Sheet Metal Pattern Forming by Sequential Press Strokes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional presses struggle to produce large forming patterns on sheet metal parts, particularly electrolyzer and fuel cell plates, due to increased forces required as the size and number of indentations/protrusions increase, making it economically unviable and imprecise to create the entire forming pattern in a single stroke.
Innovation Solution
The method involves dividing the forming pattern into sub-areas with identical pattern units, using a tool unit with upper and lower forming punches to form each sub-area in a single stroke, and conveying the sheet metal between strokes to complete the pattern, reducing the required forces and improving precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the entire forming pattern is produced in a single stroke, then the production time is reduced, but the required forming forces become excessively high making it economically unviable
Solution Approach 1:
The forming pattern is divided into multiple sub-areas that are formed in sequential strokes instead of attempting to form the entire pattern in a single stroke. This segmentation reduces the forming forces required at each individual stroke while maintaining overall productivity through automated multi-stroke processing.
2Area of stationary object
If the size of the forming pattern increases, then the applicability to larger electrolyzer plates is improved, but the required forming forces increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Large forming patterns on extended electrolyzer plates are divided into multiple smaller sub-areas that can be formed sequentially. This allows the press to handle larger overall areas without requiring proportionally higher forming forces, as each sub-area is formed with forces appropriate to its smaller size.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional presses are used for large forming patterns, then existing equipment can be utilized, but the precision and economic viability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the forming pattern into sub-areas formed in sequential strokes, the process maintains manufacturing precision that would be achievable with conventional presses on smaller parts. Each sub-area is formed with sufficient precision, and the overall large-area precision is maintained through proper positioning and registration between strokes.
4Shape
If the number of indentations and protrusions increases, then the complexity of the forming pattern increases, but the required forming forces increase making single-stroke production impossible
Solution Approach 1:
Complex forming patterns with numerous indentations and protrusions are divided into sub-areas that can be formed in sequential strokes. This segmentation allows the press to handle high geometric complexity without requiring excessively high forming forces, as each stroke forms only a portion of the total pattern features.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
The invention relates to a method and a press for introducing a forming pattern into a sheet (1) with at least one tool unit (W1) of a press (P), in particular for producing an electrolyzer plate or fuel cell plate, wherein the forming pattern in at least one partial area (T) has several identical pattern units (6.1) lying next to each other in at least one pattern direction (6.2) with a pattern spacing (6.3), and the press (P) for forming only the partial area (T) comprises a tool unit (W1) in which an upper and a lower forming punch (2, 3) are arranged, with whose cooperating forming structures in a single stroke of the tool unit (W1) at least one pattern unit (6.1) of the partial area (T) is formed into the sheet metal (1) guided between the forming dies (2, 3), and the sheet metal (1) is transported further within the tool unit (W1) between two successive strokes of a predetermined total number of strokes of the tool unit (W1) in one of the conveying directions corresponding to at least one pattern direction (6.2), and in the tool unit (P1) with each stroke of the predetermined total number the pattern introduced into the sheet metal (1) is supplemented by at least one introduced pattern unit (6.1) until after the predetermined total number of strokes the partial area (T) of the forming pattern is completed.