Force measurement during can end shell molding
The integration of force measuring devices in the tooling assembly for can end shell forming addresses the issue of inaccurate force measurement, ensuring the production of high-quality, robust can end shells by precisely controlling the forming process.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NOVELIS INC(US)
- Filing Date
- 2024-06-13
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-24
AI Technical Summary
Conventional can end shell forming processes lack accurate measurement of forming forces, leading to the production of defective shells due to excessive force application, which can thin the metal and reduce the strength and performance of the can end shells.
A tooling assembly equipped with internal force measuring devices, such as sensors, is integrated into the upper and lower tool assemblies to measure the load during the can end shell forming process, allowing for precise control and adjustment of forming forces.
The implementation of force measuring devices enables accurate measurement and control of forming forces, improving the quality and strength of can end shells by preventing excessive thinning and enhancing the overall performance.
Smart Images
Figure 2026520755000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 508,157, filed on June 14, 2023, entitled "FORCE MEASUREMENT DURING CAN END SHELL FORMING", the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0002] This application relates to metal containers, and more particularly, to systems and methods for forming a metal can end shell that can be joined to a container body to form a metal container.
Background Art
[0003] Metal containers (e.g., aluminum beverage cans) for purposes such as containing food or beverages generally include a container body having an opening defined at one end and a lid portion (referred to as a "container lid shell" or "can end shell") designed to close the opening of the container body. The container body and the can end shell are typically joined at their peripheral edges (e.g., by crimping or co-winding) to form a liquid-tight and air-tight joint. Although some container lids are flat and circular discs, can end shells are more commonly provided with a convex contour or a curl at the peripheral edge to facilitate the joining process.
[0004] The can end shell forming process typically involves placing a blank sheet metal between a pair of dies, moving the dies to shear the edges of the blank, and then lowering a punch to compress the circular blank into a can end shell with a periphery flange, a frustoconical wall, and an end panel. The periphery flange of the can end shell may be curled downwards to make it suitable for a double seam process. The end panel may then be formed into a dome shape. Such a process may be carried out by a single tooling assembly or by multiple tooling assemblies. Conventional tooling assemblies have formed can end shells of various shapes, but the inability to accurately measure the forming force applied to the blank sheet metal still results in the production of defective can end shells. For example, excessive force applied to the blank sheet metal can thin the can end shell, reducing its strength and overall strength and performance. Some tooling assemblies for can end-shell forming processes include sensors on their underside and outside to indicate overall operation and settings, but such sensors cannot measure or detect the forming forces applied to the metal blank. [Overview of the project]
[0005] The embodiments covered by this patent are defined not by the summary of this invention, but by the claims set forth below. The summary of this invention is a high-level overview of various embodiments and introduces some of the concepts further described in the section on embodiments for carrying out the invention below. This summary is not intended to identify any important or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used alone to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by referring to the entire specification of this patent, any or all of the drawings, and the appropriate parts of each claim.
[0006] According to a particular embodiment, a tooling assembly for can end shell forming includes an upper tool assembly, a lower tool assembly, and a force measuring device. The upper and lower tool assemblies may cooperate in forming a can end shell from a metal blank during the can end shell forming process. The force measuring device may be located within either the upper or lower tool assembly and may measure the load on either the upper or lower tool assembly.
[0007] According to various embodiments, a tooling assembly for forming can end shells includes an upper tooling assembly having a die center and a lower tooling assembly having a panel punch and a die coring ring. In certain embodiments, the panel punch is positioned in the die coring ring opposite the die center. The upper and lower tooling assemblies may cooperate to form a can end shell from a metal blank. The tooling assembly further includes at least one force measuring device within the upper or lower tooling assembly for measuring the load in the upper or lower tooling assembly. In certain embodiments, the at least one force measuring device is provided on at least one of the die center, die coring ring, and panel punch.
[0008] According to several embodiments, a method for forming a can end shell using a tooling assembly includes receiving a metal blank between an upper tool assembly and a lower tool assembly, the upper tool assembly including at least one upper forming surface, and the lower tool assembly including at least one lower forming surface. The method includes causing the upper tool assembly to cooperate with the lower tool assembly so that the at least one upper forming surface and the at least one lower forming surface form the metal blank into a can end shell. In various embodiments, the method includes measuring the load on at least one of the upper tool assembly or the lower tool assembly using at least one force measuring device provided on at least one of the upper tool assembly or the lower tool assembly.
[0009] The various embodiments described herein may include additional systems, methods, features, and advantages, which are not necessarily expressly disclosed herein but will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. All such systems, methods, features, and advantages are intended to be contained within this disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims.
[0010] This specification refers to the attached drawings described below, where the same reference numerals are used in different drawings, they are intended to indicate similar or analogous components. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0011] [Figure 1] This shows a can end shell forming system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows a portion of a can end shell formed by the can end shell forming system. [Figure 3] Another can end shell forming system according to an embodiment is shown. [Figure 4] Another can end shell forming system according to an embodiment is shown. [Figure 5] Another can end shell forming system according to an embodiment is shown. [Figure 6] A flowchart of the control method for can end shell molding according to the embodiment is shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0012] This specification describes a can end-shell forming system and related methods using a tooling assembly having one or more force measuring devices internally. The tooling assembly described herein may incorporate one or more force measuring devices, which is advantageous because it does not modify the can end-shell forming process itself. One or more force measuring devices may be provided in various components of the tooling assembly for the can end-shell forming system, for example, but not limited to, a die center, die coring, and / or panel punch. In certain embodiments, one or more force measuring devices may be provided in components of the tooling assembly adjacent to and / or adjacent to the metal blank during the can end-shell forming process using the tooling assembly. In various embodiments, the tooling assembly includes an upper tooling assembly and a lower tooling assembly, and one or both of the upper and lower tooling assemblies may include one or more force measuring devices.
[0013] Compared to conventional can end-shell forming systems, a tooling assembly equipped with one or more internal force measuring devices allows for the measurement of forming forces applied to the metal blank during can end-shell manufacturing. In certain embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may enable the measurement of forming forces during various steps throughout the can end-shell forming process. The measurement of forming forces may then be used to determine the properties of the metal blank and / or the tooling assembly itself, such as, but not limited to, the influence of the can end-shell forming process on the properties of the metal, coating compositions, lubricants, tooling design, setup, and / or placement, tooling wear profiles, their combinations, and / or other properties as needed. The measured forming forces, and / or additional information determined based on the measured forming forces, may be used to control various aspects of the can end-shell forming system and / or process, such as, but not limited to, the type of metal used in the metal blank, the loads applied by the components of the tooling assembly, the placement and / or type of components of the tooling assembly, the coating compositions applied, and the lubricants applied. In certain embodiments, the measured forming force may provide information regarding the formability of various types of metals during specific and / or complex forming processes that cannot be simulated by other means and / or identified during the can end shell forming process.
[0014] The systems and methods described herein may realize various other benefits and advantages, and these benefits and advantages should not be considered limiting.
[0015] Figure 1 shows an example of a can end shell forming system 100 for forming can end shells from a metal blank. The can end shell forming system 100 typically includes a tooling assembly 102 supported within a press machine 105. The can end shell forming system 100 may include a single-station tooling assembly or a multi-station tooling assembly, as required.
[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the tooling assembly 102 includes an upper tool assembly 104 having one or more upper forming surfaces and a lower tool assembly 106 having one or more lower forming surfaces. During the can end shell forming process, the upper tool assembly 104 cooperates with the lower tool assembly 106 to form a metal blank from a metal sheet 101, and the metal blank can be formed into a can end shell by shaping, stretching, bending, thinning, and / or by other forming methods.
[0017] The upper tool assembly 104 of the tooling assembly 102 may include various components, for example, an upper support 116, an upper sleeve 110, a central support 112, and a die center 114 that support the blanking die 108, but are not limited to these. In various embodiments, one or more upper forming surfaces of the upper tool assembly 104 may be various surfaces of the blanking die 108, upper sleeve 110, and die center 114 that come into contact with the metal sheet 101 and / or metal blank during the can end shell forming process. The surfaces of the blanking die 108, upper sleeve 110, and die center 114 that constitute one or more upper forming surfaces may have various shapes or profiles as needed.
[0018] The upper sleeve 110 may be positioned at least partially within the blanking die 108 such that the blanking die 108 is outside the upper sleeve 110. The die center 114 may be positioned at least partially within the upper sleeve 110 and supported by the central support 112. The blanking die 108 may be fixed to or connected to the upper support 116, and the die center 114 supported by the upper sleeve 110 and the central support 112 may be movable along the axis 118 relative to the blanking die 108 and the upper support 116. The upper sleeve 110 and the die center 114 may be movable using various mechanisms or systems as needed, and in an indefinite example, the upper sleeve 110 and the die center 114 may be actuated by pressurized gas or fluid.
[0019] The lower tool assembly 106 of the tooling assembly 102 typically includes a lower support 120 for supporting the cutting die 122, a lower sleeve 124, a die core ring 126, a panel punch 128, and a punch support 130. The surfaces of the cutting die 122, the lower sleeve 124, the die core ring 126, and the panel punch 128 may constitute one or more lower forming surfaces, which may have various shapes or profiles as needed.
[0020] The cutting die 122 of the lower tool assembly 106 may be fixed to or connected to the lower support 120. In various embodiments, as shown in Figure 1, the lower sleeve 124 of the lower tool assembly 106 may be located at least partially within the cutting die 122, and the lower sleeve 124 may typically be positioned opposite (e.g., in a cooperative configuration) to the blanking die 108 of the upper tool assembly 104. The die core ring 126 may be located at least partially within the lower sleeve 124. In certain embodiments, the die core ring 126 may be fixed to or connected to the lower support 120. In various embodiments, the panel punch 128 of the lower tool assembly 106 may be located at least partially within the die core ring 126 and supported on the punch support 130.
[0021] In various embodiments, the die collar 126 and the cutting die 122 may be fixed or connected to the lower support portion 120, and the lower sleeve 124 and the panel punch 128 on the punch support portion 130 may be movable relative to the die collar 126 and the cutting die 122. Similar to the upper tool assembly 104, the components of the lower tool assembly 106 may be made movable using various mechanisms or systems as required. In a non-limiting example, the lower sleeve 124 and the panel punch 128 may be actuated by pressurized gas or fluid.
[0022] In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the components of the lower tool assembly 106 may be arranged to face the corresponding components of the upper tool assembly 104 (e.g., in a cooperating configuration) in the direction of the axis 118. As a non-limiting example, the lower sleeve 124 of the lower tool assembly 106 may face the blanking die 108 of the upper tool assembly 104, the die collar 126 of the lower tool assembly 106 may face the upper sleeve 110 of the upper tool assembly 104, and the panel punch 128 of the lower tool assembly 106 may be provided to face the die center 114 of the upper tool assembly 104.
[0023] In the process of forming a can end shell, the components of the upper tool assembly 104 and the lower tool assembly 106 described above cooperate to form a can end shell 103 (see, for example, FIG. 2) from a metal sheet 101. Non-limiting examples of the can end shell forming process may include setting the metal sheet 101 between the upper tool assembly 104 and the lower tool assembly 106. The metal sheet 101 may be various metals as required, including but not limited to aluminum, aluminum alloys, steel, or other metals as required. In some examples, the metal sheet 101 may be aluminum or aluminum alloy of 1xxx (1000 series), 2xxx (2000 series), 3xxx (3000 series), 4xxx (4000 series), 5xxx (5000 series), 6xxx (6000 series), 7xxx (7000 series), 8xxx (8000 series), and / or any other aluminum or aluminum alloy.
[0024] The method may include closing the press 105 to move the upper tool assembly 104 towards the lower tool assembly 106. The method may include performing a blanking step of cutting a metal blank from the metal sheet 101 by the forming surfaces of the cutting die 122 and the blanking die 108. The method may include performing one or more forming steps of further forming or shaping the metal blank by the forming surfaces of the upper tool assembly 104 and the lower tool assembly 106 to form a can end shell such as the can end shell 103 shown in FIG. 2.
[0025] The can end shell 103 and the specific components of the upper tool assembly 104 and / or lower tool assembly 106 should not be considered limiting. In other embodiments, the tooling assembly 102 may include the upper tool assembly 104 and / or lower tool assembly 106, which may have various components and / or components having various shapes or profiles, as needed to provide the can end shell 103 with a desired profile. In particular embodiments, the components and / or their properties included in the upper tool assembly 104 and lower tool assembly 106 may vary depending on the desired profile of the can end shell 103. Non-limiting examples of other tooling assemblies include, but are not limited to, those described in U.S. Patent No. 4,516,420 to Bulso, Jr. et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
[0026] In various embodiments, the tooling assembly 102 includes one or more force measuring devices 132 within the upper tool assembly 104 and / or lower tool assembly 106 for measuring the load in the upper tool assembly 104 and / or lower tool assembly 106. The one or more force measuring devices 132 may be various suitable types of sensors or other devices suitable for measuring the load in the upper tool assembly 104 and / or lower tool assembly 106. In various embodiments, the one or more force measuring devices 132 may measure the load during the can end shell forming process, and may also measure the forming force applied to the metal during the can end shell forming process, including various stages of the can end shell forming process, as will be described later.
[0027] One or more force measuring devices 132 may be provided on various components of the upper tool assembly 104 and / or lower tool assembly 106 as needed. As a non-limiting example, Figure 1 shows a first force measuring device 132A provided at a first position on the die center 114 and a second force measuring device 132B provided on the panel punch 128; Figure 3 shows a first force measuring device 132A provided at a second position on the die center 114 and a second force measuring device 132B provided on the die coring 126; Figure 4 shows a first force measuring device 132A provided at a first position on the die center 114 and a second force measuring device 132B provided on the die coring 126; and Figure 5 shows a first force measuring device 132A provided at a second position on the die center 114 and a second force measuring device 132B provided on the panel punch 128. Other non-limiting examples of the location of one or more force measuring devices 132 include the blanking die 108, the upper sleeve 110, the cutting die 122, and / or the lower sleeve 124. In various embodiments, one or more force measuring devices 132 may be provided on components of the upper tool assembly 104 and / or lower tool assembly 106 having one of the forming surfaces of the tooling assembly 102.
[0028] The number of force measuring devices 132 used in the upper tool assembly 104 and / or lower tool assembly 106 may be any number as needed. As a non-limiting example, the tooling assembly 102 may include one force measuring device 132, two force measuring devices 132 as shown in Figures 3-5, or more than two force measuring devices 132. If force measuring devices 132 are provided in both the upper tool assembly 104 and the lower tool assembly 106, the number of force measuring devices 132 on the upper tool assembly 104 does not need to be the same as the number of force measuring devices 132 on the lower tool assembly 106.
[0029] Referring also to Figure 1, the can end shell forming system 100 optionally includes a control device 134 (e.g., a processor and / or memory) that is communicably or operablely connected (e.g., by wireless communication, wired communication, etc.) to one or more force measuring devices 132. In such embodiments, the control device 134 may receive measured loads from one or more force measuring devices 132 and optionally generate outputs based on the received measured loads. In some embodiments, the control device 134 may provide the measured loads from one or more force measuring devices 132 as generated outputs to an operator via a user interface and / or remote device. In certain embodiments, the control device 134 may warn or notify the operator based on the measured loads which are the generated outputs.
[0030] Referring to Figure 6, in certain embodiments, the control device 134 may measure or determine the forming force applied to the metal during the forming of the can end shell based on measured loads from one or more force measuring devices 132. In a non-limiting example, in block 602, the control device 134 may receive one or more first (or calibration) loads from one or more force measuring devices 132 during a first (or calibration) process in which the tooling assembly 102 performs the can end shell forming process without the metal sheet.
[0031] In block 604, the control device 134 may receive one or more second loads from one or more force measuring devices 132 during the metal-filled can end shell forming process.
[0032] In block 606, the control device 134 may determine the forming force applied to the metal during the can end shell forming process based on the difference between a measured second load and a measured first load. Optionally, the control device 134 may also determine the forming force applied to the metal at each stage of the can end shell forming process (e.g., a blanking stage, one or more forming stages, etc.).
[0033] The measured loads from one or more force measuring devices 132, and / or the measured forming force based on the measured loads, may be used to determine the properties of the metal blank and / or tooling assembly 102. Such determinations may be made by the control device 134, the operator, and / or other methods as needed. In non-limiting examples, the measured loads and / or the measured forming force may be used to determine the metallic properties during can end shell forming, the effect of various coating compositions on the metal during can end shell forming, the effect of various lubricants during can end shell forming, the effect of the design, setup, and placement of various tooling assemblies 102 during can end shell forming, their combinations, and / or other properties as needed. In some embodiments, the measured forming force and / or additional information determined based on the measured forming force may be used to control various aspects of the can end shell forming system and / or process. Such control may be made by the control device 134, the operator, and / or other methods as needed. Non-limiting examples of control include controlling the type of metal supplied for the metal blank, the loads applied by the components of the mold assemblies 104 and 106, the arrangement and / or type of components of the mold assemblies 104 and 106, the coating composition applied to the metal sheet 101, the supplied lubricant, their combination, and / or other controls as necessary.
[0034] In other embodiments, the measured loads from one or more force measuring devices 132 may be used to perform various other processes and / or controls as needed.
[0035] A set of exemplary embodiments is provided below, including at least some expressly listed as “exemplary” to provide a further description of various exemplary embodiments of the concepts described herein. These examples are not intended to be mutually exclusive, exhaustive, or limiting, and this disclosure is not limited to these examples but rather encompasses all feasible modifications and variations within the scope of the issued claims and their equivalents.
[0036] Example 1. A tooling assembly for forming a can end shell, the tooling assembly comprising an upper tooling assembly having at least one upper forming surface and a lower tooling assembly having at least one lower forming surface, wherein the upper tooling assembly and the lower tooling assembly are configured to cooperate in forming a can end shell from a metal blank in a can end shell forming process, and the tooling assembly further includes a force measuring device within the upper tooling assembly or the lower tooling assembly, wherein the force measuring device is configured to measure a load in the upper tooling assembly or the lower tooling assembly.
[0037] Example 2. A tooling assembly, either preceding or succeeding, or a combination of examples, wherein the force measuring device is a first force measuring device located within the upper tool assembly, and the tooling assembly further includes a second force measuring device located within the lower tool assembly for measuring the load in the lower tool assembly.
[0038] Example 3. The upper tool assembly includes a die center, and the force measuring device is located on the die center, in either a preceding or succeeding example, or a combination of the examples, tooling assemblies.
[0039] Example 4. The upper tool assembly further includes at least one of an upper die having a first upper molding surface or an upper sleeve having a second upper molding surface, wherein the die center is partially located inside the at least one of the upper die or the upper sleeve, in any preceding or succeeding example or combination of examples of tooling assemblies.
[0040] Example 5. The lower tool assembly includes a panel punch, and the force measuring device is located on the panel punch, in either a preceding or succeeding example, or a combination of the examples, tooling assemblies.
[0041] Example 6. The preceding or succeeding exemplary tooling assembly, or a combination of exemplary tooling assemblies, further comprising at least one of a die-coring having a first lower forming surface or a lower sleeve having a second lower forming surface, wherein the panel punch is at least partially located inside the at least one of the die-coring or the lower sleeve.
[0042] Example 7. The lower tool assembly includes a die-coring, and the force measuring device is located on the die-coring, in either a preceding or succeeding example tooling assembly, or a combination of the examples.
[0043] Example 8. A preceding or succeeding exemplary tooling assembly, or a combination of exemplary tooling assemblies, further comprising a lower tooling assembly, a lower sleeve, and a panel punch, wherein the panel punch is at least partially located inside the die-coring, and the die-coring is at least partially located inside the lower sleeve.
[0044] Example 9. A tooling assembly, either preceding or succeeding example, or a combination of examples, further comprising a control device communicatively connected to the force measuring device, wherein the control device is configured to measure the forming force on the metal blank by receiving a first measuring load from the force measuring device during a calibration process without the metal blank, receiving a second measuring load from the force measuring device during operation of the tooling assembly with the metal blank, and determining the forming force on the metal blank based on the difference between the first measuring load and the second measuring load.
[0045] Example 10. The force measuring device is located on the metal blank and an adjacent portion of the upper tool assembly or the lower tool assembly, either preceding or succeeding, or a combination of both, exemplary tooling assemblies during the can end shell forming process.
[0046] Example 11. A tooling assembly for forming a can end shell, comprising an upper tooling assembly including a die center and a lower tooling assembly including a panel punch and a die coring ring, wherein the panel punch is positioned in the die coring ring opposite the die center, the upper tooling assembly and the lower tooling assembly are configured to cooperate in forming a can end shell from a metal blank, the tooling assembly further comprises at least one force measuring device in the upper tooling assembly or the lower tooling assembly, the at least one force measuring device is located on at least one of the die center, the die coring ring, or the panel punch, and the force measuring device is configured to measure a load in the upper tooling assembly or the lower tooling assembly.
[0047] Example 12. The at least one force measuring device is a tooling assembly, either preceding or succeeding, or a combination of the examples, located on the die center.
[0048] Example 13. The at least one force measuring device is a tooling assembly, either preceding or succeeding, or a combination of the examples, located on the die-coring.
[0049] Example 14. The at least one force measuring device is located on the panel punch, in either a preceding or succeeding example, or a combination of the examples, tooling assemblies.
[0050] Example 15. A preceding or succeeding exemplary tooling assembly, or a combination of exemplary toolsing assemblies, wherein the at least one force measuring device includes a first force measuring device and a second force measuring device, the first force measuring device being located on the die center and the second force measuring device being located on at least one of the die coring or the panel punch.
[0051] Example 16. A tooling assembly, either preceding or succeeding example, or a combination of examples, further comprising a control device communicatively connected to at least one force measuring device, wherein the control device is configured to measure the forming force on the metal blank by receiving a first measuring load from the at least one force measuring device during a calibration process performed without the metal blank, receiving a second measuring load from the at least one force measuring device during operation of the tooling assembly with the metal blank, and measuring the forming force on the metal blank based on the difference between the first measuring load and the second measuring load.
[0052] Example 17. A method for forming a can end shell using a tooling assembly, the method comprising: receiving a metal blank between an upper tool assembly and a lower tool assembly, wherein the upper tool assembly includes at least one upper forming surface and the lower tool assembly includes at least one lower forming surface; causing the upper tool assembly to cooperate with the lower tool assembly so that the at least one upper forming surface and the at least one lower forming surface form the metal blank into a can end shell; and measuring the load in the at least one of the upper tool assembly or the lower tool assembly using at least one force measuring device in at least one of the upper tool assembly or the lower tool assembly.
[0053] Example 18. A preceding or succeeding exemplary method, or a combination of exemplary methods, for measuring the load, which includes measuring the load applied to at least one of the die centers of the upper tool assembly, the die coring of the lower tool assembly, or one of the panel punches of the lower tool assembly.
[0054] Example 19. The at least one force measuring device includes an upper force measuring device in the upper tool assembly and a lower force measuring device in the lower tool assembly, and the measurement of the load includes measuring the load in both the upper tool assembly and the lower tool assembly, either preceding or succeeding example, or a combination of examples.
[0055] Example 20. A preceding or succeeding exemplary method, or a combination of exemplary methods, wherein the measured load is a machining load, and the method further includes receiving a calibration load from the force measuring device during a calibration process of the upper tool assembly and the lower tool assembly before receiving the metal blank, and determining the forming force based on the difference between the calibration load and the machining load.
[0056] As used herein, the terms “invention,” “the invention,” “this invention,” and “the present invention” are intended to broadly refer to the subject matter of this patent application and all of the following claims. It should be understood that any statements containing these terms are not intended to limit the subject matter described herein, or to limit the meaning or scope of the following claims.
[0057] This description refers to alloys identified by AA numbers and other related symbols, such as "System" or "5xxx". For an understanding of the most commonly used numbering system for naming and identifying aluminum and its alloys, please refer to "International Alloy Designations and Chemical Composition Limits for Wrought Aluminum and Wrought Aluminum Alloys" or "Registration Record of Aluminum Association Alloy Designations and Chemical Composition Limits for Aluminum Alloys in the Form of Castings and Ingot" (both published by the Aluminum Association).
[0058] Throughout this disclosure, reference numerals accompanied by letters refer to specific examples of elements, while reference numerals without letters refer to elements in general or collectively. Thus, for example (not shown), device "12A" refers to an example of a class of devices that may be collectively referred to as device "12," any one of which may be collectively referred to as device "12."
[0059] As used in this disclosure, the meanings of “a,” “an,” and “the” include singular and plural references, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
[0060] The subject matter of embodiments of this disclosure is described herein using specifics to satisfy statutory requirements, but this description is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, may include different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction with other existing or future technologies. This description should not be construed as implying any particular order or arrangement in or between the various steps or elements, except when the order of individual steps or the arrangement of elements is explicitly described. Directional references such as “up,” “down,” “upper side,” “lower side,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “sideways,” “vertical,” “front,” and “back” are intended, among other things, to refer to the orientation shown and described in one (or more) figures to which the components and directions refer.
[0061] The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” should be interpreted as unrestricted terms (i.e., “including, but not limited to”) unless otherwise specified herein. All methods described herein may be performed in any preferred order unless otherwise indicated herein or unless the context more clearly contradicts it. Any and all examples provided herein, or the use of illustrative expressions (e.g., “etc.”), are merely intended to better illustrate embodiments of the invention and, unless otherwise asserted, do not limit the scope of the invention. No expression herein should be interpreted as indicating that an unclaimed element is essential to the practice of the invention.
[0062] The embodiments described above are merely possible examples of embodiments and are described solely to provide a clear understanding of the principles of this disclosure. Many variations and modifications can be made to the embodiments(s) described above without substantially departing from the spirit and principles of this disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be incorporated herein within the scope of this disclosure, and all possible claims for individual embodiments or combinations of elements or steps are intended to be supported by this disclosure. Furthermore, certain terms are used herein and in the following claims, but they are used in a general and descriptive sense only and are not intended to limit the embodiments described or the following claims.
Claims
1. A tooling assembly for forming can end shells, The upper tool assembly and, The upper and lower tool assemblies are configured to cooperate in forming a can end shell from a metal blank in a can end shell forming process, and the tool assemblies further comprises a lower tool assembly, A force measuring device is provided within the upper tool assembly or the lower tool assembly, and the force measuring device is configured to measure the load in the upper tool assembly or the lower tool assembly. The aforementioned tooling assembly.
2. The tooling assembly according to claim 1, wherein the force measuring device is a first force measuring device located within the upper tool assembly, and the tooling assembly further includes a second force measuring device located within the lower tool assembly for measuring the load in the lower tool assembly.
3. The tooling assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper tooling assembly includes a die center, and the force measuring device is located on the die center.
4. The tooling assembly according to claim 3, wherein the upper tool assembly further includes at least one of an upper die having a first upper molding surface or an upper sleeve having a second upper molding surface, and the die center is partially located inside the at least one of the upper die or the upper sleeve.
5. The tooling assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lower tool assembly includes a panel punch, and the force measuring device is located on the panel punch.
6. The tooling assembly according to claim 5, wherein the lower tooling assembly further includes at least one of a die-coring having a first lower molding surface or a lower sleeve having a second lower molding surface, and the panel punch is at least partially located inside the at least one of the die-coring or the lower sleeve.
7. The tooling assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lower tooling assembly includes a die-coring, and the force measuring device is located on the die-coring.
8. The tooling assembly according to claim 7, further comprising a lower sleeve and a panel punch, wherein the panel punch is at least partially located inside the die-coring and the die-coring is at least partially located inside the lower sleeve.
9. The force measuring device is further equipped with a control device that is communicatively connected to the aforementioned force measuring device, and the control device is During the calibration process in the absence of the aforementioned metal blank, a first measured load is received from the force measuring device. Receiving a second measured load from the force measuring device during the operation of the tooling assembly with the metal blank present, By determining the forming force applied to the metal blank based on the difference between the first measured load and the second measured load, The tooling assembly according to claim 1, configured to measure the forming force applied to the metal blank.
10. The tooling assembly according to claim 1, wherein the force measuring device is located on the upper tool assembly or a portion of the lower tool assembly adjacent to the metal blank during the can end shell forming process.
11. A tooling assembly for forming can end shells, The upper tool assembly, including the die center, It comprises a lower tool assembly including a panel punch and die-coring, The panel punch is positioned within the die core ring opposite the die center, and the upper and lower tool assemblies are configured to cooperate in forming a can end shell from a metal blank, and the tool assemblies further, The upper tool assembly or the lower tool assembly is provided with at least one force measuring device, the at least one force measuring device is located on at least one of the die center, the die coring, or the panel punch, and the force measuring device is configured to measure the load in the upper tool assembly or the lower tool assembly. The aforementioned tooling assembly.
12. The tooling assembly according to claim 11, wherein the at least one force measuring device is located on the die center.
13. The tooling assembly according to claim 11, wherein the at least one force measuring device is located on the die-coring.
14. The tooling assembly according to claim 11, wherein the at least one force measuring device is located on the panel punch.
15. The tooling assembly according to claim 11, wherein the at least one force measuring device includes a first force measuring device and a second force measuring device, the first force measuring device being located on the die center and the second force measuring device being located on at least one of the die coring or the panel punch.
16. The control device is further connected to the at least one force measuring device in a communicative manner, and the control device is During the calibration process in the absence of the aforementioned metal blank, a first measured load is received from at least one force measuring device. Receiving a second measured load from at least one force measuring device during the operation of the tooling assembly with the metal blank present, By determining the forming force applied to the metal blank based on the difference between the first measured load and the second measured load, The tooling assembly according to claim 11, configured to measure the forming force applied to the metal blank.
17. Can end shell forming method using tooling assembly, including the following: Receiving a metal blank between an upper tool assembly and a lower tool assembly, wherein the upper tool assembly includes at least one upper forming surface, and the lower tool assembly includes at least one lower forming surface, The upper tool assembly is made to cooperate with the lower tool assembly so that the at least one upper forming surface and the at least one lower forming surface form the metal blank into a can end shell, Measure the load in at least one of the upper tool assembly or the lower tool assembly using at least one force measuring device located in at least one of the upper tool assembly or the lower tool assembly.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the measurement of the load includes measuring the load applied to at least one of the die center of the upper tool assembly, the die coring of the lower tool assembly, or the panel punch of the lower tool assembly.
19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the at least one force measuring device includes an upper force measuring device in the upper tool assembly and a lower force measuring device in the lower tool assembly, and the measurement of the load includes measuring the load in both the upper tool assembly and the lower tool assembly.
20. The measured load is a processing load, and the method according to claim 17 further comprises: Before receiving the metal blank, the calibration load is received from the force measuring device during the calibration process of the upper tool assembly and the lower tool assembly. The molding force is determined based on the difference between the calibration load and the processing load.