Rotating Bending Tool Storage Device for Multi-Press Flexibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bending tool storage devices lack flexibility, allowing connection to only a single forming press and limiting their application and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A bending tool storage device with a transport device that can rotate relative to the frame and tool storage about a second axis of rotation, enabling connection to multiple bending presses and facilitating complex maneuvering and tool displacement, using extendable guide rails and a tension/pressure transmission system for efficient tool handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the tool storage device is designed to connect to only a single forming press, then the device structure is simple and reliable, but the flexibility and application possibilities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The transport device is made rotatable relative to the frame and tool storage about a second axis of rotation, transforming the static single-press configuration into a dynamic multi-press system. This rotational capability allows the transport device to extend in different directions and connect to multiple bending presses sequentially, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The same transport mechanism is designed to serve multiple bending presses by rotating to different positions. The transport device can successively load bending tools onto different press brakes or retrieve tools from different presses, making a single mechanism universal for multiple applications rather than requiring separate mechanisms for each press.
2Productivity
If the transport device is fixed in position, then the construction is simple, but the cycle times increase due to limited maneuvering options
Solution Approach 1:
The transport device incorporates rotational movement about a second axis of rotation in addition to the tool storage rotation about the first axis. This dynamic capability enables complex shunting maneuvers and direct tool transfer between multiple presses, significantly reducing cycle times compared to fixed-position systems that would require more elaborate repositioning procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The addition of rotation about a second axis of rotation essentially coinciding with the first axis adds a dimensional degree of freedom to the system. This allows the transport device to access tools from different radial positions and transfer them to presses at various angular positions, enabling more efficient tool handling paths and reducing idle time.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the tool storage and transport device have the same axis of rotation, then complex shunting maneuvers are enabled, but the alignment and connection to presses become more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The tool storage is designed to rotate about a first axis, and the transport device rotates about a second axis that essentially coincides with the first axis. This shared rotational axis enables complex shunting maneuvers where tools can be transferred between different radial positions. The horizontal orientation of the guide rail plane simplifies connection to presses with horizontally oriented tool holders, maintaining ease of operation despite the enhanced maneuverability.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a bending tool storage device (1) for storing bending tools (2), comprising: - a frame (3), - at least one tool storage unit (4) rotatably mounted on the frame (3) about a first axis of rotation (14) and comprising a plurality of guide rails (11) for holding and guiding bending tools (2), wherein the guide rails (11) extend radially or in a direction with a radial component with respect to the axis of rotation (14), and - at least one transport device (5) mounted on the frame (3), comprising an extendable transport means (6) for moving bending tools (2) along the guide rails (11) of the tool storage unit (4) and a storage area (7) that holds the transport means (6) in the retracted position.wherein the storage tray (7) is arranged in the region of the ends of the guide rails (11) of the tool storage unit (4) closest to the axis of rotation and is aligned with a different guide rail (11) of the tool storage unit (4) in various relative rotational positions between the transport device (5) and the tool storage unit (4). The transport device (5) is rotatable relative to the frame (3) and relative to the tool storage unit (4) about a second axis of rotation (15), which essentially coincides with the first axis of rotation (14).