Patent ID: 6968721

Claim:
A method of operating a manufacturing system having a material cutting device including a cutting punch having a cutting edge, first and second cutting jig supports having first and second faces, respectively, disposed in parallel a predetermined distance from one another, the first cutting jig support including a passage sized to receive a bar stock material having a predetermined shape, the second cutting jig support including a cutting stopper, and a shock absorbing material, wherein the shock absorbing material is a material that rapidly absorbs vibrations, the shock absorbing material having one surface perpendicular to the second face and proximate to the cutting stopper, and wherein the manufacturing system further includes a material bending device, which is separate from the material cutting device, including a bending punch, an upright bending support having a chamfered portion, and a receiving slide supported by at least one spring and opposing the bending punch, to produce a generally L-shaped workpiece, the method comprising: supporting the bar stock material between the shock absorbing material and the first cutting jig support, wherein a distal end of the bar stock material contacts the cutting stopper, and a section of the bar stock material between the first cutting jig support and the shock absorbing material is unsupported; moving the cutting punch downward so as to press the distal end of the bar stock material into the shock absorbing material and the cutting stopper and then cut the bar stock material to thereby produce a blank; subsequently, in the material bending device, clamping the blank between the bending punch and the receiving slide by pressing the bending punch against the receiving slide; and bending the distal end of the blank against the chamfered portion of the bending support in response to continued downward motion of the bending punch to thereby form the L-shaped workpiece.