Aluminum sheet manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method

Abstract

The present invention provides an aluminum sheet manufacturing apparatus that can heat rapidly and evenly, and can also rapidly cool the workpiece while maintaining a uniform temperature state after heating. [Solution] The system comprises a heating unit 10 for heating the workpiece 2, a cooling unit 30 for cooling the workpiece 2, and a retention unit 20 between the heating unit 10 and the cooling unit 30 for temporarily holding the heated workpiece 2. The heating unit 10 includes a heating chamber 11, which includes a hot air nozzle 15 for heating the workpiece 2 by blowing hot air onto it. The hot air nozzles 15 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-to-back direction of the heating chamber 11 on the upper and lower surfaces of the heating chamber 11. The cooling unit 30 includes a cooling chamber 31, which includes a cooling air nozzle 35 for cooling the workpiece 2 by blowing air onto it. The cooling air nozzles 35 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-to-back direction of the cooling chamber 11 on the upper and lower surfaces of the cooling chamber 11.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a thin aluminum plate used for automotive parts and the like.

Background Art

[0002] With the demand for downsizing and weight reduction of automobiles, aluminum alloys are often used in some parts of the vehicle body, or aluminum parts are often adopted for automotive parts. In recent years, thin aluminum plates are used for the battery cooling plates of electric vehicles.

[0003] In the production of thin aluminum plates, aluminum materials may be adhered and laminated to form a thin plate. Welding or crimping techniques may be used for adhering aluminum materials, but brazing is preferred to avoid deformation of the base material. Against this background, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an aluminum alloy for fluxless brazing with excellent brazing properties and an aluminum alloy clad material.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in aluminum brazing, since the melting points of aluminum and the brazing material are close, there is a problem that temperature control during heating is difficult. The larger the size of the desired aluminum product, the more likely it is that the product itself will be distorted due to the temperature difference during heating.

[0006] Furthermore, regarding heating methods, aluminum has a high heat reflectivity, so radiant heating is inefficient and takes a long time to heat up. On the other hand, indirect heating using an electric furnace has problems such as a slow heating rate and the need for large-scale equipment, resulting in poor productivity.

[0007] Furthermore, after heating, the product needs to be cooled to a certain temperature for transport to the next process, and also due to the low strength of aluminum products at high temperatures. However, even during cooling, a large temperature difference within the product can cause distortion in the product itself.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an aluminum sheet manufacturing apparatus that can heat rapidly and evenly, and can rapidly cool the workpiece while maintaining a uniform temperature state after heating. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, the aluminum sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is an aluminum sheet manufacturing apparatus that manufactures an aluminum sheet by heating and brazing a stacked aluminum sheet workpiece, comprising a heating section for heating the workpiece and a cooling section for cooling the heated workpiece, wherein the heating section comprises a heating chamber which is a closed space for heating the workpiece, the heating chamber comprises a hot air nozzle for heating the workpiece by blowing hot air onto it, the hot air nozzles are arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the heating chamber at predetermined intervals in the front-to-back direction of the heating chamber, and the cooling section comprises a cooling chamber which is a closed space for cooling the heated workpiece, the cooling chamber comprises a cooling air nozzle for cooling the workpiece by blowing air onto it, the cooling air nozzles are arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the cooling chamber at predetermined intervals in the front-to-back direction of the cooling chamber.

[0010] Here, the heating chamber and the cooling chamber are further equipped with rollers for transporting the workpiece, and it is preferable that the rollers rotate back and forth repeatedly to oscillate the workpiece while it is being heated in the heating chamber and while it is being cooled in the cooling chamber.

[0011] Furthermore, it is preferable that the heating section comprises a heater that generates hot air, a blower for supplying hot air into the heating chamber, and ducts that serve as passages for hot air from the blower to the heating chamber and from the heating chamber to the heater, thereby circulating the hot air within the heating section by exhausting the hot air from the heating chamber after it has been used to heat the workpiece and heating it again with the heater.

[0012] Furthermore, it is even more preferable to include a retention section between the heating section and the cooling section for temporarily holding the heated workpiece.

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention can also be configured as an apparatus for manufacturing aluminum thin sheets. That is, an aluminum thin sheet manufacturing method for manufacturing aluminum thin sheets by heating and brazing a workpiece of laminated aluminum plates, comprising a heating step for heating the workpiece and a cooling step for cooling the heated workpiece, wherein in the heating step, hot air is blown onto the workpiece from hot air nozzles arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-to-back direction of the heating chamber on the upper and lower surfaces of the heating chamber, which is a closed space for heating the workpiece, and in the cooling step, air is blown onto the workpiece from cooling air nozzles arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-to-back direction of the cooling chamber, which is a closed space for cooling the heated workpiece, to cool it.

[0014] Furthermore, it is preferable to include a retention step between the heating step and the cooling step, in which the heated workpiece is temporarily held in place. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the manufacturing apparatus for aluminum thin plates of the present invention, hot air nozzles are arranged above and below the heating chamber to eject hot air and directly heat the workpiece, so that the workpiece can be heated rapidly and uniformly. Cooling air nozzles are arranged above and below the cooling chamber to blow air directly onto the workpiece for cooling, so that the workpiece can be cooled rapidly and uniformly. Since the rollers in the heating chamber and the cooling chamber repeatedly rotate back and forth to swing the workpiece, the workpiece can be heated and cooled more uniformly.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] It is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the manufacturing apparatus for aluminum thin plates according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing the movement of the aluminum thin plate in the manufacturing apparatus for aluminum thin plates. [Figure 3] It is a diagram for explaining the flow of the manufacturing procedure of the aluminum thin plate. [Figure 4] It is a diagram for explaining the flow of the manufacturing procedure of the aluminum thin plate. [Figure 5] It is a diagram for explaining the flow of the manufacturing procedure of the aluminum thin plate. [Figure 6] It is a diagram for explaining the flow of the manufacturing procedure of the aluminum thin plate. [Figure 7] It is a diagram for explaining the flow of the manufacturing procedure of the aluminum thin plate.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the manufacturing apparatus for aluminum thin plates, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the movement of the aluminum thin plate in the manufacturing apparatus for aluminum thin plates.

[0019] The aluminum thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is an apparatus for manufacturing thin aluminum plates used for automotive parts and the like. As the aluminum thin plate to be manufactured, it is assumed that aluminum plates of a size of about one tatami mat are laminated and bonded by brazing. Hereinafter, in order to distinguish from the aluminum thin plate after manufacturing, the aluminum plate during manufacturing is referred to as a "workpiece".

[0020] The aluminum thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1 is roughly divided into a heating unit 10 that heats the workpiece 2 and bonds it by brazing, a holding unit 20 that temporarily holds the workpiece 2, and a cooling unit 30 that cools the workpiece 2 to a certain temperature.

[0021] The heating unit 10 directly heats the workpiece 2 with hot air. In the heating unit 10, hot air is circulated inside the heating unit 10, and the workpiece 2 is heated to about 600 °C by the hot air. The heating unit 10 includes a heater 14 for generating hot air that circulates inside the heating unit 10, a blower 12 for sending the hot air, a duct 13 that serves as a passage for the hot air, and a heating chamber 11 that is a space for heating the workpiece 2.

[0022] Inside the heating unit 10, the hot air heated by the heater 14 is sent into the heating chamber 11 through the duct 13 by the blower 12. In the heating chamber 11, the hot air is used to heat the workpiece 2. The hot air used to heat the workpiece 2 in the heating chamber 11 is exhausted from the heating chamber 11, then heated again by the heater 14, and sent into the heating chamber 11 again by the blower 12. Thus, the heating unit 10 is configured to heat the workpiece 2 by circulating hot air inside the heating unit 10. By making it a circulation type, heat loss due to exhaust is suppressed, and the heating efficiency is enhanced.

[0023] The heating chamber 11 includes a hot air nozzle 15 that blows hot air onto the workpiece 2, a roller 16 that swings the workpiece 2 during heating and carries out the heated workpiece 2 to the next process, and a door 17 that serves as a partition between the heating unit 10 and the holding unit 20. By closing the inlet of the workpiece 2 into the aluminum thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1 and the door 17, the heating chamber 11 becomes a closed space.

[0024] Inside the heating chamber 11, the workpiece 2 is heated by blowing hot air from the hot air nozzle 15 while the workpiece 2 is oscillated back and forth by the roller 16.

[0025] The hot air nozzles 15 are outlets for blowing hot air onto the workpiece 2. They are positioned on the upper and lower surfaces of the heating chamber 11, respectively, and, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, blow hot air onto the workpiece 2 to heat both sides of the workpiece 2. The hot air nozzles 15 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-to-back direction of the heating chamber 11. The predetermined intervals for the hot air nozzles 15 are determined according to the size of the workpiece 2. The diameter of the hot air nozzles 15 is calculated based on the wind speed required for heating. The wind speed of the hot air discharged from the hot air nozzles 15 is preferably 20 to 50 m / s.

[0026] The roller 16 that transports the workpiece 2 lifts the workpiece 2, opening a portion of its underside, and constantly rotates in a back-and-forth direction to oscillate the workpiece 2 during heating. This ensures even heating of the workpiece 2 and prevents the roller 16 from seizing up.

[0027] Furthermore, the heating unit 10 is equipped with a valve 18 and a retention chamber introduction pipe 19. The valve 18 switches the flow of hot air within the heating unit 10, allowing the hot air to be sent to the retention chamber 21 via the retention chamber introduction pipe 19.

[0028] The retention section 20 temporarily holds the workpiece 2 that has been heated in the heating section 10. The retention section 20 includes a retention chamber 21, which is a space for temporarily holding the workpiece 2.

[0029] The retention chamber 21 is equipped with rollers 26 for transporting the workpiece 2 to the next process and a door 27 that separates the retention section 20 from the cooling section 30. By closing doors 17 and 27, the retention chamber 21 becomes a closed space. The retention chamber 21 is also equipped with a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature inside the retention chamber 21. Depending on the temperature inside the retention chamber 21, valve 18 can be switched to switch between exhaust and supplying hot air to the retention chamber 21, or valve 38 can be switched to supply cold air to the retention chamber 21, so that the temperature of the heated workpiece 2 decreases at a desired rate.

[0030] The cooling unit 30 blows cool air onto the heated workpiece 2 to cool it to approximately room temperature. The cooling unit 30 includes a blower 32 for supplying air, a duct 33 which serves as an air passage, a cooling chamber 31 which is a space for cooling the workpiece 2, and an exhaust duct 34 for discharging the air used to cool the workpiece 2 from the cooling chamber 31 to the outside of the device.

[0031] The cooling chamber 31 is equipped with a cooling air nozzle 35 that blows air onto the workpiece 2, a roller 36 that oscillates the workpiece 2 during cooling and transports the cooled workpiece 2 out of the device, and a door 37 that separates the cooling section 30 from the outside of the device. By closing doors 27 and 37, the cooling chamber 31 becomes a closed space.

[0032] Even inside the cooling chamber 31, the workpiece 2 is cooled by blowing air from the cooling air nozzle 35 while the workpiece 2 is oscillated back and forth by the roller 36.

[0033] The cooling air nozzles 35 are outlets for blowing air onto the workpiece 2. They are positioned on the upper and lower surfaces of the cooling chamber 31, and as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, they blow air onto the workpiece 2 to cool both sides of the workpiece 2. The cooling air nozzles 35 are also arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-to-back direction of the cooling chamber 31. The predetermined intervals for the cooling air nozzles 35 are determined according to the size of the workpiece 2, similar to the hot air nozzles 15, and the diameter of the cooling air nozzles 35 is calculated based on the wind speed required for cooling. The wind speed of the air discharged from the cooling air nozzles 35 is preferably 20 to 50 m / s.

[0034] The roller 36 that transports the workpiece 2 lifts the workpiece 2, opening a portion of its underside, and constantly rotates in a back-and-forth direction to oscillate the workpiece 2 while it is cooling. This makes it possible to cool the workpiece 2 uniformly.

[0035] Furthermore, the cooling unit 30 is equipped with a valve 38 and a retention chamber introduction pipe 39, and the valve 38 switches the airflow so that air can be sent to the retention chamber 21 via the retention chamber introduction pipe 39.

[0036] The procedure by which aluminum thin sheets are manufactured in the aluminum thin sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 configured in this way will be explained below.

[0037] Figures 3 through 7 illustrate the flow of the manufacturing procedure for thin aluminum sheets. Here, we will focus on a single thin aluminum sheet and explain its manufacturing process.

[0038] First, as shown in Figure 3, the workpiece 2, which is made by laminating aluminum plates and brazing them together, is placed on the roller 16 and carried to the heating chamber 11, where it is heated by hot air. Because it is heated directly by hot air, the workpiece 2 can be heated rapidly. In addition, the hot air used for heating is circulated within the heating section 10, suppressing heat loss and resulting in good thermal efficiency.

[0039] Hot air is ejected from hot air nozzles 15 arranged vertically within the heating chamber 11, and the workpiece 2 placed on the roller 16 is uniformly heated on both sides from above and below. At the same time, the roller 16 rotates repeatedly in the back-and-forth direction, causing the workpiece 2 to oscillate, thereby further ensuring uniform heating of the workpiece 2.

[0040] After heating in the heating chamber 11, the workpiece 2 is transported to the next process by rollers 16. As shown in Figure 4, the door 17 is opened, and the workpiece 2 is moved from the heating chamber 11 to the retention chamber 21.

[0041] As shown in Figure 5, when the door 17 is closed, the workpiece 2 is temporarily held in the holding chamber 21.

[0042] The reason for retaining workpiece 2 in the retention chamber 21 is to prepare for rapid cooling in the cooling chamber 31 in the next process. In the aluminum sheet manufacturing apparatus 1, heating and cooling can be performed rapidly, but it is not always possible to perform both in the same amount of time. This is because a large temperature difference within workpiece 2 during cooling can cause distortion, so it is preferable to cool the entire workpiece 2 to a uniform temperature over a longer period than during heating. In such cases, where cooling workpiece 2 takes longer than heating, there is a risk that workpiece 2 remaining in the cooling chamber 31 while workpiece 2 being heated in the heating chamber 11 is not transported to the next process, potentially leading to overheating. Therefore, it is preferable to retain workpiece 2 in the retention chamber 21 to create a buffer in the flow of workpiece 2 throughout the apparatus. However, if the heating in the heating chamber 11 and the cooling in the cooling chamber 31 are synchronized, and the transport of workpiece 2 from the heating chamber 11 to the cooling chamber 31 and the transport of workpiece 2 from the cooling chamber 31 to outside the apparatus can be performed at the same time, then it may not be necessary to provide a retention section 20.

[0043] Furthermore, if workpiece 2 is left in the retention chamber 21, it will be cooled slowly in a lower temperature environment than during heating before being rapidly cooled in the cooling chamber 31. This can be beneficial in preventing sudden temperature changes from being applied to workpiece 2. For example, depending on the properties of workpiece 2, sudden temperature changes (especially cooling) may be undesirable, and in such cases, leaving workpiece 2 in the retention chamber 21 can be beneficial. Therefore, leaving workpiece 2 in the retention chamber 21 can be said to contribute to maintaining a homogeneous temperature state of workpiece 2 after heating.

[0044] Furthermore, if, for example, the roller 26 is configured to rotate in the forward and backward directions in the same way as rollers 16 and 36, then, for the sake of the overall drive system of the device, rollers 16 and 26 in the heating chamber 11 and roller 36 in the cooling chamber 31 may rotate in sync with each other. Alternatively, if rollers 16, 26, and 36 are driven independently, roller 26 may remain stationary without rotating.

[0045] Once the cooling of workpiece 2, which was cooled earlier, is complete and it is removed from the apparatus, that is, if the cooling chamber 31 is empty, workpiece 2 is transported to the next process by rollers 26. As shown in Figure 6, door 27 is opened and workpiece 2 is moved from the retention chamber 21 to the cooling chamber 31.

[0046] As shown in Figure 7, when the door 27 is closed, the workpiece 2 is cooled by air in the cooling chamber 31. Because the cooling is performed by directly blowing air onto the workpiece 2, it can be cooled rapidly.

[0047] Air is ejected from cooling air nozzles 35 arranged vertically within the cooling chamber 31, and the workpiece 2 placed on the rollers 36 is uniformly cooled on both sides from above and below. At the same time, the rollers 36 repeatedly rotate in the front-back direction, causing the workpiece 2 to oscillate, thereby further ensuring uniform cooling of the workpiece 2.

[0048] After cooling in the cooling chamber 31, the door 37 is opened, and the workpiece 2 is transported from the cooling chamber 31 to outside the apparatus by the rollers 36.

[0049] It is preferable to operate the aluminum sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 as a whole continuously so that workpieces 2 are always present in the heating chamber 11, the retention chamber 21, and the cooling chamber 31. However, if doors 17 and 27 are opened simultaneously, there is a risk that the hot air from the heating chamber 11 will reach the cooling chamber 31, so it is preferable to control the doors separating each chamber so that they are not opened at the same time.

[0050] The aluminum sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 manufactures aluminum sheets using the procedure described above.

[0051] In this way, the aluminum sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 directly heats the workpiece 2 by blowing hot air from hot air nozzles 15 arranged vertically in the heating chamber 11, so that the workpiece 2 can be heated rapidly and uniformly. In addition, since the rollers 16 repeatedly rotate in the back-and-forth direction within the heating chamber 11, causing the workpiece 2 to oscillate, the workpiece 2 can be heated more uniformly.

[0052] Furthermore, the aluminum sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 cools the workpiece 2 rapidly and uniformly by blowing air directly onto it from cooling air nozzles 35 arranged vertically in the cooling chamber 31. In addition, since the rollers 36 repeatedly rotate in the front-back direction within the cooling chamber 31, causing the workpiece 2 to oscillate, the workpiece 2 can be cooled while maintaining a uniform temperature state.

[0053] Furthermore, the aluminum sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 retains the heated workpiece 2 in the retention chamber 21 until it is sent to the cooling chamber 31 for the next process, and adjusts the temperature of the heated workpiece 2 so that it decreases at a desired rate, thereby making the cooling in the cooling chamber 31 more uniform. In addition, it allows for more flexibility in the manufacturing flow of the aluminum sheet manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0054] The aluminum sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention has been described above based on embodiments, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Various design modifications are possible as long as they achieve the objectives of the present invention and do not depart from the gist of the invention, and all of these are also included within the scope of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0055] The aluminum sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is suitable as an apparatus for manufacturing aluminum sheets used in automobile parts and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1. Aluminum sheet manufacturing equipment 2 Work 10 Heating section 11 Heating chamber 12.32 blower 13,33 Duct 14 Heater 15 Hot air nozzle 16, 26, 36 rollers Doors 17, 27, 37 18.38 valves 19,39 Retention chamber introduction pipe 20 Retention part 21 Retention chamber 30 Cooling section 31 Cooling room 34 Exhaust duct 35 Cooling air nozzle

Claims

1. An aluminum sheet manufacturing apparatus for producing aluminum sheets by heating and brazing laminated aluminum sheet workpieces together, It comprises a heating section for heating the workpiece and a cooling section for cooling the heated workpiece. The heating unit includes a heating chamber, which is a closed space for heating the workpiece. The heating chamber is equipped with a hot air nozzle that blows hot air onto the workpiece to heat it. The hot air nozzles are arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the heating chamber at predetermined intervals in the front-to-back direction of the heating chamber. The cooling unit includes a cooling chamber, which is a closed space for cooling the workpiece after heating. The cooling chamber is equipped with a cooling air nozzle that blows air onto the workpiece to cool it. The cooling air nozzles are arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the cooling chamber at predetermined intervals in the front-to-back direction of the cooling chamber. A manufacturing apparatus for thin aluminum sheets, characterized by the following features.

2. The heating chamber and the cooling chamber are further equipped with rollers for transporting the workpiece, The roller rotates back and forth repeatedly while the workpiece is being heated in the heating chamber and while the workpiece is being cooled in the cooling chamber, thereby causing the workpiece to oscillate. The apparatus for manufacturing thin aluminum sheets according to claim 1.

3. The heating unit comprises a heater that generates hot air, a blower for sending hot air into the heating chamber, and ducts that serve as passages for hot air from the blower to the heating chamber and from the heating chamber to the heater. The hot air used to heat the workpiece is exhausted from the heating chamber and heated again by a heater, circulating the hot air within the heating section. The apparatus for manufacturing thin aluminum sheets according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Furthermore, a retention section is provided between the heating section and the cooling section to temporarily hold the heated workpiece. The apparatus for manufacturing thin aluminum sheets according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A method for manufacturing aluminum thin sheets, which involves heating and brazing laminated aluminum plate workpieces together to produce aluminum thin sheets, The system comprises a heating step for heating the workpiece and a cooling step for cooling the heated workpiece. In the heating step, hot air is blown onto the workpiece from hot air nozzles arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-to-back direction of the heating chamber, which is a closed space for heating the workpiece, on the upper and lower surfaces of the heating chamber. In the cooling step, the workpiece is cooled by blowing air onto it from cooling air nozzles, which are arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-to-back direction of the cooling chamber, on the upper and lower surfaces of the cooling chamber, which is a closed space for cooling the heated workpiece. A method for manufacturing thin aluminum sheets, characterized by the following features.

6. Furthermore, the heating step and the cooling step include a retention step in which the heated workpiece is temporarily held in place. The method for manufacturing an aluminum thin sheet according to claim 5, characterized in that it is a method for manufacturing an aluminum thin sheet.

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