Duct manufacturing method and duct manufacturing system

Abstract

To provide a duct manufacturing system which can improve productivity and manufacturing efficiency.SOLUTION: A duct manufacturing system for manufacturing a wall plate which is formed into a plate shape, has a joining structure at a side end part, and constitutes a duct, comprises: a manufacturing support computer 3 for setting a magnitude at which a button punch seam is deployed and a magnitude at which a Pittsburgh seam is deployed as common seam dimensions being the same dimensions, and setting a dimension of the wall plate constituting a duct to be manufactured on the basis of the common seam dimensions; and a cutting processor 4 for cutting a blanking wall plate formed into a shape obtained by deploying the wall plate for constituting the duct to be manufactured irrespective of whether or not the joining structure is the button punch seam or the Pittsburgh seam, and including the common seam dimensions from a sheet material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a duct manufacturing method and a duct manufacturing system for manufacturing a wall panel of a duct.

Background Art

[0002] For example, a square duct for air conditioning is formed in a square cylindrical shape by assembling four wall panels. At this time, as the assembly structure (joint structure, tongue-and-groove structure) of the wall panel, depending on the size of the duct and the purpose of use, button punch tongue-and-groove or Pittsburgh tongue-and-groove (Mitsui tongue-and-groove) has been used (for example, see Patent Document 1). Further, when manufacturing the wall panel, a plasma processing machine or a laser processing machine was used to cut out the wall panel from a sheet-shaped steel plate and perform blanking.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Non-Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, conventionally, the sizes of button punch tongue-and-groove and Pittsburgh tongue-and-groove have been different. That is, in the case of button punch tongue-and-groove, the total length of single tongue-and-groove is 9 mm and the total length of double tongue-and-groove is 34 mm, whereas in the case of Pittsburgh tongue-and-groove, the total length of single tongue-and-groove is 7 mm and the total length of double tongue-and-groove is 32 mm. Therefore, even when manufacturing ducts of the same size and dimensions, the size of the wall panel (size in the unfolded state) was different depending on whether it was button punch tongue-and-groove or Pittsburgh tongue-and-groove. For this reason, not only was it necessary to perform blanking from the steel plate separately, but also the blanking yield was poor, and moreover, they had to be stocked separately, which was inefficient.

[0005] Furthermore, when cutting wall panels from steel plates using plasma processing machines, conventionally, a predetermined gap or cutting allowance was provided between the wall panels. This resulted not only in poor yield of cut sheets but also inefficient cutting due to the long cutting length required by the plasma processing machine.

[0006] Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to provide a duct manufacturing method and a duct manufacturing system that can improve productivity and manufacturing efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the invention described in claim 1 is a duct manufacturing method for manufacturing a wall panel that constitutes a duct, which is plate-shaped and has a joint structure at its side end, comprising: a dimension setting step in which the size of a button punch seam when unfolded and the size of a Pittsburgh seam when unfolded are set as a common seam dimension, and the dimensions of the wall panel for constituting the duct to be manufactured are set based on the common seam dimension; and a cutting step in which a cut wall panel, which has the shape of a wall panel for constituting the duct to be manufactured when unfolded and includes the common seam dimension, is cut from a sheet material, regardless of whether the joint structure is a button punch seam or a Pittsburgh seam.

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that, in the duct manufacturing method described in claim 1, in the cutting step, a plurality of cutting wall panels of the same shape are cut from the sheet material while being arranged without gaps.

[0009] The invention described in claim 3 is a duct manufacturing system for manufacturing wall panels that constitute a duct, which are plate-shaped and have a joint structure at their side ends, comprising: a dimension setting means for setting the dimensions of wall panels for the duct to be manufactured based on the common seam dimension, where the size of a button punch seam when unfolded and the size of a Pittsburgh seam when unfolded are the same dimensions; and a cutting means for cutting a cutting wall panel from a sheet material, which has the shape of a wall panel for the duct to be manufactured when unfolded and includes the common seam dimension, regardless of whether the joint structure is a button punch seam or a Pittsburgh seam.

[0010] The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that, in the duct manufacturing system described in claim 3, the cutting means cuts out a plurality of the cutting wall panels of the same shape from the sheet material while they are arranged without gaps. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the inventions described in claims 1 and 3, button punch seams and Pittsburgh seams have the same common seam dimensions, and regardless of whether the duct to be manufactured has a button punch seam or a Pittsburgh seam, a sheet material can be cut out of the sheet material containing the same common seam dimensions for the duct to be manufactured (for example, 500 mm wide). In other words, when manufacturing ducts of the same size and dimensions, there is no need to change the size and dimensions of the sheet material depending on whether it has a button punch seam or a Pittsburgh seam. Therefore, regardless of whether it has a button punch seam or a Pittsburgh seam, sheet material can be cut out of the steel plate or the like to improve the yield of the sheet material, and moreover, only one type of sheet material needs to be stocked, making it possible to improve productivity and manufacturing efficiency.

[0012] According to the inventions described in claims 2 and 4, since multiple sheet-cut wall panels of the same shape are cut from a sheet material while arranged without gaps, the yield of sheet panels is improved, and the cutting length by plasma processing machines and the like is shortened, making it possible to improve productivity and manufacturing efficiency. In other words, by arranging multiple sheet-cut wall panels of the same shape, it is possible to create an efficient (high yield) arrangement, and by arranging them without gaps, an even more efficient arrangement is possible. Furthermore, since the common edges of adjacent sheet-cut wall panels only require one cut, it is possible to improve productivity and manufacturing efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing a duct manufacturing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of the manufacturing support computer in the duct manufacturing system. [Figure 3] A diagram showing the overall length of the single flange and the double flange of the button punch flange in the embodiments of this invention. [Figure 4] A diagram showing the overall length of the single flange and the double flange of the Pittsburgh flange in the embodiments of this invention. [Figure 5] A diagram showing the overall length of the single flange and the double flange of a conventional button punch flange. [Figure 6] A diagram showing the overall length of the single flange and the double flange of a conventional Pittsburgh flange. [Figure 7] A perspective view showing an example of a duct to be manufactured in the embodiments of this invention. [Figure 8] A plan view showing the plate-taking wall plate of the wall plate constituting the duct of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] A diagram showing an example of nesting in the embodiments of this invention. [Figure 10] A diagram showing an example of conventional nesting.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, this invention will be described based on the illustrated embodiments.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a duct manufacturing system 1 according to an embodiment of this invention. This duct manufacturing system 1 is a system for manufacturing wall plates that form air-conditioning ducts, and are plate-shaped wall plates provided with a joining structure at the side ends. In this embodiment, the case where a button punch flange or a Pittsburgh flange is provided as the joining structure will be mainly described.

[0016] This duct manufacturing system 1 includes a communication terminal 2 used by a duct customer (orderer) M, a manufacturing support computer (dimension setting means) 3 and a cutting machine (plate-taking means) 4 used by a duct manufacturing and sales company P, and the communication terminal 2 and the manufacturing support computer 3 can communicate with each other.

[0017] The communication terminal 2 may be any terminal equipped with communication functions, input functions, display functions, etc. For example, it may be a smartphone (multifunctional mobile phone) or a personal computer. In this embodiment, the case of a smartphone will be described. This smartphone 2 can access the web page of the manufacturing support computer 3 described later, or call the duct manufacturer and seller P to input the type, dimensions, nominal dimensions, required quantity, etc. of the ducts to be ordered.

[0018] The manufacturing support computer 3 is a computer web server that can be accessed by duct customers M via the smartphone 2, provides web pages on the Internet to sell ducts (e-commerce), and supports the manufacture of ducts. In this embodiment, the process for manufacturing the duct wall panels will be mainly described, but it is needless to say that duct members such as corner pieces and packings are also included in the manufacturing targets in the same manner as the wall panels.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the manufacturing support computer 3 mainly includes an input unit 31, a display unit 32, a communication unit 33, an inventory database (inventory storage means) 34, an order receiving task (order receiving means) 35, a manufacturing support task (dimension setting means) 36, and a central processing unit 37 that controls these.

[0020] The input unit 31 is an interface for inputting various information, commands, etc. Specifically, it inputs and changes the data and information in the inventory database 34, or inputs a start command for the manufacturing support task 36. The display unit 32 is a display for displaying various data, information, etc. Specifically, it displays the data and information in the inventory database 34, or displays the nesting described later. The communication unit 33 is an interface for communicating with the outside. Specifically, it transmits an order receiving screen to the smartphone 2, receives order information from the smartphone 2, and transmits the nesting described later to the cutting machine 4.

[0021] The inventory database 34 is a database that stores inventory information for ducts and their components and parts, and stores the inventory quantity for each type and size of ducts and components and parts. Thus, in this embodiment, the inventory information is stored in the manufacturing support computer 3, but it may also be stored in another computer or server and read from the manufacturing support computer 3.

[0022] Order placement task 35 is a task program that displays an order placement screen on smartphone 2 for receiving orders for ducts from customer M, and receives order information from smartphone 2, including the type, dimensions, nominal size, and required quantity of the ducts to be ordered. In other words, it is activated when a webpage (manufacturing support computer 3) is accessed from smartphone 2, displays the order placement screen on smartphone 2, and when the type, dimensions, and required quantity of the ducts are entered from smartphone 2, the order for those ducts is placed.

[0023] Thus, in this embodiment, the manufacturing support computer 3 is equipped with an order processing task 35, but orders may also be placed on other computers or servers, and that information may be read by the manufacturing support computer 3. In addition to placing orders via a web page, orders may also be placed via telephone, fax, etc., and that information may be entered into the manufacturing support computer 3.

[0024] Manufacturing support task 36 is a task program that sets the dimensions of the wall panels for the duct to be manufactured based on the common seam dimension, which is the same size as the size of the unfolded button punch seam and the unfolded Pittsburgh seam. First, regardless of whether it is a button punch seam or a Pittsburgh seam, the size / dimension of the unfolded seam is set as the common seam dimension, and the button punch seam or Pittsburgh seam is formed at this common seam dimension.

[0025] In other words, conventionally, in the case of button-punch gobies, as shown in Figure 5, the total length L11 of a single goby was 9 mm, and the total length (length when straightened) L12 of a double goby was 34 mm. Also, conventionally, in the case of Pittsburgh gobies, as shown in Figure 6, the total length L21 of a single goby was 7 mm, and the total length (length when straightened) L22 of a double goby was 32 mm.

[0026] In contrast, in this embodiment, that is, in manufacturing support task 36, for button punch fasteners, as shown in Figure 3, the total length L11 of the single fastener is 8 mm and the total length L12 of the double fastener is 29 mm. Similarly, for Pittsburgh fasteners, as shown in Figure 4, the total length L21 of the single fastener is 8 mm and the total length L22 of the double fastener is 29 mm. Thus, the total length L11 of the single fastener of the button punch fastener and the total length L21 of the single fastener of the Pittsburgh fastener are both set to a common fastener dimension L1 of 8 mm, and the total length L12 of the double fastener of the button punch fastener and the total length L22 of the double fastener of the Pittsburgh fastener are both set to a common fastener dimension L2 of 29 mm.

[0027] Here, the size and length of the common seam dimensions L1 and L2 are set to ensure proper joining, whether using button-punch seams or Pittsburgh seams, while keeping them as small as possible. Furthermore, these common seam dimensions L1 and L2 are applied not only to the wall panels of straight ducts but also to the wall panels of L-shaped elbow ducts.

[0028] Next, based on these common seam dimensions L1 and L2, the dimensions of the wall panels to be made for the duct are set. That is, the dimensions of the wall panels to be manufactured are set and designed based on order information from the customer M and inventory information stored in the inventory database 34. For example, wall panels that are not in stock to supply the type, dimensions, and required number of ducts included in the order information may be made to be manufactured, or wall panels for ducts that are frequently ordered may be made to be manufactured each time order information is received. Therefore, the manufacturing support task 36 may be started at any time, or each time order information is received, and the type, dimensions, and required number of ducts and wall panels to be manufactured are entered as input parameters.

[0029] For example, as shown in Figure 7, if the duct to be manufactured is a rectangular duct 100 with a roughly square cross-section, and the length of one side of the cross-section of this duct (duct width) is L31, then as shown in Figure 8, the width dimension of the wall panel 101 is set to the sum of this duct width L31 and common seam dimensions L1 and L2. In this case, if a single seam is formed, the common seam dimension L1 is added, and if a double seam is formed, the common seam dimension L2 is added.

[0030] Here, either a single seam or a double seam may be formed on both ends of a single wall panel 101. In this case, the rectangular duct 100 is composed of two wall panels 101 with only single seams and two wall panels 101 with only double seams. Alternatively, a single seam may be formed on one end and a double seam on the other end. In this case, the rectangular duct 100 is composed of four wall panels 101 of the same shape, one with a single seam and the other with a double seam. Therefore, in this case, the number of types and dimensions of wall panels 101 to be manufactured and stocked can be reduced, making it possible to improve productivity and manufacturing efficiency.

[0031] The unfolded shape of the wall panel 101 with dimensions set in this manner (the shape before the seams are formed) is the same shape, including common seam dimensions L1 and L2, regardless of whether the joint structure is a button punch seam or a Pittsburgh seam. That is, as shown in Figure 8, the unfolded wall panel 102 has a roughly rectangular wall panel body 102a with a width (short side) of duct width L31, and strip-shaped seam formation allowances 102b with widths of common seam dimensions L1 and L2 are provided on both sides in the width direction. In addition, if necessary, the unfolded wall panel 102 may have flange formation allowances 102c for forming flanges on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the wall panel body 102a.

[0032] Then, the seam formation allowance 102b of the cut wall panel 102 is bent to form a single seam or a double seam, thereby forming the wall panel 101. At this time, a button punch seam or a Pittsburgh seam may be formed according to the order information. In addition, if necessary, the flange form allowance 102c is bent to form a flange.

[0033] The cutting machine 4 is a processing machine that cuts out sheet wall panels 102, which include the common seam dimensions L1 and L2 as described above, from a sheet material, regardless of whether the joint structure is a button punch seam or a Pittsburgh seam. In other words, it is composed of a plasma processing machine and a laser processing machine, and cuts out sheet wall panels 102 from a sheet material such as a steel plate. At this time, multiple sheet wall panels 102 of the same shape are cut out from the sheet material in a state where they are lined up without gaps.

[0034] In other words, in a nesting arrangement of multiple cut wall panels 102, as shown in Figure 9, at least multiple cut wall panels 102 of the same shape are arranged without gaps, so that the whole arrangement is as efficient as possible (without large gaps). Here, such a nesting arrangement may be designed and created by the manufacturing support computer 3 and sent to the cutting machine 4, or it may be designed and created by the cutting machine 4 based on the cut wall panels 102 designed by the manufacturing support computer 3. Then, based on such a nesting arrangement, the cutting machine 4 cuts out multiple cut wall panels 102 from the sheet material 110.

[0035] Next, a method for manufacturing ducts using the duct manufacturing system 1 with this configuration will be described.

[0036] First, in the manufacturing support computer 3, the dimensions of the unfolded button punch seam and the unfolded Pittsburgh seam are set as common seam dimensions L1 and L2, respectively, as described above, and the dimensions of the wall panel 101 to constitute the duct 100 to be manufactured are set based on the common seam dimensions L1 and L2 (dimension setting step). Next, regardless of whether the joint structure is a button punch seam or a Pittsburgh seam, a sheet of cut wall panel 102, which has the shape of the unfolded wall panel 101 to constitute the duct 100 to be manufactured and includes the common seam dimensions L1 and L2, is cut from the sheet material 110 (cutting step). At this time, multiple sheet of cut wall panels 102 of the same shape are cut from the sheet material 110 while lined up without gaps. After that, the seam formation allowance 102b of the sheet of cut wall panel 102 is processed and folded to form the joint structure, i.e., a button punch seam or a Pittsburgh seam, and the wall panel 101 is manufactured.

[0037] As described above, with this duct manufacturing system 1 and duct manufacturing method, button punch seams and Pittsburgh seams have the same common seam dimensions L1 and L2. Regardless of whether the duct 100 to be manufactured has a button punch seam or a Pittsburgh seam, a sheet material 110 can be cut out containing the same common seam dimensions L1 and L2 for the duct 100 to be manufactured (for example, 500 mm wide). In other words, when manufacturing ducts 100 of the same size and dimensions, there is no need to change the size and dimensions of the sheet material 102 depending on whether it has a button punch seam or a Pittsburgh seam. Therefore, regardless of whether it has a button punch seam or a Pittsburgh seam, a sheet material 102 of the same size and dimensions can be cut out from a steel plate or the like, improving the yield of the sheet material, and moreover, only one type of sheet material 102 needs to be stocked, making it possible to improve productivity and manufacturing efficiency.

[0038] Furthermore, since multiple identically shaped cut wall panels 102 are cut from the sheet material 110 while arranged without gaps, the yield of cut panels is improved, and the cutting length by plasma processing machines and the like is shortened, making it possible to improve productivity and manufacturing efficiency. In other words, by arranging multiple identically shaped cut wall panels 102, it is possible to create an efficient (high yield) arrangement, and by arranging them without gaps, an even more efficient arrangement is possible. Moreover, since the common edges of adjacent cut wall panels 102 only require one cut, it is possible to improve productivity and manufacturing efficiency.

[0039] Specifically, in conventional board cutting and nesting, as shown in Figure 10, a predetermined gap is provided between the board cutting wall panels 102, and each board cutting wall panel 102 is arranged haphazardly. In contrast, in the board cutting and nesting of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, there is no gap between multiple board cutting wall panels 102 of the same shape, and each board cutting wall panel 102 is arranged neatly (in a cohesive manner). Therefore, the length in the longitudinal direction of the nesting in this embodiment (the length of the long side of the sheet material 110) L41 can be made shorter than the length in the longitudinal direction of conventional nesting L43. In addition, the cutting length in this embodiment can be made shorter than the cutting length in conventional methods.

[0040] Here, the nesting widths L42 and L44 are the same in this embodiment as in the conventional design. In addition, each panel 102 is provided with an identification number (partially abbreviated as "JS-5" or "JS-4") as shown in Figures 9 and 10, indicating that it is a component of the same duct. For example, four panel 102 marked "JS-5" constitute one straight duct, and four panel 102 marked "JS-4" constitute one elbow duct.

[0041] Although embodiments of this invention have been described above, the specific configuration is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any design changes, etc., that do not depart from the gist of this invention are also included. For example, in the embodiments described above, the common seam dimension L1 for single seams is 8 mm and the common seam dimension L2 for double seams is 29 mm, but other dimensions may be used depending on the material of the sheet material, the thickness of the sheet, and the required bonding strength. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0042] 1. Duct Manufacturing System 2. Communication terminals 3. Manufacturing support computer (dimension setting means) 4 Cutting machine (board cutting means) 100mm square duct 101 Wall board 102 Itadori wall board 110 Sheet material Common seam dimensions for L1 single seam Common seam dimensions for L2 double seam P Duct Manufacturer and Distributor M Consumer (orderer)

Claims

1. A duct manufacturing method for producing wall panels that constitute a duct, which are plate-shaped and have a joint structure at their side ends, A dimension setting step in which the dimensions of the wall panels for constructing the duct to be manufactured are set based on the common seam dimensions, which are the same size as the size of the button punch seam when unfolded and the size of the Pittsburgh seam when unfolded, Regardless of whether the joint structure is a button punch seam or a Pittsburgh seam, the cutting step involves cutting out a cut wall panel from a sheet material, which is the shape of the wall panel that forms the duct to be manufactured and includes the common seam dimensions, A method for manufacturing ducts, characterized by comprising the following features.

2. In the cutting step, multiple cutting wall panels of the same shape are arranged without gaps and cut from the sheet material. The method for manufacturing a duct according to feature 1.

3. A duct manufacturing system for producing wall panels that constitute a duct, which are plate-shaped and have a joint structure at the side end, A dimension setting means that sets the dimensions of the wall panels for constructing the duct to be manufactured based on the common seam dimensions, where the size of the button punch seam when unfolded and the size of the Pittsburgh seam when unfolded are the same. Regardless of whether the joint structure is a button punch seam or a Pittsburgh seam, a cutting means for cutting a cutting wall panel from a sheet material, which is in the shape of an unfolded wall panel for constituting the duct to be manufactured and includes the common seam dimensions, A duct manufacturing system characterized by comprising the following features.

4. In the aforementioned cutting means, multiple cutting wall panels of the same shape are arranged without gaps and cut from the sheet material. The duct manufacturing system according to feature 3.

Images