Manufacturing method for laminated iron core and manufacturing device for laminated iron core

Abstract

To provide a manufacturing method for laminated iron cores and a manufacturing device for laminated iron cores that can improve yield and reduce manufacturing costs while suppressing generation of defective products or waste materials, even when a press processing machine does not temporarily punch out a strip metal sheet.SOLUTION: A manufacturing method for laminated iron cores includes forming a dummy laminate with a bonded block and a non-bonded laminate by performing a first process for forming the bonded block when a predetermined portion of a strip metal plate approaches an outer shape cutout portion, and a second process for forming the non-bonded laminate on the bonded block following the first process. The first process includes forming the bonded block by laminating punched members, to which adhesive is attached, in the outer shape cut out portion. The second process includes forming a non-bonded laminate in which the punched members are not bonded to each other by laminating punched members, to which adhesive is not attached, in the outer shape cutout portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a laminated core. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus for manufacturing a laminated core by stacking and bonding a plurality of thin iron core plates with an adhesive. The apparatus includes an outline punch and outline punching die that punch out the outlines of metal pieces of a predetermined shape from a thin steel plate, an adhesive application unit that applies adhesive to the underside of the thin steel plate and the portions that will become the metal pieces, and a stack holding member (e.g., a squeeze ring) that is positioned below the outline punching die and inside which the metal pieces are stacked. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-035242 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure describes a manufacturing method and a manufacturing device for a laminated iron core that can improve yield and reduce manufacturing costs while suppressing the generation of defective products and waste materials, even when a situation arises in which a strip metal plate is temporarily not punched in a press processing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One example of a method for manufacturing a laminated core includes: supplying adhesive to at least a portion of a predetermined region of the metal strip that will become a punched member while intermittently feeding the metal strip sequentially along its longitudinal direction; punching the predetermined region of the metal strip to form a punched member with adhesive when the predetermined region of the metal strip reaches an outline punching section of a press processing device; sequentially stacking the punched members with adhesive in the outline punching section and joining the punched members in the stacking direction to form a laminate; and performing a first process of forming a bonded block when a detection unit detects that the predetermined portion of the metal strip has approached the outline punching section, and a second process of forming a non-bonded laminate on the bonded block following the first process, thereby forming a dummy laminate including the bonded block and the non-bonded laminate. The first process includes punching the adhesive-applied punched member from just before the metal strip and stacking the adhesive-applied punched members in the outline punching section to form the bonded block. The second process includes punching out a punched member to which no adhesive is applied from the immediately preceding portion of the metal strip plate, the immediately succeeding portion of the metal strip plate, or another metal strip plate, and stacking the punched members to which no adhesive is applied within the outer cutout portion to form a non-adhesive laminate in which the punched members are not bonded to each other. The immediately preceding portion of the metal strip plate is a portion of the metal strip plate between a portion of the metal strip plate located at the point of the outer cutout portion and a predetermined portion of the metal strip plate. The immediately succeeding portion of the metal strip plate is a portion of the metal strip plate downstream of the predetermined portion of the metal strip plate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the laminated iron core manufacturing method and laminated iron core manufacturing apparatus disclosed herein, even if a situation arises in which the metal strip plate is temporarily not punched out in the press processing device, it is possible to improve yield and reduce manufacturing costs while suppressing the generation of defective products and waste materials. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a manufacturing apparatus for a laminated iron core. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view mainly showing an example of a press working device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the outline punching portion and its surrounding area, illustrating how the metal strip is punched out by the outline punching die and the outline punch. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the outline punching portion and its surrounding area, showing the outline punching punch raised above the outline punching die. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining how a plurality of punched members are punched out of a strip-shaped metal plate and stacked in a through-hole. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining how a plurality of punched members are punched out of a strip-shaped metal plate and stacked in a through hole. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining how a plurality of punched members are punched out of a strip-shaped metal plate and stacked in a through hole. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining how a plurality of punched members are punched out of a strip-shaped metal plate and stacked in a through hole. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining how a plurality of punched members are punched out of a strip-shaped metal plate and stacked in a through hole. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining how a plurality of punched members are punched out of a strip-shaped metal plate and stacked in a through hole. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining how a plurality of punched members are punched out of a strip-shaped metal plate and stacked in a through hole. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the outline cutout portion and its surrounding area, illustrating an example in which a plurality of dummy laminates are positioned within the through-hole. [Figure 13]Figure 13(a) is a top view showing an example of obtaining a punched member that will become a stator laminated core and a punched member that will become a rotor laminated core from a single strip metal plate using co-cutting processing, and Figure 13(b) is a top view showing an example of obtaining multiple punched members from a single strip metal plate using multi-row cutting processing. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a laminated core manufacturing apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In the following description, the same elements or elements having the same functions will be designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Note that in this specification, when referring to the top, bottom, right, and left of a figure, the directions of the reference numerals in the figure will be used as the reference.

[0009] [Laminated iron core manufacturing equipment] A laminated core manufacturing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to Figure 1. The manufacturing apparatus 100 is configured to manufacture a laminated body 1 (see Figure 2, etc.) from a strip-shaped metal plate MS. The laminated body 1 may be, for example, a member for forming a rotor laminated core that constitutes a rotor, or a member for forming a stator laminated core that constitutes a stator. In the following, as an example, the laminated body 1 will be described as a member for forming a rotor laminated core.

[0010] The manufacturing apparatus 100 includes an uncoiler 110, a delivery device 120 (delivery section), a liquid supply device 130, a detection section 140, a press working device 200, and a controller Ctr (control section).

[0011] The uncoiler 110 is configured to rotatably hold the coil material 111. The coil material 111 is a strip-shaped metal plate MS wound in a coil shape (spiral shape).

[0012] The feeding device 120 includes a pair of rollers 121, 122 that sandwich the strip metal plate MS from above and below. The pair of rollers 121, 122 are configured to rotate and stop based on instruction signals from the controller Ctr, and to intermittently feed the strip metal plate MS sequentially along its longitudinal direction toward the press processing device 200.

[0013] The liquid supply device 130 is disposed between the uncoiler 110 and the press processing device 200. The liquid supply device 130 is configured to supply liquid to the metal strip MS. The liquid supplied by the liquid supply device 130 may be, for example, a hardening accelerator for the adhesive, or oil for reducing frictional resistance when punching the metal strip MS or the bite of punches P1 to P3 (described later) into the metal strip MS.

[0014] The liquid supply device 130 may supply liquid to the surface of the metal strip MS opposite to the surface to which adhesive is supplied. In the example of Fig. 1, the liquid supply device 130 supplies liquid to the upper surface of the metal strip MS. Alternatively, the liquid supply device 130 may supply liquid to both surfaces (upper and lower surfaces) of the metal strip MS.

[0015] 1, the liquid supply device 130 may be a roller extending in the width direction of the metal strip MS. In this case, the surface of the roller comes into contact with the surface of the metal strip MS, so that the liquid held on the surface of the roller is applied to the surface of the metal strip MS. The liquid supply device 130 may be configured to eject or spray the liquid from a nozzle, for example.

[0016] The detection unit 140 may be, for example, a sensor configured to read an index M attached to the strip metal plate MS. The detection unit 140 is configured to transmit the read information to the controller Ctr. The index M may be attached, for example, near the rear end edge of the strip metal plate MS to indicate the position of the rear end edge. The index M may be attached, for example, near a weld or defect present in the strip metal plate MS to indicate the position of the weld or defect. Alternatively, the detection unit 140 may be, for example, a sensor (such as an imaging sensor) configured to capture an image of the surface of the strip metal plate MS. In this case, the detection unit 140 is configured to transmit the captured image to the controller Ctr.

[0017] The press working device 200 is configured to operate based on an instruction signal from the controller Ctr. The press working device 200 may be configured, for example, to sequentially punch a strip-shaped metal plate MS fed by the feed device 120 with a plurality of punches to form a plurality of punched members W (see FIG. 2, etc.). The press working device 200 may be configured to apply an adhesive to the strip-shaped metal plate MS during the punching process. The press working device 200 may be configured to sequentially stack a plurality of punched members W obtained by punching to form a laminate 1. Details of the press working device 200 will be described later.

[0018] The controller Ctr is configured to generate instruction signals for operating the delivery device 120, the liquid supply device 130, and the press working device 200, based on, for example, a program recorded on a recording medium (not shown) or operation input from an operator. The controller Ctr is configured to transmit the instruction signals to the delivery device 120, the liquid supply device 130, and the press working device 200, respectively.

[0019] When the controller Ctr receives information that the detection unit 140 has read the index M, the controller Ctr may temporarily stop the stamping device 200 when the portion of the strip metal sheet MS marked with the index M reaches an outline punching section 240 (described later) of the stamping device 200. The controller Ctr may be configured to calculate the length of the strip metal sheet MS until the portion of the strip metal sheet MS marked with the index M reaches the outline punching section 240 of the stamping device 200, based on the information received from the detection unit 140. In this specification, when the controller Ctr receives information about the index M, the portion of the strip metal sheet MS between the portion of the strip metal sheet MS located at the outline punching section 240 and the portion of the strip metal sheet MS marked with the index M is referred to as the immediately preceding portion of the strip metal sheet MS. In other words, the controller Ctr may be configured to calculate the length of the immediately preceding portion of the strip metal sheet MS. The controller Ctr may calculate the number of punched members W that can be punched out from the immediately preceding portion of the strip-shaped metal plate MS based on the calculated length of the immediately preceding portion and the outer size of the punched members W.

[0020] If the detection unit 140 is a sensor that captures an image of the surface of the strip metal plate MS, the controller Ctr may identify a detection-required portion of the strip metal plate MS based on the captured image received from the detection unit 140, using a technique such as image processing. The detection-required portion may be, for example, a portion of the strip metal plate MS marked with an index M, the rear edge of the strip metal plate MS, or a portion of the strip metal plate MS where a weld, a defect, or the like is present. When the controller Ctr determines that a detection-required portion exists as a result of the identification, the controller Ctr may be configured to calculate the length of the strip metal plate MS from the detection-required portion to the outer punched portion 240. In this specification, when the controller Ctr identifies a detection-required portion, the portion of the strip metal plate MS between the portion of the strip metal plate MS located at the outer punched portion 240 and the detection-required portion of the strip metal plate MS is also referred to as the “immediately preceding portion of the strip metal plate MS.”

[0021] [Details of press processing equipment] Next, the press working apparatus 200 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 2. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the press working apparatus 200 includes a lower die 210, an upper die 220, and a press 230. The lower die 210 includes a base 211, a die holder 212 (base), die members D1 to D3, a supply unit U (supply section), a plurality of guide posts 213, and a transport mechanism 214.

[0022] The base 211 is fixed to, for example, the floor surface and functions as a foundation for the entire stamping apparatus 200. The die holder 212 is supported on the base 211. A plurality of discharge holes C1 to C3 are formed in the die holder 212. The plurality of discharge holes C1 to C3 may extend vertically inside the die holder 212. Materials (e.g., punched members W, waste materials, etc.) punched from the strip-shaped metal plate MS are discharged through the plurality of discharge holes C1 to C3.

[0023] The die members D1 to D3 and the supply unit U are attached to the upper part of the die holder 212. The die member D1, the die member D2, the supply unit U, and the die member D3 are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the strip-shaped metal sheet MS.

[0024] The die member D1 includes a die plate D11 and a die D12. The die plate D11 is configured to hold the die D12 in a through hole provided in the center. The die D12, together with a punch P1 (described later), constitutes a first punching unit for punching the strip-shaped metal plate MS. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the die D12 is formed with a die hole D13 that penetrates in the vertical direction.

[0025] The die hole D13 may have a shape corresponding to, for example, a plurality of magnet insertion holes arranged in a line along the outer circumferential surface of the laminate 1. The plurality of magnet insertion holes may penetrate the entire laminate 1 in the stacking direction. The plurality of magnet insertion holes may be arranged at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the laminate 1. After the laminate 1 is formed, the following processes may be performed: inserting at least one permanent magnet into each magnet insertion hole; and injecting molten resin into each magnet insertion hole and solidifying it to fix the permanent magnet in each magnet insertion hole.

[0026] The die hole D13 is in communication with the discharge hole C1. The punch P1 is inserted into and removed from the die hole D13, whereby the first punching unit punches out the strip metal sheet MS in a shape that follows the contour of the die hole D13. The metal piece punched out of the strip metal sheet MS is discharged to the outside of the stamping device 200 through the discharge hole C1.

[0027] The die member D2 includes a die plate D21 and a die D22. The die plate D21 is configured to hold the die D22 in a through hole provided in the center. The die D22, together with a punch P2 (described later), constitutes a second punching unit for punching the strip-shaped metal plate MS. The die D22 is formed with a die hole D23 that penetrates in the vertical direction.

[0028] The die hole D23 may have a shape corresponding to, for example, a central hole formed in the center of the laminate 1. The central hole may penetrate the entire laminate 1 in the stacking direction. After the laminate 1 is formed, a process may be performed in which a shaft is inserted into the central hole and the shaft is fixed to the laminate 1.

[0029] The die hole D23 is connected to the discharge hole C2. By inserting and removing the punch P2 into the die hole D23, the second punching unit punches out the strip-shaped metal sheet MS in a shape that follows the outline of the die hole D23. The metal piece punched out of the strip-shaped metal sheet MS is discharged to the outside of the stamping device 200 through the discharge hole C2.

[0030] The supply unit U is configured to supply adhesive AD to the underside of the metal strip MS. Specifically, the supply unit U is configured to supply adhesive AD to at least a part of a predetermined region of the metal strip MS that will become the punched member W. The supply unit U includes a supply plate U1, a liquid source U2, a liquid delivery mechanism U3, and a drive mechanism U4.

[0031] The supply plate U1 is, for example, a rectangular plate-like body. A flow path U1a configured to allow the adhesive AD to flow therethrough and a plurality of discharge ports U1b are formed inside the supply plate U1. The flow path U1a branches and extends to each of the plurality of discharge ports U1b. The plurality of discharge ports U1b are arranged at approximately equal intervals on the circumference of a predetermined imaginary circle so as to form a circular shape as a whole when viewed from above.

[0032] The liquid source U2 is a container that stores adhesive AD. For example, an acrylic or epoxy adhesive may be used as the adhesive AD. The adhesive AD may be a one-component adhesive or a two-component mixed adhesive. The liquid source U2 is connected to the flow path U1a by a pipe U5. The liquid source U2 may be disposed outside the lower mold 210, rather than inside the die holder 212.

[0033] The liquid supply mechanism U3 is disposed midway along the pipe U5. The liquid supply mechanism U3 operates based on instructions from the controller Ctr and is configured to supply the adhesive AD from the liquid source U2 to the flow path U1a. The liquid supply mechanism U3 may be, for example, a pump. The liquid supply mechanism U3 may be disposed outside the lower mold 210, rather than within the die holder 212.

[0034] The drive mechanism U4 is configured to move the supply plate U1 up and down based on a command signal from the controller Ctr. The drive mechanism U4 may be configured to move the supply plate U1 between, for example, an elevated position and a lowered position. The elevated position is, for example, a position where the upper surface (surface) of the supply plate U1 is substantially aligned with the upper surfaces (surfaces) of the die plates D11, D21, and D31 (the die plate D31 will be described later). The lowered position is, for example, a position where the upper surface (surface) of the supply plate U11 is lower than the upper surfaces (surfaces) of the die plates D11, D21, and D31. The drive mechanism U4 may be disposed outside the lower mold 210, rather than within the die holder 212.

[0035] The die member D3 includes a die plate D31 and a die D32 (outer shape punching die). The die plate D31 is configured to hold the die D32 in a through hole provided in the center. The die D32 may be held so as to be rotatable relative to the die plate D31 around a central axis extending along the vertical direction. A rotary holder for holding the die D32 may be interposed between the die plate D31 and the die D32, and the rotary holder may be held so as to be rotatable relative to the die plate D31.

[0036] The die D32, together with a punch P3 (outer shape punch) and a squeeze ring E (described later), constitutes an outer shape punching section 240 for punching the metal strip MS to form the laminate 1. The die D32 has a die hole D33 formed therethrough in the vertical direction. The die hole D33 may have a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the laminate 1, for example.

[0037] The die hole D33 is connected to the discharge hole C3. A punch P3 is inserted into and removed from the die hole D33, whereby the outer shape punching section 240 punches out a strip-shaped metal sheet MS into a shape that follows the contour of the die hole D33. Each punched member W punched out from the strip-shaped metal sheet MS is stacked on top of a previously punched member W while being bonded to each other with an adhesive AD. When a predetermined number of punched members W are stacked in the die hole D33 and the squeeze ring E, the resulting stack 1 is placed on the conveying mechanism 214 through the discharge hole C3 and conveyed out of the stamping device 200 by the conveying mechanism 214.

[0038] The plurality of guide posts 213 extend linearly upward from the die holder 212. The plurality of guide posts 213, together with guide bushes 221a (described later), are configured to guide the upper die 220 in the up and down direction. Note that the plurality of guide posts 213 may be attached to the upper die 220 so as to extend downward from the upper die 220.

[0039] The transport mechanism 214 is configured to operate based on instructions from the controller Ctr and send the laminate 1 discharged from the squeeze ring E to a subsequent device (for example, a permanent magnet insertion device, a molten resin filling device, a welding device, etc.). The transport mechanism 214 may be, for example, a belt conveyor.

[0040] The upper die 220 includes a punch holder 221, a stripper 222, and a plurality of punches P1 to P3. The punch holder 221 is disposed above the die holder 212 so as to face the die holder 212. The punch holder 221 is configured to hold the plurality of punches P1 to P3 on its lower surface side.

[0041] The punch holder 221 is provided with a plurality of guide bushes 221a. The plurality of guide bushes 221a are positioned so as to correspond to the plurality of guide posts 213, respectively. The guide bushes 221a are cylindrical, and the guide posts 213 can be inserted through the internal spaces of the guide bushes 221a. Note that when the guide posts 213 are attached to the upper mold 220, the guide bushes 221a may be provided in the lower mold 210.

[0042] A plurality of through holes 221b are provided in the punch holder 221. Steps are formed on the inner circumferential surfaces of the through holes 221b, so that the diameter of the upper part of the through holes 221b is set smaller than the diameter of the lower part of the through holes 221b.

[0043] The stripper 222 is configured to remove the metal strip MS that has bitten into the punches P1 to P3 from the punches P1 to P3 when the punches P1 to P3 punch out the metal strip MS. The stripper 222 is disposed between the die members D1 to D3 and the punch holder 221.

[0044] The stripper 222 is connected to the punch holder 221 via a connecting member 222a. The connecting member 222a includes an elongated main body and a head provided at the upper end of the main body. The main body of the connecting member 222a is inserted into the lower part of the through-hole 221b and is movable up and down within the through-hole 221b. The lower end of the main body of the connecting member 222a is fixed to the stripper 222. A biasing member 222b (e.g., a compression coil spring) configured to apply a biasing force to the punch holder 221 and the stripper 222 in a direction separating them may be attached around the main body of the connecting member 222a.

[0045] The head of the connecting member 222a is disposed above the through-hole 221b. When viewed from above, the outer shape of the head of the connecting member 222a is set to be larger than the outer shape of the main body of the connecting member 222a. Therefore, the head of the connecting member 222a can move up and down above the through-hole 221b, but the step of the through-hole 221b functions as a stopper to prevent the head from moving below the through-hole 221b. Therefore, the stripper 222 is suspended and held by the punch holder 221 so as to be movable up and down relative to the punch holder 221.

[0046] The stripper 222 is provided with through holes at positions corresponding to the punches P1 to P3. Each through hole extends in the vertical direction. When viewed from above, each through hole communicates with a corresponding die hole D13, D23, D33. The lower portions of the punches P1 to P3 are inserted into each through hole. The lower portions of the punches P1 to P3 are slidable within each through hole.

[0047] The punches P1 to P3 are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side of the stamping device 200. The lower ends of the punches P1 to P3 have shapes corresponding to the die holes D13, D23, and D33, respectively.

[0048] The press machine 230 is located above the upper die 220. The press machine 230 is connected to the punch holder 221, and operates based on a command signal from the controller Ctr. When the press machine 230 operates, the upper die 150 moves up and down as a whole.

[0049] [Details of outer cutout] Next, the outline punching section 240 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The outline punching section 240 includes a punch P3, a die D32, a squeeze ring E, a drive mechanism 241, a cylinder 242, and a pusher 243. The punch P3 and the die D32 have already been described, so their description will be omitted.

[0050] The squeeze ring E is cylindrical and is housed in a recess C4 provided in the die holder 212. The die D32 may be placed on the squeeze ring E. Alternatively, the die D32 may be positioned above the squeeze ring E while being spaced apart from the squeeze ring E. A through hole E1 extending through the center of the squeeze ring E communicates with a die hole D33 of the die D32. In other words, the die hole D33 and the through hole E1 extend through the die D32 and the squeeze ring E and together form a single through hole H.

[0051] The shape of the through hole E1 of the squeeze ring E may be substantially the same as the shape of the die hole D33 of the die D32 when viewed from above. The shape of the through hole E1 of the squeeze ring E may be set to be slightly smaller than the shape of the die hole D33 of the die D32 when viewed from above. In this case, when the punched member W punched by the die D32 passes through the die D32 and reaches the squeeze ring E, lateral pressure acts on the punched member W from the outer periphery toward the inside. Therefore, the punched member W is held by the squeeze ring E and is less likely to fall downward, which makes it possible to more reliably bond the punched member W to the subsequent punched member W. In other words, a predetermined number of punched members W are fastened to each other within the squeeze ring E with the adhesive AD, thereby forming the laminate 1.

[0052] The drive mechanism 241, the cylinder 242, and the pusher 243 are disposed inside the discharge hole C3. The drive mechanism 241 is configured to drive the cylinder 242 in the up and down direction based on a command signal from the controller Ctr.

[0053] The cylinder 242 is located below the die D32 and the squeeze ring E. The cylinder 242 is configured to elastically support the punched member W punched out of the strip-shaped metal plate MS by the punch P3 and exposed downward from the squeeze ring E. This prevents the punched member W ejected from the squeeze ring E from dropping. The cylinder 242 may include a buffer mechanism that supports the cylinder 242 at a predetermined pressure to absorb the impact force from the punch P3 when punching out the strip-shaped metal plate MS. The cylinder 242 may be configured, for example, as a hydraulic cylinder.

[0054] For example, the cylinder 242 may be driven by the drive mechanism 241 so as to move intermittently downward each time the punch P3 punches out the punched member W from the strip-shaped metal plate MS with the punch W placed on the cylinder 242. The outer shape of the cylinder 242 may be set to be larger than the through hole E1 of the squeeze ring E. In other words, the cylinder 242 may be configured so that its tip does not enter the through hole E1 of the squeeze ring E.

[0055] The pusher 243 is configured to deliver the laminate 1 on the cylinder 242 to the transport mechanism 214 based on an instruction signal from the controller Ctr. The laminate 1 delivered to the transport mechanism 214 is transported to the outside of the press working device 200.

[0056] [Method of manufacturing laminate] Next, a method for manufacturing the laminate 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0057] First, the metal strip MS is intermittently fed by the feeding device 120 to the press working device 200. At this time, a liquid (hardening accelerator) is supplied by the liquid supply device 130 to the surface of the metal strip MS.

[0058] Next, the strip metal plate MS is intermittently fed by the feeding device 120, and when a predetermined portion of the strip metal plate MS reaches the die member D1, the press machine 160 operates to push the upper die 220 downward toward the lower die 210. Even after the stripper 222 reaches the strip metal plate MS and the strip metal plate MS is clamped between the stripper 152 and the die member D1, the press machine 230 continues to push the upper die 220 downward.

[0059] At this time, the stripper 222 does not move, but the punch holder 221 and punches P1 to P3 continue to descend. Therefore, the tips of the punches P1 to P3 move downward within the respective through holes of the stripper 222 and further reach the die holes D13, D23, and D33. During this process, the punch P1 punches out the strip-shaped metal sheet MS along the die hole D13. As a result, a portion that will become the magnet insertion hole of the punching member W is formed in the strip-shaped metal sheet MS. The punched waste material is discharged from the discharge hole C1. Thereafter, the press machine 160 operates to raise the upper die 150.

[0060] Next, the strip metal plate MS is intermittently fed by the feeding device 120, and when a predetermined portion of the strip metal plate MS reaches the die member D2, the press machine 230 moves the upper die 220 up and down, and the punch P2 punches out the strip metal plate MS, as described above. This forms a portion of the strip metal plate MS that will become the center hole of the punched member W. The punched waste material is discharged from the discharge hole C2.

[0061] Next, the metal strip MS is intermittently fed by the feeding device 120, and when a predetermined portion of the metal strip MS reaches the supply unit U, the upper die 220 is moved up and down by the press machine 230 in the same manner as above.

[0062] Here, a case where the supply plate U1 is in the raised position based on an instruction from the controller Ctr to the drive mechanism U4 will be described. At this time, when the upper mold 220 is lowered by the press machine 230, a predetermined portion of the strip-shaped metal plate MS is clamped between the supply plate U1 and the stripper 222.

[0063] Next, the controller Ctr instructs the liquid supply mechanism U3 to extrude the adhesive AD toward the plurality of discharge ports U1b, whereby the adhesive AD discharged from the plurality of discharge ports U1b is supplied to the strip-shaped metal plate MS, thereby applying the adhesive AD to predetermined locations in the region of the strip-shaped metal plate MS that will become the punched member W.

[0064] On the other hand, a case where the supply plate U1 is in the lowered position will be described. At this time, when the upper mold 220 is lowered by the press machine 230, the front surface of a predetermined portion of the strip metal sheet MS comes into contact with the stripper 222, but the back surface of the predetermined portion of the strip metal sheet MS does not come into contact with the supply plate U1. Therefore, when the upper mold 220 moves up and down, the strip metal sheet MS is kept separated from the multiple discharge ports U1b, so that the adhesive AD is not applied to the strip metal sheet MS.

[0065] Next, the metal strip MS is intermittently fed by the feeding device 120, and when a predetermined portion of the metal strip MS reaches the outer diameter punching section 240, the upper die 220 is moved up and down by the press machine 230 in the same manner as described above. As the punch P3 descends and reaches the lowered position, the punch P3 performs a punching process (outer diameter punching process) on the metal strip MS, as illustrated in FIG. 3. This forms a punched member W having an adhesive AD applied to its underside, or a punched member W having no adhesive AD applied at all. The latter punched member W constitutes the bottom layer of the laminate 1, and the former punched member W may constitute a layer other than the bottom layer of the laminate 1.

[0066] Next, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the punch P3 rises. As a result, the punched punched member W is stacked on the previously punched punched member W in the through hole H and bonded to the previously punched punched member W by the adhesive AD. Because a liquid (hardening accelerator) has been applied to the upper surface of the previously punched punched member W and adhesive AD has been applied to the lower surface of the subsequently punched punched member W, stacking these punched members W on top of each other promotes hardening of the adhesive AD.

[0067] When punching the punched members W, in order to roll the punched members W, the controller Ctr may instruct the drive mechanism (not shown) to rotate the die D32 and squeeze ring E by a predetermined angle together with the punched members W in the through hole H before the punch P3 punches the strip-shaped metal plate MS. When a predetermined number of punched members W are stacked in the through hole H, the stack 1 is completed.

[0068] Next, as illustrated in FIG. 5, when the laminate 1 is ejected from the lower end of the squeeze ring E while being supported by the cylinder 242, that is, when the entire laminate 1 is exposed from the through-hole H, the controller Ctr instructs the cylinder 242. As a result, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the cylinder 242 is driven by the drive mechanism 241 and lowered to a position where the surface of the cylinder 242 is flush with the surface of the conveying mechanism 214. The controller Ctr then instructs the pusher 243 to eject the laminate 1 on the cylinder 242 to the conveying mechanism 214. The laminate 1 ejected to the conveying mechanism 214 is then transported to a subsequent device. After that, processes such as inserting permanent magnets into the magnet insertion holes and filling the magnet insertion holes with molten resin are performed on the laminate 1. This completes the rotor laminated core. Furthermore, when processes such as attaching a shaft to the center hole are performed on the rotor laminated core, the rotor is completed.

[0069] 3 and 4, when a strip-shaped metal plate MS to which adhesive AD has been applied is punched out by the outline punching section 240 and stacked in a through hole H to produce the laminate 1, each time a punched member W is punched out and stacked up as the laminate 1, the entire laminate 1 gradually descends into the through hole H. During this time, the adhesive AD gradually hardens, and when a laminate 1 in which a predetermined number of punched members W are stacked in the through hole H is formed, the laminate 1 is discharged from the through hole H in a state in which the adhesive AD has completely hardened.

[0070] In the manufacturing process of such a laminate 1, when the punched members W are punched out of the strip-shaped metal plate MS by the outer punching portion 240, the portion that will become the outer periphery of the punched members W is torn off and stretched due to the ductility of metal. Therefore, the outer dimensions of the punched members W are larger than the inner diameter of the die D32 (the shape of the die hole D33). In addition, since it is necessary to apply appropriate pressure (so-called lateral pressure) from the sides to the punched members W stacked in the squeeze ring E to prevent the punched members W from falling out of the squeeze ring E, the inner diameter of the squeeze ring E (the shape of the through hole E1) is set smaller than the outer dimensions of the punched members W.

[0071] Due to these circumstances, warpage occurs in the punched members W stacked in the through hole H. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 4 , among the punched members W stacked in the through hole H, the punched members W located at the upper part of the through hole H warp upward. Because the adhesive AD has not yet hardened immediately after the punched members W are punched, the punched members W located at the upper part of the through hole H tend to warp significantly. On the other hand, downward warpage occurs in the punched members W located at the lower part of the through hole H. Because the adhesive AD has hardened at the lower part of the through hole H and adjacent punched members W are bonded to each other, the punched members W as a whole tend to be less likely to deform and warp less. Note that in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the warpage of the punched members W is exaggerated to facilitate understanding of the technology according to the present disclosure. Meanwhile, in FIGS. 5 to 12 , illustration of the warpage of the punched members W is omitted.

[0072] [Processing when press processing equipment is temporarily stopped] When the controller Ctr receives information indicating that the detector 140 has read the index M during the production of the laminate 1, the controller temporarily stops the stamping device 200 when the portion of the strip metal sheet MS marked with the index M reaches the punching section 240 of the stamping device 200. This is because, if the index M indicates the position of the rear edge of the strip metal sheet MS, a new coil material 111 is set in the stamping device 200. If the index M indicates the position of a weld or defect present in the strip metal sheet MS, these portions are removed or the punch P3 is raised upward while the strip metal sheet MS passes through so as not to punch out the portion. Therefore, a process of forming a dummy laminate 2 is performed before and after the stamping device 200 is temporarily stopped. The process of forming the dummy laminate 2 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 11.

[0073] First, when the controller Ctr receives information indicating that the detector 140 has read the index M during the manufacture of the laminate 1, the controller Ctr calculates the length of the immediately preceding portion of the metal strip MS. Next, the controller Ctr calculates the number of punched members W that can be punched from the immediately preceding portion of the metal strip MS based on the length of the immediately preceding portion and the outer dimensions of the punched members W. If the number is sufficient, as illustrated in FIG. 5 , after the laminate 1 currently being formed is completed, a bonded block 2A is formed from the immediately preceding portion of the metal strip MS. The bonded block 2A is formed in the same manner as the formation process of the laminate 1. Specifically, the bonded block 2A is formed by punching a punched member W from the metal strip MS by the outer shape punching unit 240, and then sequentially stacking multiple punched members W with adhesive AD in the through holes H and bonding them with the adhesive AD.

[0074] As illustrated in FIG. 5, when the laminate 1 is discharged from the through-hole H during the formation process of the adhesive block 2A, the controller Ctr may instruct the cylinder 242 and the pusher 243 to dispense the laminate 1 to the conveying mechanism 214, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0075] Next, as illustrated in Fig. 6, a non-bonded laminate 2B is formed on the adhesive block 2A from the remaining portion immediately preceding the strip metal plate MS. Specifically, the non-bonded laminate 2B is formed by punching punched members W from the strip metal plate MS by the outline punching section 240, and sequentially stacking the plurality of punched members W, to which no adhesive AD is applied, in the through holes H. In other words, the plurality of punched members W constituting the non-bonded laminate 2B are not joined to one another. Thereafter, when the portion of the strip metal plate MS marked with the index M reaches the outline punching section 240 of the stamping device 200, the controller Ctr instructs the stamping device 200 to temporarily stop.

[0076] Next, if the indicator M indicates the position of the rear edge of the strip metal sheet MS, a new strip metal sheet MS is pulled out from the coil material 111, and the strip metal sheet MS is set in the stamping device 200. After that, the stamping device 200 is restarted. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 7 , a non-bonded laminate 2C is formed on the non-bonded laminate 2B from the new strip metal sheet MS. Alternatively, if the indicator M indicates the position of a weld or defect present in the strip metal sheet MS, the stamping device 200 is restarted after the portion marked with the indicator M passes through the outline punching section 240. That is, the non-bonded laminate 2C is formed on the non-bonded laminate 2B from the immediately rear portion of the strip metal sheet MS. In this specification, the portion of the strip metal sheet MS downstream of the portion marked with the indicator M is referred to as the immediately rear portion of the strip metal sheet MS.

[0077] Next, as illustrated in FIG. 7 , a bonded block 2D (another bonded block) is formed on the non-bonded laminate 2C from a new metal strip MS or a portion immediately following the new metal strip MS (collectively referred to herein as the subsequent metal strip MS). The bonded block 2D is formed in the same manner as the formation process of the laminate 1. Specifically, the bonded block 2D is formed by punching a punched member W from the subsequent metal strip MS by the outer shape punching section 240, and by bonding a plurality of punched members W to which adhesive AD has been applied sequentially stacked in the through hole H with the adhesive AD. As a result, a dummy laminate 2 composed of the bonded block 2A, the non-bonded laminates 2B and 2C, and the bonded block 2D is formed in the through hole H.

[0078] 7, in the process of forming the dummy laminate 2, when the laminate 1 is discharged from the through hole H, the controller Ctr may instruct the cylinder 242 and the pusher 243 to dispense the laminate 1 to the conveying mechanism 214, as illustrated in FIG. 8. Thereafter, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the controller Ctr may instruct the cylinder 242 to raise the cylinder 242 so that the lower surface of the adhesive block 2A exposed from the through hole H is supported by the cylinder 242. Here, the thickness of the adhesive block 2A may be set so that the upper part of the adhesive block 2A remains within the through hole H from the time when the lower part of the adhesive block 2A is exposed from the lower end of the through hole H until the cylinder 242 supports the adhesive block 2A after the laminate 1 is dispensed. The thickness of the adhesive block 2A tends to increase as the punching interval of the punched member W from the strip metal plate MS or a subsequent strip metal plate MS becomes shorter.

[0079] 10, a stack 1 is formed from the subsequent strip-shaped metal plate MS on the dummy stack 2. In the process of forming the stack 1, when the dummy stack 2 is discharged from the through-hole H, the controller Ctr may instruct the cylinder 242 and the pusher 243 to deliver the dummy stack 2 to the conveying mechanism 214, as illustrated in FIG.

[0080] [Effect] According to the above example, before the portion of the strip-shaped metal plate MS marked with the index M reaches the outer punching section 240, a dummy laminate 2 including the bonded block 2A and the non-bonded laminate 2B is formed in the through hole H. Therefore, even if the portion reaches the outer punching section 240 and the press working device 200 temporarily stops, the non-bonded laminate 2B, in which the punched members W are not bonded to each other, is located above the through hole H. Therefore, even if the punched members W constituting the non-bonded laminate 2B bend upward, this does not affect the bonding state of the adhesive AD. Therefore, defects are less likely to occur in the manufactured laminate 1. Furthermore, since the bonded block 2A tends to be located at the bottom of the through hole H when the press working device 200 is temporarily stopped, the bonded block 2A returns to a substantially flat state when it is ejected from the through hole H. Similarly, when the press working device 200 is temporarily stopped, the punched members constituting the non-bonded laminate 2B are not bonded together by the adhesive AD, and therefore, when the non-bonded laminate 2B is discharged from the through-hole H, the punched members W constituting the non-bonded laminate 2B return to a substantially flat state. Therefore, for example, by separately constructing the laminate 1 using the adhesive block 2A or the non-bonded laminate 2B, the strip metal plate MS, which is the material for the laminate 1, can be effectively utilized. As described above, even when a situation arises in which the press working device 200 is temporarily not punching out the strip metal plate MS, it is possible to improve yield and reduce manufacturing costs while suppressing the generation of defective products and waste material.

[0081] According to the above example, the dummy laminate 2 can be composed of an adhesive block 2A, non-adhesive laminates 2B and 2C, and an adhesive block 2D. In this case, the non-adhesive laminates 2B and 2C, which are composed of punched members W that are not joined to each other, are sandwiched between the adhesive block 2A and the adhesive block 2D. Therefore, when the dummy laminate 2 is ejected from the through-hole H, the non-adhesive laminates 2B and 2C are less likely to collapse. This makes it easier to handle the dummy laminate 2.

[0082] According to the above example, the thickness of the adhesive block 2A may be set so that the upper part of the adhesive block 2A remains within the through hole H from the time when the lower part of the adhesive block 2A is exposed from the lower end of the through hole H until the cylinder 242 supports the adhesive block 2A after the laminate 1 has been dispensed. In this case, the adhesive block 2A does not come out of the through hole H from the time when the laminate 1 is dispensed until the cylinder 242 supports the adhesive block 2A. Therefore, until the dummy laminate 2 as a whole is ejected from the through hole H, the non-adhesive laminates 2B and 2C remain supported by the adhesive block 2A, and the non-adhesive laminates 2B and 2C are prevented from falling out of the through hole H. This makes it possible to handle the dummy laminate 2 more easily.

[0083] [Variations] The disclosure in this specification should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. Various omissions, substitutions, modifications, etc. may be made to the above examples without departing from the scope and spirit of the claims.

[0084] (1) In the above example, the supply unit U for supplying adhesive AD is built into the press working apparatus 200, but the supply unit U may be disposed in another location. For example, the supply unit U may be disposed outside the press working apparatus 200. Alternatively, if the press working apparatus 200 is divided into the outer shape punching section 240 and a section upstream thereof, the supply unit U may be disposed between them.

[0085] (2) The supply unit U may be configured to supply adhesive AD to the upper surface of the strip metal plate MS, or may be configured to supply adhesive AD to both surfaces (upper and lower surfaces) of the strip metal plate MS.

[0086] (3) The supply unit U may be configured to supply the adhesive AD to the entire area of ​​the metal strip MS that will become the punched member W, or may be configured to supply the adhesive AD to a portion of the area of ​​the metal strip MS that will become the punched member W. In the latter case, the supply unit U may supply the adhesive AD in a spot-like manner, for example.

[0087] (4) The detection unit 140 may be configured to detect whether a predetermined portion of the strip metal sheet MS (for example, the position of the rear edge of the strip metal sheet MS, or the position of a weld or defect present in the strip metal sheet MS) has approached the outline punching section 240. The predetermined portion approaching the outline punching section 240 means that the length (surface distance) along the surface of the strip metal sheet MS from the outline punching section 240 to the predetermined portion has become less than a predetermined value. The detection unit 140 may be configured to detect, for example, whether the predetermined portion has passed near the entrance of the stamping device 200 or upstream of the feed device 120.

[0088] (5) The liquid supply device 130 may be configured not to supply liquid to a region of the strip-shaped metal plate MS that will become the punched members W constituting the dummy laminate 2. In this case, even if the subsequent laminate 1 is formed directly on the dummy laminate 2, surface tension due to the liquid is unlikely to occur between the punched members W constituting the uppermost surface of the dummy laminate 2 and the subsequent laminate 1. Therefore, when the dummy laminate 2 is discharged from the through hole H, the dummy laminate 2 is easily separated from the subsequent laminate 1. This makes it possible to stably discharge the dummy laminate 2 from the through hole H. Furthermore, surface tension due to the liquid is unlikely to occur between the punched members W constituting the non-bonded laminates 2B and 2C included in the dummy laminate 2. This makes it easy to separate the individual punched members W. This makes it possible to easily remove the individual punched members W from the non-bonded laminates 2B and 2C.

[0089] (6) When the number of punched members W that can be punched from the immediately preceding part of the strip metal plate MS is calculated by the controller Ctr, if the number is insufficient, an adhesive block 2A may be formed from the strip metal plate MS and the subsequent strip metal plate MS.

[0090] (7) As illustrated in Fig. 12, a plurality of dummy laminates 2 may be formed continuously so that the plurality of dummy laminates 2 are positioned within the through-hole H. In this case, the height (so-called stack thickness) of the dummy laminates 2 becomes relatively small, so that the dummy laminates 2 can be more easily removed from the through-hole H.

[0091] (8) As illustrated in Fig. 12, the dummy laminate 2 may be composed of an adhesive block 2A, a non-adhesive laminate 2B, and an adhesive block 2D. Alternatively, although not shown, the dummy laminate 2 may be composed of an adhesive block 2A and a non-adhesive laminate 2B.

[0092] (9) As illustrated in FIG. 13(a), the present disclosure may be used when performing a co-punching process in which a punched member W1 that will become a rotor laminated core and a punched member W2 that will become a stator laminated core are punched out of a single metal strip MS to individually form a laminate 1 that will become a rotor laminated core and a laminate 1 that will become a stator laminated core. As illustrated in FIG. 13(b), the present disclosure may be used when performing a multi-row punching process in which a single metal strip MS is punched out of multiple rows of different punched members W that are offset in the width direction of the metal strip MS to individually form different laminates 1. When multiple punched members are punched out of a single metal strip MS to individually form multiple laminates 1, there may be a discrepancy in the timing at which the multiple laminates 1 are completed and discharged from the respective through holes H due to variations in the thickness of the metal strip MS. Therefore, when the timing of discharging each laminate 1 from each through hole H differs, the height and / or number of dummy laminates formed in each through hole H may be changed. In this case, the difference in timing of completing these laminates 1 is eliminated. Therefore, even when multiple laminates 1 are formed from one strip-shaped metal plate MS, it is possible to increase productivity.

[0093] (10) As illustrated in FIG. 14 , the detection unit 140 may be configured to detect the radial thickness of the coil material 111. When the metal strip MS is fed by the feed device 120, the radial thickness of the coil material 111 gradually decreases. Therefore, the controller Ctr may determine whether the thickness detected by the detection unit 140 has fallen below a predetermined thickness. When the controller Ctr determines that the thickness detected by the detection unit 140 has fallen below the predetermined thickness, the controller Ctr may determine that the rear end edge of the metal strip MS has approached the outer shape punching section 240 of the stamping device 200, and may cause a dummy laminate 2 to be formed.

[0094] (11) The technology herein may be applied when forming a laminated core (e.g., a rotor laminated core, a stator laminated core, etc.) by punching an annular punched member W from a strip-shaped metal plate MS at the outer punching portion 240, and then laminating multiple punched members W while joining them with an adhesive AD. The technology herein may be applied when forming core pieces by punching metal pieces from a strip-shaped metal plate MS, and then laminating multiple punched members W while joining them with an adhesive AD. In this case, a laminated core may be constructed by combining multiple core pieces. The technology herein may be applied when forming a bent-type laminated core by punching a bent-type punched member that will become annular when bent from a strip-shaped metal plate MS, and then laminating multiple punched members W while joining them with an adhesive AD. In this case, after the laminated core is formed, the laminated core may be folded at multiple bending portions provided on the laminated core to form an annular laminated core.

[0095] [Other examples] Example 1. One example of a method for manufacturing a laminated core includes: supplying adhesive to at least a portion of a predetermined region of the metal strip that will become a punched member while intermittently feeding the metal strip sequentially along its longitudinal direction; punching the predetermined region of the metal strip to form a punched member with adhesive when the predetermined region of the metal strip reaches an outline punching section of a press processing device; sequentially stacking the punched members with adhesive in the outline punching section and joining the punched members in the stacking direction to form a laminate; and performing a first process of forming a bonded block when a predetermined portion of the metal strip approaches the outline punching section, and a second process of forming a non-bonded laminate on the bonded block following the first process, thereby forming a dummy laminate including the bonded block and the non-bonded laminate. The first process includes punching the adhesive-applied punched member from just before the metal strip and stacking the adhesive-applied punched members in the outline punching section to form the bonded block. The second process includes punching out a punched member to which no adhesive is applied from the immediately preceding portion of the metal strip plate, the immediately succeeding portion of the metal strip plate, or another metal strip plate, and stacking the punched members to which no adhesive is applied within the outer cutout portion to form a non-adhesive laminate in which the punched members are not bonded to each other. The immediately preceding portion of the metal strip plate is a portion of the metal strip plate between a portion of the metal strip plate located at the point of the outer cutout portion and a predetermined portion of the metal strip plate. The immediately succeeding portion of the metal strip plate is a portion of the metal strip plate downstream of the predetermined portion of the metal strip plate.

[0096] In general, when a laminate is produced by punching a strip-shaped metal plate coated with adhesive through an outline punching section and stacking the punched members in the through holes of the outline punching section, the entire laminate gradually descends through the through hole as each punched member is punched out and stacked as the laminate. During this time, the adhesive gradually hardens, and when a laminate in which a predetermined number of punched members are stacked in the through hole is formed, the laminate is discharged from the through hole with the adhesive in a completely hardened state.

[0097] In the manufacturing process of such laminated cores, when punched members are punched out of a strip-shaped metal plate, the ductility of the metal causes the outer peripheral edge of the punched member to tear off and stretch. Therefore, the outer dimensions of the punched member are larger than the inner diameter of the outer punching die of the outer punching section. In addition, since it is necessary to apply appropriate pressure (so-called lateral pressure) from the sides to the punched members stacked inside the squeeze ring of the outer punching section to prevent the punched members from falling out of the squeeze ring, the inner diameter of the squeeze ring is set smaller than the outer dimensions of the punched member.

[0098] Due to these circumstances, warping occurs in the punched members stacked in the through hole. Specifically, among the punched members stacked in the through hole, the punched members located at the upper part of the through hole tend to warp upward. Because the adhesive has not yet hardened immediately after the punched members are punched, the punched members located at the upper part of the through hole tend to warp more. On the other hand, downward warping occurs in the punched members located at the lower part of the through hole. Because the adhesive has hardened at the lower part of the through hole and adjacent punched members are bonded to each other, the entire punched member is less likely to deform and tends to warp less.

[0099] During the period when the press-processing device (external punching section) punches out the strip metal sheet, the punching member moves downward intermittently. Therefore, even if the above-described warpage occurs, the quality of the laminate discharged from the press-processing device remains substantially the same. However, if the press-processing device temporarily stops during the production of the laminate, the warped state of the punching member at the top and bottom of the through-hole is maintained for a certain period of time. In particular, the warpage of the punching member at the top of the through-hole is relatively large, resulting in different adhesive states between the punching member at the top and bottom of the through-hole, potentially resulting in portions of the laminate with different adhesive strengths. This raises the risk of defects, such as cracks in the cured adhesive or large gaps between adjacent punching members, occurring in the portions with low adhesive strength. If defects occur, the defective laminate must be discarded, which can lead to reduced yields and increased manufacturing costs.

[0100] An example of a situation in which the press processing device is temporarily stopped is when a coil around which a strip of metal sheet is wound is replaced. Specifically, when a punching member is intermittently punched out of the strip of metal sheet and the end of the strip of metal sheet is reached, the press processing device is temporarily stopped, and the strip of metal sheet is pulled out from a new coil and threaded through the press processing device.

[0101] Another example of a situation in which the press processing device is temporarily stopped is when a weld or defect is present in the strip metal plate. If a strip metal plate with a weld or defect is included in the laminate, it may affect the performance of the laminated core. For this reason, the press processing device is temporarily stopped to remove the portion of the strip metal plate where the weld or defect is present, or to pass the strip metal plate while holding the outline punch upward so as not to punch out the portion. Note that "defects" in the strip metal plate include, for example, holes, scratches, dents, etc.

[0102] However, according to Example 1, a dummy laminate including a bonded block and a non-bonded laminate is formed within the outer punching section before a predetermined portion of the metal strip reaches the outer punching section. Therefore, even if the predetermined portion reaches the outer punching section and the press processing device temporarily stops, a non-bonded laminate, in which the punched members are not bonded to each other, is located above the outer punching section. Therefore, even if the punched members constituting the non-bonded laminate are bent upward, the adhesive bonding state is not affected. This reduces the likelihood of defects in the manufactured laminate. Furthermore, when the press processing device temporarily stops, the bonded block tends to be located below the outer punching section. Therefore, when the bonded block is ejected from the outer punching section, the bonded block returns to a substantially flat state. Similarly, when the press processing device temporarily stops, the punched members constituting the non-bonded laminate are not bonded to each other by adhesive. Therefore, when the non-bonded laminate is ejected from the outer punching section, the punched members constituting the non-bonded laminate return to a substantially flat state. Therefore, for example, by separately constructing a laminate using an adhesive block or a non-bonded laminate, the metal strip, which is the material for the laminate, can be effectively utilized. As a result, even if a situation arises in which the press processing device is temporarily unable to punch out the strip metal plate, it is possible to improve yield and reduce manufacturing costs while suppressing the generation of defective products and waste materials.

[0103] Example 2: In the method of Example 1, forming the dummy laminate may include a first process, a second process, and a third process in which, when a predetermined portion of the metal strip approaches the outline punching section, another adhesive block is formed on the non-bonded laminate following the second process to form a dummy laminate including the adhesive block, the non-bonded laminate, and another adhesive block. The third process may include punching a punched member with adhesive applied from the immediately preceding portion of the metal strip, the immediately succeeding portion of the metal strip, or another metal strip, and stacking the punched member with adhesive applied within the outline punching section to form another adhesive block. In this case, the non-bonded laminate, which is composed of punched members that are not joined to each other, is sandwiched between the adhesive block and the other adhesive block. This makes the non-bonded laminate less likely to collapse when it is ejected from the outline punching section. This makes it easier to handle the dummy laminate.

[0104] Example 3: In the method of Example 1 or Example 2, forming the dummy laminate may include repeating the first process and the second process to form a plurality of dummy laminates. In this case, the height of the dummy laminate (so-called stack thickness) becomes relatively small, making it easier to remove the dummy laminate from the outer shape punching section.

[0105] Example 4: In any of the methods of Examples 1 to 3, the process of forming the dummy laminate may further include gradually lowering the laminate on which the adhesive block is placed while supported by the cylinder until the entire laminate is exposed from the outline punching section, and then removing the laminate from the cylinder. The thickness of the adhesive block may be set so that the upper part of the adhesive block remains within the outline punching section from the time the lower part of the adhesive block is exposed from the lower end of the outline punching section until the cylinder supports the adhesive block after the laminate is removed. In this case, the adhesive block does not come out of the outline punching section between the time the laminate is removed and the time the cylinder supports the adhesive block. Therefore, the non-adhesive laminate remains supported by the adhesive block until the dummy laminate as a whole is removed from the outline punching section, preventing the non-adhesive laminate from falling from the outline punching section. This makes it easier to handle the dummy laminate.

[0106] Example 5: In any of the methods of Examples 1 to 4, forming a dummy laminate may include not supplying liquid to a region immediately preceding the metal strip, a region immediately following the metal strip, or a region of another metal strip that will become a punched member constituting the dummy laminate. In this case, even if a subsequent laminate is formed directly on the dummy laminate, surface tension due to the liquid is unlikely to occur between the punched member constituting the top surface of the dummy laminate and the subsequent laminate. Therefore, when the dummy laminate is ejected from the outline punching section, the dummy laminate is easily separated from the subsequent laminate. This makes it possible to stably eject the dummy laminate from the outline punching section. Furthermore, surface tension due to the liquid is unlikely to occur between each punched member constituting a non-bonded laminate included in the dummy laminate. Therefore, individual punched members are easily separated. This makes it possible to easily remove individual punched members from the non-bonded laminate.

[0107] Example 6: Any of the methods of Examples 1 to 5 may further include: supplying adhesive to at least a part of another predetermined region of the metal strip that will become another punched member while intermittently and sequentially feeding the metal strip along its longitudinal direction; punching the metal strip at another predetermined region when the other predetermined region of the metal strip reaches another outline punching section of the press processing device to form another punched member to which adhesive has been applied; sequentially stacking the other punched members to which adhesive has been applied in the other outline punching section while joining the other punched members in the stacking direction to each other to form another laminate; performing a fourth process of forming yet another bonded block when the predetermined portion of the metal strip approaches the other outline punching section; and a fifth process of forming yet another non-bonded laminate on the yet another bonded block following the fourth process, thereby forming another dummy laminate including the other bonded block and the other non-bonded laminate; and adjusting the discharge timing of the laminate and the other laminate. The fourth process may include punching out another punched member having adhesive applied thereto from the immediately preceding portion of the strip metal plate, and stacking the other punched member having adhesive applied thereto in another outline cut-out portion to form yet another bonded block; the fifth process may include punching out another punched member not having adhesive applied thereto from the immediately preceding portion of the strip metal plate, the immediately succeeding portion of the strip metal plate, or another strip metal plate, and stacking the other punched member not having adhesive applied thereto in another outline cut-out portion to form another non-bonded laminate in which the other punched members are not joined to each other; and adjusting the discharge timing of the laminate and the other laminate may include, when the timing of discharge of the laminate from the outline cut-out portion and the timing of discharge of the other laminate from the other outline cut-out portion differ, aligning the discharge timing of the laminate and the other laminate by changing at least one of the height and / or number of dummy laminates and the height and / or number of other dummy laminates.

[0108] Incidentally, a laminate and another laminate may be individually formed by punching a punched member and another punched member from a single metal strip. For example, forming different laminates by punching different punched members from a metal strip in multiple rows with a shifted pitch in the width direction of the metal strip is sometimes referred to as "multi-row punching." Also, forming a rotor laminated core and a stator laminated core by punching a punched member that will become a rotor laminated core and a stator laminated core from a single metal strip is sometimes referred to as "common punching."

[0109] Here, the thickness of the strip metal sheet is not necessarily uniform across its width, but rather varies. That is, the thickness of one side edge of the strip metal sheet may be thicker than the thickness of the other side edge. Therefore, in multi-row processing, there may be a discrepancy between the timing at which the laminations in one row are completed and the timing at which the laminations in another row are completed. On the other hand, in co-cutting processing, the thickness of the laminations that will become the rotor laminated core may differ from the thickness of the laminations that will become the stator laminated core. Therefore, there may be a discrepancy between the timing at which the laminations that will become the rotor laminated core are completed and the timing at which the laminations that will become the stator laminated core are completed. If this discrepancy becomes large, complex control may be required to accurately form the laminations, which may lead to a decrease in productivity.

[0110] However, according to Example 6, when the timing of ejection of a laminate from an outline punching section differs from the timing of ejection of another laminate from another outline punching section, at least one of changing the height and / or number of dummy laminates and changing the height and / or number of another dummy laminate is performed. Therefore, when forming multiple laminates from a single strip metal plate, the difference in timing of completion of these laminates is eliminated. Therefore, even when forming multiple laminates from a single strip metal plate, it is possible to increase productivity.

[0111] Example 7: In any of the methods of Examples 1 to 6, forming a dummy laminate may include determining whether a predetermined portion of the metal strip approaches the outer punching portion based on whether a detection unit detects that the radial thickness of the coil material in which the metal strip is wound into a coil has fallen below a predetermined thickness. In this case, it becomes possible to very easily detect whether the predetermined portion of the metal strip approaches the outer punching portion.

[0112] Example 8: In any of the methods of Examples 1 to 7, forming a dummy laminate may include determining whether a predetermined portion of the metal strip approaches the outer cutout portion based on whether a detection unit detects an index attached to the metal strip. In this case, the same effects as those of the method of Example 7 can be obtained.

[0113] Example 9. An example of a laminated core manufacturing apparatus includes a feed section configured to intermittently and sequentially feed out a strip metal plate along its longitudinal direction, a supply section configured to supply adhesive to at least a portion of a predetermined region of the strip metal plate that will become a punched member, a detection section, a press processing device, and a control section. The press processing device includes an outline punching section configured to punch out the predetermined region of the strip metal plate with an outline punch and an outline punching die to form the punched member, and a squeeze ring arranged below the outline punching die. The detection section is configured to detect whether a predetermined portion of the strip metal plate has approached the outline punching section. The control unit is configured to execute a first control that controls the feed unit and the supply unit so as to supply adhesive to at least a portion of a predetermined region of the strip metal plate that will become a punched member while intermittently and sequentially feeding out the strip metal plate along its longitudinal direction; a second control that controls the press processing device so as to punch the strip metal plate at the predetermined region with the outline punch and outline punch die when the predetermined region of the strip metal plate reaches the outline punching section to form a punched member to which adhesive has been applied, and to sequentially stack the punched members to which adhesive has been applied in the stacking direction within through holes extending through the outline punching die and the squeeze ring, thereby joining the punched members to each other in the stacking direction to form a laminate; and a third control that controls the press processing device so as to form a dummy laminate including the adhesive block and the non-bonded laminate when the detection unit detects that the predetermined portion of the strip metal plate has approached the outline punching section, by performing a first process to form a bonded block and a second process to form a non-bonded laminate on the bonded block following the first process. The first process includes punching out punched members to which adhesive has been applied from a portion immediately preceding the band-shaped metal plate using an outline punch and outline punching die, and stacking the punched members to which adhesive has been applied in through holes to form a bonded block. The second process includes punching out punched members to which adhesive has not been applied from a portion immediately preceding the band-shaped metal plate, a portion immediately following the band-shaped metal plate, or another band-shaped metal plate using an outline punch and outline punching die, and stacking the punched members to which adhesive has not been applied in through holes to form a non-bonded laminate in which the punched members are not bonded to each other.The immediately preceding portion of the metal strip is the portion of the metal strip between the portion of the metal strip located at the point of the outer periphery punching and a predetermined portion of the metal strip. The immediately succeeding portion of the metal strip is the portion of the metal strip on the downstream side of the predetermined portion of the metal strip. In this case, the same effect as in the method of Example 1 can be obtained. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 1...Laminate, 2...Dummy laminate, 2A...Bonded block, 2B, 2C...Non-bonded laminate, 2D...Bonded block (another bonded block), 100...Manufacturing apparatus, 120...Feed-out device (feed-out section), 140...Detection section, 200...Press processing apparatus, 240...Outer shape punching section, 242...Cylinder, AD...Adhesive, Ctr...Controller (control section), D32...Die (outer shape punching die), E...Squeeze ring, H...Through hole, M...Index, MS...Strip metal plate, P3...Punch (outer shape punching punch), U...Supply unit (supply section), W...Punching member.

Claims

1. supplying adhesive to at least a part of a predetermined region of the metal strip that will become a punched member while intermittently and sequentially feeding the metal strip along its longitudinal direction; When the predetermined region of the metal strip reaches an outer shape punching section of a press processing device, the metal strip is punched out at the predetermined region to form the punched member to which an adhesive is applied; In the outer shape punching section, the punched members to which the adhesive has been applied are sequentially stacked and the punched members are joined to each other in the stacking direction to form a stacked body; When a predetermined portion of the belt-shaped metal plate approaches the outer shape punching portion, a first process is performed to form an adhesive block, and a second process is performed to form a non-adhesive laminate on the adhesive block following the first process, thereby forming a dummy laminate including the adhesive block and the non-adhesive laminate, the first process includes punching out the punched member to which adhesive has been applied from a portion immediately in front of the belt-shaped metal plate, and stacking the punched member to which adhesive has been applied within the outer shape punching portion to form the adhesive block; the second process includes punching out the punched members to which no adhesive is applied from the immediately preceding portion of the belt-shaped metal plate, the immediately succeeding portion of the belt-shaped metal plate, or the other belt-shaped metal plate, and stacking the punched members to which no adhesive is applied within the outline cutout portion to form the non-adhesive laminate in which the punched members are not joined to each other, the immediately preceding portion of the belt-shaped metal plate is a portion of the belt-shaped metal plate between a portion of the belt-shaped metal plate located at the point of the outer shape punching portion and the predetermined portion of the belt-shaped metal plate, A method for manufacturing a laminated core, wherein the immediately rear portion of the strip metal plate is a portion of the strip metal plate downstream of the predetermined portion of the strip metal plate.

2. forming the dummy laminate includes, when a predetermined portion of the belt-shaped metal plate approaches the outer shape punching portion, the first process, the second process, and a third process of forming another adhesive block on the non-adhesive laminate following the second process to form the dummy laminate including the adhesive block, the non-adhesive laminate, and the other adhesive block; The method according to claim 1, wherein the third process includes punching out the punched member having adhesive applied thereto from the immediately preceding portion of the strip metal plate, the immediately succeeding portion of the strip metal plate, or the other strip metal plate, and stacking the punched member having adhesive applied thereto within the outline cutout portion to form the other adhesive block.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the dummy stack includes repeating the first process and the second process to form a plurality of the dummy stacks.

4. In the process of forming the dummy laminate, the laminate on which the adhesive block is placed is gradually lowered while being supported by a cylinder, and when the entire laminate is exposed from the outer shape punching section, the laminate is removed from the cylinder, 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the adhesive block is set so that an upper portion of the adhesive block remains within the outline punching section from the time when a lower portion of the adhesive block is exposed from the lower end of the outline punching section until the cylinder supports the adhesive block after the laminate is dispensed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the dummy stack includes not supplying liquid to the area immediately preceding the strip metal plate, the area immediately following the strip metal plate, or the area of ​​the other strip metal plate that will become the punched member that constitutes the dummy stack.

6. supplying adhesive to at least a part of another predetermined region of the metal strip that will become another punched member while intermittently and sequentially feeding the metal strip along its longitudinal direction; When the other predetermined region of the metal strip reaches the other outer shape punching section of the press processing device, the metal strip is punched out at the other predetermined region to form the other punched member to which the adhesive is applied; In the other outer shape punching section, the other punched members to which the adhesive has been applied are sequentially stacked, and the other punched members are joined to each other in the stacking direction to form another laminate; When the predetermined portion of the belt-shaped metal plate approaches the other outer shape punching portion, a fourth process is performed to form a further adhesive block, and a fifth process is performed to form another non-adhesive laminate on the other adhesive block following the fourth process, thereby forming another dummy laminate including the other adhesive block and the other non-adhesive laminate; and adjusting the discharge timing of the stack and the other stack; the fourth process includes punching out the other punched member having adhesive applied thereto from a portion immediately in front of the belt-shaped metal plate, and stacking the other punched member having adhesive applied thereto in the other outline punched portion, thereby forming the further other adhesive block; the fifth process includes punching out another punched member to which no adhesive is applied from the immediately preceding portion of the belt-shaped metal plate, the immediately succeeding portion of the belt-shaped metal plate, or the other belt-shaped metal plate, and stacking the other punched member to which no adhesive is applied in the other outline punching portion, thereby forming the other non-adhesive laminate in which the other punched members are not joined to each other, The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein adjusting the timing of ejection of the laminate and the other laminate includes, when the timing of ejection of the laminate from the outline punching section and the timing of ejection of the other laminate from the other outline punching section are different, changing the height and / or number of the dummy laminates and / or changing the height and / or number of the other dummy laminates, thereby aligning the timing of ejection of the laminate and the other laminate.

7. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein forming the dummy laminate includes determining whether a predetermined portion of the strip metal plate has approached the outer periphery punching portion by determining whether a detection unit detects that the radial thickness of the coil material in which the strip metal plate is wound in a coil shape has fallen below a predetermined thickness.

8. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein forming the dummy laminate includes determining whether a predetermined portion of the strip metal plate has approached the outer cutout portion based on whether a detection unit detects an indicator attached to the strip metal plate.

9. a delivery section configured to sequentially deliver the strip metal plate intermittently along its longitudinal direction; a supply unit configured to supply adhesive to at least a portion of a predetermined region of the band-shaped metal plate that will become a punched member; A detection unit; A press processing device; a control unit; The press working device is an outline punching section configured to punch out the band-shaped metal plate in the predetermined region using an outline punching punch and an outline punching die to form the punched member; a squeeze ring disposed below the outline punching die; the detection unit is configured to detect whether a predetermined portion of the belt-shaped metal plate approaches the outer shape punching portion, The control unit a first control that controls the delivery unit and the supply unit so as to supply adhesive to at least a part of a predetermined region of the metal strip that will become a punched member while intermittently and sequentially delivering the metal strip along its longitudinal direction; a second control for controlling the press working device so that, when the predetermined region of the metal strip reaches the outline punching portion, the outline punch and the outline punching die are used to punch out the metal strip at the predetermined region to form the punched member to which adhesive is applied, and the punched members to which adhesive is applied are sequentially stacked in through holes extending through the outline punching die and the squeeze ring, while joining the punched members to each other in the stacking direction to form a laminate; when the detection unit detects that a predetermined portion of the belt-shaped metal plate has approached the outline punching portion, a first process is performed to form a bonded block; and a second process is performed to form a non-bonded laminate on the bonded block following the first process, thereby performing third control to control the stamping device so as to form a dummy laminate including the bonded block and the non-bonded laminate, the first process includes punching out the punched member to which adhesive has been applied from a portion immediately in front of the belt-shaped metal plate by the outline punching punch and the outline punching die, and stacking the punched member to which adhesive has been applied in the through hole, thereby forming the bonded block; the second process includes punching out, by the outline punch and the outline punching die, punching out the punched members to which no adhesive is applied from the immediately preceding portion of the strip metal plate, the immediately succeeding portion of the strip metal plate, or the other strip metal plate, and stacking the punched members to which no adhesive is applied in the through holes, thereby forming the non-adhesive laminate in which the punched members are not bonded to each other; the immediately preceding portion of the belt-shaped metal plate is a portion of the belt-shaped metal plate between a portion of the belt-shaped metal plate located at the point of the outer shape punching portion and the predetermined portion of the belt-shaped metal plate, The manufacturing apparatus for a laminated core, wherein the immediately rear portion of the strip-shaped metal plate is a portion of the strip-shaped metal plate downstream of the predetermined portion of the strip-shaped metal plate.

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