Punching/perforating machine

Abstract

A punching/perforating machine (10) for generating a punching/perforating pattern in a supplied material unit/web (M), comprising a punching tool (12) having a plurality of punches/perforating needles (16) which are arranged in a predetermined grid in a longitudinal direction (L) and which are movable via a pressure beam (36) which is operatively connected via a control device (30) to a drive unit (18) for generating a punching/perforating stroke (H) transversely to the longitudinal direction (L), and comprising a control block (14) for actuating/activating/deactivating the punches/perforating needles (16) by the control device (30) during the punching/perforating process, characterized in that the punching tool (12) and/or the control block (14) is/are each designed as a separate subassembly which is/are each arranged within the punching/perforating machine (10) so as to be removably fastenable separately as a unit.

Claims

1. A punching/perforating machine (10) for generating a punching/perforating pattern in a material unit/web (M), comprising: a punching tool (12) having a plurality of punches/perforating needles (16), the punches/perforating needles (16) being arranged in a predetermined grid in a longitudinal direction (L) and movable via a pressure beam (36), the pressure beam (36) being operatively connected via a control device (30) to a drive unit (18) for generating a punching/perforating stroke (H) transversely to the longitudinal direction (L); a control block (14) for actuating/activating/deactivating the punches/perforating needles (16) by the control device (30) during a punching/perforating process, the control block (14) having piston-cylinder units, movements of the piston-cylinder units during the punching/perforation stroke being controlled individually via the control device (30) and one of the piston-cylinder units being assigned to each punch/each perforating needle (16); a memory device (40), in which data for a geometry of the punching/perforating pattern is stored, the memory device (40) being connected to the control device (30) by a communication link; and a blocking slide (22), which is respectively connected to a corresponding piston rod (20) of a corresponding piston-cylinder unit, wherein the blocking slide (22) can be displaced into an activation position or a deactivation position by movement of the corresponding piston rod (20), wherein, in the activation position, the blocking slide acts directly or indirectly on a corresponding punch/perforating needle (16) during execution of the punching/perforating stroke (H), and wherein, in the deactivation position, the blocking slide does not exert any action on the corresponding punch/perforating needle (16), whereby, in the activation position of the blocking slide (22), the blocking slide (22) acts on the corresponding punch/perforating needle (16) during the punching/perforating stroke (H) and a perforation is carried out and, in the deactivation position of the blocking slide, no punching/perforation of the material unit/web (M) is effected, wherein the punching tool (12) and/or the control block (14) is/are each designed as a separate subassembly which is each arranged within the punching/perforating machine (10) so as to be removably fixable separately as a unit, wherein the control block (14) has guide recesses arranged in a grid which can be predefined in the longitudinal direction (L) and which corresponds to the grid of the punches/perforating needles (16), wherein extension profiles (48) are longitudinally displaceably mounted in the guide recesses in a stroke direction (H), wherein a length of the extension profiles (48) corresponds to a distance between an underside of the blocking slide and a head of the corresponding punch/perforating needle (16).

2. The punching/perforating machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the punching tool (12) and/or the control block (14) is/are arranged such that they can be pulled in/out in the longitudinal direction (L) in guide grooves (42, 44, 46) present within the punching/perforating machine.

3. The punching/perforating machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the guide grooves (42, 44, 46) are formed in such a way that additional adapter units can be introduced in order to permit a form-fitting mounting of different geometries of punching tools (12) or control blocks (14).

4. The punching/perforating machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein each piston-cylinder unit is formed as a double-acting piston-cylinder unit having a first pressure chamber (28) and a second pressure chamber (32), wherein a first pressure (P1) is applied permanently to the first pressure chamber (28) via the control device (30) and causes the blocking slide (22) to be located or held in the deactivation position and, when carrying out punching or perforation, the control device (30) applies a second pressure (P2), which is higher than the first pressure (P1), to the second pressure chamber (32) when activated, such that the blocking slide (22) moves out into the activation position and, as a result, during the punching/perforating stroke (H), this movement is transmitted to the corresponding punch/perforating needle, such that punching or perforation of the material unit/web (M) is carried out.

5. The punching/perforating machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the blocking slide (22) is in each case connected to the corresponding piston rod (20) of the corresponding piston-cylinder unit in a form-fitting manner with axial and radial play.

6. The punching/perforating machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control block has housings (38) which can be controlled individually by the control device (30), and which include the piston-cylinder units arranged offset in the longitudinal direction (L) and in the stroke direction (H).

7. The punching/perforating machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein the piston-cylinder units arranged within the housings (38) correspond in the longitudinal direction (L) to an offset dimension of 0.5 times, 1 times and 2 times a grid size (R) of the punches/perforating needles within the punching tool (12).

8. The punching/perforating machine as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a valve device (26) which is activated by the control device (30) and has a communication link with the piston-cylinder units of the control block (14).

9. The punching/perforating machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein the valve device (26) is formed as a pneumatic or hydraulic system.

10. The punching/perforating machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein the valve device is formed as separately connectable to the punching/perforating machine.

11. The punching/perforating machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein the housings (38) having a plurality of piston-cylinder units are designed to be autonomous with regard to control, pressure regulation and pressure monitoring.

12. The punching/perforating machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the housings (38) has four cylinder-piston units and the control block (14) or the punching tool (12) has four grid recesses arranged to be offset in form of a grid in the longitudinal direction (L) and in a transverse direction for the extension profiles (48) or the punches/perforating needles (16).

13. The punching/perforating machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a spacer plate (60) is arranged on top of a needle holder (34) of the punching tool (12), wherein the spacer plate (60) either has congruent recesses in a grid size corresponding to a grid size of the punch/perforating needles (16) or is formed as a closed metal sheet.

14. The punching/perforating machine as claimed in claim 13, wherein the spacer plate (60) is fixed to an upper side of the needle holder (34).

15. The punching/perforating machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blocking slide (22) has in its free end region a contour (52) inclined relative to the stroke direction (H) in such a way that when the blocking slide (22) is extended, a possibly projecting extension profile (48) or projecting punch/perforating needle (16) is pushed downward in the stroke direction (H).

16. The punching/perforating machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a projection laser unit which, depending on data stored in the memory device relating to a contour of the material unit/web (M) to be processed or perforated, depicts these contours on a feed table of the machine, whereby exact alignment of the material unit/web (M) is made possible and position data then acquired by the projection laser unit is fed to the control device (30).

17. The punching/perforating machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the extension profiles (48) has a step-like external circumferential contour, and an associated one of the guide recesses has a corresponding mating contour.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a highly schematic illustration of a punching/perforating machine having a control block arranged in guide grooves and a punching tool arranged in guide grooves, comprising punches/perforating needles that can be activated individually via a control device, valve device and piston-cylinder units with blocking slides,

(2) FIG. 2 shows a partial schematic detailed illustration of a constructional design variant of the punching/perforating machine according to FIG. 1 with an exemplary illustration of a blocking slide in the activation position before the perforation stroke, wherein a spacer plate with a hole pattern is arranged on the needle holder of the perforation needles,

(3) FIG. 3 shows a schematic detailed view of the punching/perforating machine according to FIG. 2 after the perforation stroke has been carried out,

(4) FIG. 4 shows a schematic detailed view of the punching/perforating machine according to FIG. 2 with the blocking slide retracted after the perforation stroke,

(5) FIG. 5 shows a schematic detailed view of the punching/perforating machine according to FIG. 4 before the perforation stroke, wherein a closed spacer plate, i.e. without a hole pattern, is fixed to the needle holder, and

(6) FIG. 6 shows a schematic detailed view according to FIG. 2 with an additional schematic illustration of a valve device and a pressure accumulator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) The punching/perforating machine 10 illustrated schematically in FIG. 1 has a punching tool 12 and a control block 14. In the punching/perforating machine 10, driven by a servo-hydraulic unit, the control block 14 is connected to a pressure beam 36, i.e. it is inserted into a control block guide groove 42 on the pressure beam 36 and is centered. The pressure beam 36 is moved up and down in the stroke direction H by a drive unit 18. Located under the control block 14 is the corresponding punching tool 12, the grid of which for the perforating needles 16 is identical to that of the control block 14. The punching tool 18 has a needle holder 34, which is inserted into a needle holder guide groove 44 in the control block 14. The lower part of the punching tool 12 having the female dies is centered by means of a centering pin, not specifically illustrated. This lower part of the punching tool 12 is also placed in tool guide grooves 46. The needle holder 34, together with the needle guide, which is firmly connected to the punching tool 12, forms one unit, namely the punching tool 12.

(8) Located on the needle holder 34 is a spacer plate 60 which, firstly, facilitates the disassembly of the punching tool 12 and, secondly, permits the use of further standard tools with the same tool profile but different pitch. Here, the open spacer plate 60, which is provided with grid holes (see FIGS. 1 to 4), is replaced by a closed variant without grid holes (see FIG. 5).

(9) The perforating needles 16 are arranged in a predefined pattern in the longitudinal direction L, which extends at right angles to the plane of the illustration of FIG. 1. The perforating needles 16 can either be activated or deactivated individually during each perforation stroke H. This individual activation is implemented by there being a control device 30, which has a communication link with a memory device 40, in which the geometric data of the perforation pattern to be created on a material web M fed to the punching tool 12 is stored.

(10) The control device 30 has a communication link with a valve device 26, wherein the valve device 26 has valve units which each individually have a communication link with piston-cylinder units arranged on the control block 14. The piston-cylinder units are formed as double-acting piston-cylinder units, comprising a cylinder 24, a piston 21 and a piston rod 20. In each piston-cylinder unit there is a first pressure chamber 28 and a second pressure chamber 32.

(11) Each piston rod 20 is connected in its free end region to a blocking slide 22, which can be displaced in the sliding direction S transversely with respect to the stroke direction H from an activation position (extended state) and a deactivation position (retracted state) when appropriate pressure is applied to the piston-cylinder unit. Furthermore, there is a first pressure accumulator 28.1 and a second pressure accumulator 32.1, which communicate with the valve device 26. The first pressure chamber 28 provides a pressure P1, and the second pressure chamber 32 provides a pressure P2, which is higher than the pressure P1.

(12) Each perforating needle 16 is assigned a blocking slide 22 with associated controllable piston-cylinder unit. The blocking slide 22 is at a distance from the upper head end of the perforating needle 16. Underneath the blocking slide 22 there is an extension profile 48 in the control block 14 in a corresponding guide, wherein the underside of the extension profile 48 rests on the head of the associated perforating needle 16, and the upper end face of the extension profile 48 is arranged at the vertical level of the underside of the blocking slide 22. In the extended state of the blocking slide 22, the latter rests on the extension profile 48 in such a way that when the stroke movement H of the control block 14 is carried out, the perforating needle 16 is moved downward and triggers a perforation on the material web M.

(13) When the blocking slide 22 is retracted, there is no contact between extension profile 48 and blocking slide 22, since the underside of the blocking slide 22 is beside the underside of the extension profile 48. If a perforation stroke is carried out in the retracted position of the blocking slide 22, the extension profile 48 has no movement applied to it by the blocking slide 22, such that the associated perforating needle 16 does not perform a perforation.

(14) In its free end region, the blocking slide 22 has a contour 52 extending at an angle to the stroke direction H, which ensures that if the extension profile 48 and the perforating needle 16 protrude upward when the blocking slide 22 is extended, the extension profile 48 is pushed downward and is not sheared off or damaged. As a result, permanently reliable functionality is ensured.

(15) During the operation of the punching/perforating machine, the first pressure chamber 28 and the second pressure chamber 32 are controlled individually as follows via the valve device 26 and the control device 30, taking into account the stored perforation pattern data. The first pressure chamber 28 has the pressure P1 applied permanently via the first pressure accumulator 28.1, i.e., under the action of the pressure P1, the blocking slide 22 is located in the retracted position such that, when the perforation stroke H is carried out, the associated perforating needle 16 does not perform any perforation.

(16) If a perforating needle 16 is to be activated during a perforation stroke H, the control device 30 causes the valve device 26 to apply the pressure P2 to the second pressure chamber 32 via the second pressure accumulator 32.1, said pressure P2 being higher than the permanently present pressure P1 in the first pressure chamber 28, such that the blocking slide 22 moves out and, when the perforation stroke H is carried out, the associated perforating needle 16, in conjunction with the extension profile 48, carries out a perforation stroke H and produces a perforation on the material web M.

(17) On the control block 14 there are thus individually activated piston-cylinder units which are under a permanent first pressure P1 which, so to speak, forms an air spring on the return stroke, wherein for each perforating needle 16 to be activated in the punching tool 12, a piston rod 20 of the corresponding piston-cylinder unit is assigned and is activated, that is to say extended, by having the pressure P2 applied.

(18) In practice, use is made of an embodiment not specifically illustrated in FIG. 1, wherein a housing 38 is used which has four piston-cylinder units operating independently of one another and having piston rods 20. These piston-cylinder units are arranged to be offset relative to one another in the stroke direction H and in the longitudinal direction L within the housing 38, the housings 38 being present on both sides of the control block 14. This results in a narrow structure. At the head of each piston rod 20, the connection to the blocking slide 22 is produced with the aid of a form-fitting but loose connection. This connection permits play both in the axial and in the vertical direction. As a result, possible damage to the extension profile 48 as the blocking side 22 is extended and retracted is counteracted and, overall, the functionality is improved.

(19) As a result of the mutually separated structure of control block 14 and punching tool 12 in conjunction with the piston-cylinder units arranged offset in the stroke direction H and in the longitudinal direction L within a housing 38, it is possible to achieve a minimum spacing with respect to the grid size between the perforating needles 16 in the tool 12 which, for example, corresponds to a standard perforation in automobile construction. From this, for example a maximum number of 1024 needles with a perforation width of 1.9456 mm can be achieved.

(20) This high number of needles per unit area cannot be achieved in the known systems.

(21) As already described above, the extension profile 48 is arranged between the head of the individual perforating needles 16 and blocking slides 22. The extension profile 48 consists, for example, of a hardened round material with a stepped diameter, which rests loosely on the head of the perforating needle 16. The stepped external diameter prevents any movement of the vertically installed extension profile 48 in the control block 14 during installation or removal of the tool. At the same time, the extension profile 48 is held in a fixedly defined position above the needle head by this shoulder.

(22) In order to compensate for the difference between the predefined needle diameter or needle spacing and the necessarily wider blocking slide 22 with the associated piston rod 20, these mechanical extension profiles 48 are inserted with different lengths in the control block 14 and assigned accordingly to the blocking slides 22.

(23) The individual piston-cylinder units are present on both sides of the control block 14 as special cylinders and are controlled individually by control valves 26. These special cylinders are arranged within the machine, for example in housings 38 each having four piston-cylinder units, in order to protect them against damage or access. These housings 38 contain the complete electronic and pneumatic control (valve terminals, pressure regulators, pressure monitoring, etc.). These housings 38 are connected by means of a coupling system constructed for this purpose to the valve device 26 with its individually associated control valves. Alternatively, however, the control valves of the valve device 26 can also be mounted flexibly on appropriate transport frames, in order to use the same on different punching machines. As a result, there is no restriction to only one working area.

(24) As a result of the permanently present backing pressure P1 in the reverse stroke of the piston rod 20 of the piston-cylinder units, the switching time between the punching operations can be reduced greatly. This results in a substantially higher cycle rate (for example 160 to 180 per minute) of the punching unit as compared with the known punching machines.

(25) FIGS. 2 to 5 illustrate a constructional exemplary embodiment according to the punching tool from FIG. 1 in detail. The same components bear the same designations and will not be explained again.

(26) FIG. 2 shows a situation in which the blocking slide 22 has been extended before the perforation stroke has been carried out. FIG. 3 shows the situation with the blocking slide 22 extended after the perforation stroke has been carried out. FIG. 4 shows a blocking slide 22 in the retracted position after the perforation stroke has been carried out, and FIG. 5 shows the situation with the blocking slide 22 extended, wherein a spacer plate 60 without drilled holes is used before the perforation stroke is carried out, i.e. during a perforation stroke, all the perforating needles 16 perform a perforation. In this case (see FIG. 5), the guide of the perforating needles 16 is arranged to be offset laterally relative to the guide when a spacer plate (60) with a hole pattern is used.

(27) Finally, FIG. 6 shows the detail according to FIG. 2 with the first pressure accumulator 28.1 and the valve device 26 controlled by the control device 30 additionally shown.