Sewing Machine

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sewing machine (1) for a continuously running strip device, which is used to connect the end section of an outgoing metal strip and the starting section of an incoming metal strip, and the sewing machine has: a first punching tool (20), which connects metal strips with a first thickness range and / or strength range to each other; and a second punching tool (30), which connects metal strips with a second thickness range and / or strength range to each other, wherein the two thickness ranges and / or strength ranges are different from each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a stitching machine for a continuously operating strip plant, such as a strip plant typically used in a metal strip processing or metal strip refining operation, for connecting an end section of an outgoing metal strip to a starting section of an incoming metal strip. In another aspect, the invention relates to a strip plant having a stitching machine according to the invention and a method for connecting an end section of an outgoing metal strip to a starting section of an incoming metal strip in a continuously operating strip plant. Background Art

[0002] In continuously running strip equipment, the function of the stitching machine is to maintain the continuous strip running and to connect the new metal strip to the discharged metal strip in the infeed area of ​​the strip equipment. Depending on the requirements for the metal strip, different connection methods can be used, such as clinching, bonding, welding or stamping. Corresponding stitching machines are well known to those skilled in the art.

[0003] The most common stitching machines in practice use a punch connection, which is also referred to as stitching. Such stitching machines have stitching tools that are built into the stitching machine and are implemented in a single or double row. However, the problem with this punch connection is the fact that the stitching can usually be used for metal strip thicknesses of up to 6 mm.

[0004] Document US Pat. No. 3,114,151 discloses a stitching machine in which the end section of a first metal strip is connected to the beginning section of a second metal strip by means of a stitching seam. In this case, the two sections of the respective metal strip are first overlapped. The thickness of the overlapping region is then reduced transversely to the longitudinal extension of the two metal strips to such an extent that a connection can be made by means of a stitching seam.

[0005] For metal strips in a larger thickness range, stitching tools have technically inappropriate parameters, since they are usually designed for the smallest metal strip thickness to be stitched.

[0006] Particularly for aluminum strips, it has been shown that for stitching with too narrow a knife gap, the cutting process has a negative impact not only on the durability of the stitching tool, but also on the quality of the cut edge during stitching. Particularly for aluminum strips, this leads to an increase in chip formation in the area of ​​the stitching seam. These metal chips are carried into the subsequent processing area, where they have a negative impact on the product quality of the metal strip to be processed. In addition, metal chips are deposited on the rollers of the production line, which leads to an increase in maintenance costs. Summary of the invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a stitching machine of the type mentioned at the outset which can be used for a wider range of thicknesses and / or strengths without having the disadvantages known from the prior art. In addition, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for connecting the end section of an outgoing metal strip and the beginning section of an incoming metal strip in a continuously operating strip plant.

[0008] According to the invention, this task is achieved by a stitching machine for connecting the end section of an outgoing metal strip to the starting section of an incoming metal strip and a method for connecting the end section of an outgoing metal strip to the starting section of an incoming metal strip in a continuously operating strip device.

[0009] The following are respectively related to preferred designs or improvements of the present invention, and their respective features can be freely combined with each other within a technically appropriate range and can also cross category boundaries if necessary.

[0010] According to the invention, in order to connect the end section of the discharged metal strip with the starting section of the fed metal strip, a stitching machine for a continuously operated strip device is proposed, which has a first punching tool and a second punching tool. When the thickness of the metal strip is in a first thickness range and / or the strength of the metal strip is in a first strength range, the first punching tool connects the metal strips to each other. When the thickness of the metal strip is in a second thickness range and / or the strength of the metal strip is in a second strength range, the second punching tool connects the metal strips to each other, wherein the two thickness ranges and / or strength ranges are different from each other.

[0011] Preferably, the first thickness range is 0.2 to 2.5 mm, and the second thickness range is 2.0 to 3.5 mm.

[0012] Preferably, the first strength range is 20 MPa to 250 MPa for aluminum or its alloys and 100 MPa to 350 MPa for steel, and the second strength range is 200 MPa to 600 MPa for aluminum or its alloys and 300 MPa to 1000 MPa for steel.

[0013] According to the method of the present invention, for connecting the end section of a discharged metal strip and the starting section of a fed metal strip in a continuously operating strip device, metal strips having a first thickness range and / or a first strength range are connected to each other using a first punching tool, and metal strips having a second thickness range and / or a second strength range are connected to each other using a second punching tool, wherein the two thickness ranges and / or strength ranges are different from each other.

[0014] Since there are two different punching tools, the appropriate punching tool can be selected and used according to the connection requirements, depending on the strip thickness and / or strip strength of the metal strips to be connected to each other. This not only has a positive effect on the quality of the cut edge, but also protects the punching tool used accordingly.

[0015] Preferably, sewing is used as a connection method. Sewing is a special punching process in which a positive connection of two metal strips is formed by producing a punching geometry and subsequent stretching. The connection by means of a sewn seam can advantageously be realized in a single row or preferably in a double row.

[0016] Preferably, the metal strips to be connected to one another are aluminum strips or steel strips.

[0017] In an advantageous design variant, the first punching tool has a first punching style and the second punching tool has a second punching style, wherein the two punching styles are different from each other. Punching styles are different punching geometries, which are punched into the corresponding metal strip, such as aluminum or steel, by a punch and a die. Since the two punching tools each have a different punching style, the punching tools can be optimally designed for the respective metal strips, so that the stitching machine according to the invention can be used for a wider range of materials.

[0018] In another advantageous design variant, it is provided that the first punching tool has a first cutting gap and the second punching tool has a second cutting gap different from the first cutting gap. This is also advantageous for the availability of the sewing machine, because the punching tool can be optimized specifically for the material spectrum to be sewn.

[0019] Basically, the tool change between the first punching tool and the second punching tool can be performed manually.

[0020] However, it is advantageous that the stitching machine according to the present invention is constructed in such a way that the tool change between the first punching tool and the second punching tool is carried out fully automatically. It is thus possible to implement a tool change while the strip is running. Therefore, it is not necessary to stop the entire strip processing line of the strip device. In this case, it is advantageous to provide that both punching tools are arranged in a punching tool box. The punching tool box is preferably moved inside the stitching machine by means of a push device. For example, the stitching machine has a motor and a toothed rack, which interacts with the punching tool box and can implement a smooth tool change.

[0021] Here, the punching tool box is arranged in the sewing machine in such a way that one of the punching tools is arranged in the punching position and the other punching tool is arranged in the parking position. During the tool change process, the punching tool box is moved accordingly by the push device of the sewing machine, and the punching tool in the punching position is replaced by another stored punching tool accordingly. The punching tool stored in the parking position is advantageously protected by means of a wear plate to avoid damage. Therefore, the arrangement of the punching tools in the punching tool box can improve and speed up the tool change, thereby reducing the workload of the entire tool change process.

[0022] The tool change is preferably carried out between two sewing seams under the running state of the tape. Alternatively, the tool change can also be carried out under the stationary state of the tape.

[0023] Furthermore, it is preferably provided that each punching tool is blown clean by means of compressed air and / or a tool oiling device.

[0024] Furthermore, another aspect of the invention relates to a strip material device having a stitching machine according to the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The invention and the technical environment will be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the invention should not be limited to the embodiments shown. In particular, unless explicitly indicated, some aspects of the situations explained in the drawings can also be extracted and combined with other components and understandings in this specification and / or the drawings. It should be particularly noted that these drawings and especially the proportions shown are only schematic. The same figure numerals indicate the same objects, so the explanation of other figure characters can be used as a supplement if necessary.

[0026] in:

[0027] Figure 1 A side view shows a design variant of the stitching machine according to the invention; and

[0028] Figure 2 Design variants of the punching tool cassette are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Figure 1 A stitching machine for a continuously running strip device, such as a strip device commonly used in a metal strip processing operation or a metal strip refining operation, is shown, which is used to connect the end section of the discharged metal strip with the starting section of the fed metal strip. In the illustration of the present invention, the metal strip is not shown, but only the strip run B is shown.

[0030] The stitching machine 1 according to the present invention comprises a first punching tool 20 for interconnecting metal strips having a thickness within a first thickness range, preferably within a range of 0.2 to 2.5 mm, and a second punching tool 30 for interconnecting metal strips having a thickness within a second thickness range, preferably within a range of 2 to 3.5 mm, wherein the two thickness ranges are different from each other.

[0031] In this design variant, the two punching tools 20, 30 are arranged in a punching tool box 80, which can be moved inside the stitching machine 1 by means of a sliding device 60, so that the first punching tool 20 can be arranged in the punching position 50 of the stitching machine 1 and the second punching tool 30 can be arranged in the parking position 70 of the stitching machine 1. For this purpose, the stitching machine 1 has a motor (not shown) and a toothed rack 10, which interacts with the punching tool box 80 and allows smooth tool changes.

[0032] In order to connect the two metal strips, stitching is used as a connection method. To this end, each punching tool 20, 30 has a corresponding punch and die (not shown). Preferably, the punch and die of the first punching tool 20 are different from those of the second punching tool 30, that is, the first punching tool 20 has a first punching style and the second punching tool has a second punching style. In addition or alternatively, the punches and dies of each punching tool 20, 30 have different cutting gaps.

[0033] In the presently shown design variant, the punching tools 20 , 30 in the punching position 50 are hydraulically actuated in the stitching machine 1 . For this purpose, the stitching machine 1 comprises a hydraulic unit 40 , which is arranged in the lower part of the stitching machine 1 .

[0034] In the illustrated design variant, the first punching tool 20 is arranged in a punching position 50 inside the stitching machine 1. The second punching tool 30 is accordingly arranged in a storage position on the strip feed side and outside the stitching machine 1 in a punching tool box 80 and is protected by a wear plate 51 from possible damage.

[0035] In order to change the tool between the first punching tool and the second punching tool 20, 30, a push device 60 is provided, which can realize a fully automatic tool change. Here, the tool change is preferably carried out between two stitching seams when the strip is in operation, or carried out when the strip is stationary.

[0036] In the embodiment variant shown here, during the tool change, the first punching tool 20 is moved out of the punching position 50 and transferred to the storage position. For this purpose, the punching tool cassette 80 is moved by means of the push device 60 to such an extent that the first punching tool 20 is arranged on the strip discharge side and the second punching tool 30 reaches the punching position 50. A wear plate 71 is also provided on the strip discharge side, which protects the first punching tool 20 from possible damage.

[0037] In an alternative design variant, the first punching tool 20 is used to connect the metal strips to one another when the strength of the metal strips is in a first strength range, and the second punching tool 30 is used to connect the metal strips to one another when the strength of the metal strips is in a second strength range, wherein the two strength ranges are different from one another. For example, for aluminum, the first strength range can be 20 MPa to 250 MPa, and the second strength range can be 200 MPa to 600 MPa. In contrast, for example, for steel, the first strength range can be 100 MPa to 350 MPa, and the second strength range can be 300 MPa to 1000 MPa.

[0038] exist Figure 2 1 shows a design variant of a punching tool box 80. The punching tool box 80 comprises a cover plate 81, on which a plurality of T-shaped strips 82 are fastened. The punching tool box 80 is held in the stitching machine 1 by means of the T-shaped strips 82 and is secured by means of a rack 10 ( Figure 1 ) is moved. The punching tool box 80 is moved to the correct end position by the stop element 836 arranged on the cover plate 81, which is sensed by the limit switch (not shown). Two punching tools 20, 30 are fastened under the cover plate 81. As shown in the figure, each punching tool 20, 30 includes a plurality of slots (Kufen) 84, which, for example, merge into the lifting plate 11 (see Figure 1 If the lower tool part of each punching tool 20, 30 does not follow after the sewing process, during the lowering of the lifting plate 11 due to gravity, then the lower tool part is pulled back to the lower end position by the lifting plate 11 through this connection.

[0039] List of reference numerals:

[0040] 1Sewing machine

[0041] 10 rack

[0042] 11 Lifting board

[0043] 20First punching tool

[0044] 30 Second punching tool

[0045] 40 hydraulic unit

[0046] 50 punching positions

[0047] 51 wear-resistant plate

[0048] 60 Pushing device

[0049] 70 parking positions

[0050] 71 wear-resistant plate

[0051] 80 punching tool box

[0052] 81 cover

[0053] 82T-shaped slats

[0054] 83 stop element

[0055] 84 slot rack

[0056] B Strip Direction

Claims

1. A stitching machine (1) for a continuously running strip material device, which is used to connect the end section of an outgoing metal strip with the starting section of an incoming metal strip, the stitching machine comprising: a first punching tool (20) which connects metal strips whose thickness lies in a first thickness range and / or whose strength lies in a first strength range to one another; and a second punching tool (30) which connects metal strips whose thickness lies in a second thickness range and / or whose strength lies in a second strength range to one another, in, The two thickness ranges and / or strength ranges differ from each other, It is characterized in that two punching tools (20, 30) are arranged in a punching tool box (80), wherein the punching tool box (80) can be moved in the stitching machine (1) by means of a pushing device (60), so that the first punching tool (20) can be arranged in a punching position (50) inside the stitching machine (1) and the second punching tool (30) can be arranged in a parking position (70) inside the stitching machine (1), or vice versa.

2. The stitching machine (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The first thickness range is 0.2 to 2.5 mm, and the second thickness range is 2.0 to 3.5 mm.

3. The stitching machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first strength range is 20 MPa to 250 MPa for aluminum and 100 MPa to 350 MPa for steel, and the second strength range is 200 MPa to 600 MPa for aluminum and 300 MPa to 1000 MPa for steel.

4. The stitching machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first punching tool (20) has a first punching pattern and the second punching tool (30) has a second punching pattern, wherein the two punching patterns are different from each other.

5. The sewing machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first punching tool (20) has a first cutting gap, and the second punching tool (30) has a second cutting gap different from the first cutting gap.

6. A strip material device comprising a stitching machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A method for connecting an end section of an outgoing metal strip and a starting section of an incoming metal strip in a continuously operating strip plant, wherein: - metal strips whose thickness lies in a first thickness range and / or whose strength lies in a first strength range are connected to one another using a first punching tool (20); and / or - metal strips whose thickness lies in a second thickness range and / or whose strength lies in a second strength range are connected to one another by means of a second punching tool (30), wherein the two thickness ranges and / or strength ranges are different from each other, It is characterized in that two punching tools (20, 30) are arranged in a punching tool box (80), wherein the punching tool box (80) can be moved in the sewing machine (1) by means of a pushing device (60), so that the first punching tool (20) can be arranged in a punching position (50) inside the sewing machine (1) and the second punching tool (30) can be arranged in a parking position (70) inside the sewing machine (1), or vice versa.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: Two punching tools (20, 30) are arranged in a punching tool box (80) which is movably mounted in the stitching machine (1).

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein: The tool change takes place between two sewing seams while the strip is running or while the strip is stationary.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The tool change takes place fully automatically.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The connection is made by means of sewn seams in a single or double row.

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