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EP-4735188-A1 - REEL-FORMING MACHINE AND CORRESPONDING METHOD FOR FORMING REELS

EP4735188A1EP 4735188 A1EP4735188 A1EP 4735188A1EP-4735188-A1

Abstract

Reel-forming machine (10) comprising: a collection pit (12) configured to receive a continuous flow of preformed coils of metal wire (W), a centering rod (14) around which said coils of wire (W) are wound, a first platform (13) and a second platform (24) which are configured to move the coils of wire (W) vertically in order to form a reel (C). The reel-forming machine comprises a first cutting unit (27) and a second cutting unit (28) disposed downstream of the first cutting unit. The second cutting unit is configured to cut a coil of wire in the event that the first cutting unit fails to perform the cut. The invention also relates to a method for forming reels.

Inventors

  • NYHOLM, Daniel

Assignees

  • Sund Birsta AB

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240625

Claims (12)

  1. 1. Reel-forming machine (10) comprising: - a collection pit (12) configured to receive coils of metal wire (W), which develops around a central axis (X) vertical between a first end (12a) and an opposite second end (12b), - a centering rod (14) comprising a first portion (16) fixed inside said collection pit (12) and a second portion (17) mobile with respect to said first portion (16) between an approached position and a distanced position in order to define an interspace (I) between them, - a first platform (13), disposed inside said collection pit (12) and mobile parallel to said first portion (16) in order to take a first accumulation of coils of wire (W) up to said second end (12b), - a second platform (24), disposed outside said collection pit (12) and mobile parallel to said second portion (17) starting from said second end (12b) in order to receive said first accumulation of coils of wire (W) until a complete reel (C) having a determinate weight is determined, characterized in that it comprises both a first cutting unit (27) disposed in correspondence with said second end (12b) to separate a flow of coils of wire (W) from the complete reel (C), and also a distinct second cutting unit (28) disposed downstream of said first cutting unit (27), with respect to a direction in which said coils of wire (W) fall, and configured to act in correspondence with said interspace (I) in order to cut a coil of wire (W) in the event said first cutting unit (27) fails to perform the cut.
  2. 2. Reel-forming machine (10) as in claim 1, characterized in that said first cutting unit (27) comprises two distinct opposite first cutting devices (29), installed at a same first working height (Hl) and each provided with a first shear (32).
  3. 3. Reel-forming machine (10) as in claim 2, characterized in that each of said first cutting devices (29) comprises a positioning member (30) on which said first shear (32) is installed, which can be moved in translation in the direction of said central axis (X) in order to position said first shear (32) up to the proximity of said first portion (16).
  4. 4. Reel-forming machine (10) as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said second cutting unit (28) comprises a single second cutting device (31) formed by an articulated arm (33) installed at a second working height (H2) in correspondence with said interspace (I), which can be moved with an arcuate trajectory on a cutting plane (S2) which intersects said central axis (X) in order to sweep the area subtended by said coils of wire (W), and by a second shear (34).
  5. 5. Reel-forming machine (10) as in claim 4, characterized in that said second shear (34) is mounted on board said articulated arm (33) and is configured to cut a coil of wire (W) intercepted by said articulated arm (33).
  6. 6. Reel-forming machine (10) as in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that said articulated arm (33) has a flat structure and is rotatably pivoted to a frame (11) of said reel-forming machine (10) by means of a pin (35) with vertical axis connected to a drive member (36).
  7. 7. Reel-forming machine (10) as in claim 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that said second shear (34) comprises a fixed blade (34a) and a mobile blade (34b) both having at least partly mating shapes, wherein said mobile blade (34b) is pivoted to said fixed blade (34a) on a fulcrum (34c) connected to an actuator (37).
  8. 8. Reel-forming machine (10) as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that it comprises first interception members (41) and distinct second interception members (42) disposed in a fixed axial position with respect to the collection pit (12), normally outside the latter and selectively mobile inside it, said first interception members (41) to cooperate with said first platform (13), said second interception members (42) to cooperate with said first cutting unit (27).
  9. 9. Reel-forming unit as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that it comprises optical devices (40) disposed in the space between said first cutting unit (27) and said second cutting unit (28) configured for visually detecting the remaining wire (W) between said first cutting unit (27) and said second cutting unit (28).
  10. 10. Reel-forming unit as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said first cutting unit (27) is provided with one or more pressure sensors (39) configured to detect whether the primary cut has been successful or not.
  11. 11. Method for forming reels comprising: - a collection step, in which a continuous flow of preformed coils of metal wire (W) is received in a collection pit (12) around a centering rod (14), the collection pit (12) and the centering rod (14) developing along a vertical central axis (X), - a first transfer step, in which the coils of wire (W) are accumulated on a first platform (13) in correspondence with a first end (12a) of said collection pit (12) and are transferred toward a second end (12b) of said collection pit (12), - a second transfer step, in which the coils of wire (W) accumulated on said first platform (13) are released to a second platform (24), on which they continue to accumulate in order to form a complete reel (C), and which is moved from said second end (12b) toward a base (19) of said centering rod (14), characterized in that it comprises: - a cutting step, in which a first cutting unit (27) positioned downstream of said second end (12b) performs the cut of a coil of wire (W) in order to separate the continuous flow of coils of wire (W) from the complete reel (C), - a control step in order to check if said first cutting unit (27) fails to perform the cut; - an additional cutting step, in which a second cutting unit (28), located downstream of said first cutting unit (27), performs the cut of a coil of wire (W) in order to separate the continuous flow of coils of wire (W) from the complete reel (C), in the event said first cutting unit (27) fails to perform the cut.
  12. 12. Method as in claim 11, characterized in that in said collection step said continuous flow of coils of wire (W), before being released to said first platform (13), is preliminarily accumulated on first interception members (41) inserted in said collection pit (12) at a first end (12a) thereof, and in that before said cutting step or said possible additional cutting step is performed, second interception members (42), positioned at the second end (12b), are inserted inside said collection pit (12) to guide the coils of wire (W) to said first cutting unit (27).

Description

“REEL-FORMING MACHINE AND CORRESPONDING METHOD FOR FORMING REELS” FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns a reel-forming machine suitable to receive and accumulate a series of preformed coils of metal wire to form a reel with a preferably cylindrical configuration, but not only, starting from a hot rolling and finishing process of the continuous type. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Plants for the production of metal reels are known in which a hot-rolled metal product, for example a smooth or ribbed rod or wire, is fed continuously or semi- continuously (for example with an “endless” or “billet-to-billef ’ feed) to a winding unit in which a laying head, or coil-forming head, forms a continuous series of coils of wire and places them, in a configuration staggered in length, on a continuous transport conveyor, generally a roller way, on which they are subjected to controlled cooling. One example of these plants is disclosed in EP 916 422. The coils of metal wire terminate their travel in a reel-forming machine which comprises an essentially cylindrical collection pit, open upward and downward, a centering rod that extends through part of the collection pit, forming with it an annular passage for feeding the coils of wire, and a platform on which the coils are stacked, which is mounted mobile vertically with respect to the machine. In some known solutions, the machine also comprises one or more interception members disposed on overlapping planes, at different heights, each provided with gripping arms, normally disposed outside the collection pit, and able to be oriented inside it to selectively block the fall of the coils in certain steps of the reel-forming method. A single shear may be installed outside, or along the height of, the collection pit, and can be selectively inserted inside it to cut the coils of metal wire, normally to determine a portioning thereof once the desired weight of the reel has been reached, but also to separate the head and tail part of the wire which may have an undesired conformation. The shear can also be used to cut the coils of metal wire in the event of breakdowns in the plant, poor winding, presence of off-cuts or foreign elements in the collection pit. One disadvantage of traditional reel-forming machines is that the presence of a single shear does not guarantee sufficient safety in the event that the shear itself does not work correctly, or simply in the event that the shear is unable to intercept and cut the coil of wire at the desired moment. It must be considered that the wire to be cut can travel at high speed and have a very thin thickness, therefore it may happen that a shear driven to cut the wire and determine the formation of the reel is unable to intercept it. In this case, in fact, the process has to be interrupted immediately and it is necessary to intervene manually with an increase in the costs caused by the interruption of the process and with a correlated increase in the risks for the operator’s safety. Furthermore, failure to cut could result in the formation of reels of the wrong weight. Another disadvantage of known machines is that a single shear is not able to reach the coil of wire wherever it is located around the centering rod. Therefore, it happens, not infrequently, that the cut fails. This is due both to the position of the shear with respect to the collection pit or the centering rod, and also to the construction characteristics thereof, which allow limited movement trajectories which often are not able to intersect that of the coil of wire. There is therefore a need to perfect a reel-forming machine, and a corresponding method for forming reels, which can overcome at least one of the disadvantages of the state of the art. To do this it is necessary to solve the technical problem of increasing the reliability of the reel-forming machine, in particular as regards cutting the coils of metal wire in order to portion the reels continuously while they are being formed. In particular, one purpose of the present invention is to provide a machine and to perfect a method for forming reels in which the cutting of the coils of metal wire occurs with precision. Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a reel-forming machine which is operationally safe, efficient and allows to compensate for any possible malfunctions of the shear that is normally present. Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a reel-forming machine which allows to obtain a high hourly productivity, understood as the number or weight of reels produced, with reduced machine stoppages. The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claims. The dependent claims describe other characteristics of the present invention or variants