IP Library Granted Patent US 12,617,040
Granted Patent B2
US 12,617,040 · App. 17/981,637 · Granted May 5, 2026

Method for determining a minimum width and an attachment position of a microjoint and method for machining a workpiece

Inventors: Florian Sepp (Bernbeuren, DE); Simon Ockenfuss (Renningen, DE); Patrick Mach (Korb, DE); Kai Etzel (Besigheim, DE); Christoph Weiss (Schongau, DE)
Assignee: TRUMPF Werkzeugmaschinen SE + Co. KG
B23K26/38
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,617,040
App. No.
17/981,637
Granted
May 5, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for determining a minimum width of a microjoint by which, when machining a workpiece, in particular a sheet-like workpiece, a workpiece part remains connected to a remaining workpiece of the workpiece. In the method, the minimum width of the microjoint is determined in dependence on at least one machining parameter which influences a relative position of the workpiece part in relation to the remaining workpiece during the machining of the workpiece. A further method determines an attachment position of such a microjoint and a still further method machines the workpiece.

Claims (20)

1 . A method for determining a minimum width of a microjoint by which, when machining a workpiece, a workpiece part remains connected to a remaining workpiece of the workpiece, which comprises:

determining the minimum width of the microjoint in dependence on at least one machining parameter which influences a relative position of the workpiece part in relation to the remaining workpiece during the machining of the workpiece, wherein the machining of the workpiece includes thermal cutting of the workpiece with a machining beam;

wherein the minimum width of the microjoint is determined in dependence on the at least one machining parameter in a form of a gas pressure of a cutting gas leaving a machining nozzle that acts on the workpiece part during a cutting free of the workpiece part from the remaining workpiece.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the minimum width of the microjoint at which a maximum upstanding height, by which the workpiece part stands up above the remaining workpiece, is not exceeded during a tilting of the workpiece part in relation to the remaining workpiece due to an effect of the gas pressure acting on the workpiece part.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the maximum upstanding height is not greater than a distance between the machining nozzle and the remaining workpiece, wherein the distance is less than 2 mm.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the workpiece is a sheet-shaped workpiece.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the machining beam is a laser beam.

6 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the distance is less than 1 mm.

7 . A method for determining a minimum width of a microjoint by which, when machining a workpiece, a workpiece part remains connected to a remaining workpiece of the workpiece, which comprises:

determining the minimum width of the microjoint in dependence on at least one machining parameter which influences a relative position of the workpiece part in relation to the remaining workpiece during the machining of the workpiece, wherein the machining of the workpiece includes a displacement of the remaining workpiece together with the workpiece part along a workpiece support, wherein the minimum width of the microjoint is determined in dependence on the at least one machining parameter in a form of an acceleration of the workpiece part during the displacement along at least one displacement direction.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the minimum width of the microjoint at which, during the displacement of the workpiece part together with the remaining workpiece, a flexural stress at the microjoint that does not exceed a maximum flexural stress is determined.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the maximum flexural stress at the microjoint is not greater than a yield strength of a material of the workpiece.

10 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the minimum width of the microjoint is made up of the minimum width of the microjoint at which the maximum flexural stress is not exceeded and a safety factor.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the safety factor dependent on the minimum width of the microjoint at which the maximum flexural stress is not exceeded.

12 . A method for determining an attachment position of a microjoint by which a workpiece part remains connected to a remaining workpiece when machining a workpiece, which comprises the step of:

determining a minimum width of the microjoint in a case of multiple different attachment positions along an outer contour of the workpiece part, wherein the minimum width is determined by the method according to claim 1 ; and

selecting an attachment position along the outer contour for the machining of the workpiece for which a smallest minimum width of the microjoint has been determined.

13 . A method for machining a workpiece, which comprises the steps of:

machining the workpiece while thereby forming at least one microjoint by which a workpiece part remains connected to a remaining workpiece, the at least one microjoint is formed at an attachment position along an outer contour of the workpiece part, the attachment position is selected along the outer contour for the machining of the workpiece for which a minimum width of the microjoint has been determined by the method according to claim 1 .

14 . A non-transitory computer program readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for carrying out all of the steps of the method according to claim 1 when the computer program runs on a data processing system.

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 Jan 11, 2023
From: OCKENFUSS, SIMON; ETZEL, KAI; WEISS, CHRISTOPH; SEPP, FLORIAN; MACH, PATRICK
To: TRUMPF WERKZEUGMASCHINEN GMBH + CO. KG
Reel/Frame 062344/0393 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2020 205 680.3 · May 6, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTEP2021061767 · May 5, 2021
Related Publication 20230054278A1 · Feb 23, 2023
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