Surface treatment method for metal component, component and vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for surface treatment of a metal member, the method comprising: pickling the metal member (S1); (S2) the component subjected to acid pickling treatment is subjected to scrap removing / drying treatment; (S3) carrying out wax spraying treatment on the component subjected to the chip removal / drying treatment by utilizing an anti-corrosion wax composition; and carrying out secondary drying treatment on the component subjected to wax spraying treatment (S4). The invention further relates to a corresponding component and to a vehicle comprising said component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method for surface treatment of a metal component and also to a corresponding component and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Vehicles usually include a large number of parts made of metal, such as wheels, bumpers, and metal wiper arms on windshield wipers. On the one hand, these parts are exposed to the air for a long time and are easily corroded by external factors such as rain, snow, and sunlight. On the other hand, since these parts can be seen from the outside of the vehicle, higher requirements are also placed on their appearance for visual reasons, such as no rust.

[0003] To this end, in the prior art, a series of surface treatment processes are usually used to prevent metal corrosion of the above-mentioned components, wherein an anti-corrosion coating or grease is applied to the surface of the corresponding components. However, these known measures may lead to unexpected disadvantages. For example, in the surface treatment of the wiper according to the prior art, the rod of the wiper and the bolts for installation are first treated with an anti-corrosion coating, and then the rod and the bolts are assembled. However, during the assembly process, due to the friction between different components caused by the threaded connection or crimping process, the coating previously applied at the corresponding position is worn, and the metal substrate is exposed to the outside, which may cause metal corrosion during use. This not only affects its performance, but also causes a bad appearance. As for the process of applying grease, the grease on the surface always remains in a fluid or semi-fluid state, so it is easy to interfere with other adjacent components to be assembled during the assembly process, and it also brings additional cleaning costs. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a simplified and low-cost method for surface treatment of metal components.

[0005] In order to solve the technical problem, the present invention provides a method for surface treatment of a metal component. According to the present invention, the method comprises:

[0006] - subjecting the metal component to pickling treatment;

[0007] - De-chipping / drying the pickled components;

[0008] - spraying wax on the deswarfing / drying treated component using an anticorrosive wax composition;

[0009] -Perform secondary drying on wax-sprayed components.

[0010] The component to be treated is preferably a small assembly for vehicle body assembly, such as a wiper arm of a windshield wiper, which has a metal matrix and includes assembled rods and bolts. For such components with high corrosion resistance requirements, the corrosion resistance is further improved by wax spraying through a simple process, avoiding surface damage due to extrusion and friction during the process.

[0011] Preferably, the anticorrosive wax composition comprises microcrystalline wax, polyethylene wax and modified alkyd resin.

[0012] Further preferably, the anti-corrosion wax composition further comprises anti-rust oil and a film-forming agent.

[0013] This helps the anti-corrosion wax composition to dry quickly and form a film while ensuring the anti-metal corrosion effect of the anti-corrosion wax composition.

[0014] Preferably, during the wax spraying process, the anti-corrosion wax composition is in a liquid state, and after the secondary drying process, the anti-corrosion wax composition is in a solid state and adheres to the surface of the component.

[0015] Further preferably, during the wax spraying process, the anti-corrosion wax composition is kept in a liquid state by heating.

[0016] Compared with oiling the surface of metal components, the anti-corrosion wax composition is in a solid state after drying, and its state is stable and not easy to be contaminated. Therefore, there will be no flowable or dripping residual substances on the surface of the components after the treatment, thus avoiding the contamination of other parts on the production line during circulation and use, and thus saving the cleaning time and cost for removing residual substances.

[0017] Further preferably, the anti-corrosion wax composition is sprayed on the component using a high-pressure spray gun.

[0018] The coating of the component with the anticorrosive wax composition is carried out by means of existing equipment of the existing production line, and the wax treatment is carried out by means of a high-pressure spray gun as described above. During this process, the component does not need to be removed from the production line, and the wax treatment is directly carried out by means of a high-pressure spray gun, so that the production cycle is not delayed, which helps to ensure efficient production.

[0019] Preferably, the descaling / drying process is performed by means of a high-pressure air gun.

[0020] After pickling, pickling residues and undesirable matrix debris are often formed on the surface of the component. For this reason, a high-pressure spray gun is used to remove the debris and liquid remaining on the surface of the component, thereby forming a clean and tidy surface to be treated, which helps the treatment reagents in the subsequent process, such as the anti-corrosion wax composition, to adhere more firmly and durably to the surface of the component.

[0021] In an alternative embodiment, after the pickling treatment, the component is also subjected to a galvanizing treatment, thereby forming a passivation film on the surface of the component, further improving the corrosion resistance of the component. Preferably, any known galvanizing process can be adopted, such as colored zinc plating and zinc-nickel plating.

[0022] Preferably, the secondary drying process is carried out at a temperature not higher than 40°C.

[0023] More preferably, the secondary drying treatment is carried out at a temperature not higher than 30°C.

[0024] The drying of the anti-corrosion wax composition can be carried out under non-critical temperature conditions, and can even be carried out under room temperature conditions, thereby achieving the solidification of the anti-corrosion wax composition in an energy-saving manner, thereby reducing production costs.

[0025] To solve the technical problem, the present invention also relates to a component for a vehicle, which comprises a metal substrate. According to the present invention, the component is surface-treated by the above method.

[0026] Preferably, the component is a component of a windshield wiper. However, the present invention is not limited to components of a windshield wiper, but can cover all metal components in vehicles that require surface anti-corrosion treatment.

[0027] In order to solve the technical problem, the present invention also relates to a vehicle, which includes the above-mentioned component.

[0028] The features and advantages described above with respect to the method for surface treatment of a metallic component also apply to the corresponding component or vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description only relate to some embodiments of the present invention, but are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0030] Figure 1 A flow chart schematically shows a method for surface treatment of a metal component according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 A flow chart of a method for surface treatment of a metallic component according to an alternative specific embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown.

[0032] Figure 3 An example of a wiper blade member to which the method of the present invention is applicable is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] The "one embodiment" or "embodiment" referred to herein refers to a specific feature, structure or characteristic that may be included in at least one implementation of the present invention. In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or position relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", etc. is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the present invention.

[0035] Figure 1 A flow chart of a method for surface treatment of a metal component according to one embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown.

[0036] As an example, the component may be a small assembly of a windshield wiper, which includes a wiper rocker arm and bolts that have been assembled. The wiper rocker arm may include a steel bar made of highly elastic steel, so both the wiper rocker arm itself and the bolts assembled therewith face the risk of metal corrosion caused by external factors, so it is necessary to perform anti-corrosion surface treatment on them. As a whole, the small assembly will continue to be assembled with other components after the surface treatment, for example, combined with a wiper blade to form a complete wiper, and installed on the front of the vehicle with the help of other suitable fixing devices.

[0037] However, the application of the present invention is not limited to windshield wipers, but can cover all metal components. The method of the present invention is described below by taking only a small assembly of a windshield wiper, that is, hereinafter referred to as a "metal component", as an example.

[0038] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in a method for surface treatment of a metal component, a first step is first performed, wherein the metal component is subjected to a pickling treatment S1.

[0039] The metal components in the assembled state often have impurities on their surfaces, such as scale and rust. In order to remove the undesirable scale and rust, before the first step S1, the components are immersed in a pickling tank, in which an acidic solution with a pH value adjusted to a suitable value is placed. The acidic solution chemically reacts with the impurities on the surface of the metal components, thereby removing the scale and rust. The acidic solution can be a known conventional pickling agent, such as a solution containing sulfuric acid.

[0040] In the second step, the pickled component is subjected to a surface chip removal / drying treatment S2.

[0041] After the pickling treatment, the surface of the metal component will be left with acidic solution or water stains left by washing the acidic solution and debris of reaction products generated by chemical reactions. These residues lead to poor surface flatness and cleanliness of the component, which is not conducive to the implementation of subsequent processes. In order to remove the above residues, a chip removal / drying treatment is implemented. In this embodiment, the chip removal / drying treatment is carried out with the aid of a high-pressure air gun. The pressurized airflow generated by the high-pressure air gun is used to wash the component to remove the residues on its surface, thereby obtaining a dry and flat component surface.

[0042] In the third step, the anti-corrosion wax composition is used to spray wax the component after the chip removal / drying treatment S3.

[0043] The anticorrosion wax composition mainly comprises microcrystalline wax, polyethylene wax and modified alkyd resin, wherein the modified alkyd resin is preferably long oil alkyd resin. The anticorrosion wax composition is solid at room temperature or lower temperature, and the fluidity of the composition can be increased by heating. When the temperature is higher than 30°, preferably higher than 40°, the anticorrosion wax composition is liquid and has good fluidity.

[0044] In order to further increase the anti-corrosion performance and film-forming performance, anti-rust oil and film-forming agent are also added to the anti-corrosion wax composition. Among them, known anti-rust oils such as lanolin and the like can be used, and known film-forming agents such as didodecyl ester and the like can be used.

[0045] The specific components and proportions of the anti-corrosion wax composition can be adjusted according to the anti-corrosion requirements of the workpiece to be treated, so as to obtain an ideal anti-corrosion effect.

[0046] In the third step, the anti-corrosion wax composition which is solid at room temperature is first stirred and heated in a wax storage tank to a liquid state, and the liquid anti-corrosion wax composition is transported to a high-pressure spray gun through a transport pipeline by means of a compression pump.

[0047] Preferably, a filtering device is provided in the delivery pipeline upstream of the high-pressure spray gun to filter out unmelted lumps or impurities that may be present in the liquid anti-corrosion wax composition, thereby avoiding clogging of the high-pressure spray gun.

[0048] Preferably, an additional heating device is provided in the conveying pipeline to prevent the liquid anti-corrosion wax composition from being cooled and solidified again during the conveying process, so as to ensure its good flow properties.

[0049] The liquid anti-corrosion wax composition is sprayed on the component by means of a high-pressure spray gun to form a protective layer on the surface. The anti-corrosion wax composition itself has good anti-corrosion performance. In addition, the intact protective layer formed on the surface of the component isolates the metal substrate from the external environment, further improving the anti-corrosion performance.

[0050] High-pressure spray guns are conventional production equipment already available in production lines. This process does not require the components to be removed from the production line, but can be waxed in a continuous production process, thus ensuring an efficient production cycle.

[0051] In the fourth step, the wax-sprayed component is subjected to a secondary drying process S4.

[0052] In the fourth step, the workpiece is dried at a temperature not higher than 40°, preferably not higher than 30°, so that the anti-corrosion wax composition is quickly formed into a solid layer on the surface of the component. For some anti-corrosion wax compositions, they can even be quickly solidified at room temperature.

[0053] The dried anti-corrosion wax composition is firmly attached to the surface of the component. Whether in the circulation process of the component or in the assembly process with other components, the anti-corrosion wax composition is not easily peeled off from the surface of the component, and will not drip or stain on production equipment or other parts that do not require such surface treatment.

[0054] An alternative embodiment of the present invention also relates to a method for surface treatment of a metal component. However, unlike the method described in the above embodiment, the component is additionally subjected to a galvanizing treatment S1 ′ after the pickling treatment S1 .

[0055] The component after pickling treatment S1 (and chip removal / drying treatment S2 if necessary) has exposed its dry and clean metal substrate. In the step of galvanizing treatment S1', the component is galvanized to form a dense passivation layer on the surface of the component to further improve its corrosion resistance.

[0056] The galvanizing treatment S1' can be performed by using a known galvanizing process, such as colored zinc plating, zinc-nickel plating, etc.

[0057] The component that has undergone the above surface treatment can be assembled with other parts as a small assembly.

[0058] Figure 3 An example of a wiper blade member to which the method of the present invention is applicable is schematically shown. Figure 3 The connecting rod structure of the wiper is shown, wherein reference numerals 1, 2 and 3 indicate the connection and fixing positions of the connecting rod. Waxing these positions can protect these areas from wear or corrosion during transportation and assembly, ensure the appearance effect, and increase the service life. Of course, those skilled in the art know that the method of the present invention can also be used on the entire connecting rod or other suitable parts of the wiper, and this example does not constitute a limitation to the present invention.

[0059] Accordingly, the present invention also relates to a component produced thereby and a vehicle comprising the component. The vehicle may be a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or it may also be a battery electric vehicle or other types of motor vehicles. Based on the above, the vehicle may realize the functions of the motor component and the motor as described above, and have the advantages as described above.

[0060] Certain features, structures or characteristics in one or more embodiments of the present application may be appropriately combined.

[0061] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in common dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology and should not be interpreted in an idealized or extremely formal sense, unless explicitly defined as such herein.

[0062] The above is an explanation of the present invention and should not be considered as a limitation thereof. Although several exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments without departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the present invention. Therefore, all of these modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims. It should be understood that the above is an explanation of the present invention and the present invention should not be considered to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and modifications to the disclosed embodiments and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

[0063] List of Reference Numerals

[0064] S1 Pickling

[0065] S1' Galvanized

[0066] S2 Anti-dandruff / Drying

[0067] S3 wax treatment

[0068] S4 Secondary drying process.

Claims

1. A method for surface treatment of a metal component, characterized in that: The method comprises: - subjecting the metal component to pickling treatment (S1); - subjecting the pickled component to a chip removal / drying treatment (S2); - spraying wax on the deswarfing / drying treated component using the anticorrosive wax composition (S3); - Performing a secondary drying process on the wax-sprayed component (S4).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The anticorrosive wax composition comprises microcrystalline wax, polyethylene wax and modified alkyd resin.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The anticorrosive wax composition further comprises antirust oil and a film former.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: During the wax spraying process, the anti-corrosion wax composition is in a liquid state, and after the secondary drying process, the anti-corrosion wax composition is in a solid state and adheres to the surface of the component.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: During the wax spraying process, the anticorrosive wax composition is kept in a liquid state by heating.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The anti-corrosion wax composition is sprayed on the member using a high-pressure spray gun.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The descaling / drying process is carried out with the aid of a high-pressure air gun.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that After the pickling treatment, the component is subjected to a galvanizing treatment (S1').

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The secondary drying treatment is carried out at a temperature not higher than 40°C.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The secondary drying process is carried out at a temperature not higher than 30°C.

11. A component for a vehicle, comprising a metal substrate, characterized in that The component is surface treated by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

12. The component according to claim 10, characterized in that The component is a part of a windshield wiper.

13. A vehicle, characterized in that: The vehicle comprises a component as claimed in claim 10 or 11.

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