Method for setting up and operating a press

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9884464-B2
Application number	US-201514687143-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2015
Priority date	Apr 16, 2014
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

A press comprises a press frame, at least one upper punch plate with at least one upper press punch held on it and/or at least one lower punch plate with at least one lower press punch held on it. A die plate has at least one receiver for powdered material to be pressed by the press punches. At least two upper drives are mechanically coupled in the operation of the press, engaging at the upper punch plate for moving the upper press punch in the vertical direction and/or at least two lower drives mechanically coupled in the operation of the press, engaging on the lower punch plate and/or the die plate for moving the lower press punch and/or the die plate in the vertical direction. A method for setting up and operating the press for producing a pellet made of the powdered material, in particular metal powder, is described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for setting up and operating a press for producing a pellet made of powdered material, wherein the press comprises:
a press frame;
at least one of an upper punch plate with an upper press punch or a lower punch plate with a lower press punch;
a die plate with at least one receiver for the powdered material to be pressed by the at least one of the upper press punch or the lower press punch; and
at least one of at least two upper drives mechanically coupled in the operation of the press, engaging at the upper punch plate for moving the upper press punch in a vertical direction or at least two lower drives mechanically coupled in the operation of the press, engaging on at least one of the lower punch plate or the die plate for moving the at least one of the lower press punch or the die plate in the vertical direction, the method comprising:
in a setup procedure, performing at least one of
respectively moving each of the at least two upper drives into a first coupling position in which they are coupled mechanically; or
respectively moving each of the at least two lower drives into a second coupling position in which they are coupled mechanically;

before a pressing procedure, performing at least one of:
measuring current positions of the at least two upper drives, and
if a first maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded, moving at least one of the at least two upper drives so that the first maximum permissible position deviation is no longer exceeded; or
measuring current positions of the at least two lower drives are determined, and
if a second maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded, moving at least one of the at least two lower drives so that the second maximum permissible position deviation is no longer exceeded.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
saving the first coupling position and the first maximum permissible position deviation from the first coupling position in the setup procedure for the at least two upper drives; or
saving the second coupling position and the second maximum permissible position deviation from the second coupling position in the setup procedure for the at least two lower drives.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising, before the pressing procedure, performing at least one of:
moving a first of the at least two upper drives into the first coupling position, wherein measuring the current positions comprises measuring a position deviation of a second of the at least two upper drives from the first coupling position and wherein moving the at least one of the at least two upper drives comprises moving the second of the at least two upper drives when the first maximum permissible position deviation from the first coupling position is exceeded such that the first maximum permissible position deviation is no longer exceeded; or
moving a first of the at least two lower drives into the second coupling position, wherein measuring the current positions comprises measuring a position deviation of a second of the at least two lower drives from the second coupling position and wherein moving the at least one of the at least two lower drives comprises moving the second of the at least two lower drives when the second maximum permissible position deviation from the second coupling position is exceeded such that the second maximum permissible position deviation is no longer exceeded.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein moving the second of the at least two upper drives comprises moving the second of the at least two upper drives into the first coupling position when the first maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded by the position deviation of the second of the at least two upper drives and wherein moving the second of the at least two lower drives comprises moving the second of the at least two lower drives into the second coupling position when the second maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded by the position deviation of the second of the at least two lower drives.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of measuring the current positions of the at least two upper drives or measuring the current positions of the at least two lower drives takes place automatically before the pressing procedure.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying a warning signal when at least one of the first maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded or the second maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein, after displaying the warning signal, at least one of:
moving the at least one of the at least two upper drives when the first maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded takes place after a confirmation by an operator; or
moving the at least one of the at least two lower drives when the second maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded takes place after the confirmation by the operator.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
moving the at least one of the at least two upper drives when the first maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded takes place automatically; or
moving the at least one of the at least two lower drives when the second maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded takes place automatically.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least two upper drives are electric drives or the at least two lower drives are electric drives.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the at least two upper drives are electric spindle drives or the at least two lower drives are electric spindle drives.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least two upper drives are mechanically coupled via an upper force transmission bridge acting on the upper punch plate or the at least two lower drives are mechanically coupled via a lower force transmission bridge acting on at least one of the lower punch plate or the die plate.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein at least one of:
each of the at least two upper drives is an upper electric spindle drive, or each of the at least two lower drives is a lower electric spindle drive; and wherein at least one of:
a spindle nut of the upper electric spindle drive is fastened on the upper force transmission bridge, or a spindle nut of the lower electric spindle drive is fastened on the lower force transmission bridge.

Assignees

• Fette Compacting Gmbh

Inventors

• Groth Andreas
• Teetzen Andreas

Classifications

• B30B1/181

  the screw being directly driven by an electric motor · CPC title

• B30B15/007 Primary

  Means for maintaining the press table, the press platen or the press ram against tilting or deflection · CPC title

• B30B15/148

  Electrical control arrangements · CPC title

• B22F3/02

  Compacting only · CPC title

• B30B11/02

  using a ram exerting pressure on the material in a moulding space · CPC title