SUCCESSIVE BORING STATIONS

Technical Field

The invention relates to a profile boring machine intended to be used for boring assembling holes on shock absorbing aluminum profile parts, used in vehicle bodies, using sheet metal piercing die technology and to provide burr-free production in automotive industry. The invention, in particular, relates to a profile boring machine which allows performing processes on narrow cross-section profile parts in different diameters and geometries, such as boring, chamfering and marking, in a fast and rapid way by following a particular cycle of actions based on a semi-automatic system setup, and which carries the profile part forward over its body during these operations, by passing it between subsequent boring stations and then to a conveyor band.

Background Art

In the background art, it is required to bore assembling holes in various dimensions on narrow cross-section profiles especially used in vehicle bodies in automotive industry. For example, an annular hole and a slot (oval) hole may be bored on two opposite surfaces. The holes may be introduced on both sides of a profile, on top of each other in different positions and geometries. Machining techniques known in the background art are used for boring the aforementioned holes on narrow cross-section profile parts.

Due to the different diameters of the holes required to be bored on top of each other, the part is required to be flipped over after boring a top side in order to bore the bottom side in desired dimensions. Due to frequently interfering with the position of the parts, errors in position of the holes increase. In terms of operations, two operational interventions are required for a single boring operation. The mentioned boring processes are performed by means of fixtures introduced on the pillar drills by the operator. Burr problems are encountered after the boring process. Hence a deburring process is applied at the end. Such an operation system is not appropriate for serial production. The aforementioned problems are encountered in boring holes with different diameters on two opposite sides of a profile. When it is desired to perform boring on a single side of profile parts made of aluminum in a slot (oval) geometry, these processes become slightly more complex and it becomes necessary to employ 3D machining (CNC processing) techniques. Machining production methods increase product cost due to the length of the operation durations and are not suitable for serial production.

Therefore, in order to provide solutions for current systems while overcoming the aforementioned disadvantages, it becomes necessary to make developments regarding boring processes of narrow cross-section profiles.

Object Of The Invention

The present invention relates to a profile boring machine which meet all of the aforementioned requirements while overcoming all disadvantages and providing some additional advantages.

The primary object of the invention is to allow the process of boring holes and slots with different diameters on aluminum profile parts by means of a semi-automatic machine with three different, successively placed stations. Another object of the invention is to establish holes, slots and similar forms with desired dimensions and quality levels on aluminum profile parts, without requiring machining processes.

It is aimed to prevent faulty boring on the part by verification of the profile part before prior to processing, by means of a position control system mounted in front of the part loading station.

Another object of the invention is to carry the part to the relevant station after the position verification process, in order to carry out the respective operations on the profile and then performing the processes of hole boring, slot boring, deburring and marking, according to a specific order of operation. Another object of the invention is to allow performing all of the operations, including boring with various dimensions and forms, in a controlled manner, without depending on an operator.

Another object of the invention is to allow the process of carrying parts after concluding the boring process on the profile part, by means of a conveyor whose operation depends on the conveyor system. Thereby, the operator which carries out the loading process will also be able to perform crating the finished product.

With the invention, it is intended to reference the desired operations on the profile part in a single machine for a single time, instead of referencing in several machines, and therefore to reduce the percent error.

Another object of the invention is to remove the burring resulting from the boring processes performed on the profile part.

It is intended to speed up the serial production, reduce the number of operators and increase the daily production quantity by performing the boring processes, which is performed manually in the background art, with the automatic machine of the invention. Thereby, labor and time savings will be achieved.

In order to realize all of the aforementioned advantages, along with those will be apparent from the detailed description given below; the invention relates to a profile boring machine, which allows boring assembling holes on narrow cross-section aluminum, shock absorber profile parts using sheet metal piercing die technology, and which provide burr-free production; a configuration is obtained comprising;

• a part conveyor unit which passes the profile parts placed to the loading station to the successive boring stations and the evacuation station, which are again placed in an order on its body, in order to perform the required boring processes,

· a boring unit which is mounted on both sides of the part conveyor unit and performs boring, slot boring, chamfering and marking in different diameters and geometries on parts fixed in boring stations and the evacuation station.

The structural and characteristic features and all of the advantages of the invention shall become apparent with the appended drawings and the detailed description given below with reference to the appended drawings and therefore the assessment should be based on these drawings and the detailed description. Brief Description of Drawings

The present invention should be assessed with reference to the figures disclosed below in order to realize the embodiments and advantages of the invention with further elements.

Figure 1 ; three dimensional view of the profile boring machine of the invention.

Figure 2 ; top cross-section view of the profile boring machine of the invention.

Figure 3 ; three dimensional view of the boring unit of the profile boring machine of the invention.

Figure 4 ; three dimensional view of the part conveyor unit of the profile boring machine of the invention.

Figure 5 ; three dimensional view of the boring unit and part conveyor unit assembly of the profile boring machine of the invention.

Reference Numbers

1. Profile Boring Machine

2. Lower Frame

3. Upper Frame

4. Boring Unit

4.1. Left Press Group

4.2. Right Press Group

4.3. Servo Motor

5. Part Conveyor Unit

5.1. Part Positioning Platform

5.2. Positioning Slot

5.3. Part Passing Platform

5.4. Passing Slot

5.5. Platform Rail

5.6. Platform Piston

5.7. Locking Piston

5.8. Part Locking Arm

5.9. Part Clasping Element

6. Scrap Conveyor Unit

7. Part Conveyor Band

8. Position Control System

8.1. Position Adjustment Plate

8.2. Adjustment Piston A: Loading Station

B: Boring Station

C: Evacuation Station

P: Profile Part

Detailed Description of The Invention

In the detailed description herein, preferred embodiments of the profile boring machine (1 ) of the invention is given only for exemplary purposes without being limiting in any manner. The invention is a profile boring machine (1 ) which allows burr-free boring of assembling holes on profile parts (P), which are used in vehicle bodies in automotive industry, using sheet metal piercing die technology. Figure 1 gives a three dimensional view of the profile boring machine (1 ) of the invention. In accordance, the profile boring machine (1 ) is introduced on a lower frame (2) and an upper frame (3), introduced on the upper part of the mentioned lower frame (2). The lower frame (2), which constitutes the framework of the profile boring machine (1 ), is a supporting structure, essentially obtained by combining vertical and horizontal box profiles. A boring unit (4) and a part conveyor unit (5) is introduced on the lower frame (2). A scrap conveyor unit (6) is introduced on the lower portion of the lower frame (2). The upper frame (3) is a protective structure which covers the moving parts of the profile boring machine (1 ) and therefore isolates them form the outside environment during operation. An illumination light, light barriers and protective plastic glasses (plexiglass) are introduced on the upper frame (3).

The profile boring machine (1 ) of the invention essentially comprises a mechanism which allows holes with different geometries on narrow cross-section profile parts (P) with a semi-automatic system configuration and in a fast and rapid way. For this purpose, a boring unit (4) and a part conveyor unit (5) is introduced on the lower frame (2) of the profile boring machine (1 ). Figure 5 shows a three dimensional view of the boring unit (4) and the part conveyor unit (5) assembly. Figure 4 gives a three dimensional view of the part conveyor unit (5) of the profile boring machine (1 ) of the invention. Accordingly, the part conveyor unit (5) comprises;

• a part positioning platform (5.1 ) where the profile parts (P) to be bored on body are successively positioned in front of the left press group (4.1 ) and the right press group (4.2) in the boring unit (4), · a part passing platform (5.3) which allows carrying the profile parts (P) positioned successively over the part positioning platform (5.1 ) forward to the next boring station and carrying the profile parts (P) at the last station to the part conveyor band (7).

A part positioning slots (5.2), which allows profile parts (P) to be successively positioned on the part positioning platform (5.1 ) is introduced. In the preferred embodiment of Figure 4, four part positioning slots (5.2) are introduced on the part positioning platform (5.1 ). Here the first part positioning slot (5.2) in order corresponds to the part loading station (A), intermediate part positioning slots (5.2) correspond to boring stations (B), and the last part positioning slot (5.2) corresponds to the evacuation station (C).

Part locking arms (5.8) introduced at the part positioning platform (5.1 ) ensure that the profile parts (P) are locked inside the part positioning slot (5.2) during the boring process. The part locking arm (5.8) ensures that the profile part (P) stays fixed during the boring process inside the part positioning slot (5.2) by blocking the upper portion of the part positioning slot (5.2).

A part clasping element (5.9) fixes the profile part (P), which is being processed at the part positioning platform (5.1 ), inside the part positioning slot (5.2) after being locked by the part locking arm (5.8). The mentioned part clasping element (5.9) ensures that the profile part (P) inside the part positioning slot (5.2) is locked to the part locking arm (5.8) above it by contacting it from below.

Part passing slots (5.4) are introduced in order to successively position the profile parts (P) on the part passing platform (5.3) body. In practice, part passing platform (5.3) is an element which is able to move in forward - backward and up - down directions inside the part positioning platform (5.1 ). The part passing platform (5.3) performs the mentioned motions on a platform rail (5.5) mounted at its bottom. In the mechanism, at least one platform piston (5.6) is introduced in connection with the part passing platform (5.3) in order to allow the up - down motion of the part passing platform (5.3).

Figure 3 gives a three dimensional view of the boring unit (4) of the profile boring machine (1 ) of the invention. Accordingly, a left press group (4.1 ) and a right press group (4.2) are introduced across each other on both sides of the part conveyor unit (5). The mentioned left press group (4.1 ) and right press group (4.2) constitute a system designed to perform hole boring, slot boring and deburring operations on the profile part. The left press group (4.1 ) is operated using a servo motor and a ball screw. The right press group (4.2) is moved by a pneumatic piston.

The profile boring machine (1 ) of the invention comprises a position control system (8) which brings the profile part (P), which is positioned to the part positioning slot (5.2) of the part conveyor unit (5), into a position suitable for boring operation. As shown in Figure 4, the position control system (8) comprises position adjustment plates (8.1 ), which are positioned across each other on both sides of the loading station (A) of the part positioning platform (5.1 ), and an adjustment piston (8.2) which is in connection with the position adjustment plate (8.1 ).

The profile boring machine (1 ) of the invention comprises a scrap conveyor unit (6) introduced at the lower portion of the lower frame (2). The mentioned scrap conveyor unit (6) is a structure which is used for collecting the scrap parts produced during the boring operations performed on profile parts (P) and to remove them from the machine. The profile boring machine (1 ) also comprises a part conveyor band (7) for crating the part (P) which have become a final product after completing the boring process. The mentioned profile boring machine (1 ) carries the products which have completed the boring process to the crating area. The operator is only responsible for placing the part, which is delivered before him by the part conveyor band (7), to the crate.

The operation principle of the profile boring machine (1) of the invention is as follows: First, a profile part (P) is placed into the loading station (A) corresponding to the foremost part positioning slot (5.2). Right after, the position control system (8) is engaged and the adjustment piston (8.2) references the profile part (P) in between the position adjustment plates (8.1 ). Meanwhile, boring process is performed on left press group (4.1 ) and right press group (4.2) sides of the profile part (P) which have already been placed on other part positioning slots (5.2). It is also possible to perform processes such as chamfering and marking. After performing boring and other processes, the left press group (4.1 ) and the right press group (4.2) are retracted towards the sides and after the locking, the locking piston (5.7) opens its part locking arms (5.8). Thereby, upper parts of the profile parts (P) inside positioning slots (5.2) are cleared and they are freed.

After this stage, the profile part (P) is transferred to the next part positioning slot (5.2). For this purpose, platform piston (5.6) in the part conveyor unit (5) are activated and firstly, they raise the part passing platform (5.3). As a result of this motion, the profile parts inside the positioning slot (5.2) are carried into the passing slots (5.4) of the part passing platform (5.3). Later on, the platform pistons (5.6) push the part passing platform (5.3) in forward direction and the profile parts (P) inside the part passing slots (5.4) are brought over the next part positioning slot (5.2). Later on, the platform pistons (5.6) lower the part passing platform (5.3) and thereby the profile parts (P) are positioned inside the next part positioning slot (5.2). The locking piston (5.7) engages and pushes the part locking arms (5.8) forward, fixing the profile parts (P) inside the part positioning slot (5.2). Right after, the left press group (4.1 ) and the right press group (4.2) is moved by the servo motor (4.3) and the pneumatic piston and again brought over the profile parts (P) to perform the boring process.

As described above, after carrying the profile parts (P) in between the positioning slots (5.2), when the loading station (A) corresponding to the foremost part positioning slot (5.2) of the part positioning platform (5.1 ) is clearing, a profile part (P) which completed the boring process is carried from the evacuation station (C), which corresponds to last part positioning slot (5.2) to the adjacent part conveyor band (7). Here, the boring process is continued as a cycle by loading a new profile part (P) to the loading station (A) by the operator.

The profile boring machine (1 ) of the invention preferably comprises one loading station (A), two boring stations (B) and one evacuation station (C). It is possible to increase the number of boring stations (B) in the middle section by increasing the number of part positioning slots (5.2) on the part positioning platform (5.1 ) and the number of part passing slots (5.4) on the part passing platform (5.3). It is also possible to perform the part loading process (P), which is carried manually by the operator, using an automated system.

The profile boring machine (1 ) of the invention allows the process of boring holes and slots with different dimensions on lower and upper surfaces of aluminum profile parts (P) with desired dimensions and quality level, in a burr-free way, by means of the successive loading station (A), boring stations (B) and evacuation station (C). In the semi-automatic system, verification of profile part (P) is performed using the position control system (8) mounted in front of the loading station (A), before processing, and faulty boring of the profile part (P) is prevented. After position verification, the profile part (P) is carried to perform the required processes on it and later on, hole boring, slot boring, deburring and marking processes are performed according to a certain order. All of these processes are performed independent from an operator in a controlled way, on a single machine. After completing the boring process on the profile part (P), it is carried by the conveyor band (7). Thereby, the operators will also be able to carry out the crating of the finished products. Boring operations, which are performed manually in the background art, can be performed automatically by using the profile boring machine (1 ) of the invention, in order to speed up the serial production, reduce the number of operators and increase the daily production quantity by performing the boring processes. Thereby, labor and time savings are achieved.