Press line system and method

Abstract

An press line including at least one mechanical press with at least one electric drive motor, a ram, a mechanical unit for operating the press, and one other device or auxiliary production device. The press is arranged so that the speed of the at least one said drive motor may be varied during at least one pressing or non-pressing part of a press cycle. Improved operating characteristics and optimised energy use and cycle times are obtained by controlling the speed of the motor and synchronizing a movement of the press to a movement or position of at least other device, loader or other press. A system includes the press. A computer program controlls the press line.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The invention concerns a press line of the type used for pressings, stamping, drawing or punching of principally metal parts from blanks. In particular, the invention discloses a press line comprising an improved mechanical press that may be synchronized with other devices in the press line in a dynamic or adaptive way. The invention is of particular advantage for use in producing stamped or pressed parts for the automobile industry and for white goods.TECHNICAL BACKGROUND[0002]Mechanical presses are commonly used to produce stamped automobile parts from metal forms such as steel blanks or workpieces. One or more such mechanical presses are usually arranged in a press line to carry out a series of operations on a blank or workpiece.[0003]Press lines were automated in the late 1970's by using mechanical arms to load-unload the parts from the presses. During the late 1980's robots where introduced into press shops to do the same function. The control system (norma...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022]The control system of the improved press line preferably comprises a closed loop arrangement composed of device-to-press synchronisation, device to device synchronisation, and press to device synchronisation. Thus in some embodiments this may comprise at least in part a triangle arrangement of robot-to-press synchronisation, robot-to-robot synchronisation and press-to-robot synchronisation. The ability to synchronize the press to an external device is enabled by means of a mechanical press arranged for operation with a variable speed drive motor providing the means for a press to operate at variable speeds. The control system of the improved press line allows press lines to achieve higher production rates by optimizing the coordination of movements of robots and presses.

[0039]The primary advantage of the improved press line is that it provides greater opportunity for optimization of a press line by coordinating the motion of one press, any presses or all presses in the press line and feeder or transfer mechanisms loaders / unloaders such as loading / unloading robots, in the process or press line. Coordination between presses and / or presses and loaders / unloaders may be carried out by, for example, controlling such a line using a single controller. Coordination may be optimised dependent on parameters such as: a state of a downstream process; or a state of an upstream process or another consideration such as overall power or energy consumption; smoothing power consumption peaks in the press line.

Problems solved by technology

Similarly it could happen that a robot arrived late to load, which meant that the press waited.

Such and other actions result in move-stop-move cycles for the robots, and for a press, which caused extra wear the gearboxes and may also have caused wear in the motor brakes.

Finally, and usually when the press is being unloaded and re-loaded, the press normally remains at a standstill for a period of time.

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