Externally-hung type pressing device for large-scale plate machining and control method of externally-hung type pressing device for large-scale plate machining

Abstract

The invention discloses an externally-hung pressing device for large plate machining and a control method, the externally-hung pressing device is suitable for a three-axis numerical control carving machine, the externally-hung pressing device comprises a pressing mechanism externally hung on a Y-axis cross beam of the carving machine and roller assemblies supported by the pressing mechanism, and a machining tool is located between the two roller assemblies. The Y-axis cross beam is provided with a supporting profile, a side guide rail and a side sliding block are installed on the side edge of the Y-axis cross beam, and the side sliding block is connected with a side plate and matched with a Y-axis lead screw to achieve driving. An upper guide rail and an upper sliding block are arranged at the upper end of the supporting profile and used for supporting the pressing mechanism. And through a double-point supporting structure formed by the side sliding block and the upper sliding block, the pressing mechanism can be rapidly installed without modifying an original machine, and the universality is high. In the working process, the pressing mechanism synchronously moves along with the Y axis, the roller assemblies dynamically press the two sides of a plate, warping and cutting lifting are effectively restrained, and the machining precision and the yield of the large plate are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of automated processing, specifically to the technical field of an external clamping device and control method for processing large sheet metal. Background Technology

[0002] In the woodworking, advertising, and acrylic processing industries, CNC engraving machines often experience localized lifting when milling or hollowing large sheets of plywood or acrylic (such as a 1000mm long sheet of plywood or acrylic). This can result in uneven groove depth, contour misalignment, or even edge chipping, severely impacting the quality of the finished product.

[0003] To suppress warping, large plates can be pre-cut into smaller pieces for separate processing (which reduces efficiency and increases secondary splicing errors) or dynamically flattened using pressure rollers. However, existing pressure rollers often need to be embedded inside the crossbeam or worktable of the engraving machine, limiting their installation location. Furthermore, they often require custom-made brackets and connectors based on the equipment model, resulting in poor versatility and high modification costs. Moreover, they often rely on rigid connections or simple springs, failing to balance clamping stability with the ability to handle chip accumulation. Once chips accumulate below, the pressure roller is lifted without buffering or feedback, making clamping failure difficult to detect.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a clamping solution that requires no modification to the original machine, is easy to install, and is highly versatile. It should provide stable and reliable downward pressure to suppress board warping, and also have buffering, adaptation, and automatic adjustment capabilities. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application proposes an external clamping device and control method for processing large sheet metal. By using the external clamping device, the flattening reliability during the processing of large sheet metal can be improved without relying on customized equipment.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present application adopts the following technical solution: In a first aspect, this application proposes an external clamping device for processing large sheet metal, used in a three-axis engraving machine, including a clamping mechanism externally mounted on the Y-axis crossbeam of the engraving machine, and a roller assembly supported by the clamping mechanism, wherein the engraving machine's processing tools are disposed between the roller assemblies; The Y-axis beam is provided with a support profile, the side of the support profile is provided with a side guide rail, the side guide rail is provided with a side slider that can slide along it, the side slider is connected to a side plate, and the side plate is connected to a Y-axis lead screw that can provide driving force. The upper end of the support profile is provided with an upper guide rail, and the upper guide rail is provided with an upper slider that can support the pressing mechanism.

[0007] In this way, by attaching the clamping mechanism to the support profile of the Y-axis beam and utilizing the double-point support structure formed by the side guide rail and side slider and the upper guide rail and upper slider, there is no need to make holes or make custom modifications to the engraving machine body, making it easy to install and highly versatile.

[0008] At the same time, the clamping mechanism moves synchronously with the Y-axis to ensure that the roller assembly is always stably pressed on both sides of the processing area, effectively suppressing the local lifting of large plates caused by warping or cutting force, and significantly improving processing accuracy and yield.

[0009] In some possible implementations, the clamping mechanism includes: The mounting base plate is fixedly connected to the side plate, the hydraulic cylinder is fixed to the outside of the mounting base plate, the transmission arm is driven by the hydraulic cylinder to move up and down, the transmission arm is a Z-shaped bending structure extending into the engraving machine, and a positioning seat is provided at its end, and the roller assembly is provided on the positioning seat.

[0010] In some possible implementations, there are two positioning seats, which are respectively located at the front and rear ends of the machining tool in the Y-axis direction.

[0011] In some possible implementations, the roller assembly is divided into an inner pressure roller and an outer pressure roller, with each positioning seat having one inner pressure roller and one outer pressure roller respectively.

[0012] In some possible implementations, the diameter of the inner pressure roller is smaller than the diameter of the outer pressure roller, the inner pressure roller is disposed on both sides of the machining tool, and the outer pressure roller is disposed outside the inner pressure roller.

[0013] In some possible implementations, a buffer post is also included between the drive arm and the positioning seat.

[0014] In some possible implementations, the upper slider supports the drive arm via a support pad, and the drive arm and the support pad are movably connected via a pin.

[0015] In some possible implementations, distance sensing devices are provided at both the upper and lower ends of the buffer column.

[0016] Secondly, this application also proposes a control method for an external clamping device used in the processing of large sheet metal. Based on the sensing data of the distance sensing device, when the compression of the buffer column exceeds a preset threshold, an alarm is activated.

[0017] In some possible implementations, the extension amount of the hydraulic cylinder is adjusted based on the difference in sensing distance between the distance sensors at the two positioning seats. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a front view schematic diagram of the engraving machine using the external clamping device in this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic rear view of the engraving machine using the external clamping device in this application; Figure 3 This is a front view of the external clamping device in its installed state in this application; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Enlarged view of a portion of point A in the middle; Figure 5 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the installation state of the external clamping device in this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the explosion state of the external clamping device in this application; Figure 7 This is a front view of the shock absorption device of the external clamping device in this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the guide rail installation status in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The following examples further illustrate the features of this application and other related features in detail, so as to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art: It should be noted that the terms “front,” “back,” “left,” “right,” “up,” and “down” used in the following description refer to the directions in the attached diagrams, while the terms “bottom surface,” “top surface,” “inner,” and “outer” refer to the directions toward or away from the geometric center of a specific component, respectively.

[0020] Furthermore, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this case based on the specific circumstances.

[0021] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2The external clamping device described in this application is applied to a typical three-axis CNC engraving machine. This engraving machine includes a base plate 20 laid on a work platform, the surface of which has an anti-slip texture for supporting large plates (such as wooden boards 10) to be processed. The main structure of the engraving machine includes an X-axis crossbeam 200, a Z-axis vertical beam 300, and a Y-axis crossbeam 100 extending along the Y-axis direction. Taking the operation of the Y-axis crossbeam 100 as an example, its Y-axis crossbeam 100 is equipped with a support profile 101. This profile 101 is a standard industrial aluminum profile, and it has mounting grooves around its perimeter for flexible installation of various guide rails and connectors without requiring structural modifications to the original machine.

[0022] Please refer to the reference. Figure 8 In the Y-axis motion system, a side guide rail 130 is fixedly installed on the side of the support profile 101, and a side slider 140 is slidably mounted on the side guide rail 130, and the side slider 140 is fixedly connected to the side plate 150. The Y-axis lead screw 110 is set parallel to the Y-axis crossbeam 100, one end of which is driven to rotate by the drive motor 120, and the other end is supported by a bearing seat. The side plate 150 is provided with a nut pair (not shown in the figure) that cooperates with the Y-axis lead screw 110. This is a common technical means in the industry. When the drive motor 120 drives the Y-axis lead screw 110 to rotate, the side plate 150 moves smoothly along the Y-axis direction, thereby driving the entire external clamping mechanism to move synchronously. It should be noted that the driving method of the X-axis crossbeam 200 and the Z-axis vertical beam 300 is actually the same principle as the driving method of the Y-axis crossbeam 100, which is a common technical means in the industry. Therefore, in this embodiment, only the Y-axis crossbeam 100 is used as an example for explanation.

[0023] Please refer to Figures 3 to 6 The core invention of this application is an external clamping device, which is mounted externally on the side plate 150 and is completely independent of the original structure of the engraving machine. Specifically, the clamping device includes a clamping mechanism 600 and roller assemblies 500 supported by it, with the processing tool 400 located between the two roller assemblies 500 to achieve dynamic flattening of the sheet material.

[0024] Specifically, the clamping mechanism 600 mainly includes a mounting base 610, a hydraulic cylinder 620, a transmission arm 630, a positioning seat 640, a buffer column 650, a support pad 680, and an upper slider 670. The mounting base 610 is bolted to the inside of the side plate 150. The hydraulic cylinder 620 is vertically mounted on the outside of the mounting base 610, with its piston rod extending upwards and fixedly connected to the lower end of the transmission arm 630. The transmission arm 630 has a Z-shaped bending structure, extending horizontally inwards towards the engraving machine. Its distal end is fixedly connected to the positioning seat 640, and the roller assembly 500 is mounted on the positioning seat 640.

[0025] Furthermore, to improve flattening stability and adaptability, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, two positioning seats 640 are provided, located at the front and rear ends of the machining tool 400 in the Y-axis direction, forming symmetrical support. Each positioning seat 640 is equipped with an outer pressure roller 510 and an inner pressure roller 520. The inner pressure roller 520 has a smaller diameter and is located close to both sides of the machining tool 400, used for precise clamping of the cutting area. The outer pressure roller 510 has a larger diameter and is located outside the inner pressure roller 520, providing auxiliary support and suppressing edge warping of the sheet metal. This dual-roller layout effectively expands the clamping coverage area while avoiding localized stress concentration caused by single-point clamping.

[0026] Please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 It should be emphasized that the buffer post 650 is located between the transmission arm 630 and the positioning seat 640. It passes through the transmission arm 630 and the buffer post 650 from top to bottom and is fixed to the positioning seat 640 by bolts 641. Preferably, the buffer post 650 and the positioning seat 640 are fastened by nuts 642 to ensure that the pre-compression amount is adjustable.

[0027] The buffer column 650 is preferably made of polyurethane material, which has both elastic and damping properties. It can absorb cutting vibration and provide a buffer stroke when the roller is lifted due to debris accumulation, thus preventing rigid impact.

[0028] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 7 To further enhance the system's intelligence, distance sensing devices (not shown in the figure, but a common industry practice) are integrated at both the upper and lower ends of the buffer column 650. These distance sensing devices can be either linear potentiometers (located between the upper and lower ends of the buffer column 650) or Hall effect sensors (located at the upper and lower ends of the buffer column 650, one at the lower end of the transmission arm 630, and one at the upper end of the positioning seat 640), to monitor the compression of the buffer column 650 (sensing distance L1) in real time, thus indirectly reflecting the vertical displacement of the roller assembly 500. Figure 7 The above is an illustrative example. In practical applications, either a linear potentiometer or a Hall sensor can be used simultaneously. Sensing distance displacement using a linear potentiometer or a Hall sensor is a relatively mature micro-distance sensing technology. For example, a Hall sensor can sense the movement distance of the upper and lower plates by detecting changes in the magnetic field. When too much sawdust accumulates and a large-scale movement occurs, it will change the magnetic induction intensity between the sawdust and the Hall element, thereby generating a Hall voltage proportional to the displacement.

[0029] Furthermore, considering that the transmission arm 630 has a Z-shaped bending structure and needs to withstand the thrust of the hydraulic cylinder 620, its middle part receives additional support through the support pad 680. For example... Figure 3 and Figure 5As shown, an upper guide rail 660 is mounted on the upper end face of the support profile 101, and an upper slider 670 is slidably mounted on the upper guide rail 660. A support pad 680 is fixed to the top of the upper slider 670. The middle part of the transmission arm 630 is movably connected to the support pad 680 via a pin, providing stable support without hindering the up-and-down movement of the transmission arm 630 as the hydraulic cylinder 620 moves, ensuring smooth and unhindered movement. When changing the thickness of the wooden board 10, the support pad 680 of suitable height can be replaced to achieve the supporting function, making it widely adaptable.

[0030] Furthermore, based on the aforementioned mechanical structure, this application also provides a control method. When the distance sensing device detects that the compression of the buffer column 650 exceeds a preset threshold (indicating that debris accumulation has caused abnormal roller lifting), the system automatically triggers an audible and visual alarm to prompt the operator to clean the work area.

[0031] Furthermore, if there is a significant difference in the distance sensing device readings at the two positioning seats 640 (indicating uneven force on the plate or severe local chip accumulation), the control system can calculate the deviation and dynamically adjust the extension of the hydraulic cylinder 620 to restore the roller assembly 500 on both sides to a balanced pressing state, thereby achieving closed-loop adaptive control.

[0032] In summary, this application achieves rapid installation through an external modular design, fully utilizing the support profile 101 on the Y-axis beam 100 without requiring custom modifications. The hydraulic drive combined with buffer columns balances clamping rigidity and dynamic compliance. The dual-wheel layout optimizes the flattening effect, and displacement sensing and closed-loop control upgrade the traditional "passive clamping" to "active control," significantly improving the success rate of large sheet metal processing in a single pass and reducing scrap rates and the frequency of manual intervention.

[0033] As stated above, this case protects an external clamping device and control method for processing large sheet metal. All technical solutions that are the same as or similar to this case should be considered to fall within the protection scope of this case.

Claims

1. An external clamping device for processing large sheet metal, used in a three-axis engraving machine, characterized in that, It includes a clamping mechanism (600) externally mounted on the Y-axis crossbeam (100) of the engraving machine, and a roller assembly (500) supported by the clamping mechanism (600), wherein the engraving machine's processing tool (400) is disposed between the roller assembly (500); The Y-axis beam (100) is provided with a support profile (101), and the side of the support profile (101) is provided with a side guide rail (130). The side guide rail (130) is provided with a side slider (140) that can slide along it. The side slider (140) is connected to a side plate (150), and the side plate (150) is connected to a Y-axis lead screw (110) that can provide driving force. The upper end of the support profile (101) is provided with an upper guide rail (660), and the upper guide rail (660) is provided with an upper slider (670) that can support the pressing mechanism (600).

2. The external clamping device for processing large sheet metal as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping mechanism (600) includes: The mounting base plate (610) is fixedly connected to the side plate (150), the hydraulic cylinder (620) is fixed to the outside of the mounting base plate (610), and the transmission arm (630) is driven by the hydraulic cylinder (620) to move up and down. The transmission arm (630) is a Z-shaped bending structure extending into the engraving machine, and a positioning seat (640) is provided at its end. The roller assembly (500) is provided on the positioning seat (640).

3. The external clamping device for processing large sheet metal as described in claim 2, characterized in that, There are two positioning seats (640), which are respectively set at the front and rear ends of the machining tool (400) in the Y-axis direction.

4. An external clamping device for processing large sheet metal as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The roller assembly (500) is divided into an inner pressure roller (520) and an outer pressure roller (510), and each positioning seat (640) is provided with an inner pressure roller (520) and an outer pressure roller (510).

5. An external clamping device for processing large sheet metal as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The diameter of the inner pressure roller (520) is smaller than the diameter of the outer pressure roller (510). The inner pressure roller (520) is disposed on both sides of the machining tool (400), and the outer pressure roller (510) is disposed on the outside of the inner pressure roller (520).

6. An external clamping device for processing large sheet metal as described in claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a buffer column (650) disposed between the transmission arm (630) and the positioning seat (640).

7. An external clamping device for processing large sheet metal as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The upper slider (670) supports the transmission arm (630) via the support pad (680), and the transmission arm (630) and the support pad (680) are movably connected by a pin.

8. An external clamping device for processing large sheet metal as described in claim 6, characterized in that, Distance sensing devices are provided at both the upper and lower ends of the buffer column (650).

9. A control method for an external clamping device for processing large sheet metal, wherein, based on the sensing data of the distance sensing device as described in claim 8, an alarm is activated when the compression amount of the buffer column (650) exceeds a preset threshold.

10. The control method for an external clamping device for processing large sheet metal as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The extension amount of the hydraulic cylinder (620) is adjusted according to the difference in sensing distance between the two distance sensing devices at the two positioning seats (640).

Images