This concerns a device for die stamping, and its use. The same incorporate device modularity. The same may be used in connection with progressive dies, carrierless progressive dies, transfer dies, line dies, draw dies, and so forth and the like.
In typical known die stamping operations, a die set includes an upper die shoe and a lower die shoe. Tooling is provided in the upper and lower die shoes specific for the parts that are to be stamped or otherwise worked on with the die set. When a run of different parts is to be made, a new die must be procured. Generally, the die set, made up of the upper and lower die shoes, upper and lower parallels, pins and bushings accounts for some 10˜15% of the cost of the price of the stamped product, which in today's highly competitive market can be the difference between a viable operation or loss of a contract to an overseas supplier.
Adaptability has been introduced to a limited extent in some die sets. These put scrap and part outfall openings in the lower die shoe to accommodate scrap and parts for closely related parts and are restricted to stamping part families. For other parts not of the family, a different die set must be procured.
In some cases, a die set is provided with and attached to a large adaptor plate to attempt to enable quick die change systems. However, these large adaptor plates traditionally offset any savings for the intended purpose of the quick die change, and make for inefficient die storage.
The industry, thus, is concerned with lowering set up times. All other things being equal, a shorter set up time translates into more efficient production, and hence, lower product cost. All other things, however, are not always equal. And so, certain solutions for lowering set up times cost so much in capital outlay that what they save in lowering set up times they lose in monetary expense to procure, or worse, they end up actually increasing the cost of final product beyond what may be saved in lowering the set up times.
It would be desirable to lower final costs in die stamping work. It would be desirable to provide the art alternative(s).
In general, provided hereby is a modular die set, which comprises:
The drawings form part of the specification hereof. With respect to the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, the following is briefly noted:
The invention can be further understood by the detail set out below, which may be read in view of the drawings. Such is to be taken in an illustrative and not necessarily limiting sense.
The present modular die set has upper and lower die shoes. The present system may be employed with progressive, carrierless progressive, transfer, line, draw and so forth dies. It can be made to be of any suitable size and shape.
The present lower die shoe is provided with an opening spanning a substantial and extensive portion of the length and width of the lower die shoe. Material can pass freely through that opening and through the lower die shoe.
There is also provided a set of plural movable supports. The plural movable supports can be closely spaced with respect to one another, and can be selected and stationed to support a tooling subassembly through its lower tooling plate and to avoid any of such hole(s) in the lower tooling plate so that the scrap and/or parts can fall through the hole(s) and the corresponding portion of the opening of the lower die shoe.
For die stamping operation, there is also provided the tooling subassembly peculiar to the part or family of parts that are to be made. The tooling subassembly, among other components, has the lower tooling plate, which is for mounting on the lower die shoe and covering at least a portion of the opening of the lower die shoe. The lower tooling plate may be provided with hole(s) at predetermined location(s) for scrap and/or parts to fall through as manufacture of a particular part may require. Through an upper tooling plate the tooling subassembly can be mounted to the upper die shoe.
A set up station can be spaced apart from the die and press.
Any suitable material may be employed to make the present modular tooling system. In general, for example, a mild, unhardened, prehardened or hardened steel may be employed.
With respect to the drawings, the following is noted:
In particular reference to
In particular reference to
The upper die shoe 10, say, made of unhardened or prehardened steel, can include stud-receiving portion 15 of a clamping mechanism and pin holes 16 for pin and bushing movable connectors 17 for connecting the upper die shoe 10 with the lower die shoe 20. The movable connectors 17, for example, of the ball bearing or slip fit bronze style, generally include bushings 17B and pins 17P, with the pin holes 16 accommodating the pins 17P. Also, a set of permanent mounting paralells 19 may be provided.
The lower die shoe 20, say, made of unhardened or prehardened steel, has length 21, say, about from twenty to one hundred twenty inches, for example, about sixty inches; width 22, say, about from ten to sixty inches, for example, about thirty inches; and thickness 23, say, about from one and one half of an inch to six inches, say, about two and one half inches. Opening 24 spans a substantial, extensive portion of the length 21 and width 22, say, having a lengthwise dimension of about from fourteen to ninety-six inches, for example, about fifty-one and one half inches, and having a widthwise dimension of about from six to forty inches, for example, about thirteen inches. The opening 24 is completely through the thickness 23. Also, bushing holes 26 can be provided to receive the bushings 17B of the movable connectors 17. In addition, permanent mounting parallels 29 can be provided for clamping, say, to set up station 50 or press 60.
Tooling subassembly 30, say, made of unhardened or prehardened steel, has length 31, say, about from ten to ninety inches; width 32, say, about from ten to forty-four inches, for example, about sixteen inches; and thickness 33, say, about from four to ten inches. The tooling subassembly 30 is mounted on an upper portion of the lower die shoe 20, for example, through lower tooling plate 34, which may be any suitable thickness, say, about from one inch to two inches, for example, about from one and one quarter of an inch to one and one half of an inch. The lower tooling plate 34 covers at least a portion of the opening 24 of the lower die shoe 20. Lower tooling plate hole(s) 34H can be provided so that scrap and/or parts may fall therethrough. The tooling subassembly 30 can be mounted on a lower portion of the upper die shoe 10, for example, through upper tooling plate 35, which, too, may be any suitable thickness, say, about from one inch to two inches, for example, about from one and one quarter of an inch to one and one half of an inch. The lower tooling plate 34 and upper tooling plate 35 may have the same shape and be mounted in registry, as it were. Between the lower and upper tooling plates 34, 35 are provided tooling components, which can include components such as stop blocks 36, balance blocks 37, stripper pad 38, lower die steel 39 and so forth.
Set of plural movable supports 40, say, made of prehardened or hardened steel, are provided. Although individual supports 40 can be substantially flat and rectangular as found in
Set up station 50 can be spaced apart from the stamping site. At the set up station 50, the plural movable supports 40 can be arranged and selected for moving to the device to be stationed as the set of plural movable supports for support of the lower tooling plate of the device. The set up station 50 can include pin movers 53 equivalent to the pin movers 43 can be provided. Also, lower pins 55 can fit in the alignment holes 45 and help hold an unused, i.e., nonoperational, movable support 40 in its proper place at the set up station.
Press 60 can mount the modular die set 100 and modular die 200. With the press 60, parts may be made from the workpiece 8.
Electronic or computer control can be provided to increase efficiency and ameliorate if not avoid mistakes. This may be provided at the set up station 50 especially, and the press 60.
Operation may be carried out in any suitable manner. Compare,
The present invention is thus provided. Various feature(s), part(s), step(s), subcombination(s) and/or combination(s) can be employed in the practice of the invention with other feature(s), part(s), step(s), subcombination(s) and/or combination(s), and numerous and sundry adaptations and modifications can be effected by those skilled in the art within its spirit, the literal claim scope of which is particularly pointed out as follows:
This claims benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of provisional patent application No. 61/217,139 filed on May 27, 2009 A.D. The entire specification of that application, of course, including drawings, is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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3150550 | Berlin et al. | Sep 1964 | A |
3602079 | Carlson | Aug 1971 | A |
3880038 | Mangos | Apr 1975 | A |
3908500 | Gargrave et al. | Sep 1975 | A |
6477930 | Sandford | Nov 2002 | B1 |
6520900 | Sandford | Feb 2003 | B1 |
6708858 | Oetlinger | Mar 2004 | B2 |
7578223 | Bliss | Aug 2009 | B2 |
20080202190 | Boersma | Aug 2008 | A1 |
Entry |
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McKechnie et al. (Eds.), Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition, Dorset & Baber, 1983, pp. 949 and 2101. |
McKechnie et al. (Eds.), Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd Edition, Dorset & Baber, Cleveland, Ohio, 1983, p. 715 (force). |
Oberg et al., Machinery's Handbook, 15th Edition, The Industrial Press, New York, New York, 1956, p. 296. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61217139 | May 2009 | US |