A continuous punching process for photovoltaic racks

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of continuous punching process of photovoltaic support, steps include: punch positioning hole, waste area cutting, step by step wrinkle, punch structure hole and blanking forming;Step by step wrinkle is left in the middle of blank area Cross plane area, the outer material of cross plane area is formed into its corresponding target structure by wrinkle;Blanking forming is fixed hole as auxiliary positioning reference, cut off block connection area in the same station, then the front and rear edges of the cross plane area are formed into the remaining structure of side surface part and arc part.The continuous punching process uses cross plane area as temporary connection structure on blank area, through the side of arc part as temporary connection position, through positioning hole step by step processing, waste step by step cutting, structure progressive wrinkle, accurate punching, integrated blanking forming complete process design, form a set of high-precision, high stability, high efficiency photovoltaic support forming scheme.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of metal stamping technology, and in particular to a continuous stamping process for photovoltaic brackets. Background Technology

[0002] Metal stamping is a common process in the processing of many metal products. With the diversification of customer needs, mold design must also meet the requirements of various products.

[0003] Figure 1 The above describes a photovoltaic support bracket 1, a load-bearing component at the bottom of a photovoltaic module. It has a boat-like structure, comprising an integrally formed support surface 11, two side surfaces 12, two end surfaces 13, and two curved sections 14. The support surface 11 is strip-shaped with a fixing hole 111 at each end along its length. The two side surfaces 12 extend from the two long sides of the support surface 11 towards the same side. The two end surfaces 13 extend from the two wide sides of the support surface 11 towards the same side, connecting the same end of the two side surfaces 12. The curved sections 14 curve outwards from the edges of the side surfaces 12 to a horizontal position. The support surface 11, side surfaces 12, and end surfaces 13 have smooth, curved transitions between each other, and their junctions form complete corner structures without material defects. This type of workpiece has a relatively uniform wall thickness, allowing it to be produced through continuous stamping of metal strips. However, its main horizontal plane is located on the support surface 11, which is surrounded by the side surfaces 12 and end surfaces 13, preventing direct connection of the strip to the support surface 11. Although the side of the arc-shaped portion 14 faces the horizontal direction, it is in a different horizontal plane from the support surface 11, and the material connection used for guiding is not stable for the product area.

[0004] Chinese patent CN118788847A discloses a continuous stamping process for a solar tracking bracket. The object being processed has an arch-bridge structure. The blank is laid out laterally on the strip, and two connecting strips are attached to both ends of the blank's length. The connecting area uses a U-shaped deformation section to adapt to changes in the distance between the blank and the connecting strips after deformation. However, the cross-section of the photovoltaic bracket 1 at its end face 13 does not face horizontally, so it cannot be used as a connection point with the connecting strips.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to design a new stamping process to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main objective of this invention is to provide a continuous stamping process for photovoltaic brackets, which allows the side of the arc-shaped part to be used as a temporary connection point. After the independent product range is cut out, the side part and the arc-shaped part are bent to form the final structure. This simplifies the material feeding method and breaks the conventional thinking of obtaining the entire product structure first and then cutting the material.

[0007] This invention achieves the above objective through the following technical solution: a continuous stamping process for a photovoltaic bracket, used to process the photovoltaic bracket, the photovoltaic bracket including an integrally formed support surface, two side surfaces, two end surfaces, and two arc-shaped parts. The support surface is strip-shaped with a fixing hole at each end along its length. The two side surfaces extend from the two long sides of the support surface to the same side. The two end surfaces extend from the two wide sides of the support surface to the same side and connect the same end of the two side surfaces. The arc-shaped parts are formed by curving outward from the edge of the side surfaces to the horizontal direction. The process steps include: S1. Punching positioning holes: A strip of material is provided. The processing unit of the strip includes a blank area, a block connecting area, and a scrap area located outside the blank area and the block connecting area. The blank area and the block connecting area are arranged alternately in series along the feed direction of the strip, and the connection position of the two is located on the central axis of the strip. A main positioning hole is cut in the center of the block connecting area to serve as the positioning reference for subsequent steps. S2. Waste area removal: The waste area is removed, leaving the blank area and waste area of ​​the candied hawthorn string structure; S3, Step-by-step wrinkling: A cross-shaped plane area is left in the middle of the blank area. The range of the cross-shaped plane area includes the supporting face and its front and rear ends are each connected to a block-shaped connecting area. The outer material of the cross-shaped plane area is wrinkled and deformed to form its corresponding target structure. S4. Punching structural holes: Cutting the fixing holes on both sides of the cross-shaped plane area; S5. Blanking and forming: Using the fixed hole as an auxiliary positioning reference, the block-shaped connecting area is cut off at the same work station, and then the front and rear edges of the cross-shaped plane area are transformed into the remaining structure of the side and arc-shaped parts.

[0008] Specifically, the waste area includes two side edge wastes and two edge wastes. The two side edge wastes are located within the range surrounded by the front and rear billet areas and the block-shaped connecting area, respectively. The edge wastes are located within the range surrounded by the billet area and the side edge of the strip.

[0009] The waste area removal step includes three steps: the first step removes one side edge waste, the second step removes another side edge waste, and the third step removes two edge wastes simultaneously.

[0010] Furthermore, in the step of punching positioning holes, two waste positioning holes are processed simultaneously. The two waste positioning holes are located in the middle of two edge wastes respectively. The waste area removal step uses the two waste positioning holes as auxiliary positioning holes.

[0011] Specifically, the step-by-step wrinkling includes three steps: the first step wrinkles the outer periphery material of the cross-shaped plane area to 33%~50% of the height of the photovoltaic bracket; the second step wrinkles the outer periphery material of the cross-shaped plane area to 75%~90% of the height of the photovoltaic bracket; and the third step wrinkles the outer periphery material of the cross-shaped plane area to 100% of the height of the photovoltaic bracket, thereby obtaining the two end structures of the photovoltaic bracket.

[0012] Furthermore, in the step of punching the positioning hole, two process holes are machined simultaneously. The positions of the process holes correspond to the fixed holes, and the diameter of the process holes is smaller than the diameter of the fixed holes.

[0013] Furthermore, the step-by-step wrinkling process uses two process holes as auxiliary positioning holes.

[0014] Furthermore, the waste removal step uses two process holes as auxiliary positioning holes.

[0015] Specifically, the blanking and forming steps all use two fixing holes as auxiliary positioning holes.

[0016] Specifically, the break point of the waste area is designed by directly deforming the outline of the blank area after step-by-step wrinkling to the target outline of the product.

[0017] Specifically, the punching of structural holes relies on the three-dimensional structure surrounding the pre-formed blank area for auxiliary positioning.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the technical solution of this invention are: 1. This continuous stamping process uses the cross-shaped plane area as a temporary connection structure on the blank area, and the side of the arc-shaped part as a temporary connection position. Through the step-by-step processing of positioning holes, step-by-step cutting of waste materials, progressive wrinkling of the structure, precise punching, and integrated blanking and forming, a complete process design is formed, which creates a high-precision, high-stability, and high-efficiency photovoltaic bracket forming solution.

[0019] 2. The multi-station, multi-reference collaborative positioning mode is adopted, which forms a multi-level positioning system with main positioning holes, process holes, fixing holes and scrap positioning holes. This completely eliminates the cumulative error in the continuous stamping process, and greatly improves the product's dimensional accuracy, positional accuracy and forming consistency.

[0020] 3. The three-stage step-by-step wrinkling process effectively improves the stamping deformation characteristics of steel, avoids quality defects such as material cracking, springback, and stress concentration, and enhances the overall structural strength and service life of photovoltaic brackets. The integrated structural connectors after forming have stronger load-bearing capacity and better resistance to deformation, and have extremely high value for promotion and application.

[0021] 4. The entire process is continuous, requiring no manual intervention or secondary processing, which greatly improves the utilization rate of raw materials and effectively solves many problems existing in traditional split stamping, bending and welding processes, such as complicated procedures, poor product consistency, low structural strength, easy deformation and large dimensional deviation. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a 3D view of the photovoltaic support structure. Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the structural changes of the material strip; Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of position A in the middle; Figure 4 This is a top view of the material strip during its initial stage of change. Figure 5 This is a top view of the material strip during the middle stage of its change. Figure 6 This is a top view of the material strip at the end of its change phase.

[0023] Figures 4 to 6 The blackened area in the diagram indicates the portion of the material strip that has been cut off at that workstation.

[0024] The numbers in the diagram represent: 1-Photovoltaic bracket, 11-Supporting face, 111-Fixing hole, 12-Side face, 13-End face, 14-Curved part; 2-Material strip, 21-Blank area, 211-Cross plane area, 212-Process hole, 22-Blocked connection area, 221-Main positioning hole, 23a-Side edge waste, 23b-Edge waste, 231-Waste positioning hole. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0026] Example: This embodiment is used for batch integrated molding and processing of photovoltaic brackets 1. The entire process adopts continuous stamping production line operation, which eliminates the need for secondary welding and bending correction, and can achieve high-precision, high-efficiency, and low-waste mass production.

[0027] I. Overall Structure of Photovoltaic Support like Figure 1 As shown, the photovoltaic bracket 1 processed by this process is an integral stamped structure with no splicing gaps or welding points. The overall structural strength is uniform. The specific components include a support face 11, two side faces 12, two end faces 13, and two arc-shaped parts 14. The various structures work together to achieve the functions of fastening, positioning, and buffering adaptation of the bracket installation.

[0028] The support surface 11 is an integral strip-shaped flat plate structure, serving as the core load-bearing base of the photovoltaic bracket 1. It bears the main load for bracket connection and bolt tightening. The support surface 11 is strictly set along its length, and its length and width dimensions are standardized according to the specifications of the matching bracket, adapting to the installation spacing and stress requirements of different types of C-shaped and Z-shaped steel brackets. Fixing holes 111 are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the support surface 11 along its length. The fixing holes 111 are circular through holes, mainly used for subsequent bolt installation and fixing. The hole diameter accuracy is controlled within ±0.02mm to ensure assembly accuracy and stamping positioning stability.

[0029] There are two side panels 12, arranged symmetrically from left to right. Each side panel 12 extends vertically from the two long edges of the supporting surface 11 to the same side, forming a vertical plate structure. This structure is the core structure for lateral positioning and resistance to bending deformation of the connector. The two side panels 12 are parallel to each other, have the same size, and have a flat surface without protrusions or wrinkles. They can effectively wrap around the sides of the bracket, restrict the horizontal displacement of the bracket, and improve the overall stability after installation.

[0030] Two end faces 13 are also provided, arranged symmetrically front and back. Each end face 13 extends from the two wide edges of the supporting face 11 towards the same side as the side face 12. The two ends of each end face 13 are integrally connected to the corresponding ends of the two side face faces 12, forming a frame-like base structure with an opening on one side, together with the supporting face 11, side face faces 12, and end faces 13. This significantly improves the overall structural rigidity of the connector and prevents deformation under stress. The height of the end face 13 matches the height of the side face face 12, and the flat end face allows for precise abutment and positioning of the bracket end.

[0031] The arc-shaped part 14 is formed at the outer edge of the side part 12. It smoothly curves outward from the top edge of the side part 12 and finally extends to the horizontal direction. The arc transition has no sharp corners or creases. On the one hand, it can eliminate the stress concentration problem caused by the sharp corners of the structure and improve the fatigue resistance of the connector. On the other hand, the arc-shaped horizontal end can increase the contact area with the bracket accessories, distribute the installation load, and avoid sharp structures scratching the installers and the bracket substrate, thus improving the product safety and compatibility.

[0032] II. Composition of Stamping Raw Material Strip Structure like Figures 2 to 5As shown, this process uses continuous strip 2 as the sole raw material, employing a continuous coil feeding mode throughout the process. This eliminates the need for individual sheet cutting, significantly improving processing continuity and production efficiency. Strip 2 is made of standardized cold-rolled steel sheet, with its thickness set according to the support load-bearing requirements. Typically, 1.5mm-3mm cold-rolled carbon structural steel is used, ensuring a flat surface, uniform thickness, no rust, and no deformation, meeting the requirements of high-precision stamping. The continuous processing unit of strip 2 is a repetitive cycle structure. Each processing unit includes a blank area 21, a block connection area 22, and a scrap area. The scrap area specifically includes two side scraps 23a and two edge scraps 23b. The layout of each area is regular and the division of labor is clear, adapting to the needs of continuous step-by-step stamping operations.

[0033] The block-shaped connecting area 22 serves as a transitional area connecting two adjacent blank areas 21. Along the feed direction of the strip 2, the blank areas 21 and the block-shaped connecting area 22 are arranged alternately in series, and all connection positions fall on the central axis of the strip 2, ensuring symmetrical and balanced force during the feed of the strip 2 and preventing unilateral offset and tensile deformation. A main positioning hole 221 is provided at the center of the block-shaped connecting area 22. The main positioning hole 221 is the core positioning reference hole for the entire stamping process. Its diameter accuracy and position accuracy are the highest standards among all holes, serving as the core positioning basis for subsequent stamping, bending, and cutting at each station, effectively ensuring the processing consistency of the entire continuous process.

[0034] The blank area 21 is the forming base area of ​​a single photovoltaic bracket 1 and is the core processing area for stamping. The blank area 21 contains a cross-shaped plane area 211 and four wrinkled areas located at the four corners of the cross-shaped plane area 211. The cross-shaped plane area 211 is a flat plane area at the center of the blank area 21. The left and right contours of the cross-shaped plane area 211 match the contours of the support surface 11 of the photovoltaic bracket 1. It is the direct forming area of ​​the support surface 11. At the same time, the front and rear ends of the cross-shaped plane area 211 and the block-shaped connecting area 22 maintain an integral connection relationship on the same plane during processing, ensuring that the blank area 21 is subjected to uniform force during stamping and avoiding local stretching deformation, displacement and misalignment problems. Two process holes 212 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the cross-shaped plane area 211. The position of the process holes 212 corresponds one-to-one with the fixing holes 111 at both ends of the subsequent support surface 11. The diameter of the process holes 212 is larger than the diameter of the fixing holes 111, and the diameter difference is controlled within 0.5mm-1mm to leave a processing allowance for processing the fixing holes 111. Because the process hole 212 is closer to both ends of the blank area 21 than the main positioning hole 221, it serves as an auxiliary positioning position when processing the outline of the blank area 21 and performing edge wrinkling deformation. This compensates for the insufficient positioning accuracy of the single main positioning hole 221 and ensures the coaxiality and positional accuracy of multi-station step-by-step stamping.

[0035] The waste area is the region of excess material in the strip 2 processing unit that does not need to be formed and ultimately needs to be cut off. It includes two side waste areas 23a and two edge waste areas 23b. Each waste area is precisely distributed outside the blank area 21, ensuring the material allowance required for the blank area 21 to be formed while minimizing raw material waste. The side waste areas 23a are distributed within the area enclosed by the adjacent blank areas 21 and the block connecting area 22, with two sets arranged symmetrically on the left and right. The edge waste areas 23b are distributed within the area enclosed by the blank area 21 and the two sides of the strip 2, conforming to the side contour of the strip 2. The side waste areas 23a and their nearest edge waste areas 23b together form a cutting area that is narrow in the middle and wide on both sides. The boundary between the two is located at the narrowest point of this cutting area. There are two cutting areas on the left and right sides in one processing unit. The edges of the side waste areas 23a and the edge waste areas 23b form a complete blank forming contour, providing a structural basis for subsequent precise cutting and bending.

[0036] III. Specific Stamping Process Implementation Steps 3.1 Punch positioning holes like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, this step is the first core process of the entire continuous stamping process. It mainly completes the synchronous processing of the main positioning hole 221 in the block connection area 22 of the strip 2, the process hole 212 in the blank area 21, and the waste positioning hole 231 in the edge waste 23b. This provides a precise positioning reference for all subsequent stamping stations. This process uses a high-precision punching die and a CNC feeder to achieve fixed distance and precise feeding. The feeding accuracy is controlled within ±0.01mm.

[0037] First, the entire roll of material strip 2 is installed on the unwinding mechanism of the continuous stamping equipment. The straightening mechanism straightens and levels the material strip 2 throughout its entire operation, eliminating the bending and warping stress of the material strip 2 itself, and ensuring that the surface of the material strip 2 is level and the feed is stable when it enters the stamping station. The material strip 2 is continuously conveyed according to the preset feed step, so that the blank area 21 and the block connecting area 22, which are alternately connected in series on the material strip 2, are precisely aligned with the punching die station in sequence.

[0038] During the die closing and stamping process, the stamping of three types of holes is completed simultaneously: First, the main positioning hole 221 is punched at the absolute center of the block connection area 22. The main positioning hole 221 adopts a one-time punching forming process without secondary trimming. The hole wall is smooth without burrs or deformation. The center of the hole is strictly located on the central axis of the material strip 2, serving as the core positioning reference for the entire process. Secondly, two process holes 212 are simultaneously punched at preset positions on both sides of the blank area 21. The positions of the process holes 212 correspond precisely to the subsequent fixing holes 111. The hole diameter is larger than that of the fixing holes 111, leaving room for subsequent punching, trimming and precision correction. At the same time, the process holes 212 are symmetrically distributed, which can realize double-sided auxiliary positioning and improve the stability of subsequent bending and cutting processes. Third, two waste positioning holes 231 are simultaneously machined on both sides of the material strip 2. The two waste positioning holes 231 correspond to the two sets of edge waste 23b that appear in the subsequent processing, providing auxiliary positioning points for the precise cutting of waste in the subsequent process.

[0039] In this process, all holes are simultaneously stamped in one operation, with no repetitive work at each station, effectively avoiding the cumulative errors caused by multiple stampings. After stamping, strip 2 remains in a continuous series state. When the integrity of strip 2 is relatively high, the reference positions of blank area 21, block connecting area 22, and scrap area are determined respectively. Blank area 21, block connecting area 22, and scrap area are basically intact, and only the reference holes and auxiliary positioning holes are processed, laying a precise positioning foundation for subsequent scrap removal and wrinkling forming processes. At the same time, this step, through multi-hole synchronous positioning design, solves the industry pain points that are prone to occur in traditional single positioning hole stamping, such as blank offset, forming asymmetry, and dimensional deviation, which greatly improve the consistency of product processing.

[0040] 3.2 Removal of waste area like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, this step is performed continuously after the punching of the positioning holes. Its core function is to remove all excess waste material from the strip 2, retaining the continuous, string-like structure of the billet area 21 and the block-shaped connecting area 22. This removes excess material from interfering with subsequent bending and forming processes, while reducing tensile stress during forming, ensuring accurate dimensions and regular shape of the connector. This process employs a multi-step cutting technique, consisting of three independent steps performed sequentially. Throughout the process, the waste positioning holes 231 and process holes 212 processed in the punching of the positioning holes serve as dual auxiliary positioning references, resulting in higher positioning accuracy, smooth cutting edges, and virtually no burrs.

[0041] The specific steps and implementation process are as follows: In the first step, the stamping equipment accurately positions the single-sided edge scrap 23a, and completes the point calibration by relying on the scrap positioning hole 231 and the process hole 212. The single-sided edge scrap 23a is completely removed in one go by a special cutting die. The cutting trajectory strictly follows the preset contour of the blank area 21. The cutting edge and the blank forming boundary are in zero error fit, without damaging the effective forming material of the blank area 21. In the second step, the material strip 2 completes a fixed-distance feed, the mold switches to the cutting station, accurately positions the waste material 23a on the other side edge, repeats the positioning and calibration process, and completes the overall removal of the waste material 23a on the other side edge. At this time, all the waste materials 23a on both sides are removed, leaving only the structure of the central blank area 21 and the block connection area 22. The third step involves simultaneously removing the two edge waste materials 23b and trimming the edges of the remaining waste materials after the first two steps to completely remove all waste areas.

[0042] The reason for using this step-by-step cutting operation is: 1. If the two side edge wastes 23a are cut simultaneously, the punches on both sides are likely to get stuck on both sides of the block connecting area 22. When unloading, the block connecting area 22 is easily pulled to the reference height of the strip 2, causing the main positioning hole 221 to be inaccurately positioned. 2. In the first two steps of edge trimming, the two edge scraps 23b still maintain the connection relationship between the adjacent billet areas 21, so there is a self-supporting effect between the materials of the front and rear billet areas 21, ensuring that the cutting area of ​​the side edge scraps 23a is accurate. 3. The two edge scraps 23b are far apart, and the remaining part of the strip 2 can already deform to a certain extent to prevent the punch from getting stuck. Therefore, they only need to be cut off simultaneously, which reduces the number of stations. However, since the two edge scraps 23b are far from the main positioning hole 221, the scrap positioning hole 231 needs to be set inside the edge scraps 23b to improve the cutting accuracy.

[0043] In summary, the three-step, step-by-step cutting design effectively avoids problems such as uneven stress on the strip 2, localized tensile deformation, and blank misalignment caused by single large-area cutting. Step-by-step cutting can gradually release the stamping stress of the strip 2, ensuring the positional accuracy and flatness of the blank area 21 after each cut. After cutting, the strip 2 forms a uniformly connected string structure, and the formed blanks of each photovoltaic bracket 1 are connected together through the block connecting area 22, without excess waste material obstruction or material interference, fully meeting the operating conditions for subsequent step-by-step wrinkling forming.

[0044] To save on subsequent finishing steps, the cut-off point of the scrap area is directly deformed to the target product contour design according to the outline of the blank area 21 after step-by-step wrinkling. This also helps to reduce mold costs.

[0045] 3.3 Step-by-step wrinkling like Figure 2 and Figure 5As shown, the step-by-step wrinkling process is the core step in forming the three-dimensional structure of the photovoltaic bracket 1, directly determining the forming accuracy and structural strength of the side portion 12, end portion 13, and curved portion 14. Because the junction of the supporting portion 11, side portion 12, and end portion 13 needs to transform from a planar structure into a seamless corner structure, this step employs a three-stage progressive wrinkling forming process to avoid defects such as material cracking, uneven wrinkling, large height deviation, and severe stress concentration caused by traditional one-time bending forming. Throughout this process, two process holes 212 serve as auxiliary positioning references, forming a dual-reference positioning system with the main positioning hole 221 of the block-shaped connecting area 22, ensuring that the cross-shaped plane area 211 is absolutely fixed, without offset or rotation during the wrinkling forming process.

[0046] During the wrinkling process, the cross-shaped plane area 211 in the middle of the blank area 21 is strictly preserved from deformation. The area of ​​the cross-shaped plane area 211 completely overlaps with the support surface 11 of the photovoltaic bracket 1, and the front and rear ends of the cross-shaped plane area 211 are always firmly connected to the block-shaped connecting area 22 and maintain a coplanar relationship. The deformation range of the blank is constrained by the fixing tension of the block-shaped connecting area 22, ensuring that the support surface 11 always maintains a flat and smooth structure without any wrinkles, bending, or deformation defects. The outer ring material of the cross-shaped plane area 211 is the wrinkling deformation area. Through three-stage progressive extrusion wrinkling, the basic three-dimensional structure of the end face 13 and the two end three-dimensional structures of the side face 12 and the arc-shaped part 14 are gradually formed.

[0047] The specific steps and implementation process are as follows: The first step is low-degree wrinkling molding, in which the material on the outer periphery of the cross plane area 211 is wrinkled and deformed to 33%-50% of the total design height of the photovoltaic bracket 1 in one go. This step mainly completes the initial stretching and shaping of the material, eliminates the original stress inside the material, and initially establishes the vertical side wall structure. The wrinkling height is uniform and consistent, and the deformation around the perimeter is carried out simultaneously without any local height difference. The basic vertical outline of the side part 12 and the end part 13 is initially formed, and the arc part 14 completes the initial bending transition. The second step is medium wrinkling molding. Based on the molding in the first step, the material around the cross-shaped plane area 211 is further extruded and wrinkled to increase the deformation height to 75%-90% of the total design height of the photovoltaic bracket 1. This step further stretches the side wall material, regularizes the flatness of the side wall panel, optimizes the curvature of the arc part 14, corrects the local uneven wrinkles formed in the first step, and keeps the height, curvature, and verticality of the four side walls highly consistent, basically forming the overall three-dimensional frame structure of the connector, with only a small amount of molding allowance left for final finishing. The third step is full-scale wrinkling and finishing, where the outer material is completely wrinkled and deformed to 100% of the design height of the photovoltaic bracket 1, completing the complete vertical forming of the end face 13. Simultaneously, the final arc bending and horizontal extension of the materials at both ends of the side face 12 and the curved portion 14 are completed, ensuring that the curved portion 14 smoothly curves from the edge of the side face 12 to a horizontal state, with a regular curvature, natural transition, and no creases or distortion. This three-stage, step-by-step wrinkling process, through gradual deformation, allows the steel material to gradually adapt to tensile and bending deformation, effectively avoiding problems such as cracking, thinning, and springback deformation that easily occur in one-time stamping of thin plates, significantly improving the product forming qualification rate and structural stability.

[0048] After the outline of the blank area 21 in the previous process has been pre-designed, the outline of the blank area 21 can reach the final outline of the product after three wrinkling operations.

[0049] 3.4 Punching structural holes like Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown, this step is a precision punching and finishing process, performed after the step-by-step wrinkling forming is completed. Its core function is to punch out structural holes on various surfaces of the product. In this embodiment, it specifically refers to the precise punching and forming of fixing holes 111 on both sides of the cross-shaped plane area 211, providing a precise reference for product assembly and positioning. This process relies on the three-dimensional structure of the outer periphery of the pre-formed blank area 21 to achieve auxiliary positioning. Based on the process hole 212, the punching is enlarged to obtain fixing holes 111 whose positions are precisely aligned with the design dimensions, completely avoiding the problem of hole position displacement caused by slight deformation of the blank after wrinkling forming.

[0050] Because the wrinkling operation causes severe stretching deformation to the outer material of the cross-shaped plane area 211, resulting in lateral tension on the material of the cross-shaped plane area 211, it cannot be guaranteed that the outline of the process hole 212 will still meet the roundness requirement after wrinkling. Therefore, the diameter of the process hole 212 is initially larger than the diameter of the fixed hole 111, leaving a deformation allowance. Only after the wrinkling operation is completed is the excess material reserved in the process hole 212 precisely removed in this process to ensure that the fixed hole 111 has accurate diameter, smooth hole wall, and meets the positional accuracy requirements. The two fixed holes 111 after forming are symmetrically distributed at both ends of the length direction of the support surface 11, and the line connecting the centers of the holes coincides with the central axis of the support surface 11, without offset or tilt.

[0051] 3.5 Blanking and forming like Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 6As shown, this step is the final forming process of the entire process, integrating cutting, blanking, structural finishing, and arc shaping. Throughout the process, the two fixing holes 111 formed in the previous process serve as the core auxiliary positioning references, working in conjunction with the main positioning holes 221 of the block connecting area 22 to achieve double precision positioning, ensuring that the final forming dimensions fully meet the standards. This process simultaneously completes the cutting of the block connecting area 22 and the shaping of the remaining structure of the connector at the same stamping station, achieving complete forming in one step.

[0052] The entire blanking and forming process is completed at the same station, but different strokes during mold closing will have different effects: In the first stroke, the main positioning hole 221 and two fixing holes 111 are used to accurately lock and position the blank, preventing the blank from shifting or rotating during the forming process. In the second stroke, using the main positioning hole 221 as the positioning reference, the block connecting area 22 of the products connected in series is completely cut off, so that the original candied hawthorn string-like blank structure is separated from each other and forms an independent single product unit. Only the cross plane area 211 still maintains the complete plane structure. At this time, the two fixing holes 111 continue to play the role of deformation positioning of the blank area 21. In the third stroke, the mold is fully closed with the two fixing holes 111 as the positioning reference. The front and rear edges of the cross plane area 211 are precisely bent and extruded to shape, and the remaining material at the front and rear edges is completely transformed into the central arc structure of the side part 12 and the arc part 14, so as to obtain the integrally formed complete photovoltaic bracket 1.

[0053] After the mold is opened, the photovoltaic bracket 1 must be ejected from the workstation to avoid mold collision.

[0054] After blanking and forming, the product has a regular overall structure. The supporting surface 11 is flat and free from deformation, the side surfaces 12 and end surfaces 13 meet the verticality standards, the curved parts 14 have smooth curvature and regular horizontal extension, and the fixing holes 111 are precisely positioned and have uniform diameters. There are no burrs, cracks, or springback deformation defects, fully meeting the requirements for mass assembly and use of steel structure supports. At the same time, the integrated blanking and forming mode in this process greatly simplifies the process flow, reduces secondary processing steps, effectively improves production efficiency, and reduces processing costs.

[0055] IV. Advantages of Overall Process Implementation and Molding Effect This continuous stamping process uses the cross-shaped plane area 211 as a temporary connecting structure on the blank area, and the side of the arc-shaped part 14 as a temporary connecting position. Through a complete process design including step-by-step machining of positioning holes, step-by-step scrap cutting, progressive wrinkling of the structure, precision punching, and integrated blanking forming, a high-precision, high-stability, and high-efficiency photovoltaic bracket forming solution is formed. Employing a multi-station, multi-reference collaborative positioning mode, a multi-level positioning system is formed with the main positioning hole 221, process hole 212, fixing hole 111, and scrap positioning hole 231, completely eliminating the cumulative error in the continuous stamping process, significantly improving product dimensional accuracy, positional accuracy, and forming consistency. The three-level step-by-step wrinkling process effectively improves the stamping deformation characteristics of steel, avoids quality defects such as material cracking, springback, and stress concentration, and improves the overall structural strength and service life of the photovoltaic bracket 1, possessing extremely high value for widespread application. The entire process is continuous, requiring no manual intervention or secondary processing, significantly improving the utilization rate of raw materials. It effectively solves many problems associated with traditional split stamping, bending, and welding processes, such as cumbersome procedures, poor product consistency, low structural strength, easy deformation, and large dimensional deviations.

[0056] The above descriptions are merely some embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the inventive concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A continuous stamping process for a photovoltaic bracket, used to process the photovoltaic bracket, the photovoltaic bracket comprising an integrally formed support surface, two side surfaces, two end surfaces, and two arc-shaped parts, the support surface being strip-shaped with a fixing hole at each end along its length, the two side surfaces extending from the two long sides of the support surface towards the same side, the two end surfaces extending from the two wide sides of the support surface towards the same side and connecting the same end of the two side surfaces, the arc-shaped parts curving outward from the edges of the side surfaces to a horizontal direction, characterized in that... The process steps include: S1. Punching positioning holes: A strip of material is provided. The processing unit of the strip includes a blank area, a block connecting area, and a scrap area located outside the blank area and the block connecting area. The blank area and the block connecting area are arranged alternately in series along the feed direction of the strip, and the connection position of the two is located on the central axis of the strip. A main positioning hole is cut in the center of the block connecting area to serve as the positioning reference for subsequent steps. S2. Waste area removal: The waste area is removed, leaving the blank area and waste area of ​​the candied hawthorn string structure; S3. Step-by-step wrinkling: A cross-shaped planar area is left in the middle of the blank area. The area of ​​the planar area includes the supporting surface and is connected to a block-shaped connecting area at both its front and rear ends. The outer material of the planar area is wrinkled and deformed to form its corresponding target structure. The step-by-step wrinkling includes three steps: the first step wrinkles the outer material of the planar area to 33%~50% of the height of the photovoltaic bracket; the second step wrinkles the outer material of the planar area to 75%~90% of the height of the photovoltaic bracket; and the third step wrinkles the outer material of the planar area to 100% of the height of the photovoltaic bracket, thus obtaining the two end structures of the photovoltaic bracket. S4. Punching structural holes: Cutting the fixing holes on both sides of the planar area; S5. Blanking and forming: Using the fixed hole as an auxiliary positioning reference, the block-shaped connecting area is cut off at the same work station, and then the front and rear edges of the planar area are transformed into the remaining structure of the side and arc-shaped parts. In the step of punching positioning holes, two process holes are machined simultaneously. The positions of the process holes correspond to the fixed holes, and the diameter of the process holes is smaller than the diameter of the fixed holes. The step of wrinkling uses the two process holes as auxiliary positioning holes, and the step of removing waste material also uses the two process holes as auxiliary positioning holes.

2. The continuous stamping process for the photovoltaic bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that: The waste area includes two side edge wastes and two edge wastes. The two side edge wastes are located within the range surrounded by the front and rear billet areas and the block-shaped connecting area, respectively. The edge wastes are located within the range surrounded by the billet area and the side edge of the strip. The waste area removal step includes three steps: the first step removes one side edge waste, the second step removes another side edge waste, and the third step removes two edge wastes simultaneously.

3. The continuous stamping process for the photovoltaic bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the step of punching positioning holes, two waste positioning holes are machined simultaneously. The two waste positioning holes are located in the middle of two edge wastes respectively. The waste area removal step uses the two waste positioning holes as auxiliary positioning holes.

4. The continuous stamping process for the photovoltaic bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that: The blanking and forming steps all use two fixing holes as auxiliary positioning holes.

5. The continuous stamping process for the photovoltaic bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cut-off position of the waste area is designed by directly deforming the outline of the blank area after step-by-step wrinkling to the target outline of the product.

6. The continuous stamping process for the photovoltaic bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that: The punching of structural holes relies on the three-dimensional structure surrounding the pre-formed blank area for auxiliary positioning.

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