Press device

Abstract

Provided is a press device that reduces the complexity of processing related to wiring cables. A press device (100) is provided with: a press body (1) that forms an object to be formed; a control device (81) that is positioned away from the press body and controls the press body; a plurality of sensors (s1-s4) that detect the state of each part of the press body; and a relay (4) that collectively transfers a plurality of pieces of detection data output from the plurality of sensors. The relay (4) sends the plurality of pieces of detection data from the plurality of sensors (s1-s4) to the control device (81) via fewer wiring cables (c1) than signal lines connected to the relay (4).

Description

Press equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a press apparatus.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a vibration isolation device that reduces vibrations of a press machine.

[0003] JP 2013-053720 A

[0004] Equipping a press with many sensors, each of which precisely detects the status of each part of the press, and analyzing the status data can be useful for various aspects of press management, such as early detection of press anomalies and appropriate maintenance support. However, when many sensors are installed on a press, many wiring cables run from each sensor to the control device. Since the control device is typically installed at a location far from the press body, the numerous wiring cables are spread over long distances within the factory, making the process of wiring installation, maintenance, and other wiring-related tasks extremely complicated.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a press device that can reduce the complexity of handling distribution cables.

[0006] The press device according to the present invention comprises a press body that forms the workpiece, a control device that is located away from the press body and controls the press body, a plurality of sensors that detect the state of each part of the press body, and a repeater that compiles and transfers a plurality of pieces of detection data output from the plurality of sensors, and the repeater sends the plurality of pieces of detection data to the control device via a wiring cable that is shorter in length than the signal lines connecting the plurality of sensors to the repeater.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a press apparatus that reduces the complexity of handling wiring cables and that can provide a plurality of sensors in the press body.

[0008] It is a figure which shows the press machine of embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the repeater from the back. It is a perspective view which shows the repeater. It is a figure which shows the press machine of embodiment 2 of this invention.

[0009] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) Figure 1 is a diagram showing a press apparatus 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In this figure, the number of sensors s1 to s4 attached to the press body 1 is shown to be small, and the attachment positions are shown in a simplified manner. In reality, more sensors than shown in the figure are included, and the sensors are attached to various locations on the press body 1.

[0011] The press apparatus 100 of the first embodiment includes a press body 1 that forms the workpiece, and a control panel 8 that is located apart from the press body 1 and controls the press body 1. The control panel 8 is provided with a control device 81 and a power source 82 for the low-voltage equipment.

[0012] The press body 1 includes a frame in which a crown 21, a plurality of uprights 22, and a bed 23 are fastened via tie rods 25, a slide 18 supported on the frame so as to be movable back and forth, and a drive mechanism 10 supported on the frame. The slide 18 is moved back and forth by the drive mechanism 10, and a load is applied to the workpiece between a die 32 fixed on the bed 23 via a bolster 24 and a die 31 fixed to the slide 18, thereby forming the workpiece. The workpiece is formed by forging, and the press body 1 is a forging press.

[0013] The drive mechanism 10 is configured to accumulate the power of the motor 11 as rotational energy of the flywheel 12 and convert the accumulated rotational energy into forward and backward motion of the slide 18 via the eccentric shaft 16. The eccentric shaft 16 may be replaced with a crank mechanism. The drive mechanism 10 has a clutch mechanism 13 provided on a power transmission path between the rotational shaft of the flywheel 12 and the eccentric shaft 16, and when the clutch mechanism 13 is engaged, the rotational energy of the flywheel 12 is output to the eccentric shaft 16. The slide 18 then moves, for example, downward. Note that the drive mechanism 10 is not limited to the above example, and various other mechanisms may be used, such as a hydraulic mechanism that applies a load to the workpiece by driving a ram or a piston using hydraulic pressure in a cylinder, or a servo mechanism that applies a load to the workpiece using a servo motor and a reducer.

[0014] The control device 81 is, for example, a programmable logic controller (PLC), and operates the drive mechanism 10 to realize programmed operations based on commands from a higher-level controller, sensor output, or operation commands from a user via operation buttons or the like. The press apparatus 100 has a power supply panel (not shown) that outputs power to the drive mechanism 10, and this power output can drive the drive mechanism 10, such as by driving the motor 11 and switching the state of the clutch mechanism 13. The control device 81 controls the operation of the drive mechanism 10 by switching the output of the power supply panel.

[0015] The control device 81 may additionally be configured to receive detection data representing the state of each part of the press body 1 and perform state monitoring of each part, abnormality detection, or maintenance support. Alternatively, the control device 81 may be configured to transmit the detection data representing the state of each part of the press body 1 to a management system via a communication network. The management system may be installed in a location remote from the work site. The management system receives the above-mentioned detection data and performs various management of the press body 1, such as state monitoring of the press body 1, abnormality detection, or maintenance support.

[0016] The press apparatus 100 is equipped with multiple sensors s1 to s4 that detect the state of each part of the press body 1. As mentioned above, the sensors s1 to s4 shown in the figure are simplified, and many sensors are attached to various locations on the press body 1. These many sensors are represented by sensors s1 to s4.

[0017] The multiple sensors s1 to s4 detect, for example, the movement position of the drive unit of the drive mechanism 10 (for example, the movement position of the actuator that switches the state of the clutch mechanism 13), the movement position of the slide 18, the rotation angle of the eccentric shaft or crank mechanism, the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulically driven cylinders 34 and 35 if present, and the temperatures of the slide 18, dies 31 and 32, hydraulic fluid, and other components. The above-mentioned cylinders 34 and 35 are, for example, auxiliary cylinders that apply a local load to parts of the dies 31 and 32, or knockout cylinders. Furthermore, the multiple sensors s1 to s4 may include a load sensor.

[0018] The press apparatus 100 includes a repeater 4 that collects and transfers multiple pieces of detection data output from multiple sensors s1 to s4. The repeater 4 sends the detection data to the control device 81 via a wiring cable c1 that is fewer than the number of signal lines connected from the multiple sensors s1 to s4 to the repeater 4.

[0019] The repeater 4, for example, aggregates the detection data of the multiple sensors s1 to s4 as communication data in a predetermined format and transfers the communication data to the control device 81 using a predetermined communication procedure. Specifically, the repeater 4 includes a terminal block to which the signal lines of the multiple sensors s1 to s4 are connected, a signal processing circuit that aggregates the detection data of the multiple sensors s1 to s4, a connector that connects the distribution cable c1, and a circuit board on which these components are mounted. Furthermore, the repeater 4 may be equipped with an AD converter that converts analog signals output from the sensors into sampled digital signals in a stage preceding the signal processing circuit. The signal processing circuit is an integrated circuit.

[0020] The distribution cable c1 is specifically a single LAN (Local Area Network) cable, but may be any other communication cable.

[0021] The power supply 82 supplies a power supply voltage via a power supply line c2 (for example, a two-wire conductor) to the repeater 4. The repeater 4 distributes the supplied power supply voltage to the multiple sensors s1 to s4.

[0022] The press apparatus 100 may include multiple sensor groups and multiple corresponding repeaters 4. In this case, the multiple repeaters 4 may be connected to each other via communication cables, and the multiple repeaters 4 may aggregate the large number and types of detection data collected and send the aggregated data to the control device 81 via a single wiring cable c1. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which the multiple repeaters 4 are connected in a daisy chain, and a repeater 4 at one end of the daisy chain sends communication data that aggregates the detection data of the multiple repeaters 4 to the control device 81 via a single wiring cable c1.

[0023] According to the press apparatus 100 of this embodiment, a large number of sensors (plurality of sensors s1 to s4) are used to detect various conditions of the press body 1, which can be useful for various management of the press body 1, such as early detection of abnormalities in the press body 1 and support for maintenance of the press body 1. Meanwhile, running the wiring for a large number of sensors from the press body 1 to the control panel 8 would complicate wiring installation within the factory, but by providing the repeater 4, the number of wiring cables c1 connecting the press body 1 and the control panel 8 can be reduced. Therefore, the complexity of wiring installation within the factory can be reduced.

[0024] <Repeater Installation Structure> Strong vibrations occur in the press body 1 during operation. These vibrations may deviate from the operating conditions that can ensure the reliability of ordinary electrical equipment having a circuit board. For these reasons, it is difficult to install equipment such as the repeater 4 in or near the press body 1, and thus, until now, no one has come up with the technical idea of ​​applying equipment such as the repeater 4 to the press apparatus 100.

[0025] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the repeater as seen from the rear. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the repeater. As shown in Fig. 2, the repeater 4 is attached to the press body 1 via a vibration-isolating part 43 that suppresses vibration. The vibration-isolating part 43 is made of rubber or the like that has vibration-damping and vibration-isolating effects, but the material and configuration are not particularly limited as long as these effects are obtained.

[0026] More specifically, the repeater 4 has an electronic device section 41 that mainly includes the circuit board described above, and a support base 42 that supports the electronic device section 41. The support base 42 has a housing shape that houses the electronic device section 41, but may have other shapes. Vibration-isolating sections 43 are provided on the legs of the support base 42, and the support base 42 is attached to the press body 1 via the vibration-isolating sections 43.

[0027] The electronic device section 41 of the repeater 4 is supported on the support base 42 via a vibration-isolating material 44. The vibration-isolating material 44 is made of rubber or the like that has a vibration-damping or vibration-proofing effect, and suppresses vibrations transmitted from the support base 42 to the electronic device section 41.

[0028] According to the above configuration, even if strong vibrations occur during operation of the press body 1, it is possible to reduce the vibrations transmitted to the circuit board of the repeater 4 and ensure the reliability of the repeater 4. Therefore, it is possible to apply the repeater 4, which has the effect of reducing the number of wiring cables c1 running from the press body 1 to the control panel 8 even if the number of sensors is increased, to the press apparatus 100.

[0029] In this embodiment, the configuration has both the vibration-isolating portion 43 interposed between the support base 42 (housing) and the press body 1, and the vibration-isolating material 44 interposed between the support base 42 and the electronic device portion 41, but a configuration using only one of these may also be adopted. Depending on the magnitude of the effect of the vibration-isolating portion 43 or the vibration-isolating material 44, the reliability of the repeater 4 can be sufficiently ensured even with only one of them.

[0030] The repeater 4 is attached to a frame such as the upright 22. The repeater 4 may also be attached to the crown 21 or the bed 23. This attachment position ensures that the vibrations generated in the press body 1 and transmitted to the repeater 4 are strong but of stable intensity. Therefore, the vibrations transmitted to the electronic device unit 41 after having their intensity reduced via the vibration-isolating unit 43 or the vibration-isolating material 44 are also stable in intensity after reduction. Therefore, the reliability of the electronic device unit 41 can be stably ensured. Furthermore, attaching the repeater 4 to the press body 1 has the effect of preventing the signal wires running from the multiple sensors s1 to s4 to the repeater 4 from getting in the way of the operator.

[0031] (Embodiment 2) FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a press apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The press apparatus according to Embodiment 2 has a different installation location for the relay 4, but otherwise has the same configuration as that of Embodiment 1. The relay 4 according to Embodiment 2 is installed near the press body 1 and on the factory floor F0 (the floor that serves as the foundation supporting the press body 1). In this configuration, the strength of vibration transmitted from the press body 1 to the relay 4 is reduced by the presence of the vibration isolation device 26 and the like, so the relay 4 does not need to have components equivalent to the vibration isolation section 43 and vibration isolation material 44 of Embodiment 1. The vibration isolation device 26 is located between the press body 1 and the floor F0 and reduces the transmission of vibration generated by the press body 1 to the floor F0.

[0032] In the press apparatus of embodiment 2, a large number of sensors (sensors s1 to s4) are used to detect various conditions of the press body 1, which can be useful for various management tasks for the press body 1, such as early detection of abnormalities in the press body 1 and support for maintenance of the press body 1. Meanwhile, running the wiring for a large number of sensors from the press body 1 to the control panel 8 would complicate wiring installation within the factory, but by providing the repeater 4, the number of wiring cables c1 connecting the vicinity of the press body 1 with the control panel 8 can be reduced. This makes it possible to reduce the complexity of wiring installation within the factory.

[0033] Furthermore, while strong vibrations occurring in the press body 1 may deviate from the usage conditions that ensure the reliability of ordinary electrical equipment having a circuit board, by installing the repeater 4 near the press body 1 and on the factory floor F0, it becomes possible to reduce the vibrations transmitted from the press body 1 to the repeater 4 through the intervention of the vibration isolation device 26, etc., and to ensure the reliability of the repeater 4. Therefore, it becomes possible to apply the repeater 4 to a press body 1 that generates large vibrations.

[0034] The above describes the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, the details shown in the embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0035] The disclosures of the specification, drawings and abstract contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-201683, filed on November 29, 2023, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0036] The present invention can be used in a press device.

[0037] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Press body 4 Relay 8 Control panel 10 Drive mechanism 11 Motor 12 Flywheel 13 Clutch mechanism 16 Eccentric shaft 18 Slide 21 Crown 22 Upright 23 Bed 25 Tie rod 26 Vibration isolation device 31, 32 Die 34, 35 Cylinder 41 Electronic device section 42 Support base 43 Vibration isolation section 44 Vibration isolation material 81 Control device 82 Power supply 100 Press device s1 to s4 Sensor c1 Wiring cable c2 Power line F0 Floor

Claims

1. A press apparatus comprising: a press body which forms a molded object; a control device which is positioned away from said press body and controls said press body; a plurality of sensors which detect the state of each part of said press body; and a repeater which compiles and transfers a plurality of pieces of detection data outputted from said plurality of sensors, said repeater transmitting said plurality of pieces of detection data to said control device via a wiring cable which is shorter than the number of signal lines connected from said plurality of sensors to said repeater.

2. The press device according to claim 1, wherein the relay is attached to the press body via a vibration isolating part that suppresses vibration.

3. The press apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the relay is installed at a position away from the press body.

4. The press device according to claim 1, wherein the repeater includes an electronic device section that performs signal processing, is provided with a support base that supports the electronic device section, and has vibration-proofing material provided between the support base and the electronic device section to suppress vibration.

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