Surface Treatment Chamber with Jacketed Negative Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surface treatment devices for workpieces, such as electroplating, require multiple handling steps and consume large quantities of aggressive and harmful liquids, leading to inefficiencies and environmental concerns due to the lack of containment and uniform coating thickness.
Innovation Solution
A device with a jacket complementary to the workpiece's cross-section creates a sealed space under negative pressure for surface treatment, using superheated steam for cleaning and ensuring uniform coating through consistent electrolyte flow, reducing media consumption and environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple separate tanks are used for different surface treatment steps, then each treatment can be performed with dedicated media, but the consumption of aggressive and harmful liquids increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate treatment tanks into a single integrated treatment chamber where different surface treatment steps (degreasing, rinsing, electroplating) are performed sequentially in different zones within the same chamber. This merging allows the workpiece to remain in one container throughout the entire treatment process, significantly reducing media consumption while maintaining treatment quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment chamber is divided into multiple distinct zones (degreasing zone, rinsing zone, electroplating zone) that can be independently controlled and filled with different media. This segmentation allows each treatment step to have its own optimized conditions while sharing the same physical container, resolving the contradiction between dedicated treatment and media conservation.
2Reliability
If the workpiece is transported between multiple tanks for each process step, then each treatment can be optimized independently, but the handling time and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating multiple treatment zones within a single chamber, the workpiece remains stationary or moves minimally through the chamber while different media are introduced to different zones. This eliminates the time-consuming transport between separate tanks while maintaining independent optimization of each treatment step through zone-specific media delivery.
3Manufacturing precision
If electrolyte flows continuously through the treatment chamber, then uniform coating thickness is achieved, but the consumption of electrolyte increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrolyte flows continuously through the electroplating zone in a controlled manner, ensuring uniform coating deposition on the workpiece surface. The continuous flow prevents stagnant zones and ensures consistent electrolyte composition at the deposition interface, achieving uniform coating thickness while optimizing electrolyte utilization efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses hydraulic principles to control electrolyte flow through the treatment chamber, creating optimized flow patterns that ensure uniform distribution across the workpiece surface. The hydraulic system maintains appropriate flow rates and pressures to achieve consistent coating while minimizing electrolyte consumption through efficient circulation and reuse.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device achieves efficient, uniform surface treatment with reduced media usage and environmental impact by maintaining negative pressure and using superheated steam for cleaning, ensuring high-quality coatings without local overheating and minimizing waste.
Implementation Method 1
In electrochemical galvanizing, the workpiece is placed in an electrolytic bath in which a consumable electrode made of the material required for the coating is immersed. By applying a DC voltage between the workpiece and the consumable electrode, the latter is removed and the coating is built up on the workpiece.
Implementation Method 2
The electrical current detaches metal ions from the consumable electrode and deposits them on the workpiece through reduction.
Implementation Method 3
the space surrounded by the jacket, which can be filled with a plating agent, cleaning agent or the like, is at negative pressure relative to the environment at least during a first surface treatment of the workpiece
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A device (20) for the surface treatment of a workpiece (1), in particular electroplating, cleaning and the like, is described, which device comprises a space (3, 17) which is complementary to at least one cross section of the workpiece (1), receives at least one part of the workpiece (1) to be subjected to a surface treatment and can be filled with a medium required for a surface treatment and has an enveloping casing (2), wherein the internal dimensions of the casing (2) are uniformly slightly greater in all directions than the external dimensions of the corresponding cross section of the workpiece (1). In the space (3, 17) which is enveloped by the casing (2) and can be filled with a medium required for the surface treatment, negative pressure in relation to the surroundings prevails at least during a first surface treatment of the workpiece (1) and positive pressure in relation to the surroundings prevails at least during a second surface treatment serving for cleaning the workpiece (1), preferably by introduction of hot steam into the space.