Coating device for applying a coating material to a wire, and device and method for producing coated wires

Abstract

The invention relates to a coating device (1) for applying at least one layer of a coating material to a wire (2), said device comprising a support roller (3) for supporting and conveying the wire (2) in a wire conveying direction (4), wherein the support roller (3) is mounted to rotate about a support roller axis (5), and at least one application unit (6) arranged downstream of the support roller (2) in the wire conveying direction (4), wherein the application unit (6) is mounted to pivot about the support roller axis (5).

Description

[0001] Coating device for applying a coating material to a wire and device and method for producing coated wires

[0002] The invention relates to a coating device for applying at least one layer of a coating material to a wire, comprising:

[0003] - a support roller for supporting and conveying the wire in a wire conveying direction, wherein the support roller is rotatably mounted about a support roller axis;

[0004] - at least one application unit arranged downstream of the support roller in the wire conveying direction, comprising:

[0005] - at least one wetting unit for applying the coating material, wherein the wetting unit has a wetting unit base body with a wetting passage for the wire; and

[0006] - at least one stripping unit for stripping excess coating material from the wire, wherein the stripping unit has a stripping unit base body and a stripping passage for the wire; wherein the wire, in the intended state, rests on the support roller and is guided through the wetting passage and the stripping passage.

[0007] Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for producing coated wires with a coating device for applying at least one layer of a coating material and a furnace for solidifying the applied layer, wherein the furnace is arranged downstream of the at least one application unit in the wire conveying direction.

[0008] Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for producing coated wires with a device for producing coated wires with the steps:

[0009] - Feeding the wire with the support roller in

[0010] Wire feed direction towards the application unit;

[0011] - Applying a layer of coating material to the wire by means of the wetting unit; - Stripping excess coating material from the wire by means of the stripping unit;

[0012] - Drying and / or curing the coating material in the oven.

[0013] Corresponding devices and systems for producing coated wires, for example enamelled wires, with coating devices are already known from the prior art. Enamelled wires are understood to be enamel-insulated metal wires, for example made of copper or aluminium. The enamel coating enables good insulation of an electrical conductor from an adjacent conductor or the carrier of windings. Coated wires, such as enamelled wires, are used in particular for producing electrical windings which are used for current conduction, voltage conversion, field generation and field deflection. These windings are therefore in turn a central component of electric motors, transformers and generators. Not least due to the upswing in e-mobility, both the demand and the requirements for coated wires are increasing.The paints known in the state of the art consist essentially of film-forming resins and solvents.

[0014] Such systems include, among other things, a unit for applying an insulating coating material and a furnace for solidifying the applied layer. The wire is typically conveyed through the system by means of one or more support and / or deflection rollers.

[0015] A device and a method for processing a wire with a coating device are known, for example, from EP 2 930 723 B1. By means of the coating device, liquid lacquer is applied to a wire. Dissolved polymers in the lacquers chemically crosslink after application and characterize the curing process of the lacquer. The lacquer is applied via conical wiper nozzles that are continuously fed with fresh lacquer by a feed pump. There, a lacquer film of preset thickness is evenly applied to the wire surface. An oven is provided for drying the lacquer.

[0016] A plant for the production of enamelled wire using the inline process is known, for example, from DE 3 118 830 A1.

[0017] A multi-stage furnace system for the production of enamelled wires is known, for example, from AT 284 931 B.

[0018] Typically, a bare wire is provided in the form of continuous material on a spool or produced and conveyed by drawing from a starting material. A roller is also provided on which the wire rests and by means of which the wire is conveyed. To apply the coating material, a so-called lacquer utensil is typically provided, which usually has one or more lacquer benches. Each lacquer bench has a basin for the material to be applied, as well as a device for wetting the wire and a device for scraping off excess coating material, for example a lacquer nozzle. The wire is wetted all around with the material. Excess coating material is then scraped off the wire in order to obtain the most homogeneous layer possible. The wire, together with the layer of material, is then conveyed into an oven to dry, harden and solidify the coating material.The coating process can be repeated several times to achieve the desired layer thickness or a sequence of different materials.

[0019] A fundamental distinction is made between vertical and horizontal systems. In vertical systems, the wire is conveyed vertically during coating, whereas in horizontal systems the wire is (mainly) conveyed horizontally during coating. While horizontal systems offer advantages over vertical systems in terms of improved accessibility and maintainability, lower operating costs, lower energy consumption and higher throughput, the cross-section of coated wires produced on horizontal systems is limited. A key requirement for coated wires is a homogeneous coating thickness, which is often difficult or impossible to achieve due to widely varying thicknesses and geometries of the bare wires and different properties and desired coating thicknesses.If, for example, the wire is not guided centrally through the stripping device, the result is an eccentric or oval wire coating. A coating of inhomogeneous thickness can, in turn, lead to insufficient or inhomogeneous curing levels, skin formation, blistering, and residual solvent content in the coating during the subsequent drying process in the oven. Furthermore, voltage breakdowns and partial discharges can occur, which occur particularly in areas of insufficient coating thickness. Such voltage breakdowns can lead to damage or even failure of larger assemblies, thus having drastic consequences.

[0020] Systems for producing coated wires must therefore be precisely adjusted to the cross-section and material of the respective wire, the coating material, the coating thickness, and other parameters such as the wire conveying speed. Previously known systems can only be adapted to changing requirements with difficulty and at comparatively high expense, and in some cases cannot be used for relatively large wire cross-sections.

[0021] It is therefore an object of the invention to alleviate or completely eliminate the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a coating device for applying at least one layer of a coating material to a wire, and a device for producing coated wires with a coating device that can be flexibly and easily adjusted to different properties of the wire to be coated.

[0022] This object is achieved by a coating device of the type mentioned at the outset, wherein the application unit is pivotally mounted about the support roller axis according to the invention.

[0023] The object of the invention is also achieved by a device for producing coated wires of the type mentioned at the outset with a coating device according to the invention.

[0024] Furthermore, the object is achieved by a method of the type mentioned at the outset with a device according to the invention for producing coated wires.

[0025] The coating device for applying at least one layer of a coating material to the wire has a support roller for supporting and conveying the wire in a wire conveying direction, wherein the support roller is rotatably mounted about a support roller axis. The support roller axis is perpendicular to the wire conveying direction. The support roller can, for example, have a smooth surface. The support roller can be designed to deposit a plurality of wires parallel to one another and to convey them in the wire conveying direction.

[0026] Wire feed direction can essentially be in a horizontal plane.

[0027] At least one application unit is arranged downstream of the support roller in the wire feed direction. The application unit is designed to wet the wire with the coating material and to wipe off excess coating material in order to produce a homogeneous layer of coating material on the wire. For this purpose, the application unit has at least one wetting unit for applying the coating material. The wetting unit has a wetting unit base body with a wetting feedthrough for the wire. The wetting unit base body can be one-part or multi-part. In the intended state, a main axis of the wetting feedthrough lies in the wire feed direction so that the wire is fed through the wetting feedthrough. The wetting feedthrough can, for example, have a constant cross-section normal to the wire feed direction.The wetting unit can be connected to a reservoir or tank containing coating material and supplied with coating material. The wetting feedthrough can, for example, be flooded with liquid coating material. The wetting unit can wet the wire all around with coating material.

[0028] In addition, the application unit has at least one stripping unit for stripping excess coating material from the wire, wherein the stripping unit has a stripping unit base body and a stripping passage for the wire. The stripping unit is arranged after the wetting unit in the wire conveying direction. The stripping unit base body can be one-part or multi-part. In the intended state, a main axis of the stripping passage lies in the wire conveying direction, so that the wire is conveyed through the wetting passage. The stripping passage can, for example, have a constant cross-section normal to the wire conveying direction. The cross-section of the stripping passage is preferably tapered in the wire conveying direction. The stripping unit can be designed as a paint stripping nozzle.

[0029] The coating material is liquid during wetting and can consequently be dried and / or cured. The coating material can be, for example, a varnish, in particular a wire varnish. The wire varnish can, for example, comprise polymers dissolved in a solvent, in particular in an organic solvent. The wire can, for example, comprise copper and / or aluminum. The wire without a coating can be referred to as bare wire. The wire has a main axis and a cross-section normal to the main axis. The cross-section can, for example, be round, in particular circular or oval. The cross-section of the wire can alternatively be rectangular, in particular square. A cross-sectional area of ​​the wire can, for example, be between 0.8 mm 2 up to 15 mm 2 , especially between 0 . 8 mm 2 up to 8 mm 2. For example, a wire width can be between 1 mm and 7 mm. A wire thickness (normal to the width) can be between 0.8 mm and 2 mm. An aspect ratio between the width and thickness of the wire can be between 1 and 8.

[0030] In its intended condition, the wire rests on the support roller and is guided through the wetting passage and the stripping passage.

[0031] The main axis of the wetting passage can coincide with the main axis of the stripping passage, i.e., the main axis of the wetting passage and the main axis of the wetting passage can lie on a (common) straight line. This straight line is preferably a tangent to the support roller, so that the wire, in its intended condition and ideally within the coating device, lies on this straight line.

[0032] Particularly with large wire cross-sections, the wire bends due to the weight acting on the wire. Due to this bending, the shape of the wire within the coating device can deviate from an ideal and horizontally aligned straight line. This can result in a non-axis-identical passage of the wire through the wetting feedthrough and / or the stripping feedthrough. Non-axis-identical means that a (local) conveying direction of the wire through the wetting feedthrough and / or the stripping feedthrough does not coincide exactly with the main axis of the wetting feedthrough or the main axis of the stripping feedthrough, but is diagonal to it. This can lead to an inhomogeneous layer thickness of the coating material.It also cannot be ruled out that the wire will come into contact with the wetting unit and / or the stripping unit, which could result in a particularly uneven layer thickness and the wire becoming kinked. In order to be able to adjust the coating device flexibly to different deflections of the wire, the application unit is mounted so that it can pivot about the support roller axis. As a (first) approximation, the (local) deflection of the wire within the coating device can be approximated as a straight line that lies diagonally to the horizontal plane. The last contact point of the wire on the support roller, seen in the wire feed direction, depends on the deflection of the wire. The straight line passes through this last contact point and is a tangent to the support roller. If the application unit is therefore pivoted about the support roller axis, the deflection of the wire can be compensated at least approximately.When pivoted accordingly, the wire is guided through the wetting feedthrough and the stripping feedthrough with the same axis. The main axis of the wetting feedthrough and the main axis of the stripping feedthrough lie on a tangent to the support roller, which coincides with the wire in terms of the path of the wire within the coating device. It is therefore crucial that the application unit can be pivoted about the support roller axis in order to compensate for the deflection. If the application unit is pivoted about an axis that deviates from the support roller axis, the geometric restrictions described may not be adhered to and the deflection may not be compensated for. Pivoting the application unit about the support roller axis is also particularly easy and allows the relative position and alignment of the wetting unit to the stripping unit to be kept constant.For example, the wetting unit can be rigidly connected to the wiping unit.

[0033] The application unit can, for example, be pivoted by an angle of up to 10 °, in particular up to 5 °, relative to the horizontal.

[0034] The coating device according to the invention is particularly advantageous in conjunction with horizontal systems, since in these systems the deflection of the wire is particularly pronounced and can have a particularly detrimental effect. However, the coating device can alternatively also be used, for example, in a vertical system.

[0035] In addition to this adjustment of the coating device by pivoting the at least one application unit, a fine adjustment can optionally be performed. For example, a micrometer screw can be provided for this purpose in order to adjust the position and / or orientation of the wetting unit and in particular of the wetting passage. For example, a further micrometer screw can be provided in order to adjust the position and / or orientation of the stripping unit and in particular of the stripping passage.

[0036] Optionally, the coating device can have multiple application units. The application units can be arranged serially (with respect to the wire feed direction) in order to coat the wire with multiple layers. Alternatively or additionally, application units can be arranged parallel to one another in order to coat several parallel passes of a wire. Optionally, each application unit can be pivoted separately about the support roller axis. Alternatively, several application units can be rigidly connected to one another and therefore pivotable together about the support roller axis.

[0037] The device for producing coated wires has a coating device according to the invention for applying at least one layer of the coating material and an oven for solidifying the applied layer. The oven is arranged downstream of the at least one application unit in the wire conveying direction. The oven is designed to heat the wire together with the coating material applied by the application unit in order to dry and harden the coating material. A temperature inside the oven can be, for example, between 300 °C and 800 °C, in particular between 450 °C and 700 °C. In the intended state, the wire does not lie in the application unit or in the oven. The wire lies on the one hand on the support roller and on a further roller which is arranged downstream of the oven. As a result, the wire does not lie on the wire as long as liquid (i.e.Coating material (not yet cured) is present on the wire. In particular, the wire does not rest on the stripping unit within the stripping feedthrough. Only a portion of the liquid coating material on the wire comes into contact with the stripping device, whereby excess coating material is stripped off. A layer thickness of the coating material on the wire can, for example, be between 10 pm and 40 pm. The wire can be fed in the wire feed direction, for example, at a speed between 8 m / min and 200 m / min.

[0038] Optionally, the application unit is connected to the support roller axis by a support arm, in particular by two support arms. The connection by support arms is a particularly simple way of achieving and ensuring the pivotability of at least one application unit about the support roller axis. The mechanical connection by means of the support arm ensures that the application unit can be pivoted precisely about the support roller axis.

[0039] The at least one application unit can optionally be arranged on or in a collection basin for the coating material, wherein the collection basin and the at least one application unit form a paint bench. The coating material stripped from the wire by the stripping unit drips from the stripping unit into the collection basin and can optionally be reused. For example, several application units can be arranged parallel to one another on or in a collection basin.

[0040] The coating device can have several coating benches arranged one after the other, i.e., serially, in the wire feed direction. The entire application units or coating benches of the coating device can be referred to as coating equipment. Optionally, the entire coating equipment can be pivoted (together) about the support roller axis. Several coating benches can be rigidly connected to one another. Optionally, each coating bench can be pivoted separately about the support roller axis.

[0041] The paint bench can be mounted on a base plate. The base plate can be rectangular, for example. Several (serial) paint benches can be mounted on the base plate. The paint benches are rigidly connected to one another via the base plate. The base plate allows for particularly simple mounting of the paint bench. It is also particularly easy to pivot several paint benches.

[0042] Preferably, the at least one support arm is connected to the base plate. This ensures the pivotability of the at least one application unit in a particularly simple and reliable manner.

[0043] For example, a lifting device can be provided for pivoting the application unit about the support roller axis. By means of the lifting device, an end of the application unit facing away from the support roller can be raised or lowered to achieve a corresponding pivoting of the application unit about the support roller axis. The lifting device can, for example, be configured to raise or lower an end of the paint bench and / or the base plate facing away from the support roller.

[0044] The lifting device can, for example, have a gear, preferably a spindle gear. By means of a spindle gear, the stroke can be adjusted particularly precisely. The lifting device can be designed to be operated manually. For example, a hand crank can be provided for actuating the lifting device. Alternatively, the lifting device can have a motor, for example an electric motor, to drive the gear and effect the stroke.

[0045] For example, a sensor can be provided to determine a position of the lifting device. The sensor can, for example, be set up to determine a position of the spindle gear in order to determine the position of the lifting device, i.e. the stroke of the at least one application unit. From the position of the lifting device, an angle of inclination of the at least one application unit, the paint bench, the base plate and / or the paint harness in the wire feed direction relative to a horizontal plane can be determined. By determining the tilt angle, the tilt angle can be set reproducibly. For example, if the wire to be coated is changed several times, a suitable tilt angle can be determined and set for the respective wire.

[0046] Optionally, the coating device can have an inclination sensor which is designed to detect an angle of inclination of the application unit in the wire feed direction and / or normal to the wire feed direction. In comparison to the sensor for determining the position of the lifting device, the inclination sensor is designed to directly measure the angle of inclination of the at least one application unit in the wire feed direction. In addition, the inclination sensor can be designed to measure an angle of inclination of the at least one application unit, the paint bench, the base plate and / or the paint utensils normal to the wire feed direction relative to the horizontal plane in order to detect any misalignment, in particular of several parallel application devices, with respect to one another.

[0047] Optionally, the at least one application unit, in particular the coating bench, can be mounted displaceably parallel to the support roller axis. Preferably, each coating bench is mounted displaceably parallel to the support roller axis.

[0048] For example, a thread can be provided for moving the application unit parallel to the support roller axis. For example, a micrometer screw can be provided for moving it.

[0049] A distance sensor can be provided to determine a position of the application unit parallel to the support roller axis. For example, the coating unit can have a housing or an outer boundary within which the at least one application unit or the paint bench or the paint utensils are arranged. The distance sensor can be configured to determine a distance of the at least one application unit from the housing or the outer boundary normal to the wire feed direction (i.e., parallel to the support roller axis). The distance sensor can, for example, be an inductive distance sensor.

[0050] A method for producing coated wires using the device according to the invention comprises the following steps:

[0051] - Feeding the wire with the support roller in

[0052] Wire feed direction towards the application unit;

[0053] - applying a layer of coating material to the wire by means of the wetting unit;

[0054] - Stripping excess coating material from the wire using the stripping unit;

[0055] - Drying and / or curing the coating material in the oven.

[0056] During the production of the coated wires, the angle of inclination of at least one application unit is kept constant. The angle of inclination is adjusted and adjusted to the respective design of the wire, and in particular to its deflection, before the production of the coated wires.

[0057] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to figures, to which it is not intended to be limited. They show:

[0058] Fig. 1A is a simplified schematic sectional view of a coating device with a support roller and a coating device comprising three coating benches, each with an application unit in a first position;

[0059] Fig. 1B shows the coating device from Fig. 1A in a second position of the application units pivoted about the support roller axis;

[0060] Fig. 2 shows a cross section of a coating device with a support roller and an application unit with a wetting unit and a stripping unit; Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of a coating device with a support roller and a paint rack connected to the support roller axis by means of two support arms;

[0061] Fig. 4 is a schematic view of part of an apparatus for producing coated wires with a coating device and a furnace.

[0062] Fig. 1A schematically shows a coating device 1 for applying at least one layer of a coating material to a wire 2, comprising a support roller 3 for supporting and conveying the wire in a wire conveying direction 4, wherein the support roller 3 is rotatably mounted about a support roller axis 5. Three schematically illustrated application units 6 are arranged downstream of the support roller 3 in the wire conveying direction 4. Each of the application units has a wetting unit 7 for applying the coating material, wherein the wetting unit 7 has a wetting unit base body 8 with a wetting feedthrough 9 for the wire 2. The application units 6 each have a stripping unit 10 for stripping excess coating material from the wire 2, wherein the stripping unit 10 has a stripping unit base body 11 and a stripping passage 12 for the wire 2.In the illustrated and intended state, the wire 2 rests on the support roller 3 and is guided through the wetting passage 9 and the stripping passage 12 (of each application unit 6). The application unit 6, in the illustrated case each application unit 6, is pivotally mounted about the support roller axis 5.

[0063] The application units 6 are arranged serially (i.e. one after the other) in the wire conveying direction 4 in order to sequentially apply layers of the coating material or different coating materials to the wire 2. In this simplified exemplary embodiment, the application units 6 are each arranged in a (schematically shown) collecting basin 13 for the coating material, wherein a collecting basin 13 and an application unit 6 each form a paint bench 14. The three paint benches 14 are arranged on a base plate 15. The three paint benches 14 together form a so-called paint harness 17.

[0064] The application units 6 are connected to the support roller axis 5 by a support arm 18. In this exemplary embodiment, the support arm 18 is connected to the base plate 15. The application units are also connected to the base plate 15, which is why the application units 6 are ultimately connected to the support roller axis 5 via the base plate 15 and the support arm 18.

[0065] In this example, the wire 2 is shown ideally as a horizontal straight line. A main axis of the wetting feedthrough coincides with the main axis of the stripping feedthrough, which lie on a common straight line 19. This straight line 19 is a tangent to the support roller 3, so that the wire 2, in the illustrated and intended state, lies on this straight line 19 within the coating device 1. In the illustrated first position 20, this straight line 19 lies in a horizontal plane. A last support point 21 of the wire 2 on the support roller 3 is, in this case, the highest point of the support roller 3. In reality, however, the wire 2 may be deflected.This can lead to misalignment of the wire relative to the wetting passage 9 and / or the stripping passage 12 of one or more application units 6, which in turn can result in an inhomogeneous layer of coating material around the wire 2. Contact of the wire 2 with an application unit 6 could cause the wire 2 to kink.

[0066] Fig. 1B shows the coating device 1 from Fig. 1A in a second position 22. Compared to the first position 20, the coating apparatus 17 is pivoted about the support roller axis in order to compensate for any deflection of the wire 2. The deflection of the wire 2 is shown schematically as a tilt in the wire feed direction, which locally approximates any curvature of the wire 2. Due to the deflection of the wire, the last support point 21 of the wire 2 on the support roller 3 is shifted in the wire feed direction 4 (to the right in this illustration) compared to the first position 20 from Fig. 1A. The main axis of the wetting feedthrough 9 coincides with the main axis of the stripping feedthrough 12 (of each application unit 6), which lie on the common straight line 19.This straight line 19 is in turn a tangent to the support roller 3, so that the wire 2, in the illustrated and intended state, lies (approximately) on this straight line 19 within the coating device 1. In the illustrated second position 22, this straight line 19 does not lie in the horizontal plane, but is tilted relative to the horizontal plane in the wire conveying direction 4. The pivotability of the application units 6 or of the entire coating apparatus 17 about the support roller axis 5 thus enables particularly simple adaptation of the coating device 1 to a deflection of the wire 2.

[0067] In this simplified exemplary embodiment, the respective wetting feedthroughs 9 and stripping feedthroughs 12 each have a fixed position and alignment relative to one another. However, the exact position and alignment of the individual wetting feedthroughs 9 and stripping feedthroughs 12 can optionally be adjustable in order to compensate for further deviations in the shape of the wire 2 from a straight line. By means of the pivotability of the paint harness 17 about the support roller axis 5, a particularly simple adjustment can be made. In addition, a further fine adjustment of the individual application units 6 is possible, which is not shown in detail in order to illustrate the pivotability more clearly. For example, one or more micrometer screws can be provided which are designed to adjust a position and / or an alignment of the wetting feedthrough 9 and / or the stripping feedthrough 12.

[0068] Fig. 2 shows schematically a cross section of a coating device 1 with a support roller 3 and an application unit 6 with a wetting unit 7 and a stripping unit 10 in a higher level of detail compared to the representation in Figures 1A and 1B.

[0069] The wire 2 rests on the support roller 3 and is guided centrally and axially identically through the wetting passage 9 of the wetting unit 7 and through the stripping passage 12 of the stripping unit 10. The stripping unit 10 has a comb 23 (see also Fig. 3) on which the stripping unit base body 11 with the stripping passage 12 is arranged. In this case, the stripping passage 12 is conically tapered in the wire conveying direction 4. The stripping unit 10 is therefore designed as a nozzle and can also be referred to as a paint stripping nozzle or paint nozzle.

[0070] In this exemplary embodiment, the paint utensil 17 is formed solely by the application unit 6, which is arranged on the base plate 15. The base plate 15 is connected to the support roller axis 5 by means of a support arm 18. In this exemplary embodiment, the support arm 18 is angled and has a first arm element 18a and a second elongated arm element 18b. The elongated second arm element 18b extends substantially parallel to the base plate 15.

[0071] This creates a height difference between the application unit 6 connected to the support arm 18 and the path of the wire 2. The horizontal ideal line of the wire 2 is formed by a horizontal tangent on the support roller 3, which runs axially identically through the main axes of the wetting passage 9 and the stripping passage 12. An outer diameter of the support roller 3 can determine the design of the support arm or a depth of the vertically running first arm element 18a, which can preferably be designed such that, when the base plate 15 is horizontally aligned, a horizontal ideal line of the wire 2 is provided between the support roller 3 and the downstream wetting passage 9 and the stripping passage 12.

[0072] Fig. 3 shows a view of a coating device 1 with a support roller 2 and a paint container 17 which is connected to the support roller axis 5 by means of two support arms 18. The paint container 17 is formed in this case by two paint benches 14, each with a collecting basin 13 and several parallel application units 6 (see Fig. 2 for details). In this schematic representation, a stripping unit 10 is not shown for all wetting units 7, or in some cases stripping units 10 are hidden by other components. Details of the stripping units can be found in Fig. 2. The coating device 1 shown is set up to convey and process several passes of a wire 2 in parallel.

[0073] The entire paint utensil 17 is connected to the support roller axis 5 by means of two support arms 18, each having a first arm element 18a and a second elongated arm element 18b (see Fig. 2 for details), and pivotably mounted about the support roller axis 5. In this embodiment, the paint benches 14 of the paint utensil 17 are arranged directly on the two support arms 18.

[0074] The application units 6, in this exemplary embodiment the entire two coating benches 14, are mounted so as to be displaceable parallel to the support roller axis 5. A thread (not shown) is provided in each case to displace one coating bench 14 parallel to the support roller axis 5.

[0075] In addition, a lifting device (not shown) is provided for pivoting the application unit 6, in this case the entire paint utensil 17 including the application units 6, about the support roller axis 5. The lifting device is designed to raise or lower an end 24 of the support arms 18 facing away from the support roller in order to pivot the support arms 18 and consequently the paint utensil 17 about the support roller axis 5. The lifting device has a spindle gear for this purpose. A sensor is provided for determining a position of the lifting device.

[0076] Fig. 4 is a schematic view of part of an apparatus 25 for producing coated wires, comprising a coating device 1 and a furnace 26.

[0077] The device 25 for producing coated wires with a coating device 1 according to the invention for applying at least one layer of the coating material and the oven 26 for solidifying the applied layer, wherein the oven 26 is arranged downstream of the application units 6 (i.e., downstream of the paint utensil 17) in the wire conveying direction 4. In this exemplary embodiment, no support arms 18 are provided; the pivotability of the paint utensil 17 about the support roller axis is ensured mechanically in this exemplary embodiment without support arms 18.

[0078] In addition, a deflection roller 27 is provided in front of or below the support roller 3 for deflecting the wire.

[0079] The device 25 is designed as a horizontal system since the wire 2 or the wires 2 are guided essentially horizontally, in particular during coating and drying and curing.

[0080] A method for producing coated wires using the device 25 comprises the following steps:

[0081] - Feeding the wire 2 with the support roller 3 in

[0082] Wire feed direction 4 in the direction of the application units 6;

[0083] - applying a layer of the coating material to the wire 2 by means of the wetting unit 7 (see Fig. 2);

[0084] - stripping excess coating material from the wire 2 by means of the stripping unit 10 (see Fig. 2);

[0085] - Drying and / or curing the coating material in the oven 26.

Claims

Patent claims:

1. Coating device (1) for applying at least one layer of a coating material to a wire (2), comprising: - a support roller (3) for supporting and conveying the wire (2) in a wire conveying direction (4), wherein the support roller (3) is rotatably mounted about a support roller axis (5); - at least one application unit (6) arranged in the wire conveying direction (4) after the support roller (2), comprising: - at least one wetting unit (7) for applying the coating material, wherein the wetting unit (7) has a wetting unit base body (8) with a wetting passage (9) for the wire (2); and - at least one stripping unit (10) for stripping excess coating material from the wire (2), wherein the stripping unit (10) has a stripping unit base body (11) and a stripping passage (12) for the wire (2); wherein the wire (2) rests on the support roller (3) in the intended state and is guided through the wetting passage (9) and the stripping passage (12), characterized in that the application unit (6) is mounted pivotably about the support roller axis (5).

2. Coating device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the application unit (6) is connected to the support roller axis (5) by a support arm (18), in particular two support arms (18).

3. Coating device (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the at least one application unit (6) is arranged on or in a collecting basin (13) for the coating material, wherein the collecting basin (13) and the at least one application unit (6) form a paint bench (14).

4. Coating device according to claim 3, characterized characterized in that the lacquer bench (14) is arranged on a base plate (15).

5. Coating device according to claim 4, wherein the at least one support arm (18) is connected to the base plate (15).

6. Coating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a lifting device for pivoting the application unit (6) about the support roller axis (5) .

7. Coating device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the lifting device has a gear, preferably a spindle gear.

8. Coating device according to claim 7, characterized by a sensor for determining a position of the lifting device.

9. Coating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by an inclination sensor which is designed to detect an inclination angle of the application unit (6) in the wire feed direction (4) and / or normal to the wire feed direction (4).

10. Coating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the application unit (6), in particular the lacquer bench (14), is mounted displaceably parallel to the support roller axis (5).

11. Coating device (1) according to claim 10, characterized by a thread for displacing the application unit (6) parallel to the support roller axis (5).

12. Coating device (1) according to claim 10 or claim 11, characterized by a distance sensor for determining a position of the application unit (6) parallel to the support roller axis (5).

13. Device (25) for producing coated wires with a coating device (1) according to one of the preceding claims for applying at least one layer of a coating material and a furnace (26) for solidifying the applied layer, wherein the furnace (26) is in Wire conveying direction (4) after which at least one application unit (6) is arranged.

14. A method for producing coated wires using a device according to claim 13, comprising the steps: - Feeding the wire (2) with the support roller (3) in Wire feed direction (4) in the direction of the application unit (6); - applying a layer of the coating material to the wire (2) by means of the wetting unit (7); - Stripping excess coating material from the wire (2) by means of the stripping unit (10); - drying and / or curing the coating material in the oven (26).

Images