Electric Press Calibration via Virtual Spring Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric presses face challenges in maintaining calibration efficiency due to difficulties in installing a die set spring, leading to excessive ram overshoot and prolonged calibration times, which reduces manufacturing efficiency and degrades load value resolution.
Innovation Solution
The method involves storing ram location information corresponding to actual load values and calibrating the load value by moving the ram to specific locations, adjusting gain and offset values of the instrumentation amplifier, and using interpolation to generate correlations between amplified and load values, allowing for rapid calibration and high-speed ram movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a die set spring is installed to absorb load during calibration, then ram overshoot is reduced and equipment safety is improved, but installation becomes difficult due to size differences between workpiece and spring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual spring mechanism through software control instead of physical die set spring. The control unit calculates virtual spring force based on ram position and uses this to modulate motor output, creating an intermediary computational model that provides load absorption functionality without requiring physical installation of additional components.
2Reliability
If ram moves at low speed during calibration to reduce overshoot, then equipment safety is improved, but calibration time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of slow-speed movement for overshoot control with an electrical/control-based solution. The control unit dynamically adjusts motor output by calculating virtual spring force and applying feedback control, substituting mechanical speed restriction with electronic control modulation to achieve overshoot prevention while maintaining high-speed operation.
3Measurement precision
If calibration is performed frequently to maintain accuracy, then load value resolution is improved, but manufacturing efficiency decreases due to operational interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous calibration during normal production operations. The control unit performs calibration calculations and adjustments without requiring production stoppage, maintaining load detection accuracy while keeping the manufacturing process uninterrupted. The virtual spring mechanism allows real-time calibration that does not interfere with continuous workpiece processing.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are an electric press and a method for calibrating the electric press, which can implement a rapid calibration operation. An electric press (10) includes a ram location information storage unit (63) and a load control unit (64). The ram location information storage unit (63) stores ram location information, corresponding to actual load values and representing locations to which a ram is moved, in advance. The load control unit (64) applies an actual load, corresponding to at least one location which belongs to the locations represented by the ram location information and to which the ram is moved, to a compression target by moving the ram to the location. Accordingly, the load value output by the detection unit is calibrated based on the actual load value applied to the compression target.