Rotary draw machine

Abstract

A rotary draw machine to facilitate bending a tube between leading and trailing tangents thereof to a target bend angle is disclosed. A die-set defines a rotary bend die that is actuatably rotatable to bend the tube. A linear carriage assembly is pivotably coupled to the die-set to support the tube and feed the tube to the die-set. First and second rotation sensors are positioned to sense rotation at the respective leading and trailing tangents. A controller is operably coupled to the die-set and connected to the first and second rotation sensors. The controller is configured to cause tube bending and then release of the tube from the die-set, to receive data indicative of leading and trailing angles from the respective first and second rotation sensors, and then cause bending of the tube to compensate for spring back based on an initial bend angle, and the leading and trailing angles.

1 . A rotary draw machine to facilitate bending a tube to a target bend angle at a bend location defined between leading and trailing tangents of the tube, comprising:
 a die-set to receive the tube and defining a rotary bend die that is actuatably rotatable to bend the tube;   a linear carriage assembly pivotably coupled to the die-set to support the tube and feed the tube to the die-set via the leading tangent;   a first rotation sensor positioned to sense rotation of the tube at the leading tangent;   a second rotation sensor positioned to sense rotation of the tube at the trailing tangent; and   a controller operably coupled to the die-set, and connected to the first and second rotation sensors, the controller configured to
 cause rotation of the rotary bend die to a first die angle associated with the target bend angle to bend the tube at the bend location, 
 cause release of the tube from the die-set to allow spring back of the tube, 
 receive data indicative of a leading angle of the leading tangent from the first rotation sensor, after spring back of the tube, and a trailing angle of the trailing tangent from the second rotation sensor, and 
 cause rotation of the rotary bend die, in response to the data, to a second die angle to bend the tube to at least partially compensate for spring back, the second die angle being based on the first die angle, the leading angle, and the trailing angle. 
   
     
     
         2 . The rotary draw machine of  claim 1 , wherein the first rotation sensor is mounted to the die-set so as to co-move with the tube as the rotary bend die rotates. 
     
     
         3 . The rotary draw machine of  claim 1 , wherein the second rotation sensor is mounted to the rotary draw machine so as to remain stationarily mounted during movement of the rotary bend die and the linear carriage assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The rotary draw machine of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second rotation sensors are rotary encoders, each of the first and second rotation sensors defining a corresponding shaft drivably coupled to a corresponding panel that is positioned to contact the tube for measuring rotation of the tube. 
     
     
         5 . The rotary draw machine of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second rotation sensors include a rotary encoder defining a shaft drivably coupled to a panel that is configured to adheringly contact the tube to measure rotation of the tube. 
     
     
         6 . The rotary draw machine of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second rotation sensors include a rotary encoder defining a shaft drivably coupled to a magnetic panel that is positioned to magnetically contact the tube to magnetically couple to the tube to measure rotation of the tube. 
     
     
         7 . The rotary draw machine of  claim 1 , wherein the second die angle is indicative of the first die angle augmented with a spring back angle, and the controller is further configured to determine the spring back angle based on at least a difference between the leading angle and the trailing angle. 
     
     
         8 . The rotary draw machine of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cause release of the tube from the die-set to allow spring back of the tube by rotating the rotary bend die by a retraction angle to retract the tube to disengage the tube from the rotary bend die, the second die angle being based on the first die angle, the retraction angle, the leading angle, and the trailing angle. 
     
     
         9 . The rotary draw machine of  claim 1 , wherein the linear carriage assembly is actuatably pivoted to the die-set and operably coupled to the controller, the controller configured to, after release of the tube from the die-set, cause positioning of the linear carriage assembly relative to the die-set to facilitate bending of the tube for compensating for spring back. 
     
     
         10 . The rotary draw machine of  claim 9 , wherein the data is indicative of the leading angle and the trailing angle after positioning the linear carriage assembly relative to the die-set. 
     
     
         11 . The rotary draw machine of  claim 1 , further comprising
 a third rotation sensor configured to sense rotation of the linear carriage assembly relative to the die-set and connected to the die-set, wherein the linear carriage assembly is actuatably pivoted to the die-set and operably coupled to the controller, the data is a first data, and the controller is further configured to
 receive second data indicative of a pivot angle between the linear carriage assembly and the die-set, and 
 after release of the tube from the die-set, cause positioning of the linear carriage assembly relative to the die-set in response to the second data to facilitate bending of the tube for compensating for spring back. 
   
     
     
         12 . The rotary draw machine of  claim 1 , wherein the linear carriage assembly is actuatable to translate the tube along the linear carriage assembly, and the controller is further configured to cause translation of the tube along the linear carriage assembly to feed the tube to the die-set. 
     
     
         13 . The rotary draw machine of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second rotation sensor are mounted on carriage assemblies that allow actuatable positioning of the first and second rotation sensors to dispose the first and second rotation sensors against the tube for sensing of rotation of the tube. 
     
     
         14 . The rotary draw machine of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine if spring back of the tube has ended based on data received from the first rotation sensor. 
     
     
         15 . A method for bending a tube to a target bend angle at a bend location defined between leading and trailing tangents of the tube, comprising:
 causing rotation of a rotary bend die to a first die angle associated with the target bend angle to bend the tube at the bend location;   causing rotation of the rotary bend die to retract the tube to disengage the tube to allow spring back of the tube;   after causing rotation of the rotary bend die to retract the tube to disengage the tube to allow spring back of the tube, receiving data indicative of a leading angle, indicative of rotation of the tube at the leading tangent, and a trailing angle, indicative of rotation of the tube at the trailing tangent; and   causing rotation of the rotary bend die to a second die angle to bend the tube to at least partially compensate for spring back, the second die angle being based on the first die angle, the leading angle, and the trailing angle.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein receiving the data indicative of the leading angle and the trailing angle includes receiving the data from at least one rotary encoder defining a shaft drivably coupled to the tube. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the leading angle is indicative of rotation of the tube at the leading tangent relative to rotation of the rotary bend die, the second die angle is indicative of the first die angle augmented with a spring back angle, and the method further comprising:
 determining the spring back angle based on at least a difference between the leading angle and the trailing angle.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the rotary bend die is part of a die-set, a linear carriage assembly being actuatably pivotably coupled to a die-set to support the tube and feed the tube to the die-set via the leading tangent. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 after causing rotation of the rotary bend die to retract the tube to disengage the tube, causing positioning of the linear carriage assembly relative to the die-set to facilitate bending of the tube for compensating for spring back.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the data is indicative of the leading angle and the trailing angle after positioning the linear carriage assembly relative to a die-set of the rotary bend die. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the data is first data, the method further comprising:
 receiving second data indicative of a pivot angle between the linear carriage assembly and the die-set, wherein causing positioning of the linear carriage assembly relative to the die-set is in response to the second data.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the linear carriage assembly is actuatable to translate the tube along the linear carriage assembly, the method further comprising:
 causing translation of the tube along the linear carriage assembly to feed the tube to the die-set.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 determining if spring back of the tube has ended based on the data.   
     
     
         24 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon machine interpretable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of  claim 15 . 
     
     
         25 . A kit for a rotary draw machine to facilitate bending a tube to a target bend angle at a bend location defined between leading and trailing tangents of the tube, the rotary draw machine comprising a die-set to receive the tube and defining a rotary bend die that is actuatably rotatable to bend the tube, the rotary draw machine comprising a linear carriage assembly pivotably coupled to the die-set to support the tube and feed the tube to the die-set via the leading tangent, the kit comprising:
 a first rotation sensor suitable to be positioned to sense rotation of the tube at the leading tangent;   a second rotation sensor suitable to be positioned to sense rotation of the tube at the trailing tangent; and   a controller suitable to be operably coupled to the die-set, and suitable to be connected to the first and second rotation sensors, the controller configured to, when operably coupled to the die-set and connected to the first and second rotation sensors,
 cause rotation of the rotary bend die to a first die angle associated with the target bend angle to bend the tube at the bend location, 
 cause release of the tube from the die-set to allow spring back of the tube, 
 receive data indicative of a leading angle of the leading tangent from the first rotation sensor, after spring back of the tube, and a trailing angle of the trailing tangent from the second rotation sensor, and 
 cause rotation of the rotary bend die, in response to the data, to a second die angle to bend the tube to at least partially compensate for spring back, the second die angle being based on the first die angle, the leading angle, and the trailing angle. 
   
     
     
         26 . The kit of  claim 25 , wherein the first and second rotation sensors are rotary encoders, each of the first and second rotation sensors defining a corresponding shaft drivably coupled to a corresponding panel suitable to be positioned to contact the tube for measuring rotation of the tube. 
     
     
         27 . The kit of  claim 26 , wherein the first and second rotation sensors include a rotary encoder defining a shaft drivably coupled to a panel suitable to adheringly contact the tube to measure rotation of the tube. 
     
     
         28 . The kit of  claim 25 , wherein the first and second rotation sensors include a rotary encoder defining a shaft drivably coupled to a magnetic panel suitable to be positioned to magnetically contact the tube to magnetically couple to the tube to measure rotation of the tube. 
     
     
         29 . The kit of  claim 25 , wherein the second die angle is indicative of the first die angle augmented with a spring back angle, and the controller is further configured to, when operably coupled to the die-set and connected to the first and second rotation sensors, determine the spring back angle based on at least a difference between the leading angle and the trailing angle. 
     
     
         30 . The kit of  claim 25 , wherein the controller is further configured to, when operably coupled to the die-set and connected to the first and second rotation sensors, cause release of the tube from the die-set to allow spring back of the tube by rotating the rotary bend die by a retraction angle to retract the tube to disengage the tube from the rotary bend die, the second die angle being based on the first die angle, the retraction angle, the leading angle, and the trailing angle. 
     
     
         31 . The kit of  claim 25 , wherein the linear carriage assembly is actuatably pivoted to the die-set and configured to be operably coupled to the controller, the controller is further configured to, when operably coupled to the die-set and connected to the first and second rotation sensors, after release of the tube from the die-set, cause positioning of the linear carriage assembly relative to the die-set to facilitate bending of the tube for compensating for spring back. 
     
     
         32 . The kit of  claim 31 , wherein the data is indicative of the leading angle and the trailing angle after positioning the linear carriage assembly relative to the die-set. 
     
     
         33 . The kit of  claim 25 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine if spring back of the tube has ended based on data received from the first rotation sensor.