Abstract: A setup planning technique is provided in which a family of parts to be manufactured is identified, and the setup constraints imposed by the various bending operations in the part family are determined. The setup constraints may define or describe spatial constraints on the sizes and locations of various tooling stages in the setup. After identifying setup constraints, setup plans are generated that satisfy all setup constraints. Any setup plan that satisfies all setup constraints may then be utilized to accommodate every part in the part family. Constraint propagation techniques may be utilized to identify compatible setup constraints and create setup plans. According to the various features and aspects of the invention, dissimilar sheet metal parts can share setups, and the need for extra tooling and fixturing may be minimized. Further, the present invention provides potential savings over state-of-the-art systems, and increases production capability and overall through-put of manufacturing facilities.

Abstract: A method and system are provided that enable an operator without skills in performing bending operations to easily and quickly perform precise bending operations on a sheet workpiece by following a skilled operator's experience, hints or data. The method may include: storing data for a shape of a part; storing data related to a bending order for manufacturing the part from a workpiece; selecting tools for performing each bending operation; storing data for the selected tools or dies; storing bending press control data for controlling the operation of the bending press to perform the bending operations in accordance with the bending order; and storing bending operation support information for supporting an operator for performing the bending operations by using the bending press.

Abstract: A saw blade 1 comprises a preceding tooth 5 constructed by a straight tooth performing no saw setting operation in left-hand and right-hand directions and a succeeding tooth 7 for cutting a cutting groove formed by the above preceding tooth 5 to enlarge and open the cutting groove in width. The succeeding tooth 7 has left-hand and right-hand set teeth 7L, 7R bent in the left-hand and right-hand directions by splitting an approximately central portion 7D of a tooth edge on a tooth line in its thickness direction; and the clearance between end tip insides of the above left-hand and right-hand set teeth 7L, 7R is smaller than the thickness of the preceding tooth 5. Further, the thickness of portions of the left-hand and right-hand set teeth 7L, 7R near their end tip portions are approximately equal to the thickness of portions of the left-hand and right-hand set teeth near respective base portions thereof.

Abstract: A back gauge device for a sheet metal machine with upper and lower tables, one being movable relative to another, and which machine processes a workpiece by using a die attached to the upper and lower tables. The back gauge device has a pair of link mechanisms, and a stretch to which abutments have been attached can be moved forward, backward, upward and downward via the link mechanisms. Furthermore, the back gauge device has a pair of upward-downward driving mechanisms which operate independently from each other, and the stretch having the abutments is attached thereto so as to be swingable in a vertical plane.

Abstract: There provides a tool, which is capable of smoothly executing a cutting and protruding process in all the steps from the starting to ending of cutting and protruding of a small protrusion when the protrusion is cut and protruded on an upper surface of a workpiece.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for managing and distributing design and manufacturing information throughout a factory in order to facilitate the production of components, such as bent sheet metal components. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the management and distribution of critical design and manufacturing information is achieved by storing and distributing the design and manufacturing information associated with each job. By replacing the traditional paper job set-up or work sheet with, for example, an electronically stored job sheet that can be accessed instantaneously from any location in the factory, the present invention improves the overall efficiency of the factory. In addition, through the various aspects and features of the invention, the organization and accessibility of part information and stored expert knowledge is improved.

Abstract: A loading and unloading device for sheet metals for loading and unloading sheet metals to and from a sheet metal working machine, comprises: a chucking unit lifting a sheet metal by chucking the sheet metal; a loading and unloading clamping unit disposed adjacent to the chucking unit, the loading and unloading clamping unit moving in a direction of approaching to and leaving from the sheet metal working machine; and a sheet metal carrying unit carrying the sheet metal lifted by the chucking unit to the position of the loading and unloading clamping unit.

Abstract: A material pallet (5) is disposed on a lower portion on a front side of a main body frame (3), a product pallet (7) which is capable of moving up and down is disposed on a lower portion on a rear side of the main body frame, a workpiece carrier (19) which has absorption pads (27) and is capable of moving up and down is disposed above the material pallet (5) in the frame, a loader (15) for moving the workpiece carrier to the plate member working machine is disposed, an unloader (31) is disposed so as to be capable of moving to the plate member working machine, a moving support table (33) which reciprocates between a position above the material pallet and a position above the product pallet (7) is disposed, a moving clamp (37) and a support clamp (35) are disposed respectively on front and rear sides in the position above the product pallet, and a control device (45) for controlling the respective units is disposed.

Abstract: A rotary driving device for a press machine includes: a main body (11); a push head member (21) provided for the main body (11) reciprocatingly movably in an axial direction thereof and driven in the axial direction by a striker (S) of the press machine; an air-tight gaseous spring unit (15) mounted inside the main body (11), for generating a return elastic force to urge the push head member (21) in a direction opposite to a strike direction of the striker (S); a male thread axle member (29) in mesh with female threads (33) formed in the main body (11) and rotatable when moved in an axial direction thereof by the push head member (21); a lead nut (47) exchangeably and fixedly mounted on the main body (11); a lead thread member (51) in mesh with the lead nut (47) and rotatably supported by the main body (11), for holding a rotary driven tool (T); and a coupling section (43, 55) for coupling the male thread axle member (29) and the lead thread member (51) in torque transmission relationship and in relative axia

Abstract: A material table 39 supporting materials W is provided so as to be able to move between a plate material taking-in/out area 11 and material wait area 13, and when the material table 39 is positioned in the plate material taking-in/out area 11, the material table 39 is positioned in a lower position adjacent to an upper end portion of a slat conveyor 33.

Abstract: An upper tool holding apparatus includes: an upper tool support portion provided under a holder main body to support an upper tool; an upper tool clamp which is supported in a swingable way with a fulcrum near the approximately central portion in the vertical direction of the holder main body; a pressing member provided at a lower portion of the upper tool clamp to press the upper tool to the upper tool support portion; an engaging member provided at the lower portion of the upper tool clamp; and a clamping force giving means pressing the upper portion side of the upper tool clamp so that the upper tool clamp can clamp the upper tool with the upper tool support portion. In the construction, the engaging member is provided by being divided into a plurality of pieces as engaging split fragments. Furthermore, the respective divided engaging split fragments are respectively provided by being urged in the direction of the upper tool support portion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the production of bent sheet metal pieces (12) is disclosed. In the method or apparatus, a cut (14) is made in a sheet of sheet metal (10) that defines the perimeter of piece (12) to be obtained. The cut (14) is interrupted at preselected points to form a series of microjoints (16) that keep the plan development of the piece (12) united with the stiffening frame (18) constituted by the remaining part of the metal sheet (10). At least one window (36, 38) is formed in the stiffening frame (18) in order to allow a pair of bending tools having a length greater than the length of the bend to form a bend (20, 22) on the piece (12) without interfering the stiffening frame (18) while the bend is being formed.

Abstract: There is provided a method comprising a process of lightly fitting a distal end portion of a projecting portion 25 of a blank holder 23 into a fitting groove 19 formed in a punch guide 5 so as to be momentarily held therein; and a process of fitting the projecting portion 25 of the blank holder 23 into the fitting groove 19 while punching a punch guide hole 23G in the blank holder 23 when a punching portion 7 of a punch body 9 of a punch assembly 1 is lowered for pressing the blank holder 23 against a die D so that the punch guide 5 descends.

Abstract: A punch press includes a pair of disc-shaped tool holders rotatably mounted on supporting portions, one of the holders carrying a plurality of punch tools, and the other holder carrying a plurality of die tools which cooperate with the punch tools in order to punch a workpiece. A striker is attached to a vertically movable ram, wherein the striker is movable to a position into which desired punch and die tools attached to the pair of tool holders are indexed in order to change direction of the tools by rotating the pair of tool holders.

Abstract: A punching machine includes a body frame having a table to support a workpiece. First and second work movement positioning apparatuses are mounted at both sides to move and position the workpiece in a direction of axis X. A work head is mounted on the body frame and has a ram and a tool. The work head moves on the body frame in a direction of axis Y, which is perpendicular to axis X. The first and second work movement positioning apparatuses are arranged in series in the direction of axis X. The workpiece is clamped by the first positioning apparatus, moved in the direction of axis X, punched, clamped by the second positioning apparatus, unclamped by the first positioning apparatus, and moved further in the direction of axis X.

Abstract: A punching tool includes: a punch driver transmitting an impact force to a punch body and having a screw portion on an outer peripheral surface of an upper portion; a punch head having a screw portion meshed with the screw portion of the punch driver on an inside surface and having a main scale provided in a vertical direction on an outside surface; a punch head rotation preventing means freely selecting a rotation and a fixation of the punch head with respect to the punch driver; and a punch head collar freely rotating and fixing with respect to the punch driver and provided with a sub scale showing a change of a height of the punch head in cooperation with the main scale.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for resolving a collision between a first face and a second face of a sheet metal part represented by a 3-D model. The faces collide with one another when a 2-D model of a flat sheet metal part, designed on a CAD system, is folded into the 3-D model displayed on the CAD system. The apparatus comprises a detecting means, an analyzing means and an eliminating means. The detecting means is for detecting each collision between the faces which become adjacent in association with folding the 2-D model into the 3-D model. The eliminating means is for eliminating the collision by designing a 2-D model of a modified flat sheet metal part which can be folded without causing the collision.

Abstract: Forming tools includes an upper holder; a lower holder; a punch having a punch body which can be attached to/detached from the upper holder and the lower holder; an ejector being disposed movably in a vertical direction around a convex portion provided on a face of the punch body; a resilient unit for urging the ejector, the resilient unit being provided on a back face of the punch body; a die having a die body which can be attached to/detached from the upper holder and the lower holder, the die body being provided with a concave portion for performing forming work on a workpiece in cooperation with the convex portion; another ejector for pushing out a forming-worked portion of the workpiece from the concave portion, the another ejector being provided movably in a vertical direction within the die body; and another resilient unit for urging the another ejector, the another resilient unit being provided on the die body.

Abstract: A ball screw spline shaft 41 is driven for rotation by a drive motor 53 provided at least on one end thereof. When a feeder ball nut 61 moves in response to the rotation of the ball screw spline shaft 41 from one end of the ball screw spline shaft 41 toward the other end, intermediate supports 65 on both sides thereof travel in the same direction at a lower speed on a support guide 67 and the ball screw spline shaft 41. As a result, the intermediate supports 65 on both sides are located in positions around the middle of the distances between the feeder ball nut and both of the ends and moves while supporting the ball screw spline shaft 41. This increases the critical speed of the ball screw spline shaft 41 to increase the speed of rotation of the ball screw spline shaft 41.