Progressive processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a progressive processing device capable of performing processing with high accuracy in accordance with a bending state of a material.SOLUTION: The progressive processing apparatus includes a transport mechanism that transports a material along a transport path in a longitudinal direction of the material, an upper die having a punch for punching the material, a portion positioned below the upper die, a hole forming portion that forms pilot holes at predetermined positions of both sides and a center portion of the material in a width direction, a plurality of pilot pins that are provided on a downstream side of the hole forming portion in the transport path and fix a position of the material in a state of being detachably inserted into each pilot hole when the material is punched by the punch, and a switching mechanism that independently switches use states of a plurality of side pilot pins corresponding to side pilot holes which are pilot holes on both sides of the material in the width direction among the plurality of pilot pins.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a progressive processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, the iron cores of rotors and stators of motors used as drive sources for industrial machinery, automobiles, etc. are sometimes constructed by laminating pieces punched out of a material such as electromagnetic steel sheet formed into a strip shape of a predetermined width. A known device for manufacturing such iron core materials is a progressive processing device that sequentially feeds material at a predetermined pitch and punches out the material in stages.

[0003] In progressive die processing devices, pilot holes are formed in the material on the upstream side in the conveying direction. Then, during press processing of the material, pilot pins are inserted into the formed pilot holes to position and fix the material. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-178920 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, materials are sometimes manufactured by dividing a base material of the material into two along the center line in the width direction. When the base material is cut in two in this way, the material on the right side of the cut surface tends to bend to the right, while the material on the left side of the cut surface tends to bend to the left. When a material is bent to either the left or right, the position of the pilot hole will be shifted from the reference position as it is transported downstream in the transport direction during press processing.

[0006] Furthermore, if the spacing between pilot holes is longer than the spacing between adjacent pilot pins and the pilot pin comes into contact with the pilot hole, wrinkles will occur at the punching position of the material, resulting in a deterioration in processing accuracy.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a progressive processing device that can process a material with high precision in accordance with the bending state of the material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The progressive processing device of one embodiment includes a conveying mechanism that conveys material along a conveying path in the longitudinal direction of the material, an upper mold having a punch for punching the material, a stripper section located below the upper mold, a hole forming section that forms pilot holes at predetermined positions on both sides and in the center in the width direction of the material, a plurality of pilot pins that are provided downstream of the hole forming section on the conveying path and that fix the position of the material when the material is punched out by the punch while being removably inserted into each of the pilot holes, and a switching mechanism that independently switches the usage state of a plurality of side pilot pins among the plurality of pilot pins that correspond to side pilot holes, which are pilot holes on both sides in the width direction of the material. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a progressive processing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a process for manufacturing a material from a base material using a progressive processing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a press device in a developed state in a progressive processing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a punching process performed on a material by the progressive processing device according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a side pilot pin in a progressive processing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 1A is a plan view showing, in an exaggerated manner, how the position of the pilot hole in a material that has been bent to the right is displaced from the reference position in a progressive processing device according to one embodiment; FIG. 1B is a plan view showing, in an exaggerated manner, an example of wrinkles that occur at the punching position of the material; [Figure 7] 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the periphery of a switching mechanism in a progressive processing device according to an embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a slide member of a progressive processing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] 1A is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a state in which a side pilot pin contacts a second bottom surface of a slide member in a progressive machining device according to an embodiment; FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a state in which a side pilot pin contacts a first bottom surface of a slide member; [Figure 10] 1A is a cross-sectional view showing another example of a state in which the side pilot pin contacts the second bottom surface of the slide member, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing another example of a state in which the side pilot pin contacts the first bottom surface of the slide member, in the progressive machining device according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that in each drawing, for the sake of convenience, the dimensions of each component may be enlarged as necessary, and the dimensional ratios between components may not necessarily be the same as in reality.

[0011] The progressive processing device 1 shown in FIG. 1 performs a punching process on a sheet-shaped material 90 to manufacture, for example, a rotor core and a stator core that constitute a three-phase synchronous motor. The progressive processing device 1 can be configured to include, for example, an uncoiler 2, a leveler 3, a joining machine 4, a feeder 5, a press machine 10, and a control device (not shown). The control device controls the entire progressive processing device 1. The progressive processing device 1 also includes a conveying path 6 composed of the uncoiler 2, the leveler 3, the joining machine 4, the feeder 5, and the press machine 10. The conveying path 6 is for linearly conveying the material 90 progressively at a predetermined pitch along the longitudinal direction of the material 90. The pitch corresponds to the feed amount when moving the material 90 in the conveying direction for each punching process of the material 90.

[0012] The material 90 is made of a soft magnetic material such as an electromagnetic steel sheet, an amorphous magnetic material, or a nanocrystalline magnetic material, and has a thickness of about several tenths of a millimeter to several tenths of a millimeter. The material 90 is made of a so-called hoop material wound into a roll, for example. The progressive processing device 1 can be used not only for manufacturing motors, but also for manufacturing generators.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the material 90 is formed by a so-called center split method, in which a wide base material 901 is cut into two pieces using a cutting blade along a center line S1 located approximately in the center of the width direction. Furthermore, the left and right edges of the base material 901 in the width direction are cut along cutting line S2 to form the material 90 into a predetermined width. When the base material 901 is cut along the center line S1, bending in the width direction of the material 90 may occur due to external forces applied during cutting and material properties. The two pieces of material 90 thus split bend in opposite directions in the width direction relative to the cut surface 90a. In this case, the material 90L on the left side of the cut surface 90a tends to bend leftward in the longitudinal direction of the material 90, i.e., the conveying direction, while the material 90R on the right side of the cut surface 90a tends to bend rightward in the conveying direction of the material 90. The amount of bending of the material 90 is small, for example, about 0.1 to 0.3 mm with respect to 2000 mm in the length direction of the material 90.

[0014] The uncoiler 2 is loaded with the material 90 formed into a roll, and rotates to unwind and feed the material 90 in order. The uncoiler 2 may be loaded with a mixture of materials 90 with different bending directions, or may be loaded with materials 90 that have been adjusted so that the bending directions are the same. The leveler 3 is provided downstream of the uncoiler 2 in the conveying direction of the material 90, and plastically deforms the material 90 unwound by the uncoiler 2 to remove any curling tendencies of the material 90.

[0015] The joining machine 4 is provided downstream of the leveler 3 in the conveying direction of the material 90, and connects the base end of the previously conveyed material 90 with the leading end of the next material 90 to be conveyed. A non-magnetic tape, for example, is used to connect multiple materials 90. By passing the materials 90 through the joining machine 4, multiple materials 90 can be continuously supplied. The feeder 5 is, for example, a roll feeder, and is provided downstream of the joining machine 4 and upstream of the press device 10. The feeder 5 intermittently sends the conveyed material 90 to the press device 10 at a predetermined pitch. The feeder 5 functions as a conveying mechanism.

[0016] The press device 10 is a device for manufacturing, for example, iron core materials for rotor cores and stator cores by performing a stepwise punching process on the transported material 90. The drive of the press device 10 is controlled by a control device. In this embodiment, the press device 10 punches the material 90 in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the press device 10 includes a lower mold 20, an upper mold 30, and a stripper unit 40. The lower mold 20 receives the transported material 90. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower mold 20 includes a plurality of dies 21. The plurality of dies 21 are arranged, for example, in multiple rows along the longitudinal direction of the lower mold 20. Each die 21 has an insertion hole (not shown) formed in a predetermined shape that penetrates the die 21 in the thickness direction. The predetermined shape is set arbitrarily depending on the processed shape of the material 90 to be punched.

[0017] The upper die 30 is located above the lower die 20. The upper die 30 is connected to a drive mechanism (not shown) and moves vertically relative to the lower die 20. In other words, the drive mechanism drives the upper die 30 up and down with respect to the lower die 20. The stripper unit 40 is located below the upper die 30 and above the lower die 20. In other words, the stripper unit 40 is located between the upper die 30 and the lower die 20. The stripper unit 40 is elastically attached to the upper die 30 via, for example, a compression spring, and moves up or down toward the lower die 20 together with the upper die 30. The stripper unit 40 has the function of sandwiching the material 90 between itself and the die 21 of the lower die 20 when the material 90 is press-processed.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3 , the press device 10 includes a punch 31, a hole forming portion 32, and a pilot pin 33. The punch 31 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the upper mold 30. The punch 31 is made of, for example, cemented carbide and is used to punch a material 90 into a predetermined shape. A plurality of punches 31 are provided at positions corresponding to the plurality of dies 21 of the lower mold 20, and the punches 31 and dies 21 cooperate to perform a punching process on the material 90. Examples of punching processes include forming magnet insertion holes, forming coil insertion holes, and forming the outer periphery of the iron core material. In this embodiment, the iron core material is punched out of the material 90 in two rows, left and right, in the width direction. Note that in FIG. 3 , for clarity, only some of the punches 31 and dies 21 are labeled, and the other punches 31 and dies 21 are omitted.

[0019] The hole forming section 32 is for forming a pilot hole 91 in the material 90. The hole forming section 32 is composed of a pilot punch 321 of the upper mold 30 and a pilot die 322 of the lower mold 20. The pilot die 322 receives the pilot punch 321. The pilot hole 91 is formed in a substantially circular shape, penetrating the material 90 in the thickness direction. The pilot holes 91 are formed at predetermined positions on both sides and in the center of the material 90 in the width direction. The pilot holes 91 are formed in positions in the material 90 that are away from the positions where the iron core material is punched out.

[0020] 4, the pilot holes 91 include side pilot holes 911, 912 and a center pilot hole 913. The side pilot holes 911, 912 are formed on the left and right sides of the material 90 in the width direction, respectively. Hereinafter, the side pilot hole 911 located on the right side of the material 90 in the width direction may be referred to as the right side pilot hole 911, and the side pilot hole 912 located on the left side of the material 90 in the width direction may be referred to as the left side pilot hole 912. For example, in the conveyance direction of the material 90, the right side pilot hole 911 is formed by punching later than the left side pilot hole 912.

[0021] The center pilot hole 913 is formed in a region between the center between the right end and the center and the center between the left end and the center in the width direction of the material 90. In this embodiment, the center pilot hole 913 is formed in approximately the center in the width direction of the material 90. In the conveying direction of the material 90, the center pilot hole 913 is provided in a position different from, for example, the side pilot holes 911 and 912. The hole diameter of the center pilot hole 913 may be the same as or different from the side pilot holes 911 and 912.

[0022] The pilot pin 33 is provided to protrude downward from the lower surface of the upper die 30. The pilot pin 33 is provided downstream of the hole forming section 32 in the conveying path 6. When the punch 31 punches out the material 90, the pilot pin 33 protrudes downward through the stripper section 40 and fixes the position of the material 90 while being removably inserted into the pilot hole 91. The lower die 20 is provided at a position corresponding to the pilot pin 33 and has an insertion hole 22 that receives the tip of the pilot pin 33. Note that in FIG. 3, to make the drawing easier to see, reference numerals are given to only some of the multiple insertion holes 22, and reference numerals for the remaining insertion holes 22 are omitted.

[0023] The pilot pins 33 include side pilot pins 331, 332 and a center pilot pin 333. The side pilot pins 331, 332 are provided at positions corresponding to the side pilot holes 911, 912, and a plurality of, for example, six of each, are provided lined up along the conveying direction of the material 90. Hereinafter, the side pilot pin 331 corresponding to the right side pilot hole 911 may be referred to as the right side pilot pin 331, and the side pilot pin 332 corresponding to the left side pilot hole 912 may be referred to as the left side pilot pin 332.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 5 and other figures, the side pilot pins 331, 332 have shaft portions 331a, 332a and head portions 331b, 332b. The shaft portions 331a, 332a form the tips of the side pilot pins 331, 332, and the head portions 331b, 332b form the base ends of the side pilot pins 331, 332. The outer diameters of the head portions 331b, 332b are larger than the outer diameters of the shaft portions 331a, 332a. In this embodiment, the shaft portions 331a, 332a of the side pilot pins 331, 332 are formed so that the outer diameter is larger on the base end side than on the tip side. In this case, the shaft portions 331a, 332a have a first outer diameter portion 341 and a second outer diameter portion 342. The first outer diameter portion 341 is located at the tips of the side pilot pins 331, 332. A reduced diameter portion 343a is provided on the tip side of the first outer diameter portion 341. The reduced diameter portion 343a is formed so that the outer diameter decreases from the base end side toward the tip side.

[0025] The second outer diameter portion 342 is located closer to the base end of the side pilot pins 331, 332 than the first outer diameter portion 341, and has a larger outer diameter than the first outer diameter portion 341. In other words, the outer diameter D1 of the first outer diameter portion 341 is smaller than the outer diameter D2 of the second outer diameter portion 342. The difference ΔD between the outer diameter D2 of the second outer diameter portion 342 and the outer diameter D1 of the first outer diameter portion 341 is set, for example, in the range of 0.01 mm to 0.1 mm. The outer diameter D1 of the first outer diameter portion 341 is set smaller than the diameters of the side pilot holes 911, 912. The outer diameter D2 of the second outer diameter portion 342 is set to be approximately the same as or slightly smaller than the diameter of the side pilot holes 911, 912. A reduced diameter portion 343b is provided between the first outer diameter portion 341 and the second outer diameter portion 342. The reduced diameter portion 343b is formed so that the outer diameter decreases from the base end side toward the tip end side.

[0026] The center pilot pin 333 is provided at a position corresponding to the center pilot hole 913. The center pilot pin 333 is also positioned so as to be aligned with either the right side pilot pin 331 or the left side pilot pin 332 along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the material 90. In order to make the drawing easier to see in Figure 3, only some of the side pilot pins 331, 332 and center pilot pin 333 are labeled with reference numerals, and the other side pilot pins 331, 332 and center pilot pin 333 are not labeled with reference numerals.

[0027] As described above, the material 90 formed by cutting the base material 901 into two pieces may bend to either the left or right in the conveying direction. For example, if a bend to the right occurs in the conveying direction, the positions of the side pilot holes 911, 912 will shift as the material 90 is conveyed downstream, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 6( a), from the reference position, which is the position when no bend occurs, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 6( a). In an example where the bending direction of the material 90 is to the right, the spacing Pr between adjacent right side pilot holes 911 is shorter than the spacing Ps between side pilot holes 91 at the reference position. On the other hand, the spacing Pl between adjacent left side pilot holes 912 is longer than the spacing Ps.

[0028] At this time, when the side pilot pins 331, 332 are brought into contact with the side pilot holes 911, 912, an external force acts in the extension direction in the portion between the adjacent right side pilot holes 911, so no wrinkles occur in the material 90. However, as shown in FIG. 6(b), an external force acts in the contraction direction in the portion between the adjacent left side pilot holes 912, so wrinkles W occur in the material 90. If the material 90 is punched in this state, the processing accuracy on the left side of the material 90 in the width direction will deteriorate.

[0029] When the material 90 is bent to the left with respect to the conveyance direction, the interval Pr between adjacent right side pilot holes 911 becomes longer than the interval Ps. On the other hand, the interval Pl between adjacent left side pilot holes 912 becomes shorter than the interval Ps. For this reason, when the material 90 is bent to the left, there is a concern that the processing accuracy on the right side of the material 90 in the width direction may deteriorate during punching of the material 90.

[0030] Therefore, in this embodiment, the press apparatus 10 has a switching mechanism 50. The switching mechanism 50 independently switches the use states of the multiple side pilot pins 331, 332. Switching the use states includes switching the side pilot pins 331, 332 between a state in which they contact the side pilot holes 911, 912 and a state in which they do not contact the side pilot holes 911, 912 when punching the material 90.

[0031] When punching the material 90, if the bending direction of the material 90 is to the right, the press apparatus 10 can bring the right side pilot pin 331 into contact with the right side pilot hole 911 without bringing the left side pilot pin 332 into contact with the left side pilot hole 912. On the other hand, if the bending direction of the material 90 is to the left, the press apparatus 10 can bring the left side pilot pin 332 into contact with the left side pilot hole 912 without bringing the right side pilot pin 331 into contact with the right side pilot hole 911. In other words, when punching the material 90, the press apparatus 10 is configured to use the side pilot pins 331, 332 on the side corresponding to the bending direction of the material 90 and not use the side pilot pins 331, 332 on the side opposite to the bending direction of the material 90. This can prevent deterioration in processing accuracy caused by insertion of the pilot pins 33 into the pilot holes 91, i.e., positioning of the material 90, when the material 90 is bent.

[0032] The inventors of the present application have confirmed that when material 90 is bent in either the left or right direction, even if center pilot pin 333 is brought into contact with center pilot hole 913, no deterioration in processing accuracy occurs. For this reason, press apparatus 10 does not have a configuration for switching the usage state of center pilot pin 333. Instead, center pilot pin 333 is always inserted into center pilot hole 913 when punching material 90 with punch 31. As a result, even with a configuration that switches the usage states of side pilot pins 331, 332, material 90 can be stably positioned.

[0033] Next, the switching mechanism 50 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, a switching mechanism 50 is provided for each of the multiple side pilot pins 331, 332. The multiple switching mechanisms 50 can individually switch the usage state of each side pilot pin 331, 332. In other words, the usage state of each of the multiple side pilot pins 331, 332 can be switched not only in either the left or right row, but also in a staggered pattern or every other row, for example. This allows for flexible positioning adjustment depending on the bending state of the material 90.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 7 , the switching mechanism 50 is provided on the lower surface side of the upper mold 30 and on the upper surface side of the stripper section 40. The stripper section 40 has a stripper-side recess 401. The stripper-side recess 401 is provided at a position corresponding to the switching mechanism 50, and is formed by recessing a portion of the upper surface of the stripper section 40 downward. The upper mold 30 also has an upper-mold-side recess 301. The upper-mold-side recess 301 is formed by recessing the lower surface of the upper mold 30 upward at a position opposite the stripper-side recess 401. The outer shape of the upper-mold-side recess 301 is set to be larger than the outer shape of the stripper-side recess 401.

[0035] The switching mechanism 50 includes a drive unit 51, a connecting unit 52, a slide member 53, and a presser member 54. The drive unit 51 is, for example, an air cylinder, and is an actuator that moves linearly in a direction perpendicular to the punching direction of the material 90, i.e., horizontally. The drive unit 51 is fixed to the stripper unit 40. The drive unit 51 includes a drive unit main body 511 and a rod 512. The drive unit main body 511 constitutes the main body of the drive unit 51. The rod 512 moves horizontally relative to the drive unit main body 511. The connecting unit 52 transmits the driving force of the drive unit 51 to the slide member 53 to move the slide member 53. The connecting unit 52 includes a support member 521 and a transmission member 522. The support member 521 is connected to the tip of the rod 512 and is interposed between the rod 512 and the transmission member 522. The transmission member 522 contacts the slide member 53 to transmit the driving force to the slide member 53. The transmission member 522 is configured, for example, as a rod-shaped member having a substantially circular cross section. The transmission member 522 is held by a receiving portion 531 of the slide member 53.

[0036] The slide member 53 is formed of, for example, a substantially plate-shaped member, and is placed on the stripper-side recess 401. The slide member 53 is housed in the stripper-side recess 401 and is horizontally movable within the stripper-side recess 401. The slide member 53 is used to move the side pilot pins 331, 332 up and down. The side pilot pins 331, 332 are inserted into through holes 41 of the stripper section 40. The through holes 41 are formed so as to penetrate the stripper section 40 in the thickness direction.

[0037] 7, a biasing member 42 is provided inside the through-hole 41. The biasing member 42 is formed of, for example, a compression spring, and biases the side pilot pins 331, 332 upward. In this case, the biasing member 42 is supported by the heads 331b, 332b of the side pilot pins 331, 332 with the shafts 331a, 332a of the side pilot pins 331, 332 inserted inside the biasing member 42. The side pilot pins 331, 332 are in contact with the slide member 53 while being biased by the biasing member 42.

[0038] 8, the bottom surface of the slide member 53 is formed in a stepped shape. The bottom surface of the slide member 53 has a first bottom surface 53a and a second bottom surface 53b. The first bottom surface 53a is located on the base end side in the movement direction of the slide member 53. The second bottom surface 53b is located on the tip side in the movement direction of the slide member 53. In other words, the bottom surface of the slide member 53 is arranged in the order of first bottom surface 53a and second bottom surface 53b from the base end side to the tip side in the movement direction of the slide member 53.

[0039] The first bottom surface 53a and the second bottom surface 53b are connected by an inclined surface 53c. The inclined surface 53c is formed to be inclined upward from the base end side toward the tip end side in the movement direction of the slide member 53. The distance from the top surface of the slide member 53 to the bottom surface is configured to decrease in stages from the base end side toward the tip end side in the movement direction of the slide member 53. In other words, the distance T1 from the top surface of the slide member 53 to the first bottom surface 53a is greater than the distance T2 from the top surface of the slide member 53 to the second bottom surface 53b.

[0040] In this configuration, when the slide member 53 moves horizontally by being driven by the drive unit 51, the bottom surface of the slide member 53 that comes into contact with the upper surfaces of the side pilot pins 331, 332 switches between the first bottom surface 53a and the second bottom surface 53b. This makes it possible to switch the amount of downward protrusion of the side pilot pins 331, 332 from the lower surface of the stripper unit 40. In other words, the switching mechanism 50 switches the usage state of the side pilot pins 331, 332 by adjusting the relative positional relationship between the lower surface of the stripper unit 40 and the tips of the side pilot pins 331, 332.

[0041] 9(a), when the second bottom surface 53b and the upper surfaces of the side pilot pins 331 and 332 are in contact with each other, the portions of the side pilot pins 331 and 332 that extend from the first outer diameter portion 341 toward the tip ends thereof are exposed from the through-holes 41. That is, when the second bottom surface 53b and the upper surfaces of the side pilot pins 331 and 332 are in contact with each other, the tip ends of the side pilot pins 331 and 332 are located below the lower surface of the stripper portion 40. In this case, the side pilot pins 331 and 332 are inserted into the side pilot holes 911 and 912 during punching of the material 90.

[0042] In this embodiment, as described above, the outer diameter D1 of the first outer diameter portion 341 is set to be smaller than the diameter of the side pilot holes 911, 912. Therefore, even if the first outer diameter portion 341 is inserted into the side pilot holes 911, 912, the first outer diameter portion 341 is unlikely to come into contact with the side pilot holes 911, 912. In other words, the material 90 is unlikely to be positioned based on the first outer diameter portion 341. In other words, as shown in FIG. 9(a), when the second bottom surface 53b and the upper surfaces of the side pilot pins 331, 332 are in contact with each other, the side pilot pins 331, 332 can be placed in an unused state where they are not in use.

[0043] 9(b), when the first bottom surface 53a and the upper surfaces of the side pilot pins 331 and 332 are in contact, the portions of the side pilot pins 331 and 332 located from the second outer diameter portion 342 toward the tip end thereof are exposed from the through-hole 41. In this case, similar to the state when the second bottom surface 53b and the upper surfaces of the side pilot pins 331 and 332 are in contact, the side pilot pins 331 and 332 are inserted into the side pilot holes 911 and 912 during punching of the material 90. In this case, the second outer diameter portions 342 of the side pilot pins 331 and 332 are in contact with the side pilot holes 911 and 912. The material 90 is positioned based on the outer diameter of the second outer diameter portion 342. The state shown in FIG. 9(b) is a state in which the side pilot pins 331 and 332 are in use. For example, if the amount of bending of material 90 changes midway along the longitudinal direction of material 90, material 90 may be positioned using first outer diameter portion 341. In this way, side pilot pins 331, 332 have a plurality of outer diameters for the portions inserted into side pilot holes 911, 912, and therefore, bending material 90 can be positioned with high precision when punching it.

[0044] The pressing member 54 is for guiding the horizontal movement of the slide member 53. The pressing member 54 is formed of, for example, a substantially rectangular plate-shaped member, and is located above the stripper-side recessed portion 401. The pressing member 54 is attached to the stripper portion 40 via a connecting member 541 formed of, for example, a bolt or the like. The thickness of the pressing member 54 is set smaller than the depth of the upper-die-side recessed portion 301. The pressing member 54 is in contact with or close to the upper surface of the slide member 53, and restricts the upward movement of the slide member 53.

[0045] According to the embodiment described above, the progressive processing apparatus 1 includes a feeder 5, an upper die 30, a stripper unit 40, a hole forming unit 32, a plurality of pilot pins 33, and a switching mechanism 50. The feeder 5 transports the material 90 along the conveying path 6 in the longitudinal direction of the material 90. The upper die 30 has a punch 31 for punching out the material 90. The stripper unit 40 is located below the upper die 30. The hole forming unit 32 forms pilot holes 91 at predetermined positions on both sides and in the center of the material 90 in the width direction. The plurality of pilot pins 33 are provided downstream of the hole forming unit 32 on the conveying path 6, and fix the position of the material 90 by being removably inserted into each pilot hole 91 when the material 90 is punched out by the punch 31. The switching mechanism 50 independently switches the use state of the side pilot pins 331, 332 corresponding to the side pilot holes 911, 912, which are pilot holes on both sides of the material 90 in the width direction, among the plurality of pilot pins 33.

[0046] This allows punching to be performed in accordance with changes in the bending direction of the material 90. This allows high-precision processing to be performed in accordance with the bending state of the material 90. Furthermore, regardless of whether the bending direction of the material 90 being conveyed is left or right, the processing side can flexibly respond, thereby improving workability when conveying the material 90.

[0047] The side pilot pins 331, 332 are inserted into through holes 41 formed so as to penetrate the stripper section 40 in the thickness direction. The switching mechanism 50 switches the usage state of the side pilot pins 331, 332 by adjusting the relative positional relationship between the lower surface of the stripper section 40 and the tips of the side pilot pins 331, 332. This makes it possible to perform high-precision processing in accordance with the bending state of the material 90 without complicating the device configuration of the progressive processing device 1.

[0048] The multiple pilot pins 33 include a center pilot pin 333 that corresponds to a center pilot hole 913, which is a pilot hole in the center in the width direction of the material 90. The center pilot pin 333 is constantly inserted into the center pilot hole 913 when the punch 31 punches out the material 90. This allows stable positioning of the material 90 even in a configuration in which the use states of the side pilot pins 331, 332 are switched.

[0049] The side pilot pins 331, 332 have a first outer diameter portion 341 and a second outer diameter portion 342. The first outer diameter portion 341 is located at the tip of the side pilot pins 331, 332. The second outer diameter portion 342 is located closer to the base end of the side pilot pins 331, 332 than the first outer diameter portion 341, and is formed with a larger outer diameter than the first outer diameter portion 341. This makes it possible to position the bent material 90 with high precision by switching the outer diameter of the portion inserted into the side pilot holes 911, 912 depending on the state of misalignment between the side pilot pins 331, 332 and the side pilot holes 911, 912.

[0050] 9 shows a state in which the tips of the side pilot pins 331, 332 are exposed from the lower surface of the stripper section 40 when punching the material 90, whether the side pilot pins 331, 332 are in a used state or an unused state. However, as shown in the example of FIG. 10( a), when the side pilot pins 331, 332 are in an unused state, the side pilot pins 331, 332 may be configured to be housed in the through-hole 41 when the second bottom surface 53 b and the upper surfaces of the side pilot pins 331, 332 are in contact with each other. In other words, when the second bottom surface 53 b and the upper surfaces of the side pilot pins 331, 332 are in contact with each other, the tips of the side pilot pins 331, 332 are positioned above the lower surface of the stripper section 40. In this case, the side pilot pins 331, 332 are not inserted into the side pilot holes 911, 912 when punching the material 90. In the example of FIG. 10, the side pilot pins 331 and 332 can be configured as so-called straight pins in which the diameters of the shaft portions 331a and 332a do not change in the axial direction of the side pilot pins 331 and 332.

[0051] As shown in the example of FIG. 10(b), when the first bottom surface 53a and the upper surfaces of the side pilot pins 331 and 332 are in contact with each other, the shanks 331a and 332a are exposed from the through-holes 41. In this case, when punching the material 90, the side pilot pins 331 and 332 are inserted into the side pilot holes 911 and 912. The material 90 is then positioned based on the outer diameters of the shanks 331a and 332a. Even with this modification, it is possible to perform high-precision processing in response to the bending state of the material 90 without complicating the configuration of the progressive processing apparatus 1.

[0052] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] In the drawing, 1 indicates a progressive processing device, 5 indicates a feeder (transport mechanism), 30 indicates an upper die, 32 indicates a hole forming section, 33 indicates a pilot pin, 40 indicates a stripper section, and 50 indicates a switching mechanism 50.

Claims

1. a conveying mechanism that conveys the material along a conveying path in a longitudinal direction of the material; an upper die having a punch for punching out the material; a stripper portion located below the upper die; a hole forming section for forming pilot holes at predetermined positions on both sides and at a center portion of the material in the width direction; a plurality of pilot pins that are provided downstream of the hole forming portion in the conveying path and that fix the position of the material in a state where they are removably inserted into each of the pilot holes when the material is punched out by the punch; a switching mechanism that independently switches the use states of a plurality of side pilot pins corresponding to side pilot holes that are pilot holes on both sides in the width direction of the material, among the plurality of pilot pins, Progressive processing equipment.

2. the side pilot pin is inserted into a through hole formed by penetrating the stripper portion in a thickness direction, the switching mechanism switches the use state of the side pilot pin by adjusting the relative positional relationship between the lower surface of the stripper portion and the tip of the side pilot pin. The progressive processing device according to claim 1.

3. The plurality of pilot pins include a center pilot pin corresponding to a center pilot hole that is a pilot hole at the center in the width direction of the material, the center pilot pin is always inserted into the center pilot hole when the punch is punching out the material; The progressive processing device according to claim 1.

4. The side pilot pin has a first outer diameter portion located at the tip end of the side pilot pin, and a second outer diameter portion located closer to the base end of the side pilot pin than the first outer diameter portion and having an outer diameter larger than that of the first outer diameter portion. The progressive processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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