Electrical deionized water production apparatus assembly equipment and assembly method

Abstract

The electro-deionized water production system (EDI system) can be assembled quickly without requiring skilled labor. [Solution] The assembly equipment for assembling an EDI device in which both the desalination chamber and the concentration chamber are composed of a frame having openings and ion exchange resin is filled in the openings includes a membrane extraction robot 60 that has the function of extracting the ion exchange membrane 30 stored in water, a handling robot 50 that has the function of transporting the frame 40 and placing it on the work area, receiving the ion exchange membrane 30 extracted by the membrane extraction robot 60 and transporting it to the work area, and a resin supply robot 70 that has the function of filling the openings of the frame 40 placed on the work area with ion exchange resin. After the handling robot 50 has finished filling the openings of the frame 40 with ion exchange resin, it positions the ion exchange membrane 30 so as to cover the filled ion exchange resin.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to equipment and a method for assembling an electric deionized water production device.

Background Art

[0002] As a deionized water production device that can perform regeneration treatment of an ion exchanger while performing desalination treatment on treated water, there is an electric deionized water production device that generates deionized water from treated water by combining electrophoresis and electrodialysis. The electric deionized water production device is called an EDI (Electrodeionization) device and has the advantage of eliminating the need for treatment to regenerate the ion exchanger with chemicals. In an EDI device, a desalination chamber is formed by filling an ion exchanger (an anion exchanger and / or a cation exchanger) between a pair of ion exchange membranes. Concentrating chambers are arranged outside the pair of ion exchange membranes as seen from the desalination chamber, and further outside them, an anode chamber equipped with an anode and a cathode chamber equipped with a cathode are arranged. The anode chamber and the cathode chamber are collectively called an electrode chamber. By applying a DC voltage between the anode and the cathode and passing the treated water through the desalination chamber while passing water through the concentrating chamber and the electrode chamber, the desalination treatment of the treated water is performed, and deionized water is discharged from the desalination chamber. The ionic components contained in the treated water migrate through the ion exchange membrane into the concentrating chamber and are discharged as concentrated water from the concentrating chamber. Electrode water is discharged from the electrode chamber.

[0003] Here, we have assumed that the basic configuration (called a cell set) consisting of [concentration chamber (C) | ion exchange membrane (IEM) | desalination chamber (D) | ion exchange membrane (IEM) | concentration chamber (C)] is placed between the anode and cathode. However, it is common to increase processing capacity by placing multiple such cell sets side by side between the electrodes, so that multiple cell sets are electrically connected in series with one end as the anode and the other end as the cathode. In this case, adjacent concentration chambers can be shared between adjacent cell sets, so the configuration of the EDI device becomes [anode chamber | C | IEM | D | IEM | C | IEM | D | IEM | C | ... | C | cathode chamber]. In addition, ion exchange membranes are often provided between the anode chamber and the adjacent concentration chamber, and between the cathode chamber and the adjacent concentration chamber. Furthermore, in such a series structure, the desalination chamber closest to the anode chamber can function as a concentration chamber without the need for an independent concentration chamber between it and the anode chamber, and the desalination chamber closest to the cathode chamber can function as a concentration chamber without the need for an independent concentration chamber between it and the cathode chamber. In order to reduce the power consumed by applying a DC voltage, it is preferable to fill each concentration chamber and each electrode chamber with an ion exchanger to lower the overall electrical resistance of the EDI device. The ion exchangers filled in the desalination chamber, concentration chamber and cathode chamber are generally ion exchange resins (i.e., anion exchange resins (AER) and cation exchange resins (CER)). Patent Document 1 discloses a method in which a desalination chamber is divided by an intermediate ion exchange membrane, with one side designated as a first small desalination chamber and the other as a second small desalination chamber, and both small desalination chambers are filled with an ion exchanger. The water to be treated is first supplied to the first small desalination chamber, and the water discharged from the first small desalination chamber is then supplied to the second small desalination chamber, and deionized water is obtained from the second small desalination chamber.

[0004] Thus, the EDI device has a structure in which concentration chambers and desalination chambers are alternately arranged with an ion exchange membrane interposed between the anode chamber and the cathode chamber. Therefore, the EDI device can be assembled by alternately stacking frames (also called cell frames or cells) with a large opening in the center, as described in Patent Document 2, for example, with ion exchange resin filling the opening in the frame. The opening in the frame provides space for a chamber which is either a concentration chamber, a desalination chamber, or an electrode chamber. Through-holes are formed in the outer periphery of the frame for flowing water to be treated, deionized water, water supplied to the concentration chamber and electrode water, concentrated water, and electrode water. When the EDI device is assembled by alternately stacking frames and ion exchange membranes, the ion exchange membrane has a shape larger than the opening in the frame. In this case, recesses are provided on the surface of the frame to receive the outer periphery of the ion exchange membrane so as to surround the opening in the frame. Although not relating to an EDI device, Patent Document 3 discloses an electrodialysis apparatus having a configuration in which a frame and an ion exchange membrane are alternately stacked between a pair of electrodes, and describes how to assemble the electrodialysis apparatus by placing blocks on a backup plate, further stacking the frames and ion exchange membranes alternately in a vertical manner, and finally stacking another block and the backup plate.

[0005] Patent Document 4 discloses that ion exchange membranes become brittle in a dry state, and therefore should be kept moist when assembling an EDI device. Patent Document 5 discloses that it is difficult to ensure that ion exchange resin is filled uniformly into each chamber, such as the desalination chamber and concentration chamber, of an EDI device without creating short-path routes for liquid flow. Patent Document 5 also discloses that the water content of the ion exchange resin should be controlled when filling each chamber of an EDI device with ion exchange resin. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-239270 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-195294 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-163281 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-307068 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-19483 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] EDI devices have a complex structure with a large number of components, consisting of numerous chambers (i.e., concentration chambers and desalination chambers) separated by ion exchange membranes between the cathode and anode, and each chamber being filled with an ion exchange material such as ion exchange resin. Conventionally, such EDI devices were assembled by repeatedly performing the following steps manually: filling the openings of the frames constituting each chamber with ion exchange resin, placing the ion exchange membrane on top of it, and then placing the frame for the next chamber on top of that. In this case, the type of ion exchange material to be filled (anion exchange material and cation exchange material) differs in the desalination chamber, concentration chamber, anode chamber, and cathode chamber, and the type of ion exchange membrane (anion exchange membrane and cation exchange membrane) that partitions each chamber differs depending on its location. Therefore, manual assembly of EDI devices requires considerable skill and is time-consuming and laborious. As the frames are stacked, the height of the locations where the next frame is stacked, the ion exchange resin is filled, and the ion exchange membrane is placed changes, which also leads to a decrease in work efficiency in manual assembly.

[0008] There are several obstacles to automating the assembly of EDI devices. As described in Patent Document 4, the ion exchange membrane needs to be kept in a wet state during the assembly of the EDI device, but a wet ion exchange membrane is a component that robots cannot easily handle. Given that these challenges are already recognized, and coupled with the large number of components involved, the automated assembly of EDI devices has not been considered until now.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide assembly equipment that can assemble an EDI device in a short time without requiring skilled work, and a method for assembling an EDI device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention relates to an assembly apparatus for assembling an electrodeionized water production apparatus (EDI apparatus) in which a desalination chamber and a concentration chamber are alternately and repeatedly arranged between an anode and a cathode via an ion exchange membrane, and both the desalination chamber and the concentration chamber are made of a frame having an opening, with the opening filled with ion exchange resin. The assembly apparatus comprises a cell storage section for storing the frame, a membrane storage section for storing the ion exchange membrane, a resin supply machine for supplying the ion exchange resin, a membrane removal robot having the function of removing the ion exchange membrane from the membrane storage section, and a robot that removes the frame from the cell storage section and transports it to the work area and places it in the work area. The system includes a handling robot that has the function of receiving the ion exchange membrane removed by the membrane removal robot and transporting it to the work area, a resin supply robot that has the function of receiving ion exchange resin from a resin supply machine and filling the opening of the frame placed in the work area with the supplied ion exchange resin, and a control device that controls the resin supply machine, membrane removal robot, handling robot and resin supply robot. After the opening of the frame is filled with ion exchange resin, the handling robot positions the ion exchange membrane so as to cover the filled ion exchange resin.

[0011] The present invention relates to an assembly method for an EDI device in which a desalination chamber and a concentration chamber are alternately and repeatedly arranged between an anode and a cathode via an ion exchange membrane, and both the desalination chamber and the concentration chamber are made of a frame having an opening, with an ion exchange resin filled in the opening, comprising: a first step of transporting the frame from a location different from the work area to the work area using a first robot and placing it in the work area; a second step of filling the opening of the frame in the work area with an ion exchange resin supplied from a location different from the work area using a second robot different from the first robot; and a third step of transporting the ion exchange membrane from a location different from the work area to the work area using a first robot and placing it on top of the ion exchange resin filled in the second step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to assemble an EDI device in a short time without requiring skilled work, thereby improving the productivity of EDI device assembly. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the configuration of an EDI device. [Figure 2] This figure shows another example of the configuration of an EDI device. [Figure 3] This diagram shows an overview of the assembly of an EDI device using assembly equipment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Next, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Since the present invention relates to assembly equipment and assembly method for assembling an EDI device (electronically deionized water production device), the EDI device to be assembled will be described first. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an EDI device. Note that the water flow path inside the EDI device is not shown in the diagram.

[0015] The EDI device shown in Figure 1 has an anode chamber 21 equipped with an anode 11 and a cathode chamber 25 equipped with a cathode 12, with a concentration chamber 22, a desalination chamber 23, and a concentration chamber 24 arranged in order from the anode chamber 21 side. The anode chamber 21 and the concentration chamber 22 are adjacent to each other separated by an ion exchange membrane (IEM) 31, the concentration chamber 22 and the desalination chamber 23 are adjacent to each other separated by an ion exchange membrane 32, the desalination chamber 23 and the concentration chamber 24 are adjacent to each other separated by an ion exchange membrane 33, and the concentration chamber 24 and the cathode chamber 25 are adjacent to each other separated by an ion exchange membrane 34. As described above, the anode chamber 21 and the cathode chamber 25 are collectively called electrode chambers. The anode 11 is placed on the surface of a plate-shaped support member 13 that partitions the anode chamber 21. Similarly, the cathode 12 is placed on the surface of a plate-shaped support member 14 that partitions the cathode chamber 25. The electrode chamber, concentration chambers 22 and 24, and desalination chamber 23 are filled with ion exchange resin (IER).

[0016] The anode chamber 21, concentration chambers 22 and 24, desalination chamber 23, and cathode chamber 25 are formed using plate-shaped frames, also called cell frames or cells, as described in Patent Document 2. The plate-shaped frames have, for example, a roughly rectangular planar shape, and an opening is formed in the center of the frame so as to penetrate between the two main surfaces of the frame. This opening also has, for example, a roughly rectangular shape. The EDI device is constructed by alternately stacking the frames and ion exchange membranes, and by configuring ion exchange resin within the openings of the frames. In the illustrated example, frame 41 is used in the anode chamber 21, frames 42 and 44 are used in the concentration chambers 22 and 24, frame 43 is used in the desalination chamber 23, and frame 45 is used in the cathode chamber 25. Frames 41 to 45 are configured to be stacked with ion exchange membranes in between, but the arrangement of the flow channels formed inside the frames differs depending on the type of chamber in which the frames 41 to 45 are used. However, in the EDI device shown in Figure 1, frames 42 and 44 have the same configuration. The frames 42 to 45, excluding the frame 41 for the anode chamber 21, have recesses formed on one surface to accommodate the outer periphery of the ion exchange membrane, surrounding the opening. Frame 41 is configured to be stackable on the support member 13, and frame 45 is configured to be stackable on the support member 14. For positioning during stacking, bosses and recesses to receive bosses are provided at predetermined positions on the surfaces of the support members 13, 14 and frames 41 to 45. In the following description, the ion exchange membranes 31 to 35 will be collectively referred to as the ion exchange membrane 30, and the frames 41 to 47 will be collectively referred to as the frame 40.

[0017] As described above, in the EDI device, a plurality of sets of desalting chambers 23 and concentration chambers 24 can be alternately provided between the anode 11 and the cathode 12. In the figure, assuming that N is an arbitrary integer of 1 or more, providing N sets of desalting chambers 23 and concentration chambers 24 alternately is indicated by "×N". Therefore, externally, the EDI device has a configuration in which the support members 13, the frame body 41, the frame body 42, the frame body 43, the frame body 42,..., the frame body 42, the frame body 45, and the support member 14 are stacked in this order, and end plates 15 and 16 are respectively arranged at both ends of this laminate. In order to prevent the thus-stacked members from falling apart, a long bolt 48 is provided that penetrates through these members from the end plate 15 through the support member 13, each of the frame bodies 41 to 45, and the support member 14 and extends to the end plate 16, and a nut 49 is attached to the tip of the bolt 48 to tighten these members.

[0018] Figure 2 shows another example of the EDI device. The EDI device shown in Figure 2 is obtained by partitioning the desalting chamber 23 in the EDI device shown in Figure 1 into two small desalting chambers 26 and 27 by an ion exchange membrane 35 which is an intermediate ion exchange membrane. The small desalting chamber arranged on the side closer to the anode 11 with the ion exchange membrane 35 interposed therebetween is the first small desalting chamber 26, and the small desalting chamber arranged on the side closer to the cathode 12 is the second small desalting chamber 27. The water to be treated is first supplied to the first small desalting chamber 26, and the outlet water from the first small desalting chamber 26 is supplied to the second small desalting chamber 27, and the deionized water from the second small desalting chamber 27 is discharged. A frame body 46 is used corresponding to the first small desalting chamber 26, and a frame body 47 is used corresponding to the second small desalting chamber 27. The frame bodies 46 and 47 are also provided with recessed portions for receiving the ion exchange membrane. The frame bodies 46 and 47 are configured to be mutually stackable with the ion exchange membrane interposed therebetween, and also to be stackable with respect to the frame bodies 42 and 44 through the ion exchange membrane. The first small desalting chamber 26 and the second small desalting chamber 27 are filled with ion exchange resin in a multi-bed form.

[0019] Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining an overview of the assembly of the EDI device by the assembly equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention. This assembly equipment is used, for example, for the automatic assembly of the EDI device shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2.

[0020] Assuming that the cathode 12 is already provided on the surface of the support member 14, an initial workpiece is a structure in which the end plate 16 on the cathode side and the support member 14 are laminated. For the initial workpiece, a cycle consisting of placing the frame body 40, filling the opening of the frame body 40 with an ion exchange resin, and disposing an ion exchange membrane 30 with respect to the opening of the frame body 40 so as to cover the filled ion exchange resin is repeatedly executed by a robot. By repeatedly executing such a cycle, the EDI device is gradually assembled. In the following description, an object in the process of assembling the EDI device as described above is called a stacked workpiece 80. The concept of the stacked workpiece 80 includes the initial workpiece. Finally, by placing the frame body 41 constituting the anode chamber 21 and filling the opening of the frame body 41 with an ion exchange resin, a structure obtained by removing the support member 13 and the end plate 15 on the anode side from the EDI device is obtained as the final stacked workpiece. With respect to the stacked workpiece assembled up to this point, the support member 13 and the end plate 15 on which the anode 11 is already provided are placed, and both end plates 15, 16 are fastened by bolts 48 and nuts 49, whereby the EDI device is completed.

[0021] The assembly equipment is equipped with one or more robots. In the illustrated example, there are three robots: a handling robot 50, a membrane extraction robot 60, and a resin supply robot 70. Each of the robots 50, 60, and 70 is, for example, a 6-axis vertical articulated robot. The handling robot 50 is used to transport the ion exchange membrane 30 and the frame 40, and an adsorption pad 51 is provided at the tip of the handling robot 50 as an end effector, which is used for vacuum adsorption transport of the ion exchange membrane 30 and the frame 40. The membrane extraction robot 60 is used to extract the ion exchange membrane 30 from the membrane storage section 90. A gripping section 61 for picking up the ion exchange membrane 30 is attached at the tip of the membrane extraction robot 60 as an end effector. The resin supply robot 70 is used to receive a predetermined amount of ion exchange resin from the resin supply machine 100 and pour it into the opening of the frame 40 to fill it. The tip of the resin supply robot 70 is equipped with a box-shaped scoop 71 as an end effector to temporarily hold the ion exchange resin supplied from the resin supply machine 100 and pour it into the opening of the frame 40. The scoop 71 is also called a resin cup or shovel.

[0022] In the assembly equipment, the area where the frame 40 is placed on the stacking workpiece 80, the ion exchange resin is filled, and the ion exchange membrane 30 is positioned is called the stacking work area. Here, a lifting lift 120 is provided to raise and lower the stacking workpiece 80 in order to arbitrarily adjust the height of the stacking work area. Furthermore, the assembly equipment is equipped with a conveyor (not shown) to transport the initial workpiece to a position directly below the work position and to transport the final stacked workpiece. Instead of using a conveyor, the initial workpiece and the final stacked workpiece may be transported in and out using a trolley.

[0023] The frame bodies 40 are stored in a cell storage section 140 that is formed in a shelf-like manner. The handling robot 50 uses its suction pads 51 to sequentially remove the frame bodies 40 stored in the cell storage section 140 one by one from the top. In this case, since there are multiple types of frame bodies 40, such as frame bodies 41 for the anode chamber and frame bodies 42 for the concentration chamber, the frame bodies 40 must be pre-arranged in the cell storage section 140 in the order in which they will be used during the assembly of the EDI device. However, manually setting the frame bodies 40 in this order in the cell storage section 140 is prone to errors, so multiple cell storage sections 140 can be arranged so that each type of frame body 40 is removed from a different cell storage section 140. The configuration of the cell storage section 140 is not limited to a shelf-like structure. For example, it is also possible to use a cell storage section 140 in which the frame bodies 40 are stacked with spacer members in between. In this case, it is preferable that the spacer member is configured to detach when the frame 40, which was placed on it, is lifted by the suction pad 51.

[0024] Since the ion exchange membrane 30 needs to be in a moist state during the assembly of the EDI device, the ion exchange membrane 30 is stored submerged in water in the membrane storage section 90. Since the ion exchange membrane 30 used in the assembly of the EDI device includes anion exchange membranes and cation exchange membranes, a separate membrane storage section 90 may be provided for each type of ion exchange membrane 30 to facilitate the storage of the ion exchange membranes 30 in the membrane storage section 90. The membrane removal robot 60 can remove the ion exchange membrane 30 from the membrane storage section 90 by gripping it with its gripping section 61. The removed ion exchange membrane 30 is then placed on a membrane transfer section 150, which is provided in a platform shape, by the membrane removal robot 60 so that the membrane surface is horizontal, for transfer to the handling robot 50.

[0025] The resin supply machine 100 stores ion exchange resin and is equipped with a resin outlet 105 for discharging the stored ion exchange resin. By bringing the scoop 71 of the resin supply robot 70 close to the resin outlet 105 to receive the ion exchange resin discharged from the resin outlet 105 and operating the discharge mechanism (not shown) inside the resin supply machine 100, the ion exchange resin can be supplied to the scoop 71. It is preferable that the resin supply machine 100 is equipped with a resin metering unit to ensure that the amount of ion exchange resin supplied to the scoop 71 is a predetermined amount. As the discharge mechanism, for example, a screw feeder or a vibratory feeder can be used. The resin supply machine 100 is provided for each type of resin, such as anion exchange resin or cation exchange resin. When assembling the EDI device, the resin supply robot 70 transports various ion exchange resins, such as anion exchange resin, cation exchange resin, and resins that are mixtures of both, and fills the openings of the frame 40. When the scoop 71 handles different types of ion exchange resins, it is necessary to prevent any residual ion exchange resin from the previous application from mixing with the current application. Therefore, it is preferable to equip the assembly facility with a device for removing adhering resin, such as a blade. By operating the resin supply robot 70 so that the inner surface of the scoop 71 is rubbed by the blade, any ion exchange resin adhering to the scoop 71 can be removed.

[0026] In the assembly equipment of this embodiment, the stacking work area is within reach of both the handling robot 50 and the resin supply robot 70, the film transfer section 150 is within reach of both the handling robot 50 and the film removal robot 60, the cell storage section 140 is within reach of the handling robot 50, the film storage section 90 is within reach of the film removal robot 60, and the resin discharge port 105 of the resin supply machine 100 is within reach of the resin supply robot 70. Generally, robots are controlled by robot controllers attached to the robots, but in this assembly equipment, the handling robot 50, film removal robot 60, resin supply robot 70, resin supply machine 100, lifting lift 120, etc., need to operate in coordination, so a control device (not shown) is provided to control the entirety of these robots and equipment. The control device may be attached to a control panel.

[0027] Next, the configuration of the stacking work area will be described. The stacking work area is equipped with a resin filling guide (not shown) for the resin filling operation into the frame 40. In order to allow the suction pad 51 of the handling robot 50 to access the stacked work 80 from above, the resin filling guide is normally positioned to the side, away from the position above the stacked work 80. The resin filling guide is a rectangular tube-shaped member whose lower end has the same shape as the opening of the frame 40. By pouring the ion exchange resin into the resin filling guide from the upper end, the ion exchange resin can be poured into the opening of the frame 40 without spilling it. The shape of the resin filling guide is not limited to a rectangular tube shape. The resin filling guide may be formed in a straight hopper shape or a flared shape, with the upper end widening and the lower end narrowing.

[0028] Next, we will explain the assembly process of the EDI device in the assembly facility. First, as an initial step, the initial operation consisting of the following steps A01 to A03 is performed.

[0029] [A01] The frame 40 is placed in the cell storage section 140, the ion exchange membrane 30 is placed in the membrane storage section 90, and the ion exchange resin is replenished in the resin supply machine 100: [A02] Using a conveyor or trolley, place the initial workpiece onto the lifting lift 120: [A03] Start the assembly equipment;

[0030] Once the initial operations from A01 to A03 are completed, the following steps begin: placing the frame 40 on the stacked workpieces 80 (including the initial workpieces), filling the openings of the frame 40 with ion exchange resin, and positioning the ion exchange membrane 30 (steps B01 to B07).

[0031] [B01] The handling robot 50 takes one frame 40 from the cell storage unit 140 and transports it to the upper part of the stacking work area, where it is placed on the stacking workpiece 80. The removal and transport of the frame 40 is performed while maintaining the horizontal position of the plate-shaped frame 40 by using the suction pad 51 of the handling robot 50 to hold the frame 40 in place; [B02] A clamp (not shown) secures the frame 40, which has been newly mounted on the stacked workpiece 88, so that it does not separate from the frame 40; [B03] The resin filling guide moves to a position directly above the frame 40, and then descends toward the frame 40 so as to be in close contact with the opening of the frame 40; [B04] The resin supply robot 70 injects the ion exchange resin stored in its scoop 71 into the opening of the frame 40 via the resin filling guide 211. As a result, the ion exchange resin is deposited inside the opening of the frame 40; [B05] The resin filling guide 211 returns to its initial position; [B06] The handling robot 50 uses its suction pad 51 to pick up the ion exchange membrane 30 already placed on the membrane transfer unit 150, transports it to the upper part of the stacking work area, and then places the ion exchange membrane 30 so as to cover the opening of the frame 40; [B07] As a result of the process up to B06, a new frame 40 is placed on top of the stacked workpiece 80, ion exchange resin is filled into the opening of the frame 40, and an ion exchange membrane 30 is positioned to cover the ion exchange resin. Therefore, the stacked workpiece 80 is made again including the newly placed frame 40 and ion exchange membrane 30, and the height of the top surface of the stacked workpiece 80 is readjusted using the lifting lift 120.

[0032] If the height of the top surface of the stacked workpiece 80 is not readjusted at this stage, the height of the top surface of the stacked workpiece 80 will increase each time a new frame 40 is stacked on top of the stacked workpiece 80. This would necessitate mechanisms to raise and lower the clamps and resin filling guides that secure the frame 40, as well as control the working positions of the handling robot 50 and resin supply robot 70 in the stacking work area to be raised each time a frame 40 is placed. By readjusting the height of the top surface of the stacked workpiece 80 in step B07, the complexity of the assembly mechanism can be avoided, as can the control of the handling robot 50 and resin supply robot 70, which would otherwise become complex.

[0033] The state at the end of process B07 is the same as the state at the start of process B01, except that one frame 40 has been added. By repeating processes B01 to B07, a new frame 40 is added to the stacked work 80, ion exchange resin is filled into the opening of the new frame 40, and the ion exchange membrane 30 is placed on top, so that the EDI device is gradually assembled and the final stacked work can be obtained. In some cases, a support member 13 may be placed on top of the frame 41 that has been filled with ion exchange resin by a handling robot 50 to form the final stacked work. Once the final stacked work is obtained, it can be lowered from the lifting lift 120 onto a conveyor or trolley.

[0034] In step B04 of the above process, the ion exchange resin stored in the scoop 71 is filled into the opening of the frame 40. The process of storing the ion exchange resin in the scoop 71 is as follows:

[0035] [C01] If necessary, remove any remaining ion exchange resin from the scoop 71 using a resin removal device (not shown) equipped with blades; [C02] The resin supply robot 70 positions its scoop 71 at the resin discharge port 105 of the desired resin supply machine 100; [C03] The desired amount of ion exchange resin is discharged from the resin outlet 105.

[0036] In step B06 of the above process, the handling robot 50 picks up the ion exchange membrane 30 that has already been placed in the membrane transfer section 150. The process of placing the ion exchange membrane 30 in the membrane transfer section 150 is as follows.

[0037] [D01] The membrane extraction robot 60 uses its gripping section 61 to grip the desired ion exchange membrane 30 in the membrane storage section 90 and pulls it up from the water tank 91 of the membrane storage section 90; [D02] The membrane extraction robot 60 lifts the ion exchange membrane 30 from the water tank 91 and places it on the placement area of ​​the membrane transfer unit 150, and leaves it undisturbed for a predetermined time.

[0038] In some cases, during the assembly process of the EDI device, two ion exchange membranes 30 may be stacked and placed on the frame 40. When stacking two ion exchange membranes 30, step B06 in the above process should be repeated. Also, in the desalination chamber 23, two types of ion exchange resins (first ion exchange resin and second ion exchange resin) may be filled in a double bed. When filling in a double bed of two layers, a resin filling guide equipped with a partition plate at the boundary of the two ion exchange resin layers is used. The partition plate extends downward from the upper end of the resin filling guide so as to divide the opening made by the resin filling guide into two. The lower end of the partition plate is close to the boundary of the filling positions of the two types of ion exchange resins in the frame 40 when the resin filling guide is placed on the frame 40 so as to close the opening in the frame 40. The first ion exchange resin is poured into one of the openings divided by the partition plate via the resin filling guide using the scoop 71 of the resin supply robot 70. Next, the second ion exchange resin is poured through the other opening of the resin filling guide using the scoop 71 of the resin supply robot 70. This fills the opening of the frame 40 with both the first and second ion exchange resins in a double layer. By employing a similar method, it is also possible to fill the desalination chamber or small desalination chamber of the EDI device with ion exchange resin in three or more layers.

[0039] As described above, the assembly equipment of this embodiment can automate most of the assembly process of EDI devices, enabling the rapid and low-cost manufacturing of EDI devices and improving the productivity of EDI device manufacturing. Furthermore, compared to assembling EDI devices manually, it is possible to obtain EDI devices of consistent quality regardless of the skill level of the workers. Because the quality is consistent, the variation in differential pressure when water is passed through the EDI device is reduced, and the variation in operating voltage is also reduced. If the variation in water flow differential pressure is large, it becomes necessary to install instruments such as flow meters and pressure gauges for each EDI device when multiple EDI devices are arranged in parallel to form a system, but if the variation is small, it is sufficient to install one instrument common to the entire system, thus reducing the number of instruments. If the variation in operating voltage is suppressed, the increase in power costs during operation of the EDI device can be suppressed.

[0040] In the assembly equipment described above, cameras and sensors can be installed to confirm whether the assembly of the EDI device is being carried out correctly. For example, an image inspection system may be installed to take images when the ion exchange resin is filled into the opening of the frame 40 or when the ion exchange membrane 30 is placed, and to determine whether there are any abnormalities. The suction pad 51 can be equipped with a sensor to detect whether the frame 40 or the ion exchange membrane 30 has been correctly adsorbed. By using the suction pad 51 in the handling robot 50, the frame 40 can be transported by adsorbing only its upper surface (top surface), so interference with the frame 40 already placed below when placing the frame 40 on the stacked workpiece 80 can be prevented, and for objects that easily bend, such as the ion exchange membrane 30, the entire surface can be adsorbed, so such objects can be installed without bending.

[0041] The assembly equipment described above uses three robots: a handling robot 50 that has the function (referred to as the first function) of taking the frame 40 from the cell storage unit 140, transporting it to the stacking work area and placing it there, and receiving the ion exchange membrane 30 taken out by the membrane extraction robot 60 and transporting it to the stacking work area; a membrane extraction robot 60 that has the function (referred to as the second function) of taking the ion exchange membrane 30 from the membrane storage unit 90; and a resin supply robot 70 that has the function (referred to as the third function) of receiving ion exchange resin from the resin supply machine 100 and filling the opening of the frame 40 placed in the stacking work area with the supplied ion exchange resin. However, the configuration of robots in the assembly equipment is not limited to what is described here. For example, if it is possible to remove the end effector in the robot using a hand changer and replace it with another end effector, then the assembly equipment according to the present invention can be constructed by using two or fewer robots and exchanging the suction pad 51, the clamping part 61, and the scoop 71. The present invention also includes cases where the first to third functions described above are achieved by replacing end effectors using one or two robots. Reducing the number of robots can reduce the equipment cost of the assembly equipment. On the other hand, by configuring the assembly equipment using four or more robots, it becomes possible to shorten the cycle time by having multiple robots work in parallel at bottleneck points in the assembly process.

[0042] Since EDI equipment produces pure water such as pure water or ultrapure water, it is preferable to install the assembly equipment described above indoors where there is less risk of outside air influence and contamination of the inside of the EDI equipment with dust, etc. The assembly equipment can also be installed in a cleanroom. When the assembly equipment is installed in a cleanroom, the cleanliness of the cleanroom is preferably Class 8 or lower, and more preferably Class 7 or lower, as defined in the ISO 14644-1 standard. By assembling the EDI equipment in a cleanroom where the temperature and humidity are controlled, the effects of swelling and shrinkage of the ion exchange resin due to changes in temperature and humidity can be suppressed, and the quality of the manufactured EDI equipment can be kept consistent. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 30-35 Ion exchange membrane 40~47 Frame 50 Handling Robots 51 Suction pads 60 Membrane Extraction Robot 61 Clamping part 70 Resin supply robot 71 Scoop 80 Stacking Work 90 Membrane storage section 100 Resin Feeding Machine 120 Lifting Lift 140 Cell Storage Section 150 Film transfer section

Claims

1. Assembly equipment for assembling an electro-deionized water production apparatus, wherein a desalination chamber and a concentration chamber are alternately and repeatedly arranged between an anode and a cathode via an ion exchange membrane, and both the desalination chamber and the concentration chamber are formed by a frame having an opening, and the opening is filled with an ion exchange resin, A cell storage section for storing the aforementioned frame, A membrane storage section for storing the ion exchange membrane, A resin supply machine that supplies the ion exchange resin, A membrane extraction robot having the function of extracting the ion exchange membrane from the membrane storage unit, A handling robot having the function of removing the frame from the cell storage unit, transporting it to the work area and placing it in the work area, receiving the ion exchange membrane removed by the membrane removal robot and transporting it to the work area, A resin supply robot having the function of receiving the ion exchange resin from the resin supply machine and filling the opening of the frame placed on the work area with the supplied ion exchange resin, The resin supply machine, the film removal robot, the handling robot, and the control device for controlling the resin supply robot, Equipped with, The handling robot is an assembly device that, after the ion exchange resin has been filled into the opening of the frame, positions the ion exchange membrane so as to cover the filled ion exchange resin.

2. The assembly equipment according to claim 1, wherein a cycle consisting of placing the frame, arranging the ion exchange resin and the ion exchange membrane is repeatedly performed in the work area.

3. The assembly equipment according to claim 2, wherein each time the aforementioned cycle is executed, the height of the surface on which the frame will be placed in the new cycle is adjusted to an arbitrary height.

4. The assembly equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the handling robot is equipped with an adsorption pad, and the frame and the ion exchange membrane are transported using the adsorption pad.

5. The assembly equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the membrane storage section stores the ion exchange membrane in water.

6. An assembly method for an electro-deionized water production apparatus, wherein a desalination chamber and a concentration chamber are alternately and repeatedly arranged between an anode and a cathode via an ion exchange membrane, and both the desalination chamber and the concentration chamber are made of a frame having an opening, and the opening is filled with an ion exchange resin, A first step involves transporting the frame from a location different from the work area to the work area using a first robot and placing it in the work area. A second step involves filling the opening of the frame in the work area with an ion exchange resin supplied from a location different from the work area, using a second robot different from the first robot. A third step involves transporting the ion exchange membrane from a location different from the work area to the work area using the first robot and placing it on the ion exchange resin filled in the second step, Sharp assembly method.

7. The assembly method according to claim 6, wherein the cycle consisting of the first step, the second step, and the third step is repeatedly executed.

8. The assembly method according to claim 7, wherein each time the cycle is executed, the height of the surface on which the frame will be placed in the new cycle is adjusted.

9. The assembly method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, further comprising a fourth step of taking out the ion exchange membrane stored in water using a third robot different from the first and second robots and handing it over to the first robot.

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