Continuous type vacuum hot press device

Abstract

To provide a continuous type vacuum hot press device which is excellent in productivity, and can avoid restriction of a press mechanism member caused by arrangement of a roller for conveyance in a press chamber.SOLUTION: A continuous type vacuum hot press device 1 includes: an inlet side purge chamber 10; a heating chamber 12B for heating an object W to be treated in the vacuum; a first conveyance chamber 14 adjacent to the heating chamber 12B; a hot press chamber 16 which is adjacent to the first conveyance chamber 14, and hot-presses the object W to be treated in the vacuum; a second conveyance chamber 18 adjacent to the hot press chamber 16; and a cooling chamber 20 which is adjacent to the second conveyance chamber 18 and cools the object W to be treated. The heating chamber 12B and the cooling chamber 20 have rollers 41 for conveyance for conveying the object W to be treated, the first conveyance chamber 14 has first arm type conveyance means 59A for conveying the object W to be treated to the hot press chamber 16 from the heating chamber 12B, and the second conveyance chamber 18 has second arm type conveyance means 59B for conveying the object W to be treated to the cooling chamber 20 from the hot press chamber 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a continuous vacuum hot press apparatus for pressing a workpiece heated under vacuum. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Hot press machines that press a heated workpiece under vacuum are used in, for example, pressure sintering of ceramics, powder metallurgy, diffusion bonding of various materials, and the like.

[0003] Here, batch and continuous types of hot press machines are known. Batch-type hot press machines with a single press chamber require the workpiece to be heated from a low temperature in the press chamber, which results in long processing times and low productivity. Furthermore, repeated heating and cooling for each batch process results in poor energy efficiency. On the other hand, a multi-chamber continuous hot press apparatus, which connects multiple processing chambers and sequentially performs heating, pressing, and cooling while moving the workpiece using conveying rollers, is advantageous in terms of production efficiency and energy efficiency compared to a batch-type hot press apparatus. However, if the conveying rollers are used as a hearth in the press chamber, it is difficult to withstand the pressure during pressing. Furthermore, even if a separate press mechanism (a component that supports the workpiece against the pressure) is placed in the press chamber, it is difficult to ensure sufficient strength while avoiding interference with the conveying rollers. This limits the size of the workpiece to be pressed, and in some cases has prevented sufficient productivity improvement. Please refer to the following patent documents for documents disclosing techniques related to the present invention. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2021-504912 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-297198 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In light of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a continuous vacuum hot press apparatus that is highly productive and can avoid the restrictions on press mechanism members that arise from the placement of conveying rollers in the press chamber. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Thus, the continuous vacuum hot press apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention is defined as follows: an inlet side purge chamber for performing vacuum purging inside the chamber; a heating chamber for heating the object to be treated in a vacuum; a first transfer chamber adjacent to the heating chamber; a hot pressing chamber adjacent to the first transfer chamber for hot pressing the object to be processed in a vacuum; a second transfer chamber adjacent to the hot press chamber; a cooling chamber adjacent to the second transfer chamber for cooling the object to be treated; Equipped with the heating chamber and the cooling chamber have conveying rollers for conveying the object to be treated, the first transfer chamber has a first arm-type transfer means that transfers the workpiece from the heating chamber to the hot press chamber, The second transfer chamber has a second arm-type transfer means that transfers the workpiece from the hot press chamber to the cooling chamber.

[0007] The continuous vacuum hot pressing apparatus of the first aspect defined as above is equipped with a heating chamber, a hot pressing chamber, and a cooling chamber, and can perform a series of treatments continuously while moving the workpiece, thereby increasing the productivity of the hot pressing. Furthermore, because the workpieces are transported between the heating chamber and the hot press chamber, and between the hot press chamber and the cooling chamber, by an arm-type transport means, there is no need to provide transport rollers within the hot press chamber, and restrictions on the press mechanism components that would result from the provision of transport rollers can be avoided.

[0008] Here, the first arm type transfer means and the second arm type transfer means can be configured to include telescopic extendable arms (second aspect), which allows the first transfer chamber and the second transfer chamber to be made more compact than when non-extendable arms are used (second aspect).

[0009] In addition, in this invention, the heating chamber and the cooling chamber can be configured to include a lifting means for lifting and lowering the workpiece (third aspect), which makes it possible to ensure space for inserting a transport arm between the workpiece and the transport rollers. In addition, in this invention, the hot press chamber can be configured to include a lifting means for lifting the workpiece (fourth aspect), which ensures a space for inserting a transport arm between the workpiece and the press mechanism member that supports the workpiece in the hot press chamber.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention can be configured to include a temperature decrease suppression means for setting the emissivity of the inner surface of the first transfer chamber and / or the second transfer chamber to 0.30 or less (fifth aspect). In this way, it is possible to suppress a decrease in temperature of the workpiece moving through the first transfer chamber and / or the second transfer chamber. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic overall configuration of a continuous vacuum hot press apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram showing the first transfer chamber of FIG. 1 and a transfer device installed therein. FIG. [Figure 3] The cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2 shows a state in which the object to be treated is held by the telescopic arm. [Figure 4] 10 is an explanatory diagram of an arm extension / retraction mechanism in the transport device. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an arm lifting mechanism in the transport device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a press mechanism in a hot press chamber. [Figure 7] 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the continuous vacuum hot press apparatus of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the operation following FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing modified examples in which the position of the telescopic arm when holding the workpiece is changed. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a modified example in which an elevator device is provided in the hot press chamber. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a modified example in which the arrangement of each chamber is changed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic overall configuration of a continuous vacuum hot press apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which reference numeral 1 denotes the continuous vacuum hot press apparatus (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as hot press apparatus 1).

[0013] The hot press apparatus 1 is provided with an inlet purge chamber 10, a first heating chamber 12A, a second heating chamber 12B, a first transfer chamber 14, a hot press chamber 16, a second transfer chamber 18, and a cooling chamber 20, arranged in the left-right direction in the figure, which is the direction in which the workpiece W is transported. An inlet 6 for loading is formed on the left side of the hot press apparatus 1 in the figure, and an outlet 7 for unloading is formed on the right side in the figure. The inlet 6 and the outlet 7 are provided with doors 8 and 9, respectively, which are opened and closed by air cylinder type opening and closing devices 22.

[0014] Each chamber from the inlet side purge chamber 10 to the cooling chamber 20 has a pressure-resistant furnace shell and is connected to a vacuum exhaust device (not shown), making it possible to create a vacuum state (reduced pressure state) inside each chamber. In addition, each chamber is connected to a nitrogen gas supply source (not shown) to introduce atmospheric gas used for restoring pressure, etc.

[0015] Between each chamber, specifically between the entrance purge chamber 10, the first heating chamber 12A, the second heating chamber 12B, the first transfer chamber 14, the hot press chamber 16, the second transfer chamber 18, and the cooling chamber 20, there are provided air cylinder type opening / closing devices 23, which drive the opening and closing of doors 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29. These doors enable the openings of each chamber to be closed airtightly.

[0016] Between each chamber, a partitioned chamber 31 is formed. The partitioned chamber 31 includes an area where doors (for example, doors 24, 24 shown in FIG. 1) for closing the openings of each chamber move up and down, and airtightly isolates the area between each chamber (for example, between the inlet-side purge chamber 10 and the first heating chamber 12A) from the outside.

[0017] 1, among the chambers constituting the hot press apparatus 1, the inlet purge chamber 10, the first heating chamber 12A, the second heating chamber 12B, and the cooling chamber 20 each have a conveying roller 41 installed along the conveying direction. The conveying roller 41 may be made of a metal such as stainless steel or heat-resistant cast steel. In some cases, a roller made of a C / C composite, which has little loss of strength at high temperatures, may also be used. The structure of the conveying rollers 41 may be such that both ends of the roller are supported, or such that one end of the roller is supported as a cantilever. When using rollers with a cantilever structure, it is preferable to use two rollers as a pair, and it is more preferable to install the rollers at a distance from each other so that a space is formed into which the arm-type conveying means described below can be inserted.

[0018] A plurality of conveying rollers 41 arranged in each of the entrance-side purge chamber 10, the first heating chamber 12A, the second heating chamber 12B, and the cooling chamber 20 respectively constitute roller groups 43, 44, 45, and 46. Each of these roller groups is independently driven to sequentially convey the workpiece W placed in the entrance-side purge chamber 10 downstream in the conveying direction (to the right in the drawing). However, the transport of the workpiece W from the second heating chamber 12B to the hot press chamber 16 is performed by a transport device 59A as a first arm type transport means described below instead of the transport rollers 41, and the transport from the hot press chamber 16 to the cooling chamber 20 is performed by a transport device 59B as a second arm type transport means.

[0019] In this embodiment, the workpieces W are transported while being placed on a tray. As shown in Figures 6, 7(III), etc., in this embodiment, a plurality of (eight in this example) workpieces W corresponding to the upper press rams 96 arranged in the hot press chamber 16 are placed on trays 33, and these plurality of workpieces W are transported downstream in the transport direction by each tray 33. An upper plate 34 that covers the upper surfaces of the plurality of workpieces W is further provided on top of the workpieces W.

[0020] 1, the inlet-side purge chamber 10 is a section that prevents atmospheric air from entering the first heating chamber 12A and beyond. When the workpiece W is loaded through the inlet 6 and the door 8 is closed, the atmospheric air inside the inlet-side purge chamber 10 is exhausted to the outside of the chamber via a vacuum exhaust device (not shown). When the pressure is restored, nitrogen gas is supplied into the chamber to restore atmospheric pressure.

[0021] The first heating chamber 12A is a section in which the workpiece W supported by the transport rollers 41 is heated in a vacuum atmosphere. As shown in Fig. 1, the first heating chamber 12A has a heat-resistant insulating material inside, and the insulating material forms an insulating wall 48. The inside of the insulating wall 48 is a storage and processing chamber 49 in which the workpiece W is stored and heat-treated, and a heater 50 is provided in the storage and processing chamber 49 as heating means.

[0022] Similar to the first heating chamber 12A, the second heating chamber 12B is a section in which the workpiece W supported by the transport rollers 41 is heated in a vacuum atmosphere. The second heating chamber 12B also has a heat-resistant insulating material inside, which constitutes an insulating wall 52. The inside of the insulating wall 52 is a storage and processing chamber 53 in which the workpiece W is stored and heat-treated, and a heater 54 is provided in the storage and processing chamber 53 as a heating means.

[0023] In the second heating chamber 12B, two sets of lifting devices 56, 56 are provided at an interval in the conveying direction as lifting means. As shown in Fig. 7(I), the lifting device 56 includes a lifting rod 57 and a drive unit 58 that raises and lowers the lifting rod 57 by a predetermined stroke. The tip of the lifting rod 57 moves up and down in the gap between the conveying rollers 41, 41, and when it moves up, the surface of the tip of the lifting rod 57 can protrude above the roller conveying surface 41a. In this example, these two sets of lifting devices 56 work together to lift the workpiece W from the conveying surface 41a of the conveying rollers 41, forming a gap δ between the workpiece W and the conveying rollers 41 for inserting the telescopic arm 60 described later.

[0024] A first transfer chamber 14 is located adjacent to the second heating chamber 12B downstream in the transfer direction of the second heating chamber 12B. The first transfer chamber 14 is provided with a transfer device 59A as a first arm-type transfer means for transferring the workpiece W from the second heating chamber 12B to the hot press chamber 16. The transport device 59A is equipped with an extendable and retractable telescopic arm 60. As shown in Fig. 2, the telescopic arm 60 includes a base arm 61, an intermediate arm 62 supported on the base arm 61 so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction, and an upper arm 63 supported on the intermediate arm 62 so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction. The telescopic arm 60 is extended from the contracted state shown in FIG. 2 to the upstream side in the conveying direction (to the left in the figure) or the downstream side in the conveying direction (to the right in the figure) by the intermediate arm 62 and the upper arm 63 working in conjunction with each other, and is also driven to be pulled back from the extended state to the contracted state shown in FIG. 2.

[0025] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2. As shown in the figure, the transport device 59A has two sets of telescopic arms 60, 60 spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the workpieces W. In the figure, reference numeral 64 denotes a drive shaft connected to the output shaft of a rotary drive machine (not shown). The drive shaft 64 simultaneously rotates and drives two sets of drive sprockets 65, 65 corresponding to each telescopic arm 60, causing these two sets of telescopic arms 60, 60 to extend and retract in unison. The extension and retraction mechanism of the telescopic arms 60 will be described below.

[0026] 4 is an explanatory diagram of the arm extension / retraction mechanism of the transport device 59A. As shown in the figure, a drive sprocket 65 that rotates integrally with a drive shaft 64 is housed in a drive box 66 provided at approximately the middle of the base arm 61 in the front-rear direction. A drive chain 69 is wound around sprockets 67a, 67b built in and journaled at both ends of the base arm 61 in the conveying direction, sprockets 68, 68 journaled in the drive box 66, and the drive sprocket 65, and a plurality of linear teeth 70 that mesh with the drive chain 69 are fixedly attached so as to protrude downward from the underside of the center of the left and right parts of the upper side of the intermediate arm 62. As a result, when the drive shaft 64 rotates, the intermediate arm 62 is driven via the drive chain 69 and the teeth 70 to the upstream side in the conveying direction (to the left in the figure) or the downstream side in the conveying direction (to the right in the figure).

[0027] In addition, an interlocking roller 71a is built into one end of the intermediate arm 62, and a roller 71b is built into the other end, positioned laterally opposite the roller 71a, and is supported by a journal. An interlocking chain 72a, one end P of which is fixed to the underside of the upper side of the upper arm 63, is wound around the roller 71a and then fixed at the other end to the base arm 61. Also, an interlocking chain 72b, one end Q of which is fixed to the underside of the upper side of the upper arm 63, is wound around the roller 71b and then fixed at the other end to the base arm 61.

[0028] With the chains arranged as described above, when the drive shaft 64 is driven to rotate in the direction of the arrow U as shown in FIG. 4(A), the drive chain 69 moves the intermediate arm 62 upstream in the conveying direction (to the left in the figure) via the teeth 70, and the chain 72a wound around the roller 71a of the moving intermediate arm 62 moves the upper arm 63 on the intermediate arm 62 by an amount equal to the amount of movement of the intermediate arm 62 (hence, twice the amount of movement relative to the base arm 61), and the upper arm 63 extends. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1B, when the drive shaft 64 is rotated in the direction of the arrow V, the intermediate arm 62 moves downstream in the conveying direction (to the right in the figure), in the opposite direction to the above, and the upper arm 63 moves downstream in the conveying direction on the intermediate arm 62 by the chain 72b and extends.

[0029] The telescopic arm 60 can also be raised and lowered in the vertical direction, and the lifting mechanism for this will be described below. Both ends of the base arms 61, 61 of the two sets of telescopic arms 60, 60 are connected by a connecting beam 73 (connecting beam 73 extending in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper) shown in Figure 2, and the base arms 61, 61 and the connecting beams 73, 73 form a rectangular framework-shaped lifting frame. Driving pieces 74 that also serve as guides are fixed facing downward to both ends of each connecting beam 73 (both ends in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper). These driving pieces 74 are guided so as to be able to slide up and down by guide plates 76 erected at the four corners of a support base 75 installed below the base arms 61.

[0030] On the other hand, a drive shaft 77 connected to the output shaft of a rotary drive machine (not shown) is rotatably supported on the upper surface of the support base 75, and driven shafts 79a, 79b are rotated via chains 44, 44 by a sprocket 78 provided on this drive shaft 77. The driven shafts 79a and 79b are rotatably supported by bearings 80 shown by dashed double-dashed lines in FIG. 5, and crank-shaped (eccentric cam-shaped) drivers 82, which support drive rollers 81 at positions eccentric to the axis of the driven shafts, are fixed to both ends of each driven shaft 79a and 79b, as shown in FIG. 5. This drive roller 81 is engaged with a groove 74a recessed on the inner surface of the drive piece 74, and the connecting beam 73 and telescopic arm 60 are supported by this driver 82 and drive piece 74, and by rotating the driven shafts 79a and 79b 180 degrees via the chain drive mechanism using a rotary drive machine (not shown), the connecting beam 73 and telescopic arm 60 are raised from the lowered position shown in the figure by an elevation stroke Y (see Figure 2) equivalent to twice the eccentricity of the drive roller 81 and the driven shafts 79a and 79b, and are then driven downward to the lowered position shown by the further 180-degree rotation of these driven shafts 79a and 79b.

[0031] The hot press chamber 16 is a section in which the heated workpiece W is pressed by upper and lower punches in a vacuum atmosphere. As shown in Fig. 1, the hot press chamber 16 has a heat-resistant insulating material inside, which forms an insulating wall 85. The inside of the insulating wall 85 is a storage and processing chamber 86 that stores the workpiece W, and the storage and processing chamber 86 is provided with a heater 87 (see Fig. 6) as heating means.

[0032] 6 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the press mechanism that pressurizes the workpiece W accommodated in the accommodation treatment chamber 86 of the hot press chamber 16. As shown in the figure, a framework is formed by a lower frame 88, an upper frame 89, and a connecting rod 90 that connects these so as to surround the furnace shell 16a of the hot press chamber 16. A lower press ram 91 extends vertically upward from the lower frame 88, and a lower punch 92 is connected to the tip of the lower press ram 91. The lower punch 92 is located in the lower region of the storage and processing chamber 86, and has a pressing surface 92a that abuts against the lower surface of the workpiece W via the tray 33. As shown in Figures 1 and 6, in this example, a plurality of lower press rams 91 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the conveying direction of the workpiece W and in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The lower punch 92, which is integrally connected to the lower press ram 91, is a member that is long in the conveying direction of the workpiece W, as shown in Figure 1, and is connected to each of the plurality of lower press rams 91 arranged in a row.

[0033] The upper punch 94 is disposed in an upper region of the accommodation / treatment chamber 86, and presses the upper surface of the workpiece W with its downward-facing pressing surface 94a. The upper punch 94 is connected to the lower end of a vertically downward upper press ram 96 that is pressed downward by a hydraulic cylinder 95 attached to the upper frame 89. A plurality of upper press rams 96 are provided, and are disposed in positions that overlap the lower press rams 91 in a plan view so as to be coaxial with each of the lower press rams 91. In this example, multiple upper press rams 96 descend simultaneously, and each upper punch 94 presses the upper surface of the workpiece W via the upper plate 34. An upward reaction force acts on the lower surface of the workpiece W from the opposing lower punch 92 via the tray 33, applying a predetermined pressure to the workpiece W.

[0034] 1, a second transfer chamber 18 is located adjacent to the hot press chamber 16 on the downstream side in the transfer direction of the hot press chamber 16. The second transfer chamber 18 is provided with a transfer device 59B as a second arm-type transfer means for transferring the workpiece W from the hot press chamber 16 to the cooling chamber 20. The transfer device 59B is equipped with an extendable and retractable telescopic arm 60. This transfer device 59B has the same configuration as the transfer device 59A provided in the first transfer chamber 14, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0035] The cooling chamber 20 adjacent to the second transfer chamber 18 is a section in which the workpiece W is cooled by atmospheric gas, and is equipped with a gas circulating fan 98 and a gas cooler (not shown) inside the chamber. When the workpiece W is loaded from the hot press chamber 16 and the door 29 is closed, nitrogen gas is supplied into the chamber as a cooling gas, allowing the workpiece W to be cooled. Two sets of lifting devices 56B, 56B as lifting means are provided at an interval in the conveying direction in this cooling chamber 20. As shown in Fig. 8(VI), the lifting device 56B includes a lifting rod 57 and a drive unit 58 that raises and lowers the lifting rod 57 by a predetermined stroke, and similarly to the lifting device 56 in the second heating chamber 12B, it lifts the workpiece W from the conveying surface 41a of the conveying rollers 41 and forms a gap between the workpiece W and the conveying rollers 41 for inserting a telescopic arm 60.

[0036] Next, a series of operations performed when processing the workpiece W in the hot press apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described. It is assumed that each chamber of the hot press apparatus 1 is maintained in a vacuum state of the same degree in advance. First, nitrogen gas is supplied into the inlet side purge chamber 10, and the pressure inside the inlet side purge chamber 10 is restored to atmospheric pressure. Then, the door 8 is opened and the roller group 43 is driven to transfer the workpiece W into the inlet side purge chamber 10. Thereafter, the door 8 is closed, the pressure inside the chamber is reduced, and the air inside the chamber is released to the outside.

[0037] After the evacuation of the entrance purge chamber 10 is completed, the exit door 24 of the entrance purge chamber 10 and the entrance door 24 of the first heating chamber 12A are opened, the roller groups 43, 44 are driven, the workpiece W is transferred into the first heating chamber 12A, and the door 24 is closed. The workpiece W transferred into the first heating chamber 12A is heat-treated in a vacuum atmosphere at a predetermined temperature (for example, 600°C) for a predetermined time.

[0038] After the heat treatment in the first heating chamber 12A is completed, the exit door 25 of the first heating chamber 12A and the entrance door 25 of the second heating chamber 12B are opened, the roller groups 44, 45 are driven, the workpiece W is transferred into the second heating chamber 12B, and the door 25 is closed. The workpiece W transferred into the second heating chamber 12B is heat treated in a vacuum atmosphere at a predetermined temperature (for example, 900°C) higher than that of the first heating chamber 12A.

[0039] After the heating process in the second heating chamber 12B is completed, the exit door 26 of the second heating chamber 12B is opened, and as shown in Figure 7(I), the lifting rod 57 of the lifting device 56 is raised to lift the workpiece W from the conveying surface 41a of the conveying roller 41, and a gap δ is formed between the workpiece W and the conveying roller 41 to insert the telescopic arm 60. Then, the telescopic arm 60 of the transport device 59A installed in the first transport chamber 14 is extended upstream in the transport direction (to the left in the figure), and the upper arm 63 is inserted into the gap δ between the workpiece W and the transport roller 41, and then the lifting rod 57 is lowered to place the workpiece W on the telescopic arm 60. At this time, the two sets of telescopic arms 60, 60 hold the tray 33 at positions near both ends of the tray 33 that do not overlap with the workpiece W in a plan view, as shown in FIG.

[0040] After the workpiece W is placed on the telescopic arm 60, the transport device 59A removes the workpiece W from the second heating chamber 12B as shown in FIG. 7(II). Then, with the entrance door 27 of the hot press chamber 16 open, the transport device 59A lifts the workpiece W and transports it downstream in the transport direction (to the right in the figure) through the first transport chamber 14 to the hot press chamber 16. After the transport device 59A brings the workpiece W to the position of the lower punch 92 in the hot press chamber 16, it lowers the telescopic arm 60, so that the workpiece W is placed on the lower punch 92 as shown in FIG. 7(III). The telescopic arm 60 is then retracted into the first transport chamber 14. After the inlet door 27 of the hot press chamber 16 is closed, the workpiece W placed on the lower punch 92 is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater 87, while multiple upper press rams 96 are simultaneously lowered onto the workpiece W, applying a predetermined pressure to the workpiece W, thereby performing the press processing.

[0041] After the pressing process in the hot press chamber 16 is completed, the exit door 28 of the hot press chamber 16 is opened, and the telescopic arm 60 of the transfer device 59B installed in the second transfer chamber 18 is extended upstream in the transfer direction (to the left in the figure) as shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 8 (IV), and its upper arm 63 is inserted into the area below the workpiece W, and then the telescopic arm 60 is raised to place the workpiece W on the telescopic arm 60. At this time, the two pairs of telescopic arms 60, 60 hold the tray 33 at positions near both ends of the tray 33 that do not overlap with the workpiece W in a plan view, as shown in Figure 3.

[0042] The transport device 59B, with the workpiece W placed on the telescopic arm 60, removes the workpiece W from the hot press chamber 16, as shown in FIG. 8(V). Thereafter, with the entrance door 29 of the cooling chamber 20 open, the transport device 59B transfers the workpiece W to the cooling chamber 20 downstream in the transport direction (to the right in the figure). At this time, as shown in FIG. 8(VI), the transport device 59B delivers the workpiece W onto the lifting rod 57, which is in a raised position within the cooling chamber 20, and then the telescopic arm 60 is retracted into the second transport chamber 18. Meanwhile, within the cooling chamber 20, the lifting rod 57 is lowered to place the workpiece W on the transport rollers 41.

[0043] Thereafter, the door 29 on the entrance side of the cooling chamber 20 is closed, nitrogen gas is supplied into the cooling chamber 20, and the circulation fan 98 is rotated to circulate the nitrogen gas as a cooling gas and cool the workpiece W. After the cooling process is completed, the door 9 is opened and the workpiece W is carried out, completing the series of operations.

[0044] As described above, in the continuous vacuum hot press apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the first heating chamber 12A, the second heating chamber 12B, the hot press chamber 16, and the cooling chamber 20 are connected along the conveying direction, and a series of processes can be performed continuously while moving the workpiece W, thereby increasing the productivity of the hot press. Furthermore, the transport of the workpiece W between the second heating chamber 12B and the hot press chamber 16, and the transport of the workpiece W between the hot press chamber 16 and the cooling chamber 20 are performed by conveying devices 59A, 59B, which are arm-type conveying means. Therefore, there is no need to provide conveying rollers 41 within the hot press chamber 16, and a lower punch (a member that supports the workpiece W against the pressing force) 92 with sufficient strength can be provided within the hot press chamber 16, avoiding the constraints on the press mechanism members that would result from the placement of the conveying rollers 41.

[0045] Furthermore, according to the continuous vacuum hot press apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the conveying device 59A as the first arm type conveying means and the conveying device 59B as the second arm type conveying means are equipped with telescopic extendable arms 60, and the size of the first conveying chamber 14 and the second conveying chamber 18 in which the conveying devices are installed can be made more compact than when non-extendable arms are used.

[0046] Furthermore, according to the continuous vacuum hot press apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the second heating chamber 12B and the cooling chamber 20 are equipped with lifting devices 56 and 56B as lifting means for raising and lowering the workpiece W, and space can be easily secured between the workpiece W and the conveying rollers 41 to insert the telescopic arm 60.

[0047] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, this is merely an example, and the present invention can be configured in various modified forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. (1) For example, in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, two sets of telescopic arms 60, 60 are used to support the vicinity of both ends of the tray 33 and transport the workpiece W, but it is also possible to support the center of the tray 33 with the telescopic arm 60 and transport the workpiece W, as shown in FIG. 9, for example.

[0048] (2) In the above embodiment, the lifting devices 56 and 56B for raising and lowering the workpiece W are provided in the second heating chamber 12B and the cooling chamber 20, respectively. However, as shown in Fig. 10, it is also possible to provide the hot press chamber 16 with a lifting device 56C as a lifting means for raising and lowering the workpiece W, thereby transferring the workpiece W. The lifting device 56C shown in Fig. 10(A) includes a lifting rod 57 and a drive unit (not shown) for raising and lowering the lifting rod 57 by a predetermined stroke, and the tip surface of the lifting rod 57 raised from its lower end can protrude above the upper surface 92a of the lower punch 92 (see Fig. 10(B)).

[0049] 10, when the workpiece W is transported from the second heating chamber 12B to the hot press chamber 16, the telescopic arm 60 carrying the workpiece W is brought to the position of the lower punch 92, and then, as shown in Fig. 10(B), the lifting rod 57 is raised to temporarily receive the workpiece W, and the telescopic arm 60 is retracted. Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 10(C), the lifting rod 57 is lowered to place the workpiece W on the lower punch 92, thereby completing the transport.

[0050] 10(B), when the workpiece W is to be transported from the hot press chamber 16 to the cooling chamber 20, the lifting rod 57 is raised to lift the workpiece W, and the telescopic arm 60 extended from the transport device 59B on the second transport chamber 18 side is inserted into the gap formed between the workpiece W and the lower punch 92. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10(D), the lifting rod 57 is lowered, and the workpiece W is placed on the telescopic arm 60 and transferred to the cooling chamber 20 downstream in the transport direction.

[0051] (3) In the above embodiment, no heating means is provided in the first transfer chamber 14. In order to suppress a temperature drop in the workpiece W heated in the second heating chamber 12B during the process of transferring the workpiece W to the hot press chamber 16 via the first transfer chamber 14, the first transfer chamber 14 may be configured to be provided with a temperature drop suppression means that sets the emissivity of the inner surface side (inner wall surface 15 in FIG. 2 ) of 0.30 or less (preferably 0.20 or less). Specifically, the emissivity of the inner surface of the first transfer chamber 14 can be suppressed to 0.30 or less by applying a low-emissivity paint to the inner wall surface 15 of the hot press chamber 16 or by attaching a mirror-finished metal sheet to the inner wall surface 15 of the first transfer chamber 14. In some cases, the temperature drop suppression means can also be applied to the second transfer chamber 18 located downstream of the hot press chamber 16 in the transfer direction.

[0052] (4) The roller hearth-type heating and cooling chambers connected to the front and rear of the hot press chamber are highly expandable, allowing for the addition (or subtraction) of heating and cooling chambers as needed. Furthermore, the continuous vacuum hot press apparatus of the present invention, equipped with an arm-type conveying means and a roller-type conveying means, offers a high degree of freedom in terms of layout. When it is difficult to arrange the chambers in a linear fashion, an L-shaped or U-shaped layout, as shown in Figure 11, can also be adopted.

[0053] (5) The gas supplied into the furnace can be changed as needed. In the inlet purge chamber 10, the first heating chamber 12A, and the second heating chamber 12B of the above embodiment, argon, hydrogen, etc. can be used. In the cooling chamber 20, argon, hydrogen, helium, etc. can be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1. Continuous vacuum hot press equipment 10 Inlet side purge chamber 12A 1st heating chamber 12B 2nd heating chamber 14 Transport Room 1 16 Hot Press Room 18 Second Transport Room 20 Cooling room 41 Conveyor roller 56, 56B, 56C Lifting device (lifting means) 59A Conveying device (first arm type conveying means) 59B Conveying device (second arm type conveying means) 60 Telescopic arm

Claims

1. an inlet side purge chamber for performing vacuum purging inside the chamber; a heating chamber for heating the object to be treated in a vacuum; a first transfer chamber adjacent to the heating chamber; a hot pressing chamber adjacent to the first transfer chamber for hot pressing the workpiece in a vacuum; a second transfer chamber adjacent to the hot press chamber; a cooling chamber adjacent to the second transfer chamber for cooling the object to be treated; Equipped with the heating chamber and the cooling chamber have conveying rollers for conveying the object to be treated, the first transfer chamber has a first arm-type transfer means that transfers the workpiece from the heating chamber to the hot press chamber, The second transfer chamber has a second arm-type transfer means for transferring the workpiece from the hot press chamber to the cooling chamber.

2. 2. The continuous vacuum hot press apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first arm type transfer means and the second arm type transfer means are equipped with telescopic extendable arms.

3. 2. The continuous vacuum hot press apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating chamber and / or the cooling chamber is provided with a lifting means for lifting and lowering the workpiece.

4. 2. The continuous vacuum hot press apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hot press chamber is provided with a lifting means for lifting and lowering the workpiece.

5. 2. The continuous vacuum hot press apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature decrease suppression means for suppressing a decrease in the temperature of the workpiece in the first transfer chamber and / or the second transfer chamber by setting the emissivity of the inner surface side of the first transfer chamber and / or the second transfer chamber to 0.30 or less.

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