Method and apparatus for pressing powder material

Abstract: A method and apparatus for pressing powder material in which powder is dosed into a die (48) and with the aid of at least one press means (14) is compressed to a ready detail, pressing continuing until a desired final position of the press means or a desired press force has been achieved. The actual value for the position of the press means (14) is sensed when desired press force has been achieved, or the actual value for the press force is registered when the final position has been achieved. The registered actual value is compared with a predetermined criterion value and the pressed detail is accepted or rejected depending on the size of the deviation between actual and criterion values.

Description: The present invention relates to a method and to apparatus for pressing powder material according to the introductory portion of claims 1 and 4. By the hydraulic press TPA 500 of Firma Dorst and the corresponding operation manual for said press it is known to measure the position of the upper punch and die and the press force of the upper punch. In pressing articles from powder material, the quantity of powder calculated for forming the article is dosed into the die as accurately as possible with the aid of a dosing device. The press includes a lower punch, which is stationary while the die is movable. Press movement is carried out by a press cylinder for an upper punch and a withdrawal cylinder for the die. In the cases where the dimensions of the article are decisive for the continued use of the article, pressing is usually carried out until a desired final position of the press punch has been arrived at, the dimension in the compression direction thus being obtained with relatively high accuracy. If density is decisive for the use of the pressed article, compression then takes place until a desired or predetermined compressive force has been arrived at, which by experience corresponds to the desired density. Since the same amount of powder is always dosed into the press die, all articles should be the same with respect to the desired properties, i.e. dimensions and/or density. This is not the case however, since faults can occur both in the dosing procedure and in the dosing device. Deficiencies can also occur in the composition, quality and physical properties of the powder material. Up to now it has therefore been necessary to check the ready articles after pressing in respect of desired properties and this has usually been done with the aid of spot checks. A check of this kind does indeed ensure that entire series of incorrect articles will not be produced but the check will naturally not be a hundred percent sure since occasional incorrect articles can pass without being checked. DE―A―2 915 966 describes a method of producing articles in which method the magnitude and direction of the press force is measured by means of a number of force measuring means arranged at different locations beneath the lower press punch and with a space to the axis of the lower punch thereby measuring a number of force components corresponding to the number of measuring means. If the difference between the measuring results of the several measuring means exceeds a predetermined value the adjustment of the press or the quantity or distribution of the powder material in the die is changed or the pressed, defect article is rejected. However, according to the known method and device it is not possible to decide with great accuracy whether the density or the dimensions or both of the pressed article are correct. Against the background of the above, the main object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for pressing powder material, in which each ready-pressed article is checked simply and cheaply in conjunction with pressing so that articles deviating from given limits can be rejected directly at or after production. These and other objects of the invention are achieved by the method and apparatus according to following claims 1 and 4 respectively. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description in detail of one embodiment of a press for carrying out the method. Figure 1 is a side view of a powder press with the front end wall partially cut away to show the interior of the press. Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the pressing means or punches of the powder press and associated operating means. Figure 3 illustrates to a larger scale the upper portion of Figure 2. The press illustrated in Figure 1, generally denoted by the numeral 10, is intended for pressing different kinds of powder materials such as metals, ceramic material, explosives etc. and is designed according to the withdrawal principle, which is described more closely below. The press 10 includes a frame 12 comprising side members and upper and lower cross members. An upper hydraulic cylinder 14 is attached to the upper cross member of the frame 12, and via a spherical bearing 16 and extension sleeve 18 is connected to the upper press table 20 carrying the upper punch, which is described in detail below. The press die is arranged on a die table 22, while the lower punch is carried by a lower punch support sleeve 24 attached to a base plate 26 having legs 38 connected to the lower cross member of the press frame 12. Movement of the die is provided with the aid of a lower hydraulic cylinder 30 the piston rod of which is attached to a lower cylinder carrier plate 32 carrying a pair of lower guide columns 34 and a core rod 36 for the die, the rods passing inside the lower ram support sleeve 24. The lower guide columns 34 are mounted for sliding in the base plate 26. Above the die table 22 there is arranged a picking arm 38 for taking away the ready details, this arm 38 being movable from the illustrated picking position to a rejection position and also to a position for further conveyance of the ready articles. The press is otherwise equipped with an unillustrated powder dosing device for dosing powder into the die. As will be seen from Figures 2 and 3, the upper press table 20 is guided by upper guide columns 40 and carries in the punching device an upper punch 42 which is attached to the upper press table 20 with the aid of a locking ring 44 and an upper punch plate 46. The die table 22 carries the die 48, die collar 50, a slip plate 52 and locking rings 54 and 56. The lower punch is denoted by the numeral 58, and is provided with a locking ring 60. As mentioned above, the press is designed according to the withdrawal principle, i.e. the lower punch 58 is stationary while the die 48 is movable. Press movement is carried out by the press cylinder 14 for the upper punch 42 and the withdrawal cylinder 30 for the die 48. In accordance with the invention, the press is provided with a positional indicator for the press cylinder 14 and a positional indicator for the withdrawal cylinder 30, as illustrated schematically at 62 in Figure 1, these indicators constantly registering the positions of the upper punch 42 and die 48 in space, and thereby in relation to each other. The press cylinder 14 is furthermore controlled by a force transducer (unillustrated), there also being a force transducer (unillustrated) for registering the force on the withdrawal cylinder 30. The cylinders 14, 30 are coupled so that they mutually independently can be driven with different sequences, speed and to different final positions. The press cylinder 14 can be operated until the correct press force has been arrived at instead of to a given position. After a predetermined volume of powder has been dosed into the die 48, and with the picking device 38 swung away to a rest position, the press can be operated either with positional or force control of the press cylinder 14. For positional control the cylinder 14 moves with optional speed to the set press position of the upper punch 42, this position being determined by the positional indicator 62 with great accuracy. At the end of the press time, the press force is reduced to a set counter force with the aid of the force transducer controlling the cylinder 14, and the counter force is then kept with the desired accuracy during the withdrawing movement of the withdrawing cylinder 30. This withdrawing movement takes place by the die being lowered with the aid of the guide pillars 34 slidably mounted in the base plate 26, which lowers the die table 22 over the fixed core rod 36. With the aid of the force transducers of the press cylinder 14 and withdrawal cylinder 30, and press forces in the different operational positions of the upper punch and die can be sensed with great accuracy. With the described positional control, limiting values may be selected for the maximum and minimum press force for the pressed detail to have the density required by experience. Should the press force exerted not lie within the set limiting values when the press position has been achieved, this indicates that the article is incorrect primarily with respect to the density achieved. In such a case the operational cycle is interrupted, the picking arm 38 goes in and collects the incorrectly pressed article and discharges it and the arm returns to a rejection position. On the other hand, if the press force is within the set limiting values, the article is acceptable, and the picking arm 38 deposits it in a position for further transport. If it is desired instead to keep control of the pressed articles by checking the dimensions, the press can be operated with force control, which means that the press cylinder 14 moves at a selectable speed until set press force is arrived at according to the force transducer of the press cylinder 14. The work cycle is then the same as described for positional control above. For force control it is thus possible to select the limiting values for the maximum or minimum press position, which is indicated by the transducer 62. If the press position reached by the upper punch 42 is not within the set limits at the achieved, predetermined press force, this indicates that the dimensions of the article will be incorrect and the article is rejected with the aid of the picking arm 38 in the same way as described above. On the other hand if the press position is within the set limiting values of the upper punch 42 and the die 48 for the press force arrived at, the article is acceptable and can be taken away for further use. As will be seen from the above, there is achieved in accordance with the invention a pressing method where the pressed article is already checked with respect to desired properties in conjunction with pressing, so that it can safely be determined that each pressed article meets the demands put on it. The illustrated embodiment is of course only one example of how the invention may be realized, and the invention may be modified and varied within the scope of the following claims.

Claims: A method of pressing powder material that is dosed into a movable die (48) and with the aid of movable upper punch (42) is compressed into a ready article, pressing taking place until a desired final position of the pressing means (14-20) or a desired press force has been obtained whereby the die is moved during the pressing step, characterized in that the actual values for the position of the upper punch (42) and of the die (48) are sensed when the respective desired actual press force values are achieved or alternatively the actual values for the press force of the upper punch and of the die are sensed when the desired actual final position values have been reached, in that the registered actual values are compared with criterion values determined beforehand for the quantity which is sensed and in that the article is accepted or rejected depending on the size of the deviation between actual and criterion values. Method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the upper punch and die are stopped at a given distance from the final position if the actual value for press force at this point falls below a given percent of the criterion value. Method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that in the final position the upper punch and die are controlled according to force after a predetermined time, for maintaining a given press force. Apparatus for carrying out the method according to any of claims 1-3, including a press cylinder (14) arranged for controlling the movement of an upper punch (42), a withdrawal cylinder (30) arranged for controlling the movement of a die (48) which die is moved during the pressing step and control means for controlling the press force of the upper punch, characterized in that at least one position indicator (62) together with a force transducer is coupled to each cylinder (14, 30), said indicators and transducers actuating the cylinders via operating means to the desired setting positions or press and withdrawal forces, the die (48) is movable with the aid of the withdrawal cylinder (30) and relative a stationary lower punch (58) for ejecting the ready article, and in that a picking device (38) is movable between a position above the die (48) and a rejection position or an acceptance position respectively for the pressed article.

Inventors: ANDERSSON GOERAN, FORSLUND ALF, ANDERSSON, GOERAN, FORSLUND, ALF, Andersson, Göran
Applicants: CONVEY TEKNIK AB
Application year: 1984
Main classification: B30B15
IPC codes: B30B11, B22F3, B30B15