Device for changing bending tools in a bending machine for bending metal sheets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11465189-B2
Application number	US-202017635137-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2020
Priority date	Aug 19, 2019
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for changing bending tools (15, 16) in a bending machine (2) for bending metal sheets, in particular in a press brake, comprising at least one tool magazine (6) for storing the bending tools (15, 16), which, when positioned in a working area of the bending machine (2), cause the metal sheets to bend. The at least one tool magazine (6) is arranged on a frame (3) which is configured to be positioned in a free-standing manner without a mechanical connection to the bending machine (2) in an operating position of the device (1), wherein the at least one tool magazine (6) can be moved from a first position out of the frame (3) into a second position, in which at least a part of the tool magazine (6) that can be moved out lies in a contact-free manner within the bending machine (2).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for changing bending tools in a bending machine for bending metal sheets,
the device comprising:
a frame;
at least one rail;
a robot; and
at least one tool magazine for storing the bending tools, which, when positioned in a working area of the bending machine, cause the metal sheets to bend,
wherein the at least one tool magazine is arranged on the frame that is configured to be positioned in a free-standing manner without a mechanical connection to the bending machine in an operating position of the device,
wherein the robot is arranged on the frame for automatically inserting the bending tools from the at least one tool magazine into the working area of the bending machine and for automatically storing the bending tools from the working area in the at least one tool magazine, wherein the robot, during operation of the device, moves in the operating position between the at least one tool magazine and the working area of the bending machine, in order to automatically insert and automatically store the bending tools,
wherein the at least one tool magazine can be moved via the at least one rail out of the frame from a first position into a second position, in which at least a part of the tool magazine that can be moved out of the frame into the bending machine in a contact-free manner relative to the bending machine.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein, in the operating position of the device, the working area is reached by the robot via a rear side of the bending machine, wherein the rear side is opposite a front side of the bending machine, via which the metal sheets to be bent are fed to the work area during operation of the bending machine.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tool magazine that can be moved out is displaceably guided into the frame.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tool magazine that can be moved out can be moved out of the frame manually or automatically.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tool magazine that can be moved out is assigned a fixing device for fixing the tool magazine to the frame in the moved-out state.

6. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of tool magazines that include the at least one tool magazine, wherein the plurality of tool magazines can be moved out of the frame, wherein the plurality of tool magazines are arranged on one or a plurality of inner sides of the frame, which adjoin an opening area of the device.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein, in addition to the at least one tool magazine that can be moved out, at least one further tool magazine is provided which is immovably attached to the frame, wherein the at least one further tool magazine is arranged on an inner side of the frame, which lies opposite an opening area of the device.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the robot is a multi-axis robot having a plurality of robot axes and joints between the robot axes and a gripping device for gripping a bending tool.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the device is assigned a gripping station for temporarily receiving the bending tool during a gripping action of the robot and/or a turning station for temporarily receiving the bending tool and for automatically turning the bending tool that has been temporarily received.

10. The device according to claim 1 , the device is assigned an anchoring means for anchoring the device to the floor in the operating position.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a control module for the robot.

12. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the control module contains a communication interface, via which the control module can communicate with a control device of the bending machine.

13. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the robot includes a sensor device, wherein the control module is able to control the robot for storing the bending tools in such a way that the robot detects bending tools to be stored in the working area of the bending machine by means of the sensor device and subsequently transports the bending tools to be stored from the working area into a tool magazine.

14. An arrangement comprising a bending machine and a device for changing bending tools, wherein the device includes a frame, at least one rail, and at least one tool magazine for storing the bending tools, which, when positioned in a working area of the bending machine, cause the metal sheets to bend,
wherein the at least one tool magazine is arranged on the frame which is positioned in a free-standing manner without a mechanical connection to the bending machine in an operating position of the device,
wherein the robot is arranged on the frame for automatically inserting the bending from the at least one tool magazine into the working area of the bending machine and for automatic storage of the bending tools from the working area in the at least one tool magazine, wherein the robot, during operation of the device, moves in the operating position between the at least one tool magazine and the working area of the bending machine, in order to automatically insert and automatically store the bending tools,
wherein the at least one tool magazine can be moved out of the frame via the at least one rail from a first position into a second position, in which at least a part of the tool magazine that can be moved out of the frame into the bending machine in a contact-free manner relative to the bending machine.

15. The arrangement according to claim 14 , wherein, in the operating position of the device, the working area is reached by the robot via a rear side of the bending machine, wherein the rear side is opposite a front side of the bending machine, via which the metal sheets to be bent are fed to the work area during operation of the bending machine.

Assignees

• Bystronic Laser Ag

Inventors

• Stein Christian

Classifications

• B30B15/028

  Loading or unloading of dies, platens or press rams · CPC title

• B21D5/0254 Primary

  Tool exchanging · CPC title

• B21D37/145

  Die storage magazines · CPC title