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US-20240216977-A1 - LINE FOR PRODUCING METAL PROFILES FOR PLASTERBOARD FALSE CEILINGS

US20240216977A1US 20240216977 A1US20240216977 A1US 20240216977A1US-20240216977-A1

Abstract

A line for producing metal profiles for plasterboard false ceilings has a profiling machine, a cutting group, a punching group, an extraction system for extracting finished metal profiles from the punching group, and a management and control unit. The punching group has a first punching press having an elongated punching head along a first operating direction, and a plurality of second punching presses with C-support, arranged downstream of the first punching press and aligned with each other to form a row along a second operating direction. The management and control unit is configured to alternatively operate in use the first punching press and at least one part of the second punching presses as a function of type or length of the metal profiles in output from the cutting group. The extraction system, integrated with the second punching presses, and has a plurality of rollers, all or at least some motorized.

Inventors

  • DALLAN ANDREA

Assignees

  • DALLAN SPA

Dates

Publication Date
20240704
Application Date
20231221
Priority Date
20221228

Claims (18)

  1. 1 . A line for producing metal profiles for plasterboard false ceilings, the line comprising in sequence along a profile advancement direction: a profiling machine suitable to profile a metal strip to obtain a continuous metal profile; a cutting group placed downstream of the profiling machine and suitable to cut said continuous metal profile into pieces of predefined lengths forming said metal profiles for plasterboard false ceilings; a punching group placed downstream of the cutting group and suitable to make holes on each metal profile along a longitudinal extension thereof; an extraction system for extracting finished metal profiles from the punching group, and is a management and control unit suitable to control at least said cutting group and said punching group, wherein said punching group comprises: a first punching press of the portal type having an elongated punching head along a first operating direction; and a plurality of second punching presses with a respective C-support arranged downstream of said elongated punching press and aligned with each other to form a row along a second operating direction parallel to the first operating direction, each of said second punching presses having a respective punching head extending in length along the second operating direction for a fraction of a length of the elongated punching head of said first punching press, said management and control unit being configured to alternately operate in use said first punching press and at least one part of said second punching presses as a function of type or length of the metal profiles in output from the cutting group, wherein in each of said second punching presses the respective C-support comprises a support base and an arm extending cantilevered from said support base to support at a free end thereof the punching head above an abutment area formed on said support base, a profile unloading area being delimited on said support base between said abutment area and the arm, wherein the profile unloading area is not affected by movement of the punching head, and wherein the extraction system is integrated with said second punching presses and comprises a plurality of rollers, all or at least some of the rollers being motorized, said rollers being arranged so as to define a profile sliding plane along an extraction direction that is parallel to said second operating direction and passes through the respective profile unloading areas of the second punching presses, so as to allow extraction of the metal profiles laterally to said punching group at said second punching presses.
  2. 2 . The line of claim 1 , wherein said rollers are distributed along said extraction direction at least for an entire extension of said punching group.
  3. 3 . The line of claim 1 , wherein said extraction system comprises a conveyor means arranged outside said punching group and configured to receive the metal profiles extracted from the punching group by said rollers.
  4. 4 . The line of claim 1 , wherein said second punching presses are movable parallel to said second operating direction.
  5. 5 . The line of claim 4 , wherein said second punching presses are mounted on motorized carriages sliding on guides parallel to said second operating direction, and wherein said management and control unit is configured to operate in use said motorized carriages so as to adjust a pitch of the second punching presses along said second operating direction as a function of the type or length of the metal profiles in output from the cutting group.
  6. 6 . The line of claim 1 , wherein the rollers are movable parallel to said extraction direction, wherein preferably said rollers are mounted on motorized carriages sliding on guides parallel to said second operating direction, and preferably the same guides as the second punching presses and wherein said management and control unit is configured to operate in use said motorized carriages so as to adjust a pitch of the rollers) to the pitch of the second punching presses parallel to said second operating direction.
  7. 7 . The line of claim 6 , wherein said second punching presses are movable parallel to said second operating direction, and wherein rollers arranged in positions adjacent to said second punching presses are mounted on board the second punching presses so as to be integral therewith in a movement parallel to said second operating direction.
  8. 8 . The line of claim 1 , further comprising: a conveyor for transferring the metal profiles from said cutting group to said punching group, wherein said conveyor is configured to move the metal profiles parallel to their longitudinal extension direction; a profile transfer device suitable to pick up the metal profiles from said conveyor and insert the metal profiles in the punching group so that a longitudinal extension axis of the metal profiles is parallel to the first operating direction and the second operating direction of the first and second punching presses; and a profile movement device suitable to make the metal profiles advance starting from the profile transfer device to the extraction system inside a profile movement lane through the punching group with a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal extension axis of the metal profiles, keeping the metal profiles parallel to said first and second operating directions.
  9. 9 . The line of claim 1 , wherein said metal profiles differ from each other, as a function of their length, in main metal profiles and secondary metal profiles, and wherein the elongated punching head of said first punching press is sized in length to work on an entire length of the main metal profiles.
  10. 10 . The line of claim 1 , wherein said metal profiles differ from each other, as a function of their length, in main metal profiles and secondary metal profiles, and wherein the punching head of each of said second punching presses is sized in length to work on a portion of the secondary metal profiles.
  11. 11 . The line of claim 1 , wherein said first punching press is equipped with punching dies different in type and/or number with respect to the punching dies with which said second punching presses are equipped.
  12. 12 . The line of claim 11 , wherein said first punching press is equipped with punching dies for the main metal profiles, while said second punching presses are equipped with punching dies for the secondary metal profiles.
  13. 13 . The line of claim 1 , wherein said first punching press is sized to process at most from 25 to 30 pieces/min.
  14. 14 . The line of claim 1 , wherein each of said second punching presses is sized to process a maximum of 40 to 45 pieces/min.
  15. 15 . The line of claim 1 , further comprising downstream of the cutting group, and preferably upstream of the punching group, a group for applying coupling terminals that is suitable to apply coupling terminals to both ends of each of the metal profiles.
  16. 16 . The line of claim 15 , wherein the line further comprises: a conveyor for transferring the metal profiles from said cutting group to said punching group, wherein said conveyor is configured to move the metal profiles parallel to their longitudinal extension direction; a profile transfer device suitable to pick up the metal profiles from said conveyor and insert the metal profiles in the punching group so that a longitudinal extension axis of the metal profiles is parallel to the first operating direction and the second operating direction of the first and second punching presses; and a profile movement device suitable to make the metal profiles advance starting from the profile transfer device to the extraction system inside a profile movement lane through the punching group with a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal extension axis of the metal profiles, keeping the metal profiles parallel to said first and second operating directions, and wherein said group for applying coupling terminals is placed downstream of the profile transfer device and is integrated with said profile movement device.
  17. 17 . The line of claim 15 , wherein said group for applying coupling terminals comprises two coupling terminal application heads (aligned along a coupling terminal application direction parallel to the first operating direction and to the second operating direction, and wherein said two operating direction application heads are movable along said coupling terminal application direction to adapt to the length of the metal profiles to be processed.
  18. 18 . The line of claim 17 , wherein said two coupling terminal application heads are mounted on motorized carriages sliding on guides parallel to said coupling terminal application direction and wherein said management and control unit is configured to operate in use said motorized carriages so as to adjust a position of said two coupling terminal application heads along said coupling terminal application direction as a function of the type or length of the metal profiles in output from the cutting group.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to and benefit of Italian Patent Application No. 102022000027027 filed Dec. 28, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is a line for producing metal profiles for plasterboard false ceilings. The line, according to the invention, allows for the production of metal profiles of various lengths whilst simplifying their production from a plant engineering point of view. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As is known, false ceilings comprise a frame whereto plasterboard panels are fastened. In turn, the frame comprises a grid of metal profiles that are connected to therebetween. One particularly diffuse false ceiling solution envisages the construction of frames using T section metal profiles. More specifically, the frame comprises: a plurality of main profiles (called main runners in jargon) which are produced with a standard length (typically 3600 mm); anda plurality of secondary profiles (called cross T in jargon) which are generally produced in two different lengths, typically 1200 mm and 600 mm. The main profiles are arranged parallel therebetween and form the main carcass of the frame. The longer secondary profiles (1200 mm) connect the main profiles therebetween and are always used in the construction of a frame; the shorter secondary profiles (600 mm) connect the longer length secondary profiles therebetween and are used in the construction of a frame only for grid meshes of reduced dimensions. Generally, both the main profiles and the secondary profiles are provided at the ends thereof with coupling terminals intended to engage with appropriate holes located within the profiles themselves along the longitudinal extension thereof, so as to allow for the rapid assembly of the frame. The main profiles and the secondary profiles may be differentiated therebetween not only by the length and the number of holes but eventually also by the height of the profile (greater for the main profiles) and by the coupling terminals. For this reason, operationally, separate production lines are provided: a production line dedicated to the production of main profiles; and a production line dedicated to the production of secondary profiles. Typically, a production line for metal profiles with a T cross-section (both for main profiles and for secondary profiles) comprises the following operating stations: one or two metal strip winding reels;a profiling machine suitable for profiling the metal strip in order to obtain a continuous metal profile;a cutting group arranged downstream of the profiling machine suitable for cutting said continuous metal profile into pieces of predefined lengths which constitute the metal profiles; optionally, downstream of the cutting group, a group for the application of coupling terminals to both ends of each of the aforesaid metal profiles, supplied with a metal strip by means of one or more winding reels; a punching group that comprises a press and that is suitable for producing appropriate holes along the longitudinal extension of each single metal profile, generally arranged downstream of the group for the application of terminals; anda system for extracting the finished metal profiles from the punching group. In the production of the main and secondary metal profiles one of the most important differentiating operating points lies with the punching group. In fact, due to the different lengths and different numbers of holes to be made, presses with different mechanical and operating features are necessary. Typically, the punching of the main metal profiles is performed using a press with a production speed of 27 pieces/minute, whilst the punching of the secondary metal profiles is performed using a smaller but faster press that is able to ensure a higher production speed (typically 40 pieces/minute). Operationally the larger press may also be used for the punching of secondary metal profiles. However, the production speed would be excessively low taking into account the fact that the secondary metal profiles generally represent about 75% of production. To concentrate, therefore, on a single line the production of main metal profiles and of secondary metal profiles would excessively penalize the production speed of the secondary metal profiles. For this reason, production management using two separate lines continues, accepting the higher installation costs related to this operating choice. Today, with a view to reducing plant costs, there still continues to be a great need for a production line that is capable of producing both types of metal profiles without limiting the production speed of the secondary metal profiles. To date, however, this need remains unsatisfied. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Consequently, the main object of the present invention is that of eliminating, either completely or in part, the disadvantages of the aforementi