A device for stamping a depression in a sheet-like workpiece and for piercing the workpiece in the region of the stamped depression, including a punch unit and a die unit between which the workpiece can be positioned. The punch unit has a punch with a forming punch and with a piercing punch. The forming punch bears against a side of the workpiece in the region of the depression during the stamping of the depression. The piercing punch pierces the workpiece in the region of the depression. The forming punch and the piercing punch are moved along a joining axis of the device. The forming punch and the piercing punch are accommodated in a punch housing, and the forming punch and the piercing punch are driven via a common hydraulic supply system relative to the punch housing along the joining axis of the device.

A punch head comprises a low profile hydraulic anvil piston with a punch across from a die on opposite sides of a gap between two legs. One of the legs comprises a position sensor disposed on the bottom of the leg. For example, a plurality of punch heads are disposed on a jig or frame and are positioned using one or more of the position sensors. For example, the position sensor is a mini fiber optic position sensor mounted in a recessed portion at the bottom of one or more of the punch heads.

A punch head comprises a low profile hydraulic anvil piston with a punch across from a die on opposite sides of a gap between two legs. One of the legs comprises a position sensor disposed on the bottom of the leg. For example, a plurality of punch heads are disposed on a jig or frame and are positioned using one or more of the position sensors. For example, the position sensor is a mini fiber optic position sensor mounted in a recessed portion at the bottom of one or more of the punch heads.

The current invention relates to a system for accurately punching holes in a profile comprising at least one clamp, slideable in a first direction, and at least one punch unit for punching holes in the profile, wherein the at least one clamp comprises a linear encoder, configured for measuring a displacement in the first direction of the at least one clamp. The invention also relates to a method for accurately punching holes in a profile comprising clamping a profile in a clamp, displacing the profile by sliding the clamp in a first direction in a punch unit, and punching at least one hole in the profile by the punch unit, wherein the displacement of the profile in the first direction is measured with a linear encoder, coupled to the clamp.

The current invention relates to a punch unit for punching holes in a profile comprising a clamp, slideable in a first direction; a first die shoe, comprising at least two punches; a second die shoe; and a transmission shaft, configured for translating a rotational movement to a linear movement and configured for displacing said punches in a stroke direction; wherein the punch unit comprises a selection control for selecting punches to be displaced by the transmission shaft in the stroke direction. The inventions also relates to a method for punching of holes in a profile with high-throughput comprising clamping a profile in a clamp of a punch unit; displacing the profile in the punch unit by sliding the clamp in a first direction; and punching at least one hole in the profile by the punch unit; wherein one or more punches of the punch unit are selected by a selection control, comprised in the punch unit, for punching said at least one hole.

A punch and die assembly for a forming assembly for forming flared openings in commercial forming steel sheeting, includes a punch. The punch has a punching element having a base portion and a working portion that extends from a face of the base portion, the working portion defining a working edge with more than two substantially evenly spaced peaks and troughs for forming an opening in the steel sheeting during a working stroke. A flaring element is mountable on the base portion of the punching element, a side of the flaring element defining an arcuate flaring surface that tapers inwardly in the direction of the working stroke. A die supports the steel sheeting, the die having a die opening with a flared die face for facing the flaring surface of the flaring element such that the opening in the steel sheeting is flared by the flaring surface of the flaring element and the die face in the working stroke.

A learning device includes an input processor and a learning processor. The input processor acquires a physical quantity related to a cutting process, and inputs a state variable based on the physical quantity to the learning processor, and the learning processor updates, based on a measured cutting result, an evaluation model that outputs an evaluation result of the cutting process based on the state variable.

An accumulated wear amount calculation section calculates a wear amount of a blade edge of a punch and a wear amount of a blade edge of a die when a tool set of the punch and the die has processed a sheet metal once. The accumulated wear amount calculation section calculates an accumulated wear amount of the blade edge of the punch and an accumulated wear amount of the blade edge of the die by accumulating wear amounts of respective times when the tool set has processed the sheet metal multiple times. A tool management information managing section manages a state of the blade edge of each punch and each die by causing a tool management information storage section to store tool management information associating a tool identification code given to each punch and each die with the accumulated wear amounts calculated by the accumulated wear amount calculation section.

A sheet metal working machine includes a hydraulic drive system to drive a plurality of working tools in a separate and independent manner. The hydraulic drive system includes a plurality of hydraulic cylinders provided with pistons defining thrust chambers and return chambers and associated with corresponding working tools, a reversible first pump connected to the thrust chambers and arranged to send fluid to, or to suck fluid from, at least one of the thrust chambers so as to move the respective piston and the working tool associated therewith, a plurality of valves interposed between the first pump and the thrust chambers of the respective hydraulic cylinders and activable to connect the first pump to the thrust chambers; a hydraulic accumulator connected to the return chambers and arranged for maintaining fluid at a defined preload pressure therein.

A method and apparatus for producing a hole in any material by means of controlled fracturing using non-spindle CNC machining includes the steps of: fixturing a workpiece to the table of a non-spindle CNC holemaking machine tool. The cutting tool is then secured to the column of the machine tool and the face of the cutting tool is positioned perpendicular to the centerline of the proposed hole. The surface of the workpiece is approached with the cutting tool to a predetermined clearance level. Thereafter, the cutting tool is driven with sufficient linear force to induce instantaneous strain in the material of the workpiece to a depth necessary to create a hole of a desired size and shape using a drive mechanism. The cutting tool is then repositioned so that the face of cutting tool is perpendicular to centerline of a subsequent hole to be produced.