CA2271628A1 - Method and arrangement for processing workpieces and workpiece pick-up station for an arrangement of this type - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a method and arrangement for processing workpieces and a workpiece pick-up station for an arrangement of this type, workpieces being processed on a closed track in individual processing stations, and a plurality of workpieces being guided through a treatment station in conjunction with their movement on the track. The arrangement preferably comprises a plurality of workpiece pick-up stations which are disposed on a station carrier preferably formed by an annular support, and a treatment station with respect to which the station carrier performs a relative movement such that it includes the workpiece pick-up stations. A workpiece pick-up station of this type preferably comprises a pair of projecting pick-up rollers for supporting the workpiece on its outer periphery so that it can be coated on the inside, and/or at least one pick-up mandrel for supporting the workpiece internally so that it can be coated on the outside.

Description

A method and apparatus for treating workpieces and a workpiece receiving station of an apparatus of that kind The present invention relates to a method for treating, in particular for the multiple coating of workpieces, and an apparatus and a workpiece receiving station for this purpose.
The treatment of a plurality of workpieces, in particular hollow-cylindrical workpieces, as they are required for instance in large scale in the construction of vehicles, is carried out in the conventional manner by connecting the workpieces with a continuous conveying means, as for instance a conveying chain, which is passed through a processing machine, e.g. for the internal and/or external coating of hollow-cylindrical parts.
Multiple coating is often required in this case in which drying treatments are necessary.
In an embodiment of the prior art for an external coating (external rolling or spraying), shown in Fig. 9, the transport chain with the parts to be coated several times being attached thereto, with the parts being for instance shock absorber sleeves, is passed in a meander-like path through an automatic coating apparatus, with the transport chain being moved to the area of a drying furnace IV before or between the individual coating processes in stations I, II, II
(pre-treatment, first coating, second coating), in order to ensure a pre-heating and drying after the individual coating processes.
In another embodiment of the prior art for an inner coating, as shown in Fig.
10, a plurality of transport chains are moved on a straight line, with three successive coating stations I, II, III being separated by drying furnaces IV arranged between the coating stations.

These units are extremely expensive regarding their manufacture and maintenance, and their scope of application is very restricted. Moreover, transport chains of that kind must be re-stretched.
The elongations of the transport chain occurring during operation may lead to damage of the machine (rubbing at the housing). Dangerous situations may occur in case of an insufficient maintenance.
Moreover, the above-mentioned apparatus almost exclusively enable the coating of hollow-cylindrical parts, which are purely tubular) a coating of so-called collar parts (hollow cylindrical parts having a collar) is, however, difficult or even impossible. In other units, adhesives are generally applied by a spray coating with a great loss of adhesive.
It is the object of the invention to provide a method and an apparatus for processing workpieces, in particular for an inner andlor outer coating of hollow-cylindrical workpieces, including so-called collar parts, and to provide a workpiece receiving station, in particular for an apparatus of that kind, which has a high flexibility in view of the handling of the processing tasks) which has short fitting times and which allows a high processing efficiency at a compact design.
This object is achieved according to the invention in a method of the above-mentioned kind by moving the workpieces on a closed path and by processing workpieces in individual processing stations, with a plurality of workpieces being moved through a treating station in connection with moving the workpiece on the closed path.
The closed path is preferably a circular path.
The processing is preferably a variable multiple coating process and the workpieces are preferably moved through the treating station in accordance with the respective processing steps. This makes it possible to carry out the processing method in particular the inner andlor outer coatings of hollow-cylindrical members at a high arrangement density of the workpieces themselves and the entire means for carrying out the method. Changes in the working cycle can be easily implemented, as for instance the switching from a single to a multiple coating (1 to 3-fold coating or more), since this merely requires changes in the interval cycle with respect to the allocation of the workpieces to the individual processing stations. These changes may be program-controlled. At the same time, intermediate treatments can easily be made between individual processing steps (e.g. drying between multiple coating processes) without the use of traction mechanisms.
In an especially preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the workpieces may be received on a circular path in workpiece receiving stations at regular spacings of the workpiece receiving stations, e.g. at an angle that is approximately 6°.
The method according to the invention at the same time allows to significantly simplify and change the working process by using a contact rolling coating for the inner andlor outer coating of hollow-cylindrical workpieces, instead of spray coatings that require relatively much material and are unsatisfactory regarding the material consumption and the environmental protection.
Further advantageous embodiments of the method are explained in the remaining subclaims.
The above-mentioned object is solved regarding the means for processing, in particular for coating workpieces in at least one processing station) in an apparatus according to the above-mentioned kind in that the workpiece receiving stations are arranged on a station carrier and at least one treatment station is provided with respect to which the station carrier including the workpiece receiving station performs a relative movement.

An apparatus of that kind enables the arrangement of one or a plurality of for instance outer processing stations, into which the workpiece receiving stations charged by workpieces are in a clocked manner or continuously guided for carrying out a processing, in particular an inner andlor outer coating of for instance hollow-cylindrical workpieces according to a program plan, wherein in the processing stations coating rollers are arranged which are movable preferably in three axes for an inner coating (possibly after primer treatment) and/or an outer coating of the workpieces preferably rotatably supported in the workpiece receiving stations.
The station carrier is preferably a round table.
Preferred embodiments of the apparatus according to the invention are explained in the remaining subclaims.
The above-mentioned object is solved with respect to a workpiece receiving station for receiving at least one workpiece and for feeding it to a processing position for being processed, in particular for an inner andlor outer coating of the workpiece, preferably to be used in an apparatus of the above mentioned kind, in that in the workpiece receiving station a pair of rollers is projectingly provided for supporting the workpiece at the outer periphery of the same and allowing a rotation of the same for an inner coating, andlor at least one receiving mandrel is projectingly provided for supporting of the workpiece at the inner periphery for an outer coating and preferably allowing a rotation of same.
A contact roller coating may be performed by means of the workpiece receiving station in a manner which is significant regarding the application technology and the economical material consumption, said workpiece receiving station enabling the generation of inner and/or outer coatings of hollow-cylindrical and similar parts (including so-called collar members) by means of one coating roller each or by means of a different apparatus, wherein the latter is assigned to the technological process, wherein the application movement rotates preferably around its longitudinal axis and sets the workpiece into rotation, which is preferably rotatingly received in the workpiece receiving station.

However, the workpiece can also be supported stationarily and the coating tool can be moved on a circular path for an inner processing (here in particular an inner coating) A workpiece receiving station of the kind is) however, not restricted to the use as a workpiece carrier for coating processes, rather, different processing works in respective processing stations can be performed, to which the workpiece receiving station is assigned, such as surface refinements, ink or laser jet printing processes, impregnating or conditioning workpieces, abrasive and depositing surface removal or application and the like.
An especially advantageous embodiment of the invention for processing, in particular for coating workpieces is given in that the workpiece receiving stations are provided in an annular carrier. It is achieved in an advantageous manner to severely reduce the masses moved per working cycle, and in particular the inertia momentum of the station carrier provided with the workpiece receiving stations. In particular in combination with a heating or drying station it becomes possible by the suggested annular carrier to reduce the energy consumption of the drying station and to reduce the temperature fluctuations in the interior of the drying station. It also becomes possible to effectively seal the inner portion of the drying station towards the outside. A further increase of the processing efficiency is thereby achieved in an advantageous manner.
An especially advantageous embodiment of the apparatus is given in that the workpiece receiving stations are arranged at regular circumferential pitch at the annular carrier. This results in a favorable clock frequency regarding the charging of the workpiece receiving stations and regarding the removal of workpieces from the workpiece receiving stations. Moreover, a balanced load of a bearing means provided for supporting the annular carrier results in an advantageous manner.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention for processing workpieces, the workpiece receiving stations are provided pointing radially outwardly at an outer circumference of the annular carrier. This makes it possible to arrange the individual stations provided for charging, processing and coating and for receiving the workpieces, along the outer circumference of the annular carrier on the level of the annular carrier, wherein due to the comparatively great distance of the individual stations from a center of rotation of the annular carrier, a greater lateral distance of the individual stations towards each other and thus an increased accessibility is achieved.
In a further advantageous manner) the workpiece receiving stations are aligned in a manner that the individual workpieces remain in the workpiece receiving stations because of their own weight. In an advantageous manner the longitudinal axes of possible receiving mandrels provided in the workpiece receiving stations extend inclined at a small angle with respect to a horizontal plane.
In an advantageous manner each workpiece receiving station comprises a plurality of cylindrical receiving units. It becomes possible in an advantageous manner to equip the workpiece receiving stations during each equipment clock with a plurality of workpieces.
Preferably, the annular carrier is a substantially disk-shaped body having a central through opening. The diameter of the central through opening is in an advantageous manner preferably at least 40 % of the outer diameter of the annular carrier. The annular carrier is formed in an advantageous manner as a light-weight member and is preferably made of an aluminum material.
Further preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the subclaims.
The invention will now be described by means of an embodiment and associated drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation (top view) of a round table of a processing apparatus according to an embodiment with an associated drying furnace and by defining the position for processing stations and for charging and removing workpieces to and from workpiece receiving stations, Figure 2 is a front view of a workpiece receiving station with workpiece receiving units for an inner coating of a hollow-cylindrical workpiece and an outer coating of a (different) hollow-cylindrical workpiece and of similar members, Fig. 3 is a side elevation view according to Fig. 2 with a diagrammatic representation of a coating roller as processing tool, Fig. 4 is a representation similar to those according to Fig. 2 for a further embodiment of a workpiece receiving station, Fig. 5 is a view according to that of Fig. 3 for the second embodiment according to Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a top view onto an annular carrier with workpiece receiving stations formed therein, Fig. 7 is an axial section through the annular carrier according to Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a detail section for elucidating the structure of the edge structure of the annular carrier according to Fig. 6.
Fig. 9 is a coating apparatus for hollow-cylindrical members shown in diagrammatic representation according to the prior art, Fig. 10 shows a further coating apparatus for hollow-cylindrical members according to the prior art.

By means of Fig. 1, which diagrammatically shows in top view a main component of a coating device 100 for the inner andlor outer coating of hollow-cylindrical members in connection with a round table 60, an embodiment for the coating of hollow cylinders is described.
Hollow-cylindrical members are in particular used in automobile construction, and often in concentric arrangement with an inner tube and an outer tube (e.g.
shock absorber tubes), wherein often the inner and outer tube of such a concentric arrangement are joined by a rubber-elastic mass. Elements of that kind are for instance common for the engine suspension or for supporting oscillating members. To prepare an elastomeric connection between such an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder it is required to coat the outer surface of the inner cylinder and the inner surface of the outer cylinder by a bonding agent in order to prepare the following introduction of an elastomeric compound mass which under tight adhesion to both cylinders fully and permanently fills the space between the inner and outer cylinder, and which must be suitable for taking-up severe loads. This requires besides a preparing primer coating an effective coating process with an adhesive bonding agent, possibly also a plurality of such coating processes by intermediately and finally drying the individual adhesive (bonding agent) coatings.
in contrast to the conventional devices shown by means of Fig. 6 and 7, the present embodiment provides an indexed round table 60 as station carrier, i.e.
a round table that can be indexed in accordance with a predetermined program (in accordance with the processing task), with 59 workpiece receiving stations 1 to 59 being fixed on the round table at regular angular spacings of approximately 6°, said workpiece receiving stations being adapted to receive at least one workpiece 61 in a manner which will be described later and which are indexed by the round table 60 in the direction of arrow A, i.e. which are movable according to a predetermined switching pattern in discrete steps. The round table 60 may possibly be moved permanently. In this manner, a workpiece receiving station) in Fig. 1 e.g. the workpiece receiving station 1 (with at least one associated workpiece 61 ), is first of all situated in a processing station, in this case processing station X, in which a prior treatment of the workpiece by a primer coating takes place.
A substantial portion of the workpiece receiving stations is in the processing situation, shown by Fig. 1, in the influencial range of a furnace 62 forming a pre-heating and drying path, said furnace forming a treatment station in which a plurality of workpiece receiving stations with their associated workpieces are located simultaneously.
This embodiment moreover shows a first coating station XII and a second coating station XI, in which a coating roller 65 (see Figure 3) comes into processing engagement with a respective workpiece 61. The process cycle is selected through a respective program control by a plurality of full turns of the indexed round table 60 in a manner that each individual workpiece receiving station 1 to 59 and thus the respective workpiece(s) 61 is subjected in the prescribed working cycle e.g. to drying - pre-coating (primer coating) -drying -coating in station XII - drying - coating in station XI - drying - discharging in discharge station E. A coating station B is provided in this embodiment upstream the furnace 62 in a manner that in the present case the workpiece receiving station 24 for instance is in the position for receiving a new workpiece 61.
Of course, it is also possible for instance to abstain from making a multiple coating in processing station XI and XIl (if this seems to be sensible regarding the working task).
In the present embodiment the hollow-cylindrical workpiece 61 previously inserted into the charging station B in workpiece receiving station 1 is first of all pre-heated in furnace 62 and finally reaches the primer coating station X) as shown in Fig. 1.

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In the further working cycle (regarding the working of the workpiece received in workpiece receiving station 1 ) ) the workpiece receiving station 1 is indexed by more than 360° so that the primer coating from the station X is first of all dried in furnace 62 before the workpiece coating station 1 reaches a first effective coating process for the workpiece 61 in the coating station X1. Subsequently, the workpiece from the workpiece receiving station 1 may be either moved out of the coating station XII to the discharge station E after repeated circulation with the round table 60 for drying the bonding agent, or this drying process can be followed by a second effective coating in the coating station XI, with the workpiece being discharged after another passage through the furnace 62 when the workpiece receiving station 1 is in the discharge station E.
Instead of the round table 60, a chain conveyor system can also be used as a carrier of the workpiece receiving stations 1 to 59.
Thus, the embodiment is not restricted to the use of a round table with discrete indexing) but continuous workpiece transport systems which do not move the workpieces on a circular path can also be used.
The charging and discharging stations are not restricted to the use shown. A
second workpiece category could also take place) for instance a workpiece for automatically outer coating (outer rolling) in the shown positions of the workpiece receiving stations 18 and 20 while the coating station B shown is effective in cooperation with the workpiece receiving station 24 for automatically charging a first workpiece category, e.g. a workpiece for inner coating (inner rolling).
With reference to Fig. 2 and 3 as well as 4 and 5, the structure of a workpiece receiving station for inner and outer coating of workpieces 61 will now be described. The structures of workpiece stations 1 to 59 preferably provided in odd number, on the round table may be equal, however, different workpiece stations may also be arranged on the round table 60.

According to Fig. 2, a workpiece receiving station 1 (the other workpiece receiving stations 2 to 59 are formed equal) comprises two receiving rollers 63, which rotatably support the hollow-cylindrical workpiece 61, and which are supported on a mounting block 64 mounted on the round table 60, preferably via ball bearings.
A coating roller 65 is inserted into the workpiece 61, said coating roller performing a rotational movement and applying the coating material by simultaneously rotatably driving the workpiece 61 onto an inner surface 61 a of the workpiece 61.
In the representation according to Fig. 2 and 3 the mounting block 64 is additionally provided with a receiving mandrel 66, on which a workpiece 61 can be rotatably received along its inner face for the outer coating thereof. Such a mandrel may be provided for the case that inner and outer coatings are performed in parallel cycles. It does, however, frequently occur that either the pair of receiving rollers 63 or the receiving mandrel 66 are provided to either perform an inner or an outer coating of a workpiece 61. Fig. 2 shows workpieces in discontinued line, with the workpieces having other diameters (receiving rollers 63 in discontinued line adapted appropriately).
Fig. 3 shows a side elevation view according to Fig. 2, with the workpiece retainment station being located in a processing station, which in this case is represented by a coating roller 65. The coating roller 65 is movable for instance in 1,2 or 3 axes and rotates about its longitudinal axis 65a. A coating material (in this case adhesive bonding agent) is supplied to the coating roller from an inner contour and emerges at its cylindrical outer surface to the outside.
The workpiece 61, which in the upper portion contacts the receiving rollers 63 for the purpose of an inner coating, may also retained and the axle 65a of the coating roller 65 may be additionally moved on a circular path for internally coating the workpiece 61.

Fig.4 and 5 show a further embodiment, which differs from the embodiment according to Fig.3 and 4 only in that a pair of receiving mandrels 66 are provided for an outer coating of the workpieces 61, so that the coating roller moved for instance from the top along an axis 67 two the workpieces 61 can at the same time coat a pair of workpieces 61 at their outer side, with the workpieces being preferably rotated by the rotation of the coating roller 65. Here workpiece 61 of different diameters are also shown in discontinued lines. The receiving means (receiving rollers 63, receiving mandrels 66) are preferably provided alternatively at the mounting block 64 without a common existence of these workpiece receiving apparatuss (as shown for simplicity's sake in the embodiments according to Fig.3 to 5) being excluded.

The receiving rollers 63 preferably have a spacing from one another that is greater than the diameter of the coating roller 65 so that this coating roller can be moved from the top in the direction of the receiving mandrel(s) 66 for an outer coating of workpiece 61.

Fig.6 shows an annular carrier 71 for forming the station carrier or the round table 60. The base sections or the mounting block 64 of the individual workpiece receiving stations are formed integrally with the annular carrier. The annular carrier 71 is formed as a substantially planar disk body and is provided with a through opening 73 that is concentric towards a central axis 72. The diameter of this through opening 73 is approximately 1.0 m in the embodiment shown. The through opening 73 is encompassed by a cylindrical or slightly conical inner annular carrier face 74.

A preferably odd number of attachment bores 77 is formed at regular pitch at small spacing to the inner annular face 74 along the through opening 73 in the annular carrier 71. The attachment bores 77 are provided with an indentation in which a screw head of an attachment screw is received in a sunk manner such that this screw head does not project over the upper side 78 of the annular carrier 71, said upper side being formed planarly in this case.

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The annular carrier 71 is limited on its outer circumference by an outer face which is composed of a preferably odd number of individual planar individual faces extending in parallel to the central axis 72, or which, as an alternative, is formed as a cylinder or also as a bevel face.
In the embodiment shown in this case, the annular carrier 71, an odd number (59 in Fig. 1 ) of through holes 76 is formed at equal pitch along a circumferential line extending between the inner face of the annular carrier inner face 74 and the outer face 75. The through bores 76 are formed as fit bores and each extend in parallel to the central axis 72.
The spacing of the through bores 76 to the outer face 75 is in the range of 15%
to 50% of the annular width of the annular carrier, said annular width being characterized in Fig. 2 by letter "b".
As may be derived from the axial section according to Fig. 1 7, the annular carrier 71 has an annular rim 80 projecting downwards in the axial direction, said annular rim enforcing the annular carrier 71 in view of a higher axial load-bearing capacity and which moreover elongates the outer face 75 in total in the axial direction. The annular rim 80 is limited on its end opposite the upper side of the annular carrier 71 by a planar lower side 82. The spacing between the upper side of the annular carrier 71 and said lower side 82 is in this case approximately four to five-fold the axial thickness of the annular carrier 71 in the region of the through opening 73.
As may be clearly derived from Fig. 8, the annular rim 80 is provided with a number of bores 79a and 79b directed inwards towards the central axis 72.
These bores form fit or receiving bores for receiving the receiving rollers 63 or receiving mandrels 66, for similicity's sake drawn in dashed lines in this case, or also attachment bores for attaching appropriate workpiece receiving apparatuss at the annular carrier 71. A pair of radial bores 79a and a pair of bores (radial bores 79b) located underneath are provided for each workpiece receiving station. The radial bores 97a and 79b are arranged symmetrically with respect to an axial plane defined by the central axis 72 and by the respective central axis of the through bores 76.
The radial bores 79a have a greater inner diameter than the radial bores 79b.
The spacing of the radial bores 79a to said symmetrical plane is also greater than the spacing of the radial bores 79b to said symmetrical plane. The radial bores 79a as well as the radial bores 79b extend in parallel to said axial plane.
The width of the annular rim 80 measured in the radial direction of the annular carrier 71 is dimensioned in an advantageous manner that the radial bores 79a, 79b each form a bearing section of high load-bearing capacity. The radial bores 79a, 79b may be provided in an advantageous manner with bearing bushes.
The annular carrier has an odd number (5, 7, 9, 27, 59) of workpiece receiving stations. Each workpiece receiving station is preferably provided for receiving a plurality of workpieces (in this case four). The unevenness of the number of workpiece receiving stations is significant to achieve a continuous process operation (pre-treatment, 2 coating stations, 1 discharge station, 1 charging station, one drying furnace), without having "nonproductive times" for each workpiece receiving station and thus for each workpiece.
The annular carrier 71 including the workpiece receiving stations provided thereat may be removed by a supporting means and may for instance be brought to a washing unit, in which possible impurities adhering to the annular carrier and the workpiece receiving stations, in particular the plug-on mandrels, are removed. It is also possible to prepare a plurality of annular carriers configured differently with respect to the design of the workpiece receiving stations, and to select an appropriate annular carrier 1 from an appropriately pre-configured annular carrier set.
The exchange of the annular carriers may be made manually or for instance automatically. In a fully automatic exchange of the annular carriers 71 it is preferably refrained from using an attachment of the annular carrier 71 through the attachment bores 77 shown in Fig. 6, and the annular carrier is clamped in an annular carrier bearing device by means of a clamping means. The exact position of the annular carrier in the bearing device may be determined by a position detection means, which for instance detects the position of the radial bores 79b.
The annular carrier 71 is preferably made of a light metal, in particular an aluminum cast alloy.
The invention is not restricted to the above described preferred embodiment of the annular carrier. It is for instance also possible to assemble the annular carrier of a plurality of annular segments, in particular three annular segments. It is also possible to design the annular rim in a manner that it projects over the upper side of the annular carrier. It is also possible to design the annular rim in a manner that it projects over the upper side of the annular carrier and over the lower side of the annular carrier.
The embodiments are of course not restricted to a coating (inner andlor outer coating) of hollow-cylindrical elements or collar members (hollow-cylindrical members having a collar), but such an apparatus can also be provided for the processing or for instance installation of different workpieces, in particular when it is additionally sensible to provide a treatment station common to a plurality of workpiece receiving stations 1 to 59, said treatment station in this case having the shape of a furnace 62.
The workpiece receiving stations do not have to be arranged horizontally, but may be arranged in a different manner with respect to each other in a way inclined between 0° and 90°.
Furthermore, the receiving rollers 63 and the receiving mandrels 66 may also be provided stationarily (not rotatable) as projecting elements at the receiving block 64, e.g. with a friction-reducing coating, such as for instance a Teflon coating, to reduce the frictional resistance to the workpieces received.
The invention as well as the above-described embodiments are also not restricted to the number of processingltreatment stations (here: X-XIII) or the number of workpiece receiving stations (here: 59). The amount thereof can rather be variable in accordance with the treatment or processing steps of different process parameters.

Claims (45)

Claims

1. A method for the multiple processing, in particular the multiple coating of workpieces, in which the workpieces are fed in a feeding station on a round table means provided with an odd number of workpiece receiving stations and in which the workpieces are processed, in particular coated in a plurality of treatment stations, in particular coating stations, and are treated, in particular heated or dried in a treatment station, wherein a plurality of workpieces are simultaneously treated, in particular heated or dried in the treatment station, and the round table means is indexed according to a predetermined indexing patter in a manner that the workpieces are introduced into the treatment station between two treatment processes and the multiply processed, in particular multiply coated workpieces are removed in a discharge station from the round table means.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that further treatment processes, in particular variable processes in treatment stations (X, XI, XII) follow the treatment of the workpieces (61) in the treatment station (62).

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the same treatments of the workpiece (61) are carried out in the same, predetermined processing station (X, XI, XII).

4. A method as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterized in that one passage of the workpiece through the treatment station (62) is performed between two treatments.

5. A method as claimed at least in one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the workpieces (61) are charged or discharged at a charge or discharge position (B, E) outside the treatment station (62) on or from a preferably rotating carrier (60).

6. A method as claimed at feast in one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the treatment of the workpieces (61) is carried out in the form of coating, in particular multiple inner and/or outer coating of cylindrical workpieces (61) and the simultaneous treatment of a plurality of workpieces (61) is carried out as a pre-heating or drying treatment.

7. A method as claimed at least in one of the preceding claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the workpieces are indexed in a clocked manner or are passed on continuously and a treatment of the workpieces (61), in particular an inner andlor outer coating takes place in predetermined positions by a tool, in particular a coating roller, which can be engaged in the predetermined treatment processing with the workpiece.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that after charging a workpiece (61) onto the rotatably movable carrier (60), the workpiece (61) is subjected to a pre-heating treatment, and is subsequently moved in a first coating station (X) in which a surface pre-treatment, in particular by a primer treatment, is carried out and the workpiece is subsequently moved while drying in a drying station (62), preferably at more than 360°, or a respective supply path is moved in a second coating station (XII), in which a first effective coating of a surface of the workpiece (61) takes place.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that after the first effective coating the workpiece (61) is again moved through the drying station for drying, and is subsequently moved to a third coating station (XI) in which a further coating application, in particular a further effective coating, onto the workpiece (61) is carried out, and subsequently the workpiece (61) is again subjected to a drying treatment (62) while moving on a circular path and is finally moved to a discharge position.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the treatment of the workpiece is performed as a surface refinement, printing, impregnation or conditioning.

11. An apparatus for the multiple processing, in particular the multiple coating of workpieces, wherein the workpieces can be received in workpiece receiving stations, which are arranged in odd number on a round table means, and wherein a plurality of processing stations and a treatment station are provided, with respect to which the round table means along with the workpiece receiving stations performs a relative movement, wherein a plurality of workpieces can be introduced thereto for simultaneously treating a plurality of workpieces.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the treatment station (62) is stationary.

13. A device as claimed in claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the treatment station (62) covers a plurality of workpiece receiving stations (27-57) of the station carrier (60).

14. A device as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the treatment station is a pre-heating or drying station (62).

15. A device as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims 11 to 14, characterized in that the station carrier is a round table (60).

16. A device as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims 11 to 15, characterized in that the workpiece receiving stations (1-59) are arranged at regular pitch on the round table (60), in particular along its outer circumference.

17. A device as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that an angular spacing between adjacent workpiece receiving stations (1-59) is approximately 6°.

18. A device as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims 11 to 17, characterized in that the workpiece receiving station (1-59) can be moved into a workpiece processing position of a processing station (X, XI, XII) with a processing tool (65).

19. A device as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the treatment station is a coating station (X, XI, XII) having at least one coating tool, in particular a coating roller (65) movable relative to a workpiece receiving device of the workpiece receiving station (1-59).

20. A device as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that the coating tool (65) is movable through several axes, in particular through three axes.

21. A device as claimed in at least one of preceding claims 17 to 20, characterized in that the tool (61) can be driven rotatably through the processing tool, in particular through the coating tool (65).

22. A device as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims 1 to 21, characterized in that a tool receiving device of the workpiece receiving station (1-59) comprises at least one pair of receiving rollers (63) for the outer circumferential support of a hollow-cylindrical workpiece (61).

23. A device as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims 1 to 22, characterized in that a tool receiving device of the tool receiving station (1-59) comprises at least one receiving mandrel (66) for an inner reception of a hollow-cylindrical workpiece (61).

24. A device as claimed in claim 22 and 23, characterized in that the receiving rollers (63) are rotatably supported in the workpiece receiving station (1-59) in a manner projecting in the upper portion, and that said rollers are supported at a spacing which is greater than a diameter of a processing tool (65), and the receiving mandrel (66) is rotatably arranged in the workpiece receiving station (1-59) and in an elongation of a path of movement of the processing, in particular the coating tool (65).

25. A device as claimed in claim 22 and 23, characterized in that the receiving rollers (63) are rotatably supported in the workpiece receiving station (1-59) in a manner projecting in the upper portion, and that said rollers are supported at a spacing which is greater than the diameter of a processing tool (65), and that a pair of receiving mandrels (66) supported in particular rotatably in the workpiece receiving station (1-59) for receiving the hollow-cylindrical workpieces (61) in pairs is provided below the receiving rollers (63), said receiving mandrels being arranged in offset fashion directed inwards with respect to the axes of the receiving rollers (63).

26. A device as claimed in one of claims 11 to 25, characterized in that the workpiece receiving stations are formed in an annular carrier (71).

27. A device as claimed in claim 26, characterized in that the workpiece receiving stations (1-59) are formed at regular circumferential pitch on the annular carrier (71).

28. A device as claimed in one of claims 11 to 27, characterized in that the number of workpiece receiving stations (1-59) is odd.

29. A device as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims 11 to 28, characterized in that a pre-treatment station (X), a second coating station (XI), a discharge station (E) a loading station (B), and a treatment station (62) simultaneously treating a plurality of workpiece stations (1-59) on the annular carrier (71) are provided.

30. A device as claimed in at least one of claims 11 to 29, characterized in that the workpiece receiving stations (1-59) are formed in a manner pointing radially inwards at an outer circumference of the annular carrier (71).

31. A device as claimed in one of claims 11 to 30, characterized in that each workpiece receiving station (1-59) comprises a plurality of cylindrical receiving units.

32. A device as claimed in one of claims 11 to 31, characterized in that the annular carrier (71) comprises a number of through bores (76), which are formed at regular pitch on a circumferential line coaxial with respect to a central axis (72) of the annular carrier (71) and spaced to an outer edge of the annular carrier (71).

33. A device as claimed in one of claims 11 to 32, characterized in that the annular carrier (71) comprises an annular rim (80) which projects in the axial direction over a lower face of the annular carrier (71).

34. A device as claimed in one of claims 11 to 33, characterized in that the annular carrier (71) is delimited on its outer side by a circumferential face (75) which is penetrated by a number of radial bores (79a, 79b) substantially directed towards the central axis (72).

35. A device as claimed in claim 34, characterized in that the radial bores (79a, 79b) penetrate the annular rim (80).

36. A device as claimed in one of claims 11 to 35, characterized in that the radial bores 879a, 79b) are assigned in parallel and symmetrical with respect to an axial plane which includes the central axis (72).

37. A device as claimed in one of claims 11 to 36, characterized in that the annular carrier (71) comprises an upper side (78) which forms a planar clamping surface.

38. A device as claimed in one of claims 11 to 37, characterized in that the annular carrier (71) is formed as an aluminum cast member.

39. A device as claimed in one of claims 11 to 38, characterized in that the annular carrier (71) comprises a through opening (73) encompassed by an inner annular carrier face (74), the diameter of said through opening being at least of the outer diameter of the annular carrier (71).

40. A device as claimed in at least one of claims 11 to 39, characterized in that the workpiece receiving stations are provided in odd number at the annular carrier (71).

41. A workpiece receiving station for receiving at least one workpiece and for supplying same into a processing position for processing, in particular for inner andlor outer coating the workpiece, in particular for an apparatus as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that a pair of receiving rollers (63) is provided projectingly for supporting the workpiece (61) preferably allowing a rotation of same, at the outer circumference of the workpiece for an inner processing, and/or at least one receiving mandrel (66) is provided projectingly for supporting the workpiece (61) preferably allowing rotation of same at the inner circumference of an outer processing, in particular an outer coating.

42. A workpiece receiving station as claimed in claim 41, characterized in that a pair of receiving mandrels (66) is provided for an outer coating in pairs of two hollow-cylindrical workpieces (61).

43. A workpiece receiving station as claimed in claim 41 or 42, characterized in that the receiving rollers (63) are rotatably supported in the workpiece receiving station (1-59) and in the upper portion thereof, and are supported at a spacing which is greater than a diameter of a treatment tool, in particular a coating roller (65), and the receiving mandrel (66) is rotating arranged in an elongation of the path of movement of the treatment tool, in particular the coating roller (65).

44. A workpiece receiving station as claimed in claim 41 or 42, characterized in that the receiving rollers (63) are rotatably supported in the workpiece receiving station (1-59) and in the upper portion thereof and at a spacing which is in particular greater than a diameter of a treatment tool, in particular a coating roller (65), and a pair of receiving mandrels (66) rotatably supported in the workpiece receiving station (1-59) arranged offset in the inward direction with respect to the axes of the receiving rollers for receiving in pairs hollow-cylindrical workpieces (61).

45. A workpiece receiving station as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims 41 to 44, characterized by an installation of these stations on an in particular step-wise indexing station carrier, in particular a round table (60).