METHOD FOR CUTTING CUT PARTS AND CUTTING DEVICE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for cutting cut parts arranged, for example, on a single-layer material web, as well as to a device for cutting using a cutting tool. The method according to the invention is particularly suitable for cutting cut parts for airbags from the material web. The method is preferably used in conjunction with a laser cutting device as the cutting tool. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] For example, DE 10 2014 017 501 A1 discloses a method for cutting objects from an at least partially two-layer material web using a cutting device. These objects are cut from the material web based on cut pieces of a cutting pattern. These objects can be items of clothing, furniture upholstery, and / or airbags.

[0003] For example, the material is provided as roll material. The material is unwound from a roll to a specified length and placed on a cutting table. Then, another layer of material of the same specified length is unwound from the roll and placed exactly above the first layer of material. This arranging of further layers is repeated until the desired number of layers of material are arranged one above the other on the cutting table. Using a cutting tool, this number of layers can now be cut to size simultaneously. In this way, the cutting tool is used efficiently and the cutting of the material is accelerated because the individual cut pieces in the individual material layers are cut to size simultaneously.

[0004] In many applications of these cutting processes, such as the production of airbag blanks, the cut parts must be precisely cut to meet all safety-relevant aspects of the object's durability, for example, when exposed to high pressure inside the object. If multiple material webs are stacked on top of each other and then cut simultaneously, safety margins must be defined between the individual cut parts and at the outer edges of each material web to prevent the cut part from being cut incorrectly. These safety margins are several centimeters in size and significantly increase material consumption per layer of the material web.

[0005] The portion of the material that is no longer used or cannot be used for another cut part after cutting is referred to as material waste. This material waste arises, for example, because the excess, i.e., remaining part of the material web after cutting has too small a surface area for another cut part, or the remaining part of the material web does not have an area in which another cut part of the cutting pattern can be fully placed. This material waste can therefore usually not be reused and is a waste product of the cutting process. Especially with cost-intensive material webs, such as those used in airbag production, the remaining part of the material web should be reduced to a minimum.

[0006] When cutting cutting patterns, also known as "cut sets," from a material web, the individual cut pieces should be arranged as space-efficiently as possible to minimize material waste. For example, special nesting methods are used to arrange the cut pieces belonging to a cutting pattern in a space-saving manner.

[0007] These nesting methods are currently designed exclusively for rectangular sections of a material web and optimize the material solely in relation to the length or discrete widths of the rectangle in which the cut pieces of one or more cutting patterns are placed. Due to the simultaneous cutting of a large number of superimposed material web layers, for example up to 40 layers, and the safety clearances that must be taken into account, the material waste is excessive despite these nesting methods, and the resulting waste increases the material consumption when using today's cutting processes in an undesirable way. Typically, a safety margin of 25 to 50 millimeters is added to the beginning and end of each material web layer. This is necessary, for example, when cutting multiple layers to compensate for slippage between the layers.

[0008] The object of the present invention is therefore to significantly reduce the material consumption when cutting cut parts of a cutting pattern.

[0009] US 3761 675 describes a fabric cutting system in which fabric is transported in a single layer into a cutting area where a laser beam is focused on the fabric and controlled by computer commands to move within the cutting area to cut a variety of patterns quickly and accurately.

[0010] EP 1 321 839 A2 describes a method and a device for cutting out moving sheet material with preset shapes, in which the coordinates of one or more reference points in the sheet material are located with a vision system.

[0011] WO 03 / 029540 describes a method for producing woven, at least partially multi-layered airbags, which method comprises the following steps: a) preparing the warp threads in the warping shop, wherein warp threads suitable as identification threads for machine-readable markings are already accommodated in the warp sheet, b) weaving the airbag fabric, wherein weft threads suitable as identification threads for machine-readable markings are woven over at least part of the fabric width, c) cutting out the airbags from the airbag fabric using a cutting device, wherein the cutting device is guided by the woven-in machine-readable markings.

[0012] A method for cutting cut parts according to the preamble of claim 1 is already known from US 2008 / 084053 A1. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The problem is solved by the technical measures described in the independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments are described in the respective dependent patent claims.

[0014] In particular, the object is achieved by a method for cutting cut pieces. The cut pieces form a cutting pattern. The method comprises cutting the cut pieces, wherein the cut pieces are arranged in a rectangular, repeating section of a continuous material web, and wherein the section partially contains at least one cut piece or at least one cutting pattern.

[0015] A cutting pattern, also called a cutting template or cutting image, is a template according to which the material is cut. The cutting pattern has, for example, a finite number of different and / or identical cut pieces according to which the material is then cut. The cut pieces can have different shapes, which can vary greatly from cut piece to cut piece. In addition, individual cut pieces of a cutting pattern can be present multiple times, so that a cutting pattern can, for example, consist of a first number of cut pieces of a first shape and an identical or different number of cut pieces of a second shape. For example, cutting patterns are cut for airbags. A cutting pattern for an airbag has at least one cut piece, but generally several cut pieces, preferably five to ten differently shaped cut pieces in the cutting pattern.Each of these differently shaped cut pieces is present at least once, usually multiple times, in the cutting pattern to form the airbag. Thus, a cutting pattern can be formed from a multitude of uniform and / or differently shaped cut pieces.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the material web is a woven technical textile (English "woven fabric"). This consists, for example, of carbon fiber, glass fiber, or a mixed material, including, for example, carbon fiber or glass fiber, or other plastics or textiles. The woven technical textile can also contain other plastics or textiles. Characteristics of the woven textile include the fiber material used (percentage, e.g., 50% cotton); area weight in g / m²; thread density (number of warp and weft threads per unit length), and weave type.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the material of the material web is a sheet, preferably thin sheet with a material thickness of less than 3 mm according to EN 10130 or EN 10346, for example for automotive parts; metal industry; electrical engineering or heavy plate with a material thickness of more than 3 mm according to EN 1007, for example in ship and boat building.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the material web is a foil, preferably a metal with a material thickness of less than 60 µm, for example, steel foil, aluminum foil, tin foil, or gold leaf. Alternatively, the foil can also be a plastic or rubber material. These foils include, for example, adhesive foil, glass decorative foil, adhesive film, bubble wrap, tubular film, shrink film, sun protection film, and stretch or expandable film. This foil can be used, for example, as battery foil or solar foil.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the material web is made of cardboard (cardboard). Different types of cardboard are distinguished: solid cardboard, which is single-layered and couched, also glued, bonded, impregnated, or coated; wrapping cardboard made from wood pulp or recycled paper; gray / brown cardboard as protective material or interlayer material; hardboard, such as car body board, shoe board, jacquard board, suitcase board, die-cutting board, marbled board, fire board; lightweight cardboard; archival or fine cardboard. In one embodiment, the material web is made of paper, i.e., a flat material consisting essentially of fibers.

[0020] Paper, cardboard, and paperboard are differentiated based, among other things, on their basis of mass per unit area. DIN 6730 avoids the term "cardboard" and distinguishes solely between paper and cardboard, based on the limit of 225 g / m². However, colloquially, "cardboard" is a common term for a material in the range of 150 g / m² to 600 g / m², which is typically thicker and stiffer than paper.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the material web is made of nonwoven fabric, a structure composed of fibers of limited length, continuous fibers, or cut yarns that are joined together to form a nonwoven (fiber layer, fiber pile) and bonded together in some way, for example, mechanically by frictional engagement or frictional form-fit engagement, or chemically or thermally. This nonwoven fabric can be used, for example, as a filter material, such as an air filter in a vehicle.

[0022] A "section part" is defined below as any two-dimensional shape, i.e., a surface on the material web with any desired perimeter. The section part at least partially represents any homogeneous or heterogeneous figure of Euclidean or non-Euclidean geometry, for example, any polygon or polygonal line, circle, conic section, cycloid, spiral, fractal, or any other arbitrarily shaped line segment or curve.

[0023] The cut pieces and the cutting pattern do not need to be marked on the material web. This means that a cutting tool controller executes the cutting tool's movements, for example, without detecting marking points / lines on the material web. In one embodiment of the invention, only edge markings are present on the material web to enable the controller to compare the target and actual position of the cutting tool.

[0024] The term "material web" refers to a web of material whose width remains constant along its entire length. This width can be several meters, but is preferably greater than one or two meters wide.

[0025] The material web is "endless." This means that the material web can be provided as a roll, providing a virtually endless supply of material. "Endless" can be defined as the fact that the material web for the cutting process has no fixed beginning or end for arranging the cut pieces. This type of material provision represents a significant difference from conventional cutting methods, particularly the simultaneous cutting of multiple superimposed layers of a material web of a predefined length.

[0026] The material web can be single-layered. "Single-layered" refers to a material web from which only one cut piece is cut per cutting movement of the cutting tool, meaning that multiple layers are not cut for multiple cut pieces.

[0027] In the cutting process, a "section" is defined. This section can be defined by the lateral outer limits of the material web. In this case, the width of the section corresponds to the width of the material web. Furthermore, the section is rectangular. Thus, the section is defined by two section limits running perpendicular to the lateral outer limits. At least part of the cutting pattern and / or one of the cut parts can be arranged between these two perpendicular section limits. This section represents, for example, a virtual size and therefore does not need to be marked on the material web.

[0028] The section defines a repeating area on the material web with a specific arrangement of cutting patterns and / or cut pieces. According to the invention, the term "repeat" means that the arrangement of cutting patterns and / or cut pieces selected in the section is the same for a plurality of consecutive sections and is thus repeated in the subsequent sections.

[0029] If the material web is endless and can be transported further after the cutting step, cut pieces and / or cutting patterns can be arranged so that they overlap. Thus, the invention provides for a cut piece and / or cutting pattern to be arranged only partially in a section of the material web.

[0030] The partial arrangement of the cutting pattern requires, in particular, that at least one cut part of the cutting pattern is not completely contained in the virtually defined repeating section, i.e., not with its shape defined according to the cutting pattern, and is, for example, only arranged in the subsequent section—for example, between cut parts of a subsequent cutting pattern. This also means that this cut part does not have to be arranged with its entire circumference within the section.

[0031] Partially arranging a pattern piece requires, in particular, that the pattern piece is not entirely contained within the rectangular section. The section repeats with a consistent (specific) arrangement of the pattern pieces, so that the pattern pieces and / or cutting patterns can be cut at the same location within the sections.

[0032] In particular, the arrangement of at least one cutting part and / or cutting pattern occurs only partially, so that a number of cutting parts and / or cutting patterns corresponds to a set of rational numbers without integers, i.e., a proper fraction. For example, 4.6 cutting parts are arranged in a section, with one of the cutting parts only being arranged to 60% in the section, and the remaining 40% of the cutting part being arranged in a subsequent section.

[0033] In addition, a cutting pattern can also be arranged only in a first portion, i.e., partially, so that the remaining portion of this cutting pattern is arranged in a subsequent section. Thus, a first portion of the cut part is arranged in a first section, and the remaining second portion of this cut part is arranged in a subsequent section.

[0034] In this way, a nesting process optimized for a specific length of material web can be further improved by not maintaining a predefined length of material web for the complete arrangement of all cut pieces of a cutting pattern. This can eliminate the associated safety distances. For example, it is now unnecessary to define the safety distances to be maintained at the vertical section boundaries for the predefined length of the material web. This enables enormous material savings. By eliminating the safety area at the beginning and end of the material web, material consumption can be reduced by approximately 0.5 to 1 percent. According to the invention, a cutting pattern to be arranged on the material web with a corresponding number of cut pieces can also be partially arranged outside a rectangular section of the material web.The boundary between the individual cutting patterns on the material web is no longer necessarily straight; the boundary can, for example, be curved, i.e., uneven. The boundary between the cutting patterns can therefore have a length greater than the shortest distance between the two outer lateral edges of the material web.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, the material web is made of woven material. Material webs of this type require precise cutting, thus making it extremely difficult to arrange the cut pieces and / or cutting patterns tightly. The cut pieces of the cutting pattern and / or the cutting pattern can form an airbag. These cut pieces must be precisely cut to meet safety requirements and ensure proper use.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, the material web is made of nonwoven material, such as paper, cardboard, sheet metal, nonwoven fabric, or film. In a preferred embodiment, an arrangement algorithm can be applied before cutting. The cut pieces are arranged in the repeating section of the endless, single-layer material web as follows: First, the space required for the cut pieces in the section of the material web is calculated for at least one arrangement variant of the cut pieces in this section, wherein at least one cut piece and / or a cutting pattern is only partially contained in the section of the material web.

[0037] The cut pieces of one or more cutting patterns are arranged in a nested manner, i.e., a nesting method is used. At least one cut piece of a cutting pattern is arranged next to another cut piece of the cutting pattern or another cutting pattern in such a space-saving manner that material waste is lower than if these cut pieces were arranged on the material web in the same orientation and / or arranged in a grid. According to the invention, the nesting method used can be applied to one cut piece or to different cut pieces of one or more cutting patterns.

[0038] In one embodiment of the invention, the arrangement of the cut part depends on the alignment of the weft and warp of the woven material in the material web, for example in order to meet load requirements on the cut part or the cutting pattern.

[0039] When using non-woven materials, the alignment of the cut part on the material web is possible with higher degrees of freedom than with woven materials, since an alternative arrangement (e.g. rotation of the cut part) does not cause any changes in the material properties.

[0040] The term "arrangement variant" means that cut parts and / or cutting patterns are arranged in a specific arrangement and the space requirement is calculated for this specific arrangement variant.

[0041] The space requirement is understood to mean in particular the material requirement of the cut parts and / or the cutting patterns on the material web for the repeating section, if necessary with safety distances to be taken into account from an outer area of ​​the material web and / or from adjacent cut parts.

[0042] After the calculation step, the arrangement variant of the cut parts for this section can be selected based on the result from the calculation step. The selection step specifies or determines a specific arrangement variant for which the space requirement was previously calculated.

[0043] The arrangement variant is preferably selected for a specific arrangement variant and is applied to consecutive, i.e., repeating, sections of the material web. This specifically determined arrangement variant can thus be applied to a large number of cut parts and / or cutting patterns, significantly reducing material waste. For the method presented here, an arrangement variant for a cutting pattern is preferably calculated for a repeating section, and the thus determined arrangement variant is then repeated for a large number of consecutive sections.

[0044] Alternatively or additionally, the selection can also be performed for a defined number of consecutive sections, with a different arrangement variant being selected for each of the sequence of sections. In this way, a comparatively large cutting pattern or a large cut part can be arranged across several sections in a space-saving manner. An efficient arrangement variant is then defined for this sequence of sections. This is useful when the area of ​​the material web to be cut by the cutting tool is smaller than the area of ​​the cut part or cutting pattern to be cut.

[0045] Alternatively or additionally, the selection can also be performed before each cut, so to speak, with an on-the-fly calculation of the cut pieces or cutting patterns to be cut for each existing section. This allows completely different cutting patterns to be arranged very flexibly and then cut spontaneously, always minimizing material waste.

[0046] In a preferred embodiment, the space required by the cut pieces in the section of the material web is calculated based on a single-type arrangement of the cut pieces as an arrangement variant. According to the invention, a single-type arrangement refers to an arrangement variant in which only identical, i.e., identically shaped, cut pieces are arranged in a nested arrangement. These cut pieces all have the same shape and size.

[0047] In a further preferred embodiment, the cut part to be arranged in a single-type arrangement is arranged and the space required for this arrangement is calculated. In a first variant, the number of single-type cut parts to be placed depends only to a limited extent on the number of cutting patterns to be cut. For example, with a very large number of cutting patterns, e.g. more than 500 pieces, the placement is selected such that a maximum number of cut parts is arranged over a minimum length of the material web. Thus, with a maximum density of cut parts per material web section, a comparatively small number of excess cut parts may be arranged in relation to the maximum required number of this cut part. However, this small number then represents a material requirement that is nevertheless lower than with an alternative arrangement.In a second variant, the cut part to be arranged in a pure manner is arranged according to the number of this special cut part required for the cutting pattern and the space required for this is calculated.

[0048] In an alternative embodiment, the cut part to be arranged in a sorted manner is arranged according to the number of this special cut part required for a predefined number of cutting patterns and the space requirement is calculated for this arrangement.

[0049] Alternatively, if the cut part to be arranged in a pure type is available in several different cutting patterns, it is arranged according to the number required and the space requirement is calculated for this arrangement.

[0050] Alternatively or additionally, the cut pieces are arranged for a minimum length of the material web (for a given width of the material web) with a maximum number, i.e. a maximum density. In this case, the maximum number of a cut piece is arranged on a given sub-section of the material web so that a maximum density is achieved for this cut piece for this sub-section. The space requirement is determined for this arrangement. In the next step of the calculation, a subset of the cut pieces is selected for this section, for example two or three cut pieces of the cutting pattern, and the calculation is repeated. This calculation step is repeated for different subsets if necessary, and finally the arrangement variant with the smallest space requirement is selected. These sub-sections can be part of the repeating section on the material web.This results in a single-type placement of the largest possible number of cut pieces, or a subset of cut pieces, in the smallest possible area. This placement can be done in a repeating, rectangular section of the material web.

[0051] In this way, single-type cut parts can be arranged together very flexibly, allowing an arrangement variant that requires less material to be calculated and selected.

[0052] In a preferred embodiment, the space required by the cut pieces in the section of the material web is calculated based on a subset of different cut pieces as an arrangement variant. A subset or subgroup of cut pieces is a subset of all cut pieces required for at least one cutting pattern. The subset comprises at least two different cut pieces of one and / or more cutting patterns. In this way, certain cut pieces can be placed together, potentially calculating and selecting an arrangement variant that requires less material.

[0053] In a preferred embodiment, the various cut pieces are selected as a subset based on the surface area of ​​the cut piece and / or the shape of the cut piece. Thus, cut pieces of the same size and / or shape can be arranged in a nested manner. Additionally, different cut pieces can be combined with one another if their combination allows for a space-saving arrangement. For example, a second cut piece can be placed in a recess or hole of a first cut piece.

[0054] In a preferred embodiment, the space requirement on the material web can be calculated based on all cut parts of at least one cutting pattern as an arrangement variant. In this way, the cut parts of a cutting pattern can be arranged in the section in a space-saving manner.

[0055] The results of the various arrangement variants, and in particular the calculation of the space required in that section of the material web, are crucial for determining which arrangement variant is selected or determined. In particular, arranging the material into single-type cut pieces and / or subsets of cut pieces is advantageous if material waste can be minimized and thus material savings can be achieved.

[0056] In a preferred embodiment, the arrangement variant is selected in particular as soon as a predefined threshold for material waste is undershot or as soon as a calculation time has exceeded a predefined threshold. This threshold can be entered as a parameter for the method and serves in particular as a termination condition for the arrangement of the cut pieces and / or cutting patterns in the repeating section of the material web. The predefined threshold is, for example, an optimization end value, so that the selection of an arrangement variant takes place in finite time, i.e. the arrangement algorithm receives a termination condition when an optimum is reached. For example, the surface area of ​​all cut pieces to be arranged for a first concrete arrangement variant is calculated. This first value is subtracted from the surface area of ​​the section of the material web in order to obtain a first material waste value.The surface area of ​​all cut pieces to be arranged for a second specific arrangement variant is then calculated. This second value is also subtracted from the surface area of ​​the section to obtain a second material waste value. The first material waste value is then subtracted from the second material waste value to obtain a material waste difference value. This material waste difference value is compared with the predefined threshold value. If the comparison result shows that the material waste difference value is less than or equal to the predefined threshold value, the process for arranging the cut pieces and / or cutting patterns is terminated.

[0057] Preferably, a safety clearance value is specified between the cut pieces and taken into account in the process. The safety clearance between the individual cut pieces can be very small, for example, less than 2 millimeters. The safety clearance can also be omitted, i.e., zero millimeters, so that adjacent cut pieces share a cut edge. Ideally, the portion of the material web used during cutting is included in the calculation for the cut piece.

[0058] In a preferred embodiment, the section has a predefined length, which is specified as an input parameter for the method. Thus, the area of ​​the material web available for arranging the cut pieces and / or cutting patterns can be limited and defined.

[0059] In a preferred embodiment, a number of at least one cutting pattern to be cut is specified. Alternatively or additionally, for cutting different cutting patterns, a number can be specified for each of the different cutting patterns.

[0060] For example, a first cutting pattern represents a first airbag of a first vehicle type. A second cutting pattern represents a second airbag of the first vehicle type or of a second vehicle type. Driver / passenger and / or side airbags could be provided as airbags. According to the invention, these cutting patterns can be arranged individually and nested on the material web. Alternatively or additionally, the cutting patterns can also be arranged in combination.

[0061] In a preferred embodiment, for the arrangement of the cut pieces in a section, at least one of the cut pieces is shifted and / or rotated relative to another cut piece. This simplifies the nesting of individual cut pieces.

[0062] The problem is also solved by a computer program product for arranging cut parts in a section of a continuous material web, wherein program parts can be retrieved from a program memory that support the implementation of the method according to one of the preceding methods. The material web can be single-layered. Alternatively, several continuous material webs, for example, between 2 and 10 material webs, preferably 5 material webs, can be placed on top of one another. This increases the efficiency of the cutting process.

[0063] The object is also achieved by a device for cutting cut pieces from a continuous, single-layer material web, with a controller configured to carry out a method according to one of the above-mentioned embodiments. Thus, a single-layer, continuous material web is used to cut cut pieces. Cutting is therefore not performed on individual, superimposed material webs, but on a single-layer continuous material web. This makes it possible, for example, to eliminate the need for a safety zone at the beginning and end of a section.

[0064] A laser cutting device, in particular, should be used as the cutting tool. This type of laser cutting, also known as laser beam cutting, enables the severing of the material web using continuous or pulsed laser radiation through material ablation. Almost any material, such as fabric, paper, cardboard, and metal, can be cut with this laser radiation. The laser radiation parameters, such as wavelength, average power, pulse energy, and pulse duration, must be adapted to the application. The microscopic ablation mechanism and the thermal effects are essentially determined by the pulse duration and irradiance.Laser cutting is used here to precisely and quickly cut the cut parts of the cutting patterns, with their sometimes very complex outlines, typically at speeds of up to 30 meters per minute, occasionally at speeds of up to over 300 meters per minute (5 m / sec for remote cutting). Laser cutting is contactless and virtually force-free. Focused high-power lasers, usually CO2 lasers as gas lasers, or increasingly neodymium-YAG (Nd-YAG) lasers as solid-state lasers, as well as easily focusable fiber lasers, are typically used as laser cutting devices.

[0065] Advantageously, according to the invention, no straight termination of a material web is used for arranging the cut pieces and / or the cutting pattern, so that at least one cut piece and / or cutting pattern can be arranged only partially within the repeating rectangular section. Cutting patterns can thus be arranged in a nested manner. A cutting pattern can thus be started in a first section and finished in a second section—which follows the first section. The section can be repeated immediately or only after a specific sequence of sections with alternative arrangement variants.

[0066] This inventive method not only optimizes the material length, but also applies various calculation methods for different layout variants to determine the minimum space requirement. The space requirements of each specific layout variant are calculated. Based on this calculation, a specific layout variant is then selected that results in the least material waste. This allows for several percent savings potential for the material web.

[0067] According to the invention, cutting takes place from a continuous web of material, with the cut pieces of the cutting pattern arranged in a material-saving manner. For an airbag, the complete cutting pattern consists of several different cut pieces in very different shapes.

[0068] When cutting the various cut pieces from the rectangular continuous material web, the individual sections can be placed directly next to each other, eliminating the need for a safety margin of several centimeters at the beginning and end of the material web. This allows for a material web length of just 8 meters to be saved by 1.25%.

[0069] When arranging the cut parts of at least one cutting pattern into, for example, single-type or subsets or complete cutting patterns (i.e. when using all different cut parts of at least one cutting pattern), considerable material savings can be achieved according to the invention, since single-type cut parts or subsets of cut parts can sometimes be nested in a much more space-saving manner, for example by clever rotation or displacement on the material web.

[0070] The advantage of the invention is also based on the fact that, transverse to the conveying direction of the material web, no straight section termination of the nested arrangement is required; instead, an odd, i.e., curved, section termination can also be used. This allows the beginning of a subsequent arrangement of cut pieces and / or cutting patterns to be pushed into a placement gap of the preceding nested arrangement. This nesting is not possible with conventional nesting methods of such cutting processes, since these conventional methods always require a straight section termination. Partially placed cut pieces in a section therefore cannot be completed and would therefore increase the cost of the cutting process as waste material.Likewise, it is possible according to the invention to arrange a cut part or a cutting pattern across sections so that it begins in a first section and is completed in a second section, i.e. the first repetition of the first section.

[0071] This way, several percent of the material to be cut can be saved. In airbag production, a one percent reduction in material for a vehicle with a very high production run translates into significant annual savings.

[0072] According to the invention, this technology can be used in all processes in which recurring cutting patterns are created from a roll of material. The placement is based on a calculation of various arrangement variants, whereby, in addition to a single-type placement, a combination of subsets of different cut parts of a cutting pattern is calculated and taken into account. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE CHARACTERS

[0073] The invention, or further embodiments and advantages of the invention, are explained in more detail below with reference to figures. The figures merely describe exemplary embodiments of the invention. Identical components in the figures are provided with the same reference numerals. The figures are not to be considered to scale; individual elements of the figures may be exaggeratedly large or oversimplified.

[0074] They show: Fig.1 an embodiment of a cutting pattern with cut parts for an airbag; Fig.2 an arrangement variant for a group of identical cutting patterns according to Fig.1 using all required cutting parts; Fig.3 an alternative arrangement variant for a group of identical cutting patterns according to Fig.1using a subset of the required cut parts according to the invention; Fig.4a - 4c pure arrangement variants for a group of identical cutting patterns according to Fig.1 using one of the cut parts according to the invention; Fig.5a to Fig.1 Alternative embodiment of a cutting pattern with cut parts for an airbag in a first arrangement variant; Figs. 6a - 6d show single-variety arrangement variants for a group of identical cutting patterns using one of the cut parts according to the invention; Fig. 7 shows an alternative arrangement variant for a group of identical cutting patterns using a subset of the required cut parts according to the invention; and Fig. 8 shows an inventive embodiment of a process flow diagram of a method according to the invention. FIGURE DESCRIPTION

[0075] In Fig.1A cutting pattern 7 for an airbag is shown. Cutting pattern 7 consists of a total of nine cut parts 1 to 6, with cut part 2, cut part 4, and cut part 6 each appearing twice in cutting pattern 7. These nine cut parts 1 to 6 form cutting pattern 7 for, for example, an airbag for a motor vehicle. The shapes and sizes of cut parts 1 to 6 vary greatly from one another.

[0076] In order to arrange these nine cut parts 1 to 6 of the cutting pattern 7 in a space-saving manner on a material web 19 and to cut them with a small, as minimal as possible, material waste, the method according to the invention is used.

[0077] According to the invention, different arrangement variants of the cutting pattern 7 and / or cut parts 1 to 6 of at least one group 8, 8' of the same cutting pattern 7 or also of different cutting patterns are simulated, i.e. calculated.

[0078] The individual cut parts 1 to 6 of the cutting pattern 7 are, for example, sorted (as in Fig.4a to 4c shown in more detail) and the space required for each cut part is determined.

[0079] In a further arrangement variant, the individual cut parts 1 to 6 of the cutting pattern 7 are, for example, divided into subsets (such as Fig.3 (as explained in more detail below) and the space requirements for each of the cut parts 1 to 6 are determined. The cut parts 1 to 6 per subset are selected according to their size or shape. Neither the number of different cut parts 1 to 6 per subset nor the total number of cut parts 1 to 6 themselves are limited.

[0080] Finally, all the different cutting parts 1 to 6 of the cutting pattern 7 (as for example in Fig.2shown) and the space requirement for the respective cutting pattern 7 with all the different cutting parts 1 to 6 in section 9 or a group 8, 8' of cutting patterns 7 is determined.

[0081] For each layout variant, the space requirement and material waste are calculated, and finally, the layout variant with the lowest material waste is selected. For this purpose, various input parameters can be specified for the process, such as the maximum number of cutting patterns to be cut, a cut-off length, or even the minimum material waste to be achieved.

[0082] In Fig.2 is a first concrete arrangement variant of the nine sections 1 to 6 of the Fig.1 shown cutting pattern 7 is shown as an example. The same cutting pattern 7 from Fig.1 in the Fig.2 arranged a total of five times, so that in Fig.2a group 8 of five identical cutting patterns 7 is shown. With the arrangement variant of Fig.2 five cutting patterns 7, here five airbags, can be cut from the material web 19. In Fig.2 A total of 45 pattern pieces 1 to 6 are shown and placed.

[0083] All cut parts 1 to 6 of group 8 of five cutting patterns 7 are placed in a rectangular section 9 with a width of 2335 millimeters and a length of 6593 millimeters, whereby in this exemplary arrangement variant, 30 millimeters of safety distance per transverse side (i.e., side length transverse to the material web 19) is included, thus a total safety distance of 60 millimeters would have to be added. This arrangement variant according to Fig.2can also be used for a cutting process with multiple layers of the material web 19 and the conventional simultaneous cutting by means of a cutting tool. This arrangement variant according to Fig.2 For group 8 of the five cutting patterns 7, a length of material web of 6593 millimeters is required, so that for each cutting pattern a length of 1318.6 millimeters (6593 millimeters divided by number 5) is used.

[0084] According to the invention, it is now intended to further reduce this space requirement per cutting pattern 7 in order to minimize material waste. To this end, the required space is first calculated for various other arrangement variants.

[0085] In Fig.3 For example, another arrangement variant for the cutting pattern 7 with the cutting parts 1 to 6 from the Fig.1 shown. In Fig.3Two consecutive sections 9, 9' are shown on an endless material web 19. These sections 9, 9' are rectangular, and their width is identical to the width of the material web 19. The material web 19 is available, for example, as a roll material.

[0086] In Section 9 of the Fig.3 is merely a subset of all cut parts 1 to 6 of a cutting pattern 7 of the Fig.1 Here, the cutting parts 1, 4, 6 were placed as a subset of all cutting parts 1 to 6 of the same cutting pattern 7. Thus, the cutting pattern 7 is only partially contained in section 9. This subset consisting of the cutting parts 1, 4 and 6 of the cutting pattern 7 according to Fig.1requires a material web length of 3043 millimeters. By cleverly arranging cut pieces 4 and 6 between two cut pieces 1, the space requirement can be reduced. Thus, calculating the space requirement shows that a material web length of 609 millimeters (3043 millimeters divided by the number 5) is required for each subset of cutting pattern 7.

[0087] According to the invention, a plurality of cutting patterns 7 are to be cut from the endless single-layer material web 19. Therefore, if more than 5 cutting patterns 7 are to be placed on the material web 19, the large-area cut parts 1 from group 8 of the first five cutting patterns 7 are nested into the following group 8' consisting of a further five cutting patterns 7 to further reduce space requirements. In addition, five cut parts 6' from the following group 8' of the cutting pattern 7 are already placed in section 9. In addition, due to the endless material web 19, Fig.2 The safety distance used between sections 9 and 9' can be omitted. The material web 19 can be multi-layered.

[0088] In the Fig.4a to Fig.4c The remaining cut parts 5, 3 and 2 of group 8 are now made from five identical cutting patterns 7 according to Fig.1 placed in a specific arrangement variant and their space requirements determined.

[0089] For example, for the cut part 5, an arrangement variant is selected in which the cut part 5 of the cutting pattern 7 is made of the Fig.1 according to the Fig.4a The individual cut pieces 5 are first moved and / or rotated on the material path in such a way that their space requirements are minimized. According to Fig.4a24 cut parts 5 of a first group 8 are accommodated over a length of 2197 millimeters. In this arrangement, calculating the space requirement shows that each cut part 5 requires only a length of 91.54 millimeters (2197 millimeters divided by the number 24).

[0090] Due to the high number of cutting patterns 7 to be cut from the endless single-layer material web 19, Fig.4a More than 5 cutting patterns 7 are placed on the material web 19, so that the cut parts 5 from group 8 of the first 24 cutting patterns 7 are nested into the following group 8' consisting of further cutting patterns 7. In addition, due to the endless single-layer material web 19 on the Fig.2 used safety distance between the individual sections (not explicitly shown here) can be omitted.

[0091] In addition, for example, for the cut part 3, an arrangement variant is also selected in which the cut part 3 of the cutting pattern 7 is made from the Fig.1 according to the Fig.4b The individual cut pieces 3 are first shifted and / or rotated on the material web 19 in such a way that their space requirements are minimized. According to Fig.4b 24 cut parts 3 of a first group 8 are accommodated over a length of 3395 millimeters. In this arrangement, calculating the space requirement shows that each cut part 3 requires only a length of 141.46 millimeters (3395 millimeters divided by the number 24).

[0092] Due to the high number of cutting patterns 7 to be cut from the endless single-layer material web 19, Fig.4bmore than five cutting patterns 7 are placed on the material web 19, so that the cut pieces 3 from the group 8 of the first 24 cutting patterns 7 are nested into the following group 8' consisting of further cutting patterns 7. The cut pieces 2 are placed across sections. Thus, in a first section 9, first portions 10 of a total of three cut pieces 3 are arranged, and in a subsequent second section 9' (not fully shown), the corresponding second portions 11 of the three cut pieces 3 are arranged. In addition, due to the endless single-layer material web 19 on the in Fig.2 used safety distance between the individual sections (not explicitly shown here) can be omitted.

[0093] In addition, for example, an arrangement variant is also selected for the cutting part 2, in which the cutting part 2 of the cutting pattern 7 is made from the Fig.1 according to the Fig.4cThe individual cut pieces 2 are first shifted and / or rotated on the material web 19 in such a way that their space requirements are minimized. According to Fig.4c 8 cut parts 2 of a first group 8 are arranged over a length of 1440 millimeters. In this arrangement, calculating the space requirement shows that each cut part 2 only requires a length of 180 millimeters (1440 millimeters divided by the number 8). Since cut part 2 is required twice in cutting pattern 7, the space requirement for cut part 2 doubles to 360 millimeters in a single-type arrangement.

[0094] Due to the high number of cutting patterns 7 to be cut from the endless single-layer material web 19, Fig.4cmore than five cutting patterns 7 are placed on the material web 19, so that the cut pieces 2 from the group 8 of the first 8 cutting patterns 7 are nested into the following group 8' consisting of further cutting patterns 7. In this case, cut pieces 2 are placed across sections. Thus, in a first section 9, first portions 10 of a total of four cut pieces 2 are arranged, and in a subsequent second section 9', the corresponding second portions 11 of the four cut pieces 2 are arranged. Here, too, due to the endless single-layer material web 19 on the in Fig.2 The safety distance used between the individual sections 9 and 9' can be omitted.

[0095] In the calculation step, the cutting pattern 7 is cut according to Fig.1 from the arrangement variants according to the Fig.3 to Fig.4a until Fig.4ca total space requirement per cutting pattern 7 is determined. A cutting pattern 7 requires, if its cutting parts 1 to 6 are according to the Fig.3 , 4a to 4c are arranged with a total length of 1202 millimeters. This total length corresponds to the sum of the space requirements of the individual cut parts, namely 609 millimeters for the subset of cut parts 1, 4, and 6; 360 millimeters for cut part 2 (double); 141.46 millimeters for cut part 3; and 91.54 millimeters for cut part 5.

[0096] So if the cutting pattern 7 is Fig.1 according to the Fig.3 , 4a to 4c arranged, an 8% material saving is possible, because the required 1318.6 millimeters per cutting pattern 7 according to the arrangement variant from Fig.2 is reduced to 1202 millimeters per cutting pattern 7 according to the arrangement variant from the Fig.3 , 4a to 4c .

[0097] The cutting time for one of the cutting patterns 7 consisting of the nine cutting parts 1 to 6 is 7.2 seconds. This cutting time is composed as follows: The arrangement variant of the subset of the cutting pattern 7 in section 9 of the material web 19 according to Fig.3 is cut in 18 seconds, as a total of 10.3 meters of material can be cut per minute. Thus, a cutting time of 3.6 seconds is required for each subset of cut pieces 1, 4 (double), and 6 (double) (18 seconds divided by the number 5).

[0098] The arrangement variant of the cut part 5 of the cutting pattern 7 in section 9 of the material web 19 according to Fig.4a is cut in 18 seconds, as a total of 7.3 meters of material can be cut per minute. Thus, a cutting time of 0.75 seconds is required per cut part 5 (18 seconds divided by the number 24).

[0099] The arrangement variant of the cut part 3 of the cutting pattern 7 in section 9 of the material web 19 according to Fig.4b is cut in 25 seconds, as a total of 8.1 meters of material can be cut per minute. Thus, a cutting time of 1.04 seconds is required per cut part 3 (25 seconds divided by the number 24).

[0100] The arrangement variant of the cut part 2 of the cutting pattern 7 in section 9 of the material web 19 according to Fig.4c is cut in 6.2 seconds, since a total of 14 meters of material can be cut per minute. Thus, a cutting time of 0.8 seconds is required per cut part 2 (6.2 seconds divided by the number 8). Since two cut parts 2 are required in cutting pattern 7 according to Fig.1 , the cutting time for cut part 2 doubles to 1.6 seconds.

[0101] Finally, a specific arrangement variant for the cutting pattern 7 is selected and thus determined based on a previously determined calculation. This arrangement variant is then used for a large number of cutting patterns 7 to be cut and forms the basis for the cutting process. The cut parts 1 to 6 are arranged in the rectangular, repeating section 9 of the endless, single-layer material web 19, with at least one cut part 1 to 6 or at least one cutting pattern 7 being (only) partially contained in section 9.

[0102] In the Fig.5 to Fig.7 are arrangement variants for a Fig.1 alternative cutting pattern is shown. Fig.5 The cutting pattern shown is made up of seven different cut parts 12 to 18.

[0103] The individual cut parts 12 to 18 of the cutting pattern are made from Fig.5 for example, pure (as in Fig.6a to 6dshown in more detail) and the space required for each cut part is determined individually.

[0104] In a further arrangement variant, the individual cut parts 12 to 18 of the cutting pattern are, for example, divided into subsets (such as Fig.7 explained in more detail below) and the space requirements for each subset of cut parts 12 to 18 are determined. The cut parts 12 to 18 per subset are selected according to their size or shape. Neither the number of different cut parts 12 to 18 per subset nor the total number of cut parts 12 to 18 are limited.

[0105] Finally, all the different cutting parts 12 to 18 of the cutting pattern (as for example in Fig.5 shown) and the space requirement for the entire cutting pattern with all cut parts 12 to 18 or a group 8 of identical cutting patterns is determined.

[0106] For each layout variant, the space requirement and material waste are calculated, and then the layout variant with the lowest material waste is finally selected. For this purpose, various input parameters can be specified for the process, such as the maximum number of cutting patterns to be cut, a cut-off length, or even the minimum material waste to be achieved.

[0107] In Fig.5 A conventional arrangement variant of the seven different cutting parts 12 to 18 for a group 8 of eight identical cutting patterns is shown as an example. With the arrangement variant from Fig.5 eight cutting patterns, here eight airbags, can be cut from the material web 19. In Fig.5A total of 56 pattern pieces, 12 to 18, are shown and positioned. For orientation, three of the different pattern pieces, 12 to 18, are referenced with the letters a to c.

[0108] All cut parts 12 to 18 of group 8 of cutting patterns are placed over a length of 6800 millimeters, whereby in this exemplary arrangement variant, a 30 millimeter safety distance per transverse side (i.e., side length transverse to the material web 19) must be taken into account, thus a total safety distance of 60 millimeters is included. This arrangement variant according to Fig.5 can also be used for a cutting process with multiple layers of the material web 19 and the conventional simultaneous cutting by means of a cutting tool. This arrangement variant according to Fig.5For group 8 of the eight cutting patterns, a material web length of 6860 millimeters is required, so that for each cutting pattern a length of 857.5 millimeters (6860 millimeters divided by number 8) is used.

[0109] The invention now proposes to further reduce this space requirement per cutting pattern in order to minimize material waste. For this purpose, the required space is calculated for various other arrangement variants.

[0110] In the Fig.6a to Fig.6d The cut parts 12, 13, 14 and 18 of group 8 are placed in the same sorted manner from the same cutting patterns.

[0111] For example, an arrangement variant is selected for the cut part 12 in which the cut part 12 is arranged according to the Fig.6a The individual cut pieces 12 are first moved and / or rotated on the material web in such a way that their space requirements are minimized. Fig.6a28 cut pieces 12 of a group of identical cutting patterns are accommodated over a length of 798 millimeters. In this arrangement, calculating the space requirement shows that each cut piece 12 requires only a length of 29 millimeters (798 millimeters divided by the number 28).

[0112] Due to the high number of cutting patterns to be cut from the endless material web 19, Fig.6a Many more cutting patterns can be placed on the material web 19, so that the 28 cutting pieces 12 from group 8 of the cutting patterns are nested directly next to the following group 8' consisting of further cutting patterns or further cutting pieces 12. In addition, due to the endless material web 19 on the Fig.5 used safety distance between the individual sections (not explicitly shown here) can be omitted.

[0113] In this case, it can be provided that a cut part is placed in a repeating section 9 at maximum density with minimal length requirement of the material web 19. The number of cut parts placed in this section 9 can be less than the maximum total number of this cut part to be placed for a given number of cutting patterns 7.

[0114] In addition, for example, for the cut part 13, an arrangement variant is also selected in which the cut part 13 is arranged according to the Fig.6b The individual cut pieces 13 are first shifted and / or rotated on the material web 19 in such a way that their space requirements are minimized. Fig.6b a section part 13 is rotated by 180° to the adjacent section part 13 of this group 8. According to Fig.6b12 cut parts 13 of a group 8 are accommodated over a length of 262 millimeters. In this arrangement, calculating the space requirement shows that each cut part 13 only requires a length of 22 millimeters (262 millimeters divided by the number 12).

[0115] Due to the high number of cutting patterns to be cut from the endless single-layer material web 19, Fig.6b Many more cutting patterns can be placed on the material web 19, so that the cut parts 13 from group 8 of the first 12 cutting patterns are nested directly next to the following group 8' consisting of further cutting patterns or cut parts 13. In addition, due to the endless single-layer material web 19 on the Fig.5 used safety distance between the individual sections (not explicitly shown here) can be omitted.

[0116] In addition, for example, an arrangement variant is also selected for the cut part 14 in which the cut part 14 is arranged according to the Fig.6c The individual cut pieces 14 are first shifted and / or rotated on the material web 19 in such a way that their space requirements are minimized. Fig.6c 9 cut parts 14 of a group 8 are accommodated over a length of 268 millimeters. In this arrangement, calculating the space requirement shows that each cut part 14 only requires a length of 30 millimeters (268 millimeters divided by the number 9).

[0117] Due to the high number of cutting patterns to be cut from the endless single-layer material web 19, Fig.6cMany more cutting patterns can be placed on the material web 19, so that the cut parts 14 from group 8 of the first 9 cutting patterns are nested directly next to the following group 8' consisting of further cutting patterns or cut parts 13. In addition, due to the endless single-layer material web 19 on the Fig.5 used safety distance between the individual sections (not explicitly shown here) can be omitted.

[0118] In addition, for example, an arrangement variant is also selected for the cut part 18 in which the cut part 18 is arranged according to the Fig.6d The individual cut pieces 18 are first shifted and / or rotated on the material web 19 in such a way that their space requirements are minimized. According to Fig.6dFour sectional parts 18 of a group 8 are accommodated over a length of 1927 millimeters. In this arrangement, calculating the space requirement shows that each sectional part 18 requires only a length of 482 millimeters (1927 millimeters divided by the number 4).

[0119] Due to the high number of cutting patterns to be cut from the endless single-layer material web 19, Fig.6d Many more cutting patterns can be placed on the material web 19, so that the cut parts 18 from group 8 of the first 4 cutting patterns are nested into a following group 8' consisting of further cutting patterns or cut parts 18. In addition, due to the endless single-layer material web 19 on the Fig.5 used safety distance between the individual sections (not explicitly shown here) can be omitted.

[0120] In Fig.7Another arrangement variant for the cutting pattern is shown with only a subset of the different cutting parts 12 to 18 of the cutting pattern. In Fig.7 Only a subset consisting of cut pieces 15, 16, and 17 from all different cut pieces 12 to 18 of the same cutting pattern is placed. For six of this subset consisting of cut pieces 15, 16, and 17, a material web length of 1670 millimeters is required. Thus, calculating the space requirement shows that a material web length of 278 millimeters (1670 millimeters divided by the number 6) is required for each subset of the cutting pattern.

[0121] According to the invention, a plurality of cutting patterns are to be cut from the endless single-layer material web 19. Therefore, if more than 5 cutting patterns 7 are to be placed on the material web 19, the large-area cut parts 1 from group 8 of the first six cutting patterns are nested into the following group 8' consisting of a further five cutting patterns 7 to further reduce space requirements. In addition, due to the endless single-layer material web 19, Fig.5 The safety distance used between sections 9 and 9' can be omitted.

[0122] In the calculation step, in order to reduce the space required for cutting the cutting pattern from the arrangement variants according to the Fig.6a-6d until Fig.7 A total space requirement per cutting pattern is determined. A cutting pattern requires 12 to 18 cutting parts according to the Fig.6a-6d until Fig.7are arranged with a total length of 841 millimeters. This total length corresponds to the sum of the space requirements of the individual cut parts, namely 278 millimeters for the subset of cut parts 15, 16, and 17; 29 millimeters for cut part 12; 22 millimeters for cut part 13; 30 millimeters for cut part 14; and 482 millimeters for cut part 18.

[0123] If the cutting pattern is used instead of the arrangement according to Fig.5 with the arrangement according to the Fig.6a-6d until Fig.7 arranged, a 2% material saving is possible (857.5 millimeters per cutting pattern according to the arrangement variant from Fig.5 compared to 841 millimeters per cutting pattern according to the arrangement variant from the Fig.6a to 6d and Fig.7 ).

[0124] The cutting time for one of the cutting patterns is 6.6 seconds with two laser cutting scanners or 13 seconds with one laser cutting scanner.

[0125] Finally, a specific arrangement variant for the cutting pattern is selected and thus determined based on a previously determined calculation. This arrangement variant is then used for a large number of cutting patterns to be cut and forms the basis for the cutting process. The cut parts 12 to 18 are arranged in the rectangular, repeating section 9 of the endless single-layer material web 19, with at least one cut part 12 to 18 or at least one cutting pattern being (only) partially contained in section 9.

[0126] In order to achieve a reduction in material, the Fig.5 The cutting pattern shown is optimized according to the method according to the invention in order to determine a material-saving arrangement variant.

[0127] In Fig.8an exemplary embodiment of a method flow diagram according to the invention for a method 100 according to the invention is shown. In optional method step 101, parameters for the method are entered, for example, the length of section 9 or the number of cutting patterns to be cut is specified. In particular, it can be specified how many different cutting patterns, cut parts per cutting pattern, etc. are to be placed. In step 102, cut parts of at least one cutting pattern are placed on the material web. In step 103, the space requirement for the arrangement variant placed in step 102 is then calculated. Once a space requirement for an arrangement variant has been calculated, this calculated space requirement or a resulting material waste is compared with a threshold value X in the subsequent optional step 104.If the material waste is greater than the specified threshold X (no case in comparison step 104), an alternative arrangement variant is placed in step 102, the space requirement is recalculated for this in step 103, and the comparison step 104 is performed again. As soon as the material waste is below the threshold X (yes case in comparison step 104), the arrangement is determined in step 105. This determined arrangement can then be stored in a program memory. In step 106, the material web is cut based on the determined arrangement variant.

[0128] Within the scope of the invention, all described and / or drawn and / or claimed elements may be combined with one another as desired.

[0129] In particular, the minimum space requirement is calculated for several different arrangement variants. For example, a cut part of a cutting pattern is first placed on the material web. This arrangement is carried out according to the principle of maximum density over minimum length. This allows the calculation of the space required for a single-type arrangement for each cut part. This arrangement can initially be carried out separately for each cut part in order to calculate the minimum space requirement for the maximum number of single-type placements.

[0130] In a next step of the invention, first cut pieces of the cutting pattern can now be combined with second cut pieces of the cutting pattern. The minimum space requirement for this combination—previously referred to as a subset—is then calculated for the maximum number of combinations. The number of different cut pieces in a combination can be varied for different calculations, so that the minimum space requirement per length of material web is calculated first for two cut pieces of a cutting pattern, then for three or more cut pieces of a cutting pattern.

[0131] In this way, through various combinations in conjunction with a pure placement of the materials, an arrangement variant can be found that minimizes material waste. The arrangement variant includes at least one rectangular repeating section in which a cut part is only partially contained.

[0132] It's not necessarily just a required number of pattern pieces that are arranged. Rather, the required number of pattern pieces is achieved by repeating the section multiple times. If combinations (subsets) are then calculated, the desired number of pattern pieces is ultimately obtained by repeating this combination. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0133] 1-6 Cutting parts 1 to 6 20 Threshold for material waste 7 Cutting pattern 8, 8' Group of identical cut parts 101-106 Procedural steps 9, 9' repeating section 10 first portion of the cut part 11 second portion of the cut part 12a-c Cutting Part 1 13a-c Cutting Part 2 14a-c Cutting Part 3 15a-c Cutting Part 4 16a-c Cutting Part 5 17a-c Cutting Part 6 18a-c Cutting Part 7 19 Material web

Claims

1. Method for cutting cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18), the cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) forming a cutting pattern (7), including the method steps of: - cutting (106) the cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18), wherein the cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) are arranged in a rectangular, repeating section (9, 9') of an endless material web (19), wherein at least one of the cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) or at least one cutting pattern (7) is only partially included in the repeating section (9, 9'), characterized in that a predefined length of the material web (19) is not kept for completely arranging all cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) of a cutting pattern (7).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the material web (19) is woven and the cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) of the cutting pattern (7) form an airbag or the material web is a woven technical textile.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the material web (19) is made of one of the following materials: - a woven technical textile; - a metal sheet; - a foil; - paper or paperboard; and / or - a non-woven fabric.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, before the cutting step, the cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) are arranged in the repeating section (9, 9') of the endless material web (19), said arranging comprising the following steps: - calculating (103) a space requirement of the cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) in the section (9, 9') of the material web (19) for at least one arrangement variant of the cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) in this section (9, 9'), wherein at least one of the cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) or a cutting pattern (7) is partially (10, 11) included in the section (9, 9'); and - selecting (105) the arrangement variant of the cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) for this section (9, 9') on the basis of the result of the calculating step.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the selected arrangement variant is applied to all of the repeating sections (9, 9').

6. The method according to any one of claims 4 or 5, wherein the calculation (103) of the space requirement of the cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) in the section (9, 9') of the material web (19) is carried out on the basis of a single-type arrangement of the cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) in the section (9, 9') as an arrangement variant.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the calculation (103) of the space requirement of the cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) in the section (9, 9') of the material web (19) is carried out on the basis of a subset of different cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) in the section (9, 9') as an arrangement variant.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the selection of the different cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) is based on a subset according to an area of the cut piece (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) and / or a shape of the cut piece (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18).

9. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the calculation (103) of the space requirement of the cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) in the section (9, 9') of the material web (19) is carried out on the basis of all cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) of at least one cutting pattern (7) in the section (9, 9') as an arrangement variant.

10. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 9, wherein the selection (105) of the arrangement variant is carried out as soon as a predefined threshold value (20) for a material waste is reached, or as soon as a calculation time has exceeded a predefined threshold value.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, the section (9, 9') having a predefined length which can be set as input parameter for the method.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a number of at least one cutting pattern (7) to be cut is predetermined.

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) is displaced or rotated relative to another cut piece (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) for the arrangement of the cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) in a section (9, 9').

14. A computer program product for arranging cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) in a section (9, 9') of an endless material web (19), wherein program parts can be retrieved from a program memory which support the execution of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. An apparatus for cutting cut pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) from an endless material web (19), comprising: a cutting tool, and a controller configured to perform the method according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 13.