Removable Cutting Punch for High-Strength Sheet Metal Holes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet metal punching tools experience significant wear when used with high-strength steel, leading to frequent replacements and difficulties in handling and retrieving small diameter punching rings, which are easily damaged and hard to position.
Innovation Solution
A punching tool with a one-piece cutting punch removably housed in a punch holder, designed to move towards a die to create holes without passing through them, allowing the punch to remain lodged in the hole after cutting, facilitating easy installation, retrieval, and reuse due to its robust design and friction retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a small diameter punching ring is used to control hole shape, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in handling and placement
Solution Approach 1:
The punching device is divided into two main components: a reusable punch holder and a disposable punching rod with ring. This segmentation allows the small diameter ring to be integrated into a larger handling structure (punch holder), making it easier to position and operate while maintaining the precision benefits of the small ring for hole shape control.
Solution Approach 2:
The punching rod with the small diameter ring is nested within or attached to the punch holder, which has a larger diameter. This nested configuration allows the precise small ring to perform its function while being handled and positioned by the larger, more manageable punch holder structure.
2Manufacturing precision
If a punching ring is used to control hole shape, then manufacturing precision is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to quick wear and single-use limitation
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the punching function (ring on rod) from the handling function (holder), the system allows the punching rod to be easily replaced when worn. The reusable holder maintains investment, while the disposable rod absorbs wear, ensuring consistent hole shape control throughout the rod's service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The punching rod with the small diameter ring is designed as a disposable component that is replaced when worn. This allows the precision-critical ring to maintain its dimensions and hole shape control capabilities throughout its service life, while the cost of replacement is minimized by reusing the expensive holder.
3Manufacturing precision
If a punching ring is used to control hole shape, then manufacturing precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to frequent replacements
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented design with reusable holder and replaceable rod allows for rapid replacement of only the worn punching rod rather than the entire punching assembly. This reduces downtime significantly compared to replacing complete punch tools, while maintaining the precision benefits of the ring-controlled hole shaping.
4Ease of operation
If the punch holder passes through the cut hole, then ease of operation is improved for retrieval, but object-generated harmful factors increase due to potential damage to the perforated hole
Solution Approach 1:
The punching rod with ring is extracted from the holder after punching and remains lodged in the cut hole. This extraction allows the holder to retrieve the rod without passing through the delicate perforated workpiece, eliminating the risk of hole damage while maintaining ease of retrieval through the holder's positioning system.
Data Source
AI summary
A punching tool to make holes in a part made of a sheet metal or a multi-layer assembly of sheet metals, for example a part for the body of a vehicle. The punching tool includes a punch holder holding a one-piece cutting punch and a punch die arranged in front of the punch holder, the punch holder being designed to move the punch toward the die from a rest position to a work position in which the cutting punch cuts out a hole in the part placed between the punch holder and the die. The cutting punch is removably housed in a cavity formed in the punch holder so that, when the punch holder withdraws from the work position to the rest position, the cutting punch separates from the punch holder and remains in the hole pierced in the part.