Device for cleaning powder pressing system, combination of powder pressing system with such cleaning device, and method for cleaning powder pressing system
By designing a cleaning device with a movable cleaning head, the equipment shutdown caused by incomplete cleaning and manual re-scrubbing in the prior art is solved, and an automated and efficient cleaning process is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202380058078.6
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-06-20
- Filing Date
- 2023-06-20
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-23
AI Technical Summary
In the prior art, when cleaning powder pressing equipment, the operator needs to manually re-scrub, resulting in the equipment being shut down and the automated cleaning is not thorough enough.
A cleaning device with a movable cleaning head is designed, which includes a brush, a nozzle and a suction device, which can be automatically moved to the machine parts to be cleaned, and the dirt is completely removed by mechanical cleaning and fluid-assisted cleaning.
Reduces the necessity of manual intervention by operators, improves cleaning efficiency and significantly reduces downtime of suppression equipment.
Smart Images
Figure CN120035486A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The invention relates to a device for cleaning a powder pressing device according to the preamble of claim 1, a combination of a powder pressing device and such a cleaning device according to the preamble of claim 10, and a method for cleaning a powder pressing device with the aid of such a cleaning device according to the preamble of claim 11. Background Art
[0002] In pressing machines in which powdery materials are pressed into shapes, the tool parts must be cleaned after use. Usually, this cleaning is carried out with the aid of a device after the pressed object (e.g. a molded part) has been demolded, wherein the pressed object is first removed from the press with the aid of a gripping device, which usually takes place automatically. Cleaning takes place after the pressed object has been removed, wherein the device used for this purpose is either designed as part of the gripping device and in this case "moves along" with the removal process of the gripping device in a disadvantageous manner, or is designed as a separate device and is only coupled to the gripping device when necessary, only when waiting for a cleaning cycle to take place.
[0003] According to the prior art, conventional brushing devices consist of rotating brushes. During the brushing process, the brushing device with the rotating brushes is guided along the tool parts in the press in a defined path and removes the adhering particles there. Following this brushing cleaning process, these particles are then in the press space and must be removed manually by the operator of the press. According to the prior art, the brushing process before the manual final cleaning of the press is carried out automatically and according to the prior art to date could only be carried out dry.
[0004] Especially in the case of critical materials to be pressed, for example those that adhere strongly to the active surfaces of the pressing tools, these previous methods for cleaning pressing machines have the following disadvantages: automatic cleaning processes with the aid of coupled or portable cleaning machines are often insufficient, and the operator of the pressing machine must manually re-clean with cleaning agents at prescribed intervals. Usually, one operator has to manage several plants in this regard. In the case of such manual re-cleaning work, the pressing plant must necessarily be shut down. Summary of the invention
[0005] The invention is based on the object of resolving the disadvantages known from the prior art and providing a device for cleaning a press by which the need for manual intervention by an operator is reduced, made unnecessary and / or limited to a minimum, in order in this way to minimize the downtimes of the press. It is also the object of the invention to provide a combination of a press and a cleaning device by which the above-mentioned objects are met, and also to provide a method for cleaning a press.
[0006] This object is achieved by means of a device according to claim 1 .
[0007] In particular, the object is achieved by means of a device for cleaning a powder pressing device, in particular a metal powder pressing device and / or a ceramic powder pressing device, wherein the cleaning device has a movable cleaning head which has at least one brush and at least one nozzle for discharging a fluid and at least one suction device in a housing, in particular in a suction hood.
[0008] The cleaning head is a movable part of the cleaning device, which according to one embodiment of the invention is designed to be independently movable and / or according to an alternative embodiment of the invention can be very advantageously gripped by a gripping device (which is also used to remove pressed parts from the press) and moved to the machine part to be cleaned. For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned at this point that a separate positioning device can also be used for this purpose instead of the gripping device of the pressing device.
[0009] The cleaning head itself comprises a housing which is designed in the form of a hood. In the housing, at least one brush, at least one nozzle and at least one end of a suction device are arranged according to the invention. The cleaning head brought into position can thus very advantageously carry out mechanical cleaning of the machine part to be cleaned of the pressing device by means of the at least one brush, wherein the housing surrounding the brush can prevent the loosened dirt particles from being spread in the surroundings.
[0010] According to another extremely advantageous aspect of the invention, a fluid can also be introduced into the cleaning space of the cleaning device according to the invention, which is defined by the housing, via a nozzle which is also arranged in the housing, which fluid assists the cleaning process of the brush in that the fluid helps to detach dirt particles from the machine part to be cleaned. Depending on the pressing material, the fluid can be a cleaning fluid, such as water or a solvent or a mixture of different cleaning fluids, which is suitable as well as possible to assist the mechanical cleaning effect of the brush.
[0011] According to the invention, the fluid can be used here by means of spray nozzles or also as a hard jet, wherein the nozzles used can be controllable individually or in combination with one another and can be pivotable in their direction.
[0012] According to another extremely advantageous aspect of the invention, the cleaning device according to the invention also has a suction device, by means of which not only dirt particles detached from the machine part to be cleaned can be sucked away, but also the cleaning fluid sucked in and the steam that may be generated thereby. According to the invention, a plurality of suction devices can be used here, wherein, for example, the brush and / or the nozzle are each equipped with a suction device. According to another embodiment of the invention, a single suction device can also be provided for the entire housing of the cleaning head of the cleaning device according to the invention.
[0013] Very advantageously, in this way, dirt particles detached from the machine parts to be cleaned can be completely removed from the pressing device with the aid of the cleaning device according to the invention, so that manual re-brushing by the operator can be largely or in the best case completely avoided, which in turn very advantageously leads to the possibility of minimizing possible downtimes of the pressing device using the cleaning device according to the invention.
[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, at least the cleaning head of the cleaning device according to the invention, as a movable part of the cleaning device according to the invention, is arranged close to the pressing tool or close to a possible removal station of the pressing tool, so that the cleaning head can be automatically gripped by the gripping device of the pressing device as soon as the gripping device removes the pressed profile from the pressing device. Thus, when no cleaning process is taking place, the cleaning device according to the invention is always in a parking position within reach of the removal station of the pressing tool and is only picked up by the gripping device of the pressing device and brought to the correct position in the pressing device in order to clean the machine part to be cleaned when waiting for cleaning or a cleaning cycle.
[0015] In this way, it is avoided that the cleaning head or the entire cleaning device has to participate in any movement of the gripping device or move with any movement of the gripping device. Very advantageously, the pressing device can thus be designed in a weight-optimized manner, so that the pressing device can not only be made more energy-efficient, but also be moved at a higher speed due to the lower mass.
[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cleaning device has at least one first hose for supplying the at least one nozzle with fluid and at least one second hose for applying negative pressure to the at least one suction device and for removing the suctioned material.
[0017] By means of these hoses, in particular the first hose, a fluid or fluid mixture which is particularly suitable for cleaning the corresponding machine part can be supplied to the cleaning head from the fixed part of the cleaning device according to the invention. Furthermore, by means of these hoses, in particular the second hose, a negative pressure can be applied to the housing or inside the suction hood in order to suck away the loosened dirt, used or excess fluid and possible steam from the housing and to dispose of them properly.
[0018] According to another embodiment of the invention, the cleaning device further comprises at least one compressed air hose for introducing compressed air into the cleaning head, in particular into at least one compressed air nozzle.
[0019] Advantageously, the mechanical cleaning process of the tool parts can be assisted in this way with compressed air by deflecting the compressed air jet onto the corresponding area to be cleaned. In addition, the compressed air or the compressed air jet can also be used to blow dirt particles off the surface of the tool part to be cleaned, which can then be removed from the housing of the pressing device by means of a suction device. The use of compressed air is particularly advantageous, in particular when the pressing device has corners and difficult-to-reach areas that are only difficult to reach with mechanical cleaning means and in which dirt particles that have been detached from the tool parts may have accumulated. According to the invention, these difficult-to-reach areas can be blown clean with compressed air. This is particularly effective, in particular, when the cleaning of the housing of the pressing device is not only carried out mechanically, but also fluid-assisted and compressed air-assisted.
[0020] According to another embodiment of the invention, the cleaning device also has at least one ultrasonic transmitter, which can be used to detach particularly stubborn deposits from the surface of the tool part. Advantageously, the ultrasonic transmitter is integrated into the brush head for this purpose, and according to a specific embodiment of the invention, the ultrasonic transmitter is suitable for exciting at least one brush in such a way that the vibrations generated by the ultrasonic transmitter combined with the cleaning action of the brush cause optimal cleaning of the surface. Here, the brush can be used in a rotating manner or only for scraping dirt particles from the surface of the tool part to be cleaned. In this regard, it should be pointed out that, in general, the brush can perform a rotational movement, a rotational reciprocating movement or a translational movement (which can also be implemented as a reciprocating movement) as desired and coordinated with the tool part to be cleaned. Similarly, in the case of these combinations of movements, movement along a spatial track curve can be achieved. Similarly, lateral (especially reciprocating) tilting movements of the brush can also be achieved. Similarly, the fluid nozzle and the compressed air nozzle of the cleaning device according to the invention can also be moved and controlled, so that every angle of the housing of the pressing device can be optimally reached not only mechanically, but also in a fluid manner and with the help of compressed air.
[0021] According to the invention, a rotary drive is provided for the rotational drive of the brush, which sets the corresponding brush into rotational motion via a correspondingly assigned drive shaft. Similarly, a translation drive, such as a linear motor, can be provided for the translational motion of the brush.
[0022] For this purpose, the corresponding cleaning units, ie in particular the brushes and nozzles used, can be respectively actuated, in particular individually or in combination in groups, and can be pivoted in any technically feasible direction. The same also applies to possible suction nozzles, wherein the suction nozzles are particularly helpful in order to also suck away dirt particles and used or excess fluid from hard-to-reach areas of the press to be cleaned.
[0023] At this point it should be pointed out that in particular not only the possibility of flushing the housing of the pressing device to be cleaned with fluid and / or compressed air, but also the possibility of removing residues (such as dirt particles) and excess clean fluid as well as contaminated fluid from the housing of the pressing device to be cleaned are important points of the present invention, which makes it possible to minimize or completely avoid the need for manual intervention.
[0024] According to another embodiment of the invention, during the cleaning of the pressing device according to the invention, an optical inspection of the tool parts to be cleaned can also be carried out (if possible simultaneously), which can be carried out, for example, with the aid of a camera and associated dirt detection software. In this way, the respective success of the cleaning can be checked directly on site during the cleaning process.
[0025] According to a particularly advantageous variant of the invention, the ultrasonic transmitter can be supplied with energy by means of an induction coil. In this way, complex cable routing in the cleaning device or in the housing of the pressing device to be cleaned can be avoided.
[0026] According to another embodiment of the invention, the at least one first hose and the at least one second hose and optionally the at least one compressed air hose and / or at least one energy supply line are guided in a collecting hose, in particular in a hose bundle.
[0027] This embodiment offers the advantage that the stationary part of the cleaning device according to the invention can be connected to the cleaning head (i.e. the actual scrubbing unit of the cleaning device according to the invention) by means of a single converging hose or hose bundle (in which a plurality of hoses are guided substantially parallel to one another and connected to one another and thus form a hose unit or hose bundle). In this way, the individual hoses and energy supply lines can be guided in parallel and in a bundle without the risk of the individual hoses and lines becoming tangled with one another when the cleaning head is moved.
[0028] In addition, the object of the present invention is also achieved by a combination of a powder pressing device, in particular a metal powder pressing device and / or a ceramic powder pressing device, and a device for cleaning a powder pressing device, in particular a metal powder pressing device and / or a ceramic powder pressing device according to the aforementioned embodiment, wherein the powder pressing device has a gripping device, by means of which the pressed molded parts (Formteil) can be removed from the press of the powder pressing device, and the cleaning device is placed close to the powder pressing device in a parking station accessible to the removal axis of the gripping device until before the brushing process.
[0029] Very advantageously, the cleaning device according to the invention can be combined with a powder pressing device in such a way that the gripping device which removes the pressed parts from the press during the normal forming process of the powder pressing device can also be used to grip the cleaning head (i.e. the mobile brush unit of the cleaning device according to the invention) after the pressed parts have been placed and thereby guide it to the tool part to be cleaned of the powder pressing device, so that the cleaning head with its brush and nozzle and its suction device reaches the tool part to be cleaned of the powder pressing device.
[0030] In this regard, it should be pointed out that, as mentioned above, the cleaning head of the cleaning device according to the invention has a housing which acts as a suction hood, but the nozzle and the brush of the cleaning head protrude from the housing in such a way that the nozzle and the brush reach the tool part to be cleaned. This is achieved according to the invention by openings in the housing or the suction hood, wherein the suction of dirt particles and fluids also takes place through these openings in the housing or the suction hood.
[0031] The suction can take place simultaneously with the use of a brush and, if appropriate, a sprayed or injected fluid, so that the suction of fluid and dirt particles takes place in situ immediately as the tool part is cleaned and dirt particles are detached from the tool part.
[0032] However, according to an alternative embodiment of the invention, it can also be provided that mechanical and possibly fluid cleaning is first carried out by means of brushes and possibly by means of fluid through fluid outlet nozzles, and only then suction of the fluid and dirt particles is performed, wherein the brushes and nozzles used for cleaning are retracted from the opening of the housing so that the opening is now free for suction. If possible, for this purpose, a suction nose can also be moved through the opening of the housing to the corresponding tool part to be suctioned.
[0033] Furthermore, the object of the present invention is also a method for cleaning a powder pressing machine, in particular a metal powder pressing machine and / or a ceramic powder pressing machine, by means of a cleaning device according to the above-described embodiments, wherein:
[0034] - at the beginning of the brushing process, the movable cleaning head of the cleaning device is removed from a parking station close to the powder pressing device and within reach of the gripping device by means of a gripping device of the powder pressing device and introduced into the pressing space of the powder pressing device by means of the gripping device;
[0035] - cleaning the tool parts of the powder pressing device by means of at least one brush, wherein a fluid, in particular a cleaning fluid, for example a cleaning fluid containing a solvent, is supplied to the brush if necessary;
[0036] - Suction is performed on the removed dirt particles and, if applicable, the introduced fluid.
[0037] If desired, the cleaning method according to the invention can also be carried out with the aid of ultrasound, if fluids are used.
[0038] In summary, the present invention can therefore be summarized as follows.
[0039] The novel device according to the invention for brushing tool parts of a powder pressing device has a driven brush. Due to the geometry, arrangement and construction of the device according to the invention, different media, such as cleaning liquids and cleaning fluids as well as compressed air, negative pressure and / or ultrasound, can also be brought to the brush in an advantageous manner. The cleaning agent improves the cleaning of the tool parts and removes adhering dirt from the tool parts in an equivalent manner to the manual cleaning required hitherto. The improved cleaning increases the production efficiency of the plant because manual intervention is reduced or made unnecessary.
[0040] The device is placed close to the pressing tool in a parking station accessible to the removal axis for automated operation (i.e. automated removal of the pressed molded parts by means of a gripping device) until the brushing process. A hose bundle for conveying a medium is fixedly connected to the device. With this hose bundle, new functions can now be realized according to the invention and in an advantageous manner when brushing tool parts of a powder pressing device. In particular, cleaning agents, compressed air, vacuum and electrical signals (e.g., in particular for energy supply) are among the main media used according to the invention.
[0041] During the brushing process, the cleaning device according to the invention or its cleaning head or brushing unit is guided to the tool by a removal shaft or a gripping device. The cleaning process then begins. The tool parts are cleaned with the brush. If necessary, a cleaning agent can be supplied to the brush. The suction around the brush prevents the cleaning agent and the loosened dirt from being spread in the working space of the press. In conjunction with a suitable suction facility, it is also possible to work with solvent-containing detergents.
[0042] Cleaning arrangement according to the present invention can also realize suction of excess cleaning agent and removed dirt in addition to conveying cleaning agent. Like this, the environment in the tool component area is not polluted by cleaning agent.
[0043] To improve the cleaning effect, the brush can be equipped with an ultrasonic generator. If necessary, the rotation of the brush can be omitted here. Ultrasonic waves can loosen the adhering particles through the brush immersed in liquid. In combination with the rotation of the brush, the energy for operating the ultrasonic generator is transmitted to the brush via an induction coil.
[0044] Further embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0045] The invention is described below with the aid of an embodiment, which is explained in more detail with the aid of the accompanying drawings. Here, it is shown:
[0046] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a cleaning head of a cleaning device according to the present invention is shown in a simplified cross-sectional view;
[0047] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a cleaning head of a cleaning device according to the invention is shown in a simplified perspective view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0048] In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for identical and identically acting parts.
[0049] Figure 1A schematic diagram of a cleaning head 9 of a cleaning device according to the invention is shown in a simplified cross-sectional view. It can be seen here that the cleaning head 9 is implemented in the form of a housing, in which a drive shaft 7 is located, which extends vertically in this embodiment. A brush 1, 2 is symmetrically arranged at the drive shaft 7 at its respective ends in the axial direction, and the respective distal ends of the brushes extend slightly out of the housing so that the brushes can reach the tool parts to be cleaned, or can be retracted into the housing. In addition, nozzles 3, 4 are arranged in the housing in the form of corresponding spraying devices, through which fluid can be sprayed in the direction of the corresponding cleaning brushes 1, 2. The brushes 1, 2 are surrounded laterally by preferably flexible covers 6, 8, which prevent the cleaning fluid from gushing outward onto parts of the pressing device or wetting parts of the pressing device that do not need to be cleaned. The covers 6, 8 can be designed to be flexible so that the corresponding brushes 1, 2 can be pressed against the tool parts to be cleaned, so as to improve the cleaning effect in this way. The covers 6, 8 thus act as baffles to prevent an undesired outflow of the cleaning fluid and to keep the dirt particles within the range of action of the suction device 5, so that both the cleaning fluid and the dirt particles can be removed by the suction device from the surface of the tool part to be cleaned and can ultimately be sucked away from the cleaning head 9, i.e. the actual brush unit 9 of the cleaning device according to the invention. The suction is carried out in the direction of the fixed unit of the cleaning device according to the invention, from which both the energy supply of the brush unit and the supply of the brush unit with cleaning fluid also take place. For this purpose, i.e. in order to deliver the cleaning fluid, as Figure 2 As shown in the figure, corresponding first and second hoses 10, 10' are used, and the energy supply to the cleaning head 9 is carried out via the energy supply line 11. According to the invention, both the hoses 10, 10' and the energy supply line 11 are combined into a converging hose 12 and / or bundled into a hose bundle 12.
[0050] At this point it should be pointed out that all the above-mentioned components, both individually and in any combination, and in particular the details shown in the drawings, are claimed as an important part of the present invention. Modifications to this are well known to those skilled in the art.
[0051] Reference numerals list
[0052] 1 brush
[0053] 2 brushes
[0054] 3 Nozzle / Spray Device
[0055] 4 Nozzles / Spraying Devices
[0056] 5 Suction device
[0057] 6 Covering
[0058] 7 Drive shaft
[0059] 8 Covering
[0060] 9 cleaning heads / brushing units
[0061] 10First hose
[0062] 10' Second Hose
[0063] 11Energy supply line / energy transmission unit
[0064] 12 Converging hoses / hose bundles
Claims
1. A device for cleaning a powder pressing device, in particular a metal powder pressing device and / or a ceramic powder pressing device, It is characterized in that The cleaning device comprises a movable cleaning head (9) which comprises at least one brush (1, 2) and at least one nozzle (3, 4) for discharging a fluid and at least one suction device (5) in a housing, in particular in a suction hood.
2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The cleaning device has at least one first hose (10) for supplying fluid to the at least one nozzle (3, 4) and at least one second hose (10') for applying negative pressure to the at least one suction device (5) and for removing the suctioned material.
3. A cleaning device according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The cleaning device furthermore has at least one compressed air hose for introducing compressed air into the cleaning head, in particular into at least one compressed air nozzle.
4. A cleaning device according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The cleaning device also has at least one ultrasonic transmitter.
5. Cleaning device according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The at least one first hose (10) and the at least one second hose (10') and optionally the at least one compressed air hose and / or at least one energy supply line (11) are guided in a collecting hose, in particular in a hose bundle (12).
6. A cleaning device according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The at least one brush (1, 2) can be set in rotation by means of a rotary drive and a corresponding drive shaft.
7. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, It is characterized in that The ultrasonic transmitter is integrated into the brush head and is suitable for exciting the at least one brush.
8. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 4 to 7, It is characterized in that The ultrasonic transmitter is supplied with energy by means of an induction coil.
9. A cleaning device according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The respective cleaning units, ie in particular the brushes (1, 2) and the nozzles (3, 4), can be controlled, in particular pivoted, in particular individually.
10. A combination of a powder pressing device, in particular a metal powder pressing device and / or a ceramic powder pressing device, and a device for cleaning a powder pressing device, in particular a metal powder pressing device and / or a ceramic powder pressing device, according to any of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The powder press has a gripping device with which the pressed shaped parts can be removed from the press of the powder press, and the cleaning device is placed close to the powder press in a parking station accessible to a removal axis of the gripping device before the brushing process.
11. Method for cleaning a powder pressing device, in particular a metal powder pressing device and / or a ceramic powder pressing device, by means of a cleaning device according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 9, It is characterized in that - at the beginning of the brushing process, the movable cleaning head (9) of the cleaning device is taken out from a parking station close to the powder pressing device and within reach of the gripping device by means of a gripping device of the powder pressing device and introduced into the pressing space of the powder pressing device by means of the gripping device; - cleaning a tool part of a powder pressing device by means of at least one brush (1, 2), wherein a fluid, in particular a cleaning fluid, for example a cleaning fluid containing a solvent, is optionally supplied to the brush (1, 2); - Suction is performed on the removed dirt particles and, if applicable, the introduced fluid.
12. The method according to claim 11, It is characterized in that The cleaning process carried out with the aid of fluids is assisted by ultrasound.