Accumulator-Based Cambering Device for Bending Press Energy Savings

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current active cambering devices in bending presses waste energy due to the need for large oil drainage and high energy consumption, leading to increased management costs and reduced productivity.

Innovation Solution

An active cambering device with a pump adapted to load an accumulator, utilizing a proportional direction valve to actuate the lower beam, allowing for efficient oil flow control and minimizing unnecessary oil discharge.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If a high-capacity pump with proportional pressure valve is used to control jack deformation, then the cambering control is achieved, but large quantities of oil are drained and energy is wasted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy wasteVSAvoidmanufacturing cycle time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The accumulator is pre-charged with pressurized oil during idle periods when the press is not in use. This preliminary action stores energy and pressurized fluid in advance, so that when cambering operation is needed, the oil is already available immediately without requiring large quantities to be drained and repressurized during the manufacturing cycle.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of draining large quantities of pressurized oil uselessly through the proportional pressure valve, the system recovers and stores the pressurized oil in the accumulator during idle periods. The stored pressurized oil is then reused for cambering operations, eliminating the waste of both oil and energy that would occur with continuous draining and repressurizing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Manufacturing precision

If large quantities of pressurized oil are drained through proportional pressure valve, then jack deformation is controlled, but management costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvejack deformation controlVSAvoidmanagement costs
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary charging of the accumulator with precisely controlled amounts of pressurized oil during idle periods. This advance preparation ensures that the exact quantity of pressurized oil needed for cambering operations is already available, eliminating the need for continuous draining and repressurizing that increases management costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Quantity of substance

If high-capacity pump is used to supply large oil flows, then instantaneous oil flow is sufficient, but installed power increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstantaneous oil flowVSAvoidinstalled power
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The accumulator is pre-charged with pressurized oil during idle periods when power demand is lower. This preliminary action stores both the quantity and pressure of oil in advance, allowing the system to deliver large instantaneous oil flows during cambering operations without requiring a high-capacity pump to be continuously operating at full power.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The accumulator acts as an intermediary energy storage device between the pump and the hydraulic circuit. It decouples the pump operation from the instantaneous oil flow demand, allowing a lower-power pump to charge the accumulator gradually during idle periods, while the accumulator delivers high instantaneous flows when needed without requiring additional pump power.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Manufacturing precision

If proportional pressure valve operates on circuit pressure, then jack deformation is controlled, but cycle time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecambering controlVSAvoidmanufacturing cycle time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The accumulator is pre-charged with pressurized oil during idle periods before the manufacturing cycle begins. This preliminary action ensures that when cambering operations are needed, the pressurized oil is already available immediately in the accumulator, eliminating the time delay that would occur if the system had to drain and repressurize large quantities of oil during the manufacturing cycle.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution achieves significant energy savings, reduces cycle time, and increases productivity by providing high instantaneous oil flows only when needed, using a smaller pump capacity and maintaining necessary oil quantities, thus lowering installed power and enhancing reaction speed.

Implementation Method 1

a pump (P1) adapted to load at least one accumulator (ACC)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydraulic pressure: Pressure Increase

Implementation Method 2

a pump (P1) adapted to load at least one accumulator (ACC)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydraulic accumulator energy storage: Accumulator (energy)

Implementation Method 3

said accumulator being adapted to actuate said lower beam (3) by means of a proportional direction valve (V8)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydraulic flow control: Valve

Data Source

PatentEP2682198B1Cambering device in bending presses
Publication Date: 2018.06.20 GASPARINI IND
  • EP2682198B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2682198B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2682198B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An active cambering device (1) of bending presses comprising an upper beam (2) and a lower beam (3), the device comprising a pump (4, P1) adapted to load at least one accumulator (5, ACC), which is adapted to actuate the lower beam (3) by means of a proportional direction valve (6, V8).