a horizontal workpiece support of the punching machine extends respectively on both sides of the lower punching tool. Workpieces to be processed are moved for processing purposes relative to the punching station over the workpiece support. In this context, a coordinate guide of the punching machine takes over the workpiece movement in a first axis direction of the horizontal workpiece movement plane. In the second axis direction of the horizontal workpiece movement plane, the workpieces to be processed are moved by means of the workpiece support, which is guided in a movable manner for this purpose on the lower frame leg of the punching machine.
The loading and unloading device of the machine arrangement according to U.S. 2003/014 7729 A1 includes a frame, a platform capable of being raised and lowered on this frame in the vertical direction, and a gripper arranged above the platform and capable of being positioned in the horizontal direction.
After completion of the processing of a workpiece, the processing product produced is moved by means of the coordinate guide of the punching machine to the edge of one of the support parts of the workpiece table. The platform of the loading and unloading device is arranged laterally alongside the workpiece support of the punching machine in the vertical direction slightly below the workpiece support. With the processing product arranged on it, the workpiece support of the punching machine then travels from a starting position over the platform of the loading and unloading device. The gripper of the loading and unloading device is now advanced in the horizontal direction until it can grip the edge of the processing product supported by the workpiece support of the punching machine. When the processing product is fixed to the gripper of the loading and unloading device, the workpiece support of the punching machine travels back to its starting position. When doing so, the relevant support part of the workpiece support is withdrawn below the processing product and the processing product is deposited subject to the effect of gravity on the platform of the loading and unloading device disposed below it.
One aspect of the invention features a machine arrangement for processing of panel-like work-pieces, especially metal sheets. The machine arrangement includes:
a processing station in which a workpiece can be processed, and accordingly, a processing product can be produced from the workpiece,
a workpiece support for supporting the workpiece during the workpiece processing and for supporting the processing product after the workpiece processing, where the workpiece support comprises support parts arranged laterally side-by-side, one of which is provided as an unloading-side support part and another is provided as a further support part, and which, in the case of an arrangement at a common level, are substantially flush with one another in the horizontal direction at their upper side,
a movement device provided for the workpiece and for the processing product, to which the workpiece and the processing product can be attached in a detachable manner, and by means of which the workpiece attached to the movement device and the processing product attached to the movement device can be moved over the work-piece support, and
a handling device for the unloading of the processing product from the work-piece support.
Another aspect of the invention features a method for handling of a processing product, which has been produced in a processing station of a machine arrangement for the processing of panel-like workpieces, especially metal sheets, from a workpiece. The processing product is supported by a workpiece support which comprises support parts arranged laterally side-by-side, one of which is provided as an unloading-side support part and another is provided as a further support part, and which, when arranged at a common level are substantially flush with one another in the horizontal direction. The processing product is attached in a detachable manner to a movement device, to which the workpiece was also attached in a detachable manner, and the processing product attached to the movement device is moved by means of the movement device over the workpiece support. The processing product is unloaded from the workpiece support by means of a handling device.
In the case of the invention, a workpiece support with an unloading-side support part and a further support part is provided, where the unloading-side support part can be displaced in the vertical direction. When the two support parts are disposed at a common level, they are flush with one another and, in particular, a workpiece to be processed can be moved over the two support parts by means of the movement device of the machine arrangement for the purpose of processing. If a punching station is provided as a processing station of the machine arrangement and a coordinate guide is provided as movement device, the workpiece to be processed, for example, a metal sheet to be processed is positioned relative to the punching tool of the punching station in a known manner by means of the coordinate guide with movements in a horizontal plane. The workpiece to be processed and also the processing product produced as a result of the workpiece processing is fixed to the movement device. Finished parts or processing skeletons, and also processing skeletons with finished products held in it via micro-joints can be produced as processing products of a cutting, especially a punching sheet-metal processing.
After the completion of the workpiece processing and before the start of the unloading process, the processing product is stored on the further support part of the workpiece support. The unloading-side support part of the workpiece support is lowered in the vertical direction to an unloading level. When the unloading-side support part of the workpiece support is disposed at the unloading level, the handling device can take up an unloading position laterally alongside the further support part. In the unloading position, the handling device is arranged in the vertical direction so that a product support provided on the handling device for the processing product takes up a position relative to the further support part of the workpiece support, in which the processing product supported by the further support part and fixed to the movement device can be transferred by means of the movement device to the product support of the handling device.
In the case of the invention, there is, therefore, the possibility of moving the processing product fixed after the workpiece processing to the movement device of the machine arrangement by means of the movement device, without re-clamping, from the further support part of the workpiece support to the handling device. Consequently, the movement device can load the handling device with the processing product directly with the unloading of the workpiece support of the machine arrangement. Preferably, the product support forms the upper boundary of the handling device.
Particular embodiments of the invention are specified.
For the height adjustment of the unloading-side support part of the workpiece support, different options are available according to the invention. For example, a motorized actuation drive provided exclusively for this purpose is conceivable.
In some embodiments, the use of the handling device for the lowering of the unloading-side support part of the workpiece support to the unloading level is preferred according to the invention. In this context, pressure is preferably exerted by means of the handling device on the upper side of the unloading-side support part. Subject to the effect of this pressure, the unloading-side support part descends relative to the further support part, preferably starting from the common level, to the unloading level. Because of the multiple use according to the invention of the handling device, the height adjustment of the unloading-side support part can be achieved with a relatively small construction effort.
For corresponding reasons, in the case of the embodiment of the invention, a lowering of the unloading-side support part of the workpiece support against the action of a restoring force is provided. After the unloading of the workpiece support, the restoring force causes an automatic raising of the unloading-side support part from the unloading level to the starting level, in particular, to the common level, at which the two support parts of the workpiece support of the machine arrangement are flush with one another.
In the interests of a high functional reliability of the machine arrangement according to the invention and of the method according to the invention, in a further preferred embodiment of the invention, an unloading aid is provided, by means of which the processing product moved onto the product support of the handling device can be moved away from the movement device. In this manner, a functionally reliable separation of the processing product initially fixed to the movement de-vice from the movement device is ensured.
A compact construction of the overall arrangement is achieved if the unloading aid is provided on the handling device.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a fixing device is provided and serves to secure the processing product transferred to the handling device from an undesired displacement, in particular, from falling down. In particular, the securing function of the fixing device is significant because the processing product needs to be removed by means of the handling device from the proximity of the unloading-side support part of the workpiece support, before the unloading-side support part of the workpiece support can be re-raised to its starting level. For example, a clamping device comes into consideration as the fixing device. The clamping device can be a knee-lever apparatus or mechanism.
In the interests of a compact construction of the overall arrangement, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the unloading aid by means of which the processing product is separated from the movement device, simultaneously forms the fixing device.
In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the processing product received by the handling device is moved jointly with the handling device into a transfer position and, starting from the transfer position, is transferred by means of a transfer device to a product store, for example, to a corresponding pallet.
For the sake of simplicity, the transfer device in the case of the embodiment of the invention is a scraper device. By means of the scraper device, the processing product deposited on the product support of the handling device is scraped onto the product store, if applicable onto a product pallet. In order to generate a scraping movement, on the one hand, the handling device loaded with the processing product, and, on the other hand, the scraper device, perform a preferably horizontal relative movement.
In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the handling device is arranged in the transfer position at a lower level than in the unloading position. The product store, which cooperates with the handling device moved into the transfer position, can accordingly be provided in a region of the machine arrangement in which it does not obstruct the handling device arranged in the unloading position.
In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the handling device of the machine arrangement according to the invention is used not only for the unloading but also for the loading of the workpiece support. The unloading-side support part of the workpiece support simultaneously forms a loading-side support part. A workpiece to be processed, which is to be supplied to the workpiece support of the machine arrangement, is fixed on the handling device by means of a holding device in such a manner that the workpiece to be processed is arranged on the underside of the handling device remote from the product support. For the loading of the workpiece support, in particular, of the loading-side and unloading-side support part, the handling device is moved into a loading position, in which the handling device is disposed, in common with the workpiece to be transferred to the workpiece support, above the loading-side and unloading-side support part. The workpiece is transferred from the handling device arranged above the loading-side and unloading-side support part to the loading-side and unloading-side support part.
The transfer, completed at the underside of the handling device, of a workpiece to be processed, from the handling device to the loading-side and unloading-side support part, can be implemented at the same time as the transfer of a processing product from the further support part to the product support of the handling device, implemented on the opposite side of the handling device by means of the movement device. In this case, the loading-side and unloading-side support part of the workpiece support is lowered to the unloading level at the time of the loading with the workpiece to be processed.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the transfer of the workpiece to be processed to the workpiece support takes place only after the workpiece support has been unloaded and accordingly after the processing product to be removed from the work-piece support has been moved to the product support of the handling device. After the transfer of the processing product to the handling device, the latter is first raised, where the loading-side and unloading-side support part lowered at the time of the unloading of the workpiece support to the unloading level is preferably raised simultaneously with the lifting movement of the handling device to the common level, at which the loading-side and unloading-side support part is flush with the further support part of the workpiece support.
This procedure is recommended especially in cases in which a movement device is provided, as movement device for the workpiece and the processing product, which is disposed, for example, like a conventional coordinate guide, at a level associated with the common level of the support parts of the workpiece support. If the arrangement of the movement device is matched to the common level of the loading-side and unloading-side support part and of the further support part of the workpiece support, the workpiece to be transferred from the handling device to the loading-side and unloading-side support part is disposed below the movement device when the workpiece support is unloaded.
With such an embodiment of the machine arrangement according to the invention, if the handling device is raised, after the unloading of the workpiece support together with the workpiece held in a detachable manner on the handling device, into a loading position at a corresponding level, the workpiece to be processed can be transferred from the handling device directly to the movement device, that is, without preceding detachment from the handling device and without preceding storage on the loading-side and unloading-side support part. The workpiece to be processed is only released from the handling device after it has been attached to the movement device. At the latest at this time, the loading-side and unloading-side support part of the workpiece support should be raised to the common level. Immediately after the detachment from the handling device, the workpiece can then be moved over the workpiece support by means of the movement device in the manner required for the processing.
According to the invention, it is preferred to arrange the handling device such that the workpiece fixed to the handling device and arranged on the underside of the handling device can be moved towards the movement device with a horizontal transfer movement.
This guarantees a functionally reliable transfer of the workpiece to be processed, which can be achieved with a kinematically simple workpiece movement from the handling device to the movement device.
The transfer of the workpiece to be processed to the movement device can be implemented exclusively through a corresponding movement of the handling device. In this case, if the workpiece holding device of the handling device allows movements of the workpiece held on the handling device in the workpiece plane, the workpiece fixed to the handling device can be aligned relative to the movement device in the workpiece plane in such a manner that a reliable transfer of the workpiece by the movement device is guaranteed.
By way of further development of the invention, a loading aid serving for the active workpiece transfer is provided, where it is conceivable for the handling device and the loading aid each to take over one part of the workpiece transfer to the movement device. In the interests of a compact construction of the overall arrangement, the loading aid can be provided in the handling device.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the handling device is capable of receiving on a workpiece store a workpiece to be processed, which is to be supplied to the workpiece support. For this purpose, the handling device can be moved into a receiving position on the workpiece store. By means of the workpiece holding device of the handling device, the workpiece received from the workpiece store is attached in a detachable manner to the handling device with arrangement on the underside of the latter.
In one embodiment, the handling device can both transfer a processing product stored on the product support of the handling device to a product store for processing products and also receive a workpiece to be processed from a workpiece store for workpieces to be processed. For the transfer of a processing product to the product store, the handling device can be moved into the transfer position, and, in order to receive a workpiece to be processed from the workpiece store, the handling device can be moved into the receiving position. If the transfer position of the handling device is arranged above the receiving position of the handling device, the machine arrangement can be characterized by a relatively small footprint.
Various implementations of the devices, methods, and systems of the invention can simplify unloading of processing products in a machine arrangement of the type recited in the introduction. It is achieved by the machine arrangement and the method for handling a processing product.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
According to
Below the loading-side and unloading-side support part 5 in
Further,
Starting from the conditions according to
As soon as the current sheet-metal processing in the punching machine 2 is completed, a processing-skeleton 22 produced as the result of the sheet-metal processing and present as the processing product is positioned by means of the coordinate guide 13 on the workpiece support 3 in such a manner that it is disposed exclusively on the further support part 6. This leads to the operational state of the machine arrangement 1 illustrated in
When the processing-skeleton 22 is disposed completely on the further support part 6, the sucker frame 9, together with the blank 12 attached thereto, is lowered through a corresponding movement of the guide frame 8 from the position according to
When the sucker frame 9 assumes the unloading position above the loading-side and unloading-side support part 5 lowered to the unloading level, the processing-skeleton 22 disposed initially on the further support part 6 is moved by means of the coordinate guide 13 onto the product support 23 of the sucker frame 9 (
Starting from these conditions, the clamping claws 24 of the coordinate guide 13 are opened and the clamping of the processing-skeleton 22 achieved by means of the clamping claws 24 is released. A pneumatic piston-cylinder drive of the knee-lever arrangement 19, which is disposed in a concealed manner in the drawings, is now activated, and the clamping arm 25 pivots, starting from its position according to
The sucker frame 9 is now raised by means of the guide frame 8 from the unloading position according to
When the sucker frame 9 is disposed in the loading position, the blank 12 attached to the underside of the sucker frame 9 is disposed at the height of the still open clamping claws 24 of the coordinate guide 13. In this context, the blank 12 is disposed on the sucker frame 9 in a floating manner in the sheet-metal plane.
The blank 22 can now be transferred with a horizontal transfer movement to the coordinate guide 13.
In the illustrated exemplary case, the horizontal transfer movement of the blank 12 is performed by means of the sucker frame 9. The sucker frame 9 travels, with the blank 12 attached thereto, horizontally in the direction towards the coordinate guide 13.
In this context, the blank 12 enters the open clamping claws 24 of the coordinate guide 13 until it comes into contact with depth stops of the clamping claws 24. This concludes the horizontal positioning movement of the sucker frame 9. The clamping claws 24 are closed and the blank 12 is attached to the coordinate guide 13.
If the blank 12 attached to the sucker frame 9 is aligned with its edge facing towards the coordinate guide 13 not exactly parallel to the transverse rail 16 and therefore not exactly parallel to the imaginary connecting line of the depth stops provided in the clamping claws 24 extending along the transverse rail 16, the blank 12 initially stops, in the movement performed by means of the sucker frame 9 in the direction towards the coordinate guide 13, only against the depth stop of one of the clamping claws 24.
However, since the blank 12 is disposed by means of the sucker field 17 in a floating manner on the sucker frame 9 in the sheet-metal plane, the sucker frame 9 can continue its movement in the direction towards the coordinate guide 13 after the stopping of the blank 12 against the depth stop of one of the clamping claws 24, until the blank 12 has also come up against the depth stops of the other clamping claws 24, and the blank 12 consequently extends with its edge facing towards the coordinate guide 13 exactly parallel to the transverse rail 16 and is reliably attached to the coordinate guide 13 when the clamping claws 24 are closed.
The floating support of the blank 12 by the sucker frame 9 can be achieved, for example, by means of vacuum suckers 18 which are so-called rotation-point vacuum suckers and, as such, are flexible in the sheet-metal plane of the blank 12. If the sucker field 17 comprises vacuum suckers 18 that are rigid in the sheet-metal plane in addition to such rotation-point vacuum suckers, it is ensured, through corresponding control of the sucker field 17, that the blank 12 is held on the sucker frame 9 during its transfer to the clamping claws 24 of the coordinate guide 13 only by means of the rotation-point vacuum suckers.
With the lifting movement of the sucker frame 9 from the unloading position into the loading position, the loading-side and unloading-side support part 5 has moved automatically, subject to the action of the restoring force, which has been built up in the lowering of the loading-side and unloading-side support part 5 from the common level to the unloading level, back to the common level, at which the loading-side and un-loading-side support part 5 is flush in the horizontal direction with the further support part 6 of the workpiece support 3. Consequently, as soon it is fixed on the coordinate guide 13, and the sucker field 17 of the sucker frame 9 has been completely deactivated, the blank 12 can be moved, by means of the coordinate guide 13, starting from the loading-side and unloading-side support part 5, over the entire workpiece support 3 for processing purposes.
After the transfer of the blank 12 to the workpiece support 3 of the punching machine 2, the sucker frame 9 with the processing-skeleton 22 deposited on the product support 23 of the vacuum frame 9 is moved, starting from the position according to
Starting from the position disposed at the level of the loading position above the blank-sheet pallet 11, the sucker frame 9, together with the processing skeleton 22, is moved into a transfer position, in which the sucker frame 9 is shown in
When the processing-skeleton pallet 10 has travelled above the blank-sheet pallet 11, and the sucker frame 9 with the processing-skeleton 22 stored on it has travelled into the transfer position above the processing-skeleton pallet 10, that is, when the operating state according to
When the processing-skeleton 22 has been transferred to the processing-skeleton pal-let 10, the processing-skeleton pallet 10 travels, together with the previously received processing-skeleton 22, back to the starting position according to
A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2015 207 124 | Apr 2015 | DE | national |
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9682414 | Ichioka | Jun 2017 | B2 |
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Office Action in Chinese Application No. 201610239136.7, dated Aug. 27, 2018, 11 pages (with English translation). |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20160303638 A1 | Oct 2016 | US |