Method and apparatus for adjusting press operating conditions depending upon dies used
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKazunari Kirii
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Method and apparatus applicable to a press using a die set including a lower and an upper die which are removably installed movably towards and away from each other to perform a pressing operation under the adjusted operating conditions. A memory is provided to store machine information relating to the press and necessary to determine optimum values for the operating conditions. Die set information relating to the die set and necessary to determine the optimum values are received through a data input device. A calculating device calculates the optimum values, based on the machine information and the die set information, and an adjusting device automatically adjusts the operating conditions according to the calculated optimum values.
Claims46
A method of adjusting operating conditions of a plurality of pressing machines, depending upon a die set utilized therewith, said die set including a lower and an upper die that are both removably installed on each of said pressing machines and that are movable towards and away from each other so as to perform a pressing operation on a blank under said adjusted operating conditions, each said pressing machine comprising force applying means, which includes at least one fluid-actuated cylinder, for producing a holding force to be applied to said blank through said die set for holding said blank, and a force adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting a pressing force to be applied to said blank through said die set for pressing said blank, said method comprising:
- storing machine information in a memory, said machine information including information relating to said force applying means and said force adjusting means, said machine information being necessary for determining optimum values of said operating conditions, which include at least one operating condition consisting of at least one of:
- a fluid pressure in said at least one fluid-actuated cylinder, which influences said holding force, and,
- at lease one operating parameter of said force adjusting mechanism, which influences said pressing force;
- storing die set information in said memory, said die set information relating to said die set and necessary for determining said optimum values of said operating conditions for said die set, said die set information including at least one of an optimum value of said holding force and an optimum value of said pressing force which were obtained by test operations on a test press on which said die set was installed;
- calculating said optimum value of each of said at least one operating condition, on the basis of said machine information and said die set information and in accordance with a predetermined equation which includes parameters defined by said machine information and said die set information;
- and
- automatically controlling at least one of said force applying means and said force adjusting mechanism, for adjusting each of said least one operating condition to said calculated optimum value prior to said pressing operating, and maintaining said calculated optimum value during said pressing operation.
A pressing system having a plurality of pressing machines and an apparatus provided for each of said pressing machines for adjusting operating conditions of each said pressing machine, depending upon a die set utilized therewith, said die set including a lower and an upper die that are both removably installed on each said pressing machine and that are movable towards and away from each other so as to perform a pressing operation on a blank under said adjusted operating conditions, each said pressing machine comprising force applying means, which includes at least one fluid-actuated cylinder for producing a holding force to be applied to said blank through said die set for holding said blank, and a force adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting a pressing force to be applied to said blank through said die set for pressing said blank, said apparatus comprising:
- machine data memory means for storing machine information including information relating to said force applying means and said force adjusting mechanism, said machine information being necessary for determining optimum values of said operating conditions, which include at least one operating condition consisting of at least one of:
- a fluid pressure in said at least one fluid-actuated cylinder, which influences said holding force, and
- at least one operating parameter of said force adjusting mechanism which influences said pressing force;
- die data memory means for storing die set information relating to said die set and necessary for determining said optimum values of said operating conditions for said die set, said die set information including at least one of an optimum value of said holding force and an optimum value of said pressing force which were obtained by test operations on a test press on which said die set was installed;
- calculating means for calculating said optimum value of each of said at least one operating condition for said die set, on the basis of said machine information and said die set information and in accordance with a predetermined equation which includes parameters defined by said machine information and said die set information;
- and
- adjusting means for controlling at least one of said force applying means and said force adjusting mechanism, for adjusting each of said at least one operating condition to said calculated optimum value prior to said pressing operation, and maintaining said calculated optimum value during said pressing operation.
A system according to 36, wherein said adjusting means includes a controller for controlling said pressing machine, said press operation data memory being provided on a member of said die set, and receiving said press operation data transmitted from said controller, after said operating conditions are adjusted to said determined optimum values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.