Cutting Beam Offcut Segmentation for Reliable Plate Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
During cutting of plate-like workpieces using a cutting beam, such as plasma or water jets, small waste parts often tilt or get stuck, causing collisions with the cutting head and hindering automated removal due to their geometry and thickness, leading to unreliable discharge.
Innovation Solution
The method involves cutting the workpiece into smaller portions where the first cut's endpoint is inside the workpiece's outer contour, reducing the tilt moment and ensuring the first portion falls reliably, with subsequent cuts made to minimize tilting risks by optimizing the geometry and size of the second portion to dissipate heat and prevent tilting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the workpiece part is cut away by free fall discharge, then the cutting process can be completed, but the part may tilt or seize in the remaining workpiece causing collisions with the cutting head
Solution Approach 1:
The workpiece part to be cut away is divided into at least two smaller part portions. The first part portion is separated by a first cut with its cutaway point inside the outer contour, and the second part portion is separated by a second cut. This segmentation prevents tilting and seizing during discharge by creating smaller, more manageable sections that can fall freely without catching on the remaining workpiece.
2Productivity
If the cutaway point is on the outer contour of the workpiece part, then the cut can be completed, but the tilt moment due to cutting fluid pressure increases causing unreliable discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The cutaway point of the first part portion is positioned inside the outer contour of the workpiece part rather than on the outer contour. This local positioning change reduces the tilt moment acting on the first part portion due to cutting fluid pressure, allowing it to discharge more reliably by free fall without tilting or seizing in the remaining workpiece.
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
This approach significantly enhances the reliability of cutting and discharge by reducing or eliminating tilting of cut-away parts, allowing them to fall safely without interference, improving process reliability and edge quality.
Implementation Method 1
cutting beam, e.g. by means of a plasma jet, laser beam and/or water jet
Implementation Method 2
cutting beam, e.g. by means of a plasma jet, laser beam and/or water jet
Implementation Method 3
cutting beam, e.g. by means of a plasma jet, laser beam and/or water jet
Implementation Method 4
The cutting beam and the cutting fluid, for example in water jet cutting, may be identical i.e. formed by the same medium
Implementation Method 5
small waste parts (offcuts) occur which are usually discharged from the machining region of the cutting tool by free fall
Data Source
AI summary
A method cuts a, in particular flat, workpiece by a cutting beam and a cutting fluid. A workpiece part to be cut away is consecutively cut into at least two smaller portions which fall or are lowered downwards from a surrounding remaining workpiece after they have each been cut away. The division into smaller portions and the execution of the cut for separating the first smaller portion occur such that the point at which the first-cut, first smaller portion is cut away lies within the outer contour of the workpiece part to be cut away.