Method for setting up and operating a press

Abstract

A press comprises a press frame, at least one upper punch plate with at least one upper press punch held on it and/or at least one lower punch plate with at least one lower press punch held on it. A die plate has at least one receiver for powdered material to be pressed by the press punches. At least two upper drives are mechanically coupled in the operation of the press, engaging at the upper punch plate for moving the upper press punch in the vertical direction and/or at least two lower drives mechanically coupled in the operation of the press, engaging on the lower punch plate and/or the die plate for moving the lower press punch and/or the die plate in the vertical direction. A method for setting up and operating the press for producing a pellet made of the powdered material, in particular metal powder, is described.

Claims

1. A method for setting up and operating a press for producing a pellet made of powdered material, wherein the press comprises: a press frame; at least one of an upper punch plate with an upper press punch or a lower punch plate with a lower press punch; a die plate with at least one receiver for the powdered material to be pressed by the at least one of the upper press punch or the lower press punch; and at least one of at least two upper drives mechanically coupled in the operation of the press, engaging at the upper punch plate for moving the upper press punch in a vertical direction or at least two lower drives mechanically coupled in the operation of the press, engaging on at least one of the lower punch plate or the die plate for moving the at least one of the lower press punch or the die plate in the vertical direction, the method comprising: in a setup procedure, performing at least one of respectively moving each of the at least two upper drives into a first coupling position in which they are coupled mechanically; or respectively moving each of the at least two lower drives into a second coupling position in which they are coupled mechanically; before a pressing procedure, performing at least one of: measuring current positions of the at least two upper drives, and if a first maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded, moving at least one of the at least two upper drives so that the first maximum permissible position deviation is no longer exceeded; or measuring current positions of the at least two lower drives are determined, and if a second maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded, moving at least one of the at least two lower drives so that the second maximum permissible position deviation is no longer exceeded.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of: saving the first coupling position and the first maximum permissible position deviation from the first coupling position in the setup procedure for the at least two upper drives; or saving the second coupling position and the second maximum permissible position deviation from the second coupling position in the setup procedure for the at least two lower drives.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising, before the pressing procedure, performing at least one of: moving a first of the at least two upper drives into the first coupling position, wherein measuring the current positions comprises measuring a position deviation of a second of the at least two upper drives from the first coupling position and wherein moving the at least one of the at least two upper drives comprises moving the second of the at least two upper drives when the first maximum permissible position deviation from the first coupling position is exceeded such that the first maximum permissible position deviation is no longer exceeded; or moving a first of the at least two lower drives into the second coupling position, wherein measuring the current positions comprises measuring a position deviation of a second of the at least two lower drives from the second coupling position and wherein moving the at least one of the at least two lower drives comprises moving the second of the at least two lower drives when the second maximum permissible position deviation from the second coupling position is exceeded such that the second maximum permissible position deviation is no longer exceeded.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein moving the second of the at least two upper drives comprises moving the second of the at least two upper drives into the first coupling position when the first maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded by the position deviation of the second of the at least two upper drives and wherein moving the second of the at least two lower drives comprises moving the second of the at least two lower drives into the second coupling position when the second maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded by the position deviation of the second of the at least two lower drives.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of measuring the current positions of the at least two upper drives or measuring the current positions of the at least two lower drives takes place automatically before the pressing procedure.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: displaying a warning signal when at least one of the first maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded or the second maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, after displaying the warning signal, at least one of: moving the at least one of the at least two upper drives when the first maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded takes place after a confirmation by an operator; or moving the at least one of the at least two lower drives when the second maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded takes place after the confirmation by the operator.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of: moving the at least one of the at least two upper drives when the first maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded takes place automatically; or moving the at least one of the at least two lower drives when the second maximum permissible position deviation is exceeded takes place automatically.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two upper drives are electric drives or the at least two lower drives are electric drives.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the at least two upper drives are electric spindle drives or the at least two lower drives are electric spindle drives.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two upper drives are mechanically coupled via an upper force transmission bridge acting on the upper punch plate or the at least two lower drives are mechanically coupled via a lower force transmission bridge acting on at least one of the lower punch plate or the die plate.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one of: each of the at least two upper drives is an upper electric spindle drive, or each of the at least two lower drives is a lower electric spindle drive; and wherein at least one of: a spindle nut of the upper electric spindle drive is fastened on the upper force transmission bridge, or a spindle nut of the lower electric spindle drive is fastened on the lower force transmission bridge.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to a figure wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a press used in a method according to the exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(3) The press has a press frame with an upper retaining plate 10 and a lower retaining plate 12. The upper retaining plate 10 and the lower retaining plate 12 can be interconnected via vertical spacers (not shown in greater detail). With the lower retaining plate 12, the press stands on feet 14 on the ground. In the example shown, the press has two upper drives and two lower drives. The upper and lower drives here are respectively electric drives. The upper drives each have an upper electric drive motor 16 fastened on the upper retaining plate 10, which rotatably drives an upper, axially fixed spindle 18. The upper spindles 18 are respectively supported on a support frame 20 on its end facing away from the drive motors 16. Correspondingly, the lower drives each have a lower electric drive motor 22 arranged on the lower retaining plate 12, wherein the lower electric drive motors 22 respectively rotatably drive a lower, axially fixed spindle 24. The lower spindles 24 are also supported on the support frame 20. Moreover, the upper drives each have a spindle nut 26 running on the upper spindles 18. The upper spindle nuts 26 are mechanically coupled with each other via an upper force transmission bridge 28. In particular, the upper spindle nuts 26 are screwed with opposite-lying ends of the upper force transmission bridge 28, if applicable via elastic compensation elements. The upper force transmission bridge 28 is connected with an upper punch plate 34 via a central force transmission element 30 and two further compensation elements 32. An upper press punch 36 is fastened on the upper punch plate 34. The upper punch plate 34 is guided in the vertical direction on vertical guide columns 38.

(4) Correspondingly, the lower drives each have a lower spindle nut 40 guided on the lower spindles 24. The lower spindle nuts 40 are in turn screwed on opposite-lying ends of a lower force transmission bridge 42, if applicable via elastic compensation elements. The lower force transmission bridge 42 is connected with a lower punch plate 48, which carries a lower press punch 50, via a lower force transmission element 44 and compensation elements 46. The lower punch plate 48 is also guided in the vertical direction on vertical guide columns 52. The vertical guide columns 38, 52 are supported on a die plate 54 fastened on the support element or frame 20. The die plate 54 has a die 56, which forms a receiver 58 for powder to be pressed with the press, for example metal powder. During operation, the upper punch 36 and the lower punch 50 work together with the receiver 58 to press the powder filled into the receiver 58 into a pellet. For this, the upper spindle nuts 26 are moved in the vertical direction by rotation of the upper spindles 18 and the lower spindle nuts 40 by rotation of the lower spindles 24. This arrangement is known.

(5) FIG. 1 also shows position measuring devices 60 for measurement of the position of the upper drives. The position measurement can take place for example by measuring the rotational position of the upper spindles 18. Corresponding position measuring devices 62 for the position measuring of the lower drives are designed identically to the position measuring devices 60 for the upper drives. Reference number 64 shows a machine controller of the press.

(6) In the method according to the exemplary embodiment, the upper spindle nuts 26 are first moved into a coupling position while they are not yet connected with the upper force transmission bridge 28. The coupling position is selected such that a coupling takes place via the upper force transmission bridge 28 without a tilting or twisting of the components transmitting the mechanical coupling. In this state, the upper spindle nuts 26 are coupled with each other through the upper force transmission bridge 28. The coupling positions of the upper drives, in particular of their spindles 18 or respectively spindle nuts 26, assumed in this coupling are measured by the position measuring devices 60 and saved in the machine controller 64. Moreover, a maximum permissible position deviation from the coupling position for each of the upper drives, in particular their spindles 18 or respectively spindle nuts 26 is saved in the machine controller 64. In an analogous manner, the lower drives, in particular the lower spindle nuts 40 are moved into their respective coupling position and mechanically coupled with each other, wherein the coupling positions of both lower drives, in particular of their spindles 24 or respectively spindle nuts 40, are in turn measured by the position measuring devices 62 and saved together with a maximum permissible position deviation in the machine controller 64.

(7) Each time before a pressing procedure is performed with the press, one of the upper drives, in particular one of the upper spindles 18 or respectively spindle nuts 26, is automatically moved into the coupling position by the machine controller 64 and the position of the other upper drive, in particular of the other upper spindle 18 or respectively spindle nut 26, is measured with the position measuring devices 60. The measurement results are given to the machine controller 64. In the case of a deviation from the saved coupling position, the corresponding upper electric drive motor 16 is automatically controlled by the machine controller 64 such that the drive deviating from the coupling position, in particular the spindle 18 or respectively spindle nut 26 deviating from the coupling position, is moved back into the coupling position. In an analogous manner, this is also performed automatically for the other drives, in particular the lower spindles 24 or respectively spindle nuts 40, by the machine controller 64. Only after the synchronized speed of the upper and lower drives has been checked and, if necessary, re-established in this manner, the pressing procedure is triggered by the machine controller 64.