Processing machine for flat material parts and a support unit thereof

Abstract

A metal-cutting machine for flat material parts comprises metal-cutting tools ( 21, 22, 23 ), held on a machine frame, and a support unit ( 10 ), on which a flat material part to be machined can be placed for a positioning in the metal-cutting machine. The support unit comprises a feed table ( 10 ), which is clamped remote from the beams and on one side about a pivot axis that is pivotable parallel to the beam orientation ( 39 ) and the free end ( 26 ) of which feed table in the parking position rests on a support surface ( 27 ) assigned to the lower beam ( 21 ), which support surface is connected via a sliding surface ( 28 ) to the top side ( 29 ) of the lower beam ( 21 ). The clamped end ( 36 ) of the feed table ( 10 ) is here movable by means of a drive ( 40 ), in the direction of extension ( 45 ), into its loading and removal position, wherein the bottom edge ( 25 ) of the feed table slides from the support surface ( 27 ) over the sliding surface ( 28 ) and beyond the top side ( 29 ) of the lower beam, and the top side ( 29 ) forms the support for the bottom side ( 16 ) of the feed table ( 10 ) in the loading and removal position for a flat material part.

1 . Metal-cutting machine for flat material parts, comprising:
 a machine frame,   a lower beam having a thereto assigned support surface, which is connected via a sliding surface to the top side of the lower beam,   an upper beam,   at least one metal-cutting tool assigned to the lower beam and held on the machine frame,   a control unit for controlling a machining cycle with the metal-cutting tools, and   a support unit, on which the flat material part to be machined can be placed for a positioning in the metal-cutting machine,   a drive connected to the support unit,   at least one spring, with which the support unit is connected to the drive, wherein the support unit is movable by the drive out of a parking position, in a direction of extension, between the open metal-cutting tools into a loading and removal position and back again,   
       wherein the support unit, remote from the beams, is on one side resiliently connected to the drive about a pivot axis that is pivotable parallel to the beam orientation, wherein a free end of the support unit in the parking position rests on the support surface assigned to the lower beam, wherein a clamped end of the receiving unit is movable by means of the drive, in the direction of extension, into its loading and removal position, wherein the bottom edge of the support unit slides from the support surface over the sliding surface and beyond the top side of the lower beam, and the top side forms the support for the bottom side of the support unit in the loading and removal position for a flat material part. 
     
     
         2 . Metal-cutting machine according to  claim 1 , characterized in that that end of the support unit which is resiliently clamped about the pivot axis is realized by at least one leaf spring fastened to the table surface, the other end of which leaf spring is oriented in the direction of extension and is fastened to an element assigned to the drive. 
     
     
         3 . Metal-cutting machine according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the leaf spring is fastened to the bottom side of the support unit, and in that the element assigned to the drive comprises a profile which is movable back and forth in the direction of extension. 
     
     
         4 . Metal-cutting machine according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the leaf spring is screwed onto the bottom side of the support unit. 
     
     
         5 . Metal-cutting machine according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the support surface is a surface ascendingly inclined relative to the beam top side in the direction of extension, and in that the sliding surface is a surface ascendingly inclined relative to the beam top side in the direction of extension. 
     
     
         6 . Metal-cutting machine according to  claim 5 , characterized in that the ascendingly inclined surface of the support surface has in the direction of extension an angle between 10 and 30 degrees to the beam top side, and in that the ascendingly inclined surface of the sliding surface has in the direction of extension an angle between 30 and 45 degrees to the beam top side. 
     
     
         7 . Metal-cutting machine according to  claim 5 , characterized in that the support surface has in the direction of extension a width between 3 and 6 centimetres, and in that the sliding surface has in the direction of extension a width between 1 and 3 centimetres. 
     
     
         8 . Metal-cutting machine according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the support unit is a one-piece plate produced from a homogeneous material. 
     
     
         9 . Metal-cutting machine according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the support unit is a plate composed of at least two planar plates, of which the lower plate, which forms the lower corner edge and the bottom side of the support unit, has a coefficient of friction in relation to steel which is smaller than the coefficient of friction of the upper plate, which forms the top side of the support unit, in relation to steel. 
     
     
         10 . Metal-cutting machine according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the at least two planar plates are all bonded together. 
     
     
         11 . Metal-cutting machine according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the corner edge and bottom side of the plate forming the support unit has a coefficient of friction μ in relation to steel of μ<=0.2, and in that the upper plate, which forms the top side of the support unit, has a coefficient of friction μ in relation to steel of μ>0.3. 
     
     
         12 . Metal-cutting machine according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the support unit comprises a core, and a lower coating forming the lower plate and an upper coating forming the upper plate, wherein the lower coating has a smaller coefficient of friction in relation to steel than the upper coating in relation to steel. 
     
     
         13 . Metal-cutting machine according to  claim 9 , wherein the coatings are synthetic resin coatings. 
     
     
         14 . Metal-cutting machine according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the upper plate is made of steel. 
     
     
         15 . Metal-cutting machine according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the lower plate is made of a material from the group comprising CDF (compact density fibreboard), melamine-coated plate material, POM (poloxymethylene), wood, MDF, so-called brush plates, or aluminium. 
     
     
         16 . Metal-cutting machine according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the support unit is a so-called ball plate. 
     
     
         17 . Metal-cutting machine according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the control unit is designed to issue to the drive or drives of the support unit control commands to move the support unit out of the parking position, in a direction of extension, between the open metal-cutting tools into a loading and removal position, so as subsequently to interrupt the dispatching of control commands for a manual handling by the user, wherein the end of the manual handling, which consists of the group comprising the feed-in, the removal, the tilting, the rotation or the turning of the flat material piece, following a positioning of the said flat material piece on the support unit, is either detected by sensors and reported to the control unit or is triggered by a stop switch signal, after which further control commands are issued by the control unit to retract the support unit and to execute pre-specified and/or pre-programmed bending steps, which end with an extension of the support unit, in order to be ready either for the removal of the flat material piece or for a further interruption and a further manual handling. 
     
     
         18 . Support unit for a metal-cutting machine, comprising a feed table clamped remote from the beams and on one side, wherein the clamped end of the feed table is movable by means of a drive in a direction of extension oriented transversely to the clamping direction, wherein the clamped end of the feed table is realized by at least one leaf spring fastened to the table surface of the feed table, the other end of which leaf spring is oriented in the direction of extension and fastened to an element assigned to the drive.