Discharging plate-shaped workpiece parts that have been cut free

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11167387-B2
Application number	US-201816204302-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2018
Priority date	Jun 1, 2016
Publication date	Nov 9, 2021
Grant date	Nov 9, 2021

Abstract

A machine for separative machining of a plate-shaped workpiece by a processing beam. The machine has a first movement unit for moving the workpiece in a first direction, a second movement unit for moving a processing head in a second direction, two workpiece bearing supports for bearing the workpiece, and a parts chute. The two workpiece bearing supports are separated from each other by a gap that extends along the second direction. The parts chute is movable between a first chute position and a second chute position so as to move a cut-free workpiece part that has dropped into the gap, laterally away from the gap. The machine includes a receiving unit movable in the second direction, to receive the cut-free workpiece part at a transfer position and transport the workpiece part to one or more discharging positions of the machine along the second direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for separative machining of a plate-shaped workpiece by means of a processing beam, the machine comprising:
a first movement drive operable to move the workpiece in a first direction;
a second movement drive operable to move a processing head in a second direction, the processing beam being directed towards the workpiece by the processing head;
two workpiece bearing supports arranged to bear the workpiece, the two workpiece bearing supports being separated from each other by a gap that extends along the second direction such that a workpiece part that is cut free from the workpiece drops into the gap;
a parts chute movable between a first chute position and a second chute position with respect to the gap, wherein in the second chute position a chute face of the parts chute is arranged in the gap so as to move the workpiece part that is cut free from the workpiece and dropped into the gap, laterally away from the gap; and
a collection carriage movable in the second direction to receive the workpiece part at a transfer position, the collection carriage being configured to transport the workpiece part received at the transfer position to one or more discharging positions of the machine along the second direction, wherein the collection carriage has at least one discharging barrier movable between a first position to support the workpiece part and a second position to discharge the workpiece part.

2. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the discharging barrier in the first position forms at least a subarea of a bottom side of the collection carriage, and in the second position (S 2 ) uncovers an opening at least in the subarea of the bottom side.

3. The machine of claim 1 , further comprising at least one support slide that is displaceable in the second direction in the gap and has a bearing face for supporting workpiece parts cut during separative machining, wherein the support slide or the bearing face is lowerable.

4. The machine as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to control movement of the collection carriage between the transfer position and the one or more discharging positions of the machine in the second direction.

5. The machine of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to arrange two support slides that are displaceable within the gap in the second direction such that
in a first arrangement the two support slides are arranged adjacent to each other in order to support the workpiece part when the workpiece part is cut free, and
in a second arrangement the two support slides are arranged such that a spacing between the two support slides is enlarged in the second direction in order to drop the workpiece part into the gap.

6. The machine of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the transfer position of the collection carriage based on a center of gravity position of the workpiece part along the second direction when the workpiece part is cut free.

7. The machine of claim 6 , wherein each of the two support slides has a respective bearing face that bears the workpiece, and
wherein the controller is configured to determine the transfer position of the collection carriage in the second direction in relation to a central position between mutually facing edges of the bearing faces of the two support slides when the two support slides are arranged in the first arrangement.

8. The machine of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the transfer position based on a difference between the center of gravity position of the workpiece part and the central position.

9. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the two workpiece bearing supports bear the workpiece on a bearing plane, the machine further comprising: a suction box arranged in the gap below the bearing plane.

10. The machine of claim 9 , wherein the parts chute in the first chute position forms a portion of a side wall of the suction box.

11. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the parts chute is pivotable and/or displaceable from the first chute position to the second chute position.

12. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the parts chute extends along an entire length of the gap, the length of the gap extending along the second direction.

13. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the parts chute has at least one damping layer to damp an impact of workpiece parts that drop into the gap and impact the chute face.

14. A method of discharging a workpiece part from a machine in connection with separative machining of a plate-shaped workpiece by a processing beam, the method comprising:
moving a parts chute of the machine from a first chute position to a second chute position,
wherein the workpiece bears on two workpiece bearing supports that are separated by a gap, such that a workpiece part cut free from the workpiece drops into the gap, and wherein the parts chute moves from the first chute position to the second chute position with respect to the gap,
wherein the parts chute in the first position does not protrude into a movement range of the processing beam in the gap, and
wherein in the second chute position, a chute face of the parts chute is arranged in the gap so as to move the workpiece part that is cut free from the workpiece and dropped into the gap, laterally away from the gap;
receiving the workpiece part by a collection carriage that is located at a transfer position next to the gap;
displacing the collection carriage along the gap for transporting the workpiece part to a discharging position along the gap; and
discharging the workpiece part from the collection carriage at the discharging position,
wherein the workpiece is movable in a first direction by a first movement drive,

wherein the processing beam is directable towards the workpiece by a processing head that is movable in a second direction by a second movement drive, and wherein the gap extends along the second direction,
wherein the collection carriage is movable in the second direction to receive the workpiece part at a transfer position, and wherein the collection carriage has at least one discharging barrier movable between a first position to support the workpiece part and a second position to discharge the workpiece part.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the parts chute does not protrude into the gap in the first position.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
arranging two support slides that are displaceable within the gap so as to be adjacent to each other in the gap to support the workpiece part when the workpiece part is cut free; and
enlarging a spacing between the two support slides to allow the cut-free workpiece part to drop into the gap.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the transfer position of the collection carriage is determined based on a center of gravity position of the workpiece part along the gap when the workpiece part is cut free.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the transfer position of the collection carriage is offset from the center of gravity position.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising arranging two support slides that are displaceable within the gap so as to be adjacent to each other in the gap to support the workpiece part when the workpiece part is cut free, wherein each of the two support slides has a respective bearing face that bears the workpiece, and
wherein the transfer position is determined based on a difference between the center of gravity position of the workpiece part and a central position between mutually fa

Assignees

• Trumpf Werkzeugmaschinen Gmbh Co Kg

Inventors

• Epperlein Peter
• Klinkhammer Marc
• Krampfert Johannes
• Nahoczky Oskar
• Schmauder Frank

Classifications

• B23K10/00 Primary

  Welding or cutting by means of a plasma · CPC title

• B23K26/38 Primary

  by boring or cutting · CPC title

• B23K37/0235

  the guide member forming part of a portal · CPC title

• B26F3/004

  by means of a fluid jet (methods for use of abrasive blasting for cutting B24C1/045; guns for abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; perforating by non-mechanical means, e.g. by fluid jet B26F1/26) · CPC title

• B26F1/3813

  wherein the tool head is moved in a plane parallel to the work in a coordinate system fixed with respect to the work · CPC title