Water removal device and water removal method

Abstract

To efficiently remove moisture sticking to the surfaces of works while suppressing the use amt. of air to the utmost to prevent an increase in power consumption and the discharge amt. of CO2.SOLUTION: The moisture removing device 10 is a device for removing moisture adhering to the surface of the workpiece W, and includes a rotary holding part 11 for holding and rotating the workpiece W, and an air blowing part 12 for blowing air to the workpiece W.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a moisture removal device and a moisture removal method. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, after various machining processes are performed on a workpiece, a cleaning process is performed to remove chips, oil, and other contaminants from the workpiece surface. During this process, depending on the shape of the workpiece, cleaning liquid is likely to remain not only on the outer surface but also on the inner surface that defines the internal space. Therefore, means for removing this type of liquid from the workpiece surface have been proposed and implemented.

[0003] The most common liquid removal method of this type is to blow off the liquid with an air blower. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for removing moisture adhering to the surface of a workpiece using a plurality of first air blow nozzles arranged on one side of the workpiece and at least one second air blow nozzle arranged on the other side of the workpiece. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-275771 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, blowing away moisture using the above-mentioned air blow nozzles inevitably requires a large number of air blow nozzles, resulting in high equipment costs. In addition to the cost, depending on the shape of the workpiece, moisture blown away by the air blow may re-adhere to other parts of the workpiece surface, increasing the effort required to blow away the re-adhesion. Moreover, blowing away moisture from the workpiece surface by using multiple air blow nozzles requires air to be blown evenly onto all areas where moisture may adhere, which inevitably results in wasted air blowing (such as air blowing onto areas where moisture has already been blown away or areas that were originally free of moisture). This increases the amount of air used, which can lead to increased power consumption and ultimately increased CO2 emissions.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, the technical problem to be solved in this specification is to efficiently remove moisture adhering to the workpiece surface while minimizing the amount of air used to prevent an increase in power consumption and, in turn, CO2 emissions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The above-mentioned problems are solved by a moisture removal method according to the present invention. That is, this removal method is an apparatus for removing moisture adhering to the surface of a workpiece, characterized in that it includes a rotation holding unit that holds and rotates the workpiece, and an air blowing unit that blows air onto the workpiece.

[0008] As described above, the moisture removal device according to the present invention is provided with a rotary holder that holds and rotates the workpiece. By holding and rotating the workpiece with this rotary holder, the moisture adhering to the surface of the workpiece also rotates together with the workpiece, and centrifugal force acts on the moisture. Therefore, the action of this centrifugal force makes it possible to scatter and remove the moisture adhering to the surface of the workpiece. The centrifugal force can be easily increased by increasing the rotation speed (number of rotations) of the workpiece. For example, the rotation speed of the workpiece can be increased by increasing the rotation speed of the workpiece to 10 2By setting the rotation speed to the order of rpm or higher, it is possible to remove most of the moisture (for example, 80 to 90% or more) adhering to the workpiece through this rotational action.

[0009] Furthermore, by rotating the workpiece in this way and using the centrifugal force to remove moisture from the workpiece surface, the amount of moisture that needs to be removed by blowing air can be significantly reduced compared to conventional methods. This allows for a reduction in the number of air nozzles, minimizing unnecessary air blowing, while still completely removing moisture from the workpiece in a short amount of time. This significantly reduces the amount of air used to remove moisture, which in turn enables a significant reduction in power consumption and, ultimately, CO2 emissions.

[0010] In the moisture removing device according to the present invention, the rotation holder may be configured to rotate the workpiece around a predetermined axis and to be able to rotate the workpiece in both forward and reverse directions.

[0011] When rotating the workpiece around a predetermined axis in this manner, by configuring the workpiece to be rotatable in both forward and reverse directions, it is possible to eliminate uneven dispersion of moisture due to, for example, the shape of the workpiece, and to remove moisture more effectively.

[0012] In the moisture removing device according to the present invention, the air blowing unit may be composed of a robot arm and an air nozzle attached to the tip of the robot arm.

[0013] As described above, the moisture removal device according to the present invention can remove most of the moisture adhering to the surface of a workpiece by rotating the workpiece. Therefore, even with only a small number of air nozzles (for example, one or two or three) attached to the tip of a robot arm, it is possible to remove the remaining moisture in a short time. Of course, with the above configuration, the air nozzles can be moved to precise positions by the robot arm, so it is possible to minimize unnecessary air blowing and effectively blow away the remaining moisture.

[0014] In addition, in the moisture removal device of the invention, the workpiece has an opening provided on its outer surface and an internal space that communicates with the external space that the outer surface faces through the opening, and the air nozzle may be configured to be insertable into the internal space through the opening.

[0015] For example, if the workpiece from which moisture is to be removed has a structure in which the external space and the internal space are connected through an opening on the outer surface, a large amount of moisture remains inside the cylinder head after cleaning. Even if the moisture is blown away by the centrifugal force caused by rotation, moisture tends to remain in the internal space of the workpiece. However, since this type of workpiece has multiple openings connecting the internal space and the external space, by adjusting the shape or size of the air nozzle so that it can be inserted into the internal space of the workpiece through these openings, the robot arm can easily and accurately introduce the air nozzle into the internal space of the workpiece where moisture is likely to remain even after rotation. This makes it possible to more effectively remove moisture remaining inside the workpiece after rotation.

[0016] In the moisture removing device according to the present invention, the robot arm may be disposed at a position where the air nozzle can be inserted into the internal space of the workpiece held by the rotary holder.

[0017] According to the above configuration, after rotating the workpiece to remove most of the moisture, the workpiece can be blown off with the air nozzle without removing it from the rotating holder. This further reduces the work time. In addition, since the workpiece can be rotated to any rotation position while it is held by the rotating holder, the workpiece can be rotated to an orientation (posture) that makes it easy for a nearby robot arm to introduce the air nozzle, which also makes it possible to perform the blowing off work efficiently and in a short time.

[0018] The above-mentioned problem is also solved by a moisture removal method according to the present invention. That is, this removal method is a method for removing moisture adhering to the surface of a workpiece, and is characterized by comprising a rotational holding step of holding and rotating the workpiece with a rotational holding unit, and an air blowing step of blowing air onto the workpiece with an air blowing unit after the rotational holding step.

[0019] In the moisture removal method according to the present invention, similar to the moisture removal device according to the present invention, by holding and rotating a workpiece, the moisture adhering to the surface of the workpiece also rotates together with the workpiece, and centrifugal force acts on the moisture. This centrifugal force therefore makes it possible to scatter and remove the moisture adhering to the surface of the workpiece. Since centrifugal force can be easily increased by increasing the rotation speed (number of rotations) of the workpiece, by setting the rotation number of the workpiece to an appropriate value using the rotation holding unit, it is possible to remove most of the moisture adhering to the workpiece by this rotation action.

[0020] Furthermore, as described above, by first rotating the workpiece and using the centrifugal force to remove moisture from the workpiece surface, the amount of moisture that must be removed by blowing air in the next process can be significantly reduced compared to conventional methods. This allows for a reduction in the number of air nozzles, minimizing unnecessary air blowing, while also completely removing moisture from the workpiece in a short amount of time. This significantly reduces the amount of air used to remove moisture, which in turn significantly reduces power consumption and CO2 emissions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] As described above, the moisture removal device or moisture removal method according to the present invention makes it possible to efficiently remove moisture adhering to the workpiece surface while minimizing the amount of air used to prevent an increase in power consumption and, in turn, CO2 emissions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a moisture removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram conceptually showing an example of the positional relationship between the center of gravity of a workpiece and an axis when viewed from a direction along the axis that is the center of rotation of the rotation holder shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram conceptually showing another example of the positional relationship between the center of gravity of the workpiece and the axis when viewed from the direction along the axis that is the center of rotation of the rotation holder shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of a moisture removal method according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a detailed procedure of a rotation and holding step shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a detailed procedure of the air blowing step shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] 7 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the cylinder head and the air nozzle immediately after the rotational positioning step shown in FIG. 6 is performed, as viewed in a direction along the axis. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A moisture removal device and a moisture removal method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] 1 shows a plan view of a moisture removal device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. This moisture removal device 10 is used to remove moisture adhering to the surface of a cylinder head W (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) as a workpiece, and mainly comprises a rotary holder 11 that can hold and rotate the cylinder head W, and an air blowing unit 12 that can blow air onto the cylinder head W.

[0025] Of these, the rotary holder 11 is configured to be able to rotate, for example, the cylinder head W around a predetermined axis X, and includes a holder 13 that holds the cylinder head W, and a rotary drive unit 14 that rotates the holder 13 around the axis X. The holder 13 is shaped, for example, according to the shape of the cylinder head W, and can hold the cylinder head W by sandwiching it in its longitudinal direction. When using such a holding shape, it is preferable that the direction in which the cylinder head W is sandwiched is parallel to the extension direction of the axis X, which serves as the rotation reference (the left-right direction in FIG. 1 ).

[0026] Furthermore, the relationship between the center of gravity O of the cylinder head W and the axis X, which is the center of rotation, is arbitrary. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the cylinder head W may be held in a predetermined position by the holder 13 so that the center of gravity O of the cylinder head W is located on the axis X when viewed from the direction along the axis X. Alternatively, from the perspective of increasing the centrifugal force described below, as shown in FIG. 3, the position of the center of gravity O with respect to the axis X may be determined so that the distance L between the center of gravity O of the cylinder head W and the axis X is as large as possible. Of course, if the distance L between the center of gravity O and the axis X is too large, this may lead to an increase in the size of the holder 13 or the rotation drive unit 14 described below in order to increase the rotational rigidity of the cylinder head W. Therefore, it is preferable to set the holding position of the cylinder head W with respect to the axis X so that the axis X passes through the cylinder head W (see FIG. 3), for example.

[0027] The above-described configuration of the holding portion 13 is merely an example. Any configuration can be adopted depending on the configuration of the cylinder head W, such as, for example, a pair of chuck members that respectively grip both longitudinal sides of the cylinder head W.

[0028] The rotation drive unit 14 is configured by, for example, a motor, and is capable of rotating the holding unit 13 and therefore the cylinder head W at any rotation speed. In principle, the rotation speed of the cylinder head W is arbitrary, but from the viewpoint of applying a centrifugal force sufficient to remove moisture adhering to the cylinder head W as it rotates, the rotation speed of the cylinder head W is set to, for example, 1.0×10 2 rpm or more, and preferably 2.0 x 102 rpm or more is more preferable, and 3.5 × 10 2 It is more preferable that the rotational speed is 100 rpm or more.

[0029] In principle, the rotation time of the cylinder head W can also be set arbitrarily, but when the rotation speed of the cylinder head W is set within the above-mentioned range, extending the rotation time does not have as much of an effect on the moisture removal efficiency as the rotation speed. Based on this finding, the rotation time of the cylinder head W by the rotation drive unit 14 is set to 2 seconds or more and 20 seconds or less, and preferably 3 seconds or more and 10 seconds or less.

[0030] Furthermore, the rotation drive unit 14 may rotate the holding unit 13 and thus the cylinder head W in one predetermined direction, but is preferably configured to be able to rotate the holding unit 13 and thus the cylinder head W in both forward and reverse directions.

[0031] Furthermore, as will be described later, when air is blown onto the cylinder head W while the cylinder head W is held by the holding portion 13 (rotating holding portion 11), in order to facilitate access of the air nozzle 16 that constitutes the air blowing portion 12, it is preferable that the rotation drive portion 14 be configured to be able to stop the holding portion 13 that holds the cylinder head W at a predetermined rotational position.

[0032] The air blowing unit 12 is capable of blowing air onto the cylinder head W, and in this embodiment, has a robot arm 15 and an air nozzle 16 attached to the tip of the robot arm 15 (see FIG. 1). In this embodiment, the air blowing unit 12 is made up of one robot arm 15 and one air nozzle 16 attached to the tip of this robot arm 15.

[0033] In this embodiment, the air nozzle 16 is configured to have a shape and size that allows it to be inserted into the internal space Wb of the cylinder head W through the opening Wa of the cylinder head W.

[0034] In this embodiment, the robot arm 15 is disposed at a position where the air nozzle 16 can be inserted into the internal space Wb of the cylinder head W held by the rotation holding part 11. In other words, the robot arm 15 and the rotation holding part 11 are disposed adjacent to each other so that the internal space Wb of the cylinder head W is located within the movable range of the robot arm 15.

[0035] Next, an example of a method for removing moisture from the cylinder head W using the moisture removing device 10 having the above configuration will be described.

[0036] 4, this moisture removal method includes a rotation and holding step S1 and an air blowing step S2. In this embodiment, the rotation and holding step S1 includes a holding step S11, a first direction rotation step S12, and a second direction rotation step S13. The air blowing step S2 includes a rotational positioning step S21 and an air blowing step S22.

[0037] (S1) Rotation and holding process (S11) Holding step In step S11, the cylinder head W that has undergone the machining process and then the cleaning process is held in a predetermined position by the holding unit 13. In this embodiment, the cylinder head W is clamped by sandwiching it in the direction along the axis X with the longitudinal direction of the cylinder head W aligned with the direction along the axis X (see FIG. 1).

[0038] (S12) First direction rotation step In step S12, the rotation drive unit 14 is driven in a predetermined direction to rotate the holder 13 and the cylinder head W held by the holder 13 in a first direction d1 (clockwise in FIG. 2). At this time, the rotation speed of the cylinder head W is set to, for example, 300 rpm, and the rotation time is set to 5 seconds. By rotating the cylinder head W around the predetermined axis X in this manner, some of the moisture adhering to the surface of the cylinder head W is subjected to centrifugal force corresponding to the rotation and is scattered mainly toward the outside of the rotation radius. As a result, the removal of moisture from the cylinder head W progresses.

[0039] (S13) Second direction rotation step In step S13, the cylinder head W is rotated in the first direction d1 at a predetermined rotation speed and for a predetermined rotation time. Then, the rotation drive unit 14 is driven in the opposite direction to that in the first-direction rotation step S12 to rotate the holder 13 and the cylinder head W held by the holder 13 in the second direction d2 (counterclockwise in FIG. 2). The rotation speed and rotation time of the cylinder head W are the same as those in the first-direction rotation step S12 (e.g., 300 rpm, 5 seconds). By rotating the cylinder head W around the predetermined axis X in this manner, a portion of the remaining moisture adhering to the surface of the cylinder head W is subjected to centrifugal force corresponding to the rotation and scattered mainly toward the outside of the rotation radius. As a result, moisture removal from the cylinder head W progresses further, and the majority (e.g., 80 to 90%) of the moisture adhering to the surface of the cylinder head W is removed.

[0040] (S2) Air spraying process (S21) Rotation alignment step In step S21, the cylinder head W is rotated to a rotation position according to the operation characteristics and movable range of the robot arm 15 disposed adjacent to the rotation holder 11, and the cylinder head W is stopped at that position. This operation is performed by controlling the rotation drive unit 14. As a result, the openings Wa communicating with a predetermined internal space Wb of the cylinder head W are positioned at predetermined circumferential positions around the axis X. In other words, the three-dimensional positions and opening directions of one or more openings Wa provided in the cylinder head W are fixed to predetermined positions and orientations (see FIG. 7).

[0041] (S22) Air spray step In step S22, air is blown to predetermined positions of the cylinder head W held by the rotary holder 11 to blow away moisture remaining at the predetermined positions. In this embodiment, the air nozzle 16 accesses the multiple positions of the cylinder head W positioned in the previous step S21 in a predetermined order, and the air blown from the air nozzle 16 sequentially blows away moisture remaining on the surface of the cylinder head W. Furthermore, at this time, air is blown mainly toward a portion of the surface of the cylinder head W that is close to the axis X. The movement and air blowing operations of the air nozzle 16 can be performed by teaching the robot arm 15 in advance. Thus, moisture adhering to substantially the entire surface of the cylinder head W is removed, and substantially all of the moisture is removed. The air blowing (spraying) from the air nozzle 16 may be performed continuously throughout the entire period of step S22, or may be performed intermittently, for example, only during a predetermined period excluding the time when the air nozzle 16 is moving.

[0042] As described above, in the moisture removal device 10 and moisture removal method according to this embodiment, the cylinder head W is held and rotated by the rotary holder 11, and centrifugal force acts on the cylinder head W and moisture adhering to the surface of the cylinder head W. This centrifugal force therefore makes it possible to scatter and remove moisture adhering to the surface of the cylinder head W. Since centrifugal force can be easily increased by increasing the rotational speed (number of rotations) of the cylinder head W, by increasing the number of rotations of the cylinder head W by the rotary drive unit 14 to an appropriate level, it is possible to remove most of the moisture adhering to the cylinder head W (e.g., 80 to 90% or more) by this rotational action.

[0043] Furthermore, by rotating the cylinder head W in the rotation holding step S1 and using the centrifugal force to scatter and remove moisture adhering to the surface of the cylinder head W, the amount of moisture that needs to be removed by blowing air in the subsequent air blowing step S2 can be significantly reduced compared to conventional methods. This makes it possible to completely remove moisture adhering to the cylinder head W in a short period of time while reducing the number of air nozzles 16 and minimizing unnecessary air blowing. This significantly reduces the amount of air used to remove moisture, which in turn makes it possible to significantly reduce power consumption and, in turn, CO2 emissions.

[0044] In this embodiment, the rotation speed and rotation time of the cylinder head W in the rotation holding step S1 are set within appropriate ranges (1.0×10 2 rpm or more, for 2 seconds or more and 20 seconds or less), it is possible to remove most of the moisture adhering to the surface of the cylinder head W extremely efficiently.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the robot arm 15 and the rotary holder 11 are disposed adjacent to each other so that the internal space Wb of the cylinder head W is located within the movable range of the robot arm 15. Therefore, according to the above configuration, after the cylinder head W is rotated to remove most of the moisture, the air nozzle 16 can be used to blow off the moisture without removing the cylinder head W from the rotary holder 11. This further reduces the work time. Furthermore, while the cylinder head W is held by the holder 13, the rotary drive unit 14 can rotate the cylinder head W to any rotation position. Therefore, the workpiece can be rotated to an orientation (posture) that makes it easy for the nearby robot arm 15 to introduce the air nozzle 16 (see FIG. 7).

[0046] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the moisture removal device and moisture removal method according to the present invention can also adopt configurations other than those described above within the scope of the spirit thereof.

[0047] For example, in the above embodiment, the cylinder head W is held by the holding part 13 with the longitudinal direction of the cylinder head W aligned with the axis X, which is the center of rotation, but of course, this is not limited to this. For example, although not shown, the cylinder head W may be held by the holding part 13 with the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cylinder head W aligned with the axis X, in order to enhance the effect of water scattering by centrifugal force.

[0048] In addition, in this embodiment, an example has been given of the case where the rotational speed of the cylinder head W is kept constant by the rotation holding unit 11, but it is of course also possible to control the rotational drive unit 14 to increase or decrease the rotational speed along the way.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the robot arm 15 constituting the air blowing unit 12 is disposed to the side of the rotation holding unit 11 (see FIG. 1), but the arrangement of the robot arm 15 is not limited to this. For example, although not shown, if the rotation holding unit 11 is surrounded by a casing, the robot arm 15 may be disposed on the upper surface of the casing. In short, the robot arm 15 can be disposed in any position as long as the workpiece (cylinder head W) held by the rotation holding unit 11 is included in its range of motion.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example has been given in which one air nozzle 16 is attached to one robot arm 15, but of course this is not limited to this. For example, two or more air nozzles 16 may be attached to one robot arm 15. Alternatively, two or more robot arms 15 may be arranged close to the rotation holder 11, and the movement of each air nozzle 16 attached to the tip of each robot arm 15 may be controlled separately and independently.

[0051] Furthermore, in the above explanation, a cylinder head W is used as an example of the workpiece, but of course other parts may also be the target of moisture removal according to the present invention. For example, the present invention is suitable for objects such as cylinder blocks and transmission cases that have an internal space that communicates with the external space that the external surface faces through an opening provided in the external surface. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 10 Moisture removal device 11 Rotation holding part 12 Air blowing section 13 Holding part 14 Rotation drive unit 15 Robot Arm 16 Air nozzle d1 first direction d2 second direction L distance O center of gravity S1 Rotation holding process S11 Holding Step S12 First direction rotation step S13 Second direction rotation step S2 Air spraying process S21 Rotational positioning step S22 Air spray step W Cylinder head (work) Wa opening Wb internal space X axis

Claims

1. An apparatus for removing moisture adhering to the surface of a workpiece, a rotation holding unit that holds and rotates the workpiece; an air blowing unit that blows air onto the workpiece; A moisture removal device comprising:

2. 2. The moisture removal device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation holder is configured to rotate the workpiece about a predetermined axis and to be able to rotate the workpiece in both forward and reverse directions.

3. 3. The moisture removal device according to claim 1, wherein the air blowing unit comprises a robot arm and an air nozzle attached to a tip of the robot arm.

4. The workpiece has an opening provided in an outer surface portion and an internal space communicating with an external space facing the outer surface portion through the opening, The moisture removal device according to claim 3 , wherein the air nozzle is configured to be insertable into the internal space through the opening of the workpiece.

5. The moisture removal device according to claim 4 , wherein the robot arm is disposed at a position where the air nozzle can be inserted into the internal space of the workpiece held by the rotary holder.

6. A method for removing moisture adhering to a surface of a workpiece, comprising: a rotation holding step of holding and rotating the workpiece with a rotation holding unit; an air blowing step of blowing air onto the workpiece by an air blowing unit after the rotation holding step is performed; A method for removing moisture.

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