Punch-Die Clearance Wear Estimation for Sheet Metal Tool Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining the state of a tool's blade edge in sheet metal processing are inaccurate, leading to suboptimal product quality due to worn blades causing burrs, and rely on operator visual inspection or hit count, which is complex and unreliable.
Innovation Solution
A tool management device and method that calculates the accumulated wear amount of the blade edge by considering material hardness, sheet metal thickness, and clearance values, using a network-connected system with a CPU and storage sections to provide accurate determination through a tool list display and polishing record management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If operator visual inspection or hit count method is used to determine tool polishing needs, then the determination process is simple, but the accuracy of determining blade edge state is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection and simple hit count tracking with an automated information processing system that calculates accumulated wear amount based on processing records, material properties, and tool parameters. This substitution of mechanical/manual methods with automated calculation significantly improves measurement precision while managing system complexity through software-based solutions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate calculation system that processes multiple parameters (processing hit count, material hardness, sheet thickness, clearance values) to determine tool wear state. This intermediary calculation layer bridges the gap between simple operational data and accurate wear assessment, enabling precise determination without requiring direct complex measurement of the blade edge itself.
2Measurement precision
If accumulated wear amount calculation considering multiple parameters is implemented, then the determination accuracy is improved, but the calculation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-storing material properties (hardness, thickness) and tool parameters (clearance values, geometry) in a database before actual wear calculation. Processing records are also accumulated beforehand. This preliminary preparation of data allows the wear calculation to proceed systematically without real-time complexity, improving accuracy while managing computational difficulty.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the wear determination process into distinct components: processing hit count accumulation, material property data, tool parameter data, and the final wear calculation formula. Each segment handles specific parameters independently, making the overall complex calculation manageable and systematic. The segmentation allows for organized data collection and processing of multiple parameters without overwhelming complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If timely tool polishing is performed based on accurate wear determination, then product quality is improved, but the maintenance frequency and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the calculated accumulated wear amount continuously informs tool maintenance decisions. The system monitors wear progression and provides feedback on when polishing is needed, enabling timely intervention before quality deteriorates. This feedback loop ensures manufacturing precision is maintained while optimizing maintenance timing to avoid unnecessary early polishing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary wear calculation and assessment before actual quality deterioration occurs. By calculating accumulated wear amount based on processing records and parameters, the system enables proactive maintenance planning. This preliminary assessment allows scheduling polishing at optimal moments, preventing quality issues while minimizing unnecessary maintenance time consumption.
Data Source
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AI summary
An accumulated wear amount calculation section (205) calculates a wear amount of a blade edge of a punch and a wear amount of a blade edge of a die when a tool set of the punch and the die has processed a sheet metal once, by an arithmetic equation using a real number of a clearance value between dimensions of the blade edge of the punch and dimensions of the blade edge of the die, or a coefficient corresponding to the clearance value when a punching machine (1) has processed the sheet metal with the tool set. The accumulated wear amount calculation section (205) calculates an accumulated wear amount of the blade edge of the punch and an accumulated wear amount of the blade edge of the die by accumulating wear amounts of respective times when the tool set has processed the sheet metal multiple times. A tool management information managing section (208) manages a state of the blade edge of each punch and each die by causing a tool management information storage section (209) to store tool management information associating a tool identification code given to each punch and each die with the accumulated wear amounts calculated by the accumulated wear amount calculation section (205).