Machine arrangement comprising a sheet metal printing machine and a conveying device supplying at least one sheet metal sheet to the sheet metal printing machine, as well as a sheet metal feeder providing the sheet metal sheet in question.

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine arrangement comprising a metal printing press and a conveying device for supplying at least one metal sheet to the metal printing press, as well as a metal sheet feeder for providing the metal sheet, wherein the metal sheet feeder is configured to discharge the metal sheet lying on a first transport device along a linear first transport path, wherein the metal printing press has a second transport device, wherein this second transport device is configured to supply the metal sheet to be printed lying on its side along a linear second transport path to a printing unit of the metal printing press, wherein the first transport path and the second transport path are arranged parallel to each other at a distance, and wherein the conveying device is configured to transport the metal sheet to be printed lying on its side from the first transport path to the second transport path.wherein the conveying device has a gripper bar with two spaced-apart positioning marks and a fixing device arranged between the two positioning marks and is designed such that it transports a fixed sheet metal panel, with its front edge in contact with the positioning marks, from the first to the second transport route.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a machine arrangement comprising a sheet metal printing machine and a conveying device supplying at least one sheet metal sheet to the sheet metal printing machine, as well as a sheet metal feeder providing the sheet metal sheet in question, according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] From the subsequently published DE 10 2023 110 016 B3, a conveyor system for the horizontal transport of sheet metal panels is known, comprising a control unit, wherein this conveyor system has a first linear transport section and at least one second linear transport section in a transport plane, wherein each of the second transport sections has at least one transport belt for transporting the sheet metal panels, wherein the first transport section is designed as a table-shaped transport device and has a flat plate in the transport plane of the sheet metal panels, wherein this plate has at least one transport belt in a strip-shaped central area extending longitudinally to the transport direction of the sheet metal panels and a belt-free edge area on both sides of this central area, wherein the at least one second transport section is arranged in the transport plane perpendicular to the first transport section.wherein the plate of the transport device forming the first transport section has at least one recess extending in a straight line transverse to the transport direction of the sheet metal panels in the edge area facing the respective second transport section, wherein each of these recesses is arranged in line with one of the transport belts of the respective second transport section, wherein each transport belt of the respective second transport section which is aligned with the respective recess is arranged extending into the respective recess.

[0003] DE 10 2019 118 647 B3 discloses a production line for processing sheet metal panels comprising several different machine units, wherein a transport path for the sheet metal panels through this production line is linear, wherein the machine units in the transport direction of the sheet metal panels to be processed are a sheet metal printing machine and / or a painting machine and / or a loading station and / or a dryer and / or an unloading station, wherein at least two machine units each have at least one transport device for transporting at least one sheet metal panel, each individually resting on a transport level.

[0004] DE 10 2021 129 341 B3 discloses a production line for processing sheet metal panels, comprising a sheet metal printing machine and / or a painting machine, wherein the sheet metal panels are transported along a linear transport path by means of transport devices having transport belts.

[0005] DE 37 11 584 A1 discloses a device for the transverse conveying of stacks of sheet-shaped material, in particular stacks of paper, which are fed by a feeder and transferred to a discharge conveyor running at a substantially right angle to the feeder, wherein a discontinuously driven transfer conveyor is provided which receives the paper stacks on the one hand from the feeder and on the other hand transfers them to the discharge conveyor, and which is equipped with blowing air means which act on the support surface of the paper stacks during a standstill phase.

[0006] US Patent 4,324,522 A discloses a machine for handling metal sheets, characterized by a belt feed conveyor with a belt tensioning arrangement and a holder, wherein the holder allows the belt elements to be easily removed laterally from the machine for replacement, wherein front end sections in their operating position are allowed to pivot between two different planes, wherein the normal raised position allows the sheets to be fed over a pivoting gate to a horizontal transfer conveyor, wherein the transfer conveyor conveys the sheets over a reject stacking area to be deposited in one or more forward-spaced stacking areas, and wherein the lowered position of an end section of the conveyor allows sheets to be transported to a downwardly and forward-inclined conveyor leading to a reject stacking area.wherein the pivoting gate in the lowered position serves to bridge the gap between the discharge end of the feed conveyor and the inlet end of the transfer conveyor, and wherein the gate in the raised position opens the gap and allows access to the inclined reject conveyor when the end section of the feed conveyor is pivoted into the lowered position.

[0007] The invention is based on the objective of creating a machine arrangement comprising a sheet metal printing machine and a conveying device supplying at least one sheet metal panel to the sheet metal printing machine, as well as a sheet metal panel feeder providing the sheet metal panel in question, wherein the positioning accuracy of the sheet metal panel to be printed on a transport device transporting this sheet metal panel to a printing unit of the sheet metal printing machine is improved.

[0008] The problem is solved according to the invention by the features of claim 1. The dependent claims relate to advantageous embodiments and / or further developments of the solution found.

[0009] The advantages achievable with the invention lie particularly in the fact that the positioning accuracy of the sheet metal to be printed is improved compared to, for example, the positioning accuracy achievable with suction grippers. This is because suction grippers always allow a certain degree of displacement of the sheet metal to be printed during transport, which is avoided with the solution proposed according to the invention. Further advantages will become apparent from the following description.

[0010] An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and is described in more detail below.

[0011] They show: Fig. 1 a machine arrangement comprising a sheet metal printing machine and a conveying device supplying at least one sheet metal sheet to the sheet metal printing machine, as well as a sheet metal feeder providing the sheet metal sheet in question; Fig. 2 a gripper bar of the conveyor device with two positioning marks and a fixing device; Fig. 3 the gripper bar of the Fig. 2 on a linear guide.

[0012] Fig. Figure 1 shows an exemplary perspective view of a machine arrangement comprising a metal printing press 02 and a conveying device 11 that supplies at least one metal sheet 01 to the metal printing press 02, as well as a metal sheet feeder 03 that provides the respective metal sheet 01. The metal sheet feeder 03 is configured to deliver the respective metal sheet 01, which is rectangular in format, to the conveying device 11 along a linear first transport path on a first transport device 04. The metal sheet feeder 03 is equipped with, for example, at least one stack of, in particular, unprinted metal sheets 01. The metal sheet feeder 03 preferably uses a gripping device to individually pick up the metal sheets 01 from the stack and sequentially place them on the first transport device 04, which, for example, has at least one circulating suction belt.The metal printing press 02 also has a transport device 06, which, in the context of the proposed machine arrangement, is hereinafter referred to as a second transport device 06. This second transport device 06 is, for example, designed as a conveyor belt circulating in a specific direction, i.e., in a transport direction T, preferably as a suction belt, wherein the transport direction T of the second transport device 06 is defined such that, after receiving a metal sheet 01 to be printed from the conveying device 11 upstream of the second transport device 06, it feeds this metal sheet 01 lying down along a linear second transport path to at least one printing unit 07 of the metal printing press 02. The first transport path and the second transport path are arranged parallel to each other at a distance A.Thus, in this machine arrangement, the sheet metal feeder 03 is arranged lengthwise to the sheet metal printing machine 02.

[0013] The conveying device 11 is designed, for example, as a conveying table preferably comprising several sections, wherein these sections divide the total surface of the conveying table into fields arranged in columns and / or rows. The sheet metal panel 01 to be printed is transferred by the first transport device 04 into one of the sections of the conveying table and then transported horizontally from the first transport section to the second transport section. The conveying device 11 thus transfers the sheet metal panel 01 to be printed to the second transport device 06, thereby bridging the distance A between the first and second transport sections by conveying the sheet metal panel 01 to be printed transversely to both of the aforementioned transport sections.The conveying device 11 transports the sheet metal panel 01 to be printed, bridging the distance A between the two aforementioned transport sections, along a preferably linear transport path, e.g., via a sliding surface formed in each of the sections of the conveying table or on preferably several rails arranged parallel to one another, each equipped with at least one row of rollers successively in the transport direction. To minimize sliding friction during the transport of the sheet metal panel 01 to be printed transversely to the two aforementioned transport sections, the sliding surface can, for example, be supported by an air cushion formed therein that carries the sheet metal panel 01. These air cushions are preferably generated in each of the sections of the conveying table, in particular by an arrangement of several Venturi nozzles that support the transport of the sheet metal panel 01 in the transport direction.

[0014] According to the invention, the conveying device 11 has at least one gripper bar 12 with two spaced-apart positioning marks 13 and a fixing device 14 arranged between the two positioning marks 13, each for the sheet metal panel 01 to be transported from the first transport section to the second transport section. As can be seen from the Fig. As can be seen in Figure 2, the two guide marks 13 are preferably each designed as a stop perpendicular to the first transport section, wherein the sheet metal panel 01 to be transported is carried by the first transport device 04 belonging to the sheet metal panel feeder 03 until its leading edge abuts the two guide marks 13. The leading edge of the sheet metal panel 01 to be printed is usually its reference edge, to which printing positions for a print image to be created by the printing unit 07 of the sheet metal printing machine 02 refer. The leading edge of the sheet metal panel 01 to be printed is thus generally oriented in the transport direction T of the sheet metal panel 01 to be transported by the second transport device 06 belonging to the sheet metal printing machine 02.

[0015] In the operating state where the leading edge of the sheet metal panel 01 to be transported abuts the two positioning marks 13, the fixing device 14 of the gripper bar 12 is open. After the leading edge of the sheet metal panel 01 to be transported has abutted the two positioning marks 13, the fixing device 14 of the gripper bar 12, which acts on the leading edge of the sheet metal panel 01 to be transported, is closed, so that the sheet metal panel 01 to be transported is fixed at its leading edge. The fixing device 14 of the gripper bar 12 is preferably designed as a clamping device that is switched, or at least switchable, into an open or closed operating position by a control unit.After the sheet metal panel 01 to be transported is fixed at its leading edge, it is preferably triggered by a request from the sheet metal printing machine 02 and fed from the conveyor 11 to the second transport device 06 belonging to the sheet metal printing machine 02. Upon transfer of the sheet metal panel 01, its fixation is released by moving the fixing device 14 of the gripper bar 12 into its open operating position. The two positioning marks 13 can be designed to be variably adjustable in their respective positions within a range defined, particularly by design, of the sheet metal panel 01 to be conveyed.

[0016] The at least one printing unit 07 of the sheet metal printing machine 02, which prints the sheet metal panel 01 transported by the second transport device 06, is designed, for example, as a digital printing unit, preferably as an inkjet printing unit, in particular as a printing unit that prints using an inkjet printing process.

[0017] Fig. Figure 2 shows, in the form of a perspective assembly view, the gripper bar 12 of the conveyor 11 with two spaced-apart positioning marks 13 and the fixing device 14, which is arranged, in particular, centrally between these positioning marks 13. This fixing device 14 is, for example, designed as a clamping device. The two positioning marks 13 are, for example, arranged on a mounting plate 16, preferably in a mechanically adjustable position. The clamping device has, for example, a clamping rail 08, preferably moved or at least movable vertically by a pneumatic or electric drive 17, and a rigid abutment 09. In the closed operating position of the clamping device, a sheet metal panel 01 to be fixed is held, or at least can be held, at its front edge between the clamping rail 08 and the abutment 09. In this operating position of the clamping device, i.e.,In the operating state of the fixing, the front edge of the relevant sheet metal panel 01 is in contact with the two positioning marks 13.

[0018] Fig. Figure 3 shows the gripper bar 12 of the Fig. 2 in conjunction with a linear guide 18, wherein this linear guide 18 is driven by an electric motor 19 and moves the gripper bar 12 connected to it bidirectionally along a linear transport path. As can be seen from the Fig. As can be seen in Figure 1, the gripper bar 12, in the closed operating position of its fixing device 14, transports a sheet metal panel 01 to be printed between the first transport device 04 belonging to the sheet metal panel feeder 03 and the second transport device 06 belonging to the sheet metal printing machine 02. In a preferred embodiment of the conveying device 11, this conveying device 11, e.g., designed as a conveying table, has several, e.g., three preferably identical linear guides 18 arranged parallel to one another and, in particular, spaced apart from each other in the format of the sheet metal panel 01 to be transported, wherein each of these linear guides 18 conveys a sheet metal panel 01 to be printed either synchronously with the other linear guides 18 or independently of the other linear guides 18 to bridge the distance A existing between the transport sections formed by the transport devices 04 and 06. In the Fig.In three of the six depicted sub-areas of the conveyor table, a single sheet metal panel 01 to be printed is indicated lying on the conveyor table in a minimum format and in a maximum format. Reference symbol list 01 Sheet metal panel 02 Sheet metal printing machine 03 Sheet metal feeder 04 first transport device 05 - 06 second transport facility 07 Printing Work 08 Clamping rail 09 Abutment 10 - 11 Funding institution 12 gripper bars 13 mooring token 14 Fixing device 15 - 16 Mounting plate 17 Drive 18 linear guides 19 engine A distance T Transport direction

Claims

[1] Machine arrangement with a metal printing press (02) and a conveyor device (11) feeding at least one metal sheet (01) to the metal printing press (02), as well as a metal sheet feeder (03) providing the relevant metal sheet (01), wherein the metal sheet feeder (03) is designed to deliver the relevant metal sheet (01) lying on a first transport device (04) along a linear first transport path, wherein the metal printing press (02) has a second transport device (06), wherein this second transport device (06) is designed to feed the relevant metal sheet (01) to be printed lying along a linear second transport path to at least one printing unit (07) of the metal printing press (02), wherein the first transport path and the second transport path are arranged parallel to one another at a distance (A),wherein the conveyor device (11) is designed to transport the respective metal sheet (01) to be printed lying down from the first transport path to the second transport path, , characterized by in that the conveying device (11) has a gripper bar (12) with two positioning marks (13) arranged at a distance from one another and a fixing device (14) arranged between these two positioning marks (13), wherein the conveying device (11) is designed in such a way that it transports a metal sheet (01) from the first transport path to the second transport path, the metal sheet being in contact with the positioning marks (13) with its front edge directed in the transport direction (T) of the second transport device (06) and being fixed by the fixing device (14). [2] Machine arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by that the fixing device (14) is designed to act on the front edge of the sheet metal panel (01) to be transported. [3] Machine arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the fixing device (14) is designed as a clamping device which is switched or at least switchable into an open operating position or into a closed operating position by a control unit. [4] Machine arrangement according to claim 3, characterized by in that the clamping device has a clamping rail (08) which is moved or at least movable by a pneumatic or electric drive (17) and a rigid abutment (09), wherein a sheet metal panel (01) to be fixed is held or at least can be held at its front edge between the clamping rail (08) and the abutment (09) in the closed operating position of the clamping device. [5] Machine arrangement according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4, characterized bythat the fixing device (14) is designed in such a way that it releases the fixing after the relevant metal sheet (01) has been transferred to the second transport device (06) belonging to the metal printing machine (02). [6] Machine arrangement according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5, characterized by that the conveying device (11) is designed such that it conveys the respective metal sheet (01) to be printed along a linear transport path to bridge the distance (A) between the two transport paths. [7] Machine arrangement according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6, characterized by in that the gripper bar (12) is connected to a linear guide (18) driven by an electric motor (19), said linear guide (18) being designed to move the gripper bar (12) connected to it bidirectionally along the linear transport path. [8] Machine arrangement according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7, characterized by in that the conveying device (11) is designed as a conveyor table, wherein a total surface of the conveyor table is divided into field-like partial areas arranged in columns and / or rows, wherein the conveying device (11) is designed such that it takes over the metal sheet (01) to be printed from the first transport device (04) into one of the partial areas of the conveyor table and then transports it lying down from the first transport path to the second transport path. [9] Machine arrangement according to claim 8, characterized by that the conveying device (11) is designed such that it conveys the respective metal sheet (01) to be printed over at least one sliding surface or over a sliding surface formed in each of the partial areas of the conveying table or on rails each equipped with rollers. [10] Machine arrangement according to claim 9, characterized bythat the respective sliding surface of the conveyor table has an air cushion supporting the respective sheet metal panel (01) to be transported. [11] Machine arrangement according to claim 8 or 9 or 10, characterized by in that the conveying device (11) has a plurality of linear guides (18) arranged parallel to one another, each of these linear guides (18) conveying a metal sheet (01) to be printed synchronously with the other linear guides (18) or independently of the other linear guides (18) in order to bridge the distance (A) existing between the transport paths formed by the transport devices (04; 06). [12] Machine arrangement according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 or 10 or 11, characterized by that the two positioning marks (13) are designed to be variably adjustable in their respective positions in the plane of the sheet metal panel (01) to be conveyed within a defined range. [13] Machine arrangement according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 or 10 or 11 or 12, characterized by that the at least one printing unit (07) of the metal printing machine (02) is designed as a digital printing unit, preferably as an inkjet printing unit, in particular as a printing unit printing using an inkjet printing process.

Images