Cooling station for heated workpieces

Abstract

Cooling station (100) for a heated workpiece (200), comprising: - a workpiece holder (102) for receiving a heated workpiece (200); and - a cooling device (103) for cooling the workpiece (200) held in the workpiece holder (102), characterized in that the cooling device (103) is equipped and configured with a number, in particular a plurality, of nozzles (104) to supply a coolant to the workpiece by means of the number of nozzles, in particular to supply it to the workpiece in an adjustable and / or controllable manner, and the cooling device (103) is further equipped to supply (Z) at least one gaseous cooling medium to the number of nozzles (104) as a coolant, .

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a cooling station for heated workpieces.

[0002] It is well known that during the manufacturing processes of various workpieces, high temperatures are generated during the multiple processing and manufacturing steps required. These temperatures can then negatively affect subsequent steps in the process. Such workpieces often need to be cooled down in a controlled manner to prevent unwanted changes and achieve the desired properties. Furthermore, residues and / or contaminants that accumulate on the workpiece during this cooling process, including those on previously applied coatings, can impair subsequent steps. Therefore, residues and / or contaminants should either be deliberately minimized or completely avoided, and / or coatings may need to be reapplied in a targeted manner.

[0003] As is well known, there are basically two common methods for cooling workpieces, especially those made of steel: cooling by means of a bath containing a cooling liquid, such as an oil or water bath, and cooling by means of cooling liquid jets, such as oil and / or water jets, whereby reference can be made to DE 102011100456 A1 as an example.

[0004] However, cooling with water, where hot workpieces are immersed in a water bath or sprayed with water, often leads to a sudden evaporation of the water, which can result in an explosive appearance. Furthermore, this method frequently leads to uneven and difficult-to-control cooling of the workpiece. It also conventionally requires subsequent drying, especially if the entire workpiece is wetted with water.

[0005] Even when cooling in a bath containing a different coolant, such as oil, the workpiece is completely immersed. A significant disadvantage here, too, is that the entire workpiece becomes coated with the coolant, often requiring not only subsequent drying but also cleaning. Furthermore, especially with oil, there is a risk of spontaneous combustion at very high temperatures, posing considerable safety concerns.

[0006] Further disadvantages of both cooling methods include the fact that measuring the temperature and geometry of the workpiece through the liquid layer is difficult or even impossible. Furthermore, when the workpiece is immersed in a bath, the cooling curve is largely determined by the workpiece's geometry and the heat transfer coefficient. Controlling or regulating the cooling rate is not possible, or at least extremely difficult, under these conditions, leading to uncontrolled cooling. Conversely, if a cooling fluid, such as water or oil, is sprayed onto the workpiece, significant local variations in the cooling rate occur. This uneven cooling creates stresses in the material, which can cause distortion and deformation. This is particularly critical for sensitive coatings on the workpiece surface, which can be damaged or compromised by the varying cooling rates.

[0007] A key objective of the invention is therefore to provide, with a significant reduction of the aforementioned known disadvantages, a cooling station for cooling workpieces that have been heated during a manufacturing process in the course of at least one necessary processing or manufacturing step, with which the workpieces can be cooled in a controlled manner, and in particular within a short time, to a reduced temperature defined for a subsequent processing or manufacturing step, in particular in order to have an advantageous influence on the process as a whole.

[0008] The aforementioned task is accomplished by an object possessing the features of each independent claim. Preferred embodiments and further developments are the subject of the respective dependent claims, whereby the features described in the dependent claims can, in principle, be combined and supplemented as desired, unless otherwise specified, to achieve optimal results depending on the specific requirements of the manufacturing process.

[0009] Accordingly, the invention proposes a cooling station for a heated workpiece to solve the problem. The station comprises a workpiece holder for receiving a heated workpiece and a cooling device for cooling the heated workpiece held in the workpiece holder. The cooling station is characterized in particular by the fact that the cooling device is equipped with a number of nozzles, preferably a plurality of nozzles, and is configured to supply a coolant to the workpiece by means of the number of nozzles, in particular to supply it to the workpiece in an adjustable and / or controllable manner. Furthermore, the cooling device is configured to supply at least one gaseous cooling medium to the number of nozzles as a coolant.

[0010] A significant advantage over the described prior art is therefore that by supplying coolant to a heated workpiece—i.e., a workpiece heated during a previous process step in practical implementation—and cooling it through a number of nozzles, where at least one gaseous cooling medium can be supplied to the nozzles, essentially all the disadvantages mentioned regarding cooling with a liquid coolant are avoided. Consequently, a separate cleaning and / or drying device or a subsequent cleaning and / or drying step is not required, but can be achieved directly with the cooling device or in a single process step together with the cooling process, due to the supplyable gaseous cooling medium. The total time required for this, i.e.,The time required to cool heated workpieces to a defined, reduced temperature, thus preparing them for a subsequent process step, can be significantly reduced. In particular, by appropriately adjusting and / or controlling the feed, changes to the surface, structure, or geometry of the workpiece can be specifically influenced during cooling by varying the number of nozzles, in order to prevent undesirable effects or to produce desired properties.

[0011] The cooling station is advantageously designed not only for supplying at least one gaseous cooling medium as a coolant, but also for supplying a liquid and / or solid cooling medium to the number of nozzles. Thus, in addition to or alternatively with a gaseous cooling medium, other liquid and / or solid media, in the simplest case water, can be added to the coolant, for example, alternately, to modify the cooling capacity.

[0012] In particular, further development provides that the workpiece holder and / or the number of nozzles for changing the relative positions of the workpiece and / or the number of nozzles within the cooling station are movably arranged. This allows for improved and / or more uniform cooling depending on the workpiece by adjusting specific positions, and / or enables the holding and cooling of a wide variety of workpieces, particularly with regard to their material structure and / or geometry.

[0013] In particular, the movable arrangement is designed in such a way that linear, rotary, cam-controlled and / or free movements can be performed on the workpiece holder and / or the number of nozzles, so that it is possible to assume a large number of relative positions within the cooling station and is therefore expediently highly flexible and individually adjustable and / or controllable.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment, the coolant supplied to the workpiece via the number of nozzles is a mixture of gaseous, liquid, and / or solid cooling medium, particularly in the form of a cooling mist. The coolant comprises liquid droplets or a cooling dust containing solid particles in addition to the gaseous cooling medium. The gaseous cooling medium can thus be supplemented with liquid or solid substances such as water, oil, ice, and / or dry ice to enhance or reduce the cooling effect, depending on the requirements.

[0015] In a suitably designed embodiment, it is particularly provided that the supply of coolant to the number of nozzles and / or to the workpiece is adjustable and / or controllable during the cooling process, in particular by varying, including adjusting, the positions of the number of nozzles relative to the workpiece, the pressure, the volume flow rate, the temperature and / or the composition of the coolant, so that each cooling process can be individually adapted to each workpiece in order to ensure optimal cooling. For this purpose, a control device connected to the cooling unit and appropriately configured can be provided in practical implementation.

[0016] Additionally or alternatively, the cooling station is further appropriately configured, in particular for the adjustable and / or controllable supply of coolant to the number of nozzles and / or to the workpiece, and for monitoring the temperature of the workpiece held in the holding device. Depending on the measured temperature, variations, including adjustments, can therefore be made to the positions of the number of nozzles relative to the workpiece, the pressure, the flow rate, the temperature, and / or the composition of the coolant during the cooling process, depending on the workpiece.At least one such variation is feasible, so that in a preferred embodiment, depending on the workpiece, for example also based on its material structure and / or geometry, defined, in particular also preset, cooling curves can be used to prevent undesirable changes to the surface and / or the structure and / or to selectively bring about desired changes to the surface and / or the structure.

[0017] In particular, according to a preferred embodiment, the number of nozzles and / or the tool holder is arranged such that the coolant can be supplied to the workpiece from one direction or from several directions in an adjustable and / or controllable manner, in particular position-controlled and / or temperature-controlled manner.

[0018] Furthermore, if the cooling station has a housing that can be opened and closed, with the cooling device being contained within the housing, and cooling of the workpiece (200) held in the workpiece holder (102) is only possible when the housing is closed, then, particularly when the cooling station is integrated into a production line or directly into a machining center, contamination or other damage to adjacent components and equipment by the coolant during the cooling process can be completely and easily avoided. Additionally or alternatively, the cooling station is also designed or equipped to discharge used coolant, e.g.The used cooling medium can be extracted using an optional extraction or other discharge device and, if necessary, subsequently reprocessed, for example by cleaning, filtering, separation, cooling or heating, in order to reuse it or dispose of it safely.

[0019] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the workpiece holder of the cooling station is designed to receive a workpiece designed in the manner of a rotating body, in particular for receiving brake discs.

[0020] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments and further developments with reference to the accompanying drawing. The drawing shows... Fig. 1 a construction sketch of a cooling station according to the invention.

[0021] Fig. Figure 1 shows, in a highly simplified construction sketch, a preferred, but only exemplary, embodiment of a cooling station 100 for cooling a heated workpiece 200 according to the invention.

[0022] As outlined, the cooling station 100 has a workpiece holder 102 for receiving the heated workpiece 200 and a cooling device 103 for cooling the workpiece 200 held in the workpiece holder 102. The cooling device 103 is further equipped with a number of nozzles 104 and configured to supply a coolant to the workpiece 200 by means of the number of nozzles 104, i.e., in particular, to supply it to the workpiece 200 in an adjustable and / or controllable manner. Preferably, a plurality of nozzles 104 are provided for this purpose; for example, five nozzles 104 are provided in the outlined embodiment. For the sake of simplicity, a plurality of nozzles 104 will therefore be assumed in the following.To supply the coolant to the nozzles 104, as indicated by the arrow marked with reference numeral Z, the cooling device 103 is further arranged to supply at least a gaseous cooling medium to the nozzles 104 as coolant, which, however, for reasons of clarity, is shown in the . Fig. Figure 1 is not shown in detail. The expansion of the gas near the workpiece provides an additional cooling effect. Preferably, the cooling device 103 for cooling the workpiece is further configured to supply Z a liquid and / or solid cooling medium to the nozzles 104 as a coolant. The coolant that can be supplied to the workpiece by the nozzles 104 can therefore also be a mixture of gaseous and liquid and / or solid cooling medium, wherein the coolant can be supplied to the workpiece in the form of a cooling mist, which, in addition to gaseous cooling medium, comprises liquid droplets or a cooling dust with solid particles. For example, water, oil, ice, or dry ice can be used or added as the liquid or solid cooling medium, particularly depending on whether the cooling effect is to be increased or decreased.

[0023] The at Fig. The cooling station 100 shown in the sketch is therefore characterized by a cooling device 103, with which a gas or a gas mixture can be used as a coolant to cool the workpiece 200. Other media, in the simplest case water, can be added to the gas, in the simplest case air, to change the cooling capacity.

[0024] The at Fig. The cooling station 100, as sketched, for cooling heated workpieces, thus also serves in particular to achieve a defined, reduced temperature of the workpiece in a process step following a heating step. In a preferred embodiment, changes to the surface, microstructure, or geometry of the workpiece can be specifically influenced during cooling in order to prevent undesirable effects or to bring about desired properties. The cooling station can be integrated into a production line, for example, by means of a roller conveyor, a robot, a manipulator, or other gripper and handling systems, or it can also be integrated directly into a machining center.

[0025] The [company name] also possesses [something] at Fig. 1. The sketched cooling station 100 is a housing that can be opened and closed, the cooling device being housed within the housing, and the cooling of the workpiece 200 held in the workpiece holder 102 is expediently only possible when the housing is closed. Thus, contamination or other damage to adjacent components and equipment by the coolant during the cooling process is completely avoided.

[0026] The at Fig. The cooling station 100 shown in the sketch has a cover 100a for opening and closing the housing. The cover is shown with dashed lines in its open position. The cooling station, i.e., in particular the housing, can thus be opened and closed by raising and lowering the cover 100a, whereby the workpiece 200 is either received or released for removal in the open position. However, alternative mechanisms for receiving or releasing the workpiece are also possible instead of a cover, e.g., by raising, lowering, tilting, and / or rotating an upper, lower, and / or side part.

[0027] Depending on the workpiece 200 to be cooled, the holder 102 can be additionally or alternatively equipped with another, however for the sake of clarity at Fig. 1. A fixture (not shown) may be provided, in particular to offer further increased protection against distortion of the workpiece 200 during cooling. The workpiece 200 can therefore either be inserted manually or transferred by internal or external devices (not shown for clarity) and, if necessary, fixed during the cooling process, such as by the aforementioned fixture or other suitable methods, e.g., by fit, gravity, or magnetic force. The workpiece holder 102 can also be configured in an alternative design to the one shown. Fig. The design shown in point 1 for the essentially horizontal mounting of the workpiece 200 can also be adapted for a differently oriented mounting, for example for the essentially vertical mounting of the workpiece 200.

[0028] The at Fig. 1 The sketched cooling station 100 is also designed or equipped for the removal of used coolant, e.g. the used cooling medium can be extracted by means of an optional extraction or other removal device 106 and, if necessary, subsequently subjected to further processing, for example by cleaning, filtering, separation, cooling or heating, in order to reuse it or dispose of it safely.

[0029] As can be seen, the workpiece holder 102 is the one that is at Fig. The cooling station 100 shown in Figure 1 is further designed to receive a workpiece 200 shaped like a body of revolution. As an example of such a body of revolution to be received in the cooling station for cooling, a brake disc can be mentioned in a preferred embodiment; this can be a simple or an internally ventilated brake disc, with or without a coating.

[0030] The at Fig. The cooling station 100, as sketched, is therefore preferably designed and equipped to hold workpieces such as brake discs or brake drums. It is suitable for cooling simple or internally ventilated brake discs after they have been heated, particularly by machining, heat treatment, and / or welding, primarily using a gaseous cooling medium, in a short, resource-efficient, and process-compliant manner. The cooling station 100 is advantageously integrated within a brake disc production line and configured to cool the brake disc, as the workpiece 200 to be cooled, from, for example, 250 degrees to room temperature within a short cycle time of, for example, 90 to 40 seconds. For this purpose, the hot workpiece, i.e., according to the example, the hot brake disc, is cooled, for example, by means of a [missing information - likely a specific type of cooling system]. However, for the sake of clarity, [missing information - likely a specific type of cooling system] is shown below. Fig. 1. A manipulation and / or gripping system (not shown) is inserted, then the lid 100a closes, then cooling takes place, then the lid opens and the brake disc is transported to the next manufacturing step.

[0031] As with the Fig. In a preferred embodiment, the cooling station 100, as further indicated by the arrows marked with reference numerals B, is further characterized by the workpiece holder 102 and / or nozzles 104 being movably arranged for changing the relative positions of the workpiece held and / or the number of nozzles within the cooling station. The workpiece holder and / or the number of nozzles are advantageously arranged and configured such that linear, rotary, cam-controlled, and / or free movements of the workpiece holder and / or the plurality of nozzles are possible, preferably around one or more axes. Fig. In the preferred embodiment of the cooling station 100 shown in Figure 1, the supply of coolant to the workpiece 200 can also be adjusted and / or controlled by varying the positions of the nozzles relative to the workpiece, in particular by individually varying the position of each individual nozzle relative to the workpiece.

[0032] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the cooling station 100, the supply Z of the coolant to the nozzles and / or the supply from the nozzles to the workpiece can also be adjusted and / or controlled by varying the pressure, volume flow rate, temperature, and / or composition of the coolant during the cooling process. The cooling station can also be configured to monitor the temperature of the workpiece 200 held in the holding device, so that, additionally or alternatively, the supply of coolant to the number of nozzles and / or to the workpiece can also be adjusted and / or controlled based on the measured temperatures.

[0033] In particular, for the controllable supply of coolant to the nozzles and / or from the nozzles to the workpiece, a control device 105 can be connected to the cooling device. In this case, the control device 105 expediently has a processor and is programmed accordingly for the desired control. With such a control device 105, a cooling process can thus be expediently adapted to each individual workpiece 200 in order to ensure optimal cooling, i.e., in particular by varying the positions of the nozzles relative to the workpiece, by varying the pressure, the volume flow, the temperature, and / or the composition of the coolant, even during the cooling process. Furthermore, depending on the heated workpiece, and especially based on its material structure and / or geometry, defined, and in particular preset, parameters can be applied.Cooling curves are stored in a memory of the control unit to prevent or deliberately induce undesirable surface and structural changes.

[0034] To monitor the temperature of the workpiece 200 held in the holding device, temperature sensors can be included in a suitable arrangement and expediently connected to the control device 105. Such a temperature sensor, expediently connected to the control device 105, is used in the Fig. 1 sketched cooling station with reference number 105 is shown.

[0035] Consequently, in a particularly preferred embodiment of the cooling station 100, the respective temperatures and the characteristic properties of the workpiece during the cooling process can also be used to monitor and control the cooling process.

[0036] Is, as for example with Fig.1. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the number of nozzles and / or the tool holder are arranged such that the coolant can be supplied to the workpiece in an adjustable and / or controllable manner from one or more directions. In a particularly preferred embodiment, this can also be position-controlled and / or temperature-controlled, and even during the cooling process, to ensure optimal cooling. Depending on the geometry of the workpiece 200, the coolant can thus optionally be supplied to the workpiece 200 from the inside. Reference symbol list: 100 cooling stations, 100a lid, 101 Control, 102 workpiece holder, 103 Cooling device, 104 nozzles 105 Temperature sensor, 106 Discharge device, 200 workpieces Coolant supply B Directions of movement QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 102011100456 A1

[0003]

Claims

[1] Cooling station (100) for a heated workpiece (200), comprising: - a workpiece holder (102) for receiving a heated workpiece (200); and - a cooling device (103) for cooling the workpiece (200) held in the workpiece holder (102), characterized by , that the cooling device (103) is equipped and configured with a number, in particular a plurality, of nozzles (104) to supply a coolant to the workpiece by means of the number of nozzles, in particular to supply it to the workpiece in an adjustable and / or controllable manner, and the cooling device (103) is further equipped to supply (Z) at least one gaseous cooling medium to the number of nozzles (104) as a coolant, . [2] Cooling station according to claim 1, wherein the cooling device (103) for cooling the workpiece is further configured to supply (Z) a liquid and / or solid cooling medium to the number of nozzles (104). [3] Cooling station according to the preceding claim, wherein the coolant that can be supplied to the workpiece by the number of nozzles (104) is a mixture of gaseous cooling medium and liquid and / or solid cooling medium, wherein the coolant can be supplied to the workpiece in particular in the form of a cooling mist, which comprises liquid droplets or a cooling dust with solid particles in addition to gaseous cooling medium. [4] Cooling station according to one of the preceding claims, in which the workpiece holder (102) and / or the number of nozzles (104) is arranged (B) to change the relative positions of the workpiece held and / or the number of nozzles within the cooling station. [5] Cooling station according to the preceding claim, wherein the workpiece holder (102) and / or the number of nozzles (104) is arranged and configured to perform linear, rotary, cam-controlled and / or free movements on the workpiece holder and / or the plurality of nozzles. [6] Cooling station according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the supply of the coolant to the number of nozzles and / or to the workpiece is adjustable and / or controllable by varying the positions of the number of nozzles relative to the workpiece, by varying the pressure, the volume flow, the temperature and / or the composition of the coolant during the cooling process. [7] Cooling station according to one of the preceding claims, which is equipped to monitor the temperature of the workpiece held in the receiving device, in particular for adjustable and / or controllable supply of the coolant to the number of nozzles and / or to the workpiece. [8] Cooling station according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the number of nozzles and / or the tool holder is arranged such that the coolant can be supplied to the workpiece from one direction or from several directions in an adjustable and / or controllable manner, in particular position-controlled and / or temperature-controlled manner. [9] Cooling station according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling station has a housing that can be opened and closed, wherein the cooling device is received by the housing, and the cooling of the workpiece (200) received in the workpiece holder (102) can only be carried out when the housing is closed. [10] Cooling station according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the workpiece holder is designed to receive a workpiece designed in the form of a rotating body, in particular to receive brake discs and / or to remove used coolant.

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