Systems and methods for automatic die adjustment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11845237-B2
Application number	US-202217729509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2022
Priority date	Apr 26, 2022
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

A die of a stamping press includes: an upper portion including one or more first features and first bores that extend partially through the upper portion; magnets disposed within the first bores, respectively; a lower portion including one or more second features that are complementary to the first features and second bores at locations, respectively, that extend partially through the lower portion; and magnetic flux sensors that are disposed within the second bores, respectively, and that are adjacent to the magnets, respectively, and that are configured to measure distances between the upper and lower portions at the locations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stamping press system comprising:
a die including:
an upper portion including one or more first features and first bores that extend partially through the upper portion;
magnets disposed within the first bores, respectively;
a lower portion including one or more second features that are complementary to the first features and second bores at locations, respectively, that extend partially through the lower portion; and
magnetic flux sensors that are disposed within the second bores, respectively, and that are adjacent to the magnets, respectively, and that are configured to measure distances between the upper and lower portions at the locations;

electric motors configured to at least one of:
vertically lower the upper portion toward the lower portion; and
vertically raise the lower portion toward the upper portion; and

a motor control module configured to control application of power to the electric motors.

2. The stamping press system of claim 1 wherein the motor control module is configured to control application of power to the electric motors during the at least one of the vertical lowering and the vertical raising based on at least one of the distances.

3. The stamping press system of claim 1 wherein the motor control module is configured to adjust power applied to at least one of the electric motors based on adjusting at least one of the distances toward to at least one other one of the distances.

4. The stamping press system of claim 1 wherein the magnets are adhered within the first bores, respectively.

5. The stamping press system of claim 1 wherein the magnetic flux sensors are threaded onto threads on an inner diameter of the second bores.

6. The stamping press system of claim 1 further comprising a gap module configured to generate a map of the distances at the locations, respectively.

7. The stamping press system of claim 6 wherein the motor control module is configured to control application of power to the electric motors during the at least one of the vertical lowering and the vertical raising based on the map.

8. The stamping press system of claim 1 wherein the magnetic flux sensors include Hall Effect sensors.

9. The stamping press system of claim 1 further comprising a fault module configured to selectively indicate the presence of a fault based on the distances.

10. The stamping press system of claim 9 wherein the fault module is configured to, when the fault is present, indicate the presence of the fault via an output device that at least one of outputs sound and outputs light.

11. The stamping press system of claim 9 wherein the motor control module is configured to disconnect the electric motors from power when fault is present.

12. The stamping press system of claim 1 wherein planes of faces of the magnets are approximately parallel to tangents to the upper portion at centers of the location of the magnets, respectively.

13. A die of a stamping press, the die comprising:
an upper portion including one or more first features and first bores that extend partially through the upper portion;
magnets disposed within the first bores, respectively;
a lower portion including one or more second features that are complementary to the first features and second bores at locations, respectively, that extend partially through the lower portion; and
magnetic flux sensors that are disposed within the second bores, respectively, and that are adjacent to the magnets, respectively, and that are configured to measure distances between the upper and lower portions at the locations.

14. The die of claim 13 wherein the magnets are adhered within the first bores, respectively.

15. The die of claim 13 wherein the magnetic flux sensors are threaded onto threads on an inner diameter of the second bores.

16. The die of claim 13 wherein the magnetic flux sensors include Hall Effect sensors.

17. The die of claim 13 wherein planes of faces of the magnets are approximately parallel to tangents to the upper portion at centers of the location of the magnets, respectively.

18. A method comprising
by electric motors of a stamping press, selectively at least one of:
vertically lowering an upper portion of a die toward a lower portion of the die; and
vertically raising the lower portion of the die toward the upper portion of the die; and

controlling the application of power to the electric motors,
the die including:
an upper portion including one or more first features and first bores that extend partially through the upper portion;
magnets disposed within the first bores, respectively;
a lower portion including one or more second features that are complementary to the first features and second bores at locations, respectively, that extend partially through the lower portion; and
magnetic flux sensors that are disposed within the second bores, respectively, and that are adjacent to the magnets, respectively, and that are configured to measure distances between the upper and lower portions at the locations.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the controlling the application of power to the electric motors includes controlling application of power to the electric motors during the at least one of the vertical lowering and the vertical raising based on at least one of the distances.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the controlling the application of power to the electric motors includes adjusting power applied to at least one of the electric motors based on adjusting at least one of the distances toward to at least one other one of the distances.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Sakuramoto Carlos Yuji

Classifications

• B30B15/148 Primary

  Electrical control arrangements · CPC title

• B21D22/02 Primary

  Stamping using rigid devices or tools · CPC title

• B30B15/02 Primary

  Dies; Inserts therefor; Mounting thereof; Moulds (extrusion dies B30B11/22) · CPC title

• H02P29/00

  Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors, appropriate for both AC and DC motors (arrangements for starting electric motors H02P1/00; arrangements for stopping or slowing electric motors H02P3/00; control of motors that can be connected to two or more different electric power supplies H02P4/00; regulating or controlling the speed or torque of two or more electric motors H02P5/00; vector control H02P21/00) · CPC title

• B30B15/28

  Arrangements for preventing distortion of, or damage to, presses or parts thereof · CPC title