Method and apparatus for reducing cutting impact in a precision blanking press

A method for reducing cutting impact in a precision blanking press equipped with a hydraulic main drive, wherein a main piston, which is guided inside of a main cylinder chamber of a base and which supports a table top, makes a stroke movement in rapid traverse mode between a lower dead point UT and an upper dead point OT and, in a power stroke, executes a cutting or shaping operation, wherein first and second pressure chambers of the main piston are acted upon by a working pressure of a hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic system, working pressure being predetermined by a central control system and generated by a hydraulic pump unit, the method comprising the following steps:

• a) detecting, with a path measuring unit, position of the main piston during the stroke movement thereof toward a fixed stop before the OT is reached, the path measuring unit being operatively associated with the main piston and being configured to acquire positional data of the main piston, and forward the data to a central control system for processing;
• b) continuously detecting with pressure sensors, working pressures in the first and second pressure chambers of the main piston, the first and second pressure chambers and the main piston being so configured that the first and second pressure chambers apply opposing forces to respective first and second working surfaces of the main piston, the first pressure chamber applying force to the first working surface of the main piston, toward the UT, and the second pressure chamber applying force to the second working surface, toward the OT, the pressure sensors being configured to detect the pressure values and send said values to the central control system;
• c) determining an increase in the working pressure and maximum pressure thereof in the second pressure chamber;
• d) determining a maximum force in the second pressure chamber from a product of the detected working pressure in the second pressure chamber and area of the second working surface of the main piston and measuring a decrease of said force;
• and
• e) adjusting the working pressure in the first pressure chamber with a tank valve associated with the first pressure chamber based on the determined maximum force and the decrease thereof according to step d), said adjustment being such that the working pressure in the first pressure chamber is increased to generate a force which counteracts the cutting impact as soon as the force maximum is exceeded and such that the working pressure in the first pressure chamber is maintained until the cutting process is finished.