DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A SUGGESTION FOR THE OPTIMAL ADJUSTMENT OF A SHEET METAL WORKING MACHINE

Abstract

A machine for machining sheet metal parts has a plurality of machining stations along a continuous conveyor belt, including a first sanding belt unit with an endlessly rotating sanding belt, a brush unit with horizontally rotating abrasive brushes and a second sanding belt unit with a fine-grained sanding belt. The three machining stations can be adjusted independently, and the machining tools are interchangeable. The technical data of the machining tools is stored in a tool memory. The machine includes a device for providing a suggestion for an optimal adjustment as well as an operator terminal with a touch screen, via which the user can make inputs and/or receive information from or about the machine. Based on the data entered by the user and the data stored in the machine, the user receives a suggestion for the optimal adjustment of the machine and is prompted to change the tool if necessary.

Claims

1. Device for providing a suggestion for the optimal adjustment of a sheet metal working machine having a plurality of machining stations with machining tools arranged along a conveyor belt, comprising: a first input interface for receiving workpiece data with information about the sheet metal part to be machined and for receiving machining data with information about the desired machining result; a second input interface for receiving machine data with information about the machining stations; an evaluation unit for determining a suggestion for the adjustment of the machine based on the received workpiece data, machining data and machine data; an output interface for transmitting the adjustment suggestion.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the first input interface is configured to receive information about the material, the strength, the outer shape, the size, the weight, the surface finish, and/or the location and shape of the inside and/or outside edges of the sheet metal part to be machined.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the second input interface is configured to receive information about the surface quality to be achieved and/or the curvature radius of the edges of the sheet metal part to be machined and/or the transport speed of the conveyor belt.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein the second input interface is configured to receive information about the type, condition, availability, load capacity and/or degree of wear of the machining tools in the machining stations.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment suggestion comprises information about the selection of the machining tools to be used, the adjustments of the machining tools and/or the transport speed of the transport belt.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to transmit the adjustment suggestion to the control unit of the machine.

7. Machine for machining sheet metal parts, comprising: a conveyor belt for transporting the sheet metal part to be machined; a plurality of machining stations with machining tools which are arranged along the conveyor belt in order for the sheet metal part to pass through one after the next; a device according to claim 1.

8. Machine according to claim 7, wherein the machining stations comprise various machining tools for deburring, grinding the surface and/or rounding the edges of the sheet metal part.

9. Machine according to claim 7, wherein the machining stations comprise a quick-change device for the machining tools.

10. Method for providing a suggestion for the optimal adjustment of a sheet metal working machine having a plurality of machining stations with machining tools arranged along a conveyor belt, comprising the steps of: receiving workpiece data with information about the sheet metal part to be machined; receive machining data with information about the desired machining result; receiving machine data with information about the machining stations; determining an adjustment suggestion for the the machine based on the workpiece data, machine data and machining data received; transmitting the adjustment suggestion.

11. Method according to claim 10, wherein the workpiece data comprises information about the material, strength, external shape, size, weight, surface finish, and/or edge formation of the sheet metal part to be machined.

12. Method according to claim 10, wherein the machining data comprises information about the surface quality to be achieved and/or the radius of curvature of the sheet metal part to be machined.

13. Method according to claim 10, wherein the machine data comprises information about the type, condition, availability, load capacity and/or degree of wear of the machining tools in the machining stations.

14. Method according to claim 10, wherein the suggested adjustment is transmitted to the control unit of the machine.

15. Computer program product comprising program code for performing the steps of claim 10 when the program code is executed on a computer.

Description

[0023] Below, one embodiment of the invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying figures:

[0024] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a machine for machining sheet metal parts;

[0025] FIG. 2 is an illustration of a device for providing a suggestion for the optimal adjustment of the machine of FIG. 1;

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a selection of machining tools for the machine of FIG. 1;

[0027] FIG. 4 illustrates a method for providing a suggestion for the optimal adjustment of the machine of FIG. 1.

[0028] The machine 10 shown in the diagram of FIG. 1 is used for machining relatively thick sheet metal parts made of steel or stainless steel. The machine has three machining stations which are arranged one after the other along a continuous conveyor belt 11 in the process flow direction of the workpiece.

[0029] The first machining station is a first sanding belt unit 12 with a coarse-grained sanding belt 12a which rotates endlessly and is driven by an electric motor. The second machining station is a brush unit 13 having a total of eight abrasive brushes 13a, four of which rotate about their horizontal axes in the direction of travel and four of which rotate about their horizontal axes in the opposite direction. At the same time, the abrasive brushes 13a can rotate together about a vertical axis. This results in a multirotational movement of the abrasive brushes 13a. The third and final machining unit is a second sanding belt unit 14 which is arranged behind the brush unit 13. In terms of its design, it corresponds largely to the first sanding belt unit 12 but has a considerably finer-grained sanding belt 13a which is used for fine sanding the upper side of the sheet metal part.

[0030] The sheet metal part to be machined is placed on the conveyor belt 11 and passes through the machine 10 from left to right. First, the sheet metal part is deburred by means of the first sanding belt unit 12. Then, by means of the brush unit 13, the edges are rounded and the surface is brushed. Finally, the surface is finely sanded by means of the sanding belt unit 14 and thus receives a finish.

[0031] The three machining stations, i.e., the first sanding belt unit 12, the brush unit 13 and the second sanding belt unit 14, can be adjusted independently of each other. Both the processing speed, i.e., the rotation speed of the sanding belts in the sanding belt units 12 or 14, and the rotation speed of the abrasive brushes 13a can be adjusted, as can the vertical position above the conveyor belt 11. This way, the machining gap through which the sheet metal part to be machined is transported can be adjusted. The machining gap is also referred to as the infeed and defines the distance between the upper side of the conveyor belt 11 and the upper side of the machining tool.

[0032] Both the sanding belts 12a, 14a and the abrasive brushes 13a can be exchanged by means of a quick-change device. The sanding belt 14a can be exchanged for a sanding belt with a different grit, or the abrasive brushes 13a can be exchanged for other abrasive brushes, for example, with smaller and more flexible abrasive lamellae.

[0033] The technical data of the machining tools used and of other applicable machining tools is stored in a tool memory 15.

[0034] FIG. 3 shows, by way of example, the content of the tool memory 15, namely the identification number, type and grit of three different sanding belts 12a, four different sanding belts 13a and a further sanding belt 14a for the second sanding belt unit 14. Furthermore, the application for which the respective machining tool is intended is indicated, for example, deburring, rounding or fine grinding (finish).

[0035] The possibility to use different machining tools in the three machining stations and to adjust the vertical position or the infeed as well as the machining speed in each case leads to a high adaptation variability of the machine to different applications. In addition, there is the variable transport speed of the conveyor belt 11.

[0036] The machine 10 has a device 20 for providing a suggestion for an optimal adjustment and an operator terminal 30 with a touch screen 31 with which the user can make inputs and/or receive information from or about the machine.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 2, the device 20 comprises a first input interface 21 for receiving workpiece data containing information about the sheet metal part to be machined and for receiving machining data containing information about the desired machining result. This information must be entered by the user. A graphical user interface with input and dialog windows displayed on the touch screen 31 is used for this purpose.

[0038] The device 20 further comprises a second input interface 22 for receiving machine data with information about the machining stations, in the present case about the first sanding belt unit 12, the brush unit 13 and the second sanding belt unit 14 including information about the machining tools used or usable in this regard. This machine data is not entered by the user but is stored in the machine.

[0039] An evaluation unit 23 determines a suggestion for the adjustment of the machine based on the workpiece data and machining data entered by the user as well as the machine data. Possible, sensible as well as optimal adjustment suggestions are contained in a logic memory 24 which can be accessed by the evaluation unit 23.

[0040] An output interface 25 is used to transmit the suggested adjustment, which is displayed to the user on the touch screen 31. The user can accept this suggested adjustment, whereupon the suggested adjustments are transferred to the control unit of the machine 10, and the machining stations are adjusted accordingly. If the machining suggestion contains a machining tool that is not currently used in the machine but would, in principle, be available, the touch screen 31 prompts the user to change the tool.

[0041] The device 20 is self-learning. If new combinations of machining tools and adjustments are generated due to the interaction with the user, these can be added to the suggested adjustments already stored in the memory 24.

[0042] At the start of the adjustment procedure, the user can initiate an automatic wear measurement of individual or all machining tools by means of the touch screen 31. The results of these wear measurements are then automatically taken into account when the machining suggestions are generated. The diameter of the abrasive brushes 13a may have decreased due to wear, which would result in a machining gap that is too large. If the current diameter of the abrasive brushes is determined before the adjustment suggestion is generated, the changed diameter can be taken into account and the wear compensated for in this way.

[0043] According to FIG. 4, the method for providing a suggestion for the optimal adjustment of the sheet metal working machine can formulate a key from the workpiece data entered by the user and the machining request. The evaluation unit (23 in FIG. 2) can then search for a corresponding key in a logic file. If no key is found, negative feedback is sent to the user. If a suitable key is found, a suggestion is made for the adjustment of the machine in accordance with this key. If several suitable keys are found, they are evaluated, in particular with regard to the quality of the machining result but also with regard to the highest possible machining speed. The key deemed to be the best key is selected and used as the basis for the adjustment suggestion.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0044] 10 Machine

[0045] 11 Transport belt

[0046] 12 Sanding belt unit

[0047] 12a Sanding belt

[0048] 13 Brush unit

[0049] 13a Abrasive brushes

[0050] 14 Sanding belt unit

[0051] 14a Sanding belt

[0052] 15 Tool memory

[0053] 20 Device

[0054] 21 First input interface

[0055] 22 Second input interface

[0056] 23 Evaluation unit

[0057] 24 Logic memory

[0058] 25 Output interface

[0059] 30 Operator terminal

[0060] 31 Touch screen