A forming tool

Abstract: A forming tool of the type incorporating a die (5) with a seat for the material to be formed, an upper punch (6) axially movable into and out of said seat from one side of the die, a lower punch (7) axially movable into and out of said seat from the opposite side of the die, movable loading means (12) for introduction of a material into said seat, an impact press (2) arranged to subject the upper punch (6) to a series of compacting impacts, a unit for supply of driving force to the tool and a control device for controlling the motion of the movable parts of the tool, wherein the device incorporates an impact head (3) positioned above the die (5) and supporting the upper punch (6), said impact head (3) being arranged to receive the compacting impacts delivered by the impact press, said impact head (3) being guided and centred in a position aligned with the cavity in the die (5), by means of a vertically adjustable roof (9) supported in the tool housing (4), the impact head (3) thereby being mechanically disengaged from the roof (9) for preventing impact forces from propagating into the tool housing (4).

Description: The present invention refers to a tool for forming material bodies according to the preamble of claim 1 (see for example WO-A-9 951 426), e.g. by compacting powder, using the method known as HVC, i.e. High Velocity Compacting, wherein a punch acting to shape and compact the material in a die is subjected to a series of very short-timed and very powerful impacts with velocities above 1 m/s, and preferably over 2 m/s. In conventional press tools the upper punch is fixedly mounted on the unit delivering the pressing force into the tool. Such a solution should not be possible in the present case as tests have shown that any component, which has been mounted directly on the impact plunge, will break down within a very short period of time due to the intense and repeated impacts to which the compacting tool is subjected during the compacting in accordance with this method. The problem to solve therefore was to find a solution where on one hand the upper punch was not mounted directly on the impact plunge and which on the other hand should not interfere with charging of the compacting cavity with powder material. The purpose of the present invention is therefore to provide a forming or compacting tool, in accordance with the preamble of the accompanying claim 1, in which the above described problem has been eliminated, and this has been achieved in that the tool has been given the features defined in the characterizing part of the accompanying claim 1. Hereinafter the invention will be further described with reference to an embodiment, shown in the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a compacting tool in accordance with the present invention, seen slightly from above. Fig. 2 is a planar front view partly in section of the tool in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 shows in a sectional side view the tool according to Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 1 shows in a perspective view slightly from above the tool housing of a powder compacting tool mounted on a base 1 and comprising in combination an impact press 2, which via a impact unit 2' (shown in dash-lines in Fig. 3) and incorporating a not shown impact piston transfers energy to an impact head 3 of the tool housing 4. Finally the tool has a not further shown control system, which controls the power supply of the impact press and the number of impacts transferred to the impact head 3 As can be better seen in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the tool housing 4 incorporates a shaping tool consisting of four major parts, i.e. a die 5, an upper punch 6, a lower punch 7 and - as the press illustrated is intended for producing ring members- a core 8. The upper punch 6 is fixedly connected to the impact head 3, via a clamping sleeve, which is screwed on to the impact head. The tool housing 4 further incorporates four movable elements, i.e. a roof 9, which is arranged to displace the upper punch in vertical direction, a first plunge 10 arranged to displace the lower punch, a filling shoe piston 11 (Fig. 3), which displaces a filling shoe 12 between a neutral position and a filling position above the form cavity in the die, and a second plunge 13, moving the core 8 in vertical direction. The impact head 3 is guided in the roof 9, via not further shown guiding belts, which permit a rapid vertical movement with maintained coaxial alignment with the die 5. All movements involved are preferably effected by propulsion from the hydraulic unit and they are controlled by the control system. During an impact the impact head 3 is completely free in vertical direction and is intercepted only by the powder volume in the die. In the initial position of the forming sequence the upper punch 6, the lower punch 7 and the core 8 are all in their uppermost positions, such as illustrated in the drawing. The filling shoe 12 is in its neutral position. During the forming sequence the powder-filled filling shoe is first pushed by the filling shoe piston 11 to filling position above the cavity of the die 5. The lower punch 7, then is moved down to its filling position and the powder that has been positioned in the filling shoe above the forming cavity is sucked down into the cavity by the action of the lower punch. The filling shoe 12 thereupon is retracted to its neutral position by means of the piston 11. Thereupon the roof 9 is moved downwards with the upper punch 6 centred thus that it will engage the powder contained in the cavity. The roof continues a short distance downwards thereby urging the upper punch downwards against the powder. The lower punch is moved further downwards to the impact position (end position). Due to the attraction of gravity the upper punch 6 hereby will follow the downward movement of the lower punch 7. Thereafter the impact head 3, which is connected to the upper punch 6 is subjected to a number of impacts delivered by the not shown impact plunge of the press 2 and controlled as to power and number by the not shown control system and this results in compacting of the powder contained in the forming cavity to a ring member. The impact plunge then is returned. The roof 9 moves upwards to the initial position and thereby carries along the upper punch 6. The core 8 thereupon is moved down to its end position and thereby releases itself from the ring that has been compacted. The lower punch 7 is moved up to initial position thereby exposing the compacted ring, which then can be removed, and finally the core 8 is moved up to initial position, whereupon a new forming sequence can start. As stated above, conventional press tools has an upper punch which is fixedly mounted on the unit delivering the pressing force into the tool. Such a solution should not be possible in the present case as components mounted directly on the impact plunge, will break down within a very short period of time due to the intense and repeated impacts to which the compacting tool shall be subjected. The problem to solve therefore is to find a solution which on one hand was not mounted directly on the impact plunge and which on the other hand should not disturb the powder filling sequence. For this purpose, the arrangement is such that the vertical movement of the roof is guided and centred by four guide pins 14, which are fixedly attached to the tool housing and extend through openings positioned at the corners of the roof. The roof is equipped with two hydraulic pistons 15, which effect movement of the roof. The impact head 3 is provided and centred in the centre of the roof 9, and the upper punch 6 is affixed to the lower part of the impact head. The impact head 3 is accurately centred in the roof with small tolerances, but it is freely movable in vertical direction. The impact head is equipped with a flange 16, resting upon a mechanical stop 17 at the lower side of the roof, and this prevents the impact head 3 from passing through the roof 9. After mounting of the impact head 3 an upper mechanical stop 18 is also attached to the upper side of the roof. The distance between the upper and lower mechanical stops 17, 18 is chosen so that the impact head 3 during the impact is intercepted only by the component to be formed and it will never be in contact with anyone of the stops. During the impacts the roof 9 is not displaced or acted upon for avoiding pressure peaks from the hydraulic pistons that controls the roof and also for avoiding any uneven loads. The function of the roof is the following; When the roof 9 is in its initial position (upper position), the impact head 3 rests on the lower mechanical stop 17 of the roof. Then the roof 9 is moved downwards, and the upper punch 6 hits the powder contained in the die cavity, whereby the movement of the impact head is stopped. However the roof 9 will continue its downward movement until the upper mechanical stop 18 of the roof hits the flange 16 of the impact head 3 and presses the upper punch against the powder, and in this manner a pre-compacting of the powder is obtained. In this position the impact head is exposed and can move freely downwards and it is thus in position for impact work. After the impact operation which effects compacting of the powder, the roof is moved upwards and the lower mechanical stop 17 will hit the flange 16 of the impact head and carries the impact head and the upper punch to the upper position for the roof. The impact head must be moved high enough for giving space to the filling shoe 12 below the upper punch at filling of powder. Due to this design of the tool housing and particularly of the roof and the impact head, the above described problems are highly obviated. Although the invention has been illustrated and described with reference to a specific and detailed embodiment, it is evident that the invention is not limited thereto but modifications and variants are possible within the scope of the accompanying claims. Thus the tool has been shown and described in the form of a compacting tool for producing powder metal bodies, but the same type of press with its free-floating impact head, can be used for all types of material such as also homogenous or porous materials.

Claims: A forming tool of the type incorporating a die (5) with a seat for the material to be formed, an upper punch (6) axially movable into and out of said seat from one side of the die, a lower punch (7) axially movable into and out of said seat from the opposite side of the die, movable loading means (12) for introduction of a material into said seat, an impact press (2) arranged to subject the upper punch (6) to a series of compacting impacts, a unit for supply of driving force to the tool and a control device for controlling the motion of the movable parts of the tool, characterized therein, that the forming tool incorporates an impact head (3) positioned above the die (5) and supporting the upper punch (6), said impact head (3) being arranged to receive the compacting impacts delivered by the impact press, said impact head (3) being guided and centred in a position aligned with the seat in the die (5), by means of a vertically adjustable roof (9) supported in the tool housing (4), the impact head (3) thereby being mechanically disengaged from the roof (9) for preventing impact forces from propagating into the tool housing (4). A tool as claimed in claim 1, characterized therein, that the forming tool is arranged as a powder compacting tool, whereby the said seat for the material to be formed is a powder compacting cavity for a volume of a powder material, which is introduced therein via said movable loading means formed as a filling shoe (12). A tool as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized therein, that the roof (9) is provided with a centre aperture through which the impact head (3) extends, the roof aperture being provided with a lower mechanical stop (17) and an upper mechanical stop (18) spaced apart in axial direction, said impact head (3) having an external flange (16) of a height less than the distance between the two mechanical stops (17, 18) of the roof (9), said flange (16) being of a size, preventing it to be moved below the lower mechanical stop (17) and above the upper mechanical stop (18), the position for the flange (16) during impacts being between said upper and lower mechanical stops (18, 17). A tool as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 3, characterized therein, that the roof is movably guided on guide pins (14) attached to the tool housing (4), and vertically adjustable by means of power pistons (15). A tool as claimed in claim 3 or 4, characterized therein, that the lower mechanical stop (17) in the roof is situated at such a height that a filling shoe (12) can be moved in below the upper punch (6) for filling the die cavity, when the impact head (3) is in its top position.

Inventors: JERKLIND JONAS, SUNDQVIST PAER, JERKLIND, JONAS, SUNDQVIST, PAER, Sundqvist, Pär
Applicants: SKF NOVA AB
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B22F3
IPC codes: B22F3, B30B15, B21J13, B30B11