Laser assisted machining of sheet material
AssigneeIpg Photonics Corporation
InventorsLeonid C. Lev, Steffen Mueller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and process for fabricating components from sheet material. Various embodiments of the disclosure combine punching of components from sheet material with a scoring process that outlines the components prior to the punching operation. In addition, a system and process where the scored portion of the sheet material that includes the scored outline is subjected to a high compression flattening process prior to the punching operation is disclosed. Performing the flattening operation prior to the punching operation has the effect of streamlining the process. That is, the sheet material can be easily handled and conveyed from the scoring process, through the flattening process, and to the punching process without need for separate handling of the component.
Claims9
A scoring-assisted system for manufacturing components from a sheet material, comprising:
- a conveyor for conveying a sheet material along a conveyance path;
- a high energy radiation source for forming an outer score line on said sheet material that defines a shape of an outer perimeter of a component;
- a flattening device for flattening a scored portion of said sheet material;
- a component punch for separating the component from said sheet material at said outer score line;
- and
- a component die configured to receive said component punch,
- wherein said flattening device is disposed between said high energy radiation source and said component punch along said conveyance path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.