Machine Tools and Methods for Processing Workpieces with a Punching Device and Laser Processing Device

Abstract

A machine tool for processing workpieces, in particular metal sheets, has a punching device and a laser processing device. The punching device comprises a punch-side positioning device by means of which a punching tool component of a punching tool can be positioned in a definable position along an operating stroke axis of the punching device. The laser processing device has a laser processing unit and a laser accessory unit. The laser accessory unit can be positioned by means of an accessory unit positioning device with an activation movement in an operating position which can be defined by means of the punch-side positioning device. In the context of a method for processing workpieces, in particular metal sheets, which method is carried out using the above machine tool, the operating position of the laser accessory unit is defined by means of the punch-side positioning device.

Claims

1. A machine tool for processing workpieces comprising: a punching device configured to hold a punching tool, wherein the punching tool comprises a punching tool component and the punching device comprises a punch-side positioning device configured to position the punching tool component of the punching tool at a definable position along an operating stroke axis of the punching device; and a laser processing device comprising: a laser processing unit that can direct a laser beam to a workpiece, a laser accessory unit, and an accessory unit positioning device configured to position the laser accessory unit with an activation movement to a definable operating position, wherein the operating position of the laser accessory unit is defined by the punch-side positioning device.

2. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the operating position of the laser accessory unit is defined by the punch-side positioning device by a stop for the laser accessory unit.

3. The machine tool according to claim 2, wherein the stop is active in the direction of the activation movement of the laser accessory unit and is positioned by the punch-side positioning device along the operating stroke axis of the punching device in a stop position such that the laser accessory unit assumes the operating position when it is supported on the stop in the direction of the activation movement.

4. The machine tool according to claim 3, wherein the punch-side positioning device is configured to jointly position the punching tool component of the punching tool and the stop for the laser accessory unit along the operating stroke axis of the punching device.

5. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein punch-side positioning device is configured to define the operating position of the laser accessory unit in a variable manner.

6. The machine tool according to claim 5, wherein the operating position of the laser accessory unit is defined by the punch-side positioning device by a stop for the laser accessory unit and wherein the operating position of the laser accessory unit is defined by the punch-side positioning device in a variable manner by the stop position of the stop for the laser accessory unit being able to be varied by the punch-side positioning device.

7. The machine tool according to claim 6, wherein the laser accessory unit has a counter-stop and in the operating position is supported in the direction of the activation movement by the counter-stop on the stop, which has been positioned by the punch-side positioning device along the operating stroke axis of the punching device.

8. The machine tool according to claim 6, wherein the counter-stop and the laser accessory unit can be adjusted relative to each other by an adjustment device in the direction of the activation movement.

9. The machine tool according to claim 8, wherein the adjustment device is an adjustment screw.

10. The machine tool according claim 1, comprising a laser movement unit that supports the laser processing unit, the laser accessory unit, and the accessory unit positioning device.

11. The machine tool according claim 10, comprising a processing unit positioning device that is configured to move the laser processing unit between a rest position remote from the workpiece and an operating position close to the workpiece by positioning the laser movement unit between a position associated with the rest position of the laser processing unit remote from the workpiece and a position associated with the operating position of the laser processing unit close to the workpiece.

12. The machine tool according claim 11, wherein the accessory unit positioning device is configured to position the laser accessory unit relative to the laser movement unit to the operating position with the activation movement.

13. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the punching tool further comprises a punching processing unit, wherein the punching device further comprises a punch drive configured to move the punching processing unit along the operating stroke axis with an operating stroke which is directed towards the workpiece and with a return stroke counter to the operating stroke, and wherein the punch drive, moving the punching processing unit with a return stroke, is configured to move the laser accessory unit, positioned in the operating position by the accessory unit positioning device, from the operating position by a deactivation movement directed counter to the activation movement into a non-operational position.

14. The machine tool according to claim 13, wherein the punch drive comprises a tappet, and the punching processing unit is movable by a retraction movement of the tappet with the return stroke and wherein the tappet of the punch drive has a carrier by which the tappet which is moved with the retraction movement carries the stop which has been positioned in the stop position by the punch-side positioning device and thereby positions the laser accessory unit, which is supported on the stop in the direction of the activation movement, from the operating position with the deactivation movement into the non-operational position.

15. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the punching tool component of the punching tool is a stripper

16. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the accessory unit positioning device is a piston/cylinder unit.

15. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the punch-side positioning device and/or the processing unit positioning device a piston/cylinder unit.

16. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the laser accessory unit is a device for shielding a laser beam directed from the laser processing unit onto the workpiece and/or is a workpiece holding-down member.

17. A method for processing workpieces by a machine tool that has a punching device and a laser processing device, the method comprising: positioning a punching tool component of a punching tool of the punching device by a punch-side positioning device of the punching device along an operating stroke axis of the punching device to a definable position, and positioning a laser accessory unit of the laser processing device, which further comprises a laser processing unit, by an accessory unit positioning device of the laser processing device, with an activation movement to a definable operating position, wherein the operating position of the laser accessory unit is defined by the punch-side positioning device.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of one example of a machine tool according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a portion of a machine tool 1 which is a combined punch/laser machine. The machine tool 1 has a machine frame 2 on which a carrier structure 3 is movably guided perpendicular to the drawing plane. The carrier structure 3 supports a punching device 4 and a laser processing device 5. Both the punching device 4 and the laser processing device 5 are used to process a workpiece, typically a metal sheet 6, which during the processing operation is supported on a workpiece table of conventional construction type, which is not illustrated for reasons of simplicity. The metal sheet 6 can be moved for processing purposes by a conventional coordinate guide over the workpiece table in the direction of a double-headed arrow 7.

[0021] As a result of the movability of the carrier structure 3 perpendicular to the drawing plane and the simultaneously existing movability of the metal sheet 6 in the direction of the double-headed arrow 7, the punching device 4 and the laser processing device 5 can be positioned at any desired location of the metal sheet 6.

[0022] The punching device 4 includes a punch drive 8 with a hydraulic or electrical drive assembly of conventional construction (not illustrated) and with a tappet 9, which can be raised and lowered by the drive assembly along an operating stroke axis 10 of the punching device 4. A punching die acts as a punching processing unit of conventional construction and is introduced in a tool receiving member 11 at the lower end of the tappet 9 for punching processing of the metal sheet 6. In FIG. 1, the punching die is not shown, nor is a conventional bottom punching die that cooperates with the punching die and that is opposite the punching die below the metal sheet 6, which coordinate to carry out the punching processing of the metal sheet 6. The punching die and the bottom punching die form a punching tool 13 of the punching device 4, together with a stripper 12, which is an additional punching tool component.

[0023] The tappet 9 can be raised and lowered by the drive assembly of the punch drive 8 along the operating stroke axis 10, and the stripper 12 of the punching tool 13 also can be positioned in defined positions by a punch-side positioning device 14 along the operating stroke axis 10 of the punching device 4. The punch drive 8 and the punch-side positioning device 14 are controlled by a programmable numerical control unit as are the remaining functional units of the machine tool 1.

[0024] The punch-side positioning device 14 includes two structurally identical piston/cylinder units 15, each of which has a cylinder 16 connected to the carrier structure 3 of the machine tool 1 and a piston 17 which can move inside the cylinder 16 along the operating stroke axis 10. A piston rod 18 is fitted to each of the pistons 17 and leaves the respective cylinder 16 downwards and extends from the piston 17 along the operating stroke axis 10. The piston rod 18 of each piston/cylinder unit 15 is connected to the stripper 12 at the end remote from the piston 17. A hydraulically actuatable clamping device 19 with two mutually opposed clamping jaws is around each piston/cylinder unit 15 close to the outlet of the piston rod 18 at the respective cylinder 16.

[0025] As a result of the selected drive configuration, the stripper 12 of the punching tool 13 and the tappet 9 of the punch drive 8 (fitted with the punching die of the punching tool 13) can be moved in a state decoupled from, or independent of, each other along the operating stroke axis 10 of the punching device 4. During the punching processing of the metal sheet 6 the punch-side positioning device 14 can therefore be operated in two different operating modes: in the “active stripper” operating mode or in the “passive stripper” operating mode.

[0026] At the beginning of a punching operation, the tappet 9 of the punch drive 8 is located at its top dead center. The stripper 12 is moved by the punch-side positioning device 14 into its upper end position and spaced apart from the metal sheet 6 to the maximum extent. An inner collar 20 of the stripper 12 is positioned vertically above an outer collar 21 of the tappet 9.

[0027] In the “active stripper” operating mode of the punch-side positioning device 14, the clamping devices 19 on the piston/cylinder units 15 are continuously deactivated. As a result of a pressure which is built up in the cylinders 16 of the piston/cylinder units 15 above the pistons 17, the stripper 12 is consequently pressed via the pistons 17 and the piston rods 18 along the operating stroke axis 10 of the punching device 4 with the inner collar 20 from above onto the outer collar 21 of the tappet 9. The lower end of the stripper 12 in this instance protrudes with respect to the punching die, which is fitted to the tappet 9 in the direction towards the metal sheet 6.

[0028] If, starting from these relationships, the punch drive 8 is actuated and the punching die is consequently moved with an operating stroke directed towards the metal sheet 6 and if the pistons 17 inside the cylinder 16 of the piston/cylinder units 15 of the punch-side positioning device 14 are further acted on with pressure at their upper sides, the tappet 9 is lowered together with the stripper 12. The inner collar 20 of the stripper 12 is positioned on the outer collar 21 of the tappet 9 and moves along the operating stroke axis 10 of the punching device 4 in the direction towards the metal sheet 6 along with the punching die. During the joint downward movement along the operating stroke axis 10, the stripper 12, which is initially leading with respect to the punching die in the direction of the operating stroke of the punching die, strikes the upper side of the metal sheet 6, while the tappet 9 holds the punching die and they continue their downward movement. During the continued lowering movement of the tappet 9 and the punching die relative to the stripper 12, the punching die in the tappet 9 produces a punched-out portion on the metal sheet 6 in cooperation with the bottom punching die located at the opposite side of the metal sheet 6.

[0029] When the operating stroke of the punching die has ended and when the tappet 9 is positioned in its lower dead center position, the cylinder chambers formed inside the cylinders 16 of the piston/cylinder units 15 above the pistons 17 are switched into a pressure-free state. If the punching die now carries out a return stroke directed counter to the previous operating stroke and if the tappet 9 consequently moves along the operating stroke axis 10 with an upward retraction movement, the outer collar 21 of the tappet 9 strikes the lower side of the inner collar 20 of the stripper 12, which is initially still positioned on the metal sheet 6. If the retraction movement of the tappet 9 along the operating stroke axis 10 is continued, the tappet 9 carries the stripper 12 into its upper end position in which the lower end of the stripper 12 is again spaced apart from the metal sheet 6 to the maximum extent.

[0030] This can then be followed by another punching processing of the metal sheet 6 which where applicable is carried out in the manner described above. In the “active stripper” operating mode of the punch-side positioning device 14, the stripper 12 is accordingly lowered with continuously deactivated clamping devices 19 of the punch-side positioning device 14 with each operating stroke of the punching die from the upper end position until it strikes the metal sheet 6 which is intended to be processed.

[0031] The relationships in the “passive stripper” operating mode of the punch-side positioning device 14 are different. In this operating mode of the punch-side positioning device 14, the inner collar 20 of the stripper 12 is located in the upper end position. By actuating the piston/cylinder units 15 of the punch-side positioning device and with the clamping devices 19 of the punch-side positioning device 14 deactivated the inner collar 20 is initially pressed along the operating stroke axis 10 from above onto the outer collar 21 of the tappet 9 which is at its top dead center position. In the “passive stripper” operating mode of the punch-side positioning device 14, an activation of the punch drive 8 carried out under these conditions also results in the tappet 9 and the stripper 12 initially carrying out a common lowering movement along the operating stroke axis 10.

[0032] In the “passive stripper” operating mode of the punch-side positioning device 14, however, the joint lowering movement of the tappet 9 and the stripper 12 ends before the stripper 12 strikes the metal sheet 6. Instead, at a time at which the lower side of the stripper 12 is still approximately one millimeter away from the metal sheet 6, the clamping devices 19 on the piston/cylinder units 15 of the punch-side positioning device 14 are actuated. The stripper 12 is thereby prevented from carrying out a continued lowering movement along the operating stroke axis 10. As a result of the clamping of the piston rods 18 of the piston/cylinder units 15, the stripper 12 does not accompany the tappet 9 performing the further lowering movement. While the tappet 9 is lowered further and while the punch die which is fitted to the tappet 9 continues its operating stroke along the operating stroke axis 10 of the punching device 4 and finally carries out a punching processing operation on the metal sheet 6, the stripper 12 remains along the operating stroke axis 10 in the position in which it has a defined spacing from the metal sheet 6. During the retraction movement of the tappet 9 following the operating stroke of the punching die, the outer collar 21 of the tappet 9 strikes the inner collar 20 of the stripper 12 which is fixed in position by the clamping devices 19. If the piston/cylinder units 15 of the punch-side positioning device 14 are now switched into a pressure-free state and the clamping devices 19 are released, the tappet 9 with continued retraction movement can carry the stripper 12 into its upper end position.

[0033] In the “passive stripper” operating mode, during laser operation of the machine tool 1 the punch-side positioning device 14 of the machine tool 1 defines an operating position of a shielding device 22 of the laser processing device 5. The shielding device 22 is a laser accessory unit.

[0034] The shielding device 22 and a laser cutting head 23 act as a laser processing unit of the laser processing device 5. The function of the shielding device 22 substantially involves shielding the processing site of the laser processing beam on the metal sheet 6 against the environment during the processing of the metal sheet by a laser processing beam which is directed from the laser cutting head 23 onto the metal sheet 6. The relationships during the processing of the metal sheet 6 by the laser processing beam which is indicated by a beam axis 24 are illustrated in FIG. 1. In addition, the shielding device 22 can also be used as a workpiece holding-down member and can as such prevent wobbling of the metal sheet 6 during sheet movements which are carried out in the direction of the double-headed arrow 7.

[0035] The shielding device 22, the laser cutting head 23 and an accessory unit positioning device in the form of a piston/cylinder unit 25 are on a carriage 26 which is movably guided along the operating stroke axis 10 of the punching device 4 on a linear guide 27 of the carrier structure 3 of the machine tool 1. A processing unit positioning device 28 moves the carriage 26 along the linear guide 27. The processing unit positioning device is illustrated as a piston/cylinder unit 28 whose cylinder is illustrated in a broken-away state in FIG. 1 and is connected at the end that is not visible in the figure to the carrier structure 3 of the machine tool 1.

[0036] During the punching processing operation of the metal sheet 6, the laser processing device 5 is non-operational. The piston/cylinder unit 28 has moved the carriage 26 along the linear guide 27 of the carrier structure 3 into an upper end position and the laser cutting head 23, which is fitted to the carriage 26 has thereby been moved into a rest position remote from the workpiece. A laser nozzle, which is constructed in a conventional manner is located at the workpiece-side end of the laser cutting head 23 and is therefore relatively distant from the metal sheet 6 to be processed. The piston rod of the piston/cylinder unit 25, which is connected to the shielding device 22, is introduced into the interior of the associated cylinder. Consequently, the shielding device 22 assumes a position in which the laser nozzle protrudes substantially towards the metal sheet 6 at the lower end of the laser cutting head 23 with respect to the lower side of the shielding device 22 along the operating stroke axis 10 of the punching device 4 with respect to the laser cutting head 23, which is positioned in the rest position remote from the workpiece.

[0037] If a punching operation on the metal sheet 6 is finished and if accordingly the tappet 9 which is fitted with the punching die is lifted into its top dead center position and the stripper 12 of the punching tool 13 is lifted its upper end position, the laser processing of the metal sheet 6 is prepared using the punch-side positioning device 14.

[0038] In the “passive stripper” operating mode of the punch-side positioning device 14, clamping devices 19 of the punch-side positioning device 14 are deactivated initially and the tappet 9 and the stripper 12 which is positioned with the inner collar 20 on the outer collar 21 of the tappet 9 are jointly lowered along the operating stroke axis 10 of the punching device 4. The clamping devices 19 are actuated and the lowering movement of the stripper 12 is consequently ended as soon as a stop 29 connected to the stripper 12 is positioned along the operating stroke axis 10 in a defined stop position which is stored in the numerical control of the machine tool 1. Although the tappet 9 still continues its lowering movement afterwards, it is then stopped by the punch drive 8 being shut down already at a time at which the punching die on the tappet 9 is still significantly spaced apart from the metal sheet 6. The distance between the stopped punching die and the metal sheet 6 can, for example, be sized in such a manner that the metal sheet 6 during metal sheet movements that are carried out in the context of the subsequent laser processing operation in the direction of the double-headed arrow 7 can pass the punching die even when shaped portions protrude upwardly on the metal sheet 6.

[0039] When the stop 29 connected to the stripper 12 is positioned by the punch-side positioning device 14 at the defined stop position, the piston/cylinder unit 28 is actuated and the laser cutting head 23 is moved in the direction towards the metal sheet 6 from its rest position remote from the workpiece into an operating position close to the workpiece and in which the laser processing head 23 can process the metal sheet 6 by a laser processing beam. Since the piston/cylinder unit 28 engages with the carriage 26 and the carriage 26 further also supports the piston/cylinder unit 25 acting as an accessory unit positioning device and the shielding device 22, the piston/cylinder unit 25 and the shielding device 22 also perform the lowering movement of the laser cutting head 23 produced by the piston/cylinder unit 28.

[0040] When the laser cutting head 23 is positioned in the operating position close to the workpiece, the shielding device 22 is initially still positioned with respect to the laser cutting head 23 so that the lower side of the shielding device 22 has a significantly larger distance from the metal sheet 6 than the laser nozzle at the lower end of the laser cutting head 23 in a vertical direction. The shielding device 22 is consequently not yet capable of performing its intended shielding function.

[0041] To change this situation the piston/cylinder unit 25 is actuated. Consequently, the piston rod of the piston/cylinder unit 25 moves downwards from the associated cylinder and the shielding device 22 moves toward the metal sheet 6 and relative to the laser cutting head 23. The activation movement of the shielding device 22 ends as soon as a counter-stop 30, which is connected to the shielding device 22, strikes the stop 29 that has been positioned at the desired stop position by the piston/cylinder units 15 of the punch-side positioning device 14. The stop position of the stop 29 is defined in such a manner that, when the counter-stop 30 of the shielding device 22 is supported by the stop 29, the lower side of the shielding device 22 has a distance of approximately one millimeter from the metal sheet 6. The shielding device 22 consequently assumes its operating position in which the shielding device 22 is capable of shielding the processing site of the laser processing beam, which is directed from the laser cutting head 23 onto the metal sheet 6, from the environment. Via the stop position of the stop 29, which has been positioned by the punch-side positioning device 14 together with the stripper 12 along the operating stroke axis 10 of the punching device 4, the operating position of the shielding device 22 is consequently defined.

[0042] An adjustment device 31 is provided between the counter-stop 30 on the shielding device 22 and the stop 29 on the stripper 12. In the example illustrated the adjustment device 31 is an adjustment screw and enables a fine adjustment of the operating position of the shielding device 22.

[0043] If a metal sheet of greater thickness is to be processed in place of the metal sheet 6 illustrated in the figure, the stop 29 for the shielding device 22 is positioned by corresponding control of the punch-side positioning device 14, more specifically the clamping devices 19 of the punch-side positioning device 14, into a higher stop position.

[0044] This higher stop position is higher than the stop position illustrated in the figure by the sheet thickness difference between the thicker sheet and the sheet shown in the figure. The stop 29 is positioned at a stop position that is lower by the sheet thickness difference when a metal sheet to be worked has a smaller thickness than the metal sheet 6 shown in the figure.

OTHER EMBODIMENTS

[0045] A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.