Wear tolerance indicator for stamping dies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9744582-B2
Application number	US-201414265718-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2014
Priority date	Apr 30, 2014
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A stamping die includes an upper die member, a lower die member, and at least one guidance member operably disposed to guide relative movement between the upper and lower die members. The members are movable relative to one another in reciprocating motion along an axis to generate work-pieces. The guidance member has a guiding surface for guiding relative movement between the die members. The guidance member also has at least one wear indicator cavity recessed from the guiding surface. A depth of the wear indicator cavity corresponds to the extent of acceptable wear of the guiding surface. The cavity allows for visual inspection of the extent of wear of the at least one guidance member and thus obviates the requirement that the guidance member be removed from the stamping die for inspection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stamping die, comprising:
an upper die member;
a lower die member, the upper and lower die members movable relative to one another in reciprocating motion along an axis to generate work-pieces; and
at least one guidance member removably positioned on at least one of the upper and lower die members and having a guiding surface operably disposed to guide relative movement between the upper and lower die members, the at least one guidance member having at least one wear indicator cavity recessed from the guiding surface,
wherein a depth of the at least one wear indicator cavity from the guiding surface corresponds to an extent of acceptable wear of the guiding surface such that the at least one wear indicator cavity allows for visual inspection of the extent of wear of the at least one guidance member while the at least one guidance member is positioned on at least one of the upper and lower die members.

2. The stamping die of claim 1 , wherein the at least one guidance member further comprises:
a first guidance member affixed to the upper die member;
a second guidance member affixed to the lower die member, wherein the guiding surface of the first guidance member slides along the guiding surface of the second guidance member;
a third guidance member affixed to the upper die member; and
a fourth guidance member affixed to the lower die member, wherein the guiding surface of the third guidance member slides along the guiding surface of the fourth guidance member, wherein the first and third guidance members are separate from each other and the second and fourth guidance members are separate from each other.

3. The stamping die of claim 2 , wherein the first and second guidance members are formed from different materials.

4. The stamping die of claim 3 , wherein the at least one wear indicator cavity of the first guidance member and the at least one wear indicator cavity of the second guidance member are similarly shaped.

5. The stamping die of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wear indicator cavity is shaped as at least one rectangular channel.

6. The stamping die of claim 5 , wherein the at least one wear indicator cavity extends along the axis of reciprocating motion.

7. The stamping die of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wear indicator cavity is shaped as at least one circle.

8. The stamping die of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wear indicator cavity is shaped as at least one channel, the depth of the channel being constant along a width of the channel.

9. The stamping die of claim 8 , wherein the at least one wear indicator cavity further comprises first and second wear indicator cavities, each being shaped as a channel.

10. The stamping die of claim 9 , wherein the first and second wear indicator cavities are spaced from one another and extend parallel to the axis of reciprocating motion.

11. The stamping die of claim 8 , wherein the at least one wear indicator cavity further comprises first and second wear indicator cavities, each extending in a different plane.

12. The stamping die of claim 1 , wherein the at least one guidance member is further defined as a bushing and the guiding surface is an aperture.

13. The stamping die of claim 12 , wherein the at least one wear indicator cavity further comprises first, second and third wear indicator cavities evenly spaced about the aperture and each being shaped as a channel.

14. A method of operating a stamping die comprising the steps of:
moving an upper die member and a lower die member relative to one another in reciprocating motion along an axis to generate work-pieces;
guiding relative movement of the upper and lower die members with at least one guidance member having a guiding surface, the at least one guidance member being removably positioned on at least one of the upper and lower die members;
providing at least one visually-detectable wear indicator cavity in the at least one guidance member recessed from the guiding surface, the wear indicator cavity having a substantially constant depth corresponding to an extent of acceptable wear of the guiding surface; and
determining whether the guiding surface is within the extent of acceptable wear by detecting whether the wear indicator cavity remains recessed below the guiding surface while the at least one guidance member is positioned on at least one of the upper and lower die members.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein determining whether the guiding surface is within the extent of acceptable wear includes visually inspecting the guidance member and wear indicator cavity while the guidance member is positioned on at least one of the upper and lower die members to determine whether the wear indicator cavity remains recessed below the guiding surface.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of:
providing the at least one visually-detectable wear indicator cavity open to the guiding surface.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein providing at least one visually-detectable wear indicator cavity in the guidance member includes providing two visually-detectable wear indicator cavities in the guidance member; and
wherein determining whether the guiding surface is within the extent of acceptable wear includes determining whether the two wear indicator cavities remain recessed below the guiding surface and whether one of the two wear indicator cavities exhibits a different depth than the other of the two wear indicator cavities.

18. The stamping die of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wear indicator cavity comprises:
a first colored layer; and
a second colored layer having a different color than the first colored layer, the second colored layer disposed adjacent the first colored layer such that a junction is formed between the first and second colored layers, wherein the junction corresponds to the depth of the at least one wear indicator cavity corresponding to the extent of acceptable wear.

Assignees

• Lefevere Michael W
• Slowik Raymond
• Fca Us Llc

Inventors

• Lefevere Michael W
• Slowik Raymond

Classifications

• G01N3/56

  Investigating resistance to wear or abrasion · CPC title

• B30B15/065

  Press rams · CPC title

• B21D37/12 Primary

  Particular guiding equipment, {e.g. pliers}; Special arrangements for interconnection or cooperation of dies · CPC title

• B30B15/02

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