Press Brake Bottom Tool Wedge Structure for Rigid Slot Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing press brake mechanisms face issues with rigidity and unwanted bends due to long wedges that form empty spaces, leading to weakened rigidity and poor bending results, especially when upper frames are in extreme positions.
Innovation Solution
A self-locking wedge mechanism with stepped ridges on wedges of opposing rows, allowing for dense arrangement and improved rigidity, using a lead screw and motor for precise movement, and staggered wedge ends to enhance stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If long wedges are used to achieve self-locking, then the wedges can maintain locking force, but the rigidity of the wedge rows weakens due to empty spaces between wedges
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge rows are segmented into multiple shorter wedges arranged in sequence, with each wedge having a length of 50-150 mm. This segmentation eliminates the empty spaces between wedges that occur with long wedges, maintaining continuous support and rigidity throughout the wedge row while preserving self-locking capability through the cumulative effect of multiple wedges
Solution Approach 2:
The inclined faces of the wedges are provided with local quality enhancements in the form of ribs or circumferential grooves. These features increase the friction coefficient at specific contact points between opposing wedges, ensuring reliable self-locking at each local interface without requiring the entire wedge to be excessively long
2Reliability
If the angle of inclination of wedge faces is made small for self-locking, then the wedges become self-locking, but the wedges must be longer to achieve sufficient movement
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single long wedge with a small inclination angle, the system uses multiple shorter wedges (50-150 mm each) arranged in sequence. The cumulative movement effect of multiple wedges achieves the required total displacement while keeping each individual wedge short enough to maintain rigidity and eliminate empty spaces
Solution Approach 2:
The inclination angle of wedge faces is optimized to provide adequate self-locking, and local quality enhancements (ribs or grooves) are added to increase friction at contact points. This allows the wedges to maintain a reasonable length while still achieving reliable self-locking through enhanced local friction characteristics
3Strength
If dense arrangement of wedges is used to improve rigidity, then the rigidity increases, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge rows are divided into multiple segments (wedges of 50-150 mm length) that can be manufactured as standard components. This segmentation allows for dense arrangement to improve rigidity while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardization and modularity of the wedge units
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 enhances the rigidity of the upper frames, preventing unwanted bends and improving bending precision by ensuring wedges remain locked during the bending process.
Implementation Method 1
The moving mechanism comprises a moving device for moving the second wedge rows parallel to the bending axis
Implementation Method 2
The moving mechanism comprises, in connection with each upper frame, a first wedge row with wedges arranged one after another, their front faces fastened to the upper frame and their back faces being inclined relative to the bending axis of the slot
Implementation Method 3
The wedges must be self-locking so that the mechanism moving the wedges would not become too heavy in construction
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A bottom tool (7) of a press brake (1), comprising: a lower frame (8), two movable upper frames (9) arranged over the lower frame (8), between which upper frames there is an elongate slot (10) with a bending axis (15) about which a plate for press-brake bending is arranged to be bent during the press-brake bending, and a moving mechanism (12) for moving the upper frames (9) toward each other and away from each other to change the width of the slot (10). The moving mechanism (12) comprises, in connection with each upper frame (9), a first wedge row (13) with wedges (14) arranged one after another, their front faces (14.1) fastened to the upper frame (9) and their back faces (14.2) being inclined relative to the bending axis (15) of the slot (10), and a second wedge row (16) with wedges (17) arranged one after another, their front faces (17.1) being inclined relative to the bending axis (15) of the slot (10) and which front faces (17.1) are arranged against the back faces (14.2) of the wedges (14) of the first wedge row (13). The moving mechanism (12) comprises a moving device (18) for moving the second wedge rows (16) parallel to the bending axis (15). On the inclined back faces (14.2) of the wedges (14) of the first wedge rows (13) there are stepped ridges (21), and on the inclined front faces (17.1) of the wedges (17) of the second wedge rows (16) there are stepped ridges (21) arranged to be supported to the ridges (21) of the wedges (14) of the first wedge rows (13).