The disclosure relates to punching tools for punching machines for punching plate-shaped materials. The punching tools have an upper tool part with an upper cutting edge and a lower tool part with a lower cutting edge that move axially with respect to each other. The upper and lower cutting edges are arranged to cut off a part of the workpiece in a punching stoke. The upper cutting edge and/or the lower cutting edge include one or more transition regions that separate the cutting edge into at least two adjacent portions. The transition regions include, in the punching direction with respect to the respective adjacent portions, a discontinuity that is adapted to cut the material cut off from the workpiece into two or more individual parts in the same punching stroke.

A method and apparatus which allow cutting-creasing rules (1) for die-cutters to be obtained from sections of cutting rules and sections of creasing rules are described. In particular, the method comprises: ⋅ (a) from a cutting rule (13) for die-cutters having height H, separating sections (2′, 2″, 2′″) provided with a cutting edge (4) and provided with coupling means (9, 10) to obtain an interlocked coupling (8) with other sections (3′, 3″, 3′″) of a creasing rule (14), ⋅ (b) from a creasing rule (14) for die-cutters having height H′, separating sections (3′, 3″, 3′″) provided with a creasing profile (5) and provided with coupling means (11, 12) to obtain an interlocked coupling (8) with other sections (2′, 2″, 2′″) of a cutting rule (13) ⋅ (c) coupling in succession the sections (2′, 2″, 2′″) of the cutting rule (13) to the sections (3′, 3″, 3′″) of the creasing rule (14) until the cutting-creasing rule (1) is obtained, the steps (a) and (b) are not carried out by tools different from each other for the cutting rule (13) and the creasing rule (14), but by the same shearing tool.

A method and apparatus which allow cutting-creasing rules (1) for die-cutters to be obtained from sections of cutting rules and sections of creasing rules are described. In particular, the method comprises: ⋅ (a) from a cutting rule (13) for die-cutters having height H, separating sections (2′, 2″, 2′″) provided with a cutting edge (4) and provided with coupling means (9, 10) to obtain an interlocked coupling (8) with other sections (3′, 3″, 3′″) of a creasing rule (14), ⋅ (b) from a creasing rule (14) for die-cutters having height H′, separating sections (3′, 3″, 3′″) provided with a creasing profile (5) and provided with coupling means (11, 12) to obtain an interlocked coupling (8) with other sections (2′, 2″, 2′″) of a cutting rule (13) ⋅ (c) coupling in succession the sections (2′, 2″, 2′″) of the cutting rule (13) to the sections (3′, 3″, 3′″) of the creasing rule (14) until the cutting-creasing rule (1) is obtained, the steps (a) and (b) are not carried out by tools different from each other for the cutting rule (13) and the creasing rule (14), but by the same shearing tool.

A method of forming a plurality of shaped piece parts from a sheet of material involves arranging a plurality of aligned workpieces into an optimized workpiece pattern, and arranging one or more series of joints that maintains the workpieces in rigid connection and alignment. The joints include one or more particular joints that have an axis of rotation, which permits a first section of the workpieces to be rotated about the axis of rotation with respect to a second set of workpieces to weaken and break the one or more particular joints. The method also involves applying one or more folds across the sheet of material to form one or more pluralities of aligned bends in at least some of the plurality of workpieces. The method further involves breaking the joints to rigidly decouple each of the plurality of shaped workpieces into individual piece parts.

A method of forming a plurality of shaped piece parts from a sheet of material involves arranging a plurality of aligned workpieces into an optimized workpiece pattern, and arranging one or more series of joints that maintains the workpieces in rigid connection and alignment. The joints include one or more particular joints that have an axis of rotation, which permits a first section of the workpieces to be rotated about the axis of rotation with respect to a second set of workpieces to weaken and break the one or more particular joints. The method also involves applying one or more folds across the sheet of material to form one or more pluralities of aligned bends in at least some of the plurality of workpieces. The method further involves breaking the joints to rigidly decouple each of the plurality of shaped workpieces into individual piece parts.

A processing device is provided which feeds a long plate body from an upstream side to a downstream side and sequentially carries out a press work including a blanking work to the long plate body. The processing device includes a plurality of stages provided along a feed direction of the long plate body, which has a die that applies the press work to the long plate body and a plurality of lifters provided along the feed direction of the long plate body which have lift-up parts that lift up the long plate body from the die. In the plurality of lifters, clearances by the lift-up parts of the lifters arranged in the downstream side are set to be larger than the clearances by the lift-up parts of the lifters arranged in the upstream side.

A processing device is provided which feeds a long plate body from an upstream side to a downstream side and sequentially carries out a press work including a blanking work to the long plate body. The processing device includes a plurality of stages provided along a feed direction of the long plate body, which has a die that applies the press work to the long plate body and a plurality of lifters provided along the feed direction of the long plate body which have lift-up parts that lift up the long plate body from the die. In the plurality of lifters, clearances by the lift-up parts of the lifters arranged in the downstream side are set to be larger than the clearances by the lift-up parts of the lifters arranged in the upstream side.

A system for efficiently forming a plurality of shaped piece parts from a sheet of material comprises a sheet of piece part material from which the piece parts can be shaped and cut, a pattern for arranging the plurality of piece parts in a prearranged orientation, a series of joints connecting aligned ones of the piece parts within the pattern, a piece part cutting machine configured to separate a plurality of workpieces from the sheet of material according to the patterns and joints, a bending machine for simultaneously applying a first fold and a second fold, each across a respective set of aligned piece parts without breaking the series of joints, and a detacher for breaking the series of joints to groups and individual ones of joined piece parts.

A system for efficiently forming a plurality of shaped piece parts from a sheet of material comprises a sheet of piece part material from which the piece parts can be shaped and cut, a pattern for arranging the plurality of piece parts in a prearranged orientation, a series of joints connecting aligned ones of the piece parts within the pattern, a piece part cutting machine configured to separate a plurality of workpieces from the sheet of material according to the patterns and joints, a bending machine for simultaneously applying a first fold and a second fold, each across a respective set of aligned piece parts without breaking the series of joints, and a detacher for breaking the series of joints to groups and individual ones of joined piece parts.

A system for efficiently forming a plurality of shaped piece parts from a sheet of material comprises a sheet of piece part material from which the piece parts can be shaped and cut, a pattern for arranging the plurality of piece parts in a prearranged orientation, a series of joints connecting aligned ones of the piece parts within the pattern, a piece part cutting machine configured to separate a plurality of workpieces from the sheet of material according to the patterns and joints, a bending machine for simultaneously applying a first fold and a second fold, each across a respective set of aligned piece parts without breaking the series of joints, and a detacher for breaking the series of joints to groups and individual ones of joined piece parts.