Bending machine and method for bending a sheet metal workpiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9849493-B2
Application number	US-201414915751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2014
Priority date	Sep 2, 2013
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a bending machine ( 1 ) for bending a sheet metal workpiece ( 2 ), comprising at least three bending punches ( 4,5,6 ) which respectively have working edges ( 7,8,9 ) which are aligned parallel with one another. Relative to an initial plane ( 3 ) in which a bend section ( 10 ) to be made in the sheet metal workpiece ( 2 ) lies, the first and the second bending punch ( 4,5 ) are positioned on one side and the third bending punch ( 6 ) is positioned on the opposite side of the initial plane ( 3 ). The working edge ( 9 ) of the third bending punch ( 6 ) is displaceable between the working edges ( 7,8 ) of the first and second bending punches ( 4,5 ). The third bending punch ( 6 ) has at least one rotary and one translatory degree of freedom in a reference plane oriented at a right, angle to a working edge ( 7,8,9 ). The second bending punch ( 5 ) has three degrees of freedom in the reference plane ( 19 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Bending machine for bending a sheet metal workpiece, comprising at least first, second, and third bending punches, which respectively have first, second, and third working edges which are aligned parallel with one another,
wherein relative to an initial plane in which a bend section to be made in the sheet metal workpiece lies, the first and second bending punch are positioned on one side and the third bending punch is positioned on the opposite side of the initial plane,
wherein the third working edge is displaceable between the second and the first working edges,
wherein the third bending punch has at least one rotary and one translatory degree of freedom in a reference plane oriented at a right angle to at least one of the first and the second working edges,
wherein the second bending punch has three degrees of freedom in the reference plane,
wherein a supporting body defining the initial plane is provided for the sheet metal workpiece, and
wherein the first bending punch has at least one translatory degree of freedom in the reference plane,
wherein the bending machine is configured such that during bending operation a first bend leg of the sheet metal workpiece remains horizontal and a second bend leg of the sheet metal workpiece is pushed upwards or downwards, wherein a bend edge divides the sheet metal workpiece within a bend section into the first bend leg and the second bend leg, wherein the first bend leg and the second bend leg are oriented at a bend angle to each other.

2. Bending machine according to claim 1 , wherein the third bending punch has three degrees of freedom.

3. Bending machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first and the second bending punch can be moved independently of one another.

4. Bending machine according to claim 1 , wherein to enable positioning and depending on the number of their degrees of freedom, the first, the second, and the third bending punches are connected to a driving mechanism selected from a group comprising rotary drives, swivel drives, linear actuators or combinations thereof.

5. Bending machine according to claim 4 , wherein at least one of the first, the second, and the third bending punches is connected to two driving mechanisms spaced apart from one another in the direction of the first, the second, or the third working edge, respectively.

6. Bending machine according to claim 4 , wherein at least one of the first, the second, and the third bending punches is displaceable in the direction of its working edge or is displaceable about a pivot axis parallel with the reference plane.

7. Bending machine according to claim 4 , wherein a force measuring element is integrated in at least one of the bending punches and/or in the driving mechanism.

8. Bending machine according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first, the second, and the third bending punches has two working edges lying approximately opposite one another.

9. Bending machine according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first, the second, and the third bending punches co-operates with an additional bending punch which is disposed on the opposite side of the initial plane, and
wherein the working edges of these two oppositely lying bending punches are directed towards one another.

10. Bending machine according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first, the second, and the third bending punches has at least one stop face.

11. Method of bending a sheet metal workpiece, the method comprising steps of:
providing a bending machine having a first bending punch having a first working edge, a second bending punch having a second working edge, and a third bending punch having a third working edge, the first working edge, the second working edge, and the third working edge being aligned parallel with one another,
placing a sheet metal workpiece in an initial plane, such that the first and second bending punch are positioned on one side and the third bending punch is positioned on the opposite side of the initial plane, and
performing a bending operation comprising:
moving the third working edge between the first and the second working edges in at least one rotary and one translatory direction in a reference plane oriented at a right angle to at least one of the first and second working edges,
retaining the sheet metal workpiece between the first working edge and the third working edge essentially in the initial plane so that a first bend leg is formed, wherein the first bend leg remains horizontal, and
directing the second working edge along a path about the third working edge so that a bend edge and a second bend leg adjoining the bend edge are formed at the third working edge, wherein the second bend leg is pushed upwards or downwards, wherein the bend edge divides the sheet metal workpiece within a bend section into the first bend leg and the second bend leg, wherein the first bend leg and the second bend leg are oriented at a bend angle to each other.

12. Method according to claim 11 , wherein the path of the second working edge is set so that it makes contact with the sheet metal workpiece with as little relative movement as possible during the bending operation.

13. Method according to claim 11 , wherein before or during the bending operation, the distance between the first and the second working edges is set and/or adjusted depending on workpiece properties.

14. Method according to claim 11 , wherein during the bending operation, the distances between the third and the first working edges and the third and the second working edges may be kept more or less the same size.

15. Method according to claim 11 , wherein the first, the second, and the third bending punches are directed onto the workpiece surface oriented essentially at a right angle during the bending operation.

16. Method according to claim 11 , wherein in order to bend the sheet metal workpiece in partially opposite directions, the first and/or the second bending punch is or are positioned on one side or on the opposite side of the initial plane if necessary before the respective bending operation.

17. Method according to claim 11 , wherein in order to bend the sheet metal workpiece in partially opposite directions, a fourth bending punch is used which is disposed lying opposite one of the three bending punches but only three of the first, the second, the third, and the fourth bending punches are ever in active use during the bending operation.

18. Method according to claim 11 , wherein in order to introduce or remove a sheet metal workpiece, at least one of the first, the second, and the third bending punches is removed from the working area in the direction of its working edge or about a pivot axis parallel with the reference plane.

19. Method according to claim 11 , wherein a sheet thickness of the sheet metal workpiece and/or a bend angle can be calculated by determining a position of at least one of the first, the second, and the third bending punches and measuring a force applied to the sheet metal workpiece.

Assignees

• Trumpf Maschinen Austria Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Aigner Wolfgang
• Fischereder Bernhard
• Speziali Stefano
• Weiss Thomas

Classifications

• B21D5/01 Primary

  between rams and anvils or abutments · CPC title

• B21D5/006

  combined with measuring of bends · CPC title