IP Library Granted Patent US 12,420,368
Granted Patent B2
US 12,420,368 · App. 17/190,684 · Granted Sep 23, 2025

Method and device for removing a workpiece part from the remainder of the workpiece

Inventors: Dennis Wolf (Rutesheim, DE); Michael Elser (Stuttgart, DE)
Assignee: TRUMPF Werkzeugmaschinen SE + Co. KG
B23Q5/22B23K26/38
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,420,368
App. No.
17/190,684
Granted
Sep 23, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for removing a workpiece from the remainder of the workpiece supported in a bearing plane. The method includes moving the workpiece part, which is clamped between at least one ejector element of an ejection unit and at least one counter-holding element of a counter-holding unit, along a removal direction, and checking whether the workpiece part has been completely separated from the remainder of the workpiece during movement along the removal direction. The method is characterized by reducing or completely canceling the clamping of the workpiece part and subsequently resuming the clamping of the workpiece part if it is determined during checking that the workpiece part has not been completely separated from the remainder of the workpiece.

Claims (20)

1. A method for removing a workpiece part from a remainder of a workpiece supported in a bearing plane, which comprises the steps of:

moving the workpiece part, being clamped between at least one ejector element of an ejection unit and at least one counter-holding element of a counter-holding unit, along a removal direction;

checking whether the workpiece part has been completely separated from the remainder of the workpiece during movement along the removal direction; and

reducing or completely canceling a clamping of the workpiece part and subsequently resuming the clamping of the workpiece part if it is determined during the checking that the workpiece part has not been completely separated from the remainder of the workpiece.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of reducing or completely canceling the clamping of the workpiece part and of resuming the clamping of the workpiece part is carried out multiple times.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein when canceling the clamping, contact between the ejector element and the workpiece part is first of all canceled.

4. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises clamping the remainder of the workpiece between a workpiece support for supporting the remainder of the workpiece in the bearing plane and at least one further counter-holding element during the movement of the workpiece part along the removal direction, wherein the clamping of the remainder of the workpiece is reduced or completely canceled before a reduction or complete cancellation of the clamping of the workpiece part.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein during a reduction or release of the clamping, the workpiece part is fixed on the at least one counter-holding element of the counter-holding unit situated in a fixing state.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein when the clamping of the workpiece part has been canceled, moving the counter-holding unit in at least one direction perpendicular to the removal direction relative to the remainder of the workpiece.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the counter-holding unit is additionally moved along the removal direction relative to the remainder of the workpiece.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the workpiece part is clamped by means of a plurality of counter-holding elements of the counter-holding unit, which are moved in opposite senses along the removal direction in order to separate the workpiece part from the remainder of the workpiece.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one supporting surface of the at least one counter-holding element, the at least one supporting surface supporting the workpiece part, is lowered below the bearing plane of the remainder of the workpiece as the workpiece part is moved along the removal direction, and the ejector element presses against the workpiece part from above during a lowering process.

10. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises:

moving the workpiece part along the removal direction with reduced or completely canceled clamping into the bearing plane of the remainder of the workpiece;

resuming the clamping of the workpiece part between the at least one ejector element of the ejection unit and the at least one counter-holding element of the counter-holding unit; and

renewed moving of the workpiece part along the removal direction, at a speed which differs from a speed during the moving of the workpiece part along the removal direction.

11. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises:

storing geometric parameters of the workpiece part to be removed, of a removal result and of operating parameter sets of the at least one ejector element and/or of the at least one counter-holding element during a reduction or complete cancellation and subsequent resumption of the clamping of the workpiece part and of the remainder of the workpiece and/or during a renewed moving of the workpiece part along the removal direction in a result memory.

12. The method according to claim 11 , which further comprises automatically generating a removal forecast for the workpiece part to be removed on a basis of geometric parameters of the workpiece part to be removed and of the geometric parameters, stored in the result memory, of removed workpiece parts and a respectively associated removal result.

13. The method according to claim 11 , which further comprises automatically selecting the operating parameter sets, stored in the result memory, in dependence on the geometric parameters of the workpiece part to be removed.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 3, 2023
From: TRUMPF WERKZEUGMASCHINEN GMBH + CO. KG
To: TRUMPF WERKZEUGMASCHINEN SE + CO. KG
Reel/Frame 062996/0543 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: WOLF, DENNIS; ELSER, MICHAEL
To: TRUMPF WERKZEUGMASCHINEN GMBH + CO. KG
Reel/Frame 055482/0558 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 102018215738.3 · Sep 17, 2018 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTEP2019071285 · Aug 8, 2019
Related Publication 20210178540A1 · Jun 17, 2021
References Cited (37)
US 5092829A · Gerber · 1992 [cited by examiner]
US 5101747A · Gerber · 1992 [cited by examiner]
US 5889675A · Minami · 1999 [cited by examiner]
US 6827544B2 · Nagasawa · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 7131361B2 · Nakajima · 2006 [cited by examiner]
US 9156179B2 · Bauch et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9440281B2 · Hirata · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9452544B2 · Hagenlocher · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 10220475B2 · Schmauder et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10449592B2 · Mathias et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10512965B2 · Prokop et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 11167387B2 · Epperlein et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11229980B2 · Deiss et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20040202531A1 · Beransky · 2004 [cited by examiner]
US 20150306653A1 · Mathias · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20170066033A1 · Prokop · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20180085864A1 · Wilhelm · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190091799A1 · Deiss et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200016647A1 · Deiss · 2020 [cited by applicant]
CN 102029318A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
CN 105538519A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
CN 105829008A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
CN 106042065A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
DE 102012207818A1 · 2013 [cited by applicant]
DE 102013226816A1 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
DE 102014209811B4 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
DE 102016208872A1 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
DE 102016209550A1 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
DE 102017205095B3 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
JP H0724795A · 1995 [cited by applicant]
JP H07171643A · 1995 [cited by applicant]
JP H082670A · 1996 [cited by applicant]
JP H10080738A · 1998 [cited by applicant]
JP 2006122931A · 2006 [cited by applicant]
JP 20061122931A · 2006 [cited by applicant]
JP 2015199078A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
WO 2014023323A1 · 2014 [cited by applicant]