DESC:FIELD
The present disclosure relates to dies for sheet metal processing.
DEFINITIONS
As used in the present disclosure, the following term is generally intended to have the meaning as set forth below, except to the extent that the context in which they are used indicate otherwise.
The expression ‘shut height’ used hereinafter in this specification refers to, but is not limited to, the distance between the top of the bed of a press and the bottom of the ram of the press when the ram is at the operative bottom of its stroke and the die attached to the ram is adjusted at its operative topmost position. Thus, the shut height of the press can be used to estimate the maximum height of the die that can be accommodated between the ram and the bed.
The expression ‘blanking tool float’ used hereinafter in this specification refers to, but is not limited to, is a floating part, usually provided with a mechanical or a pneumatic spring on its operative rear surface, for creating counter-pressure on the pressure pad in a press. The blanking tool float has a cutting element provided on its entire periphery. The blanking tool float creates counter-pressure on the pressure pad so as to avoid slippage of the raw material and obtain a defect-free blank.
BACKGROUND
The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.
Different kinds of working processes for sheet metal such as forming, blanking, punching, piercing of sheet metal are common and vital in the manufacturing industry, especially in the automobile industry, where sheet metal is used extensively. The process of sheet metal working to form intricate shapes as required by the industry is a herculean task. It requires the use of many machines and skilled operators to produce the intricate shapes required with sheet metal. Further, these operations are often to be performed in a repetitive manner which is time-consuming and demands a lot of effort.
As an example, one of the parts fastened on both right-hand and left-hand sides of a fender assembly in an automobile is a slush protector. A blanking operation is required to be performed for producing a slush protector. The settings required in the prior art for calibration of bending and blanking machines for producing slush protectors used for right-hand side and left-hand side of an automobile are very complex and tricky. Both the blanking and the bending operations are required to be performed by highly skilled operators to produce the desired shape of slush protectors. This causes a loss of valuable production time and also increases the lead time of the finished product. Further, the operations are required to be performed in a repeated manner for mass production. Ensuring uniformity amongst a large number of parts, thus, requires minimal dependence on human factors.
Further, multiple dies are required to perform the aforementioned operations. Use of multiple dies adds to the manufacturing and operational cost.
There is therefore a felt need for a die for performing operations on sheet metal that alleviates the aforementioned drawbacks.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment satisfies, are as follows:
It is an object of the present disclosure to ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a die that performs multiple operations on sheet metal.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a die that reduces the lead time required in the manufacturing process.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a die that reduces the operational cost.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure envisages a die for performing in parallel blanking and forming operations on sheet metal. The die comprises a bottom shoe and a top shoe. The bottom shoe is provided with a cutting element, a cavity block for forming and at least one adjustable geometrical stopper. The cavity block has a shape complementary to the shape of the component to be manufactured. The adjustable geometrical stopper is configured to be adjoining the cavity block. The geometrical stopper is operable in at least two positions. The top shoe comprises a protrusion block for forming. The protrusion block of the top shoe is complementary to the cavity block of the bottom shoe. Either the bottom shoe or the top shoe is attached to the ram of a press and the other shoe is attached to a rigid structure. The die is configured to perform in parallel a blanking operation on sheet metal using the cutting element and a forming operation on a blank of sheet metal between the cavity block and the protrusion block.
In an embodiment, the geometrical stopper is operable in a first position configured to accommodate a first shape and a second position configured to accommodate a second shape of a blank of sheet metal.
In another embodiment, the die comprises two adjustable geometrical stoppers. Each of the geometrical stoppers has a first position and a second position. The geometrical stoppers are configured to accommodate between each other a left-side version of a blank of sheet metal when the geometrical stoppers are in the respective first positions simultaneously, and a right-side version when the geometrical stoppers are in the respective second positions simultaneously. The geometrical stoppers prevent a blank to be loaded when one geometrical stopper is in a respective first position and the other geometrical stopper is in a respective second position. In an embodiment, each of the geometrical stoppers has a first stopping element and a second stopping element configured to eclipse a portion of the cavity block in a first position and a second position respectively, of each of the geometrical stoppers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
The die of the present disclosure, will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a top view of a bottom shoe of a die, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
Figure 2 illustrates a top view of a top shoe of the die, in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
1000 Die
100 Bottom shoe
102a, 102b, 102c and 102d Guide pins
104a, 104b Shut height block
106a, 106b, 106c and 106d Shoe lifting hook
108 Cutting element
110 Blanking tool float
112 Cavity block
114 Geometrical stopper
114a First stopping element of stopper 114
114b Second stopping element of stopper 114
116 Geometrical stopper
116a First stopping element of stopper 116
116b Second stopping element of stopper 116
120 Pressure pad
122 Punch
200 Top shoe
212 Protrusion block
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.
The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms “a”, “an” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “including” and “having” are open-ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, modules, units and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The particular order of steps disclosed in the method and process of the present disclosure is not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance as described or illustrated. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
When an element is referred to as being “mounted on”, “engaged to”, “connected to” or ‘coupled to” another element, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.
The terms first, second, third, etc., should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure as the aforementioned terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another component, region, layer or section. Terms such as first, second, third etc., when used herein do not imply a specific sequence or order unless clearly suggested by the present disclosure.
Terms such as “inner”, “outer”, “beneath”, “below”, “lower”, “above”, “upper” and the like, may be used in the present disclosure to describe relationships between different elements as depicted from the figures.
The present disclosure envisages a die that performs multiple operations on sheet metal. A preferred embodiment of the die of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing.
The die comprises a bottom shoe 100 and a top shoe 200.
Figure 1 and Figure 2 represent a schematic view of a bottom shoe 100 and a top shoe 200 respectively of the die of the present disclosure. Either the bottom shoe 100 or the top shoe 200 is attached to the ram of a press. The other shoe is attached to a rigid structure. In an embodiment, the bottom shoe 100 is attached to a bed and the top shoe is attached to the ram of a press. The bottom shoe 100 is provided with a plurality of guide pins 102a, 102b, 102c and 102d, whereas the top shoe 200 is provided with a plurality of complementary holes (not specifically labelled in figures) configured to receive the guide pins 102a, 102b, 102c and 102d while the ram of the press is in motion. In an embodiment, the guide pins 102a, 102b, 102c and 102d are configured at the corners of the bottom shoe 100 and are configured to provide alignment between the top shoe 200 and the bottom shoe 100.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the bottom shoe 100 is provided with a cutting element 108, a cavity block 112 and at least one adjustable geometrical stopper 114, and the top shoe 200 is provided with a protrusion block 212. The cutting element 108 is configured to perform a blanking operation on a metal sheet. The cutting element 108 is further configured to hold excess material of the blank during the stroking operation to prevent slippage of the part in the die, which results in a defect-free part. The shape of the protrusion of the protrusion block 212 is complementary to the cavity block 112. The protrusion block 212 and the cavity block 112 together constitute a forming tool and perform a forming operation, e.g., a bending operation, on a blank of sheet metal. The geometrical stopper114 is configured to be adjoining the opening of the cavity block 112. Thus, the die is configured to perform in parallel a blanking operation on the sheet metal and a forming operation on a blank of the sheet metal. The geometrical stopper 114 has at least two positions 114a, 114b in which the geometrical stopper can be configured. By modifying the position in which a geometrical stopper is brought, the geometrical shape of a blank that can be accommodated inside the forming cavity of the cavity block 112 is changed.
In an embodiment, the geometrical stopper 114 has a first position configured to accommodate a left-side version and a second position configured to accommodate a right-side version of a blank of sheet metal.
In an embodiment, the die comprises two geometrical stoppers 114, 116. Each of the geometrical stoppers 114, 116 has a first stopping element 114a, 116a and a second stopping element 114b, 116b. Each of the geometrical stoppers 114, 116 is mounted adjoining the cavity of the cavity block 112 such that, in each of the possible positions of the geometrical stoppers 114, 116, one stopping element each of the geometrical stoppers 114, 116 eclipses over a portion of the cavity of the cavity block 112. The geometrical stoppers 114, 116 are configured to accommodate between each other a left-side version of a sheet metal component when the geometrical stoppers 114, 116 are in the respective first positions simultaneously, i.e., when the first stopping elements 114a, 116a face each other, and a right-side version when the geometrical stoppers 114, 116 are in the respective second positions simultaneously, i.e., when the second stopping elements 114b, 116b face each other. Moreover, the geometrical stoppers 114, 116 prevent a blank to be loaded when one of the stopping elements is in a respective first position and the other stopping element is in a respective second position. Thus, mounting of a wrong blank of sheet metal on the bottom shoe 100 is avoided.
The geometrical stoppers 114, 116 are mounted on the bottom shoe 100 using rotatable pins, thereby allowing rotation of the geometrical stoppers 114, 116 from one position to another. In another embodiment, the geometrical stoppers 114, 116 are configured to be laterally slid from one position to another.
The bottom shoe 100 is further provided with a plurality of shoe lifting hooks 106a, 106b, 106c and 106d, a plurality of shut height blocks 104a and 104b and a blanking tool float 110. The top shoe 200 is further provided with a blanking tool float 110, a pressure pad 120 and a punch 122.
In an embodiment, the plurality of shoe lifting hooks 106a, 106b, 106c and 106d is configured to lift the die with the help of slings or a tackle for transportation to/from a machine and a die storage area. The plurality of shut height blocks 104a and 104b is configured for adjusting the shut height of the machine as per the die shut height with the help of stick and grease method. The blanking tool float 110 is configured to create counter pressure on the pressure pad 120.
Thus, the bottom shoe 100 and the top shoe 200 of the die are configured such that different sheet metal working operations, such as forming, blanking and punching, can be achieved at a single instance. The bottom shoe 100 and the top shoe 200 are positioned into a press machine with the help of the shoe lifting hooks 106a, 106b, 106c and 106d which are used for handling the shoes. The die shut height of the bottom shoe 100 is adjusted using the shut height blocks 104a and 104b with the help of stick and grease method. For performing error-free bending and blanking operation, the clearance between the top shoe 200 and the bottom shoe 100 is adjusted to a pre-determined value using the shut height blocks 104a and 104b.
In a scenario where holes are required in the finished part, the punch 122 is placed at a pre-determined position on the top shoe 200. The stopping elements 114a, 114b, 116a and 116b are utilized for adjusting the predetermined shape set using the cutting element 108. After proper setup of the die, a raw material of a predetermined configuration is placed on the cutting element 108 of the bottom shoe 100. The raw material is a sheet of metal cut to a size suitable for handling and obtaining the required size and number of blanks. The sheets are of the metal required for the application. For applications such as for an automotive body, the sheets are made of aluminum or steel. During operation of the press, the blanking tool float 110 creates counter-pressure on the pressure pad 120 so as to avoid slippage of the raw material and obtain a defect-free component. When the press machine is operated, the top shoe 200 descends downwardly and the cutting element 108 cuts the raw material to the final blank size set by the stopping elements 114a, 114b, 116a and 116b. Simultaneously, another blank which was obtained in the previous operation and was transferred to be positioned over the cavity block 112 undergoes forming operation between the cavity block-protrusion block pair 112-212.
In a scenario where the stopping elements 114a, 114b, 116a and 116b are not set in appropriate positions, i.e. either the stopping element 114a and the stopping element 116b are facing each other or the stopping element 114b and the stopping element 116a are facing each other, then the bending operation is suspended since the raw material blank cannot be properly located.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, more than one manufacturing operations such as blanking, forming (which includes bending), punching, piercing and trimming can be achieved using a single die. Thus, the die of the present disclosure offers flexibility in production as multiple operations can be run simultaneously.
The bottom shoe 100 and the top shoe 200 of the present disclosure together eliminate the requirement of multiple dies for multiple operations. The number of strokes required to make the required parts is reduced by 50%.Together, the bottom shoe 100 and the top shoe 200 of the present disclosure reduce the lead time and thereby increasing productivity. The operational cost is estimated to be reduced by 30%.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, are interchangeable. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS
The present disclosure described hereinabove has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of a die for performing blanking and forming operations on sheet metal in parallel, which:
• performs multiple operations on a sheet metal;
• reduces the lead time required in manufacturing process; and
• reduces the operational cost.
The foregoing disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying embodiments which do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description provided is purely by way of example and illustration.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation. ,CLAIMS:WE CLAIM:
1. A die for performing blanking and forming operations on sheet metal in parallel, said die comprising:
• a bottom shoe (100) provided with:
i. a cutting element (108);
ii. a cavity block (112) for performing a forming operation, said cavity block (112) having a cavity having a shape complementary to the shape of the component to be manufactured;
iii. at least one adjustable geometrical stopper (114) configured to be adjoining said cavity block (112), said stopper (114) configured to be operable in at least two positions; and
• a top shoe (200) comprising a protrusion block (212) for performing a forming operation, said protrusion block (212) having a shape complementary to the shape of said cavity block (112) of said bottom shoe (100);
wherein either said bottom shoe (100) or said top shoe (200) is attached to the ram of the press and the other shoe is attached to a rigid structure and said die is configured to perform in parallel a blanking operation on sheet metal using said cutting element (108) and a forming operation on a blank of sheet metal between said cavity block (112) and said protrusion block (212).
2. The die as claimed in claim 1, wherein said geometrical stopper (114) is operable in a first position configured to accommodate a first shape and in a second position configured to accommodate a second shape of a blank of sheet metal.
3. The die as claimed in claim 1, wherein said die comprises two adjustable geometrical stoppers (114, 116), each of said stoppers (114, 116) having a first position and a second position, and said geometrical stoppers (114, 116) being configured to accommodate between each other a left-side version of a blank of sheet metal when said geometrical stoppers (114, 116) are in the respective first positions simultaneously, and a right-side version when said geometrical stoppers (114, 116) are in the respective second positions simultaneously, and prevent a blank to be loaded when one geometrical stopper is in a respective first position and the other geometrical stopper is in a respective second position.
4. The die as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of said geometrical stoppers (114, 116) has a first stopping element (114a, 116a) and a second stopping element (114b, 116b) configured to eclipse a portion of said cavity block (112) in a first position and a second position respectively, of each of said geometrical stoppers (114, 116).