Device and method for turning metal sheets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11980925-B2
Application number	US-202117800834-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2021
Priority date	Mar 3, 2020
Publication date	May 14, 2024
Grant date	May 14, 2024

Abstract

A sheet metal processing plant includes a conveyor defining a receiving surface for a workpiece and a conveying direction in a conveying plane and being embodied for conveying the workpiece, the workpiece having a bottom side and a top side, and a turning unit embodied for turning the workpiece received on the receiving surface from the bottom side to the top side. The turning unit includes a manipulator embodied to lift the bottom side of the workpiece off the receiving surface, to perform a turning operation of the workpiece and to place the top side of the workpiece on the receiving surface of the conveyor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sheet metal processing plant ( 1 ) comprising
a conveying means ( 2 ), said conveying means ( 2 ) defining a receiving surface ( 8 ) for a workpiece ( 5 ) and a conveying direction ( 4 ) in a conveying plane ( 3 ) and being embodied for conveying the workpiece ( 5 ), said workpiece ( 5 ) having a bottom side ( 6 ) and a top side ( 7 ); and
a turning unit ( 9 ), said turning unit ( 9 ) being embodied for turning the workpiece ( 5 ) received on the receiving surface ( 8 ) from the bottom side ( 6 ) to the top side ( 7 );
wherein the turning unit ( 9 ) comprises a manipulator ( 10 ), said manipulator ( 10 ) being embodied to lift the bottom side ( 6 ) of the workpiece ( 5 ) off the receiving surface ( 8 ), to perform a turning operation of the workpiece ( 5 ) and to place the top side ( 7 ) of the workpiece ( 5 ) on the receiving surface ( 8 ) of the conveying means ( 2 );
wherein the manipulator ( 10 ) comprises a first gripping device ( 26 ) and a second gripping device ( 27 ) embodied to transfer the workpiece ( 5 ) from the first gripping device ( 26 ) to the second gripping device ( 27 ) during the turning operation; and
wherein the second gripping device ( 27 ) is embodied to place the top side ( 7 ) of the workpiece ( 5 ) on the receiving surface ( 8 ) of the conveying means ( 2 ).

2. The sheet metal processing plant ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least parts of the conveying means ( 2 ) are embodied to be displaceable such that in the conveying plane ( 3 ), an access opening ( 20 ) for the manipulator ( 10 ) can be formed.

3. The sheet metal processing plant ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the manipulator ( 10 ) comprises a gripping device ( 12 ), said gripping device ( 12 ) being embodied to grip the workpiece ( 5 ) on the top side ( 7 ) with a gripping surface ( 14 ).

4. The sheet metal processing plant ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the manipulator ( 10 ) comprises a gripping device ( 12 ) which is embodied to grip the workpiece ( 5 ) on the edges of two opposite workpiece ends ( 13 ).

5. The sheet metal processing plant ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the gripping device ( 12 ) comprises at least one turning head ( 15 ), said turning head ( 15 ) being embodied to be pivotable at least by 180°.

6. The sheet metal processing plant ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the manipulator ( 10 ) is embodied being pivotable about a pivot axis ( 17 ), said pivot axis ( 17 ) being arranged in parallel with respect to the conveying direction ( 4 ).

7. The sheet metal processing plant ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the manipulator ( 10 ) is embodied being pivotable about an axis ( 18 ), said axis ( 18 ) being arranged in parallel with respect to the conveying plane ( 3 ) and orthogonally with respect to the conveying direction ( 4 ).

8. A method for turning metal sheets for the sheet metal processing plant ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , comprising the following steps
providing a sheet metal processing plant ( 1 );
providing a conveying means ( 2 ), said conveying means ( 2 ) defining a receiving surface ( 8 ) for a workpiece ( 5 ) and a conveying direction ( 4 ) in a conveying plane ( 3 ) and being embodied for conveying a workpiece ( 5 ), said workpiece ( 5 ) having a bottom side ( 6 ) and a top side ( 7 );
providing a workpiece ( 5 ) on the receiving surface ( 8 ) of the conveying means ( 2 ); and
providing a turning unit ( 9 ), said turning unit ( 9 ) being embodied to turn the workpiece ( 5 ) received on the receiving surface ( 8 ) from the bottom side ( 6 ) to the top side ( 7 );
wherein the turning unit ( 9 ) comprises a manipulator ( 10 ) which manipulator ( 10 ) lifts the bottom side ( 6 ) of the workpiece ( 5 ) off the receiving surface ( 8 ), carries out a turning operation of the workpiece ( 5 ) and places the top side ( 7 ) of the workpiece ( 5 ) on the receiving surface ( 8 ) of the conveying means ( 2 );
wherein the manipulator ( 10 ) comprises a first gripping device ( 26 ) and a second gripping device ( 27 ); and
wherein by means of the first gripping device ( 26 ), the bottom side ( 6 ) of the workpiece ( 5 ) is lifted off the receiving surface ( 8 ) and a first partial step of the turning operation is performed, the workpiece ( 5 ) is transferred from the first gripping device ( 26 ) to the second gripping device ( 27 ) and received by it, a second partial step of the turning operation is performed and the top side ( 7 ) of the workpiece ( 5 ) is placed on the receiving surface ( 8 ) of the conveying means ( 2 ) by means of the second gripping device ( 27 ).

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein a storage ( 11 ) is provided, which is positioned below the conveying plane ( 3 ) of the conveying means ( 2 ).

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein in the conveying means ( 2 ), an access opening ( 20 ) for the manipulator ( 10 ) is formed in the conveying plane ( 3 ), and, in this regard, at least parts of the conveying means ( 2 ) are displaced.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein providing the workpiece ( 5 ) is carried out by means of the manipulator ( 10 ), wherein the workpiece ( 5 ) is lifted off the storage ( 11 ) and is placed on the receiving surface ( 8 ) of the conveying means ( 2 ) by means of the manipulator ( 10 ).

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the manipulator ( 10 ) comprises a gripping device ( 12 ) with a gripping surface ( 14 ) and the workpiece ( 5 ) is gripped on the top side ( 7 ) with the gripping surface ( 14 ).

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the manipulator ( 10 ) comprises a gripping device ( 12 ), and the workpiece ( 5 ) is gripped on the edges of two opposite workpiece ends ( 13 ) by the gripping device ( 12 ).

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the gripping device ( 12 ) comprises at least one turning head ( 15 ), which is embodied to be pivotable by at least 180° and the gripping device ( 12 ) is turned at least partially about a turning axis ( 16 ) with the workpiece ( 5 ) in the turning operation.

15. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the manipulator ( 10 ) further comprises means ( 34 ) by which a holding force ( 23 ) of the gripping device ( 12 ) is at least reduced during the turning operation and wherein when the holding force ( 23 ) is reduced, the workpiece ( 5 ) slides off the gripping device ( 12 ) when it is placed on the receiving surface ( 8 ) of the conveying means ( 2 ).

Assignees

• Trumpf Maschinen Austria Gmbh & Co Kg
• Trumpf Maschinen Austria Gmbh &Co Kg

Inventors

• Grassl Rainer
• Kreisbichler Daniel
• Kurcz Martin
• Lang Maximilian
• Lehner Herbert
• Mayrhofer Albert
• Reisinger Johannes
• Richter Stefan
• Weiss Thomas
• Wesely Karin

Classifications

• B21D43/145 Primary

  Turnover devices, i.e. by turning about a substantially horizontal axis · CPC title

• B65G47/248

  by turning over or inverting them (B65G47/244 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H5/10

  Reciprocating or oscillating grippers {, e.g. suction or gripper tables} · CPC title

• B65H5/222

  by suction devices · CPC title

• B65H15/00

  Overturning articles · CPC title