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Design and development of automatic sheet metal cutting machine

Conference Paper  in  AIP Conference Proceedings · December 2020

DOI: 10.1063/5.0034349

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Design and development of automatic sheet
metal cutting machine
Cite as: AIP Conference Proceedings 2311, 050005 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0034349
Published Online: 07 December 2020

R. Muthu Siva Bharath, Arunkumar Gopal, I. Maria James, and S. Lakshmi Sankar

AIP Conference Proceedings 2311, 050005 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0034349 2311, 050005

© 2020 Author(s).
 Design and Development of Automatic Sheet Metal Cutting
Machine

5Muthu Siva Bharatha), Arunkumar Gopalb), ,Maria Jamesc), 6Lakshmi Sankard)

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India
a)
sivabharath25@gmail.com
b)
Corresponding Author: garun55@gmail.com
c)
mariajames.mech@gmail.com
d)
sls.mech@gmail.com

Abstract. The sheet metal cutting machine is the heart of small scale sheet metal industries. Basically the sheet metal
cutting machine is hand operated one for medium and small scale industries. The objective is to design and development
of automatic sheet metal cutting machine to reduce the manpower and cost. Automation in sheet metal cutting machine
has been incorporated with the help of solenoid valve, control timing unit, proximity sensor and microcontroller. The
pneumatic double acting cylinder is also incorporated in the sheet metal cutting machine, which helps to cut the sheet
metal precisely. The piston is connected to the cutting tool which in its motion. It is used to cut the small size sheet
metal. The machine is portable and can be transported anywhere easily.

Keywords: Pneumatic double acting cylinder, Solenoid valve, Control timing unit, Compressor, Sheet metal.

INTRODUCTION
In some industries, hand sheet cutter is used which is operated manually, (i.e) using scissors for simple sheet
metal cutting. Some of the sheet metals are to be wasted sometimes by this manual method, because of mistakes
happened such as wrong dimensions etc, and also even a simple cutting may take long time [1]. Hydraulic based
cutting machines are also available for sheet metal cutting. But this method is used for only heavy metal cutting and
it is expensive to afford. In this machine, we are using pneumatic cylinder for metal sheet cutting. These machines
can be easy to operate and maintain also [2]. Hence, we introduced here, a Pneumatic sheet metal cutting machine
which will reduce manufacturing cost and minimize industrial labour problems which is the biggest headache for
human [3]. The main objective of our project is to perform the job holding operation effectively with less human
efforts by using a machine with the pneumatic power [4]. This will also helps to reduce the time required for metal
cutting. By using these machines production rate can be increase and automatically the industry will be in profit.
Automation plays an important role in mass production [5]. Automation can be achieved through pneumatic form.
The main advantage of Pneumatic system is economically cheap and easy to handle in small scale industries.

OBJECTIVES OF AUTOMATIC SHEET METAL CUTTING MACHINE

One of the major objectives is to design and development of automatic sheet metal cutting machine to reduce
the manpower and cost [6]. The machine can be portable and transported anywhere easily and used to cut the small
size sheet metal.

3rd International Conference on Frontiers in Automobile and Mechanical Engineering (FAME 2020)
AIP Conf. Proc. 2311, 050005-1–050005-9; https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0034349
Published by AIP Publishing. 978-0-7354-4049-4/$30.00

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 x The objective of the project is to develop the sheet metal cutting machine which operates based on
pneumatic force.
x To reduce the man power requirement for the sheet metal cutting process.
x To increase the accuracy and efficiency of the cutting operation .

To automate the process with the help of solenoid valve, control timing unit and proximity sensor.

DESIGN OF THE SYSTEM

The pneumatic sheet metal cutting machine system is based on structure and its automated. The automated
pneumatic sheet metal cutting machine system is created in creo as per the measurement parameters [7]. The
automated pneumatic sheet metal cutting machine consists of pneumatic double cutting cylinder, solenoid valve,
control timing unit, compressor, proximity sensor, sheet cutter, and timing circuits.

Structure of the system

The automated pneumatic sheet metal cutting machine consists of pneumatic double cutting cylinder, solenoid
valve, control timing unit, compressor, proximity sensor, sheet cutter, and timing circuits. Double-acting cylinders
make use of the force of air to extend and retract strokes [8]. The piston is connected to the cylinder. They consist of
two ports to allow the movement of air inside and another for out stroke and one more of in stroke. A high speed
carbon cutting material has incorporated with the double acting cylinder will perform the cutting operation by the
use of force of air.

COMPONENTS OF AUTOMATED SHEET METAL CUTTING MACHINE

Double-Acting Pneumatic Cylinder

Double-acting cylinders make use of the force of air to extend and retract strokes. They consist of two ports to allow
the movement of air inside and another for out stroke and one more of in stroke as shown in fig.1. The stroke length
for the design is unlimited, however the piston rod is more vulnerable to bending and buckling [9].

FIGURE 1. Double–acting Pneumatic Cylinder

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 Solenoid Valve

The important part of a double acting cylinder is directional valve as shown in fig. 2. It is also commonly
known as pneumatic system. This valve controls the direction of air flow in the pneumatic system. The directional
valve controls by changing position of its internal movable parts. This valve is selected for the quick operation and
to minimize the manual effort and also for the machine modifications in the automatic machines by using an
solenoid valve. Solenoid is an electrical device, which converts electrical energy into straight line. It is also used to
operate a mechanical operation, which operates the valve mechanism [10].

FIGURE 2. Solenoid Valve

Hose and Connector

A Hose coupling is a connector on the end of a hose to connect (or couple) it with another hose or with a tap or
a hose appliance as shown in fig.3 and fig.4, such as an irrigation sprinkler. It is usually made of steel, brass,
stainless steel, aluminium or plastic.

FIGURE 3. Connector FIGURE 4. Hose Pipe

Timing Circuits

We used several different types of timing circuit as shown in fig. 5 to produce effects such as holding an output
on for a set period of time, making an output flash on /off continuously, or delaying an output from coming on for a
short time period even though an input had been activated.

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 FIGURE 5. Timing Circuits

Sheet Cutter

A variety of cutting processes that utilize shearing forces exist to separate or remove material from a piece of
sheet stock in different ways as shown in fig. 6. Each process is capable of forming a specific type of cut, some with
an open path to separate portion of material and some with a closed path to cut out and remove that material [11].

FIGURE 6. Sheet Cutter

Proximity Sensor
A proximity sensor as shown in fig. 7 is a sensor able to detect the presence of nearby objects without any
physical contact .A proximity sensor often emits an electromagnetic field or a beam of electromagnetic radiation
(infrared ,for instance), and looks for changes in the field or return signal. The object being sensed is often referred
to as the proximity sensor’s target. Different proximity sensor targets demand different sensors. For example, a
capacitive proximity sensor or photoelectric sensor might be suitable for a plastic target; an inductive proximity
sensor always requires a metal target.

Arduino Atmega-328

Arduino ATMEGA-328 as shown in fig. 7 microcontroller consist of 14 input and output analog and digital pins
(from this 6 pins are considered to be a pwm pins ), 6 analog inputs and remaining digital inputs. Power jack cable
is used to connect arduino board with the computer. This arduino board consist of I2c bus that can be able to transfer
the data from arduino board to the output devices. These arduino boards are programmed over RS232 serial
interface connections with ATmega arduino microcontrollers. The operating volt ranges from 5v. The input voltage
recommended for arduino microcontroller is from 7v and the maximum of 12v. The DC input current given to the
arduino board is in the range of 40mA.

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 FIGURE 7. Arduino Atmega -328

WORKING OF AUTOMATED SHEET METAL CUTTING MACHINE SYSTEM

The pneumatic machine as shown in fig 8 includes a table with support arms to hold the sheet, stops or guides
to secure the sheet, upper and lower straight edge blades, a gauging device to precisely position the sheet. The table
also includes the two way directional valve. The two way directional valve is connected to the compressor. The
compressor has a piston for a movable member. The piston is connected to a crankshaft, which is in turn connected
to a prime mover. At inlet and outlet ports, valves allow air toenter and exit the chamber. When the compressor is
Switched ON, the compressed air is flow to inlet of the pneumatic cylinder. The sheet is placed between the upper
and the lower blade. The lower blade remains stationary while the upper blade is forced downward. The upper blade
is slightly offset from the lower blade, approximately 5 -10% of the sheet thickness. Also the upper blade is usually
angled so that the cut progresses from one end to the other, thus reducing the required force. When the pneumatic
hand operated lever is moved forward, the piston starts moving in the forward direction. When the pneumatic hand
operated lever is moved backward, the upper blade will come to the original position. After the material is cut,
adjust the pneumatic hand lever to the mid position and then the compressor is switched OFF.

FIGURE 8. Automated Sheet Metal Cutting Machine

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 DESIGN PROCEDURE AND CALCULATION

Material Selection
To prepare any machine part, the type of material should be properly selected, considering design, safety .The
selection of material for engineering application is given by the following factors: - Availability of materials ,
Suitability of the material for the required components[12]. Suitability of the material for the required components
Cost of the materials. The machine is basically made up of mild steel. The reasons for the selection are Mild steel is
readily available in market. It is economical to use and is available in standard sizes. It has good mechanical
properties i.e. it is easily machinable. It has moderate factor of safety, because factor of safety results in unnecessary
wastage of material and heavy selection. Low factor of safety results in unnecessary risk of failure. It has high
tensile strength. Low coefficient of thermal expansion. The materials of the sheets to be cut are taken as aluminium
and plastic as they are replacing many metals in the present scenario because of their distinguished properties and
features.

SPECIFICATIONS OF THE SYSTEM

Specification of the ASMC with parts

Pneumatic cylinder

Quantity : 1
Total length : 380mm
Bore : 45mm
Stroke : 165mm
Piston rod Diameter : 45mm
Max Working Pressure : 9bar
Weight : 4kg

DC Valve

Quantity : 1
Operation : Manual
Type : Hand Lever, Detent type
Number of ports : 5
Number of positions : 3
Construction : sliding spool type

Pneumatic pipe

Quantity : 305mm
Diameter : 9mm
Thickness : 2mm

Fork End Nut

Quantity :2
Length : 17mm
Size : M17

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 Cylinder Base Plate Bolts

Quantity :4
Length : 33mm
Size : M7

Blade Fixing Bolts

Quantity :3
Length : 26mm
Size : M11

PNEUMATIC CYLINDER DESIGN

Design of Piston rod

Load due to air Pressure.

Diameter of the Piston (d) = 45 mm
Pressure acting (p) = 7 kgf/cm² = 7×0.981 = 6.867 bar = 0.6867N/mm2
Material used for rod =C 45
Yield stress (σy) = 37 kgf/mm² = 37×98.1 = 3629.7 bar = 362.97N/mm2
Factor of safety =2
Force acting on the rod (F) = Pressure x Area = p x (Πd² / 4) = 0.6867 x {(Π x 45² ) / 4 }-----------[1]
F = 1091.59 N

Design Stress (σy) = σy / FOS = 362.97 / 2 = 181.485N/mm [2]

Minimum diameter of rod required

for the load(d) = √4F/π [σy] [3]

= √ (4×1091.59)/ π[181.485]

= 2.76 mm

We assume diameter of the rod = 20 mm

Length of piston rod

Approach stroke = 165 mm

Length of threads = 2 x 25 = 50mm

Extra length due to front cover = 13 mm

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 Extra length of accommodate head = 21 mm

Total length of the piston rod = 165 + 50 + 13 + 22 = 250 mm

By standardizing, length of the piston rod = 250 mm.

Merits

x Hydraulics has certain advantages than pneumatics, but in a given application ,pneumatic powered
equipment is more suitable ,particularly in industries where the factory units are plumbed for compressed
air
x Moreover, to avoid corrosive actions, oil or lubricants are added so that friction effects can be reduced.
x Compressed air is used in most of the machines and in some cases compressed carbon dioxide, whereas
make easier of cutting process.
x Fast cutting action is carried out.
x Cutting without bending is achieved.

Demerits

x Sheet more than 2 mm thickness cannot cut easily.

x Compressed air is must.
x Foundation is required also safety major must be taken.

Applications

Sheet metals are used in

x Car bodies
x Airplane wings
x Medical tables
x Roofs for buildings and many other things.
x Sheet metal of iron and other materials with high magnetic permeability, also known as laminated steel
cores, has applications in transformers and electric machines.
x Historically, an important use of sheet metal was in plate arm or worn by cavalry, and sheet metal
continues to have many decorative uses, including in horse track.

ADVANTAGES OF AUTOMATED SHEET METAL CUTTING SYSTEM

Reduced Labour Costs

By implementing an Automated Pneumatic sheet metal system in operation, can reduce labour costs in many
ways. In extreme cases, some operations can employ a single (APSMC) to replace all picking labour, freeing up
workers to focus on other more productive functions. Although this is not typical, the potential efficiencies gained
by a thoughtfully executed (APSMC) can have a positive and lasting impact on your profitability.

Increased Safety

Whether because of distraction, fatigue, hunger, psychological or emotional stress, and one thing is certain:
Humans make mistakes. When humans make mistakes while operating heavy machinery such as forklifts, tragedy
can result. Incorporating (APSMC) systems into your operation allows you to remove some of this unpredictable
human element by replacing workers with machines that do not get tired or distracted. This can have a tremendous

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 positive impact on an operation by increasing safety, thereby reducing accidents and damage to the metals,
structures, and equipment.

Increased Accuracy, Productivity, and Efficiency

As mentioned above, humans are error-prone. No matter how well-trained or diligent, eventually, errors will
happen. In addition to causing safety issues or damaging products, these errors can also impact workflows and lead
to inefficiency. By allowing (APSMC) systems to manage the components of your operation that can be automated,
these inefficiencies can be removed, ultimately reducing waste and increasing output. And all of this will allow your
operation to become more accurate and, therefore, profitable.

CONCLUSION

The design and development of Automatic Sheet Metal Cutting machine is totally economical in human effort
and useful in improvement of cost factory. The pneumatic cutting machine is very cheap as compared to Hydraulic
cutting machine. The range of the cutting thickness can be increased by arranging a high pressure compressor and
installing hardened blades. This machine is advantageous to small sheet metal cutting industries as they cannot
afford the expensive hydraulic cutting machine

REFERENCES

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