Mechanism for moving the blade holder of a panel bender for bending sheet metal
A panel bender ( 10 ) designed for making bends on sheet metal sheets ( 13 ) comprises a substantially C-shaped main structure ( 11 ) equipped with a fixed element ( 12 ) and a mobile element ( 14 ) designed to support and clamp in a preset position a sheet metal sheet ( 13 ) to be bent, and also comprises a substantially C-shaped blade holder structure ( 16 ) connected to the main structure ( 11 ) and mobile in space inside this by means of a series of vertical guides ( 15 ) at right angles to the plane of the sheet metal sheet ( 13 ) to be bent. The blade holder structure is equipped with an upper blade ( 26 ) and a lower blade ( 27 ) designed to enter into contact with the surface of the sheet metal sheet ( 13 ) to be bent clamped between the mobile and fixed elements ( 12, 14 ) of the main structure ( 11 ) and to deform the sheet metal sheet by means of a movement with a programmable trajectory. The blade holder structure ( 16 ) also comprises respective pairs of upper ( 18 ) and lower ( 18 ′) wedge-shaped slides connected to the vertical guides ( 15 ) and running along these, the slides ( 18, 18 ′) having counteropposing faces ( 30, 30 ′) inclined at a preset angle; each upper ( 18 ) and lower ( 18 ′) wedge-shaped slide is also connected to the main structure ( 11 ) by a respective linear actuator ( 32, 32 ′) controlled hydraulically or electro-mechanically. The movements of the linear actuators ( 32, 32 ′), which cause the movements of the wedge-shaped slides ( 18, 18 ′) in the respective vertical (Y) and horizontal (X) directions, are independent and synchronized by a numeric control system.
1. A panel bender for making bends on a sheet metal sheet, said panel bender comprising:
a substantially C-shaped main structure provided with a fixed element and a mobile element supporting and clamping in a predetermined position on a plane a sheet metal sheet to be bent;
a substantially C-shaped blade holder structure connected to said substantially C-shaped main structure, the substantially C-shaped blade holder structure being mobile inside an inner space defined by said fixed and mobile elements of said substantially C-shaped main structure by vertical guides placed at right angles with respect to a plane of said sheet metal sheet to be bent;
said substantially C-shaped blade holder structure being provided with an upper blade and a lower blade configured to move into contact with a surface of said sheet metal sheet to be bent;
said substantially C-shaped blade holder structure configured to move on a predetermined trajectory, whereby during movement on the predetermined trajectory said upper and lower blades deform said sheet metal sheet clamped between said fixed and mobile elements of said substantially C-shaped main structure;
wherein said substantially C-shaped blade holder structure further comprises respective pairs of upper and lower wedge-shaped slides, wherein respective vertical faces of said wedge-shaped slides are connected to said vertical guides and run along said vertical guides, and wherein respective inclined faces of said wedge-shaped slides are connected to said substantially C-shaped blade holder structure;
wherein said panel bender further comprises linear actuators connected at one end thereof to said substantially C-shaped main structure and at the other end thereof to said wedge-shaped slides, thereby defining movements of said wedge-shaped slides in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction with respect to the sheet metal sheet; and
wherein said panel bender further comprises a numeric control system for governing and synchronizing actuation of said linear actuators.
2. The panel bender of claim 1 , wherein the respective inclined faces of the wedge-shaped slides are inclined at an angle of 45°.
3. The panel bender of claim 1 , wherein the wedge-shaped guides are connected to the vertical guides by sliding blocks with recirculating rollers.
4. The panel bender of claim 1 , wherein the wedge-shaped guides are connected to the substantially C-shaped blade holder structure by sliding blocks with recirculating rollers.
5. The panel bender of claim 1 , further comprising linear actuators; wherein each linear actuator comprises a recirculating ball screw functionally linked to a wedge-shaped slide, a preloaded axial-radial bearing, a precision, epicycloid gear motor and a synchronous electric motor.
6. The panel bender of claim 5 , wherein movement of the linear actuators is controlled by an interpolating electrical coupling employing gantry technology.
7. The panel bender of claim 1 , wherein concordant and synchronized movement of the wedge-shaped slides causes movement of the substantially C-shaped blade holder structure in a direction (Y) with respect to the plane of the sheet metal sheet to be bent.
8. The panel bender of claim 1 , wherein discordant and synchronous movement of the wedge-shaped slides causes movement of the substantially C-shaped blade holder structure in a direction (X) parallel to the plane of the sheet metal sheet to be bent.
9. The panel bender of claim 1 , wherein combined of movement of the wedge-shaped slides defines a programmable trajectory of the blade holder structure.
10. The panel bender of claim 1 , wherein said linear actuators are controlled hydraulically.
11. The panel bender of claim 1 , wherein said linear actuators are controlled electro-mechanically.
12. A panel bender for making bends on a sheet metal sheet, said panel bender comprising:
a substantially C-shaped main structure that fixes in place a sheet metal sheet to be bent;
a substantially C-shaped blade holder structure connected to said substantially C-shaped main structure, the substantially C-shaped blade holder structure moving on vertical guides placed at right angles with respect to a plane of said sheet metal sheet to be bent;
said substantially C-shaped blade holder structure being provided with an upper blade and a lower blade configured to move into contact with a surface of said sheet metal sheet to be bent, wherein the upper and lower blades are attached to upper and lower wedge-shaped slides;
wherein said upper and lower blades move on said vertical guides in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the sheet metal sheet; and
wherein said upper and lower blades slide on said wedge-shaped slides such that said upper and lower blades move in a plane parallel to the plane of the sheet metal sheet.