A system and process for fabricating components from sheet material. Various embodiments of the disclosure combine punching of components from sheet material with a scoring process that outlines the components prior to the punching operation. In addition, a system and process where the scored portion of the sheet material that includes the scored outline is subjected to a high compression flattening process prior to the punching operation is disclosed. Performing the flattening operation prior to the punching operation has the effect of streamlining the process. That is, the sheet material can be easily handled and conveyed from the scoring process, through the flattening process, and to the punching process without need for separate handling of the component.

A punching method includes: punching out a plurality of electrical steel sheets in a stacked state by a mold, wherein sheet thicknesses of the electrical steel sheets are set to be 0.35 mm or less, a Vickers hardness (test force 1 kg) of the sheets is set to be 150 to 400, and an average crystal grain size of the sheets is set to be 50 to 250 m, a clearance of the mold is set to be 7% or more of a minimum sheet thickness of the sheet thicknesses of the electrical steel sheets and equal to or lower than 7% of a total sheet thickness of the electrical steel sheets, and a pressure that a sheet presser of the mold applies to the electrical steel sheets is set to be 0.10 MPa or more.

A punching method includes: punching out a plurality of electrical steel sheets in a stacked state by a mold, wherein sheet thicknesses of the electrical steel sheets are set to be 0.35 mm or less, a Vickers hardness (test force 1 kg) of the sheets is set to be 150 to 400, and an average crystal grain size of the sheets is set to be 50 to 250 m, a clearance of the mold is set to be 7% or more of a minimum sheet thickness of the sheet thicknesses of the electrical steel sheets and equal to or lower than 7% of a total sheet thickness of the electrical steel sheets, and a pressure that a sheet presser of the mold applies to the electrical steel sheets is set to be 0.10 MPa or more.

A punch press includes a die, a punch, a support that supports the punch, a shifting member, and a rotating mechanism. The shifting member includes an opposing surface that opposes the punch. The shifting member is movable toward and away from the die together with the support and the punch and rotatable about an axis extending in a direction in which the shifting member moves toward and away from the die. The shifting member includes a recess in the opposing surface. The rotating mechanism rotates the shifting member about the axis to shift the shifting member between an abutment position where the basal end surface of the punch is abut against the opposing surface and a retraction position where the basal end surface of the punch is retracted into the recess.

A punch press includes a die, a punch, a support that supports the punch, a shifting member, and a rotating mechanism. The shifting member includes an opposing surface that opposes the punch. The shifting member is movable toward and away from the die together with the support and the punch and rotatable about an axis extending in a direction in which the shifting member moves toward and away from the die. The shifting member includes a recess in the opposing surface. The rotating mechanism rotates the shifting member about the axis to shift the shifting member between an abutment position where the basal end surface of the punch is abut against the opposing surface and a retraction position where the basal end surface of the punch is retracted into the recess.

Shaft for an electric machine, includes a core seat for a laminated core and two shaft ends extending axially outwardly from the core seat in opposite directions, wherein the core seat has at least one core seat portion extending in the axial direction with a polygonal profile for forming a polygonal connection to the laminated core.

A device for manufacturing a laminated iron core includes: a punch unit configured to form protrusions, and including N number of punches as a set, the N being a natural number larger than M; and N number of auxiliary punches. The N number of auxiliary punches are configured such that L number of auxiliary punches selected from the N number of auxiliary punches performs a nullification processing on a metal sheet, the nullification processing being configured to nullify a processing with the L number of punches among the N number of punches, the L being the natural number that is obtained by subtracting the M from the N. According to the above configurations, for example, since a processing position with the plurality of punches is limited in one position, a positional accuracy of protrusions formed in punched members with the plurality of punches is improved.

A device for manufacturing a laminated iron core includes: a punch unit configured to form protrusions, and including N number of punches as a set, the N being a natural number larger than M; and N number of auxiliary punches. The N number of auxiliary punches are configured such that L number of auxiliary punches selected from the N number of auxiliary punches performs a nullification processing on a metal sheet, the nullification processing being configured to nullify a processing with the L number of punches among the N number of punches, the L being the natural number that is obtained by subtracting the M from the N. According to the above configurations, for example, since a processing position with the plurality of punches is limited in one position, a positional accuracy of protrusions formed in punched members with the plurality of punches is improved.

A method of manufacturing a stator is provided. The method may include stamping steel into laminations each having an inner edge area defining a residual stress associated with a magnetic permeability. The method may also include exposing the laminations to a changing magnetic field such that, for each of the laminations, a density of resulting eddy currents is greatest near the inner edge area to heat the same relative to central areas of the lamination to decrease the residual stress and core loss.

A method of manufacturing a stator is provided. The method may include stamping steel into laminations each having an inner edge area defining a residual stress associated with a magnetic permeability. The method may also include exposing the laminations to a changing magnetic field such that, for each of the laminations, a density of resulting eddy currents is greatest near the inner edge area to heat the same relative to central areas of the lamination to decrease the residual stress and core loss.