METHOD FOR PRODUCING OLDER WORKPIECES AND MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT

Description

Technical area

[0001] The invention relates to a method and a manufacturing device for producing elongated workpieces. State of the art

[0002] Elongated workpieces are used to manufacture various products or objects that can be made at least partially from a wooden material. These can be, for example, wooden profiles for the production of window frames, furniture parts, or other construction elements. To produce the elongated wooden workpieces, long raw bars are first formed by joining individual, shorter starting workpieces, particularly by finger jointing, to form a long raw bar. Such raw bars have a defined length to enable uniform handling, particularly during transport, storage, and further processing. During further processing, the raw bars are cut to the required workpiece lengths for the production of a variety of products. The cutting process is optimized to minimize material waste.The workpieces are therefore not cut in an object-specific sequence, so that after cutting, they must be sorted according to the products to be manufactured. Automated sorting requires expensive sorting machines, and manual sorting is labor-intensive. Furthermore, the use of raw bars results in a certain amount of unavoidable material waste. Examples of previously known processes and production facilities for producing elongated workpieces can be found in EP 2 842 707 A1, DE 40 00 804 A1, DE 16 53 018 A1, NZ 524 672 A, and DE 25 45 274 A1. NZ 524 672 A discloses the preamble of the main claim. Description of the invention

[0003] The invention is based on the object of proposing a method that enables a reduction in manufacturing costs and material waste in the production of elongated workpieces. Furthermore, the object of the invention is to propose a manufacturing facility that enables the production of elongated workpieces with minimal material waste.

[0004] A method for manufacturing elongated workpieces is defined in claim 1. A manufacturing device is defined in claim 9. Subclaims relate to specific embodiments.

[0005] The object is achieved by a method for producing elongated workpieces, in particular workpieces made of wood, wood-based material, plastic, composite material or the like, for subsequent further processing into at least one object, the method comprising: feeding elongated starting workpieces to a device for connecting the starting workpieces, forming a permanent connection between the starting workpieces, wherein the starting workpieces are connected to one another at least at their end faces in order to form an elongated continuous workpiece, cutting a plurality of elongated workpieces to length from the continuous workpiece, wherein the elongated workpieces for the at least one object to be subsequently produced are cut to length from the continuous workpiece in a successive workpiece sequence, and carrying out a chip-removing longitudinal machining operation on the starting workpieces and / or on the continuous workpiece and / or on the cut-to-length workpieces.

[0006] By cutting the elongated workpieces for the at least one subsequently manufactured object in the sequential workpiece sequence, additional sorting of the cut workpieces after production is eliminated. Since the elongated workpieces are also machined by the cutting longitudinal machining process, the workpieces can be machined to a final shape and thus used immediately after the manufacturing process in the correct sequence and, if necessary, in the correct shape to produce the object. By cutting the elongated workpieces from the continuous workpiece, a plurality of elongated workpieces can be formed successively in a continuous manufacturing process.An endless workpiece is not a workpiece with an infinite length in the mathematical sense, but rather a workpiece that can have any length due to the continuous connection of the original workpieces.

[0007] The method provides that at least two workpieces of the cut-to-length workpieces intended for the at least one object to be subsequently produced are cut to length from the endless workpiece with a different workpiece length.

[0008] This provides a flexible process by which workpieces can be successively cut to any defined length from the continuous workpiece, depending on the object to be subsequently manufactured. This process can thus be used to produce workpieces of different lengths for different objects.

[0009] A particularly preferred development of the method can provide that a plurality of elongated workpieces for a plurality of objects to be subsequently produced are successively cut to length from the endless workpiece, in which the elongated workpieces provided for each object to be subsequently produced are each successively cut to length from the endless workpiece.

[0010] In contrast to cutting workpieces from raw bars of a defined length, which requires cutting in an unsorted sequence to optimize material waste, whereby a certain amount of material waste is unavoidable for each raw bar, this process allows the exact lengths required for the production of the respective object to be cut from the continuous workpiece one after the other. In this way, minimal material waste can be achieved or even avoided entirely. Furthermore, the workpieces for each of the subsequently manufactured objects can be manufactured in a sequential order, so that the workpieces are available in the object-specific order after the production process.This can, for example, enable cost-efficient small-series production of objects or be advantageous when frequently changing the production of different types of objects.

[0011] An advantageous embodiment of the method can also provide that the elongated workpieces are fed to a storage device and / or at least one further processing device after cutting to length or after the chip-removing longitudinal machining process in the object-related, successively cut workpiece sequence.

[0012] This enables easy handling of the cut workpieces, as they can be removed directly from the storage area in the object-specific workpiece sequence and prepared in this order for further processing or transport to a customer and / or forwarded to at least one additional processing device. Such an additional processing device can be, for example, a throughfeed processing device, a CNC processing device, or a CNC machining center.

[0013] Particularly preferably, the method can provide for the starting workpieces to be joined to one another by the device for joining the starting workpieces at their end faces by means of a finger joint profiling.

[0014] Joining the original workpieces using a finger joint enables a permanent and highly resilient connection between the original workpieces to form the endless workpiece.

[0015] An advantageous further development of the method can also provide that the starting workpieces and / or the continuous workpiece and / or the cut-to-length workpieces are fed to a machining device for chip-removing longitudinal machining at a feed rate of 6 to 15 m / min.

[0016] Depending on the length of the initial workpieces, the process can be performed at this relatively slow feed rate. This allows for low cycle rates, resulting in lower investment costs for the manufacturing facility executing the process.

[0017] In one embodiment of the method, it can be provided that the endless workpiece or the cut-to-length workpieces are coated with a coating material after the chip-removing longitudinal machining process.

[0018] This coating material can be, for example, a veneer or a foil, which is applied to the surface for aesthetic reasons and / or protection. The coating material can be applied in a continuous process, enabling a fast and cost-effective coating.

[0019] Particularly preferably, the method can provide for the starting workpieces and / or the continuous workpiece and / or the elongated workpieces to be longitudinally profiled and / or planed by the chip-removing longitudinal machining process.

[0020] Through such a longitudinal machining process, the cut workpieces can be brought into a final shape by the method, which allows the workpieces to be used directly for the production of a subsequently manufactured object. Preferably, the longitudinal machining process can be carried out on the continuous workpiece and / or the elongated workpieces in an immediate temporal sequence after the joining of the initial workpieces and / or the cutting of the workpieces. Preferably, the longitudinal machining process can be carried out on the continuous workpiece and / or the elongated workpieces without a drying process after the joining of the initial workpieces.

[0021] Advantageously, the method can provide for the process steps of joining the starting workpieces, cutting the elongated workpieces to length and carrying out the chip-removing longitudinal machining process to be carried out in a coherent manufacturing process.

[0022] Preferably, it can also be provided that the process steps of joining the starting workpieces, cutting the elongated workpieces to length, performing the cutting longitudinal machining process, and machining the elongated workpieces by the at least one further machining device are carried out in a continuous manufacturing process. This can create a preferably automated process that enables time- and cost-optimized production of the elongated workpieces.

[0023] In addition, the object is achieved by a manufacturing device for producing elongated workpieces, in particular workpieces made of wood, wood-based material, plastic, composite material or the like, with a conveying device for bringing about a conveying movement, with a device for permanently joining elongated starting workpieces to form a continuous workpiece and with a cutting device for cutting the continuous workpiece to length into elongated workpieces, wherein at least one processing device for cutting longitudinal machining is provided upstream and / or downstream of the device for permanently joining the elongated starting workpieces and a control device is provided which is configured to control a method according to one of the previously described embodiments.

[0024] This creates a manufacturing facility that can cut several elongated workpieces for various subsequent objects in a sequential workpiece sequence and simultaneously machine them longitudinally. The manufacturing facility enables production in an object-specific workpiece sequence, eliminating the need for additional sorting of the cut workpieces after production. The workpieces can therefore be used immediately after the manufacturing process in the correct sequence and, if necessary, in their final machined shape to produce the subsequent objects. Furthermore, because the workpieces are cut directly from the continuous workpiece, the exact lengths required for the subsequent objects can be cut from the continuous workpiece.In this way, minimal material waste can be achieved or even completely eliminated. Such a manufacturing facility can be advantageous, for example, for small-batch production of objects or when frequently switching between different types of objects.

[0025] An advantageous further development of the production device can provide that at least one further processing device for processing the cut-to-length workpieces is provided downstream of the cutting device or downstream of the at least one processing device.

[0026] This additional processing device can be designed, in particular, as a through-feed processing device, a CNC processing device, or a CNC machining center. This allows for further processing of the workpieces immediately after cutting them to length, for example, to produce a final shape in a subsequent processing step. Short description of the drawings

[0027] Further features and advantages of a device, a use, and / or a method will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings show: Fig. 1 is a schematic view from above of an exemplary embodiment of a manufacturing device according to the disclosure; Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of process steps for manufacturing elongated workpieces by the manufacturing device in Figure 1 ; Description of embodiments

[0028] The same reference numerals appearing in different figures indicate identical, corresponding, or functionally similar elements.

[0029] Figure 1 shows a schematic top view of an exemplary embodiment of a manufacturing device 10 according to the disclosure. This manufacturing device 10 is intended for processing and manufacturing elongated workpieces 27, in particular elongated workpieces 27 made of wood, wood-based material, plastic, composite material, or the like. Such elongated workpieces 27 are used, for example, as profile strips, decorative strips, or the like, which are used, among other things, in the production of furniture, windows, or building elements.

[0030] The following is based on Figure 1 an exemplary structure of the production facility 10 is explained. Subsequently, with reference to Figure 2a method according to the disclosure for producing elongated workpieces 27 by the production device 10 is described.

[0031] The production facility 10 has a substantially U-shaped arrangement. This U-shaped arrangement represents only an exemplary arrangement. Likewise, the production facility 10 can be arranged in a line, for example. The production facility 10 can have a raw material storage 12 that receives elongated starting workpieces 13 for feeding to the production facility 10. The starting workpieces 13 can be fed from the raw material storage 12 to the production facility 10 automatically or manually. The starting workpieces 13 can be so-called raw bars with a defined workpiece length. These can, for example, have a length of approximately 5 to 6 m. However, the length of the starting workpieces 13 is not limited to these lengths, and the starting workpieces 13 can also have different lengths. The elongated starting workpieces 13 are particularly made of solid wood.Likewise, the starting workpieces 13 can be formed by several shorter workpieces connected to one another by a finger joint and / or by several joined wooden lamellas.

[0032] The production device 10 has a conveyor device 14, by means of which a conveying movement is carried out in a respective direction by the Figure 1The conveying direction F indicated by the arrows shown is achieved. The conveying device 14 is designed in particular as a roller conveyor. The roller conveyor has drivable transport rollers, by means of which an automated conveying movement is provided. The feed speed of the conveying device 14 depends on the length of the starting workpieces 13. With the above-mentioned workpiece length of the starting workpieces 13 of approximately 5 to 6 m, the feed speed of the conveying device 14 can be approximately 6 to 15 m / min. In this way, a joining process of the starting workpieces 13, as described below, can take place at a work rate of 2 or less per minute.

[0033] In the conveying direction F of the conveying device 14, the production device 10 has a first cross-cut saw unit 16. Following the cross-cut saw unit 16, a device 17 is provided for joining the starting workpieces 13. The device 17 for joining the starting workpieces 13 is indicated by the dashed line in Figure 1clarified. The device 17 for joining the starting workpieces 13 comprises a milling unit 18, a glue application unit 19, a pressing unit 21, and a cross conveyor device 22. The cross conveyor device 22 conveys the starting workpieces 13 from the milling unit 18 to the glue application unit 19 and then to the pressing unit 21. The cross conveyor device 22 achieves a space-saving arrangement (the U-shaped arrangement) of the production device 10. As an alternative to the cross conveyor device 22, the conveyor device 14 can also be designed linearly, and the components of the device 17 for joining the starting workpieces 13 can be arranged along the linear conveyor device 14. The device 17 for joining the starting workpieces 13 joins the starting workpieces 13 together to form an endless workpiece 29, which will be described in more detail below.

[0034] In the conveying direction F, downstream of the device 17 for connecting the starting workpieces 13, a second cross-cut saw unit 23 is provided, by which the endless workpiece 29 is cut into defined elongated workpieces 27. To control the cutting of the workpiece 27, the second cross-cut saw unit 23 can be connected to a control device 25. The control device 25 can comprise a sensor unit for measuring the workpiece lengths of the workpieces 27. In the conveying direction F, downstream of the second cross-cut saw unit 23, a machining device 24 is arranged for the longitudinal machining of the workpieces 27 cut from the endless workpiece 29. The machining device 24 is, in particular, a planing device or a longitudinal profiling device. In the production device 10 according to Figure 1The chip-receiving processing device 24 is arranged only by way of example downstream of the second cross-cut saw unit 23 in the conveying direction F. Likewise and / or additionally, the processing device 24 can be arranged between the second cross-cut saw unit 23 and the device 17 for connecting the starting workpieces 13 and / or between the first cross-cut saw unit 16 and the device 17 for connecting the starting workpieces 13 and / or upstream of the first cross-cut saw unit 16 in the conveying direction F.

[0035] The production facility 10 may also include a coating device (not shown in detail). The coating device can be used to apply a coating material, such as a veneer or a film, to the continuous workpiece 29 or to the cut-to-length workpieces 27 in a continuous process.

[0036] Downstream of the machining device 24 in the conveying direction F, a storage device 26 is provided, which receives the workpieces 27 cut to length from the endless workpiece 29 and machined longitudinally by machining. The storage device 26 can, for example, be a pallet for further transport of the elongated workpieces 27 to a further machining device (not shown in detail). The further machining device can, for example, be designed as a through-feed machining device, as a CNC machining device, or as a CNC machining center. Such a further machining device can also be provided as an alternative to the storage device 26, so that the cut-to-length workpieces 27 are transferred from the production device 10 to this further machining device for further processing.For this purpose, it can be provided that the conveying device 14 is also formed between the further processing device and the production device 10.

[0037] The following is based on reference to Figure 2 a method according to the disclosure for manufacturing the elongated workpieces 27 is described. The capital letters A to E in Figure 2 the respective process steps to the corresponding units of the production facility 10, which carry out the respective process step, in Figure 1 to.

[0038] In process step A, the end faces 28 of the starting workpieces 13 are milled by the milling unit 18. Before the milling process, the ends of the starting workpieces 13 can be cut by the first cross-cut saw unit 16 and thus prepared or straightened for the milling process. The milling unit 18 forms, in particular, finger joints on both end faces 28 of the starting workpieces 13, as shown in the detailed view in the circle in Figure 2 is shown. By interlocking these finger joints, a permanent so-called finger joint connection can be formed between the starting workpieces 13.

[0039] After the end faces 28 of the starting workpieces 13 have been machined by the milling unit 18, the starting workpieces 13 are moved one after the other by the cross conveyor 22 in the conveying direction F. In process step B, the starting workpieces 13 are moved with one end face 28 to the glue application unit 19, by which an adhesive is applied to the respective end face 28. The adhesive can be a glue or adhesive.

[0040] In process step C, the starting workpieces 13 are fed one after the other by the cross conveyor device 22 to the pressing unit 21, which presses the starting workpieces 13 together with the end faces 28 facing each other. The finger joints formed on the end faces 28 engage with each other, so that drying of the adhesive forms a permanent and resilient connection between the starting workpieces 13. The pressing unit 21 can optionally have a drying unit (not shown in detail), for example a blower, a heating unit or an irradiation unit, which accelerates the drying process of the adhesive. In this way, by process step C, the starting workpieces 13 are connected to form the endless workpiece 29. The endless workpiece 29 is not to be considered endless or continuous in the mathematical sense.to be understood as infinite, but as a workpiece which is formed by the continuous execution of the joining process between the starting workpieces 13 according to method step C. Thus, the endless workpiece 29 forms a workpiece which can have any length, as long as a further starting workpiece 13 is joined to it by the device 17 for joining the starting workpieces 13 according to method step C.

[0041] After the initial workpieces 13 have been joined to form the continuous workpiece 29, in process step D the elongated workpieces 27 are cut to length from the continuous workpiece 29 by the second cross-cut saw unit 23, as indicated by the vertical lines in process step D. These cut-to-length workpieces 27 are intended for a subsequently manufactured object, which may be, for example, a window frame, a door frame, a piece of furniture, or another structural element. It is provided that the workpieces 27 for the subsequently manufactured object are cut to predetermined, defined workpiece lengths. In particular, it is provided that workpieces 27 for several subsequently manufactured objects are cut to length from the continuous workpiece 29 in a continuous production process.The objects to be manufactured can be different objects, for example door frames and window frames or the like, for which workpieces 27 with different lengths are cut to length.

[0042] The method according to the disclosure provides that the elongated workpieces 27 are successively cut to length from the endless workpiece 29 in an object-related workpiece sequence, wherein the workpieces 27 cut to length for the respective object to be subsequently manufactured can in particular have different lengths, as shown in method steps D and E. Thus, if workpieces 27 are cut to length from the endless workpiece 29 that are intended for different objects to be subsequently manufactured, in the object-related workpiece sequence, first all workpieces 27 for a first object to be subsequently manufactured are cut to length from the endless workpiece 29, then all workpieces 27 for a second object to be subsequently manufactured, then all workpieces 27 for a third object to be subsequently manufactured, etc.The object-related cutting of the workpieces 27 is carried out on the basis of a production list or parts list of the objects to be subsequently manufactured, which is stored in the control device 25.

[0043] In process step E, the machining device 24 carries out the chip-removing longitudinal machining process on the cut workpieces 27. A planing process and / or a profiling process can be carried out on the workpieces 27. As already mentioned with regard to Figure 1As described above, it should be noted in method step E that the machining longitudinal machining process can also be carried out prior to method step A and / or subsequent to method step A and / or prior to method step C. The method steps of joining the starting workpieces 13, cutting the workpieces 27 to length, and the machining longitudinal machining process can be carried out in immediate succession, preferably without a drying process after joining the starting workpieces 13.

[0044] Following process step E, the cut workpieces 27 are fed to the storage unit 26 in the object-related workpiece sequence. Likewise, after process step E, the cut workpieces 27 can be fed to the further processing device, for example, the through-feed processing device, CNC processing device, or CNC machining center, for one or more further processing operations.

Claims

1. Method for manufacturing elongate workpieces (27), in particular workpieces (27) consisting of wood, wood-based materials, plastics material, composite material or the like, for subsequent further processing into at least one object, wherein the method comprises: - feeding elongate starting workpieces (13) to a device (17) for connecting the starting workpieces (13), - forming a permanent connection between the starting workpieces (13), wherein the starting workpieces (13) are interconnected at least at the end faces (28) thereof in order to form an elongate endless workpiece (29), - cutting a plurality of elongate workpieces (27) to length from the endless workpiece (29), wherein the elongate workpieces (27) are cut to length in a successive sequence of workpieces from the endless workpiece (29) for the at least one object to be subsequently produced, and - performing a chip-removing longitudinal machining process on the starting workpieces (13) and / or on the endless workpiece (29) and / or on the cut-to-length workpieces (27), characterised in that at least two workpieces (27) of the cut-to-length workpieces (27) which are intended for the at least one object to be subsequently produced are cut to a different workpiece length from the endless workpiece (29).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein a large number of elongate workpieces (27) are further cut to length from the endless workpiece (29) for a plurality of objects to be subsequently produced, wherein the workpieces (27) are cut to length in an object-related workpiece sequence in which the elongate workpieces (27) intended for each object to be subsequently produced are cut to length in each case successively from the endless workpiece (29).

3. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the elongate workpieces (27), after being cut to length or after the chip-removing longitudinal machining process, are further fed to a supply store (26) and / or at least one further machining device in the object-related sequence of workpieces successively cut to length.

4. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the starting workpieces (13) are interconnected by the device (17) for connecting the starting workpieces (13) at the end faces (28) thereof by means of finger joint profiling.

5. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the starting workpieces (13) and / or the endless workpiece (29) and / or the cut-to-length workpieces (27) are fed to a machining device (24) for the chip-removing longitudinal machining at a feed speed of from 6 to 15 m / min.

6. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the endless workpiece (29) or the cut-to-length workpieces (27) are further coated with a coating material after the chip-removing longitudinal machining process.

7. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the starting workpieces (13) and / or the endless workpiece (29) and / or the cut-to-length workpieces (27) are further longitudinally profiled and / or planed by means of the chip-removing longitudinal machining process.

8. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the method steps of connecting the starting workpieces (13), cutting the elongate workpieces (27) to length and performing the chip-removing longitudinal machining process are further performed in a continuous manufacturing process.

9. Manufacturing device (10) for manufacturing elongate workpieces (27), in particular workpieces (27) consisting of wood, wood-based materials, plastics material, composite material or the like, comprising a conveying device (14) for bringing about a conveying movement, comprising a device (17) for permanently connecting elongate starting workpieces (13) into an endless workpiece (29) and comprising a trimming device (23) for cutting the endless workpiece (29) into elongate workpieces (27), characterised in that at least one machining device (24) for the chip-removing longitudinal machining is provided upstream and / or downstream of the device (17) for permanently connecting the elongate starting workpieces (13), and a control device (25) is provided which is configured to control a method according to any of claims 1 to 8.

10. Manufacturing device according to claim 9, wherein at least one further machining device for machining the cut-to-length workpieces (27) is provided downstream of the trimming device (23) or downstream of the at least one machining device (24).