Conical Nested Powder Press Punches

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing powder press structures require significant technical effort in design and manufacturing, and are time-consuming due to complex tool changes and setup processes, limiting the production of dimensionally stable green bodies.

Innovation Solution

A powder press with a conical lower punch structure featuring nested punches with conical widening areas, allowing for simplified tool design and reduced setup time, where punches with conical extensions can be connected directly to a drive, eliminating the need for adapter plates and enabling even stress distribution and reduced bending stresses.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional powder press structures with adapter plates are used, then punches can be connected to drives, but design effort and manufacturing complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the punch body and the drive connection structure into a single integrated component. The conical punch design incorporates the drive connection interface directly into the punch body, eliminating the need for separate adapter plates and reducing the number of parts that need to be designed, manufactured, and assembled.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The conical punch design serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the pressing action, provides the drive connection interface, and provides the structural support. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate adapter plates that would otherwise be required to connect the drive to the punch.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Productivity

If conventional tool structures with multiple components are used, then punches can be connected to drives, but setup time increases due to complex tool changes

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveproductivityVSAvoidsetup time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By combining the punch and drive connection into one integrated component, the patent eliminates the need for complex assembly and disassembly operations during tool changes. The simplified structure allows for faster setup and tool changes, directly improving productivity by reducing the time lost during these operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Strength

If adapter plates are used to connect punches to drives, then connection is possible, but bending stresses increase and elasticity compensation is required

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovestrengthVSAvoidbending stress
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The integration of the drive connection directly into the punch body creates a stiffer, more rigid structure that better transmits pressing forces. This eliminates the flexible adapter plate connection that would introduce bending stresses and elasticity variations, resulting in stronger and more reliable force transmission during the pressing operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3253567B1Powder press having a cone-shaped substructure
Publication Date: 2024.05.15 GKN SINTER METALS ENG GMBH
  • EP3253567B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3253567B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3253567B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a powder press (17), comprising a tool structure, which has a conical substructure having lower rams (11) nested in each other, wherein each lower ram has a longitudinal extent (11.1), in particular a cylindrical longitudinal extent, which is guided in a die (26), wherein, in the case of at least two longitudinal extents of the lower rams, each longitudinal extent is adjoined by a conical enlargement, wherein the conical enlargements can be guided in each other, wherein the region of the conical enlargement has an inner wall and an outer wall, which expand conically and which are preferably longer than the longitudinal extent. The invention further relates to a method for operating a powder press and to a computer program product having computer program code means that can be executed on a computer system in order to perform the method.