Abstract
The present invention relates to a press-forming tool having a top die and a bottom die, which can be moved toward one another, forming a forming cavity between the top die and the bottom die when the press-forming tool is closed, wherein a die clamping plate is arranged on a press ram and/or on a press table, wherein a top die or bottom die, which can be moved relative to the die clamping plate, is supported on said plate while incorporating at least one resilient adjusting element.
Claims
1. A press-forming tool, comprising: a top die and a bottom die movable toward one another, and forming a forming cavity between the top die and the bottom die when the press-forming tool is closed; a die clamping plate arranged on a press ram or on a press table; at least one resilient adjusting element arranged in the die clamping plate; and sliding blocks coupling at least one of the top die and the bottom die to the die clamping plate in such a way that said at least one of the top die and the bottom die is capable of relative movement on the die clamping plate, wherein said at least one of the top die and the bottom die is movable relative to the die clamping plate, and is supported on the die clamping plate by said at least one resilient adjusting element, wherein each of the sliding blocks is I-shaped and has a guiding portion and an abutment portion, and the sliding blocks are parallel to each other over an entire length of the die clamping plate, and wherein the die clamping plate comprises a plurality of elongated clamping slots for inserting the sliding blocks.
2. A press-forming tool, comprising: a top die and a bottom die movable toward one another, and forming a forming cavity between the top die and the bottom die when the press-forming tool is closed; a die clamping plate arranged on a press ram or on a press table; at least one resilient adjusting element, wherein a portion of the at least one resilient adjusting element is arranged in the die clamping plate and another portion of the at least one resilient adjusting element partially extends from an upper surface of the die clamping plate; and sliding blocks coupling at least one of the top die and the bottom die to the die clamping plate in such a way that said at least one of the top die and the bottom die is capable of relative movement on the die clamping plate, wherein said at least one of the top die and the bottom die is movable relative to the die clamping plate, and is supported on the die clamping plate by said at least one resilient adjusting element, wherein each of the sliding blocks is I-shaped and has a guiding portion and an abutment portion, wherein the sliding blocks are parallel to each other over an entire length of the die clamping plate, wherein the die clamping plate comprises a plurality of elongated clamping slots for inserting the sliding blocks, and wherein the press-forming tool is a hot-forming and press-hardening tool and further comprises cooling passages formed in the top die and/or the bottom die, the cooling passages allowing a coolant/cooling fluid to pass through, allowing press hardening to be performed.
3. The press-forming tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein the die clamping plate is coupled to the press table or wherein the die clamping plate is coupled, or screwed, to the press ram.
4. The press-forming tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one resilient adjusting element is a mechanical spring, a helical compression spring, or a pneumatic and/or hydraulic spring element.
5. The press-forming tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one resilient adjusting element is an actuator which is actively controllable.
6. The press-forming tool as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: a damping support arranged between a rear side of the top die and the die clamping plate, or between a rear side of the bottom die and the die clamping plate.
7. The press-forming tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein the top die or the bottom die is of segmented design with individual segments, and wherein the individual segments are supported on the die clamping plate in such a way as to be capable of relative movement.
8. The press-forming tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein a centering mandrel is arranged between the press ram and the press table, and/or a centering mandrel is arranged between the top die and the bottom die, wherein a closing movement of the press ram and the press table and/or of the top die and the bottom die is guided linearly by the centering mandrel.
9. The press-forming tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein the coupling of the top die and the die clamping plate is accomplished by screw bolts that pass through the at least one resilient adjusting member or by screw bolts integrated into the at least one resilient adjusting element.
10. The press-forming tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein the coupling of the bottom die and the die clamping plate is accomplished by screw bolts that pass through the at least one resilient adjusting member or by screw bolts integrated into the at least one resilient adjusting element.
Description
(1) Further advantages, features, characteristics and aspects of the present invention form the subject matter of the following description. Preferred variant embodiments are shown in the schematic figures. These help the invention to be understood easily. In the drawing:
(2) FIG. 1 shows a press-forming tool according to the invention having a resilient adjusting element in the region of the bottom die,
(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the press-forming tool according to FIG. 1 in a skewed position,
(4) FIGS. 3a and 3b show a press-forming tool according to the invention in a cross-sectional view and a side view with a resilient adjusting element in the region of the top die,
(5) FIG. 4 shows a quadruple-die press-forming tool with in each case two die clamping plates arranged adjacent to one another,
(6) FIGS. 5a and 5b show a double-die tool in a cross-sectional and longitudinally sectioned view,
(7) FIG. 6 shows a press-forming tool according to the invention with a centering mandrel,
(8) FIGS. 7a and 7b show a die clamping plate according to the invention in plan view and side view, and
(9) FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional detail view of a double-T sliding block.
(10) In the figures, the same reference signs are used for identical or similar components, even if the description is not repeated for reasons of simplicity.
(11) The press-forming tool 101 according to the invention is shown in a cross-sectional view from the side in FIG. 1. In this connection, the press-forming tool 101 has a press ram 102, which is shown from the top down in the plane of the drawing, wherein the top die 103 is coupled to the press ram 102 in a manner not shown specifically. Via the press ram 102, a press force F in relation to a vertical direction V, which simultaneously corresponds to the press stroke movement, is applied, and the top die 103 and a bottom die 104 are closed. Between the top die 103 and the bottom die 104 there remains a forming cavity 105 containing a blank (not shown specifically), wherein, within the scope of the invention, the blank particularly preferably comes into full-surface contact with the respective die surfaces 106, 107. For this purpose, provision is made, according to the invention, for a die clamping plate 109 to be arranged on a press table 108 and for various resilient adjusting elements 110 to be arranged between the bottom die 104 and the die clamping plate 109. By means of the resilient adjusting elements 110, it is possible for the bottom die 104 to perform the relative movement shown on an exaggerated scale in FIG. 2 substantially in vertical direction V. During this process, a guide (not shown specifically) prevents the bottom die 104 from sliding off in the horizontal direction H itself. Also shown is a fluid line 111, by means of which the resilient adjusting elements 110 can be actively controlled. In the context of the invention, actively controlled means, in particular, that the spring characteristics and/or damping characteristics of the resilient adjusting elements 110 are adjustable. Alternatively or in a supplementary sense, actively controllable in the context of the invention can also mean that the resilient adjusting elements 110 can be locked by this means. The die clamping plate 109 itself is firmly coupled to the press table 108 by means of bolts 112. The bottom die 104 is furthermore in turn coupled to the die clamping plate 109 by means of sliding blocks 113. For greater ease of understanding, the sliding blocks 113 are shown on a greatly enlarged scale. In this connection, the sliding blocks 113 have an end stop 114 in the region of a T-shaped bar, with the result that no relative movement between the die clamping plate 109 and the bottom die 104 beyond the end stop 114 is possible. Moreover, both the top die 103 and the bottom die 104 have cooling passages 115, through which an appropriate coolant can be passed, thus allowing press hardening to be performed. In the variant embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a die clamping plate 109 could additionally or alternatively be arranged between the press ram 102 and the top die 103.
(12) An alternative variant embodiment is shown in cross-sectional and longitudinally sectioned view in FIGS. 3a and b. In this connection, the press-forming tool 101 shown in FIG. 3 once again has a press ram 102 and a press table 108. Here, the bottom die 104 is fixed on a die clamping plate 109, wherein the die clamping plate 109 itself is coupled to the press table 108 by means of bolts 112. Here, however, no resilient adjusting elements are incorporated between the die clamping plate 109 and the bottom die 104. Here, they are shown incorporated on the top die 103, and, once again, they can also be actively controllable by means of a fluid line 111. The advantage, particularly with this variant embodiment, is that no contaminants can fall in vertical direction V between the top die 103 and the die clamping plate 109 due to gravity, and hence free movement is always possible to perform the relative movement. The die clamping plate 109 is once again fixed on the press ram 102 by means of bolts 112. Corresponding cooling passages 115 are furthermore shown here.
(13) FIG. 4 shows a variant embodiment of a press-forming tool 101 according to the invention as a quadruple-die tool. In this connection, four top dies 103.1, 103.2, 103.3, 103.4 are arranged adjacent to one another on two die clamping plates 109.1, 109.2, which are likewise arranged adjacent to one another on the press ram 102. Four bottom dies 104.1, 104.2, 104.3, 104.4 are formed in a manner corresponding to the four top dies 103.1, 103.2, 103.3, 103.4, wherein the four bottom dies 104.1, 104.2, 104.3, 104.4 are each arranged in pairs in a corresponding manner on corresponding die clamping plates 109.3, 109.4 on the press table 108. When a stroke motion is performed in vertical direction V, the incoming top die 103.1, 103.2, 103.3, 103.4 can thus in each case align itself relative to the bottom die 104.1, 104.2, 104.3, 104.4 in such a way that, when the bottom dead center position is reached, there is corresponding uniform and full-surface contact and/or tolerance compensation. The two die pairs on each die clamping plate 109 can also be two process stages in temporal succession. For example, a hot forming operation can be performed in the first die pair and a cooling stage in the form of press hardening can be performed in the second die pair. Both stages are then performed in the same press cycle. However, the resilient support makes it possible, in particular once again, to accommodate the different extent of the dies required for each process stage. Resilient adjusting elements 110 are furthermore shown schematically and by way of example between the die clamping plate 109 and the respective top die 103.
(14) This is shown by way of example in FIGS. 5a and b, which show a sectional view through a double-die tool shown here. In this case, two top dies 103.1, 103.2 and two bottom dies 104.1, 104.2 are each arranged on a die clamping plate 109. Here, the top dies 103 have the resilient adjusting elements 110 according to the invention between them and the die clamping plate 109. If there is then distortion at the bottom dead center position shown here when the press force is exerted, both in the transverse direction shown in FIG. 5a and in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. 5b, the different lengths of the resilient adjusting elements 110 in vertical direction V make it possible to transmit an a homogenization the applied press force F in vertical direction V to the formed component in the forming cavity 105.
(15) FIG. 6 shows a variant embodiment of the press-forming tool 101 according to the invention with a centering mandrel 116 arranged at the outside. This aligns the press ram 102 shown here with the press table 108 in respect of the horizontal direction when the closing movement in vertical direction V is performed. There is therefore centering in the horizontal direction H and linear guidance in the vertical direction V. It would also be conceivable within the scope of the invention for the individual die clamping plates 109 to be aligned relative to one another and/or also for the top die 103 and the bottom die 104 to be aligned relative to one another by means of respective centering mandrels 116. Also shown are respective centering mandrels 116 in the top die 103 and the bottom die 104. The respective centering mandrel then projects, in particular relative to the bottom die 104 shown here, and, in the process, engages in a centering opening 124 in the top die 103.
(16) FIGS. 7a and b show a die clamping plate 109 according to the invention in plan view and in side view. It can be seen that the resilient adjusting elements 110 project relative to a surface 117 of the die clamping plate 109. These have a spacing a relative to one another. Also shown in the plan view according to FIG. 7a is the fact that the individual rows 119 have a corresponding row spacing ra from one another. The row spacing ra is preferably equal to the spacing a between the individual resilient adjusting elements 110. Clamping slots 118 for inserting sliding blocks 113 (not shown specifically) are furthermore shown, allowing the top die and the bottom die to be coupled to a die clamping plate 109. The resilient adjusting elements 110 can also preferably be in the form of cylinders, for example, e.g. also in the form of cylinder covers, which then in turn accommodate the resilient adjusting element 110, in the form of a helical spring for example, and protect it from wear, damage and contamination. As a further particularly preferred option, the resilient adjusting elements 110 or cylinders have a stroke of up to 50 mm, in particular up to 30 mm and preferably up to 10 mm, relative to the surface 117 of the die clamping plate 109 and, in particular, a stroke of 5 mm, in particular up to 2 mm, preferably less than 1 mm, relative to the surface 117 of the die clamping plate 109.
(17) It is furthermore shown schematically in FIG. 7b, with reference to the resilient adjusting element 110 at the bottom relative to the plane of the drawing, that said adjusting element is supported at least partially in the die clamping plate 109 and projects partially relative to the surface 117 of the die clamping plate 109. It would also be conceivable within the context of the invention for the resilient adjusting element 110 to be supported completely in the die clamping plate 109 and then to be extended from the operating position when required, it being possible to envisage this variant embodiment particularly when the resilient adjusting elements 110 are active.
(18) The possibility of coupling a top die 103 to a die clamping plate 109 by means of double-T sliding blocks 120 is furthermore shown schematically in FIG. 8. Here, the resilient adjusting elements 110 hold the top die 103 at a distance b from the surface 117 of the die clamping plate 109. In this case, the double-T sliding block 120 is provided on its respective T bar 121 with a damping support 125, ensuring that there is no impact owing to the respective abutment portion being reached when the opening movement is performed. As shown here, the double-T sliding block 120 can enter a cavity 122 in the die clamping plate 109 when it reaches the bottom dead center position. Also conceivable as an alternative is the presence of a cavity 122 both in the top die 103 and in the die clamping plate 109. An alternative variant embodiment is for a cavity 122 (not shown specifically here) to be present only in the top die 103. It is furthermore shown that the web 123 is in virtually positive engagement in horizontal direction H, and there is therefore guidance here, whereas relative movement is made possible in vertical direction V.
REFERENCE SIGNS
(19) 101press-forming tool 102press ram 103top die 104bottom die 105forming cavity 106die surface of 103 107die surface of 104 108press table 109die clamping plate 110adjusting element 111fluid line 112bolt 113sliding block 114end stop 115cooling passage 116centering mandrel 117surface of 109 118clamping slot 119row 120double-T sliding block 121T bar 122cavity 123web 124centering mandrel 125damping support aspacing bdistance rarow spacing Fpress force Hhorizontal direction Vvertical direction
