Methods and apparatus for cutting a moving material

A system for producing a product from a moving material, the system comprising:

• a shearing rotary press configured to produce a plurality of material segments by repeatedly shearing the moving material;
• a punching rotary press operatively coupled to the shearing rotary press and configured to punch at least some of the plurality of material segments;
• and
• a roll-former unit operatively coupled to the punching rotary press configured to roll form the plurality of material segments, wherein at least one of the shearing rotary press and the punching rotary press includes a first rotating member, a second rotating member, a third rotating member, a fourth rotating member, a first ram, and a second ram, wherein the first ram comprises a first ram face and first and second ram ends, wherein the first ram end is rotatably coupled to the first rotating member at an off-center position of the first rotating member and the second ram end is rotatably coupled to the second rotating member at an off-center position of the second rotating member, wherein the second ram comprises a second ram face and third and fourth ram ends, wherein the third ram end is rotatably coupled to the third rotating member at an off-center position of the third rotating member and the fourth ram end is rotatably coupled to the fourth rotating member at an off-center position of the fourth rotating member, and wherein rotation of the first, second, third, and fourth rotating members causes the first and second ram faces to move relative to each other and to reciprocate in opposing directions along substantially parallel paths.

A method of producing a product from a moving material, the method comprising:

• shearing the moving material;
• punching the moving material;
• and
• roll forming the moving material to produce the product, wherein at least one of shearing the moving material and punching the moving material comprises moving a first face of a first ram along at least a portion of a first eccentric path, rotating the first ram so that the first face remains substantially parallel to the moving material, moving a second face of a second ram along at least a portion of a second eccentric path, rotating the second ram so that the second face remains substantially parallel to the moving material, and cutting the moving material as the first and second ram faces pass through a pressing position associated with the first and second eccentric paths.