Die-casting equipment

Abstract

To provide a die casting apparatus capable of exhibiting an excellent mist recovery effect while being space-saving and cost-effective.SOLUTION: A die casting apparatus 10 comprises: a pair of molds 11, 12; a driving device 13 capable of driving the movable mold 11; a suction device 14 capable of sucking mists M scattering around the pair of molds 11, 12 upon the opening of the pair of molds 11, 12; and a control device 15 capable of controlling the driving device 13 and the suction device 14 so as to stop the movement of the movable mold 11 for a fixed time and suck the mists M during the opening operation of the pair of molds 11, 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a die casting machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Die-casting machines have traditionally been used to manufacture metal automotive parts. When manufacturing metal parts using die-casting machines, a mold release agent is typically applied to the mold surface. However, the mold release agent can turn into mist when it comes into contact with the mold surface at a high temperature, or when it is heated while attached to the mold surface. This type of mist can adhere to surrounding equipment and potentially contaminate that equipment.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a mist collection system in which a mist collection device is disposed above a molding machine, and a device is provided that performs waste liquid treatment by sucking and filtering the mist, and this treatment device and the mist collection device are connected by an exhaust duct. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-330202 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In actual manufacturing sites, mist generated during molding scatters around the mold when the mold is opened. Therefore, simply placing a mist collection device on one side of the mold, as described in Patent Document 1, is difficult to achieve a sufficient mist collection effect. For example, improving the exhaust capacity of the mist collection system could be considered to increase mist collection efficiency, but this would require larger exhaust equipment, which could pose a problem in terms of installation space. Furthermore, equipment with higher exhaust capacity is more expensive, leading to higher equipment costs.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, the technical problem to be solved in this specification is to provide a die casting apparatus that is space-saving, low-cost, and yet can exhibit excellent mist collection performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The above-mentioned problems are solved by the die-casting apparatus of the present invention, which includes a pair of molds that can be clamped and opened, a drive device that can drive one of the molds that serves as the movable mold, and a suction device that can suck up mist that scatters around the pair of molds when the pair of molds are opened, and is characterized in that it further includes a control device that can control the drive device and the suction device so that, during the mold opening operation of the pair of molds, the movement of one of the molds that serves as the movable mold is stopped for a certain period of time and the mist is sucked up.

[0008] As described above, the present invention provides a control device capable of controlling the movable mold drive device and the mist suction device, and this control device stops the movement of the movable mold for a certain period of time during the mold opening operation and suctions the mist. This allows the mist to be suctioned when the open space between the pair of molds is smaller than in the past (the open space at the completion of the mold opening operation), making it possible to collect mist at a high concentration before it disperses. This makes it possible to efficiently collect the mist. Furthermore, since the mist is collected when the open space between the molds is relatively small, a device with a large exhaust volume (suction volume) is not required, eliminating concerns about the installation space and rising equipment costs. Therefore, the die casting apparatus of the present invention makes it possible to provide a die casting apparatus with excellent mist collection efficiency in a space-saving and low-cost manner. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a die casting apparatus that is space-saving, low-cost, and yet exhibits excellent mist collection performance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a main part of a die-casting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention in a mold clamping state. FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a front view of a main part of the die-casting apparatus shown in FIG. 1 during a mold-opening operation. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a front view of the main part of the die-casting apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in a state where the die-opening operation has been completed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, the details of a die casting apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a main portion of a die-casting apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, this die-casting apparatus 10 mainly comprises a pair of molds 11, 12 that can be clamped and opened, a drive unit 13 that can drive one of the molds 11 (hereinafter referred to as the movable mold 11), a suction unit 14 that can suck mist M (see FIG. 2) that scatters from between the pair of molds 11, 12 when the pair of molds 11, 12 are opened, and a control device 15 that controls the drive unit 13 and the suction unit 14. In this embodiment, the die-casting apparatus 10 further comprises an air blowing device 16. Below, details of the elements of the die-casting apparatus 10 that are involved in collecting the mist M will be mainly described.

[0013] The pair of molds 11, 12 are configured to be able to move toward or away from each other. In this embodiment, the other mold 12 (hereinafter referred to as the fixed mold 12) which serves as the fixed mold is fixed at a predetermined position on the floor, and a drive unit 13 is connected to the movable mold 11, so that the movable mold 11 can be moved in the horizontal direction to perform mold clamping or mold opening.

[0014] The drive unit 13 is configured to be able to apply a drive force to the movable mold 11 in the mold clamping or mold opening direction. A known drive mechanism can be applied to the drive unit 13, and in this embodiment, the drive unit 13 includes a hydraulic unit 17 and an electric unit 18. In this case, although detailed illustrations of both are omitted, the hydraulic unit 17 is configured with a hydraulic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder and a toggle mechanism, and the electric unit 18 is configured with a motor and a power conversion device such as a ball screw. The hydraulic unit 17 and the electric unit 18 are preferably configured to be able to apply drive forces to the movable mold 11 independently. For example, the drive time (the time during which the hydraulic unit 17 applies drive force) and the drive time (the time during which the electric unit 18 applies drive force) may overlap. Alternatively, the drive time of the hydraulic unit 17 and the drive time of the electric unit 18 may be shifted so that the drive times do not overlap. That is, only one of the hydraulic unit 17 and the electric unit 18 may be configured to be drivable. Furthermore, when the driving times are staggered, in consideration of the pressure required for mold clamping, the mold clamping operation may be started by the electric device 18, and when the movable mold 11 has been moved a predetermined distance, the hydraulic device 17 may be driven to bring the pair of molds 11, 12 into contact with each other, and then the mold may be clamped. As for the mold opening operation, the mold opening operation may also be started by the hydraulic device 17, and when the movable mold 11 has been moved a predetermined distance, the electric device 18 may be driven to impart the driving force of the electric device 18 to the movable mold 11.

[0015] The suction device 14 has suction ports 20 for suctioning air. In this embodiment, the suction ports 20 are arranged around the pair of molds 11, 12. They are configured to be able to suck in mist M (see FIG. 2 for both) present in an open space 19 between the pair of molds 11, 12 when the pair of molds 11, 12 are opened. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, when the pair of molds 11, 12 are configured to perform mold clamping or mold opening operations along the horizontal direction, the suction ports 20 are arranged above the open space 19 formed between the pair of molds 11, 12 when the molds are opened.

[0016] The suction volume of the suction device 14 can be set arbitrarily as long as it can suck up the majority (50% or more) of the mist M present in the open space 19 between the pair of molds 11, 12 when the molds are opened, particularly at the stage when the movable mold 11 is temporarily stopped during the mold opening operation described below. In this case, the upper limit of the suction volume should be set from the viewpoint of the available installation space, and the lower limit of the suction volume should be set from the viewpoint of the expected volume of the open space 19. To give a specific numerical value, the suction volume of the suction device 14 is 50 m 3 / min or more and 200m 3 / min or less, and more preferably 100m 3 / min or more and 150m 3 / min or less.

[0017] A mist collection device (not shown) such as a dust collector is connected to the suction device 14, and a predetermined process can be performed on the air containing mist M sucked in by the suction device 14 to remove and collect the mist M from the air.

[0018] The air blowing device 16 is configured to be able to blow air toward the mist M present in the open space 19 (see FIG. 2). Therefore, the air blowing device 16 is arranged so that the nozzle 16a of the air blowing device 16 is directed toward the open space 19 formed between the pair of molds 11, 12 during the mold opening operation of the pair of molds 11, 12. In this embodiment, the air blowing device 16 is arranged below the pair of molds 11, 12, and is able to blow air toward the open space 19 when the open space 19 is formed between the pair of molds 11, 12 during the mold opening operation.

[0019] The control device 15 is configured to be able to control the drive device 13 (hydraulic device 17 and electric device 18 in this embodiment) and the suction device 14. Specifically, when the pair of molds 11, 12 are in a mold open state (see FIG. 3), the control device 15 controls the drive device 13 to apply a drive force to the movable mold 11 in the mold clamping direction (rightward in FIG. 3) to start the mold clamping operation. Furthermore, when the pair of molds 11, 12 are in a mold clamped state (see FIG. 1), the control device 15 controls the drive device 13 to apply a drive force to the movable mold 11 in the mold opening direction (leftward in FIG. 1) to start the mold opening operation. Then, during the mold opening operation, when the opposing distance W (see FIG. 2) between the movable mold 11 and the fixed mold 12 reaches a predetermined size, the control device 15 stops the movement of the movable mold 11 in the mold opening direction by the drive device 13 for a certain period of time. This maintains the opposing distance W between the pair of molds 11, 12 at a predetermined size.

[0020] Here, the size of the facing distance W is smaller than the facing distance WF (see FIG. 3) at the completion of the mold opening operation of the pair of molds 11, 12, and is set to, for example, 30 mm or more and 300 mm or less. Alternatively, in terms of the ratio to the facing distance WF at the completion of mold opening, the size of the facing distance W is set so that 0.05≦W / WF≦0.5.

[0021] The stop time of the movable mold 11 varies depending on the amount of suction by the suction device 14 and the amount of air blown by the air blowing device 16, but is preferably set to approximately 1 to 10 seconds. If this stop time is too short, it becomes difficult to suck in a sufficient amount of mist M. On the other hand, if this stop time is too long, it will result in a decrease in production efficiency.

[0022] In addition, when the drive device 13 has a hydraulic device 17 and an electric device 18 and selectively controls the drive of either the hydraulic device 17 or the electric device 18 as in this embodiment, the control device 15 may control the hydraulic device 17 so that the hydraulic device 17 first applies a drive force to the movable mold 11 in the mold clamping state, thereby starting the movement of the movable mold 11 in the mold opening direction. In this case, the control device 15 may also control the hydraulic device 17 and the electric device 18 so that the drive of the hydraulic device 17 is stopped and the drive of the electric device 18 is started while the movable mold 11 stops for a certain period of time at a predetermined position during mold opening as described above.

[0023] An example of how the mist M is collected in this embodiment will be described below.

[0024] First, based on a command from the control device 15, as shown in Fig. 1, a driving force in the mold opening direction is applied from the hydraulic device 17 to the movable mold 11 of the pair of molds 11, 12 that are in a mold clamped state, thereby starting the mold opening operation. In this embodiment, at this point (the start of the mold opening operation), the suction device 14 and the air blowing device 16 are operated to start the operation of sucking gas from the open space 19 through the suction port 20 located above the open space 19 that is formed between the pair of molds 11, 12 and begins to expand, and also start the operation of blowing air toward the open space 19.

[0025] Then, when the opposing distance W between the movable mold 11 and the fixed mold 12 reaches a predetermined size (see FIG. 2), the hydraulic device 17 is stopped based on a command from the control device 15, and the movement of the movable mold 11 in the mold opening direction is temporarily stopped. As a result, an open space 19 with the predetermined opposing distance W is maintained between the pair of molds 11, 12 for a certain period of time. During this time, the suction operation by the suction device 14 and the air blowing operation by the air blowing device 16 are continued, so that the mist M in the open space 19 is sucked in by the suction device 14. In addition, the mist M pushed out to the upper part of the open space 19 is sucked in by the suction device 14.

[0026] After the mist M in the open space 19 has been sucked in by the suction device 14 in this way, i.e., after the open space 19 has been maintained at the opposing distance W for a certain period of time, the control device 15 drives the electric device 18 to resume movement of the movable mold 11 in the mold opening direction. Then, when the movable mold 11 has moved to the position at which mold opening is complete (see FIG. 3), the control device 15 stops driving the electric device 18, ending the movement of the movable mold 11. In this way, the mold opening operation and the collection of the mist M during the mold opening operation are performed.

[0027] The suction operation by the suction device 14 and the air blowing operation by the air blowing device 16 may be completed when the movement of the movable mold 11 is completed. The suction operation may also be continued in the next series of cycles (operations from mold opening to mold clamping and back to mold opening). Of course, if operation only during the temporary stop period of the movable mold 11 is sufficient, the suction device 14 and the air blowing device 16 may be operated only during that period.

[0028] As described above, the die-casting machine 10 according to this embodiment is provided with a control device 15 capable of controlling the drive device 13 of the movable mold 11 and the suction device 14 for the mist M. This control device 15 stops the movement of the movable mold 11 for a certain period of time during the mold opening operation and suctions the mist M (see FIG. 2). This allows the mist M to be suctioned when the open space 19 between the pair of molds 11 and 12 is smaller than in the past (for example, the open space 19 of the opposing distance WF at the completion of the mold opening operation shown in FIG. 3). This allows the mist M to be collected in a highly concentrated state before scattering. This makes it possible to efficiently collect the mist M. Furthermore, since the open space 19 between the pair of molds 11 and 12 is relatively small, a suction device 14 with a large exhaust volume (suction volume) is not required. Therefore, there is no need to worry about the installation space and equipment costs for the suction device and mist collection device. Therefore, according to the die-casting apparatus 10 of this embodiment, it is possible to provide a die-casting apparatus 10 that is excellent in the efficiency of collecting the mist M, in a small space, and at low cost.

[0029] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pair of molds 11, 12 are configured to clamp and open along the horizontal direction, and the suction port 20 of the suction device 14 is disposed above the open space 19, so that the mist M that scatters mainly upward from the open space 19 can be efficiently sucked in. In addition, in this embodiment, air is blown toward the open space 19 from below the pair of molds 11, 12, so that the mist M can be pushed upward in the open space 19. This promotes the upward movement of the mist M, and makes it possible to further improve the efficiency with which the suction device 14 sucks the mist M.

[0030] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a temporary stop period (the period shown in FIG. 2) during the mold opening operation of the movable mold 11 is used to switch the drive of the hydraulic device 17 and the electric device 18. Depending on the configurations of the hydraulic device 17 and the electric device 18, it may take a certain amount of time to switch the drive, but if the drive is switched while the movable mold 11 is stopped, as in this embodiment, the time required for the switch can be included in the stop period of the movable mold 11, making it possible to minimize a decrease in productivity.

[0031] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the die casting apparatus according to the present invention can also have other configurations than those described above without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0032] For example, in the above embodiment, the drive device 13 is configured with the hydraulic device 17 and the electric device 18, and the drive is switched from the hydraulic device 17 to the electric device 18 while the movable mold 11 is temporarily stopped. However, other modes are of course possible. For example, the control device 15 may control the electric device 18 so that the movement of the movable mold 11 is temporarily stopped while the electric device 18 is being driven, and the movement of the movable mold 11 by the electric device 18 is resumed after a certain time has passed. Alternatively, the control device 15 may control the hydraulic device 17 so that the movement of the movable mold 11 is temporarily stopped while the hydraulic device 17 is being driven, and the movement of the movable mold 11 by the hydraulic device 17 is resumed after a certain time has passed.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the suction port 20 of the suction device 14 is illustrated as being oriented horizontally (see FIG. 1, etc.), but this is not limiting. For example, the suction port 20 may be arranged so as to be oriented downward or obliquely downward toward the open space 19 formed during the mold opening operation.

[0034] In addition, with regard to the relationship with the direction of air blowing by the air blowing device 16, the nozzle 16a of the air blowing device 16 and the suction port 20 may be arranged so that the nozzle 16a and the suction port 20 face each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 10 Die-casting equipment 11 Movable type 12 Fixed type 13 Drive unit 14 Suction device 15 Control device 16 Air blowing device 16a nozzle 17 Hydraulic system 18 Electric equipment 19 Open space 20 Suction port M Mist W Opposing distance (during mold opening) WF Opposite distance (when mold opening is complete)

Claims

[Claim 1] A pair of molds that can be clamped and opened; a drive device capable of driving the one mold serving as a movable mold; a suction device capable of sucking mist scattered around the pair of dies when the pair of dies are opened, The die-casting apparatus further comprises a control device capable of controlling the drive device and the suction device so that, during the mold opening operation of the pair of molds, the movement of one of the molds that serves as the movable mold is stopped for a certain period of time, and the mist is sucked in with the suction port of the suction device positioned above the open space formed between the pair of molds when movement is stopped for the certain period of time.

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