DE102010032684A1 - Drying plant for ceramic semi-finished products - Google Patents

Abstract

A drying plant for ceramic semi-finished products (11) is described. The drying plant has a drying chamber in which a storage rack (14) is arranged with guideways. On the tracks transport pallets (13) for receiving the ceramic semi-finished products (11) are arranged. On the transport pallets (13) guide rollers are arranged. The transport pallets (13) form transport strands arranged along the guideways. An input-side mounting device (17) and an output-side mounting device are provided, wherein the input-side mounting device (17) is formed so that it feeds the transport pallets (13) in successive cycles. The output-side mounting device is designed such that it removes the transport pallets (13) in successive cycles. In order to transport the transport pallets, it is provided that the loading device (17) on the input side is designed in such a way that it drives the transport pallets (13) arranged in the guideway for transport during feeding. The output-side mounting device is designed in a corresponding manner so that it drives the transport pallets (13) arranged in the guideway for removal during removal.

Description

The invention relates to a drying plant for semifinished ceramic products such as sanitary ware, Baukeramik- and dishes moldings. Such semi-finished product is also referred to as green.

It is known to feed the wet semi-finished product through a feeding device of the drying plant and to remove the dried semi-finished product by a removal device of the drying plant. The semifinished product is stored in the drying plant on transport devices, for example on conveyor belts or trolleys, which have a separate drive.

From the DE 10 2007 012 912 B3 a device for drying ceramic hollow bodies is known, in which a conveyor for continuously conveying a plurality of parallel juxtaposed at equal intervals ceramic bodies through the drying space is provided.

The DE 196 08 565 A1 describes a method for drying molded articles made of ceramic material and a system for carrying out the method. The moldings are placed on trolleys, which are introduced along rails in the drying room, where they are first promoted on a Querverschubbühne that collects six adjacent dolly.

The DE 10 2005 037 881 A1 describes an apparatus for drying moldings, wherein drying carts are provided for storing the moldings.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for drying ceramic semifinished product.

According to the invention, this object is achieved with the subject matter of claim 1. The subject matter of claim 1 is a drying plant for ceramic semi-finished products with a drying chamber, in which a storage rack is arranged with guideways. On the tracks transport pallets for receiving the ceramic semi-finished products are arranged. On the transport pallets or the guideways are guide elements, for. As guide rollers, guide balls or sliding surfaces or the like arranged so that the transport pallets along the guideways arranged transport strands form.

It is essential that an insertion-side mounting device and an output-side mounting device are provided. The input-side mounting device is designed to feed the transport pallets in successive cycles and the output-side mounting device is designed to remove the transport pallets in successive cycles. It is provided that the input-side mounting device is designed so that it drives the transport pallets arranged in the guideway during transport and / or that the output-side mounting device is designed so that it drives the transport pallets arranged in the guideway during transport.

The drying system according to the invention has the advantage that it does not require a separate, driven transport system for transporting the transport pallets through the drying chamber. The transport drive is performed by at least one of the two driven placement devices. Consequently, the cost of construction and maintenance of the drying plant is lower than in the cited drying systems of the prior art.

In preferred embodiments, it is provided that guide elements, preferably lateral guide rollers, are arranged laterally on the transport pallets. The lateral arrangement of the guide elements allows a flat space-saving construction of the transport pallets. An even simpler structure is possible if the guideways have guide elements or balls, for example, on which the transport pallets slide

Furthermore, it can be provided that the input-side mounting device is designed such that it transports the transport pallets from an intermediate storage or a transport device to the drying system and / or that the output-side equipping device is designed such that it removes the transport pallets from the drying system to an intermediate store or one Transportation transported. Instead of the intermediate storage or the transport device may also be provided a further drying plant or a processing station.

The mounting device can be used as a self-propelled shelf vehicle, z. B. be designed as a forklift. Instead of the shelf vehicle can also be provided a different stacking device.

But it is also possible that the mounting device is designed as an industrial robot. Preferably, the industrial robot has a universally movable arm on his End portion has a fork for receiving the transport pallets.

It can be provided that the guideways are formed from parallel guide rails.

The guide elements may have flanges, whereby tracking in the guideway is made possible in a simple manner.

It can be provided that at least one of the end faces of the transport pallets arranged transversely to the transport direction has one or more buffers. The buffers can be advantageously designed as a spring buffer or of an elastic material.

On opposite end faces of the transport pallets may each be arranged a coupling device. Due to the paired arrangement, a pivoting of the transport pallets by unilateral force introduction is avoided when the coupled transport pallets are pulled, as described below. The pivoting of the transport pallets can lead to jamming in the guideway.

It can be provided that the coupling device can be engaged and / or disengaged by lifting the transport pallets.

The coupling device may comprise a coupling hook and a coupling bracket, which are each arranged at an opposite end portion of the arranged parallel to the transport direction end faces of the transport pallet.

It can be provided that the coupling device has a coupling hook and a coupling bracket, which are each arranged at an opposite end portion of the transversely arranged to the transport direction end faces of the transport pallet.

It can further be provided that the transport pallets arranged in a guideway are connected to one another under thrust and / or traction for transport movement.

It may be provided that one or more transport pallet (s) is preceded on the input side by a parking space and / or by a parking space downstream of the output side.

It may be provided a control device which controls the movement of the input-side mounting device and / or the output-side mounting device. It may further be provided sensors that report, for example, the location of the placement device and / or the occupation of the input and output storage locations in the storage rack. However, it is also possible to determine the respective location coordinates of the storage bins and to control the placement devices on the basis of the location coordinates.

It can further be provided that the control device is coordinated with a climate control of the drying system. By climate control is meant here the regulation of temperature and / or humidity.

The drying chamber may have several climatic zones arranged one behind the other in the transport direction.

In the drying chamber, a plurality of fans and / or humidifiers and / or dry air circuits can be arranged one behind the other in the transport direction.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments. Show it

1 a first embodiment of the drying system according to the invention in a schematic front view;

2 the drying plant in 1 in a schematic sectional view;

3 the drying plant in 1 in a schematic plan view;

4 a transport pallet of the drying plant in 1 in perspective view;

5 two interconnected transport pallets in 4 in perspective detail view;

6 a second embodiment of the drying system according to the invention in a perspective view;

7 an enlarged section VII of the drying plant in 6 ;

8th the drying plant in 6 in front view;

9 the drying plant in 6 in a partial side view;

10 the drying plant in 6 in a plan view;

11 the drying plant in 6 in a fragmentary plan view

The 1 to 3 show a drying plant 1 for drying ceramic semifinished product 11 such as sanitary ware, building ceramics and tableware. Such semi-finished product is also referred to as green. The drying plant 1 has an example climate-controlled tunnel-shaped drying chamber 12 on top of a storage rack 14 is penetrated. Climate control is understood here to mean the control of the temperature and / or the humidity. The storage rack 14 points in the in 1 to 3 illustrated embodiment, four superimposed floors and four side by side arranged guideways for receiving transport pallets 13 on. On the transport pallets 13 are the ceramic semi-finished products 11 arranged. In the in the 1 to 3 illustrated embodiment is in the ceramic semi-finished products 11 around sanitary ware. The transport pallets 13 are in the illustrated embodiment on the 16 Guideways arranged in rows one behind the other. The guideways are each by two at a constant distance from each other arranged guide rails 14f educated.

The transport pallets 13 have guide elements 13f on that on the guide rails 14f are supported. The guide elements 13f have flanges on the alignment of the transport pallets 13 parallel to the guide rails 14f the guideway, as below in 4 and 5 described in more detail.

In the roof area of the drying chamber 12 are like in the 2 and 3 shown fans 15 arranged the air in the drying chamber 12 circulate. In the drying chamber 12 arranged heating facilities are in the 1 to 3 not shown.

The on the transport pallets 13 arranged ceramic semi-finished products 11 go through in the drying plant 1 different drying zones in which a different climate is set, which differs for example in terms of temperature and humidity.

The 2 and 3 show the passage of the transport pallets 13 through the drying plant 1 , The two middle guideways are to illustrate the passage in 3 shown to accommodate new transport pallets 13 are prepared. The two middle guideways each have a free receiving space for transport pallets at the beginning and at the end 13 on. One in the entrance area of the drying chamber 12 operating input side self-propelled shelf vehicle 16 withdraws from a first temporary storage facility (in 1 to 3 not shown) equipped with a wet ceramic semi-finished transport pallet 13 and places them each on a free space. Then pushes the input-side shelf vehicle 16 this transport pallet 13 on the subsequent receiving space, eliminating the last transport pallet 13 in the strand of successively arranged transport pallets 13 on the free place at the exit of the drying chamber 12 arrives. One in the exit area of the drying chamber 12 operating exit-side self-propelled shelf vehicle 16 ' removes the last transport pallet equipped with dried semi-finished ceramic products 13 and place them in a second temporary storage facility (in 1 to 3 not shown). 2 shows trained as a forklift shelf vehicles 16 and 16 ' that the transport pallets 13 engage under with a vertically movable fork-shaped receiving device.

As the 4 and 5 show the transport pallets 13 a perforated carrier plate 13t on, on the narrow end faces in each case two spaced-apart guide elements 13f having. The carrier plate 13t may also have webs or be designed as a flat plate without elevations or breakthroughs. The guide elements 13f have a wheel flange, with the help of which they are on the guide rails 14f are guided laterally, whereby the narrow end faces in the drying chamber 12 aligned parallel to the guideway. At one of the wide end faces of the carrier plate 13t are each two disc-shaped buffer 13p arranged between two successively arranged transport pallets 13 set a guide distance. The transport takes place by shear transfer between the transport pallets arranged in a row behind one another 13 , The shear transfer takes place via the buffers 13p ,

The carrier plates 13t can in pairs at the end portions of the narrow end faces a coupling hook 13h and a clutch hanger 13b have, which form a coupling device. In 5 are two coupled transport pallets 13 and 13 ' shown. The trained with a U-shaped coupling portion coupling bracket 13b the transport pallet 13 ' encompasses the one from the transport pallet 13 protruding leg of the coupling hook 13h , By coupling the transport pallets transport pallets forming a transport pallets can not only be pushed, but also pulled. The coupling of the transport pallets 13 is possible in this embodiment of the coupling device, that the coupling bracket 13b the transport pallet added to the transport line 13 ' with the help of the shelf vehicle 16 on the coupling hook 13h the last transport pallet 13 of the transport strand is lowered so that the coupling bracket 13b the coupling hook 13h encompasses as described above. To decouple the first transport pallet of the transport line, the first transport pallet of the transport line with the help of the output side shelf vehicle 16 ' raised so that the coupling hook 13h the first transport pallet disengaged from the coupling bracket 13b the subsequent transport pallet arrives.

In preferred embodiments, it may be provided that at an end portion of the transport pallet 13 one coupling hook each 13h and a clutch hanger 13b is arranged on the opposite end sides, wherein at the opposite end portions, the arrangement is reversed. So it is possible that the transport pallets 13 can also be coupled with rotation through 180 °. In an analogous manner it can be provided that at each wide end face only a buffer 13p is arranged, the buffers 13p are arranged diagonally to each other.

The 6 to 11 show a second embodiment of the drying plant.

A drying plant 2 is designed like the drying plant described above, with the difference that instead of self-propelled shelf vehicles 16 and 16 ' a permanently mounted input-side industrial robot 17 and a fixed-mounted output-side industrial robot 17 ' is provided. The industrial robots 17 and 17 ' have a freely movable in space swivel arm with a hook 17g on. The swivel arm is formed in the illustrated embodiment so that the gripper fork 17g in the vertical, each floor of the storage rack 14 can drive and in the horizontal has a maximum swing radius of about 5 m. Preference is given to industrial robots whose pivot radius is so large that all storage positions of the storage rack 14 can be controlled with permanently mounted industrial robot. As in 10 to recognize, are the outer guideways of the storage rack 14 extended by a storage space, so that all four adjacent guideways equally well from the gripper forks 17g the industrial robot 17 and 17 ' are reachable.

The drying plant according to the invention is characterized in that for equipping and transporting the transport pallets 13 Input and output side only one mounting device is needed. It is particularly advantageous that commercially available placement devices can be used, such as the stacking device 16 . 16 ' or the industrial robot 17 . 17 ' , Instead of in each case one mounting device on the input side or output side, a plurality of mounting devices can also be arranged on the input side or the output side, preferably on the input side and on the output side, an identical number.

It can be provided a control device which coordinates the movement of said devices with each other and with the climate control of the drying plant. So the cycle time for placement and removal of the transport pallets 13 be adapted to the drying regime and depending on the design of the ceramic semi-finished products to be dried 11 be provided differently long.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

drying plant

11

ceramic semi-finished product

12

drying chamber

13, 13 '

pallet

13b

clutch loop

13f

leadership

13h

coupling hook

13p

buffer

13t, 13t '

support plate

14

storage rack

14f

guide rail

15

fan

16

input-side shelf vehicle

16 '

output-side shelf vehicle

17

input-side industrial robot

17 '

output-side industrial robot

17g

gripper fork

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102007012912 B3 [0003]
• DE 19608565 A1 [0004]
• DE 102005037881 A1 [0005]

Claims (16)

Drying plant ( 1 . 2 ) for ceramic semi-finished products ( 11 ) with a drying chamber ( 12 ), in which a storage rack ( 14 ) is arranged with guideways on which transport pallets ( 13 ) for receiving the ceramic semi-finished products ( 11 ) are arranged, characterized in that on the transport pallets ( 13 ) or the guideways guiding elements ( 13f ) are arranged, that the transport pallets ( 13 ) arranged along the guideways transport strands that an input side mounting device ( 16 . 17 ) and an output side mounting device ( 16 ' . 17 ' ) are provided, wherein the input side mounting device ( 16 . 17 ) is designed so that it the transport pallets ( 13 ) in successive cycles and feeds the output side mounting device ( 16 ' . 17 ' ) is designed so that it the transport pallets ( 13 ) in successive cycles, and that the input side mounting device ( 16 . 17 ) is designed such that, during feeding, the transport pallets arranged in the guide track (FIG. 13 ) drives for transport and / or the output side mounting device ( 16 . 17 ) is designed such that, during removal, the transport pallets arranged in the guide track (FIG. 13 ) drives to the transport. Drying plant according to claim 1, characterized in that on the transport pallets ( 13 ) side guide elements, for. B. Guide rollers ( 13f ) are arranged. Drying charge according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the input side mounting device ( 16 . 17 ) is designed so that it the transport pallets ( 13 ) from an intermediate storage facility or a transport facility to the drying plant ( 1 . 2 ) and / or that the output-side mounting device ( 16 ' . 17 ' ) is designed so that the transport pallets from the drying plant ( 1 . 2 ) transported to an intermediate storage or a transport device. Drying plant according to claim 3, characterized in that the placement device as a self-propelled shelf vehicle ( 16 . 16 ' ) is trained. Drying plant according to claim 3, characterized in that the placement device as an industrial robot ( 17 . 17 ' ) is trained. Drying plant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guideways of parallel guide rails ( 14f ) are formed. Drying plant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guide elements, preferably guide rollers ( 13f ) Have flanges. Drying plant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the transversely arranged to the transport direction end faces of the transport pallets ( 13 ) one or more buffers ( 13p ) having. Drying plant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at opposite end faces of the transport pallets ( 13 ) is arranged in each case a coupling device. Drying plant according to claim 9, characterized in that the coupling device by lifting the transport pallets ( 13 ) is ein- and / or disengageable. Drying plant according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the coupling device a coupling hook ( 13h ) and a coupling bracket ( 13b ), each at an opposite end portion of the arranged parallel to the transport direction end faces of the transport pallet ( 13 ) are arranged. Drying plant according to claim 11, characterized in that the coupling device a coupling hook ( 13h ) and a coupling bracket ( 13b ), each at an opposite end portion of the transversely arranged to the transport direction end faces of the transport pallet ( 13 ) are arranged. Drying plant according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that arranged in a guideway transport pallets ( 13 ) are interconnected under thrust and / or train to the transport movement. Drying plant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more transport pallets (s) ( 13 ) upstream of a parking space on the input side and / or downstream of a parking space is connected downstream. Drying system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a control device is provided which controls the movement sequence of the input-side mounting device ( 16 . 17 ) and / or the output side mounting device ( 16 . 17 ) controls. Drying plant according to claim 15, characterized in that the control device with a climate control of the drying plant ( 1 . 2 ) is coordinated.

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