Perforating Ductile Sheet Material with Compressive Pressing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for punching holes in sheet materials, particularly soft and ductile materials like ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), face challenges with incomplete separation due to material deformation and handling issues, leading to wastage and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A device and method utilizing a vacuum table with a holding surface and an insertion opening for the pressing tool, ensuring the sheet material remains fixed and stable during the punching process, using a pressing tool with an end face larger than the die-hole to apply perpendicular compression, and incorporating a workbench for additional clamping, allowing for precise hole creation without deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a punching machine with a pin-shaped punch is used to create holes in sheet material, then holes can be punched into the material, but for soft and ductile materials like EVA, the shearing is insufficient and the portion to be removed remains attached to the rest of the sheet material
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the fundamental parameter of the perforation mechanism from shearing (punch through die-hole) to compressive pressing (end face against die-edge). This parameter change enables complete separation of ductile and tacky materials like EVA that cannot be effectively separated by traditional shearing forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the traditional punching mechanism (pin-shaped punch moving through die-hole) with a pressing mechanism (end face compressing material against die-edge). This mechanical substitution transforms the separation method from shear-based to compression-based, achieving reliable separation for difficult materials.
2Reliability
If a pressing tool with lateral dimensions larger than the die-hole is used to compress the material, then complete separation can be achieved, but the material becomes highly compressed locally and forces occur perpendicular to the sheet material surface
Solution Approach 1:
The die-edge acts as an intermediary element between the pressing tool and the sheet material. It concentrates the compressive forces and provides a defined separation line, allowing the pressing tool to apply force without directly contacting the material in a way that causes excessive deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies compression locally at the die-edge region rather than distributing it across the entire pressing tool surface. This localized compression achieves separation at the critical interface while minimizing deformation of the bulk material.
3Ease of operation
If sheet material like EVA is handled and laid into the device for hole provision, then the material is difficult to handle and easily becomes plastically deformed, leading to wastage and increased costs
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing action is performed immediately after the material is positioned on the die, before any significant handling or deformation can occur. This preliminary action secures the material in its desired position and prevents subsequent deformation during removal or handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the material from the vulnerable handling phase by immediately performing the separation action. The material is positioned and processed in one continuous operation, eliminating the intermediate handling step where deformation typically occurs.
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 stabilizes the sheet material, ensuring accurate hole creation and retention of shape, reducing wastage and production delays, while enabling efficient handling and processing of delicate materials like EVA.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum table with a holding surface provided with vacuum openings for holding the sheet material against the holding surface of the vacuum table by means of a vacuum
Implementation Method 2
the material becomes very highly compressed locally, i.e. in the region where the end face of the pressing tool and the die-edge approach each other
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
A device for the perforation of a ductile and/or tacky sheet material comprises a frame, pressing tool, a stamp provided with at least one hole, as well as drive means suspended in the frame for causing the pressing tool and the stamp to move toward each other and away from each other respectively. The pressing tool is provided with an end face and the stamp with a die-edge surrounding the die-hole, which can be caused to act cooperatively with the end face of the pressing tool. The lateral dimensions of the end face are greater than the lateral dimensions of the die-edge, whilst the end face comes into contact with the die-edge essentially around the entire periphery thereof, or the end face and the die-edge enclose a gap with a fixed lateral dimension essentially around the entire periphery thereof.