Abstract:
A sawing apparatus includes a separating saw blade of a separating saw and a scorer blade of a scorer. By means of an adjusting device, the position of the scorer blade can be adjusted transversely in relation to a sawing direction. It is proposed that the sawing apparatus has a sensing device which can sense on a worked workpiece the relative position of a scoring grove of the scorer blade with respect to a separating groove of the separating saw blade and/or the quality of the separating groove.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2007/000366 filed on Jan. 17, 2007, which claims the benefit of DE 10 2006 011 131.1-14, filed Mar. 10, 2006. The disclosures of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a sawing device. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
         [0004]    Known from the market are sawing devices having a cutoff saw and a scorer. With such a scorer, a scoring groove is emplaced in the region of the surface of a plate-shaped workpiece, however, it does not sever the workpiece. The actual cutting process is performed by the cutoff saw. The width of the scoring groove is typically equal to the width of the cutoff saw, or it is slightly larger (max. 0.1 mm) than the width of the separating groove. The scorer prevents the workpiece surface from tearing during the actual cutting operation with the cutoff saw. This applies particularly to workpieces having a surface coating. Also known are scorers having a conical scoring blade, in which the width of the scoring groove is adjusted via the depth of the blade. 
         [0005]    For the production of the scoring groove, it is important that it is aligned with the subsequently produced separating groove as exactly as possible. Therefore, it is proposed in DE 195 20 108 A1, during the start of a sawing operation, to measure a cutoff saw blade of the cutoff saw and a scorer blade of the scorer by means of sensors and to adjust the position of the scorer blade in relation to the cutoff saw blade, depending on the measurement result. However, this known device has the disadvantage that it is very complex and that the result of the work, which is to say the alignment between the scoring groove and separating groove, is frequently not guaranteed. 
         [0006]    It is therefore a task of the present disclosure to create a sawing device which has a simple design and with which good and satisfactory results can be achieved on the workpiece to be processed. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    This task is achieved by a sawing device having the characteristics of claim  1 . Advantageous embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed in the dependent claims. Characteristics of the present disclosure are furthermore provided in the following description and the drawing, whereby these characteristics can be employed alone or in different combinations, without explicitly pointing this out in the individual case. 
         [0008]    With the sawing device according to the present disclosure, a complex measurement of the cutoff saw blade and the scorer blade is avoided. Instead, the work result of the cutoff saw and scorer is merely acquired, which is to say the relative position of the scoring groove, that is produced by the scorer on the workpiece, in relation to the actual separating groove, which is produced by the cutoff saw and ultimately causes the separation of the workpiece, or the quality of the separating groove. A method according to the present disclosure, however, can likewise be used, if no complete groove is produced, which is to say a groove extending across the entire thickness of the workpiece, but instead only a groove extending over a part of the thickness of the workpiece, in the case of the scorer, a scoring groove, and in the case of the cutoff saw, a separating groove. The adjustment of the scorer is thus independent of the actual geometry and the wear state of the cutoff saw and scorer, so that the adjustment can be performed at any time and with improved results. In addition, the acquisition, or the “measuring”, of the scoring groove and separating groove, or scoring channel and separating channel, is very simple, as these have a much simpler geometry than the scorer and cutoff saw blades measured according to the state of the art. 
         [0009]    An advantageous refinement of the present disclosure is that this acquisition device comprises image capturing. Such image capturing typically uses a CCD sensor and associated optics and also signal evaluation electronics. In the simplest case, a commercially available video camera, a webcam or a digital camera can be used for image capturing. Such an acquisition device is inexpensive and, for example, can also be easily retrofitted on existing sawing devices. 
         [0010]    Alternatively, the acquisition device may also comprise a laser scanning device. This can be used to reliably measure even more complex workpieces having a surface that is less suited for image capturing. Similar circumstances apply to an acquisition device which comprises an ultrasonic scanning device. 
         [0011]    In one form, a monitor is provided with the sawing device, on which the relative position of the scoring groove, or of the scoring groove in relation to the separating groove, or of the separating groove, can be visualized. When using an image detection system, the monitor can simply transmit the image of the video camera, and the image is then evaluated by the operator. However, it is also possible to alternatively, or additionally, display numerical data on the monitor which characterizes the relative position of the scoring groove, or of the scoring groove in relation to the separating groove, or of the separating groove. 
         [0012]    It is particularly advantageous to configure the adjusting device such that it can be remotely controlled, since in this case the adjustment of the scorer saw can be performed quickly because the operator can save the way to, and the manual adjustment of, the scorer. In a variation thereof, it is proposed that the sawing device has a controller which automatically adjusts the acquired actual relative position to a target relative position. In this way it is ensured that the sawing device is always optimally adjusted, regardless of the operator of the sawing device. Optionally, it is even conceivable that the adjustment of the scorer saw is performed not (only) as part of test cuts, but during the production of the actual workpiece at defined intervals, or continuously, so that wear occurring over time is counteracted at regular intervals, or continuously. 
         [0013]    The sawing device according to the present disclosure is relatively inexpensive, if the cutoff saw and/or the scorer and the capturing device are positioned on a common traveler. A greater flexibility during operation, however, is attained by a device, in which the acquisition device is disposed on a separate, displaceable cart. 
         [0014]    In order to acquire the relative position of the scoring groove, or of the scoring groove in relation to the separating groove, or of the separating groove, the measurement of the workpiece can occur in a plane orthogonal to the sawing direction. In this way, a “cut view” of the workpiece is obtained, and thereby also information regarding the depth of the scoring groove or scoring channel that is introduced, thus also enabling an adjustment in this direction. A capturing device that captures a top view of the workpiece to be processed in the region of the scoring groove, or scoring groove and separating groove, or separating groove, is, however, simpler. 
         [0015]    In the context of the present invention, the acquisition device may encompass an evaluation device which evaluates the quality of the separating groove or separating channel, in particular, existing stripping and/or undulated cuts. In this way, the acquisition device envisioned according to the invention is also used in a reliable and simple manner for the quality control of the separating cut which allows further improvement of the work quality of the sawing device without high additional expense. 
         [0016]    Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0018]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a sawing device comprising a cutoff saw, a scorer and a capturing device for adjusting a scorer blade and a cut through a workpiece being processed; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a top view of a scoring groove and a separating joint in the workpiece according to  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view along the line III/III according to  FIG. 2 , 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is an illustration similar to  FIG. 2  with a scorer blade out of alignment, 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is an illustration similar to  FIG. 3  with a scorer blade out of alignment, 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is an illustration similar to  FIG. 2  of a boundary region between the scoring groove and separating groove; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 7  is an illustration similar to  FIG. 2  with separate scoring and separating grooves. 
       
    
    
       [0025]    The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0026]    The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. 
         [0027]    A sawing device is denoted in  FIG. 1  with the reference numeral  10 . It is used to saw a workpiece  12  and includes a workpiece table  14  on which the workpiece  12  rests. In the present case, the workpiece comprises a particle board  16  having a surface coating  18 , with which it rests on the workpiece table  14 . 
         [0028]    The sawing device  10  further comprises a traveler  20 , to which a cutoff saw  22  having a cutoff saw blade  24  is fastened. During a sawing operation, the traveler  20  can be moved in the advancement direction (arrow  26 ). Viewed in the advancement direction  26 , a scorer  28  comprising a scorer blade  30  is fastened to the traveler  20  in front of the cutoff saw  22 . In the present embodiment, the scorer blade  30  is driven clockwise about an axis  32 , while the cutoff saw blade  24  in the present case is driven counterclockwise about an axis  34 . 
         [0029]    Also provided on the traveler  20  is an electric adjusting device  36  which can be used, as is indicated by a double line  38 , to adjust the scorer blade  30  perpendicular to the blade plane of  FIG. 1 . Furthermore, the traveler  20  is provided with a video camera  40  which, viewed in the advancement direction  26 , is directed at a cutting region  42  of the workpiece  12  located directly behind the cutoff saw  22 , that is indicated by the sight arrows  44 . Instead of a video camera, a laser scanning device or an ultrasonic scanning device may also be used. 
         [0030]    The video camera  40  supplies appropriate signals to an evaluation device  46  and a controller  47 , which is in turn connected to a monitor  48  and an input device  50  of a computer. The video camera  40 , the evaluation unit  46  with the associated controller  47 , the monitor  48  and the input unit  50  together form an acquisition device  51 , which, as will be explained in detail below, acquires the relative position of a scoring groove of the scorer blade  30  in relation to a separating groove of the cutoff saw blade  24  on the processed workpiece  12 . The controller  47  in turn controls the adjusting device  36 . 
         [0031]    During operation, the scorer  28  with the scorer blade  30  first makes a scoring groove  52  in the workpiece  12 , the depth  54  of the groove being slightly larger than the thickness of the surface coating  18  of the workpiece  12 . Then, the cutoff saw blade  24  of the cutoff saw  22  performs the actual separating cut, wherein an additional separating groove  56  extending from the scoring groove  52  and having a depth  58  is sawed into the workpiece  12 . 
         [0032]    As is apparent from  FIG. 2 , the scoring groove  52  is typically slightly wider (arrow  59 ) than the separating groove  56  (width  61 ), with a uniformly large protrusion  60   a  or  60   b  on either side. A cut through the processed workpiece  12  in a plane that is orthogonal to the sawing or advancement direction  26  is shown in  FIG. 3 . If the scorer blade  30  of the scorer  28  is out of alignment in relation to the cutoff saw blade  24  of the cutoff saw  22 , the cut view shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  can be the result. Here, the scoring groove  52  is not aligned with the separating groove  56 , but one side has a large protrusion  60   a , while the other side has no protrusion at all. When producing the separating groove  56 , this results in stripping  62 , particularly in the region of the surface coating  18  on the workpiece  12 . 
         [0033]    In order to prevent such stripping  62 , it is important that the scoring groove  52  is aligned with the separating groove  56  and that both sides of the scoring groove  52  in relation to the separating groove  56  have a certain protrusion  60   a  and  60   b , as is shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Since scorer blades, however, have tolerances, the scorer blade  30  must be realigned in relation to the cutoff saw blade  24  in a direction perpendicular to the blade plane of  FIG. 1 , for example following a tool change, so that the scoring groove  52  is aligned with the separating groove  56 . As a result, the video camera  40  aims at the cutting region  42  directly behind the cutoff saw  22 . The line of sight of the video camera  40  is located approximately in a center plane of the cutoff saw blade  24 . 
         [0034]    If the scorer blade  30  is adjusted in relation to the cutoff saw blade  24  such that the corresponding scoring groove  52  is aligned with the separating groove  56 , the video camera  40 , for example, is provided with the image shown in  FIG. 2 , which is also displayed on the monitor  48 . If the scorer blade  30  is out of alignment, however, the video camera  40 , for example, is provided with the image shown in  FIG. 4 . In this case, the evaluation device  46  recognizes that the protrusion  60   a  is significantly larger than the protrusion  60   b , which in the present embodiment is close to zero. The video camera  40  and the evaluation unit  46  thus form an image detection device, which acquires or detects an actual relative position of the scoring groove  52  in relation to the separating groove  56 . 
         [0035]    Starting from the detected actual relative position of the scoring groove  52  in relation to the separating groove  56 , the adjusting device  36  is controlled via the controller  46  such that the scoring groove  52  is again aligned with the separating groove  56 , in accordance with the illustration from  FIG. 2 . The image detection device, which is formed by the video camera  40  and the evaluation unit  46 , however, not only recognizes whether the scoring groove  52  is aligned relative to the separating groove  56 , but it also detects stripping  62  (or undulated cuts, which are not shown in the figure) and monitors the development of the same while the scoring groove  52  and separating grove  56  are produced. For example, the size and quantity of stripping  62  per unit of length are detected, which enables a quantifiable quality assessment of the results on the workpiece  12 . It is also possible that the controller  46  adjusts the actual relative position such that the size and number of stripping  62  are minimized. 
         [0036]    In an embodiment, which is not shown, instead of a video camera a laser scanning device or an ultrasonic scanning device is used. With these two scanning devices, it is possible to acquire a cut view in a plane orthogonal to the cutting direction  26  or to acquire the scoring groove  52  and the separating groove  56  in a profile view, according to the illustrations in  FIGS. 3 and 5 . 
         [0037]    If a video camera or a laser scanning device is used, as is the case in  FIG. 1  in accordance with reference numeral  40 , according to  FIG. 6  the relative position of the scoring groove  52 ′ to the separating groove  56  can also occur in a “non-continuous” method. In this case, the cutoff saw blade  24  and the scorer blade  30  are pulled out of the workpiece  12  in the blade plane according to  FIG. 1  even before the workpiece  12  is fully severed. Then the traveler  20  is moved such that the video camera  40  is aimed precisely at a boundary region  64 , which is located between a region  66  in which only the scoring groove  52 ′ is present and a region  68  in which the separating groove  56  is completely introduced in the workpiece  12  (see  FIG. 6 ). Strictly speaking, the scoring groove is not a groove, but only a scoring channel  52 ′. 
         [0038]    An additional procedure is apparent from  FIG. 7 . With this procedure, the scoring groove  52  and separating groove  56  are emplaced separately from each other in different locations, which is to say not in an overlapping manner, in the workpiece  12 . Again, strictly speaking, the scoring groove is not a groove, but only a scoring channel  52 ′. The scoring channel  52 ′ and separating groove  56  are then measured by the video camera  40  by means of image processing and the actual relative position is determined. For the automatic adjustment of the scorer blade  30  in relation to the cutoff saw blade  24 , the image detection device  40 ,  46  transmits the variances  60   a  and  60   b  between the scoring channel  52 ′ and the separating groove  56  to the controller  47 . The controller then positions the scoring blade  30  by means of the adjusting device  36 , so that the blade is aligned with the cutoff saw blade  24 . 
         [0039]    Of course, in all embodiments, based on the image detection device  40 ,  46  the width of the scoring groove  52  or  52 ′ can also be adjusted and optimized, for example, if the scorer blade  30  is conical and can be displaced perpendicular to the plane of the workpiece  12 . 
         [0040]    In the embodiments described above, in each case a separating groove  56  is produced, the depth  58  of which corresponds to the thickness of the workpiece  12 . However, it is also possible that the cut of the cutoff saw  24  has only one depth  58 ′, which is less than the thickness of the workpiece  12 . The cut thus does not result in a separating groove, but only in a separating channel  56 ′. This is shown by way of example in dash-dotted fashion in  FIG. 5 , however, it can also be used in all other embodiments as well. 
         [0041]    It should be noted that the disclosure is not limited to the embodiment described and illustrated as examples. A large variety of modifications have been described and more are part of the knowledge of the person skilled in the art. These and further modifications as well as any replacement by technical equivalents may be added to the description and figures, without leaving the scope of the protection of the disclosure and of the present patent.