PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MULTILAYER METAL STRIP PACKS

Abstract

Producing multilayer sheet metal strip stacks comprises feeding a metallic strip material having an upper side and a lower side by a feeding arrangement, longitudinally dividing of the fed strip material in a longitudinal direction of the strip material into a plurality of sheet metal strips in a continuous process by a strip dividing arrangement, and continuously superimposing of at least some of the sheet metal strips to form a sheet metal strip pack by a guiding arrangement.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A process for producing multilayer metal strip packs, comprising: feeding a metallic strip material having an upper side and a lower side via a feeding arrangement; continuously longitudinally dividing of the fed strip material in a longitudinal direction of the fed strip material into a plurality of metal strips by a strip dividing arrangement; and continuously superimposing of at least some of the metal strips to form a metal strip pack by a guiding arrangement.

17. The process of claim 16, wherein the metal strip pack is coiled-up by a coiling arrangement to form a coil.

18. The process of claim 16, wherein the metal strip pack is contoured by a contouring arrangement to form a contoured metal pack.

19. The process of claim 16, wherein the metal strip pack is rolled by a rolling arrangement.

20. The process of claim 16, wherein a plastic coating is applied to at least one of the upper side and the lower side of the fed strip material or the metal strips by a coating arrangement.

21. The process of claim 20, wherein the plastic coating is applied to the strip material before or after feeding and before longitudinally dividing the strip material into a plurality of metal strips.

22. The process of claim 20, wherein the plastic coating is applied to the metal strips after longitudinally dividing and before rolling the metal strips.

23. The process of claim 20, wherein the plastic coating comprises at least one of an adhesive, bonding varnish, insulating varnish, or viscoelastic polymer.

24. The process of claim 16, wherein the fed strip material has a thickness and a width; wherein the width of the fed strip material is at most 4500 mm (millimeters); and wherein the thickness of the fed strip material is greater than 0.04 mm and smaller than 3 mm.

25. The process of claim 16, wherein the fed strip material is a multi-layer metal strip pack.

26. The process of claim 16, wherein the longitudinally dividing the fed strip material into a plurality of metal strips is effected by at least one dividing unit which is arranged in a dividing plane perpendicular to the transport direction; wherein the continuously superimposing of the at least some of the metal strips is carried out in a joining plane substantially perpendicular to the transport direction; and wherein a percentage deviation between a first path length that a first one of the metal strips travels between the dividing plane and the joining plane, and a second path length that a second one of the metal strips travels between the dividing plane and the joining plane, is less than 25%.

27. An apparatus for producing multilayer metal strip packs, comprising: a feeding arrangement for feeding a metallic strip material; a strip dividing arrangement for longitudinally dividing the strip material into a plurality of metal strips in a longitudinal direction of the fed strip material; and a guiding arrangement configured to continuously superimpose at least some of the plurality of metal strips onto each other to form a metal strip pack.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a coating arrangement for applying a plastic coating to at least one of the upper side and the lower side of the strip material or the metal strips.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a rolling arrangement for rolling the metal strip pack, wherein the rolling arrangement comprises a heat supply.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a contouring arrangement for separating out contoured metal packs from the metal strip pack.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a coiling arrangement for coiling-up the metal strip pack to a coil.

Description

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Exemplary embodiments are described below according to the drawing figures, which show:

[0027] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example apparatus for producing multilayer sheet metal strip stacks in a first embodiment;

[0028] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a contouring arrangement for the apparatus according to FIG. 1;

[0029] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a coiling arrangement for the apparatus according to FIG. 1;

[0030] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates an example apparatus for producing multilayer sheet metal strip stacks in a second embodiment;

[0031] FIG. 5 illustrates a process for producing multilayer sheet metal strip stacks in a first embodiment;

[0032] FIG. 6 illustrates a process for producing multilayer sheet metal strip stacks in a second embodiment;

[0033] FIG. 7 illustrates a process for producing multilayer sheet metal strip stacks in a third embodiment;

[0034] FIG. 8 illustrates a process for producing multilayer sheet metal strip stacks in a fourth embodiment;

[0035] FIG. 9 illustrates a process for producing multilayer sheet metal strip stacks in a fifth embodiment;

[0036] FIG. 10 illustrates a process for producing multilayer sheet metal strip stacks in a sixth embodiment;

[0037] FIG. 11a illustrates a process for producing multilayer sheet metal strip stacks in a seventh embodiment;

[0038] FIG. 12 illustrates a process for producing multilayer sheet metal strip stacks in an eighth embodiment;

[0039] FIG. 13 illustrates a process for producing multilayer sheet metal strip stacks in a ninth embodiment;

[0040] FIG. 14 illustrates a process for producing multilayer sheet metal strip stacks in a tenth embodiment.

DESCRIPTION

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a method and device, respectively, for producing multilayer sheet metal strip packs (12) in a first embodiment.

[0042] In a first process step S1, a coiled and preferably non-coated strip material 2 is unwound from a drum 23 by means of a feeding arrangement 1 and fed, i.e., provided for being further processed. The strip material 2 comprises a top surface 19 and a bottom surface 20 and has a width B1 and a thickness D1 which is only schematically shown in the drawings, the width B1 extending between a first long side and a second long side of the strip material 2 and being oriented transversely to a transport direction T of the strip material 2. The width B1 can be, for example, 2500 mm, without being limited thereto. The thickness D1 of the strip material 2 is constant in transport direction T. The thickness D1 can alternatively be variable. The strip material 2 can be made of a ferromagnetic metal without being limited thereto.

[0043] Process step S1 is followed by process step S2, in which the strip material 2 is coated with a plastic coating in a coating arrangement 3. An insulating varnish is used as coating material for this purpose. It is also possible to use an adhesive, bonding varnish or visco-elastic polymer as coating material. In a roll coating process, the strip material 2 is fed through two vertically arranged coating rolls 4, 4 for applying the coating material to the strip material. The lower coating roller 4 is supplied by a material reservoir 5 as shown. The upper coating roller 4 is also supplied with the coating material by a material reservoir not shown in the figures. By rolling the coating rollers 4, 4 onto the strip material 2, the strip material 2 is wetted with the coating material over the entire width B1. It is also possible that several coating rollers 4 arranged next to each other wet the top side 19 and/or the bottom side 20 of the strip material 2, with areas between the rollers being kept free of coating material. As an alternative to roll coating, any other surface coating such as spray coating, powder coating or point-like application of the coating material is also possible.

[0044] Process step S2 is followed by process step S3, in which the strip material 2 in a strip division arrangement 6 is divided into three sheet strips 8, 8, 8, without the number being limited thereto. For this purpose, two rotating cutting discs 7, 7 cut the strip material 2 in the longitudinal direction, i.e., in the transport direction T of the strip material 2. Alternatively, the cutting can also be carried out by a laser or a water jet. The sheet metal strips 8, 8, 8 produced in this way have the same width B2 in this case. However, it is also possible that a partial number of the sheet metal strips 8 have different widths B2. The sheet metal strips 8, 8, 8 are further connected to the supplied strip material 2 in an imaginary plane E1, E2 extending transverse to the transport direction T and in which the cutting discs 7, 7 are arranged. Thus, the longitudinal cutting takes place in a continuous process.

[0045] Process step S3 is followed by process step S4, in which the previously produced sheet metal strips 8, 8, 8 are continuously guided one above the other by means of a guiding arrangement 9. For this purpose, the two outer sheet metal strips 8, 8 are guided over deflection rollers 10, 10 and the middle sheet metal strip 8 is positioned between them. The sheet metal strips 8, 8, 8 are brought together, i.e., superimposed on one another through the guide rollers 11, 11, which are arranged in an imaginary plane E3 at right angles to the transport direction T. The result is a three-layer sheet metal strip package 12, wherein the three sheet metal strips 8, 8, 8 are electrically separated from each other by the previously applied coating of insulating lacquer. The distance traveled by the sheet metal strips 8 and 8 over the deflection rollers 10 and 10 between the dividing planes E1 and E2 and the joining plane E3 is, in the embodiment shown, greater than the distance traveled by the central sheet metal strip 8, which is straightly guided in the transport direction T between the dividing planes E1 and E2 and the joining plane E3. It is also possible that the central sheet metal strip 8 is also guided over deflection rollers, so that the path of the central sheet metal strip 8 between the dividing planes E1 and E2, and the joining plane E3, is substantially identical with the path of the lateral sheet metal strips 8 and 8. The sheet metal strips 8 can alternatively have at least two different widths B2, so that it is also possible that the sheet metal strips 8, which have the same width B2, are guided one above the other in each case, and thus several sheet metal strip packs 12 are formed, which are taken up by several pairs of guide rollers 11, 11.

[0046] Process step S4 is followed by process step S5, in which the sheet metal strip pack 12 is rolled by means of a rolling arrangement 13. For this purpose, the sheet metal strip pack 12 is guided by two vertically arranged rollers 14, 14, which apply a defined force to the strip pack 12. The force is selected in the present embodiment such that the coating material is distributed evenly between the sheet metal strips 8, 8, 8 and/or air inclusions are pressed out. However, it is also possible that the force is selected to be so large that the sheet metal strips 8, 8, 8 undergo plastic deformation. The rollers 14, 14 can also be heated. Due to the heat thus introduced into the sheet metal strip pack 12, the insulating varnish hardens on a subsequent cooling section 21 and connects the individual layers of the sheet metal strip pack 12 in a material-locking manner. For cold-hardening coating materials, the addition of heat can be dispensed with.

[0047] FIG. 2 shows a process step S6 downstream of process step S5 and an arrangement depicting this process step S6. From the sheet metal strip packs 12, 15 sheet metal packs 17, 17 in the form of segmented stator tooth cores for electric motors can be separated by means of a contouring arrangement, without being limited to this design. As an alternative, it is also possible that the contouring arrangement may be configured to produce sheet packages in the form of non-segmented stator or rotor cores, in particular as 360 circles, as well as segmented rotor cores. The individual sheet layers of the sheet packs 12 are bonded to each other by the insulating lacquer. Of the contour arrangement 15, only the cutting tool 16 is shown to increase clarity. The contour arrangement 15 can also include a guiding plate with ring teeth, a cutting plate and an ejector in the case of fine blanking. It is also conceivable that a laser or water jet cutting instead of a fine blanking takes place in the contour arrangement 15. For components with lower dimensional accuracy requirements, a normal punch as contour arrangement 15 is conceivable.

[0048] FIG. 3 alternatively shows a process step S7 downstream of process step S5 and an arrangement depicting this process step S7. The rolled sheet metal strip packet 12 is wound onto a drum 23 to a spool, also referred to as a coil, by means of a winding arrangement 22. The coil can be sold as a semi-finished product or can be fed into a further processing operation, for example in a separate punching device. In particular, it is possible that the drum 23 of the sheet metal strip packs 12 serves as strip material for the process step S1 described above and runs through the process sequence shown in FIG. 1.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows a process and device 24, respectively, in accordance with the invention for producing multilayer sheet metal strip packs (12) in a second embodiment. The process, and/or device 24, differs from the process, and/or device shown in FIG. 1 only in the arrangement of the process step of the coating and the position of the coating arrangement 3, respectively. Coating by means of a coating arrangement 3 of the upper side 19 and lower side 20 takes place within the guiding arrangement 9. For this purpose two painting units 18, 18 are arranged between the sheet metal strips 8, 8, 8, which coat the sheet metal strips 8, 8, 8 on the surface in the spray painting process. In this process sequence, too, any other surface coating such as roll coating, powder coating or selective application of the coating material is possible. As described for the first embodiment, process step S5 can be followed by process step S6 described in FIG. 2 or process step S7 described in FIG. 3.

[0050] FIGS. 5 to 14 each describe possible embodiments on the basis of a respective flow chart. FIG. 5 illustrates the process by means of the flow chart, which results from the combination of the previously described FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 6 shows the flow chart of the process resulting from the combination of FIGS. 1 and 3. Reference is therefore made at this point to the previous description.

[0051] FIG. 7 shows a possible embodiment of the process, the process sequence of which differing from the process sequence in FIG. 6 in that process step S2 is omitted. In this respect, reference is made to the diagram in FIG. 5 for the joint process steps. Due to the omission of the coating in process step S2, the individual layers of the metal strip packs 12, 12 are not separated from each other and lie directly on top of each other. In the rolling process S5, the heat supply can be dispensed with or the rolling process can be omitted according to the fourth possible process sequence shown in FIG. 8. In the subsequent process step S6, sheet stacks 17, 17 in the form of segmented stator tooth cores are cut out of the sheet strip stacks 12 in the contouring arrangement 15 without being restricted to this form. Because the individual layers of the sheet packs 17, 17 are not connected, the contouring arrangement 15 comprises a magazine (not shown) for holding the loose sheet packs 17, 17, in which a joining process can take place, for example by welding or riveting.

[0052] FIG. 9 shows another possible process sequence of a process for producing multilayer sheet metal strip stacks 12 on the basis of a flow diagram. The process sequence in FIG. 9 differs from the process sequence in FIG. 5 in that the sequence of process steps S2 and S3 is reversed. In this respect, reference is made to the explanations of FIG. 5 for the common features. By reversing process steps S2 and S3, the uncoated strip material 2 is first divided into several sheet metal strips 8, 8, 8. Subsequently, a plastic coating is applied to the surface of the metal strips 8, 8, 8 on an upper side 19 and a lower side 20 in a coating arrangement 3. Analogous to the description of the coating of the strip material 2 from FIG. 5, partial areas of the upper side 19 and the lower side 20 can also be kept free of coating material. As an alternative to roll coating, any other surface coating such as spray coating, powder coating or spot application is also conceivable.

[0053] FIG. 10 shows a possible process sequence of a process for producing multilayer sheet metal strip stacks 12 using a flow diagram, which differs from the process sequence in FIG. 9 in that process step S7 is omitted and process step S6 follows process step S5 directly.

[0054] FIG. 11 shows a possible process sequence of a process for producing multilayer sheet metal strip packs 12 on the basis of a flow chart, which results from the combination of FIGS. 4 and 2. In this respect, reference is therefore made to the above description.

[0055] FIG. 12 shows a possible process sequence of a process for producing multilayer sheet metal strip packs 12 on the basis of a flow chart, which results from the combination of FIGS. 4 and 3. In this respect, reference is therefore made to the above description.

[0056] FIG. 13 shows another possible process sequence of a process for producing multilayer sheet metal strip stacks 12 on the basis of a flow diagram. The process sequence in FIG. 13 differs from the process sequence in FIG. 5 in that in step S1 strip material 2, which has previously been coated, is unwound from a drum 23 and fed to the process and process step S2 is omitted. The previously applied coating is made of an insulating lacquer. However, it is also possible that an adhesive, baking varnish, insulation varnish or visco-elastic polymer is used. The process steps from S3 are identical with the process steps from FIG. 5, so that for corresponding features abbreviated reference is hereby made to the description of FIG. 5.

[0057] FIG. 14 shows another possible process sequence of a process for producing multilayer sheet metal strip stacks 12 on the basis of a flow diagram. The process sequence in FIG. 14 differs from the process sequence in FIG. 13 in that process step S6 is replaced by process step S7.

REFERENCE CHARACTER LIST

[0058] 1 feeding arrangement [0059] 2 strip material [0060] 3, 3 coating arrangement [0061] 4, 4 coating rollers [0062] 5, 5 material reservoir [0063] 6 strip dividing arrangement [0064] 7, 7 cutting discs [0065] 8, 8, 8 metal strips [0066] 9 guiding arrangement [0067] 10, 10 deflection rollers [0068] 11, 11 guide rollers [0069] 12, 12 sheet metal strip packs [0070] 13 rolling arrangement [0071] 14, 14 rolling rolls [0072] 15 contouring arrangement [0073] 16 cutting tool [0074] 17, 17 sheet packages [0075] 18, 18 lacquering unit [0076] 19, 19 upper side [0077] 20, 20 lower side [0078] 21 cooling section [0079] 22 rolling arrangement [0080] 23, 23 drum [0081] 24, 24 apparatus [0082] B1 width of strip material [0083] B2 width of sheet metal strip [0084] D1 thickness of strip material [0085] E1 dividing plane [0086] E2 dividing plane [0087] E3 joining plane [0088] T transport direction