WO2005084829A1 - Method and device for conditioning of an object - Google Patents

Method and device for conditioning of an object Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2005084829A1
WO2005084829A1 PCT/SE2005/000241 SE2005000241W WO2005084829A1 WO 2005084829 A1 WO2005084829 A1 WO 2005084829A1 SE 2005000241 W SE2005000241 W SE 2005000241W WO 2005084829 A1 WO2005084829 A1 WO 2005084829A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
conditioning
container
handling system
fluid
during
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/SE2005/000241
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Christer Wallen
Original Assignee
Scania Cv Ab
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Scania Cv Ab filed Critical Scania Cv Ab
Priority to BRPI0507587-4A priority Critical patent/BRPI0507587A/en
Priority to DE112005000481T priority patent/DE112005000481T5/en
Publication of WO2005084829A1 publication Critical patent/WO2005084829A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B08—CLEANING
    • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
    • B08B1/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B08—CLEANING
    • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
    • B08B3/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use or presence of liquid or steam
    • B08B3/02—Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B08—CLEANING
    • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
    • B08B3/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use or presence of liquid or steam
    • B08B3/04—Cleaning involving contact with liquid
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B08—CLEANING
    • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
    • B08B5/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use of air flow or gas flow
    • B08B5/02—Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method and a device for conditioning of an object supported by a handling system between process steps during a production process.
  • Conditioning may comprise cleaning to remove adhering turnings, or cooling after heating, or drying after immersion in various baths. Cleaning to remove turnings is often done by manual blow-cleaning with compressed air. This manual blow-cleaning is time-consuming and causes high noise levels and risk of persons being injured by projected metal particles. Cooling and drying are usually effected by the components being placed in intermediate storage for conditioning by the surrounding air. This is time-consuming and entails extra handling.
  • One object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device of the kind indicated in the introduction which make it possible for objects to be conditioned in a desired manner with minimum or no manual handling or intermediate storage.
  • the object is introduced into and enclosed and fastened in a conditioning container by means of the handling system, followed by the object being flushed with a conditioning fluid inside the container.
  • the object being enclosed in a container while being conditioned makes it possible to achieve very large and rapid conditioning effects by confining within the container very high pressure and noise levels which can thus be kept isolated from the surroundings.
  • FIG. 1 shows a perspective view with cutaway portions of a conditioning device according to the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 of a modified conditioning device according to the invention.
  • FIG. 3 depicts schematically a nozzle arrangement for a conditioning device according to the invention.
  • FIG. 1 depicts schematically a handling system 40 with a robot arm 42 which by a gripping means 46 on a hand member 44 supports and moves an object 48 towards a conditioning device 10 according to the invention.
  • the handling system is depicted in the form of a robot arm, it may take many other undepicted forms: it may for example comprise a portal robot, a pneumatic chuck or some other gripping means, which may also be handled more or less manually (not depicted).
  • the object 48 is typically a machined component which is specifically taken from a preceding process step and needs conditioning in some way before a next following process step.
  • the conditioning may comprise various operations such as cleaning, drying and cooling. Cleaning may arise if the preceding step has for example involved the component being machined by milling or turning, with the result that it is laden with adhering turnings which may hinder the next step. Drying and cooling may arise in cases where, for example, the preceding step involved the component 48 being washed in a bath of aqueous solution and the next step will involve the component being inspected and packed.
  • the conditioning device 10 comprises a container 12 with an inlet aperture 14 for accommodating the object 48 supported by the gripping means 46 of the robot arm 42.
  • the hand member 44 of the robot arm 42 has a closing means arranged on it in the form of a collar or cover 50 which will enclose the object 48 inside the container 12 when the object is inserted therein. More specifically, a peripheral circular surface of the cover 50 will then abut against a peripheral circular surface 16 round the inlet aperture 14 of the container 12. To render the enclosure tight, in the example depicted, an annular seal 52 is arranged on the circular surface of the cover 50.
  • the seal 42 may with advantage, however, be arranged instead on the circular surface 16 (not depicted) of the container 10.
  • the actual conditioning consists in the object 48 being flushed, which may entail its being sprayed, rinsed, sprinkled, blown, blasted etc. with a conditioning fluid.
  • the conditioning fluid may comprise various fluids and/or gases or gas/fluid mixtures which in some cases might even comprise solid particles.
  • the conditioning fluid is air.
  • a ring of nozzles 20 is arranged inside the aperture 14 of the container 12 and is supplied via a line 18 with a flow of compressed air from a compressed air source, e.g. an undepicted compressor.
  • the air flow need not necessarily be a compressed air flow through the nozzles but may also be provided by a fan or the like (not depicted).
  • the preceding process step in this case may have involved the object 48 being washed in an undepicted washing bath with a heated aqueous solution and the next step may involve the object being packed. After being washed, the object 48 will be wet and hot and will therefore need drying and cooling to avoid causing condensation and consequent corrosion. This is achieved by the object being flushed all round with compressed air at suitable pressure, temperature and flow inside the closed container 20.
  • Surplus air is evacuated via a vent pipe 32 which connects to an undepicted exhaust fan. The fan and the compressed air flow are started up with advantage by the programme which controls the handling system.
  • the washing fluid blasted off from the object is intercepted by a fluid trap comprising a fluid tray 26 wliich is separated from the rest of the internal space of the container 12 by a perforated plate 28.
  • the washing fluid gathered in the tray 26 may be returned to the undepicted washing bath via a drain 30.
  • FIG. 2 depicts a conditioning device 10 with a vertically oriented container 12 which may also be used as a drying and cooling station as in the embodiment of FIG. 1.
  • the embodiment according to FIG. 2 is particularly suitable for cleaning of objects which are laden with contaminants such as turnings or other solid particles clinging or stuck firmly to the object 48, e.g. by the application of cooling or cutting fluids or other fluids and oils.
  • the preceding process step may thus have involved the object being subjected to a machining operation and the next process step may involve its being subjected to a further machining operation.
  • cleaning with compressed air may be intended to blast particles and fluid off from the object 48 so that these contaminants will not hinder or impair subsequent operations, e.g. by preventing the object from reaching a precisely defined position in a fixture.
  • the embodiment according to FIG. 2 also has a fluid trap inside the vertical container 10 in the form of a cone 28 which also serves as a particle trap.
  • the contaminants intercepted are gathered in the tray 26.
  • surplus compressed air and any oil mist present are likewise extracted via a vent pipe 32, which has its inlet in the container 12 below the cone 28 and may also connect to an undepicted cyclone filter or other filter.
  • nozzles 22, 24 on a central flushing unit 21 may also be arranged inside the container 12 as indicated in FIG. 3.
  • the central flushing unit 21 is supported inside the container 12 by a branch pipe 19 via which it is supplied with fluid from the line 18.
  • the upper nozzle 22 on the flushing unit 21 is an omnidirectional nozzle which causes internal hollow spaces of the object 48, e.g. a central axial hole and any undepicted drilled holes, to be sufficiently flushed through by the fluid.
  • the lower nozzle 24 on the flushing unit 21 is a rotating nozzle with a multiplicity of nozzle apertures which cause particularly the underside of the object 48 to be sufficiently flushed by the fluid.
  • the nozzles may of course also be configured in other ways in different quantities and positions. They may also be individually controlled. They may also be axially movable (not depicted). It is also conceivable to cause the handling system 40 to subject the object 48 to axial or rotary motion inside the container 12 during the conditioning (not depicted).
  • the object 48 may be subjected to axial motion by the collar 50 sliding to and fro in the aperture 14 (not depicted).

Landscapes

  • Food Preservation Except Freezing, Refrigeration, And Drying (AREA)
  • Cleaning In General (AREA)
  • Cleaning By Liquid Or Steam (AREA)

Abstract

Conditioning of an object supported by a handling system between process steps during a production process. To enable the object (48) to be conditioned quickly in a desired manner without manual handling or intermediate storage, it is proposed inter alia that it be introduced into and enclosed and fastened in a conditioning container (12) by means of the handling system (40) and that it be flushed with a conditioning fluid inside the conditioning container (12).

Description

Method and device for conditioning of an object
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a method and a device for conditioning of an object supported by a handling system between process steps during a production process.
BACKGROUND
Machined objects such as machine components often need conditioning in various ways between the various process steps. Conditioning may comprise cleaning to remove adhering turnings, or cooling after heating, or drying after immersion in various baths. Cleaning to remove turnings is often done by manual blow-cleaning with compressed air. This manual blow-cleaning is time-consuming and causes high noise levels and risk of persons being injured by projected metal particles. Cooling and drying are usually effected by the components being placed in intermediate storage for conditioning by the surrounding air. This is time-consuming and entails extra handling.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device of the kind indicated in the introduction which make it possible for objects to be conditioned in a desired manner with minimum or no manual handling or intermediate storage.
This is achieved by the features indicated in the claims set out below.
According to one version of the invention, the object is introduced into and enclosed and fastened in a conditioning container by means of the handling system, followed by the object being flushed with a conditioning fluid inside the container. The object being enclosed in a container while being conditioned makes it possible to achieve very large and rapid conditioning effects by confining within the container very high pressure and noise levels which can thus be kept isolated from the surroundings.
The fact that the object is not only introduced into and enclosed in the container but is also fastened in it by means of the handling system results in a saving of time because the system does not need to perform extra movements in order to set down/pick up the object before/after the conditioning operation.
Other features and advantages of the invention are indicated by the following detailed description and the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view with cutaway portions of a conditioning device according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 of a modified conditioning device according to the invention.
FIG. 3 depicts schematically a nozzle arrangement for a conditioning device according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 depicts schematically a handling system 40 with a robot arm 42 which by a gripping means 46 on a hand member 44 supports and moves an object 48 towards a conditioning device 10 according to the invention. Although the handling system is depicted in the form of a robot arm, it may take many other undepicted forms: it may for example comprise a portal robot, a pneumatic chuck or some other gripping means, which may also be handled more or less manually (not depicted).
The object 48 is typically a machined component which is specifically taken from a preceding process step and needs conditioning in some way before a next following process step. Depending on the preceding process step, the conditioning may comprise various operations such as cleaning, drying and cooling. Cleaning may arise if the preceding step has for example involved the component being machined by milling or turning, with the result that it is laden with adhering turnings which may hinder the next step. Drying and cooling may arise in cases where, for example, the preceding step involved the component 48 being washed in a bath of aqueous solution and the next step will involve the component being inspected and packed.
The conditioning device 10 comprises a container 12 with an inlet aperture 14 for accommodating the object 48 supported by the gripping means 46 of the robot arm 42.
The hand member 44 of the robot arm 42 has a closing means arranged on it in the form of a collar or cover 50 which will enclose the object 48 inside the container 12 when the object is inserted therein. More specifically, a peripheral circular surface of the cover 50 will then abut against a peripheral circular surface 16 round the inlet aperture 14 of the container 12. To render the enclosure tight, in the example depicted, an annular seal 52 is arranged on the circular surface of the cover 50. The seal 42 may with advantage, however, be arranged instead on the circular surface 16 (not depicted) of the container 10.
The actual conditioning consists in the object 48 being flushed, which may entail its being sprayed, rinsed, sprinkled, blown, blasted etc. with a conditioning fluid. Depending on the purpose of the conditioning, the conditioning fluid may comprise various fluids and/or gases or gas/fluid mixtures which in some cases might even comprise solid particles. In the example referred to in this description, however, the conditioning fluid is air. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, a ring of nozzles 20 is arranged inside the aperture 14 of the container 12 and is supplied via a line 18 with a flow of compressed air from a compressed air source, e.g. an undepicted compressor. The air flow need not necessarily be a compressed air flow through the nozzles but may also be provided by a fan or the like (not depicted). The preceding process step in this case may have involved the object 48 being washed in an undepicted washing bath with a heated aqueous solution and the next step may involve the object being packed. After being washed, the object 48 will be wet and hot and will therefore need drying and cooling to avoid causing condensation and consequent corrosion. This is achieved by the object being flushed all round with compressed air at suitable pressure, temperature and flow inside the closed container 20. Surplus air is evacuated via a vent pipe 32 which connects to an undepicted exhaust fan. The fan and the compressed air flow are started up with advantage by the programme which controls the handling system. The washing fluid blasted off from the object is intercepted by a fluid trap comprising a fluid tray 26 wliich is separated from the rest of the internal space of the container 12 by a perforated plate 28. The washing fluid gathered in the tray 26 may be returned to the undepicted washing bath via a drain 30.
The embodiment of FIG. 2 depicts a conditioning device 10 with a vertically oriented container 12 which may also be used as a drying and cooling station as in the embodiment of FIG. 1. The embodiment according to FIG. 2, however, is particularly suitable for cleaning of objects which are laden with contaminants such as turnings or other solid particles clinging or stuck firmly to the object 48, e.g. by the application of cooling or cutting fluids or other fluids and oils. The preceding process step may thus have involved the object being subjected to a machining operation and the next process step may involve its being subjected to a further machining operation. In such cases, cleaning with compressed air may be intended to blast particles and fluid off from the object 48 so that these contaminants will not hinder or impair subsequent operations, e.g. by preventing the object from reaching a precisely defined position in a fixture.
Like that of FIG. 1, the embodiment according to FIG. 2 also has a fluid trap inside the vertical container 10 in the form of a cone 28 which also serves as a particle trap. The contaminants intercepted are gathered in the tray 26. In this case, surplus compressed air and any oil mist present are likewise extracted via a vent pipe 32, which has its inlet in the container 12 below the cone 28 and may also connect to an undepicted cyclone filter or other filter.
In addition to the previously mentioned nozzles 20 causing particularly the outside of the object 48 to be sufficiently rinsed free of process fluid, further nozzles 22, 24 on a central flushing unit 21 may also be arranged inside the container 12 as indicated in FIG. 3. The central flushing unit 21 is supported inside the container 12 by a branch pipe 19 via which it is supplied with fluid from the line 18. The upper nozzle 22 on the flushing unit 21 is an omnidirectional nozzle which causes internal hollow spaces of the object 48, e.g. a central axial hole and any undepicted drilled holes, to be sufficiently flushed through by the fluid. The lower nozzle 24 on the flushing unit 21 is a rotating nozzle with a multiplicity of nozzle apertures which cause particularly the underside of the object 48 to be sufficiently flushed by the fluid. To ensure that the object 48 is sufficiently flushed with conditioning fluid, the nozzles may of course also be configured in other ways in different quantities and positions. They may also be individually controlled. They may also be axially movable (not depicted). It is also conceivable to cause the handling system 40 to subject the object 48 to axial or rotary motion inside the container 12 during the conditioning (not depicted). If the collar 50 is so designed as to seal against the tangential surface of the aperture 14 and this surface is, where appropriate, extended somewhat in an axial direction, the object 48 may be subjected to axial motion by the collar 50 sliding to and fro in the aperture 14 (not depicted).

Claims

1. A method for conditioning of an object supported by a handling system between process steps during a production process, characterised by the object being introduced into and enclosed and fastened in a conditioning container by means of a handling system and the object being flushed with a conditioning fluid inside the conditioning container.
2. A method according to claim 1 whereby the conditioning comprises one or more cleaning, drying and cooling operations.
3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, comprising evacuation of the conditioning fluid from the container during the conditioning.
4. A method according to any one of the foregoing claims, comprising separation of solid particles from the conditioning fluid during the conditioning.
5. A method according to any one of the foregoing claims, whereby the conditioning fluid is compressed air.
6. A device for conditioning of an object (48) supported by a handling system
(40) between process steps during a production process, characterised by a conditioning container (12) with an aperture (14) for introducing the object (48) into the container (12); closing means (50) on the handling system (40) for enclosing the object (48) in the container (12) during the conditioning; and flushing means (20, 22, 24) inside the container (12) for flushing the object
(48) with a conditioning fluid during the conditioning.
7. A device according to claim 6, whereby said closing means comprise a collar
(50) on an arm (42) of the handling system (40), which collar (50) serves as a cover and seal for the container (12).
8. A device according to claim 6 or 7, whereby the flushing means comprise a multiplicity of nozzles (20, 22, 24) arranged to flush the object (48) with conditioning fluid.
PCT/SE2005/000241 2004-03-08 2005-02-23 Method and device for conditioning of an object WO2005084829A1 (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BRPI0507587-4A BRPI0507587A (en) 2004-03-08 2005-02-23 method and device for conditioning an object
DE112005000481T DE112005000481T5 (en) 2004-03-08 2005-02-23 Method and device for preparing an article

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE0400551A SE0400551L (en) 2004-03-08 2004-03-08 Method and apparatus for conditioning an object
SE0400551-8 2004-03-08

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2005084829A1 true WO2005084829A1 (en) 2005-09-15

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ID=32067324

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/SE2005/000241 WO2005084829A1 (en) 2004-03-08 2005-02-23 Method and device for conditioning of an object

Country Status (4)

Country Link
BR (1) BRPI0507587A (en)
DE (1) DE112005000481T5 (en)
SE (1) SE0400551L (en)
WO (1) WO2005084829A1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2023272325A1 (en) * 2021-06-30 2023-01-05 Ess Holding Gmbh Apparatus for cleaning different cylinder heads as cleaning objects

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102007012979C5 (en) 2007-03-14 2017-09-07 Fuco-Heg Maschinenbau Gmbh Method and device for rinsing machined components
DE102018126437B4 (en) 2018-10-24 2024-04-11 Optik-Elektro Huber GmbH Cleaning station; Plant for producing a component; Method for cleaning a component; Method for producing a component

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3814014A1 (en) * 1988-04-26 1989-11-09 Werner & Pfleiderer Method and apparatus for cleaning soiled workpieces
US20020157686A1 (en) * 1997-05-09 2002-10-31 Semitool, Inc. Process and apparatus for treating a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer
US20030205240A1 (en) * 1997-05-09 2003-11-06 Semitool, Inc. Apparatus for treating a workpiece with steam and ozone

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3814014A1 (en) * 1988-04-26 1989-11-09 Werner & Pfleiderer Method and apparatus for cleaning soiled workpieces
US20020157686A1 (en) * 1997-05-09 2002-10-31 Semitool, Inc. Process and apparatus for treating a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer
US20030205240A1 (en) * 1997-05-09 2003-11-06 Semitool, Inc. Apparatus for treating a workpiece with steam and ozone

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2023272325A1 (en) * 2021-06-30 2023-01-05 Ess Holding Gmbh Apparatus for cleaning different cylinder heads as cleaning objects

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE0400551D0 (en) 2004-03-08
SE525971C2 (en) 2005-06-07
DE112005000481T5 (en) 2007-03-01
BRPI0507587A (en) 2007-07-03
SE0400551L (en) 2005-06-07

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