EP0296102B2 - Device with several components for heat treatment - Google Patents

Abstract

An upper line comprises three furnaces 1, 2, 3 and a washing machine 4, in straight side-by-side arrangement. A lower line comprises moveable treatment elements 7, 8, 9 movable on conveyor track 5, and fixed vat 17. car 6 permits feeding all the elements of the upper line, as well as materials handling equipment 11, from entry station 20. Elements 7, 8, 9 and 17 can be fed either directly from the furnaces 1, 2, 3 via the materials handling equipment 11.

Description

Different branches of the industry use more and more frequently parts produced in series, in one piece, formed of alloys or other special materials which have undergone treatments thermal. These can be very varied and, moreover, they must satisfy very specific conditions. There is therefore a need for installations making it possible to carry out heat treatments, and comprising several elements, such as ovens or quenching tanks, arranged in a battery, and easily accessible.

Arrangements of elements allowing to carry out heat treatments in precise and neat conditions, especially in avoiding as much as possible the contact of the parts with air, are already known.

Thus, in Austrian Patent No. 167102, we sees an installation in which an oven of the type bell can be moved on a transport track above pits that may contain different quenching tanks and a loading tank. U.S. Patent 1,876,960 describes a annealing installation in which provision is made, below from the oven, a carousel likely to contain charges. The American patent 3,381,947 also describes an installation with ovens and quenching tanks, as well as means for introducing charges into the installation.

In all these known installations, finds an arrangement with a small number of elements only, and which is of a clutter excessive. Furthermore none of these facilities does not protect the parts perfectly against the risk oxidation.

Certificate of addition No. 95877 to the patent French No. 1,555,588 discloses an installation in which a first set of elements is arranged in a row of ovens opening horizontally on a transfer corridor with a path on which elements can move a second set comprising one or more loading carts likely to be provided with quenching tanks. Such an installation is very bulky and involves permanent maintenance of the atmosphere transfer corridor protective.

Facilities that transfer charges from a bell-type furnace open to the bottom directly into a quench tank which has been brought beforehand immediately under the oven, are described in German patent DE-1942801 and in publication EP-A-0023546. However, these facilities cannot be arranged to rationally combine the use of several ovens and several bins of quenching or other auxiliary elements.

The object of the present invention is therefore to create a rational layout for the elements essentials of a treatment plant, i.e. for one or more ovens, as well as one or more several processing elements and one or more handling elements, so that the installation allows treatments varied in a rational way, the installation with a minimum number of elements, arranged in a simple way, with a space requirement minimum, and allowing the possible extension to by means of additional elements.

The object of the invention is an installation for perform heat treatments on loads of metal parts, defined in claim 1.

la fig. 1 est une vue en élévation longitudinale de l'installation,

la fig. 2 en est une vue en plan de dessus,

la fig. 3 est une vue en plan de dessus à échelle agrandie du poste d'entrée et de sortie avec le chariot de manutention et une série de bacs,

la fig. 4 est une vue en élévation frontale à la même échelle qu'à la fig. 3, montrant un chariot de manutention et un four,

la fig. 5 est une vue en coupe longitudinale partielle, montrant un four, un bac de trempe, et un chariot,

la fig. 6 est une vue en coupe selon la ligne 6-6 de la fig. 5, et

les fig. 7 à 10 sont des vues en élévation et en plan de deux éléments de traitement fixes.

An embodiment of the object of the invention will be described below, by way of example, with reference to the attached drawing, in which:

fig. 1 is a view in longitudinal elevation of the installation,

fig. 2 is a plan view from above,

fig. 3 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale of the entry and exit station with the handling trolley and a series of bins,

fig. 4 is a front elevation view on the same scale as in FIG. 3, showing a handling trolley and an oven,

fig. 5 is a view in partial longitudinal section, showing an oven, a quenching tank, and a carriage,

fig. 6 is a sectional view along line 6-6 of FIG. 5, and

fig. 7 to 10 are views in elevation and in plan of two fixed processing elements.

The installation shown in the drawing is a multi-purpose installation, comprising several ovens fixed, several mobile bins, a handling trolley, and the possibility of adding accessory elements, either fixed or mobile, each element processing cooperating with any furnace in a small footprint and so allow the realization of all combinations possible. As seen in Figures 1 and 2, the whole is arranged in two horizontal lines parallel and superimposed. The top line has a group of stationary ovens 1, 2 and 3, as well than an initial station 4, which can for example be a washing station with several cycles. The elements 1, 2, 3, 4 constitute a first set elements of the installation described. In an achievement typical, oven 1 will be an oven allowing to raise a load to 600 ° C, possibly at 1100 ° C or even, maximum value, at 1230 ° C. The oven 2 will for example be a 600 ° C with a cooler incorporated for the purpose to allow isothermal quenching operations. As oven 3 we can provide, for example, a tempering oven at 600 ° C, with heating internal. Instead of or in addition to this last oven, we could also have a fixed element constituting a cooling station allowing gradually lower the temperature of a charge after an annealing operation or returned. The detail construction of elements 1 to 4 need not be described in detail. We'll see further on the different functions for which they can be designed. Generally, it will be elements which are provided with the necessary accessories to maintain a load of metallic objects under gas atmosphere and lock them up tightly with thermal insulation required. Note also that the oven 1 could, in another embodiment, be mounted on cart and move in the direction of upper line.

The top line still features in the extension of ovens 1, 2, 3, a transport route upper 10, consisting of two parallel rails, on which a handling machine moves 11. The latter consists of a frame 12 mounted on a roller 13, a jack column 14 which constitutes the cylinder of an elevator, and a bar elevator 15 which works as a piston inside from column 14 and allows you to move height a hooking member 16 in the form of fork.

The bottom line has at its base a transport track 5, formed by two horizontal rails and on which move elements which form a second set of elements of the installation described. Thus, we see in fig. 1 a handling trolley 6, and three elements of treatment 7, 8 and 9. In fig. 3 we see a fourth processing element 91. These processing elements are equipped with wheels, as we will see further, and move together or separately on the transport route 5. As elements of treatment we can have, on the bottom line, for example a mobile handling bin under atmosphere, i.e. a closed enclosure and insulated with gas circulation allowing moving a load. Another element of treatment could consist of a mobile oven under atmosphere and reaching for example a temperature of 1100 ° C. A third element of treatment could be a water tank, a fourth an oil pan, the oil of which would be heated to a certain temperature, for example 100 ° C. Another processing element could be a oil whose oil could be heated to 200 ° C, or an isothermal salt pan.

Transport track 10 extends above one or more additional processing elements such as element 17, which is fixed. The element 17 is a gas tank, i.e. a closed enclosure in which are provided means of circulation of a gas with, if applicable if necessary, heating means or means cooling. This gas tank can be designed so that the interior atmosphere is under pressure. In the installation described, element 17 represents a third set.

Before explaining the employment possibilities of these sets of elements, we will still describe these a little more in detail. The charges, such as 18, arrive in the installation by a designated entry and exit station general by 19 (fig. 1 to 3). This station has a carousel 20, rotatably mounted on a base 21. The plan shape of carousel 20 is polygonal and, during its rotation, the carousel can be stopped in different directions, which allows to load or unload it, by example from a pebble track 22 or from a supply means arranged in another direction. Carousel 20 is provided at its periphery pairs of arms 23 constituting forks, such that 23, on which frames are placed support 24 intended to support the loads 18. When a load is in the orientation of the axis of the lower line of the installation can be resumed via of its frame 24 on the lifting platform 25 (fig.1 and 3) of the carriage 6. The latter consists a lower H-shaped frame 26 resting, by means of rollers 27, on the rails 5 of the lower transport route. It carries a hydraulic cylinder 28 which extends vertically and whose piston moves a console 29 secured to a rod tray 25 support. This console is guided by a fixed vertical column 30 provided at its upper end of a stop plate 31. Des drive means (not shown) can be mounted either directly on the frame 26 of the carriage, either on the transport route. This therefore allows take a load on the entrance carousel 20 and to move it under the upper line of ovens 1, 2, 3 and 4, the other processing elements fitted on the transport track 5 being themselves moved longitudinally over a sufficient distance to allow the cart to reach the position desired finish. Thus, fig. 5 shows the relative positions of a processing element, such as that element 9 for example, and an oven, such as the oven 2, these elements also being visible at fig. 6. The oven 2 comprises, conventionally, an insulating enclosure 32, heating bodies 33, an upper base provided with a fan 34 driven by a motor 35, a bell 36 and, at its lower opening, a plug 37 which is mounted on a support plate 38, itself articulated at the rear wall of the oven 2, and maneuverable by means of a jack 39 (fig. 6). Note that bell 36 will be fitted with internal elements protruding (361) and mounted on a movable support of so that it can be moved up and down rotating in an arrangement which is described in application EP 295 207 by the same applicant. A space of height H (eg 100 mm) can be held between the oven and the tray.

Elements 7, 8, 9 and 91 (fig. 3) of the second together can be of different types. The element 9, for example, is visible in Figures 3 and 5. It is a bin provided with insulating and waterproof walls 40. Its upper wall 49 has a square opening in which a cover 48. The interior space of this container is divided by partitions 41 into different zones to guide the circulation of the liquid contained in the bin. This circulation is controlled by pumps 50 (fig. 3). A lift 42 (fig. 6), provided with a plate 43 of the same type that the plate 25, is led by a sleeve 44 on a fixed column 45 housed inside the enclosure. This elevator is controlled by a cylinder 46 which is mounted vertically to the part back of bin 9, so that you can pass behind the group of ovens and upper elements 1 to 4. The overall dimensions of these elements are shown in Figure 3. The tray 9 is mounted by means of rollers 47 on the rails 5, so that it can be moved longitudinally on the transportation route. He can also commit under the upper transport track 10.

The processing elements 7, 8 and 91 are of the same kind as the one just described. he however are executed slightly different, since they are intended for different. Element 9 is scheduled to run typically for a water or water quench tank oil. In the case of an oil tank, the enclosure can still be fitted with heaters, so that maintain this oil at the desired temperature, by example 100 ° C or 200 ° C. If applicable, above of the liquid level, we can maintain a nitrogen atmosphere, so as to avoid oxidation parts and oil oxidation. Element 91 is also provided with pumps 50. Here, the column guide 44, instead of being immersed in the enclosure, is separated from this enclosure and provided outside. The actuating cylinder 46 is here arranged at the same height as the tank. It's about in this case a salt quenching tank allowing isothermal quenching.

Element 8 is, as shown in Figure 3, of the same construction as element 9, with however this difference that the pumps 50 are here absent. Although it is not shown in the drawing, the closing cover will be fitted insulation. On the other hand, the walls of the enclosure also have insulation thicker than that of tanks 9 and 91. The element 8 thus constitutes a mobile furnace under controlled atmosphere and it is designed for example so that you can heat and maintain a charge at a temperature, for example of 1100 ° C.

As for element 7, the layout of which is practically identical to that of element 8, although that its dimension in the sense of the way of transport 5 is lower, this reduction in dimensions comes from the fact that the insulation of the walls of the speaker is reduced. This item can work as a mobile handling bin under controlled atmosphere. It allows for example to transport a load between one of the furnaces of the top line and, for example, a processing element fixed such as those which will be described below.

Figures 7-10 show two types fixed or mobile processing elements located in the bottom line, beyond the lane transport 5 and likely to be unloaded at of the handling equipment 11. We see in Figures 7 and 9 the upper transport track 10 which from the end of the line, i.e. from oven 1, and can be extended, if necessary, up to an unloading station or otherwise in depending on the number of fixed processing elements provided on the bottom line. Element 17 is a high pressure gas tank. It is closed to its part upper by a cover 51. It includes interior partitions 52 intended to guide circulation gas inside the outer walls 53 of the bac. This circulation of gas is caused by a fan 54 actuated by a motor 55. Arrows 56 show the path of traffic some gas. A mobile guidance system 69 allows reversing the gas flow to avoid deformation on the parts. Inside the enclosure 53 is mounted an elevator 57 which is of the same type as elevator 42 and is controlled by a jack 58. The console of the elevator 57 is guided by a column 59 (fig. 8).

Figures 9 and 10 show another construction of gas tank which can be housed either side of bin 17, in place of this element. Bac 60 represents a construction of low pressure tanks also allowing ensure the progressive cooling of the gas and, therefore, a controlled variation in the charge temperature maintained within the item. We see in 61 the cooling elements located inside the tank. This last one is closed at the top with a square cover 62 and it includes an elevator 63 likewise construction as the elevator 57 but whose console is oriented slightly obliquely. The guide column 64 is located at an angle of the enclosure and the actuator actuator 65 of the elevator is located on the upper side of the tank. The gas circulation is ensured by a fan 66 with vertical axis, located in the bottom of the tank and driven via a belt 67 from a motor 68 which, as seen in Figure 10, is housed in the rectangular bulk of the walls outside of bin 60.

All desired handling can be easily carried out by means of the carriage 6, the machine 11 and means for moving the elements 7, 8 and 9. Thus, a charge, taken by the tray 25 of the industrial truck on one of forks 23 integral with the carousel 20, can be moved on transport track 5, so that bring it below one of the ovens 1, 2, 3 or 4. The oven having been opened beforehand by tilting from its cap 37, the charge can be introduced, for example, into the bell 36 of the oven 2 (fig. 5) which, by a lowering maneuver and rotation, brings the projections it presents on its periphery in positions below of the angles of the frame 24. It is therefore sufficient lower the elevator console 29 so that the plate 25 releases the frame 24 from the load and keep the latter subject to the bell 36. With the cart moved again, the oven can be closed and the desired heat treatment started. We realize that all operations transfer and displacement are relatively time-consuming operations very short compared to treatment times proper. So after you set up a load in an oven such as 2, the cart can easily come and look for another charge in the entry station, to bring it for example in the washing station or in another of the ovens. We may also, during the same period of time, move one or more processing elements 7, 8 and 9 to, for example, allow the carriage 6 to transfer a load to the handling unit 11. In this case, the carriage having been brought in a position located under this handling machine, the load will be high (fig. 1) up to a position above the transport track 10. In this position, the fork of the handling 11 can be inserted under the load and thus take up the latter, which frees the trolley 6. From there the load can be transported either in an unloading station (not shown), located at the end of track 10, i.e. transferred to one of elements 17 or 60. Then it can be picked up by machine 11 and transferred back to cart 6 which will take it back to the entry station 20. These handling operations take relatively little time compared to downtime of the different processing elements. Finally, it especially worth mentioning the operation that can be done when a load is transmitted directly from an oven, or another element of the top line, in an item located in the bottom row. In this case, returning to Figure 5, the oven having been opened by lowering the plate 38 when the heating treatment is complete, the element of mobile processing on the lower track, for example element 8, is brought immediately under the oven 2 and it is by means of the elevator 42 and the plate 43 which is then operated the transfer. The bell 36 is then lowered. Elevator is high until it supports the load on the pan 43, after which the bell 36 releases the charge by a rotational movement. During this movement, the lower edge of the bell presses on the edge of the opening of the upper wall of the enclosure 40, which ensures the closure of an enclosure waterproof with the interior space of the oven and the tray. The charge can therefore be lowered into the bath. When conditions allow to separate the two elements 2 and 8, we starts by replacing drawer 48, which then allows the door 37, 38 of the oven to be closed. The bell will then be reassembled, if necessary in several steps, so that as soon as the item 8 is released, it can be moved laterally.

Thus, the installation described allows all possible variants of handling, transfer and transport of loads, and this with a space requirement minimized and the possibility extend the installation by adding elements additional, either in fixed locations next to the bin 17, either on the transport track 5, also in the upper line of the ovens.

This design allows you to create elements specific treatment, which were unknown until now but whose job is advantageous in connection with the installation described. We will give further examples of such elements.

As a variant of the installation described, which comprises an unloading and outlet station at its left end in fig. 1, we could predict at this left end a transfer station on a track parallel to the two lines of the installation, extending laterally at half height for example, so the charges could be brought down from the left end of the line to the entrance carousel 20 on a parallel side track to track 5. This track would be located, for example, at the turntable 20 of the entrance carousel. However, it follows from the indications above that the charges can always be brought back to carousel 20 by means of the trolley 6, regardless of the station in which they underwent the last treatment. Carousel 20 can so anyway to function as a station loading and unloading.

a) fours statiques ou mobiles :

quatre fours ayant les caractéristiques suivantes :

• max. 600°C sous gaz
• max. 1100°C sous gaz
• max. 1230°C sous gaz
• max. 1100°C sous gaz avec refroidisseur

b) éléments de traitement mobiles :

bac à eau

bac à huile, max. 100°C

bac à huile, max. 200°C

bac à sel, max. 600°C

c) bacs fixes :

bac à gaz avec refroidisseur

bac à gaz avec refroidisseur sous haute pression.

d) éléments auxiliaires :

dans la ligne supérieure, on peut prévoir encore :

• un four - pot de refroidissement intermédiaire avec protection gazeuse
• une machine à laver, max. 90°C

dans la ligne inférieure :

• pot de manutention avec protection gazeuse
• pot de manutention avec protection gazeuse et refroidisseur.

In a typical execution, the following elements can be provided, for example:

a) static or mobile ovens:

four ovens with the following characteristics:

• max. 600 ° C under gas
• max. 1100 ° C under gas
• max. 1230 ° C under gas
• max. 1100 ° C under gas with cooler

b) mobile processing elements:

water tray

oil pan, max. 100 ° C

oil pan, max. 200 ° C

salt container, max. 600 ° C

c) fixed tanks:

gas tank with cooler

gas tank with high pressure cooler.

d) auxiliary elements:

in the upper line, we can also provide:

• an oven - intermediate cooling pot with gas protection
• a washing machine, max. 90 ° C

in the bottom line:

• handling pot with gas protection
• handling pot with gas protection and cooler.

All the operations of moving the carts or bins, as well as their opening and closing, switching on and off ventilation, heating, circulation fluid, can be ordered from from a central station. So the loads of parts can move from one item to another by being perfectly protected from oxidation. An installation this kind allows in some cases to produce parts in internal and external condition impossible to reach until now. The mobile organ controls can be carried out by cylinder. It is thus possible to establish an order by program, controlled and verified, from so that it takes place automatically, ensuring all required security conditions.

Claims (11)

1. Device for carrying out heat treatments on charges of metal parts, comprising a first set of components (1, 2, 3, 4) of which at least one is a furnace (1, 2, 3), a second set of components (6, 7, 8, 9) of which at least one is a hardening vat (9) and at least one other a car (6) and stationary guide means (5), device in which the components of the first set are disposed in an upper position and are open toward the bottom and the components of the second set are movable on the said guide means (5) and are disposed in a lower position, characterised in that the said guide means occupy the lowest portion of the device and consist of a horizontal track (5) permitting, for any number of the components of the two sets, to bring each component of the second set to a position facing any selected furnace of the first set, and in that all the components of the second set are provided with autonomous lifts (28, 42, 57, 63), each of these being supported by the component to which it is associated and comprising a platform (25) capable of vertically displacing a charge (18) in order to engage it in a component of the first set situated above or for disengaging it therefrom.
2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises at the level of the said upper position a transfer machine (11) capable of receiving a charge from the lift (28, 29, 30) of an component of the second set.
3. Device according to claim 2, characterized by an upper conveyor track (10) on which the transfer machine (11) is movable.
4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that it further comprises, at the level of the said lower position, a third set of component composed of at least one additional treatment station arranged so as to cooperate with the transfer machine.
5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that it further comprises at the level of the upper line <sic. track> one or more supplementary stations, aligned with the component or components of the first set and capable of carrying out treatments of long duration.
6. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the furnace or furnaces of the said first set are bell furnaces and are provided with support means permitting the transfer of a charge from a lift to the furnace and vice versa.
7. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that several movable treatment stations are placed in series on the conveyor track between the materials handling car and the transfer machine.
8. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the transfer machine comprises a lift mounted on a car and capable of seizing a charge on the lift of a car or on that of a treatment station, said lifts of the transfer machine and of the car or of the treatment station being complementary.
9. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that characterized in that the entry station comprises a turntable arranged for receiving and presenting charges from and into one or more directions and transferring them to or from the car at one end of the conveyor track.
10. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the lifts of the components of the second set comprise a fixed guide column, a bracket guided by the guide column, and a vertical hydraulic jack comprising a piston integral with the bracket and a fixed cylinder.
11. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the first set of components comprises a plurality of furnaces placed side by side along a straight line, closed at their base by a cover which pivots about an axis parallel to the said straight line and situated on one side of the furnace, and in that at least some of the components of the second set comprise lifts actuated by vertical jacks, the cylinders of which extend facing one side of the furnaces, opposite to that of the said pivoting axis.

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