EP2179804B1 - Profiling machine and method for measuring rolling tools of a profile machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The profiling machine is provided with the forming stations (2) for multi-stage forming of profiled workpiece in its longitudinal direction, where a section of forming stations consists of a frame (7) with two roll forming tools (3). One of the roll forming tools is mounted on the holders (8,10). The measuring devices (14,15) are provided for detecting the positions of section of the adjustable holders. The measuring devices are provided with multiple frames. An independent claim is included for a method for measurement of roll forming tools.

Description

The invention relates to a profiling machine with a plurality of forming stations arranged in line one behind the other for multi-stage forming of a workpiece to be profiled in the longitudinal direction, wherein at least part of the forming stations each consist of a framework with at least two roll forming tools, of which at least one is mounted on an adjustable holder , And provided for the workpiece is passed between them and thereby transformed. Furthermore, at least one measuring device is provided for detecting the current positions of the rolling molds mounted on the adjustable holders, which is connected to a data processing device and outputs measurement data to the same. The present invention also relates to a method for measuring roll forming tools which are mounted on adjustable supports of a framework of such a profiling machine. Such a profiling machine and such a method are for example in EP-A-1245302 or in the JP-A-2004243367 disclosed.

The term roll forming tool is used in the context of the present invention as a generic term for the forming rollers in a forming station, which may be formed as a lower roll, top roll, side roll, intermediate roll or other role and can be used for forming, rolling or guiding the workpiece.

A profiling machine of the type present here is conceptually a mass-production machine for producing a longitudinally shaped profile from strip material, which is transported virtually endlessly by the profiling machine, or from blanks manufacture. Formed strip material is usually the output of the profiling separated by means of a separator in profile pieces. A profiling machine can thus produce a very large amount of identically shaped profiles in a very short time. However, their flexibility is limited by design; a conversion of the profiling on another profile shape or even only on another material for the workpiece to be profiled requires a longer Einfahr- or testing phase with appropriate rejects of material until the profile shape produced meets the requirements.

A central role in the conversion or adjustment or readjustment of a profiling plays the adjustment of the roll nip between two roll forming tools, which were optionally replaced by those with other geometries, in the horizontal and vertical directions, but also in the axial direction. Depending on the forming station in this case two, three or more roll forming tools involved. In order to achieve a high-quality work result, it is indispensable for experienced personnel to manually adjust the adjustable holders of the roll forming tools and, if necessary, to readjust them if the results of the work deteriorate. Due to the large number of existing in a normal profiling station and stored therein roll forming tools with adjustment such adjustment by hand is very time consuming and in addition to the production downtime also due to the committee produced here costly.

In the EP-A-1 245 302 has been proposed for a profiling machine of the present type, to provide all adjustable roll forming tools or their tool holders, so more generally their adjustable brackets, with detection means for detecting their position data and with motor adjustment elements. Both the detection means and the motor adjustment elements are connected to a central data processing device, so that any change of setting values is logged and recourse can be made to records of retrieved setting values at any time, whereby these setting values can then be recalled "at the push of a button". The EP-A-1 245 302 So describes a kind of self-learning system when changing to profile shapes or Workpiece materials that have been previously processed, that make manual retooling superfluous or at least greatly shortened.

However, this profiling machine from the prior art is not optimal for all applications, since the equipment of all adjustable brackets for roll forming tools with detection means and motorized adjustment consuming and therefore not worthwhile for all applications. In addition, it is difficult to retrofit existing profiling machines accordingly, if they are not designed from the outset accordingly.

The present invention is therefore based on the object to propose a profiling machine of the type mentioned, in which a conversion and / or a readjustment of the forming stations is simplified with respect to the prior art reduced design complexity. Furthermore, the present invention has for its object to propose a method for measuring roll forming tools of a profiling machine of the present type, with the results of a conversion and / or a readjustment of the forming stations is simplified accordingly.

This object is achieved by a profiling machine having the features of claim 1 and by a method having the features of claim 9. Preferred embodiments of the profiling machine can be found in claims 2 to 8; Preferred developments of the method are laid down in claims 10 and 11.

According to the present invention, the measuring devices for detecting the current position of at least a portion of the mounted on the adjustable supports roll forming tools are therefore no longer associated with only one adjustable support, but according to the invention at least one measuring device is used, which is assigned to several adjustable brackets. The retrofitting of an already established profiling machine with such a measuring device is much easier and less expensive than all adjustable brackets, each with a measuring device retrofit. Furthermore, the retrofitting of an already existing profiling machine may be limited to providing the most important adjustable holders for a measuring device and accordingly not equipping all the forming stations with measuring devices.

The measuring device is connected to a data processing device, which receives measurement data from the measuring device. In this case, a plurality of measuring devices and a plurality of decentralized processing devices may be present, or a common data processing device for one or more measuring devices. The data processing device may contain desired position data as a comparison data record, in which case the actual position data determined by the measuring device are matched with the desired position data and correction values are determined. These correction values can then be output on a display, for example, so that an operator of the profiling machine receives assistance in adjusting the adjustable roll forming tools. However, even then, when the data processing device only displays the determined actual position data, this can result in assistance in adjusting the roll forming tools; because the operator does not have to measure the roll nip by hand or conclude on the basis of the work result on the adjustments to be made. The determination of actual position data and in particular the comparison with desired position data can even take place during ongoing production in the profiling machine, for example, to enable ongoing quality control.

The measuring device can detect, for example, the position of a centering bore on the end face of the shaft of that roll forming tool which is associated with the adjustable holder to be measured. Since such centering holes are present anyway, it is very easy to deduce the position of the corresponding roll forming tool with such a measurement, at least in the horizontal and vertical directions. Preferably, the adjustable brackets are also provided with indexing elements, such as notches, index discs and the like, on the bearing seat or the working shaft of the roll forming tool, on the adjustment of the adjustable bracket (especially for the axial adjustment), on spacers and / or on the roll forming tool itself. Such indexing elements can be detected in particular optically easily, so that the measuring device according to the invention can be realized for example with a semiconductor laser.

In particular, when retrofitting profiling machines with a measuring device according to the invention, however, there is often the problem that the measuring device scans parts of the respective framework, which are subject to tolerances to a considerable extent. There may therefore be significant deviations between the values measured by the measuring device for the position of the rolling molds mounted on the adjustable holders and the actual actual positions of these roll forming tools. A particular problem here is that these deviations from scaffold to scaffold may be different and, as a rule - according to a Gaussian distribution - are. For evaluating the measurement results of the measuring device according to the invention, it is therefore at least highly desirable to know the frame-specific deviations between the actual positions of the rolling molds mounted on the adjustable holders and the positions detectable by the measuring device for each stand approached by a measuring device in order either to convert the measured values obtained into the correct actual positions immediately during the measurement, or to take into account the frame-specific deviations during the evaluation of the measured values in the data processing device.

To solve this problem, the present invention provides that the frameworks are each provided with an encoding that is read by the measuring device and reported to the data processing device.

The coding can in this case serve to identify the framework provided therewith, so that the data processing device is able to convert the measured values obtained from the measuring device into the actual positions of the roll forming tools on the basis of stored correction factors. For this purpose, it is preferably provided in the method according to the invention to measure the respective scaffolds at least once in advance on a precision measuring station or with a precision device and in this case scaffold-specific Deviations between the actual positions of the rolling molds mounted on the adjustable supports and their positions detectable by the measuring device can be determined. The measured framework is then provided with a coding, wherein a data set with framework-specific deviations and the frame-specific coding for the deposit in the data processing device of the profiling machine is created.

Alternatively or additionally, the coding itself may contain information about the frame-specific deviations between the actual positions of the rolling molds mounted on the adjustable holders and the positions detectable by the measuring device. A deposit of corresponding data sets in the data processing device is thereby unnecessary if necessary, since this data record is read in with the coding. In the simplest case, the coding consists of a precisely measured standard measuring surface attached to the framework, on which the measuring device is adjusted, so that the "data set" read in by the measuring device consists of the location coordinates of the standard measuring surface.

Particular advantages are within the scope of the invention, when the profiling except the measuring device still has at least one manipulator, which takes over the function of motor adjustment elements for at least a portion of the mounted on the adjustable brackets roll forming tools. The measuring device and the manipulator are then connected to a data processing that controls the manipulator and receives measurement data from the measuring device. This makes it possible that initially at least a rough presetting of the adjustable brackets is automatically made by the system, since the control of the manipulator can automatically adjust the roll nip due to the measurement data obtained by the measuring device and a comparison with default values. The system learns by following manually subsequently made adjustment settings, which are made possible by the measuring device, so that later presettings of the forming stations are able to reproduce the final values quite accurately and can be obtained fully automatically. If the desired position data are correspondingly accurate, the system may also be able to completely without manual intervention and without the said teach-in process automatically and thus fully automatically make an adjustment of the adjustable brackets, which simplifies the retrofitting of a profiling accordingly.

The motor adjusting elements or the manipulator is not limited to the fact that motors should be used in the true sense. To drive the "motor" adjusting elements, a hydraulic or pneumatic drive, such as a fluid cylinder, or a spring-loaded, provided with end stops drive can be used within the scope of the invention rather.

As far as a manipulator is provided, so in the simplest case, a pre-coarse adjustment can be achieved as a setup help; In the optimized case, the system thus developed according to the invention can perform the adjustment of conversion stations to be converted completely automatically. The time to set up a profiling machine after retooling or readjusting a profiling machine with deteriorating work results or a material, product or type change thus shortens in each case significantly, despite relatively low investment costs when installing the manipulator according to the invention and the measuring device. The operation of the experienced personnel can be advantageously maintained, because a manual correction to the adjustable brackets is possible at any time, and this is then preferably logged by the measuring device.

If, for example, the measuring device is designed such that it detects the contour of the roll forming tools directly or indirectly, in addition setup errors, such as a confused roll forming tool with colliding shaping angle, can be recognized in good time by the system.

The measuring device can be arranged directly on the manipulator and be guided by this to the adjustable holders to be measured; It can also be present several measuring devices, which are arranged on the manipulator.

If, in addition to the measuring devices, at least one manipulator is provided for the automated adjustment of at least part of the adjustable mounts to the stands of the profiling machine, it offers further considerable advantages if in the data processing device, in each case, data on frame-specific relationships between those achievable by the manipulator and the codes of the stands Adjustments and the resulting adjustments of the actual positions of the mounted on the adjustable brackets roll forming tools are deposited. Because then such frame-specific deviations in an automated intervention by means of the manipulator can be considered from the outset and do not have to be compensated by a feedback of the measuring device, which significantly increases the operating speed of the system.

For this purpose, it is advantageous according to the inventive method, if not only frame-specific deviations between the actual positions of the adjustable holders mounted roll forming tools and their detectable by the measuring device positions are determined at the precision measuring station, but also framework-specific relationships between the achievable by a manipulator adjustments and determined thereby the adjustments of the actual positions of the roll forming tools and linked to the framework-specific coding.

In the context of the present invention, finally, the measuring device can be mounted on a measuring carriage which can be moved along the forming stations, for example on a rail. An optionally present manipulator can also be located on the measuring carriage, or else be designed as a tool setting carriage movable along the forming stations. These carriages can preferably be moved laterally next to the production line in and against the production direction along the forming stations or along part of the forming stations.

Figur 1

einen Abschnitt einer Profiliermaschine nach der vorliegenden Erfindung in schematischer perspektivischer Darstellung;

Figur 2

den Profiliermaschinenabschnitt aus Figur 1 in Draufsicht;

Figur 3

den Profiliermaschinenabschnitt aus Figur 1 in Frontansicht.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and explained. Show it:

FIG. 1

a portion of a profiling machine according to the present invention in a schematic perspective view;

FIG. 2

the Profiliermaschinenabschnitt off FIG. 1 in plan view;

FIG. 3

the Profiliermaschinenabschnitt off FIG. 1 in front view.

The FIGS. 1 to 3 show schematically views of a Profiliermaschinenabschnitts 1 with four forming stations 2, which are arranged in line one behind the other and each carry four Rollformwerkzeuge 3: Each pair of side rollers 4 and a pair of forming rollers 5, which form a nip 6. In other embodiments of forming stations and more roll forming tools can be involved.

The forming stations 2 each consist essentially of a frame 7, in which the forming rollers 5 are mounted vertically and axially adjustable respectively by means of adjustable brackets 10. The scaffolds 7 also include slides 8, in which the side rollers 4 are fastened horizontally adjustable by means of spindles 9. In the present case, therefore, the vertical positions of the two forming rollers 5 by means of spindles 11 and their axial positions on the corresponding shafts, and the horizontal and axial or horizontal and vertical positions of the side rollers 4 by means of the spindles 9 adjustable.

A (not shown) workpiece passes successively all four forming stations 2 and is formed in stages in the respective roll nips 6 to a profile. The side rollers 4 hereby supportive in order to obtain the desired profile shape can. To the nips 6 between the To be able to adjust roll forming tools 5 as well as the positions of the side rollers 4 with regard to the desired profile as well as with regard to the workpiece material used, only the spindles 9 and 11 and adjusting devices 16 must be actuated, which is possible separately at each forming station 2.

Laterally on Profiliermaschinenabschnitt 1, a rail 12 is fixed, on which a Werkzeuginstellwagen 13 and a measuring carriage 14 are held movable. The Werkzeuginstellwagen 13 and the measuring carriage 14 are controlled by a (not shown) data processing device, the measuring carriage 14 carries measuring devices 15 which report their measurement data to the data processing device. The measuring devices 15 in the present case consist of two optical detectors, in particular CCD cameras, each of which detects an adjusting device 16 mounted on the adjustable tool axes of the forming stations 2 index disc 17 and digitizing the image, the respective position of the index plate 17 and thus the axial position of the associated Form roller 5 can detect. Since the adjusting devices 16 each sit directly on the shafts of the shaping rollers 5, the measuring carriage 14 can also detect the vertical position of the associated shaping rollers 5 on the basis of the height position of the adjusting devices 16. The same applies to the slides 8 and their adjusting devices 16 with index discs 17: Based on the position of the index plate 17, the horizontal position of the side rollers 4 is detected, while the height of the adjustment 16 can close the vertical position of the side rollers 4.

Since in particular the horizontal positions of the adjusting devices 16 do not exactly reproduce the exact actual positions of the forming rollers 5 or side rollers 4, but are subject to tolerances which have an effect on the work result, the stands 7 are each provided with a frame-specific, machine-readable coding 19, provided here in the form of a bar code, by means of which the respective frame 7 can be identified by the measuring devices 15 of the measuring carriage 14. Because according to the present invention, the scaffolds 7 have previously been measured on a (not shown) precision measuring station: Here observed deviations of detectable by the measuring devices 15 positions of the actual Actual positions of the adjustable roll forming tools 4, 5 have been recorded and stored as a data set in the data processing device, this data set being linked to a coding in the data processing device and this coding 19 has been attached to the respective frame 7 in a machine-readable manner. Now, if the measuring carriage 14 not only reads the positions of the adjusting 16 and the indexing discs 17 of a scaffold 7, but also the coding 19 and reports to the data processing device, this corrects the reported position data based on the stored frame-specific deviations and are accordingly the exact actual positions out.

The Werkzeuginstellwagen 13 is presently designed as a manipulator and accordingly equipped with controllable, axially and vertically movable actuators 18. These can, as indicated by the double arrows in the figures, zoom up to the adjusting devices 16 of the forming stations 2 and adjust these, controlled by the data processing device, motorized. The spindles 9 and 11 can be actuated by actuators 18 of the Werkzeugeinstellwagens 13. For this purpose, a drive shaft 20 is provided, which acts on the spindles 11 via appropriate gear.

Both the Werkzeuginstellwagen 13 and the measuring carriage 14 are each assigned to all four Umformstationen 2, whereby an equipping the Umformstationen 2 with their own detectors and motors together with the required power supply and signal lines can deploy advantageously. A further simplification is possible, for example, in that the optical detectors 15 are not mounted on a separate measuring carriage 14 but on the tool adjusting carriage 13. Such a tool measuring and setting carriage, as well as the separate Werkzeuginstellwagen 13 and measuring carriage 14, each be responsible for a Profiliermaschinenabschnitt 1 or for the entire Profiliermaschine.

With the present embodiment described retrofitting a profiling, which was hitherto purely manually adjusted, with a measuring device and optionally additionally an adjustment in a very cost-effective manner possible: The profiling only needs equipped with a rail 12 and a measuring carriage 14 and optionally a Werkzeuginstellwagen 13 and, if necessary, adjusting 16 and index discs 17 must be supplemented. Furthermore, according to the invention, each scaffold 7 is measured on a precision measuring station and provided with a coding 19. The coding and the data set created during the measurement of the scaffold are stored in the data processing device. Thereafter, it is possible to measure the actual positions of the adjustable roll forming tools 3 very accurately by machine and, if appropriate, to adjust them automatically.

Claims (11)

1. Profiling machine having a plurality of forming stations (2) arranged in line one after the other for the multi-step shaping of a workpiece to be profiled in its longitudinal direction, at least a part of the forming stations (2) each consisting of a stand (7) having at least two roll-forming tools (3) of which at least one is mounted on an adjustable support (8, 10) and which are provided so that the workpiece is guided between them and thereby shaped, and there being at least one measuring device (14, 15), which is connected to a data processing device, for detecting the positions of at least a part of the roll-forming tools (3) mounted on the adjustable supports (8, 10), characterised in that
   the measuring device (14, 15) is associated with a plurality of stands (7), and the stands (7) are each provided with a coding (19) readable by the measuring device (14, 15).
2. Profiling machine according to claim 1,
   characterised in that
   the coding (19) contains information relating to stand-specific differences between the actual positions of the roll-forming tools (4, 5) mounted on the adjustable supports (8, 10) and the positions detectable by the measuring device (14, 15).
3. Profiling machine according to either one of claims 1 and 2,
   characterised in that
   the coding (19) serves for identifying the stand (7) provided therewith.
4. Profiling machine according to claim 3,
   characterised in that
   in the data processing device there are stored in relation to the codings (19) of the stands (7) in each case data relating to stand-specific differences between the actual positions of the roll-forming tools (4, 5) mounted on the adjustable supports (8, 10) and the positions of those roll-forming tools (4, 5) detectable by the measuring device (14, 15).
5. Profiling machine according to at least one of claims 1 to 4,
   characterised in that
   motor-driven adjusting elements (18) for the automated adjustment of at least a part of the adjustable supports (8, 10) are provided and are connected to the data processing device as control means, the motor-driven adjusting elements (18) being formed by at least one manipulator (13, 18) which is associated with a plurality of adjustable supports (8, 10).
6. Profiling machine according to claim 5,
   characterised in that
   in the data processing device there are stored with the codings (19) of the stands (7) in each case data relating to stand-specific correlations between the adjustments achievable by the manipulator (13, 18) and the adjustments of the actual positions of the roll-forming tools (4, 5) mounted on the adjustable supports (8, 10) effected as a result.
7. Profiling machine according to either one of claims 5 and 6;
   characterised in that
   the measuring device (15) is arranged on the manipulator (13).
8. Profiling machine according to at least one of claims 1 to 7,
   characterised in that
   the measuring device (15) is attached to a measuring carriage (14) movable along the forming stations (2).
9. Method for measuring roll-forming tools (4, 5) which are mounted on adjustable supports (8; 10) of a stand (7) of a profiling machine according to at least one of claims 1 to 8,
   characterised in that
   a measuring device (14, 15) associated with a plurality of stands (7) is used, which measuring device detects the positions of at least a part of the roll-forming tools (4, 5) mounted on the adjustable supports (8, 10) and reports them to a data processing device, the measuring device (14, 15) also reading a coding (19) attached to each of the stands (7) and reporting it to the data processing device.
10. Method according to claim 9,
    characterised in that
    the stands (7) having adjustable supports (8, 10) are measured with a precision measuring device, especially on a precision measuring station, and stand-specific differences between the actual positions of the roll-forming tools (4, 5) mounted on the adjustable supports (8, 10) and their positions detectable by the measuring device (14, 15) are ascertained, and each measured stand (7) is provided with a coding (19), wherein the coding (19) contains information relating to the stand-specific differences and/or a data set containing stand-specific differences and the stand-specific coding (19) for storage in the data processing device of the profiling machine is created.
11. Method according to claim 10,
    characterised in that
    using the precision measuring device there are also ascertained stand-specific correlations between the adjustments achievable by a manipulator (13) and the adjustments of the actual positions of the roll-forming tools (4, 5) mounted on the adjustable supports (8, 10) effected as a result, wherein the coding (19) with which each measured stand (7) is provided contains information relating to those stand-specific correlations and/or a data set containing stand-specific correlations and the stand-specific coding (19) for storage in the data processing device of the profiling machine is created.

Images