Thermal spraying apparatus and thermal spraying control method

Abstract

To provide a thermal spraying device and a thermal spraying control method capable of reducing the complication of thermal spraying work and improving the safety of the work.SOLUTION: According to an embodiment, there is provided a thermal spraying apparatus including a thermal sprayer including a thermal spraying torch configured to thermally spray a material onto a base material, one or more peripheral devices used together with the thermal sprayer, and a centralized control panel configured to collectively operate the thermal sprayer and the one or more peripheral devices. According to an embodiment, there is provided a thermal spraying control method executed by a thermal spraying apparatus including a thermal sprayer, one or more peripheral devices used with the thermal sprayer, and a centralized control panel, the thermal spraying control method including collectively controlling the thermal sprayer and the one or more peripheral devices by the centralized control panel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] One embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a thermal spraying apparatus and a thermal spraying control method. [Background technology]

[0002] Thermal spraying devices are known that heat and melt a coating material such as a metal or ceramic, or bring it to a nearly molten (semi-molten) state, and then spray the molten or semi-molten coating material onto a substrate, thereby forming a coating of the coating material on the substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Candidate for Jitsukou 5-29092 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the thermal spraying process, in addition to the thermal spraying equipment including a thermal spray torch that sprays the coating material onto the substrate, peripheral devices are operated, including a robot that moves the thermal spray torch, a rotating machine that fixes and rotates the substrate, an air supply device that controls the temperature and humidity in the thermal spraying booth, one or more sensors including a thermo-hygrometer that detects the temperature and humidity in the thermal spraying booth, an oxygen concentration meter that detects the oxygen concentration, a radiation thermometer that detects the temperature of the product, etc., a cooling device that cools the product, and a dust collector that collects dust generated in the thermal spraying booth.

[0005] The thermal spraying equipment and its peripheral devices had to be manually operated by the workers involved in the thermal spraying work on-site, which made the thermal spraying work complicated and reduced work efficiency, as well as posing a safety issue for the workers on-site.

[0006] One of the objectives of the embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a thermal spraying device and a thermal spraying control method that can reduce the complexity of thermal spraying work and improve the safety of the work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A thermal spraying apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a thermal spraying machine including a thermal spray torch that sprays a material onto a substrate, one or more peripheral devices used with the thermal spraying machine, and a centralized control panel that can operate the thermal spraying machine and the one or more peripheral devices together.

[0008] A thermal spray control method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a thermal spray method performed by a thermal spraying apparatus including a thermal spray machine, one or more peripheral devices used with the thermal spray machine, and a centralized control panel, and includes collectively controlling the thermal spray machine and the one or more peripheral devices by the centralized control panel. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a thermal spraying device and a thermal spraying control method that can reduce the complexity of thermal spraying work and improve the safety of the work. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a thermal spraying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a centralized control panel according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an example of a thermal spraying process performed by a thermal spraying device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an example of a thermal spraying process performed by a thermal spraying device according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings and the like. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms, and should not be construed as being limited to the description of the following exemplary embodiments. For clarity of explanation, the drawings may show the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part schematically compared to the actual form, but these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the interpretation of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in this specification and each drawing, elements that are identical or similar to those previously described with reference to the previous drawings may be designated by the same reference numerals (or numbers followed by a, b, A, B, etc.), and detailed descriptions may be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the letters "first" and "second" attached to each element are convenient labels used to distinguish each element and have no further meaning unless otherwise specified.

[0012] In order to clarify the description, the drawings may show the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part schematically compared to the actual embodiment, but these are merely examples and do not limit the interpretation of the present invention. Furthermore, in this specification and each drawing, elements having the same functions as those explained in the previous drawings may be assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations may be omitted.

[0013] In this specification, when a component or region is described as being "on (or under)" another component or region, unless otherwise specified, this includes not only the case where it is directly above (or directly under) the other component or region, but also the case where it is above (or under) the other component or region, i.e., the case where another component is included between the component or region and above (or under) the other component or region.

[0014] Furthermore, in this specification, unless otherwise specified, expressions such as "α includes A, B, or C," "α includes any one of A, B, and C," and "α includes one selected from the group consisting of A, B, and C" do not exclude cases where α includes multiple combinations of A to C. Furthermore, these expressions do not exclude cases where α includes other elements.

[0015] <Thermal spraying equipment> A thermal spraying device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0016] 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a thermal spraying apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The thermal spraying apparatus 10 is composed of a central control panel 101, a thermal spraying machine 103, and peripheral equipment. The peripheral equipment includes a moving machine 105, a gas supply machine 108, a cooling gas supply machine 109, a rotating machine 113 including a workpiece (substrate) 111, a first sensor 115, and a second sensor 117. The peripheral equipment may also include a temperature and humidity adjuster 121 and a dust collector 123. In this embodiment, the thermal spraying machine 103 is composed of a thermal spraying torch 102, a thermal spraying controller 106, a raw material feeder 107, and a gas supply machine 108.

[0017] In this embodiment, at least a part of the thermal spray machine 103, the moving machine 105, the cooling gas supply machine 109, the rotating machine 113, the first sensor 115, and the second sensor 117 are provided in a thermal spray booth 119 where the thermal spraying process is carried out. The temperature and humidity adjuster 121 has an air supply duct 122 that leads to the inside of the thermal spray booth 119. The dust collector 123 has an exhaust duct 124 that leads to the inside of the thermal spray booth 119. The thermal spraying apparatus 10 also has a safety door 125 that allows an operator W to enter and exit the thermal spray booth 119.

[0018] The centralized control panel 101 is installed outside the thermal spray booth 119. The centralized control panel 101 enables the collective operation of each component of the thermal spraying device 10. That is, the centralized control panel 101 controls the thermal spraying machine 103, The centralized control panel 101 collectively controls the operations of the moving machine 105, the cooling gas supply machine 109, the rotating machine 113, the first sensor 115, the second sensor 117, the temperature and humidity adjuster 121, and the dust collector 123. The centralized control panel 101 receives input operations from the operator W and controls the operations of each component of the thermal spraying device 10 to perform the thermal spraying process in the thermal spraying booth 119. The centralized control panel 101 may also control the opening and closing of a safety door 125.

[0019] 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the centralized control panel 101 according to this embodiment. The centralized control panel 101 may include a control unit 201, a storage unit 203, an operation unit 205, a communication unit 207, and a display unit 209. The control unit 201, the storage unit 203, the operation unit 205, the communication unit 207, and the display unit 209 are connected to one another by a bus 211.

[0020] The control unit 201 includes an arithmetic processing circuit such as a CPU. The control unit 201 executes a control program stored in the storage unit 203 using the CPU to control the operation of the thermal spraying apparatus 10 and realizes the thermal spraying process using the thermal spraying apparatus 10. In other words, the control unit 201 centrally controls the operation of the thermal sprayer 103, the moving machine 105, the cooling gas supply machine 109, the rotating machine 113, the first sensor 115, the second sensor 117, the temperature and humidity adjuster 121, and the dust collector 123 that constitute the thermal spraying apparatus 10.

[0021] The memory unit 203 is a storage device such as a ROM, RAM, or hard disk. The memory unit 203 stores a control program for implementing the thermal spraying process by the thermal spraying apparatus 10. The control program may be provided in a state stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as a magnetic recording medium, an optical recording medium, a magneto-optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. In this case, the central control panel 101 only needs to be equipped with a device for reading the recording medium. The memory unit 203 may also store settings for the thermal spraying machine 103, the moving machine 105, the cooling gas supply machine 109, the rotating machine 113, the first sensor 115, the second sensor 117, the temperature / humidity adjuster 121, and the dust collector 123 that constitute the thermal spraying apparatus 10. The control program and settings for each component of the thermal spraying apparatus 10 may be downloaded via a network such as the Internet.

[0022] The operation unit 205 is a device such as an operation panel, operation buttons, or touch panel, and outputs a signal corresponding to an input operation to the control unit 201. An operator W engaged in thermal spraying operations controls the operation of the thermal spraying apparatus 10 via the operation unit 205. The operator W can issue commands to start and stop the thermal spraying process executed by the thermal spraying apparatus 10 via the operation unit 205. The operator W can also use the operation unit 205 to appropriately change the settings of the thermal spray machine 103, the moving machine 105, the cooling gas supply machine 109, the rotating machine 113, the first sensor 115, the second sensor 117, the temperature and humidity adjuster 121, and the dust collector 123, which constitute the thermal spraying apparatus 10.

[0023] Based on the control of the control unit 201, the communication unit 207 communicates with each component of the thermal spraying apparatus 10, namely, the thermal sprayer 103, the moving machine 105, the cooling gas supply machine 109, the rotating machine 113, the first sensor 115, the second sensor 117, the temperature and humidity adjuster 121, and the dust collector 123. The communication may be wired or wireless. The function of the memory unit 203 may be realized by an external device with which communication is possible via the communication unit 207.

[0024] The display unit 209 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and displays a screen based on the control of the control unit 201 to the worker W. For example, the display unit 209 may display the setting states and operating states of the thermal spray machine 103, the moving machine 105, the cooling gas supply machine 109, the rotating machine 113, the first sensor 115, the second sensor 117, the temperature and humidity adjuster 121, and the dust collector 123, as well as the detection results of the first sensor 115 and the second sensor 117.

[0025] Returning to the description of the thermal spraying device 10 with reference to FIG. 1, the thermal spraying machine 103 is a mobile machine 105 (described later). The thermal spray torch 102 is connected to a rotating machine 113. The thermal spray torch 102 sprays the thermal spray material supplied from a raw material feeder 107 and the gas supplied from a gas supplier 108 based on a thermal spray controller 106. The thermal spraying by the thermal sprayer 103 may be gas-type thermal spraying, including flame spraying and high-velocity flame spraying, or electric-type thermal spraying, including arc spraying and plasma spraying. The thermal spray torch 102 melts or semi-melts the thermal spray material with gas or electricity (arc or plasma) to generate spray particles. The thermal spray torch 102 accelerates the generated spray particles with a gas such as compressed air and sprays them onto a workpiece 111 on a rotating machine 113, forming a coating of the spray particles on the surface of the workpiece 111.

[0026] The moving machine 105 moves the thermal spray torch 102 under the control of the control unit 201. The moving machine 105 may be, for example, an industrial robot. Specifically, the moving machine 105 may be a 6-axis or 7-axis vertical articulated robot. Under the control of the control unit 201, the moving machine 105 controls the movement of the thermal spray torch 102 in the forward / backward, up / down, left / right directions, the angle of the thermal spray torch 102 with respect to the surface of the workpiece 111 of the rotating machine 113, and the like. For example, when the thermal spraying process by the thermal spray machine 103 is started, the moving machine 105 may move the thermal spray torch 102 so that the thermal spray torch 102 approaches the workpiece 111 of the rotating machine 113 to a close distance, and may tilt the thermal spray torch 102 at a predetermined angle with respect to the surface of the workpiece 111. Furthermore, when the thermal spraying process is completed, the moving machine 105 may move the thermal spray torch 102 away from the rotating machine 113.

[0027] The thermal spray controller 106 adjusts the amount of spray material supplied from the raw material feeder 107 to the thermal spray torch 102 based on control by the control unit 201 of the centralized control panel 101. Similarly, the thermal spray controller 106 adjusts the amount of working gas supplied from the gas supplier 108 based on control by the control unit 201 of the centralized control panel 101, and supplies the working gas to the thermal spray torch 102. In one embodiment, the control unit 201 of the centralized control panel 101 may directly adjust the amount of spray material supplied from the raw material feeder 107 to the thermal spray torch 102. Similarly, in one embodiment, the control unit 201 of the centralized control panel 101 may directly adjust the amount of working gas supplied from the gas supplier 108.

[0028] The raw material feeder 107 supplies the spray material to the thermal spray torch 102 at a predetermined flow rate under the control of the thermal spray controller 106. The spray material may be a composite material such as a metal, ceramic, polymer, or cermet. In this embodiment, an example is described in which the raw material feeder 107 is installed inside the thermal spray booth 119, but at least a portion of the raw material feeder 107 may be located outside the thermal spray booth 119. The amount of spray material supplied from the raw material feeder 107 to the thermal spray torch 102 may be directly controlled by the control unit 201 of the central control panel 101.

[0029] The gas supplier 108 supplies the working gas at a predetermined flow rate to the thermal spray torch 102 via the thermal spray controller 106 based on the control of the thermal spray controller 106. When the thermal spraying by the thermal sprayer 103 is gas-type thermal spraying, the working gas may be a mixed gas containing oxygen (O2) and acetylene. When the thermal spraying by the thermal sprayer 103 is electric-type thermal spraying, the working gas may be a gas such as argon (Ar), helium (He), nitrogen (N2), or hydrogen (H2). The amount of working gas supplied from the gas supplier 108 may be directly controlled by the control unit 201 of the central control panel 101.

[0030] The cooling gas supply device 109 supplies a cooling gas at a predetermined flow rate to the workpiece 111 of the rotating machine 113 under the control of the control unit 201. The cooling gas may be nitrogen (N2) gas or argon (Ar) gas. The cooling gas supplied from the cooling gas supply device 109 cools the sprayed film formed on the surface of the workpiece 111.

[0031] The rotating machine 113 includes a workpiece 111. The rotating machine 113 rotates under the control of the control unit 201. The rotating machine 113 rotates the workpiece 111 at a predetermined speed. The rotating machine 113 can also rotate the workpiece 111 at a predetermined angle under the control of the control unit 201. A thermal spray film is formed on the surface of the workpiece 111 by the thermal spray material sprayed from the thermal spray torch 102.

[0032] The first sensor 115 measures the surface temperature of the workpiece 111 under the control of the control unit 201. The first sensor 115 may be, for example, a radiation temperature sensor. The first sensor 115 transmits the measured surface temperature of the base material to the control unit 201. Based on the surface temperature of the workpiece 111 acquired from the first sensor 115, the control unit 201 controls the cooling gas supply unit 109 to supply cooling gas to the surface of the workpiece 111 so that the surface of the workpiece 111 drops to a predetermined temperature.

[0033] The second sensor 117 measures the temperature and humidity inside the thermal spray booth 119 under the control of the control unit 201. The second sensor 117 may be a temperature and humidity sensor. The second sensor 117 transmits the measured temperature and humidity inside the thermal spray booth 119 to the control unit 201. Based on the temperature and humidity inside the thermal spray booth 119 acquired from the second sensor 117, the control unit 201 controls the temperature and humidity regulator 121 to maintain the inside of the thermal spray booth 119 at a predetermined temperature and humidity.

[0034] The temperature and humidity regulator 121 adjusts the temperature and humidity inside the thermal spray booth 119 based on the control of the control unit 201 .

[0035] The dust collector 123 collects dust generated in the thermal spray booth 119 under the control of the control unit 201. The dust collector 123 discharges the collected dust to the outside of the thermal spray booth 119 through an exhaust duct 124. The dust is, for example, the thermal spray material that did not contribute to film formation. The dust may also be the thermal spray material that was melted during thermal spraying and then re-solidified by cooling.

[0036] The safety door 125 allows the worker W to enter and exit the thermal spray booth 119. The interlock of the safety door 125 is controlled by the control unit 201.

[0037] The centralized control panel 101 collectively controls each of the components of the thermal spraying apparatus 10 described above. Although not shown, the thermal spraying apparatus 10 may include a power supply device that supplies power to each of the components of the thermal spraying apparatus 10. In this case, the centralized control panel 101 can control the operation of the power supply device.

[0038] Although not shown, the thermal spraying device 10 may include a compressor that blows air into the thermal spraying booth 119. The compressor blows air into the thermal spraying booth 119 so that dust generated in the thermal spraying booth 119 can be efficiently collected by the dust collector 123. In this case, the central control panel 101 can control the operation of the compressor and the amount of air blown.

[0039] Although not shown, the thermal spraying device 10 may also include an oxygen concentration sensor that detects the oxygen concentration within the thermal spraying booth 119.

[0040] As described above, in this embodiment, the central control panel 101 collectively controls the operation of each component of the thermal spraying device 10. This reduces the complexity of the thermal spraying operation and improves the safety of the operation. It also stabilizes the quality of the coating of the thermal spray material formed on the substrate, improving the reliability of the product.

[0041] <Thermal spraying process> The following describes the flow of the thermal spraying process performed by the thermal spraying device 10 according to this embodiment. Figures 3 and 4 are flow charts showing an example of the thermal spraying process performed by the thermal spraying device 10 according to this embodiment.

[0042] An operator W engaged in thermal spraying operation instructs the thermal spraying device 10 to start the thermal spraying process via the operation unit 205 of the centralized control panel 101. When the thermal spraying process starts, the control unit 201 of the centralized control panel 101 locks the safety door 125 (S301) to prevent people from entering the thermal spraying booth 119 during the thermal spraying process. The control unit 201 checks whether the safety door 125 is locked (S302), and if it is not locked properly (S302; No), the process returns to S301.

[0043] If the safety door 125 is locked properly (S302; Yes), the control unit 201 checks the operation of the mobile device 105 (S303). If the operation of the mobile device 105 is not normal (S303; No), the worker W checks the settings of the mobile device 105 via the operation unit 205 and changes them to the desired settings (S304).

[0044] If the settings of the mobile device 105 are normal, that is, if the settings of the mobile device 105 are the desired settings (S303; Yes), the control unit 201 drives the dust collector 123 (S305). Thereafter, the control unit 201 drives the temperature and humidity adjuster 121 (S306). Based on the temperature and humidity inside the thermal spray booth 119 measured by the second sensor 117, the control unit 201 controls the temperature and humidity adjuster 121 to maintain the inside of the thermal spray booth 119 at a predetermined temperature and predetermined humidity.

[0045] Next, the control unit 201 drives the thermal spray gun 103 (S307). At this time, the supply of working gas from the gas supplier 108 also begins via the thermal spray controller 106. Next, the control unit 201 drives the rotating machine 113 (S308). When the rotating machine 113 is driven, the workpiece 111 begins to rotate at a predetermined speed, or at a predetermined angle and a predetermined speed.

[0046] The order of the processes from driving the dust collector 123 (S305) to driving the rotating machine 113 (S308) may be reversed, or may be executed simultaneously.

[0047] Next, the control unit 201 starts supplying the cooling gas from the cooling gas supplier 109 to the workpiece 111 (S309).

[0048] The control unit 201 acquires the temperature of the surface of the workpiece 111, i.e., the surface on which the coating made of the thermal spray material is formed, measured by the first sensor 115, and determines whether the surface of the base material is at or below a predetermined temperature (S310). If the surface of the workpiece 111 is above the predetermined temperature (S310; No), the control unit 201 repeats the process of S310 until the surface of the workpiece 111 becomes at or below the predetermined temperature.

[0049] If the surface of the substrate is at or below the predetermined temperature (S310; Yes), the control unit 201 starts supplying the spray material from the raw material feeder 107 to the spray torch 102 via the spray controller 106 (S311). Next, the spray torch 102 is moved to a predetermined position by the mover 105, and the spray material is sprayed onto the surface of the workpiece 111, starting spraying (S312). Here, the predetermined position is a position where the spray torch 102 is close to the workpiece 111 on the rotating machine 113. The control unit 201 may also tilt the spray torch 102 at a predetermined angle with respect to the surface of the workpiece 111 by the mover 105. A coating of the spray material with a predetermined thickness is formed on the surface of the workpiece 111 by spraying.

[0050] When a coating with a predetermined thickness is formed on the surface of the substrate, the control unit 201 stops the thermal spraying by moving the thermal spraying torch 102 with the moving machine 105 so as to move away from the workpiece 111 of the rotating machine 113 (S313).

[0051] The control unit 201 stops the supply of the spray material from the raw material feeder 107 to the spray torch 102 via the spray controller 106 (S314). Next, the control unit 201 stops the driving of the spray gun 103 (S315). At this time, the supply of the working gas from the gas supplier 108 is also stopped via the spray controller 106.

[0052] The control unit 201 acquires the temperature of the surface of the workpiece 111, i.e., the temperature of the surface of the coating formed by the thermal spray material, measured by the first sensor 115, and determines whether the coating surface is at or below a predetermined temperature (S316). If the coating surface is above the predetermined temperature (S316; No), the control unit 201 repeats the process of S316 until the coating surface becomes at or below the predetermined temperature.

[0053] When the temperature of the coating surface drops below the predetermined temperature (S316; Yes), the control unit 201 stops the supply of cooling gas from the cooling gas supplier 109 to the thermal spraying machine 103 (S317).

[0054] Thereafter, the control unit 201 stops driving the rotating machine 113 (S318).

[0055] Thereafter, the control unit 201 stops the driving of the temperature and humidity adjuster 121 (S319) and stops the driving of the dust collector 123 (S320). The order of stopping the driving of the temperature and humidity adjuster 121 (S319) and the stopping of the driving of the dust collector 123 (S320) may be reversed, or may be performed simultaneously.

[0056] Finally, the control unit 201 unlocks the safety door 125 (S321), and the thermal spraying process by the thermal spraying device 10 ends.

[0057] As described above, the thermal spraying process performed by the thermal spraying device 10 is collectively controlled by the central control panel 101. This reduces the complexity of the thermal spraying work and improves the safety of the work. It also stabilizes the quality of the coating of the thermal spray material formed on the substrate, improving the reliability of the product.

[0058] Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure described above, a person skilled in the art can add, delete, or modify components as appropriate, and the same can be applied to the present invention as long as the gist of the present invention is maintained. It is included in the range of light.

[0059] Furthermore, even if there are other effects and advantages different from those brought about by the above-described embodiments, those that are clear from the description in this specification or that can be easily predicted by a person skilled in the art are naturally understood to be brought about by the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 10: Thermal spraying device, 101: Central control panel, 102: Thermal spraying torch, 103: Thermal spraying machine, 105: Moving machine, 107: Raw material feeder, 108: Gas supplier, 109: Cooling gas supplier, 111: Workpiece, 113: Rotating machine, 115: First sensor, 117: Second sensor, 119: Thermal spraying booth, 121: Temperature and humidity regulator, 123: Dust collector, 125: Safety door, 201: Control unit, 203: Memory unit, 205: Operation unit, 207: Communication unit, 209: Display unit

Claims

[Claim 1] a thermal spray machine including a thermal spray torch for thermally spraying a material onto a substrate; one or more peripheral devices for use with the thermal spray gun; a centralized control panel capable of collectively operating the thermal spraying machine and the one or more peripheral devices; A thermal spraying device comprising:

Images