Workpiece manipulator

Abstract

The invention relates to a workpiece manipulator (1) for use with a radial forging press, comprising a workpiece gripper (4), wherein the workpiece gripper (4) is attached to a manipulator frame (2) guided linearly on a manipulator track, and wherein the workpiece gripper (4) forms a chuck with a fixed clamping axis (5) extending in the forging axis or parallel to the forging axis, so that the workpiece can be manipulated with a linear translational movement, wherein the manipulator frame (2) is guided on wheels (12) during the translational movement.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a workpiece manipulator for use with a radial forging press, comprising a workpiece tongs, wherein the workpiece tongs are fastened to a manipulator frame guided linearly on a manipulator track and wherein the workpiece tongs form a chuck with a fixed clamping axis extending in the forging axis or parallel to the forging axis, so that the workpiece can be manipulated with a linear translational movement of the manipulator frame.

[0002] A workpiece manipulator or forging manipulator is known, for example, from DE 10 2012 217 650 A1. This document describes a forging manipulator with a tong carrier for arranging a workpiece tong. The tong carrier is arranged in a translationally movable manipulator frame and can be variably positioned relative to the manipulator frame for handling a workpiece held in the workpiece tong. The tong carrier is connected to the manipulator frame on a translation axis via a spring device. The spring device is provided with a switching device for the defined release of the energy stored in the spring device.

[0003] Forging manipulators of the type mentioned in this publication are used in so-called open-die forging, in which the workpiece to be machined in a forging device designed as a forging press is held in a tong carrier of the forging manipulator and is brought into a desired relative position to the forging press by means of lifting, tilting or rotating movements of the tongs arranged in a manipulator frame of the forging manipulator in order to be formed in a defined manner by means of a press part of the forging device.

[0004] In open-die forging, it is necessary to actively hydraulically move the workpiece along half the press stroke, with shocks and impacts from the forging process being dampened by the manipulator's hydraulics.

[0005] In radial forging presses, it is common practice to guide the forging manipulator linearly along a manipulator track. In a radial forging press, the ingot to be forged is formed by several, usually four, forging tools simultaneously and synchronously engaging the circumference of the ingot, while the forging manipulator holds the rear end of the ingot. This necessitates the forging manipulator gripping and holding the workpiece in the forging axis. Manipulation of the forged workpiece is naturally only possible along the translational axis of the forging manipulator.

[0006] For example, DE 10 2014 226 384 A1 discloses a loading system and method for radial forging presses. The loading system comprises a linear guide system for the forging manipulator, which is integrated into a manipulator track below the floor level of the forging manipulator.

[0007] JP S63 180337A describes a pipe manufacturing plant with a forging press and a forging manipulator according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0008] Further prior art is described in the publications JP H05 285584 A, EP 2 243 572 A2, DE 37 26 763 A1, CN 111 167 989 A, DE 20 30 473 A1 and WO 88 / 06498 A1.

[0009] It is generally known that the horizontal guide of the forging manipulator can be designed as a sliding guide. Such a sliding guide has the disadvantage that an oil film must be permanently applied along the entire length of the guide to reduce friction and wear. The required oil quantity is not only determined by the amount required for lubrication alone, but also by the fact that contaminants in the form of scale that arise from the process must be rinsed off the guideway. This requires a large quantity of oil, which must be continuously applied, monitored, drained away, and treated. This also requires a correspondingly complex foundation and / or a basement below floor level in which the units required for lubrication must be housed.

[0010] Loss lubrication of the type described above has the disadvantage of high investment and maintenance costs.

[0011] The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a workpiece manipulator or forging manipulator for use with a radial forging press which requires less maintenance.

[0012] The invention is further based on the object of providing a workpiece manipulator for use with a radial forging press, which is suitable for absorbing the forces resulting from the forging process.

[0013] The object underlying the invention is achieved by a workpiece manipulator for use with a radial forging press having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the subclaims.

[0014] According to one aspect of the invention, a workpiece manipulator for use with a radial forging press is provided, wherein the workpiece tongs are fastened to a manipulator frame guided linearly on a manipulator track, and wherein the workpiece tongs form a chuck with a fixed clamping axis extending in the forging axis or parallel to the forging axis, so that the workpiece can be manipulated with a linear translational movement.

[0015] According to the invention, the manipulator frame is guided on rail-mounted wheels during the translational movement.

[0016] The workpiece manipulator is expediently designed so that only a single linear manipulation movement is possible, preferably in the forging axis or in the translation axis of the manipulator frame. The workpiece manipulator also expediently has a degree of rotational freedom, so that the workpiece, which is held by the workpiece clamp, can be rotated by an angle during successive tool movements.

[0017] The manipulator frame is expediently guided linearly, whereby for this purpose the workpiece manipulator is preferably guided by means of at least two guide rails or guideways laid within a floor level.

[0018] In the workpiece manipulator according to the invention, the manipulator frame comprises a chassis that is sprung and / or damped. This design has the advantage that the vertical forces resulting from the forging process in the form of shocks or impacts are absorbed, cushioned, and / or dampened, thereby mitigating the forces acting on individual wheels or rollers of the chassis.

[0019] The chassis may comprise a plurality of wheel groups. The wheel groups may each comprise a wheel carrier with a plurality of wheels.

[0020] The wheel groups or wheel carriers can each be mounted in a swinging / rocking manner to increase the load-bearing capacity of the individual wheels. For this purpose, for example, the wheel carriers can be pivotally mounted on the manipulator frame.

[0021] For example, a total of four wheel groups can be provided on the manipulator frame, with the manipulator frame each having two front and two rear wheel groups. The front wheel groups are expediently arranged at the same height on a side of the manipulator frame facing a tong carrier. The rear wheel groups can be arranged on the side of the manipulator frame facing away from the tong carrier.

[0022] In a particularly expedient and advantageous embodiment of the workpiece manipulator according to the invention, at least two wheel groups are each provided with spring and / or damper elements. In a particular embodiment, the two front wheel groups, i.e., the wheel groups arranged closest to the workpiece gripper, are provided with spring and / or damper elements. The spring and / or damper elements can be designed as simple spring dampers or as spring elements with an additional hydraulic damping system.

[0023] Preferably, each wheel carrier is supported on the manipulator frame by a plurality of spring and / or damper elements. A spring and / or damper element can be provided for each individual wheel arranged on the wheel carrier, so that the number of spring and / or damper elements corresponds to the number of wheels. The springs are preferably preloaded such that the dead weight of the manipulator is supported. Thus, when the manipulator is placed on the track, the springs are relieved of load.

[0024] In a suitable variant of the workpiece manipulator, each wheel carrier can comprise four wheels and four spring and / or damper elements.

[0025] Expediently, at least first front wheel groups and second rear wheel groups are provided on the manipulator frame in the direction of the translational movement, wherein the first wheel groups are arranged at a first small distance from the workpiece tongs or a tong carrier and the second wheel groups are arranged at a second larger distance from the workpiece tongs or the tong carrier.

[0026] As already mentioned above, the idler wheels interact with one or more guideways or one or more guide rails extending within the floor plane of the radial forging press. Brushes are expediently provided in front of and / or behind at least one idler wheel carrier, preferably in front of and / or behind all idler wheel carriers, which brush off any scale present on the guideway during the translational movement of the workpiece manipulator.

[0027] The workpiece clamp advantageously comprises a plurality of clamp legs arranged at equal spacing on a radius around the fixed clamping axis. Preferably, the workpiece clamp comprises four clamp legs arranged at equal spacing of 90° on the radius.

[0028] The invention also relates to a system for manipulating a forged workpiece on a radial forging press, comprising a workpiece manipulator with a workpiece tongs, which are preferably fastened to a tong carrier, wherein the workpiece tongs are fastened to a manipulator frame guided linearly on a manipulator track, and wherein the workpiece tongs form a chuck with a fixed clamping axis that extends in the forging axis or parallel to the forging axis, so that the tool can be manipulated with a linear translational movement, wherein the manipulator frame is guided on rail-mounted wheels during the translational movement. The system further comprises a manipulator track with at least two guide rails laid within a floor level, which form a guideway for the workpiece manipulator.

[0029] The invention is explained below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings.

[0030] They show: Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of the workpiece manipulator according to the invention and Figure 2 shows a detailed view of part of the chassis of the workpiece manipulator from Figure 1 .

[0031] The workpiece manipulator 1 according to the invention, which is designed as a forging manipulator for a radial forging press, comprises a manipulator frame 2 with a tong carrier 3 with a workpiece tong 4 attached thereto. The workpiece tong 4 comprises four tong limbs 6 arranged at equal distances from one another on a radius around a fixed clamping axis 5. When actuated, the tong limbs 6 perform a synchronous opening and closing movement in the same direction with respect to the clamping axis 5.

[0032] The workpiece manipulator 1 is linearly movable on a floor level 7 in front of a radial forging press (not shown), with the clamping axis 5 of the workpiece manipulator 1 extending within the forging axis of the radial forging press. The workpiece (not shown) in the form of a block or ingot to be forged is held at the end by the workpiece gripper 4 and fed to the radial forging press via a linear movement of the workpiece manipulator 1.

[0033] The workpiece or forging block gripped by the workpiece tongs 4, which has previously been lifted from a furnace in the forging heat to the height of the forging axis and then clamped by the workpiece tongs 4 in the forging axis or in the clamping axis 5, can be moved via a linear movement of the manipulator frame 2 on a guideway 8 during the forging process in only a linear manner corresponding to the translational movement of the manipulator frame 2. In addition, the workpiece tongs 4 can be rotated about the clamping axis 5. The manipulator frame 2 comprises a chassis which comprises two first front wheel carriers 9 and two second rear wheel carriers 10. The wheel carriers 9, 10 are pivotally connected to the manipulator frame 2 about a pivot axis 11 and each comprise four wheels 12 (see detailed view according to Figure 2 ).

[0034] The wheels 12 are each supported on a guideway 8 designed as a guide rail. The first front wheel carriers 9 are also supported against the manipulator frame 2 via spring / damping elements 13. The second rear wheel carriers 10, however, are hinged to the manipulator frame 2 without springs. List of reference symbols

[0035] 1Workpiece manipulator 2Manipulator frame 3Gripper carrier 4Workpiece gripper 5Clamping axis 6Gripper limb 7Floor level 8Guideway 9First wheel carrier 10Second wheel carrier 11Pivoting axes 12Wheels 13Spring / damping element

Claims

1. Workpiece manipulator (1) for use with a radial forging press, with a workpiece gripper (4), wherein the workpiece gripper (4) is secured to a manipulator frame (2) linearly guided on a manipulator travel track and wherein the workpiece gripper (4) forms a clamping chuck with a fixed clamping axis (5) which extends in the forging axis, so that the workpiece can be manipulated with a linear translation movement, wherein the manipulator frame (2) during the translation movement is rail-guided on track wheels (12), characterised in that the manipulator frame (2) comprises a chassis which is sprung and / or damped.

2. Workpiece manipulator (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the chassis comprises a plurality of track wheel groups.

3. Workpiece manipulator (1) according to claim 2, characterised in that the track wheel groups each comprise at least one track wheel carrier (9, 10) with a plurality of track wheels (12).

4. Workpiece manipulator (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that the track wheel carriers (9, 10) are each pivotably mounted on the manipulator frame (2).

5. Workpiece manipulator (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that at least two track wheel groups, preferably two forward, are each provided with spring and / or damper elements (13).

6. Workpiece manipulator (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterised in that each track wheel carrier (9, 10) is supported at the manipulator frame (2) by a plurality of spring and / or damper elements (13).

7. Workpiece manipulator (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the workpiece gripper (4) comprises a plurality of gripper limbs (6) arranged at the same spacing on a radius about the fixed clamping axis (5).

8. System for manipulation of a forged workpiece at a radial forging press, comprising a workpiece manipulator (1) with the features of any one of claims 1 to 7 and a manipulator travel track with at least two guide rails laid in a floor level (7).

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