Nested Sheet Metal Workpieces With Microjoints for Batch Bending
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques for manufacturing complex bent piece parts from sheet metal are inefficient, as they require multiple manual bending operations and result in significant material waste, and are not well-suited for forming intricate or asymmetric shapes.
Innovation Solution
The use of CNC laser cutting to create microjoints in sheet metal, allowing multiple workpieces to be cut and bent simultaneously, with microjoints that remain connected until easily broken apart, enabling efficient formation of complex three-dimensional shapes with reduced material waste and bending operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional manual bending operations are used for each workpiece, then manufacturing precision can be maintained, but productivity is significantly reduced and loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple workpieces are merged into a single integrated structure called a master workpiece, where individual workpieces remain connected through shared material regions. This allows a single bending operation to simultaneously form multiple workpieces, dramatically increasing productivity from one piece at a time to dozens or hundreds of pieces per operation cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The master workpiece is designed and prepared in advance with predetermined break lines and shared material regions that enable subsequent easy separation. The cutting paths are optimized beforehand to create microjoints that maintain connection during bending but allow easy post-forming separation, eliminating the need for complex post-processing machinery.
2Ease of operation
If workpieces are completely separated before bending, then ease of operation is improved, but material waste increases due to lack of support during bending
Solution Approach 1:
Individual workpieces are nested within the master workpiece structure, sharing common material regions and support structures. This nesting arrangement allows workpieces to support each other during bending operations, eliminating the need for extensive sacrificial material while maintaining ease of handling through the integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Shared material regions act as intermediaries between adjacent workpieces, providing mechanical support and connection during the bending process. These intermediary regions are designed to be broken easily after forming, allowing separation without requiring workpieces to be completely isolated beforehand, thus reducing material waste.
3Manufacturing precision
If complex asymmetric shapes are formed using traditional methods, then manufacturing precision can be achieved, but device complexity and difficulty of manufacture increase
Solution Approach 1:
The complex asymmetric shape is segmented into multiple identical or similar workpiece units that share common bend lines and folding patterns. By dividing the master workpiece into repeating segments, the same bending tools and procedures can be applied repeatedly, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining precision for complex asymmetric geometries.
Solution Approach 2:
The master workpiece design creates universal bend lines that serve multiple functions: they define the geometry of multiple individual workpieces, provide alignment references, and enable simultaneous forming. This multi-functionality reduces device complexity by allowing the same bending tools to create complex asymmetric shapes across numerous workpieces without requiring specialized equipment for each variant.
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 method significantly reduces material waste and the number of bending operations required, allowing hundreds of workpieces to be formed in seconds, and enables the efficient production of complex shapes without the need for substantial machinery or tools.
Implementation Method 1
A CNC laser cutter or the like is programmed, or otherwise controlled, to form a series of cuts in sheet metal or other material
Data Source
AI summary
A system for efficiently forming a plurality of shaped piece parts from a sheet of material comprises a sheet of piece part material from which the piece parts can be shaped and cut, a pattern for arranging the plurality of piece parts in a prearranged orientation, a series of joints connecting aligned ones of the piece parts within the pattern, a piece part cutting machine configured to separate a plurality of workpieces from the sheet of material according to the patterns and joints, a bending machine for simultaneously applying a first fold and a second fold, each across a respective set of aligned piece parts without breaking the series of joints, and a detacher for breaking the series of joints to groups and individual ones of joined piece parts.