Process and apparatus for precision folding of sheet metal
AssigneePrima Industrie S.p.A.
InventorFranco Sartorio
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process is described which makes use of a folding press and a numerically controlled manipulator device provided with mechanical pincers; the sheet metal to be worked is gripped by the manipulator device and carried against an abutment shoulder disposed in front of the press; the alignment of the front edge of the sheet metal with the abutment shoulder is then tested by means of microswitches, and then the sheet metal is carried under the blade of the folding press utilizing, as reference co-ordinates for the movements of the manipulator, those of the abutment shoulder.
Claims10
A process for effecting automatic precision folding of metal sheets by means of a robotised numerically controlled manipulator device (6) and a folding press (3), characterised by the fact that it comprises the following steps:
- gripping of a metal sheet (2) by the said manipulator device (6);
- positioning the said metal sheet (2), by means of the said manipulator device (6) against a fixed abutment shoulder (18) positioned in front of the said folding press (3) parallel to a blade (4) thereof and at a known and relatively small distance from the said blade (4);
- checking the alignment of a front edge (21) of the said metal sheet (2) with the said abutment shoulder (18) and possible correction of the position of the said metal sheet (2) by means of actuation of the said manipulator device (6);
- and
- displacement of the said metal sheet (2) into the folding position under the said blade (4) by means of the said manipulator device (6) utilising, as reference coordinates, the coordinates of the said abutment shoulder (18).
A system for effecting the automatic folding of metal sheets (2) comprising at least one folding press (3) and at least one robotised numerically controlled manipulator device (6) operable to grip and selectively position the said metal sheets (2) one at a time in a plurality of predetermined positions in which the said metal sheets are to be worked by the said folding press (3), characterised by the fact that is includes an abutment device (15) disposed frontally in advance of the said folding press (3) and connected to a central control unit (7) of the said manipulator device (6), the said abutment device (15) including at least one abutment shoulder (18) disposed parallel to a blade (4) of the said folding press (3), at a predetermined relatively small distance therefrom, and a plurality of pairs of end-of-stroke switches 19 carried by the said shoulder (18) and selectively activatable by the said central control unit (7), the said switches of said pairs (19) being disposed at different separations from one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.