Sheet Metal Splicing for Continuous Roll Feeding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for feeding sheet metal to processing units result in significant material waste and unproductive downtime due to the need to stop production when a roll of sheet metal is depleted, leading to inefficiencies in the manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
A device and system for feeding sheet metal that includes a feeding unit, delivery unit, fixing units, and a joining unit, which allows for continuous feeding by fixing the end of one sheet to the beginning of another, using an undercut profile and adhesive bonding or friction stir welding to create a joint that withstands process forces without increasing thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the press stops when the end of the sheet on the roll is reached to unwind the remaining sheet metal, then the sheet metal can be changed, but productivity is reduced due to downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous feeding by joining the end of one sheet to the beginning of the next sheet while both are fed through the processing unit. This eliminates the need to stop production for sheet replacement, maintaining continuous useful action throughout the process.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheets are joined together in advance before entering the processing unit. The joining operation is performed preliminarily on the sheets while they are still on the rolls or in the feeding mechanism, so that when the processed sheets are discharged, the joined sheets are already ready for continuous processing without interruption.
2Ease of manufacture
If the entire length of the press must be cleared before feeding new sheet metal, then the press can be reset, but material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
By joining sheets end-to-end, the processing unit continuously processes sheet material without interruption. The feeding mechanism maintains continuous supply from multiple rolls, eliminating the need to clear the entire press length and reducing scrap material that would otherwise be wasted during reset operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheet metal supply is segmented into multiple rolls, each containing a portion of the total sheet length. The feeding mechanism can switch between rolls or join them together, allowing the press to process continuously without needing to clear the entire length for reset, thereby reducing material waste.
3Device complexity
If sheets are joined by overlapping without undercut, then the joining is simple, but the thickness of the joining point increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly overlapping the entire sheet width, the patent applies localized joining only at the edges of the sheets. The undercut is created only at the overlapping edges, allowing the majority of the sheet thickness to remain unchanged while still achieving secure mechanical joining.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the joining operation from a full-width overlap to a localized edge operation. By creating undercuts only at the sheet edges and joining there, the design removes the unnecessary thickness increase that would result from full-width overlapping, maintaining the original sheet thickness in the majority of the area.
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
Enables continuous feeding of sheet metal to processing units, reducing material waste and downtime, ensuring efficient production by maintaining production flow and the integrity of the sheet metal components.
Implementation Method 1
a processing unit for processing the end section of the first sheet and the starting section of the second sheet between the fixing units
Implementation Method 2
the joining unit is configured for joining the sheets by bonding in the area of the start section and the end section
Implementation Method 3
using an undercut profile and adhesive bonding or friction stir welding to create a joint that withstands process forces
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~6c
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device (14) for feeding sheet metal (12, 28, 30) to a processing unit (16), comprising: a feeding unit (34) for receiving a first sheet metal sheet (28) from a first sheet metal roll (20) with wound sheet metal and a second sheet metal sheet (30) from a second sheet metal roll (24) with wound sheet metal; a dispensing unit (36) for continuously conveying sheet metal to the processing unit; a first fixing unit (38) for fixing an initial section of the second sheet metal on one side of the feeding unit when an end of the first sheet metal sheet is reached; a second fixing unit (40) for fixing an end section of the first sheet metal on one side of the dispensing unit when the end of the first sheet metal sheet is reached; a processing unit (42) for processing the end section of the first sheet metal and the initial section of the second sheet metal between the fixing units;and a joining unit (44) for joining the machined end section with the machined beginning section between the fixing units. The present invention further relates to a system (10) for processing sheet metal (12, 28, 30) and a method for feeding sheet metal (12, 28, 30) to a further processing unit (16).