Processing method for scrap of belt-like thin sheet and progressive die device provided with scrap processing function thereof

Abstract

[Problem] To provide: a processing method for scrap of a belt-like thin sheet, the method facilitating processing on scrap generated in a progressive die device without cutting said scrap using a scrap cutter even if said scrap is a belt-like thin sheet of a soft magnetic material or stainless steel, and being capable of prolonging a maintenance cycle; and a progressive die device provided with a scrap processing function of said method. [Solution] A method for manufacturing a product through a plurality of punching steps by intermittently and progressively feeding a belt-like thin sheet by using a progressive die device and said device involve recovering and processing scrap, which is a residual part of the belt-like thin sheet remaining in the plurality of punching steps, in the form of a roll material wound up by a roller. Edge scrap of both edge parts are also processed by being wound up by the roller.

Description

A method for processing strip-shaped thin sheets of metal as scrap and a progressive die apparatus equipped with the scrap processing function thereof.

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for processing scrap discharged from a progressive die machine (pressing machine) that manufactures products such as laminates by progressively feeding a strip-shaped thin sheet through multiple processing steps (punching steps), and to a progressive die machine equipped with this scrap processing function. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for processing strip-shaped thin sheet scrap and a progressive die machine equipped with this scrap processing function, which allows the scrap to be wound onto rollers for processing without cutting it with a scrap cutter, and if necessary, both ends to be shear-cut and the cut end scrap to be wound onto rollers for processing, thereby enabling compact collection and processing of scrap while suppressing die wear (especially the cutting edge).

[0002] Conventionally, it is known that laminated motor cores, which consist of an annular laminated core made by stacking multiple iron core pieces (or thin sheets), are used in motor stators, for example. Laminated iron cores for motors are generally manufactured using a progressive die machine, with hoop material (strip-shaped thin steel sheet) of electrical steel as the material. In the progressive die machine, pilot holes, slots, and inner diameter teeth are punched out of the hoop material in sequence, and iron core sheets are continuously formed. A predetermined number of iron core sheets with the outer diameter punched out are stacked and fixed with adhesive to produce a laminated iron core. On the other hand, the iron core sheets after the outer diameter punching are disposed of as unnecessary scrap.

[0003] FIG. 1 is a schematic flowchart of a progressive process for manufacturing a laminated core. In this example, the first to sixth steps are sequentially performed on the strip thin plate 10 as the hoop material to be fed in, and the case where product punching is performed in the final sixth step is shown. When product punching is performed in the sixth step, the punched core thin plates are laminated and sent to the process for the product. However, the strip thin plate 10 remaining in the spaces (openings) 11 and 12 after punching is scrap called a frame (san) 10A, and is cut by a cutting machine (scrap cutter) having a cutting blade to an appropriate length. The cut scrap pieces 10B fall downward as shown in FIG. 2(A) and are laminated in the storage portion 13. When a predetermined quantity is accumulated in the storage portion 13, a heavy pressing member 14 is placed on the uppermost part as shown in FIG. 2(B), and a pressing force F is applied to compress the accumulated scrap pieces 10B to reduce the volume, and the mass is discarded.

[0004] JP-A-2014-64387 JP-A-2016-208605

[0005] Although electromagnetic steel sheets are often used as the strip thin plate, recently, iron-based amorphous alloys, permendur, stainless steel, etc., which have good characteristics as soft magnetic materials, are also often used. Since soft magnetic materials and stainless steel are very thin and have high material strength, when a scrap cutter is used to cut the scrap usually discharged from a progressive die device, the life of the cutting blade of the scrap cutter is shortened, and the maintenance cycle is also shortened.

[0006] Also, in a high-speed progressive die device for punching hard materials such as soft magnetic materials and stainless steel, the cut scrap pieces often get entangled and do not fall straight down. Especially when the cutting edge of the cutter is dull, this tendency becomes stronger, causing the device to stop. Furthermore, in a high-speed progressive die device for punching soft magnetic materials and stainless steel, the punched frame (san) remains, and is cut smaller by a scrap cutter. However, in the subsequent scrap processing, an attempt is made to collect and compress it to reduce the volume. However, particularly hard materials such as soft magnetic materials are difficult to deform and compress, are bulky, and result in a lot of waste in the transportation, waste treatment, and recycling processes, leading to a problem of cost increase.

[0007] Furthermore, since iron-based amorphous alloys are delivered without slitting the sides of the coils and steel strips, it is necessary to perform side cutting at both ends in a die machine and then move to the next process in a progressive die machine. In this case as well, strip-shaped scrap is generated as shown in the frame above, making scrap disposal difficult. Even if the side cutting is done by punching, the lifespan of the cutting edge is short, resulting in a problem of shortened maintenance cycles.

[0008] The present invention has been made in accordance with the circumstances described above, and the object of the present invention is to provide a method for processing strip-shaped thin sheets of metal scrap that does not require cutting the scrap generated in a progressive die apparatus with a scrap cutter, and that allows for easy scrap processing even if the scrap is made of soft magnetic material or stainless steel, thereby extending the maintenance cycle, as well as a progressive die apparatus equipped with this scrap processing function.

[0009] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a product by intermittently progressively feeding a strip-shaped thin sheet using a progressive die device and performing multiple punch-punching processes. The above objective of the present invention is achieved by recovering and processing the scrap remaining portion of the strip-shaped thin sheet after the multiple punch-punching processes using roll material wound on a roller, or by cutting both sides of the strip-shaped thin sheet during the progressive feeding of the strip-shaped thin sheet to create two end scraps, winding the two end scraps onto the first and second rollers respectively, feeding the remaining portion of the strip-shaped thin sheet to the multiple punch-punching processes, winding the main body scrap after the punch-punching process onto a third roller, and recovering and processing the roll materials wound onto the first, second, and third rollers.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a progressive die apparatus for manufacturing products in a plurality of punching processes by intermittently feeding a strip-shaped thin sheet, and the above objective of the present invention is achieved by providing a detachable roller member for winding up the scrap, which is the remaining portion of the strip-shaped thin sheet that remains in the final process of the plurality of processes, or by providing an end cutting device for cutting both sides of the strip-shaped thin sheet when the strip-shaped thin sheet is progressively fed, first and second rollers for winding up the two strips of end scrap cut by the end cutting device, and a third roller for winding up the main body scrap of the strip-shaped thin sheet after the punching process, which is the remaining portion of the cutting, and by recovering and processing the roll materials wound on the first roller, the second roller, and the third roller.

[0011] According to the present invention, scrap frames (suns) discharged in a strip shape by a progressive die machine are not cut with a scrap cutter, but are tightly wound onto rollers to form roll material for disposal and scrap processing. This eliminates the need for a scrap cutter and avoids the problem of cutting blade life. Furthermore, when scrap is compressed as in conventional methods, materials with high strength experience significant springback and cannot be compressed densely, resulting in a low weight per unit volume. However, by forming the scrap into roll material as in the present invention, the weight per unit volume can be increased. This simplifies transportation costs, control of transport conditions, and handling of disposal / recycling processes, thereby reducing processing costs.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the present invention, side cuts at both ends are performed by shear cutting using a pair of parallel blades on an upper and lower die, and the two strips of end scrap that are discharged are wound onto a roller to form a roll material for disposal and scrap processing. Soft magnetic materials and stainless steel are difficult to punch, and side cuts made by punching have a short lifespan for the cutting blades. However, this problem is solved by shear cutting using the vertical movement of the parallel blades on the upper die and a pair of fixed parallel blades on the lower die, and the end scrap that is discharged in a strip is wound onto a roller, allowing for easy processing with a tightly wound roll material.

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic flowchart showing an example of a progressive process. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional scrap processing. Figure 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a progressive die apparatus (first embodiment) according to the present invention. Figure 4 is a side view showing an example of a winding section. Figure 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a progressive die apparatus (second embodiment) according to the present invention. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of operation of the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is a plan view and a side view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a progressive die apparatus (third embodiment) according to the present invention. Figure 8 is a side view of the cutting section. Figure 9 is a plan view showing the upper die structure and lower die structure of the cutting section. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the guide section. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of operation of the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] The present invention relates to a scrap processing method when manufacturing a product by intermittently progressively feeding a strip of thin sheet metal using a progressive die device and performing multiple punching processes. In this method, the scrap remaining from the strip of thin sheet metal after the multiple punching processes is collected and processed using roll material wound on rollers. Alternatively, during the progressive feeding of the strip of thin sheet metal, both sides of the strip are cut with a shear to create two end scraps. The two end scraps are wound on first and second rollers, respectively. The remaining portion of the strip of thin sheet metal after shear cutting is fed to multiple punching processes. The main body scrap after the punching processes is wound on a third roller. The roll materials wound on the first roller, the second roller, and the third roller are then collected and processed.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention is a progressive die apparatus for manufacturing products by intermittently feeding a strip of thin sheet metal in a sequence and performing multiple punching processes, and is equipped with a detachable roller member for winding up the scrap remaining portion of the strip of thin sheet metal that remains after the final process of the multiple processes. Alternatively, the apparatus may be equipped with an end cutting device for shear cutting both sides of the strip of thin sheet metal during the progressive feeding of the strip of thin sheet metal, first and second rollers for winding up the two strip end scraps shear cut by the end cutting device, and a third roller for winding up the main body scrap of the strip of thin sheet metal that remains after the punching process, and the roll materials wound on the first roller, second roller and third roller are collected and processed.

[0016] According to the present invention, the frame (sun) scrap discharged in a strip shape by the progressive die device is not cut with a scrap cutter, but is wound onto a roll and disposed of as roll material, thus eliminating the need for a scrap cutter and avoiding the problem of cutting blade life. The strip end scrap generated by shear cutting at both ends of the strip-shaped thin plate is also wound onto a roller and processed as roll material.

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0018] In the first embodiment of the present invention, scrap of frames (suns) discharged in a strip shape from a progressive die machine is not cut with a scrap cutter, but is instead wound onto rollers in a winding unit installed at the end of the final process to be collected as roll material and disposed of as scrap.

[0019] Figure 3 shows an example configuration of the progressive die apparatus according to the present invention, corresponding to Figure 1, with a scrap winding section 20 installed after the final process (the sixth process in this example). Figure 4 is a side view of the winding section 20, in which a roller 21 having a width wider than the width of the strip-shaped thin plate 10 is attached to the drive shaft 21A, and the drive shaft 21A is pivotally supported by a support column 22. The drive shaft 21A is connected to a rotary drive unit (not shown), such as a motor, and rotated.

[0020] In this configuration, the scrap 10A after processing the strip-shaped sheet 10 is wound onto the roller 21 in accordance with the rotational drive of the roller 21. During this winding, the drive shaft 21A of the roller 21 is rotated by the rotational drive unit in synchronization with the feed speed of the strip-shaped sheet 10, and is wound onto the roller 21 in overlapping layers as shown in Figure 4. When the scrap 10A has been wound to a predetermined winding diameter (for example, a diameter of 1.0 [m]), the scrap 10A is cut with a scrap cutter or a manual metal cutter, and the roll shaft 21A is removed from the support column 22 and recovered as roll material. The recovered roll material is disposed of as waste, recycled, etc. Since the amount of cutting at this time is very small compared to the number of units produced, there is no problem with cutting with a normal scrap cutter or a manual metal cutter. Also, if the winding of the scrap is continued until one unit of the input material has been produced, the cutting operation at this point will not be necessary.

[0021] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the scrap processing of the first embodiment is included, and side cutting is further performed by shear cutting using the vertical movement of the parallel blades of the upper die and fixed parallel blades provided in pairs on the lower die, and the two strip-shaped end scraps that are generated are wound onto two rollers to form roll material and discarded, thus completing the scrap processing. In the first embodiment, the material of the strip-shaped sheet 10 is assumed to be electrical steel sheet, but if the material of the strip-shaped sheet 10 is an iron-based amorphous alloy, a soft magnetic material such as Permendur, or stainless steel, the ends of the strip-shaped sheet 10 are not flat, and burrs and other protrusions are present, making smooth feeding and punching impossible, so side cutting of both ends is necessary. Furthermore, if a strip-shaped sheet 10 with poor end face quality is to be fed using a progressive die, the strip-shaped sheet 10 will strongly interfere with the guide parts for the strip-shaped sheet in the die device, causing it to meander or lift up, resulting in the problem of not being able to feed it at high speed.

[0022] Figure 5 shows the progressive die apparatus of the second embodiment, corresponding to Figure 3. Parallel blades 40-1 and 40-2 for shear cutting both ends of the fed strip-shaped thin sheet 10, and a roller 31 for winding up the two shear-cut end scraps, are installed at the entrance. The roller 31 is driven by a rotary drive unit, such as a motor, via a drive shaft 31A. Similar to the first embodiment, after the first to sixth steps, a winding unit 20 is installed at the end to wind up the main body scrap 10A, which is the final frame after the material has been removed. The main body scrap 10A is then wound onto the roller 21.

[0023] In this configuration, an example of operation of the second embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 6.

[0024] When the strip-shaped thin sheet 10 is fed into the progressive die machine (step S1), the end cutting device, which consists of parallel blades 40-1 and 40-2 installed at the entrance of the die, cuts the sides of both ends of the strip-shaped thin sheet 10 by shear cutting (step S2), and drives the roller 31 of the winding unit 30 installed at the entrance of the die (step S3), winding up two strips of end scrap (step S4). Winding the end scrap onto the roller 31 continues until a predetermined winding diameter (for example, 80 cm in diameter) is reached (step S5), at which point it is cut with a cutter or the like (step S6), and the end scrap is discarded as roll material tightly wound onto the roller 31 (step S7).

[0025] Meanwhile, the remaining strip-shaped thin sheet 10, which has both ends cut off and removed as scrap, is sequentially fed through the mold, and the processing steps 1 to 6 are carried out sequentially (step S10), with the final step 6 being the removal of the product (step S11). In step 6, the removal of the product forms the main body scrap 10B, which is called the frame. The roller 21 of the winding unit 20 is rotated (step S12), and the main body scrap 10B is tightly wound onto the roller 21 (step S13). The winding of the main body scrap 10B continues until a predetermined winding diameter (for example, a diameter of 1.0 [m]) is reached (step S14). Once the predetermined winding diameter is reached, it is cut with a cutter or the like (step S15), and the main body scrap 10B is discarded as roll material (step S16).

[0026] As described above, in the second embodiment, the two end scraps generated by shearing both ends of the strip-shaped thin plate 10 are each wound onto rollers and processed as roll material. At the same time, the central part of the strip-shaped thin plate 10, excluding the removed ends, is subjected to predetermined processing, and the processed main body scrap is also wound onto rollers and processed as roll material. This simplifies scrap processing, simplifies the management of transportation costs and transport conditions, and facilitates handling of the disposal / recycling process, thereby reducing processing costs.

[0027] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the end scrap is wound inside the mold. However, if there is no space to install the winding unit inside the mold, it is necessary to install the end scrap winding unit outside. Therefore, a third embodiment in which the end scrap winding unit is installed near the main scrap winding unit is shown and explained in Figure 7.

[0028] Figure 7(A) shows a plan view of the progressive die apparatus according to the third embodiment, and Figure 7(B) shows a side view. Parallel blades 54-1 and 54-2, which shear-cut both sides of the strip-shaped thin sheet 50 fed into the die, are installed at the entrance of the upper die. Fixed parallel blades 56-1 and 56-2, which are paired with the parallel blades 54-1 and 54-2, are installed in the lower die. The two strip-shaped end scraps 51 and 52, shear-cut by the vertical movement of the parallel blades 54-1 and 54-2 and the fixed parallel blades 56-1 and 56-2, are sent to the guide sections 63 and 73, respectively, via the die's scrap discharge space (press bolster), and further sent to the rollers 61 and 71 of the subsequent winding sections 60 and 70 to be wound up.

[0029] Guide sections 63 and 73 are identical in configuration and symmetrically arranged. For example, as shown in Figure 10(A), guide section 63 is equipped with a reversibly rotatable motor 66, and a long guide rod 65 with screw threads is connected to the output shaft of the motor 66. A guide wheel 64 that moves along the axis depending on the direction of rotation is screwed onto the guide rod 65, and an end scrap 51 is suspended in the upper recess of the guide wheel 64. The upper recess of the guide wheel 64 has a depth such that the suspended end scrap 51 does not come off to the outside or inside.

[0030] Furthermore, the configurations of the parallel blades 54-1 and 54-2 and the parallel blades 56-1 and 56-2 are as shown in Figures 8 and 9, where Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view along the parallel blade 54-1, Figure 9(A) shows the upper die structure, and Figure 9(B) shows the lower die structure. The fed strip-shaped thin sheet 50 is pressed against the transport surface by a vertically movable press plate 55 provided on the upper die, and the ends of the strip-shaped thin sheet 50 are shear-cut by the vertically movable parallel blades 54-1 and 54-2 and the fixed parallel blades 56-1 and 56-2, which are positioned on both sides of the press plate 55. The two shear-cut end scraps 51 and 52 are sent via guide sections 63 and 73 to winding sections 60 and 70 installed at the end, respectively, and wound onto rollers 61 and 71. During winding, the rollers 61 and 71 are driven to rotate in sync with the feed speed of the end scraps 51 and 52, so that the end scraps 51 and 52 are tightly wound.

[0031] Furthermore, the remaining main body of the strip-shaped sheet metal 50, whose ends have been shear-cut by the parallel blades 54-1 and 54-2 and parallel blades 56-1 and 56-2, is sent to a later stage after going through several processes (omitted in Figure 7), and the frame of the strip-shaped sheet metal that has been removed and discharged as scrap is sent to the winding unit 80 installed at the end and tightly wound onto the roller 81.

[0032] As described above, the guide sections 63 and 73 have the same configuration and are symmetrically arranged, so the configuration and operation example of the guide section 63 will be explained with reference to Figure 10. The guide section 63 is equipped with a reversibly rotating motor 66, to which a guide rod 65 is connected, and a guide wheel 64 that guides the passage of the end scrap 51 is screwed onto the guide rod 65. When the guide rod 65 is rotated in the N direction or the M direction by the motor 66, the guide wheel 64 moves along the guide rod 65. Figure 10(A) shows the state in which the end scrap 51 is being wound up at the left end of the roller 61, and Figure 10(B) shows the state in which the end scrap 51 is being wound up at the right end of the roller 61. For example, when the motor 66 is rotated in the N direction from the state in Figure 10(A), the guide wheel 64 moves to the state in Figure 10(B), and when the motor 66 is rotated in the M direction from the state in Figure 10(B), the guide wheel 64 moves in the opposite direction to the state in Figure 10(A). This allows for effective winding of the end scrap 51 using the wide roller 61.

[0033] In this configuration, an example of its operation will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 11.

[0034] When the strip-shaped thin sheet 10 is fed into the progressive die device (step S20), a retaining plate 55 installed at the entrance of the die is lowered (step S21) to prevent the strip-shaped thin sheet 10 from curling up. Then, parallel blades 54-1 and 54-2 are lowered and the tips of the blades are inserted into the strip-shaped thin sheet 10 (step S22), and the strip-shaped thin sheet 10 is fed at a predetermined speed (step S23). As a result, both ends of the strip-shaped thin sheet 10 are shear-cut by parallel blades 54-1 and 54-2 and parallel blades 56-1 and 56-2 (step S24), and the two shear-cut end scraps 51 and 52 are sent to the next stage, pass through the guide wheels 64 and 74 of the guide sections 63 and 73, and are mounted on the winding sections 60 and 70 installed at the exit of the die (step S25). The motors 66 and 76 of the guide sections 63 and 73 are driven (step S26), and the rollers 61 and 71 are driven (step S26A) to wind up the two ends of scrap 51 and 52 (step S27). Winding up the ends of scrap 51 and 52 continues until a predetermined winding diameter is reached (step S28), at which point they are cut with a cutter or the like (step S30) and discarded as roll material (step S31).

[0035] Meanwhile, the end scraps 51 and 52 are cut off by shearing and removed, and predetermined processing is performed on the strip-shaped thin plate 10 as it is sequentially fed through the mold (step S40), and in the final step, the product is removed (step S41). In the final step, the removal of the product forms the main body scrap 53 which has become a frame, and the roller 81 of the winding unit 80 is driven (step S42), and the main body scrap 53 is wound onto the roller 81 (step S43). The winding of the main body scrap 53 is continued until a predetermined winding diameter is reached (step S44), and when the predetermined winding diameter is reached, it is cut with a cutter or the like (step S50) and discarded as roll material (step S51).

[0036] At the start of production, the scrap is produced as is until it reaches a length that can be wrapped around rollers 81, 61, and 71 several times. Once it reaches a length that can be wrapped, an operator wraps the scrap around rollers 81, 61, and 71. Automated production begins once it is confirmed that automatic winding of the scrap can be done in conjunction with press production (the movement of the press).

[0037] 10, 50 Strip-shaped thin sheet 10A Frame (Sun) 10B, 53 Main body scrap 11, 12 Space after punching (opening) 13 Storage section 14 Pressing member 20 Winding section 21 Roller 22 Support column 40-1, 40-2, 54-1, 54-2 Parallel blades 51, 52 End scraps 56-1, 56-2 Parallel blades 60, 70, 80 Winding section

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a product by intermittently feeding a strip of thin sheet metal using a progressive die device and performing multiple punching processes, characterized in that the remaining scrap portion of the strip of thin sheet metal after the multiple punching processes is collected and processed using roll material wound on a roller.

2. The method for scrapping a strip of thin sheet according to claim 1, wherein the strip of thin sheet is an electrical steel sheet.

3. A progressive die apparatus for manufacturing products by intermittently feeding a strip of thin sheet metal in a progressive manner through multiple punching processes, characterized in that it is equipped with a detachable roller member for winding up the scrap portion of the remaining strip of thin sheet metal that remains in the final process of the multiple processes.

4. A method for manufacturing a product by intermittently progressively feeding a strip of thin sheet metal using a progressive die device and performing multiple punching processes, characterized in that, when the strip of thin sheet metal is progressively fed, both sides of the strip of thin sheet metal are cut with a shear to produce two end scraps, the two end scraps are wound up by first and second rollers, respectively, the remaining portion of the strip of thin sheet metal after shear cutting is fed to the multiple punching processes, the main body scrap after the punching process is wound up by a third roller, and the roll materials wound up by the first, second, and third rollers are recovered and processed.

5. The method for processing strip-shaped thin plates according to claim 4, wherein the widths of the first roller and the second roller are wider than the width of the end scrap, and the end scrap is wound up while sliding.

6. The method for scrapping a strip of thin sheet according to claim 4, wherein the shear cutting of both sides of the strip of thin sheet is performed in front of the die of the progressive die device.

7. A method for scrapping a strip of thin sheet according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the strip of thin sheet is made of a soft magnetic material or stainless steel.

8. A progressive die apparatus for manufacturing a product by intermittently progressively feeding a strip-shaped thin sheet and performing multiple punching processes, comprising: an end cutting device for shear cutting both sides of the strip-shaped thin sheet during progressive feeding; first and second rollers for winding up the two strips of end scrap shear cut by the end cutting device; and a third roller for winding up the remaining body scrap of the strip-shaped thin sheet after the punching process, wherein the progressive die apparatus is characterized by recovering and processing the roll materials wound on the first roller, the second roller, and the third roller.

9. The progressive die apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the widths of the first roller and the second roller are wider than the width of the end scrap, and the apparatus comprises a winding device that winds the end scrap while sliding it.

10. The progressive die apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the end cutting device is installed in front of the inside of the mold of the progressive die apparatus.

11. The progressive die apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the strip-shaped thin plate is made of a soft magnetic material or stainless steel.

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