Method for producing and handling plates cut out of a plate blank.

Abstract: The invention relates to a production method for handling plates to be cut out of a plate blank, said production method being applied by providing a production system carrying out a variety of working operations in an integrated manner, or a so-called plate working centre, with a shearing mechanism (1) as well as an unloading and handling mechanism (3), as well as a single- or multi-section conveyor mechanism (2) serving as a buffering conveyor storage therebetween, the assembly consisting of said mechanisms being controlled by a computer control (5).

Description: The present invention relates to a method for producing and handling plates cut out of a plate blank, said method comprising the following steps a plate blank is cut by means of a shearing mechanism into plates of a predetermined shape, whereby the plates successively cut out of the plate blank are transferred onto a conveyor mechanism carrying cut-off plates to an unloading end of said conveyor mechanism, where an unloading and handling mechanism is operated for unloading the cut-off plates carried on said conveyor mechanism for further processing. Such method is known from practice. The computer-aided programming of NC (numerical control) plate working machines is today's routine and the programming of such NC controlled apparatus is carried out by means of a separate computer or terminal, installed separately from a working machine, said working machine operating normally during the course of programming. The programming of plate working centres and particularly integrated systems (FMS, FMC), wherein a single system includes a plurality of combined working machines performing a variety of operations, currently employs nearly exclusively purpose-designed software systems which facilitate the simple programming of effective manufacturing techniques (multiplication, nesting etc.). In the latest programming systems, the developing trend is the combination of computer-aided design and programming by means of a so-called CAD/CAM system, whereby the actual NC programs required for working operations are developed on the basis of the geometric data compiled in the CAD stage and working operations can be automated for a relatively easy performance. This type of integrated CAD/CAM system is essentially better than a software package compiled of a plurality of individual programs, since there is no need for the transfer of files between different programs. A further development of production methods, based on a so-called JOT (just on time) principle and on the automatic flexible manufacturing technique, such as FMS (Flexible Manufacturing System) required thereby, which can also be linked with a CAD/CAM system, has shown that the above-described earlier development has primarily been a result of the development of working machines and automatic data processing and that the starting point or basis has not been the rationalization according to the real requirements of production and manufacturing. The aim of such JOT-principle based flexible manufacturing system, particularly in plate working technique, is the integration of various plate working operations (punching, bending, shearing, welding etc.) into a single centrally controllable production system. In JOT production, the flexible automated production equipment is used to manufacture products for just a proper purpose (JOT), i.e. just the amount needed for a particular manufacturing batch. The intention is to keep manufacturing batches as small as possible as it is desirable to minimize the capital tied in unfinished production. This leads to smaller series but, on the other hand, it is necessary to produce even small series as efficiently and economically as large series. This requires an automated passage for data and material. In the production of plate articles, problems are particularly associated with a material handling system on the unloading side of punching and shearing units, since the system should be capable of sorting and stacking pieces arriving rapidly in random order in their own stacks. The system must also be capable of properly grouping the pieces according to the size thereof for subsequent working operations by collecting segments made of various plate blanks into groups (e.g. a single pallet for all the segments of a particular article intended for edge trimming etc.). The cutting or shearing of a plate blank and the handling of plates cut out of it for further production or intermediate storage can be currently carried out by using shearing, conveying, unloading and handling mechanisms which are programmable and linked with a CAD/CAM system and apply said flexible manufacturing system (FMS). One problem of the current solutions has however proved to be a different momentary operating speed of the above-mentioned mechanisms, whereby the efficiency of the total operation has been determined according to a mechanism having a slower operating speed. A momentary difference in operating speed refers to the fact that, although the mechanisms have nominal operating speeds that are nearly matching, the cutting or shearing of individual plates and the transfer thereof onto a conveyor between mechanisms takes place within a fraction of the time required for removing a corresponding plate from said conveyor. Accordingly, the cutting mechanism requires a setting-up and transitional period for a fresh plate, something that is not required by a continuous-action unloading and handling mechanism. An object of the manufacturing method of this invention is to remove the above drawback and, thus, to raise the technical level of the prior art methods. This object is achieved by the features of the independent claim, whereby the method of the invention is characterized by operating said conveyor mechanism intermittently such that said conveyor mechanism is activated upon termination of a cutting operation effected by said shearing mechanism for receiving the cut-off plates and then stops, said conveyor mechanism and its associated shearing mechanism as well as unloading and handling mechanism forming a flexible production system, said conveyor mechanism serving as a buffering conveyor storage for compensating momentary differences in the operating speeds of the shearing mechanism and the unloading and handling mechanism. The most important benefits produced by the method of the invention include e.g. an improved control and handling, essential in terms of overall operation, as well as a possibility of grouping and stacking the cut-off pieces at a plurality of positions, without restricting the operating speed of the other mechanisms. One concrete result is also a reduction of the throughput time. The dependent claims set forth preferred embodiments for the method of the invention. The invention will now be described in detail hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: fig. 1 shows a plan view of an embodiment of a system according to the invention fig. 2 shows a side view of an embodiment of a system according to the invention, and fig. 3 shows an example of a plate blank to be cut according to a predetermined pattern as well as the blade of a so-called angular cutter. In the embodiment shown in figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus for carrying out a variety of plate working operations by means of an integrated production system, i.e. a so-called plate working centre, comprises a shearing mechanism 1 and an unloading and handling mechanism 3 as well as a single- or multi-section conveyor mechanism 2, serving as a so-called conveyor storage therebetween, the functions of the latter being centrally controlled by a computer control 5. Thus, the control of conveyor mechanism 2 is preferably effected by means of a separate control means, e.g. light-activated sensor 6, mounted in connection with the inlet end of conveyor mechanism 2 and linked with the computer control. The termination of a shearing operation is adapted to activate said conveyor mechanism 2 and the sensor is adapted to stop the conveyor mechanism 2 after a plate/plate stack has passed said sensor 6. The shearing mechanism 1 is preferably designed by applying a so-called angular cutting principle wherein, as shown in fig. 3, the cutting tool comprises two blades T1 and T2 extending perpendicularly to each other. As for the shearing mechanism and its operating principle, reference is made to the US-A-3 877 332. On the other hand, the unloading and handling mechanism 3 is preferably embodied by using a manipulator or a robot operating on a so-called portal principle, comprising e.g. a gripping means 11 which is movable relative to supporting legs 8 and manoeuvring assemblies 9, 10 and engages mechanically the plates to be carried forward. In practice, the operation of a plate working centre as shown in figs. 1 and 2 proceeds in a manner that, preferably in association with either an automatic overall system or with a system involving merely a current plate working centre, said shearing mechanism l is supplied with a plate blank 4 (fig. 3), which is provided with cut-off plate configurations A-K preferably by means of a so-called grouping program included in said computer control 5 of the plate working centre, while possibly applying also an optimum exploitation of the surface area of a plate blank. As for a plate blank 4 shown in fig. 3, the shearing operation in shearing mechanism l is effected by applying said angular cutting principle by cutting off pieces of the plate blank in the illustrated alphabetical order A-K. The angular cutting is particularly preferred in the present embodiment for the reason that the cutting of an entire plate blank 4 can be carried out as successive shearing operations without re-setting a plate blank during the course of a shearing operation, as often required by other similar cutting methods, as well as without repeated manoeuvring of a plate blank, whereby the mode of cutting provides a concrete possibility of achieving both the optimum use of plate material and the reduction of throughput time. A cut-off plate, e.g. A, advances after a shearing operation onto a conveyor mechanism 2 which is preferably controlled according to a proceeding cutting operation and is activated and, as monitored by sensor 6 or a like control element, carries plate A on conveyor mechanism 2 over a distance substantially exceeding the length of plate A in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor, whereafter said conveyor mechanism 2 comes to a stop as sensor 6 or a like control element detects that plate A has advanced a necessary distance to wait for a next plate B etc. The successively cut-off plates A-K laid successively on conveyor mechanism 2 are carried upon a periodic driving of conveyor mechanism 2 to the unloading end of conveyor mechanism 2 for carrying and setting them onto a receiving conveyor 12, whereby said unloading and handling mechanism 3 is operated to carry them in programmed grouping and stacking fashion further onto a transport carrier, e.g. a standard pallet 7, for further production or temporary storage. The successively cut-off plates of equal size can preferably be laid in a stack on conveyor mechanism 2 by maintaining said conveyor mechanism 2 stationary during the above shearing operations, as shown in fig. 2 (stacks B, D and E). In the present embodiment, the unloading and handling mechanism 3 operating on a portal principle is preferred is due to the fact that it requires relatively little space and is reliable in operation. Said gripping means 11 for the above-type of unloading and handling meachanism may also comprise a vacuum-based gripper, such as a suction pad. It is obvious that the invention is by no means limited to the above embodiment and that major modifications can be made within the basic concept. First of all, the illustrated plate working centre can be integrated or associated with other working operations as well, such as punching, press bending etc. Said conveyor mechanism 2 can be designed as a two- or multi-section assembly 2a, 2b (fig. 2) in a manner that at least a first conveyor 2a can be tilted to an inclined position shown by dash-and-dot lines in fig. 2, wherein its trailing edge lies below the operative level of conveyor mechanism 2 for removing reject material and/or small pieces or the like from conveyor mechanism 2 onto a receiving structure 13, such as pallets or belt or like conveyors therebelow, immediately following a cutting operation. Thus, a sensor 6 or a like control element is mounted in alignment with the forward edge of second conveyor 2b, said second conveyor 2b being stationary during the course of an above-mentioned removal action. It is further preferred to arrange a computer control 5, designated to a particular plate working centre and applying flexible manufacturing technique, in association with a design-service data processing system (CAD/CAM) for carrying the data from design to manufacturing automatically in digital form.

Claims: A method for producing and handling plates (A-K) cut out of a plate blank (4), said method comprising the following steps a plate blank (4) is cut by means of a shearing mechanism (1) into plates (A-K) of a predetermined shape, whereby the plates (A-K) successively cut out of the plate blank (4) are transferred onto a conveyor mechanism (2) carrying cut-off plates (A-K) to an unloading end of said conveyor mechanism (2), where an unloading and handling mechanism (3) is operated for unloading the cut-off plates (A-K) carried on said conveyor mechanism (2) for further processing, characterized by operating said conveyor mechanism (2) intermittently such that said conveyor mechanism (2) is activated upon termination of a cutting operation effected by said shearing mechanism (1) for receiving the cut-off plates (A-K) and then stops, said conveyor mechanism (2) and its associated shearing mechanism (1) as well as unloading and handling mechanism (3) forming a flexible production system, said conveyor mechanism (2) serving as a buffering conveyor storage for compensating momentary differences in the operating speeds of the shearing mechanism (1) and the unloading and handling mechanism (3). A method as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the operations of said conveyor mechanism (2) and its associated shearing mechanism (1) as well as unloading and handling mechanism (3) are controlled by applying a production-method related, flexible manufacturing technique, such as FMS, the material- and information-flows being automated by means of a computer control (5). A method as set forth in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cyclic operation of said conveyor mechanism (2) is controlled by means of a separate element (6) e.g. a light-activated sensor monitoring the passage of said plates (A-K). A method as set forth in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said conveyor mechanism (2) comprises two or more successive conveyors (2a, 2b), wherein at least the first (2a) conveyor receiving the cut-off plates (A-K) is adapted to be vertically movable at at least one of its ends for removing reject-material and small pieces or the like separately from the conveyor mechanism (2). A method as set forth in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in addition to the cutting of the plate blank (4) effected by said shearing mechanism (1), prior to carrying the plates (A-K) onto the conveyor mechanism (2), the plates are also subjected to other programmed working operations, such as punching operations or the like. A method as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the provision of plate configurations (A-K) to be cut out of the plate blank (4) is effected by means of a set of grouping programs linked with the hardware environment for optimizing the use of the surface area of the plate blank (4). A production method as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the relative operation of said shearing mechanism (1) and conveyor mechanism (2) is organized in a manner that plates (B, D and E) of equal size to be dissected successively are stacked on the conveyor mechanism (2) during the course of a shearing operation. A production method as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said production-system related, flexible manufacturing technique, such as FMS, applying computer control (5) is adapted to be linked with a design-service CAD/CAM system or a like for facilitating an automatic data transfer in digital form between design and manufacturing functions. A production method as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said shearing meachanism (1) is operated to effect a cutting operation in a programmable fashion preferably by the application of a so-called angular cutting principle by means of blades (1a, 1b) included in the shearing mechanism (1). A production method as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that downstream of conveyor mechanism (2) and as an extension thereof is mounted a receiving conveyor (12) or a like element for positioning cut-off plates/plate stacks (A-K) and that said unloading and handling mechanism (3) is operated to transfer said plates (A-K) from said receiving conveyor (12) or a like element onto a transport carrier or a like, preferably a standard pallet (7), in a programmed fashion as grouped according to plate sizes and/or as stacked preferably by means of a manipulator or a robot, operating on a so-called portal principle and included in said unloading and handling mechanism (13).

Inventors: KOHTAMAEKI LAURI, TAIJONLAHTI JORMA, KOHTAMAEKI, LAURI, TAIJONLAHTI, JORMA, Kohtamäki, Lauri
Applicants: BALAXMAN OY
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B21D43
IPC codes: B21D43