IP Library Granted Patent US 12,475,440
Granted Patent B2
US 12,475,440 · App. 18/337,058 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Method and system for efficient recycling of residual material

Inventors: Rainer Zuest (Seegraeben, CH); Tobias Meck (Igis, CH)
Assignees: TRUMPF SCHWEIZ AG; ZUEST ENGINEERING AG
G06Q10/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,475,440
App. No.
18/337,058
Granted
Nov 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method recycles residual material from processing a workpiece. The method includes the following steps: A) transmitting information about a desired material family of the residual material, tolerated accompanying materials in the residual material, and/or desired residual material part size, from a recycler computer to a workpiece processor computer; and B) workpiece processing with a processing machine while generating residual material. The method steps A) and B) can be carried out in any order or simultaneously and the following method step is carried out after the method step B): (D) collecting the residual material in a container with a logistics facility in accordance with the information transmitted.

Claims (27)

1 . A method for recycling residual material from processing a workpiece, the method comprising:

A) receiving, by a workpiece processor computer from a recycler computer, information about a desired material family of the residual material, tolerated accompanying materials in the residual material, and desired residual material part size;

B) workpiece processing using a processing machine while generating actual residual material, wherein workpiece processing comprises:

separating sheet metal parts from a sheet metal panel with the processing machine while generating a skeleton;

transferring information related to the sheet metal panel stored on the processing machine to a machine tool; and

processing the skeleton using the machine tool to generate the actual residual material;

wherein the method steps A) and B) can be carried out in any order or simultaneously and the following method step is carried out after the method step B);

D) sending the actual residual material to a logistics facility to be collected in a container, wherein information related to the actual residual material generated is stored on a tracker disposed on the container;

E) transmitting, by the workpiece processor computer, information about the actual residual material to the recycler computer; and

F) receiving, by the workpiece processor computer, redefined information about the desired material family of the residual material, tolerated accompanying materials in the residual material, and/or desired residual material part size, based on the information about the actual residual material generated.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor computer has a recycler algorithm, which determines optimized information transmitted in a subsequent method step A).

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the following method step is carried out after method step B) and before method step D):

C) crushing the residual material with a crusher.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tracker is part of a track and trace system of the logistics facility.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the information on the actual residual material generated is stored on the tracker by a crusher.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmitted information comprises information on a price of the residual material and a workpiece processor algorithm stored in the workpiece processor computer determines which crushing of the residual material is profitable during workpiece processing during a machine main time.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmitted information contains information on a price of the residual material and a workpiece processor algorithm stored in the workpiece processor computer determines which crushing of the residual material with a crusher is profitable.

8 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the residual material in the form of the skeleton is crushed by a crusher in the form of skeleton clippers.

9 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the information stored on the tracker was previously transferred from the machine tool to the skeleton clippers, and/or

wherein the information stored on the tracker is applied to the skeleton in the form of a code and is read out by a camera of the skeleton clippers.

10 . A system for recycling residual material from processing a workpiece, for carrying out the method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the system comprises the following features:

a) a wireless and/or wired connection of a recycler computer to a workpiece processor computer;

b) a processing machine for workpiece processing while generating residual material; and

d) a logistics facility which is designed to collect the residual material in a container of the system while evaluating the information transmitted to the workpiece processor computer.

11 . The system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the system comprises the following:

c) a crusher for feeding the container.

12 . The system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the workpiece processor computer has a workpiece processor algorithm, which is designed to determine a profitability of crushing the residual material with the processing machine based on the information transmitted to the workpiece processor computer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 19, 2023
From: ZUEST, RAINER; MECK, TOBIAS
To: TRUMPF SCHWEIZ AG; ZUEST ENGINEERING AG
Reel/Frame 063982/0235 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2021 200 831.3 · Jan 29, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTEP2022051875 · Jan 27, 2022
Related Publication 20230334440A1 · Oct 19, 2023
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