Progressive press working method and system

Abstract

To provide a progressive press processing method and processing system including a maintenance process for progressive press dies. [Solution] A progressive press processing method using a press processing device including a maintenance process for a progressive press die. A management device that notifies an operator that the maintenance process should be performed includes a counting unit that counts the number of shots for each processing stage after processing starts, and a storage unit that records maintenance information consisting of a set of a specified number of shots and maintenance content for each processing stage, and when the specified number of shots for any set of the maintenance information is reached, the management device notifies the operator that the maintenance process should be performed together with the processing stage and maintenance content corresponding to the set, and resets the corresponding number of shots in the counting unit.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a progressive press working method and processing system using a press working device, and more particularly to a progressive press working method and processing system including a maintenance process for a progressive press die. [Background technology]

[0002] A progressive press working method using a press working device is known in which two or more press working steps are performed in one die, and a strip of work material is automatically sent to the next step in the die while being pressed. This processing method is characterized by a very fast processing speed and excellent productivity compared to other press working methods, as it eliminates the time required to manually put the work material in and take it out of the die between each step.

[0003] In order to prevent defects in press processing, the optimum processing conditions for the press device must be found for the type of defect, such as burrs, warping, scratches, deviation from dimensional or angle tolerances, and the processing conditions for the press machine that cause the defect must be optimized before processing can be performed. In other words, processing conditions such as the amount of oil and production speed must be compiled into a database in advance and managed in order to improve quality.

[0004] On the other hand, because die wear and the like are also a major cause of defects, a press processing method has been proposed in which the number of presses is set for each die as a guideline for maintenance, and when the set number of presses is reached, a message is sent to the worker to inform him or her that the scheduled maintenance number has been reached, urging the worker to perform maintenance such as die polishing. After the worker carries out the designated maintenance work, the worker resets the set number of presses to zero and resumes processing.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for managing dies used in press equipment such as turret punch presses, servo presses, etc. Here, as maintenance count data for each component of a die made up of multiple components that vary in the number of times they are used in one motion, data on the number of actual uses of the components, data on the number of planned uses, and a multiplier corresponding to the number of uses per motion are stored, and the multiplier is added to the data on the number of actual uses of the components for each motion, and when the planned number of uses data is reached, a notification to that effect is sent to the worker, urging them to polish the die. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-160215 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] As described above, in progressive press working, different processes are performed at each stage, so when managing dies by the number of presses, it is possible to consider prescribing an upper limit on the number of presses according to the stage where the processing conditions are predicted to be the severest, and then carrying out maintenance. However, since the types of defects that occur vary widely, such prediction itself has been difficult.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a progressive press processing method and processing system including a maintenance process for a progressive press die. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The inventors of the present application conducted detailed observations of the deterioration behavior of the dies in each stage of progressive press working, together with the operation of the press machine, and came to the conclusion that the deterioration of the dies in each stage is linked to each other and leads to the occurrence of a specific defect, that is, the deterioration of the die in only one stage does not lead to the occurrence of a specific defect, and thus arrived at the present invention.

[0010] That is, the method according to the present invention is a progressive press processing method using a press processing apparatus, which includes a maintenance process of a progressive press die having a plurality of processing stages each arranged at equal intervals in sequence along a feed line of the processed material, and the management device which notifies an operator that the maintenance process should be performed includes a counting unit which counts the number of shots for each of the processing stages after processing begins, and a memory unit in which maintenance information consisting of a set of a specified number of shots and maintenance contents for each of the processing stages is recorded, and when the specified number of shots for any of the sets of the maintenance information is reached, the management device notifies an operator that the maintenance process should be performed, together with the processing stage corresponding to the set and the maintenance content, and resets the corresponding number of shots in the counting unit.

[0011] According to this feature, by performing maintenance on one stage before the part of the mold corresponding to that stage has a significant impact on the deterioration of the part of the mold corresponding to another stage, product defects are prevented and high productivity is achieved.

[0012] In the above invention, the maintenance information may include sets of different prescribed shot counts and different maintenance contents for the same processing stage. According to this feature, the influence of deterioration of the mold between stages is further suppressed, product defects are prevented, and high productivity is achieved.

[0013] In the above-mentioned invention, the management device may be characterized in that, in response to the operation of a stop device that stops the press working device when a defective product is found in a processed product manufactured by the press working device, the management device accepts an external input of the processing stage that caused the defective part of the defective product and a maintenance content corresponding to the defective part, and then, upon further receiving an input indicating that the maintenance content has been carried out, if the pair that matches the processing stage and the maintenance content based on the external input exists in the memory unit, the management device resets the corresponding number of shots in the counting unit, and if not, the management device accepts further input of the number of shots based on the external input to newly create the pair and register it in the memory unit. According to this feature, the influence of deterioration of the mold between stages is further suppressed, product defects are prevented, and high productivity is achieved.

[0014] Furthermore, the system according to the present invention may be a progressive press processing system using a press processing device including a maintenance process for a progressive press die having a plurality of processing stages each arranged at equal intervals in sequence along a delivery line for a workpiece, and a management device for notifying an operator that the maintenance process should be performed may include a counting unit for counting the number of shots for each of the processing stages after processing is started, and a storage unit in which maintenance information consisting of a set of a specified number of shots and maintenance contents for each of the processing stages is recorded, and when the number of shots for any of the sets of the maintenance information is reached, the management device may notify an operator that the maintenance process should be performed together with the processing stage corresponding to the set and the maintenance contents, and reset the corresponding number of shots in the counting unit. According to this feature, the influence of deterioration of the die between stages is further suppressed, product defects are prevented, and high productivity is achieved.

[0015] According to this feature, by performing maintenance on the mold for one stage before the part of the mold corresponding to one stage has a significant impact on the deterioration of the part of the mold corresponding to another stage, product defects can be prevented and high productivity can be achieved.

[0016] In the above invention, the maintenance information may include sets of different prescribed shot counts and different maintenance contents for the same processing stage. According to this feature, the influence of deterioration of the mold between stages is further suppressed, product defects are prevented, and high productivity is achieved.

[0017] In the above-mentioned invention, the management device may be characterized in that, in response to the operation of a stop device that stops the press working device when a defective product is found in a processed product manufactured by the press working device, the management device accepts an external input of the processing stage that caused the defective part of the defective product and a maintenance content corresponding to the defective part, and then, upon further receiving an input indicating that the maintenance content has been carried out, if the pair that matches the processing stage and the maintenance content based on the external input exists in the memory unit, the management device resets the corresponding number of shots in the counting unit, and if not, the management device accepts further input of the number of shots based on the external input to newly create the pair and register it in the memory unit. According to this feature, the influence of deterioration of the mold between stages is further suppressed, product defects are prevented, and high productivity is achieved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a layout by progressive press working. [Diagram 2] 1 is a graph showing the relationship between the processing speed for each processing stage in progressive press processing and the number of shots capable of maintaining quality. [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram of a progressive press working system according to one embodiment of the present invention and a press working device connected thereto. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] First, the background to the invention will be described.

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a layout of the procedure for processing a workpiece M into a specified part by progressive press working. As shown in this layout, in progressive press working, the workpiece M made of a strip-shaped metal plate is sent along a feed line along which the strip-shaped longitudinal direction is processed by a progressive press die provided at equal intervals in a plurality of processing stages in sequence. As shown in the figure, the processing content differs depending on the processing stage in the die, such as punching, bending, and cutting. Therefore, the deterioration behavior of the corresponding part of the die (die part) differs depending on each processing stage, and even within one processing stage, depending on the processing part, and the frequency of maintenance required differs depending on the processing stage or processing part.

[0021] Generally, when a defect is found during an inspection of a product obtained from the processed material M, it is considered to deal with the problem by performing maintenance on the part of the mold that corresponds to the processing stage that caused the defect. However, in the case of mass-produced products, even if processing is stopped after a defect is found, a large number of defective products may be produced. Also, when 100% inspection is not possible for mass-produced products, even if the sample extracted for inspection is not defective, there may be defects before and after, making it difficult to achieve high productivity. Therefore, preventive maintenance before defects occur is considered, but in order to do so, it is necessary to investigate the deterioration behavior of the mold.

[0022] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the inventors of the present application investigated the limit value of the number of shots that can maintain a predetermined quality standard, and observed the deterioration behavior of the mold in each processing stage of progressive press processing. In this case, a progressive press processing having four processing stages was investigated. In detail, for each of product A and product B, the processing speed (number of shots per minute) was changed to SPM100, 200, and 300, and the limit value of the number of shots was investigated for each processing stage. The limit value of the number of shots was displayed for both high and medium quality standards. In other words, the limit value of the number of shots is smaller for the high quality standard. As a result, it was found that, overall, the limit value of the number of shots tends to decrease when the processing speed is increased, but the rate of decrease varies. For example, looking at processing stages (mold stages) No. 2 and No. 3 for product A, when changing from SPM100 to SPM200, the limit value for the number of shots at processing stage No. 2 drops sharply, but the rate of drop is small at processing stage No. 3, and when changing from SPM200 to SPM300, the rate of drop is small at processing stage No. 2, but large at processing stage No. 3. In this way, even for a single mold, the trends differ depending on the processing stage, and it was found that mold maintenance needs to be managed on a processing stage basis.

[0023] On the other hand, when we look at machining stage No. 1, there is almost no change in the limit value of the number of shots depending on the machining speed. Only a slight decrease is observed in product B, which has a medium quality standard of SPM300. This is thought to be because machining stage No. 1 processes blank materials without a previous process, and can always process materials of a constant quality. In other words, it is thought that there is a correlation between the deterioration of the mold between machining stages, such that the deterioration of the part of the mold corresponding to a certain machining stage affects the deterioration of other parts.

[0024] Therefore, even if maintenance is performed on the corresponding part of the mold immediately before a defect occurs in the product that deviates from the specified quality standard, it is considered that the other parts have already been affected in some way in relation to the corresponding part, causing deterioration to progress. In this case, it is difficult to predict the occurrence of defects in such other parts, and defects that deviate from the quality standard may occur immediately, requiring further maintenance. In other words, even if the deterioration of the mold does not deviate from the quality standard of the product, a correlation is generated in which the deterioration of the mold affects other parts and accelerates the deterioration. Therefore, the inventors of the present application thought of performing maintenance before the influence of the deterioration of the parts of the mold causes a correlation.

[0025] Next, a progressive press working method and a progressive press working system including a maintenance step for a progressive press die according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 3, the progressive press working system 2 can be configured by a computer connected to a press working device 1 using a progressive press die 12. The press working device 1 includes a processing unit 11 that performs press working using the progressive press die 12, a control device 14 that controls the operation of the processing unit 11, and a stopping device 15 that stops the operation of the processing unit 11 based on an external signal. The progressive press die 12 has a plurality of processing stages 13 (here, No. 1 to No. 4) that are arranged at equal intervals in sequence along the delivery line of the processed material.

[0027] On the other hand, the progressive press working system 2 includes a management device 20 that notifies an operator that a maintenance process for the progressive press die 12 should be performed, and an input device 29.

[0028] The management device 20 is connected to the control device 14 and the stop device 15 of the press processing device 1, and includes a counting unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a display unit 23. The counting units 21 are provided individually corresponding to each processing stage 13, and count the number of shots of each processing stage 13 individually. The number of shots is a value that is incremented by one for each pressing of the progressive press die 12. For example, the control device 14 sends one signal for each shot based on a sensor that detects the operation of the crankshaft that presses the progressive press die of the press processing device 1. The management device 20 receives this signal and increments all the shot numbers in the counting unit 21 by one. Since the progressive press die is used, the cumulative number of shots of each processing stage 13 is the same, but as described later, the counter for the number of shots corresponding to the processing stage 13 where the maintenance process was performed is reset every time a maintenance process is performed, and the number of shots after the maintenance process is counted for each processing stage 13. That is, the maintenance process is carried out individually for the plurality of processing stages 13, and the counter 21 counts the number of shots thereafter for each processing stage 13 individually.

[0029] The storage unit 22 stores maintenance information corresponding to each of the processing stages 13. The maintenance information includes a set of a specified number of shots and maintenance content. That is, the maintenance content to be performed when the counted number of shots reaches the specified number of shots in the corresponding processing stage 13 is recorded. Note that it is also preferable that the maintenance information further includes processing content, which is information regarding processing to be performed on the corresponding part.

[0030] The display unit 23 displays information that should be notified to the operator. For example, the display unit 23 may display the specified number of shots in the maintenance information in contrast to the current number of shots. Also, when the number of shots reaches the specified number of shots, the display unit 23 displays the number of the corresponding processing stage 13 and the maintenance content to notify the operator that a maintenance process for the progressive press die 12 should be performed.

[0031] The input device 29 is connected to the management device 20 so that the management device 20 can receive an external input by operating the input device 29. The management device 20 performs a necessary operation based on the external input from the input device 29. The input device 29 may be provided integrally with the display unit 23.

[0032] The management device 20 is further connected to a stop device 15 of the press working apparatus 1. The stop device 15 stops the press working apparatus 1 when a defective product is found in a processed product manufactured by the press working apparatus 1. This stopping operation may be performed based on an external input from the input device 29 if a defect is found by an operator, or may be performed based on a signal from a sensor or the like that mechanically detects defective parts.

[0033] Next, the operation of the progressive press working system 2 will be described.

[0034] First, the storage unit 22 of the management device 20 stores a set of the prescribed number of shots and the maintenance content corresponding to each of the processing stages 13 No. 1 to No. 4 as maintenance information. As described above, the maintenance information may further include the processing content. Here, the prescribed number of shots is the number of shots that may be continuously performed for the progressive press processing without performing the maintenance of the corresponding processing stage 13. The prescribed number of shots is a predetermined value, for example, input from outside by an operator and stored. The maintenance information may be determined based on past performance, but the prescribed number of shots in particular may be updated when the manufacturing of the product is repeated as described later. In addition, the maintenance content is, for example, clearance adjustment, bending angle adjustment, die cutting edge grinding, punch cutting edge grinding, etc. In addition, the processing content is, for example, small hole punching, drawing, cutting and bending, etc.

[0035] Then, progressive press working is performed by the press working device 1. Then, the management device 20 causes the counting unit 21 to count the number of shots. In detail, the counting unit 21 receives a signal for each shot from the control device 14 of the press working device 1, and adds 1 to all of the counters for the number of shots corresponding to each of the processing stages 13, No. 1 to No. 4.

[0036] Meanwhile, the management device 20 monitors the counter of the number of shots by the counting unit 21 and compares it with the specified number of shots of the corresponding maintenance information stored in the memory unit 22. When the number of shots corresponding to any of the processing stages 13 No. 1 to No. 4 reaches the specified number of shots, the management device 20 notifies the worker by displaying on the display unit 23 that a maintenance process should be performed. At this time, the display unit 23 is caused to display the maintenance information including the reached specified number of shots and the number of the processing stage 13 corresponding to the maintenance information. At this time, for example, the management device 20 can send a signal to the stop device 15 to stop the progressive press processing of the press processing device 1.

[0037] Meanwhile, the worker performs the maintenance process of the progressive press die 12 in accordance with the contents notified on the display unit 23 by the management device 20, and inputs the fact that the maintenance has been completed through the input device 29. In response to this input, the management device 20 resets to zero the counter of the number of shots in the counting unit 21, which corresponds to the processing stage where the specified number of shots has been reached and maintenance has been completed.

[0038] The management device 20, upon receiving the input indicating that maintenance has been completed, allows the operation of the processing unit 11 of the press working device 1. Then, as the press working device 1 resumes progressive press working, it again starts counting the number of shots for each processing stage. At this time, the reset counter starts counting from zero, and the other counters continue counting from the values ​​before maintenance.

[0039] This manufacturing method allows preventive maintenance against deterioration of the mold. That is, before a part of the mold corresponding to one processing stage has a large effect on the deterioration of a part of the mold corresponding to another processing stage, maintenance of the part of the mold corresponding to the one processing stage can be performed, thereby preventing product defects and providing high productivity. In other words, rather than detecting the occurrence of product defects or mold deterioration, the timing and frequency of performing maintenance are managed with a specified number of shots that are predicted to occur before these occur, and even before the deterioration causes adverse effects on other processing stages due to the association of deterioration.

[0040] In addition, it is preferable that the maintenance information is adjusted to be more appropriate in continuing the manufacturing. For example, the number of shots in which the maintenance was performed and the number of shots in which defects occurred are accumulated as a production history, and the specified number of shots is updated based on this. Specifically, when the maintenance is performed, the management device 20 accepts an external input and stores the number of shots at that time in the storage unit 22. The maximum, minimum, or average value of the number of shots stored in this way is compared with the specified number of shots. Then, when it is desired to further reduce the occurrence of defects, the specified number of shots is reduced with reference to the average value of the number of shots, etc. Conversely, when it is desired to reduce the frequency of maintenance, the specified number of shots is increased. In this way, by using the accumulated production history, it is possible to update the specified number of shots to adjust the maintenance information and obtain further improvement in productivity.

[0041] In addition, even in one processing stage, multiple processing such as punching a slit hole and punching a round hole are performed. Therefore, even in one processing stage, the deterioration of the parts of the mold corresponding to the multiple processing parts is related to each other, but the behavior and the degree of progress of the deterioration may differ. In other words, the frequency of requiring maintenance also differs depending on the processing part. Therefore, it is also preferable to store the maintenance information corresponding to each of the multiple processing parts in the processing stage in the storage unit 22 and count the number of shots individually for each of the multiple processing parts. In other words, the maintenance information includes a set of different specified number of shots and different maintenance contents and even different processing contents for the same processing stage. This allows maintenance management to be performed not only on a processing stage basis but also on a processing part basis.

[0042] In addition, the number of pieces of maintenance information may be increased while continuing production, as an adjustment of the maintenance information. For example, when a defective product (defective part) is found, the press processing device 1 is stopped by the stop device 15. Then, the management device 20 receives an external input of the processing stage or processing part that caused the defective part and the corresponding maintenance content in response to the operation of the stop device 15. That is, the worker performs maintenance on the part of the die corresponding to the defective part of the found product, inputs the processing stage or processing part and the maintenance content from the input device 29 according to the performed maintenance, and inputs the fact that the maintenance corresponding to this maintenance content has been performed. It is preferable to further include the reason for maintenance as the maintenance content so that records of defective products can be accumulated, such as when maintenance information is externally input in response to the discovery of a defective product. The reason for maintenance can be, for example, the content of the defect that occurred, such as burr generation, bend angle defect, bend dimension defect, and dent generation.

[0043] The management device 20 receives this external input and checks whether a set of maintenance information including a specified number of shots that matches the processing stage or processing part with the maintenance content exists in the memory unit 22. If such a set of maintenance information exists (if maintenance management has already been performed), the corresponding number of shots in the counting unit 21 is reset to zero. On the other hand, if such a set of maintenance information does not exist (if maintenance management has not been performed up to now), an input of the number of shots is further accepted based on this external input, a new set of maintenance information is created and registered in the memory unit 22, and a corresponding counter is also newly created in the counting unit 21 and counting starts from zero.

[0044] In this way, the effects of deterioration of the mold between processing stages or between processing locations can be further suppressed, preventing the occurrence of product defects and providing high productivity.

[0045] Although the embodiments of the present invention and modifications based thereon have been described above, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and a person skilled in the art will be able to find various alternative embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention or the scope of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1 Press processing equipment 2 Progressive press processing system 12 Progressive press die 13 Processing stage 15 Stop device 20 Management device 21 Counting Department 22 Memory section

Claims

1. A progressive press working method using a press working device, the progressive press working method including a maintenance process for a progressive press die having a plurality of working stages each arranged at equal intervals in sequence along a feed line of a workpiece, the method comprising: The management device that notifies an operator that the maintenance process should be performed includes a counting unit that counts the number of shots for each of the processing stages after processing is started, and a storage unit that records maintenance information consisting of a set of a specified number of shots and maintenance content for each of the processing stages, The maintenance information includes a set of different prescribed shot counts and different maintenance contents for the same processing stage, The management device includes: a function of informing an operator that the maintenance process should be performed when the specified number of shots of any one of the groups in the maintenance information is reached, together with the processing stage corresponding to the group and the maintenance content, and resetting the number of shots corresponding to the counter; and and a function of receiving, in response to the operation of a stopping device which stops the press working apparatus when a defective product is found in a processed product manufactured by the press working apparatus, an external input of the processing stage which caused a defective part in the defective product and maintenance content corresponding to the defective part, and thereafter, upon further receiving an input indicating that the maintenance content has been carried out, resetting the corresponding number of shots in the counting unit if the set which matches the processing stage and the maintenance content based on the external input exists in the memory unit, and if not, accepting further input of the number of shots based on the external input, newly creating the set and registering it in the memory unit.

2. A progressive press working system using a press working device including a maintenance process for a progressive press die having a plurality of processing stages each arranged at equal intervals in sequence along a feed line of a workpiece, The management device that notifies an operator that the maintenance process should be performed includes a counting unit that counts the number of shots for each of the processing stages after processing is started, and a storage unit that records maintenance information consisting of a set of a specified number of shots and maintenance content for each of the processing stages, The maintenance information includes a set of different prescribed shot counts and different maintenance contents for the same processing stage, The management device includes: a function of informing an operator that the maintenance process should be performed when the specified number of shots of any one of the groups in the maintenance information is reached, together with the processing stage corresponding to the group and the maintenance content, and resetting the number of shots corresponding to the counter; and and a function of receiving, in response to the operation of a stopping device which stops the press working apparatus when a defective product is found in a processed product manufactured by the press working apparatus, an external input of the processing stage which caused a defective part in the defective product and maintenance content corresponding to the defective part, and thereafter, upon further receiving an input indicating that the maintenance content has been carried out, resetting the corresponding number of shots in the counting unit if the set which matches the processing stage and the maintenance content based on the external input exists in the memory unit, and if not, accepting further input of the number of shots based on the external input, creating a new set and registering it in the memory unit.

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