EP1210267A2

EP1210267A2 - Novel robot platform for stripping and/or painting and resulting work stations

Info

Publication number: EP1210267A2
Application number: EP00990053A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alex Renault; Benoít CROMBOIS; Jacques Doumeizel
Original assignee: Biodecap Industries SA
Current assignee: Biodecap Industries SA
Priority date: 1999-12-09
Filing date: 2000-12-11
Publication date: 2002-06-05
Also published as: CN1367748A; KR20010102009A; CA2362581A1; WO2001041938A3; JP2003516227A; WO2001041938A2; AU2686001A; FR2802127B1; US20020137430A1; FR2802127A1

Abstract

The invention concerns the installation of a novel industrial device and resulting stripping and/or painting work stations. More particularly it concerns the installation of a robot platform comprising in particular: a work station for receiving vehicles to be stripped, one or several mobile or fixed remote-controlled stripping and/or painting devices; one or several chambers for storing paints and tools, and for treating residues generated by the stripping process; a station for supervising the stripping processes and the processes treating the residues generated by stripping. All said items of equipment are interconnected by computerised and energy connections. The invention is for the maintenance and/or renovation of transport vehicles bodywork.

Description

NEW TECHNICAL TRAY FOR STRIPPING AND / OR PAINTING

AND THE WORKSHOPS CONDUCTED

The present invention relates to the establishment of a new technical device and to the provision of new workshops thus produced.

The invention relates more particularly to the equipment of an enclosed room in which the maintenance operations and the stripping and painting operations are carried out.

The invention relates specifically to the installation of a room, in particular a hangar allowing stripping operations and painting operations for land, sea or air vehicles, by means of a stripping product by a process of dry spraying using one or more spray nozzles located in one or more remotely controlled pickling stations.

The invention relates in particular to an installation intended to ensure the command and control of pickling and / or painting operations using the spraying of a pickling product intended for pickling aircraft cells, by means of nozzles arranged around the entire periphery of the vehicle immobilized in the installation, as well as the pickling and / or painting stations and the equipment used.

The minimum installation load can be 16 planes at departure, it can be increased to 50 planes which are pickled over 313 working days.

The stripping operations can be carried out manually by operators or by remote controlled devices mastering the conditions and parameters of the stripping and / or painting process.

Indeed, transport companies, and in particular airlines, taking into account their forecast load plan for the next ten years and the cost of a wide-body aircraft, must be able to keep in good flight condition at minus twenty years and even thirty years the same thing. It therefore became necessary during maintenance and major overhaul operations to ensure that the paintings of the the parts most exposed to corrosion are in good condition and the materials protected by them are free from any damage. They require maintenance work and it is desirable that these can be carried out at a lower cost for the minimum immobilization of the machines.

This is also true for railway equipment. We know that the front parts of high-speed train powerplants are affected by the projection of dust and corrosive products and the paints can be largely damaged, or even partially pickled. It is the same for boats which must be placed in a fairing basin to strip metal or plastic sheets and eliminate living organisms which come to become encrusted on the hulls in the space of a few months.

However, the problem of pickling is not a simple problem because if we use the pressure sandblasting method we can quickly tear off the materials protected by paint during pickling operations. However, during stripping, the stripped parts should not be damaged.

Under these conditions, pickling goes too far and can even damage or scratch the sheets. On the contrary, if the abrasive product is of insufficient hardness it will be able to remove the fragments of paint or the dust, but will not allow a stripping of the coating layer. It is also advisable during stripping that fragile parts or parts which do not require stripping (rubber, plastic or aluminum parts) are not attacked.

Given all the constraints stated above, it was important to be able to have a suitable space and to master the different parameters of the pickling process.

In one embodiment of the installation of the pickling units according to the invention, it is proposed that the pickling is carried out by projection of dry media by means of an optimized projection nozzle, manipulated by an operator, and supplied by a media / compressed air mixture thanks to a generator. The air / media mixture, brought to the operator's nozzle, is created at the level of a generator consisting of a pressure pot containing a certain amount of abrasive at the operating pressure and of a specific distributor, controlled at distance, letting the desired amount of media through the compressed air flow. Between this generator and the nozzle, the flexible hose ensures the transport of the mixture with minimum loss and wear

To precisely control the projection conditions, each projection nozzle has its own generator, distributor, and supply hose

Thus, the projection conditions can be adapted for each nozzle as a function of the nature of the material to be etched. These etching conditions are imposed by the supervisor.

Pickling is carried out by projection using an optimized compressed air projection nozzle, handled by an operator equipped with protective equipment.

Depending on the coatings or substrates to be treated, the pressure of the projection air can vary from 1.5 to 3.5 bars with a flow rate of 200 to 350 Nm ³ / h, and the media flow rate from 1 to 3 kg / min. The inlet hose for the abrasive air mixture has an outside diameter of approximately 50 mm.

To ensure a cycle time compatible with the constraints of maximum downtime of the machines, it is necessary to provide 5 to 7 simultaneous workstations, according to a study (comparative sizing process)

The areas to be treated are not always, most of the time, accessible at breast height. Their treatment therefore requires the use of carrying nacelles or docks arranged around the machine. These nacelles or docks are mobile, and can possibly be moved during the stripping phase.

The media is projected onto the areas to be stripped, and a mixture of reusable media, used media and paint and / or pickled waste, mainly falls on the floor of the workshop. Retention zones are therefore necessary The projection system used is based on the classic operation of pressure type compressed air projection machines

The air / abrasive mixture, brought to the operator's nozzle, is created at the level of a generator consisting of a pressure pot containing a certain quantity of abrasive at the operating pressure and of a distributor letting through the desired quantity. of media in the compressed air flow Between this generator and the nozzle, the flexible hose ensures the transport of the mixture with minimum loss and wear

It is preferable that each projection nozzle has its generator and its supply pipe

The abrasive mixture falling on the ground must be recovered to be then reprocessed The technical and economic optimization of the process requires recovering the media and the reusable part of the mixture must be separated from the waste Given the defined particle size of the media, the recovery rate is around 80% The recovered media and the new media are used to power the generators

In conclusion, the preceding analyzes lead to the observation of some decisive points in the implementation of the technical platform according to the invention

If the generators supplying the nozzles are installed in a fixed manner, they must be located at a certain distance from the equipment to be treated, the closest being along the walls of the workshop. This leads to the presence of as many supply pipes for the nozzles on the workshop floor In addition to the pressure losses and wear related to the minimum lengths, the discomfort caused by the presence of these pipes are significant cumbersome to implement (storage, cleaning and installation), hindering the traffic, hardship for operators (weight, response time, etc.) There is no need to have generators with very large quantities of media. About 50 liters are enough to allow continuous projection, without interruption for 20 minutes, a few minutes. then sufficient for reloading the pressure pot from an intermediate reserve The recovery of the projected media and waste is a significant operation, and its consideration must allow an implementation more efficient and more operational than that which exists to date. It must be as fast and as complete as possible, at the same time, minimizing the cycle time and guaranteeing a repainting of the machine in optimal conditions.

The pickling medium or product used in the pickling device according to the invention is one of those described in French patent 2,761,365 in the name of the Interprofessional Syndicate Biodecap. In particular, a vegetable polymer derived from wheat flour, crosslinked by a chemical agent, is used for this purpose, having abrasive properties, in particular allowing the stripping of aeronautical paint systems, while preserving the substrate from any damage. The paint system used for airplanes, train powerplants or for boats consists of a system formed by a layer of primer and various functional layers (anti-erosion, anti-corrosion). The primer layer is intended to ensure cohesion between the substrate and the functional layers.

Specifically, the location of the technical platform according to the invention is notably formed by a mobile pickling unit, controlled and operated remotely comprising:

- a workshop for receiving pickling machines,

- one or more devices for distributing pickling material,

- one or more rooms for storing, tooling, processing and storing the pickling material,

- a pickling booth for dismantled parts,

- a post for supervising pickling and pickling material reprocessing operations.

All these premises are linked together by computer or energy links.

In one embodiment of the layout according to the invention shown in FIG. 1, the frame of a hangar (11) will be noted inside of which an airplane has been represented during pickling and reconditioning operations. The establishment successively includes:

1. a storage room for paintings (1)

2. staff rooms (2)

3. a station for supervising stripping and reprocessing of the media (3)

4. a room for storing the tools (7)

5. a room for the compressors (6)

6. a room for reprocessing (4 ') and storage (4) of the abrasive material

7. a booth for pickling parts after dismantling (5)

In the parking area you will also find:

1. connection blocks for power supply (8)

2. mobile pickling stations surrounding the pickling machine (12) 3. pipes distributing the abrasive product (9)

Note also an entry for paints (A), an exit (B) for paint waste, an entry for new media (C), an exit for media waste (D), an exit for new media or retired (E) prior to the start of pickling and an entry for the media after projection (F).

The lines (10) symbolize the computer and energy connections between the connection blocks and the pickling stations. These are flexible connections connecting a fixed block and a mobile station whose location is determined by the morphology and dimensions of the machine to be reprocessed.

After stripping the machine, the media will be recovered by suction and will be rid of other waste by a sieving system. In particular, care is taken to maintain a satisfactory particle size which will allow the abrasive material to be recycled.

The generators (8) supplying the nozzles (12) are fixedly installed, they are located at a certain distance from the machines to be treated, the closest being placed along the partitions of the workshop. This results in the presence of supply pipes for the nozzles equal in number to that of the generators on the floor of the hangar. We ensure that that the pressure losses, the wear related to the length of the pipes and the genes resulting from the presence of these pipes: cumbersome to implement, obstruction of circulation, painful character for the operators, can remain minimal but they can without particular precaution become very important.

The soiled media falling to the ground is recovered and then recycled. By sieving, up to 80% of the media used can be recovered. The recovered media is mixed with new media to be used for a new operation.

The stock of media does not need to be large, approximately 50 liters are sufficient to allow continuous projection without interruption for 20 minutes. It is then necessary to re-supply the pressure pot to the compressor from a storage store. A few minutes are sufficient for this operation.

In the installation according to the invention, each generator nozzle is associated with a generator assembly mounted on an independent carriage. This carriage shown in Figure 2 is easily movable on the ground and is movable in height. It can thus be positioned as best as possible according to the areas to be treated and the dimensions of the machines to be stripped.

This positioning of the generator function makes it possible to significantly reduce the length of the abrasive supply pipes and consequently:

- the pressure drops are limited - the lengths of pipe on the ground are shorter, which facilitates the recovery of the media fallen on the ground

- the risk of shock between the cell and the pipes is reduced

- the ergonomics of operator stations are improved

On the other hand, the supply to the carriage (23) of the energy sources must be adapted to the needs. For this, we equip the workshop during construction, with channels or buried technical sheaths, allowing the passage of the necessary fluids (compressed air, electricity, etc.) between the technical rooms (compressors, cabinets electrical) and connection hatches arranged judiciously around the machines to be treated.

The stripping carriage (23) is shown in Figure 2. It is movable by an operator. It comprises :

1. a generator or pressure pot (17) with a capacity of approximately 50 liters. The supply pressure of this generator is also controlled by the supervisor.

2. a distributor assembly (18) allowing remote regulation of the media flow, in particular by means of a jack (22) 3. valves (15) (15 ′) providing isolation and supply of media generator (17) from an intermediate hopper (14) in the open air located above the carriage (23) 4. a supply support for the flexible bag (big-bag) (13) of about 500 liters located above the hopper (14). 5. an electro-pneumatic automaton which allows the local processing of the operation of the pickling unit, operation of this unit itself imposed by the instructions of the supervisor:

- opening or closing of the projection - automatic reloading depending on the media available in the hopper 14

- flow and pressure regulation

- exchange of data with the supervisor and receipt of instructions from the supervisor

- sending of information to the supervisor of any incident during the pickling operations

- audio link with the supervision station

- security devices

- appropriate storage (s) for the various pipes and cables (19).

Thus, everything can be mounted after use and replaced on the base of the mobile carriage (23) moving using two large wheels integral with the frame and two reduced wheels that can move in a horizontal plane (25). Figure 2 shows the mobile carriage (23) in elevation (Figure 2A) or above (Figure 2B).

In this figure, the carriage is made mobile by a human operator. It is obvious that the movements could be remotely controlled and / or carried out by an electric motor.

2A shows a weighing system (16) of the generator (17) in side view (the same weighing system (28, 28 ', 28 ") in top view is shown in Figure 2B). distribution of the abrasive (18) is arranged at the base and is remotely controlled by means of a mechanical or pneumatic sealing device (22). These elements (weighing and sealing device) allow the supervisor, by l 'Intermediate of the PLC, to control the media flow, whatever its particle size.

There is shown in (20) a mannequin ensuring the movement of the carriage (23) via two handlebars (30), performing on demand the horizontal, vertical or lateral movements necessary for adjusting the position of the station. compared to the machine to be stripped.

FIG. 2B shows the carriage (23) seen from above, on which are located the electrical control cabinet (26), the accesses for maintenance (24) (24 ').

In practice, the supply support in the flexible receptacle (13) has a capacity of approximately 500 liters. This volume can be easily changed from 200 to 2,000 liters.

The media supply support in the flexible receptacle (13) has a capacity adapted to the needs.

The installation according to the invention therefore comprises a hangar for receiving machines, the dimensions of which can vary from 50 to 150 m long by 10 to 25 m wide. The mobile carts used for the projection of the media are 1,500 to 2,000 cm in length, a height above the ground between 300 and 500 cm, a receptacle flexible cylindrical-conical shape from 900 to 1,200 cm high with a diameter of 800 to 1,000 cm. The height of the gantry supporting the distribution system varies from 1,100 to 1,500 cm. The total height of the mobile cart varies from 2,500 to 3,000 cm. The overall width of the cart varies from 1,800 to 2,200 cm.

The abrasive flow is between 0.5 and 6 kg / min at a pressure between 1 and 6 bars.

Claims

1, Installation of a technical platform comprising a frame of an enclosed space inside which the stripping and reconditioning operations of an aeronautical, railway or maritime machine are carried out, which includes: a reception workshop for pickling machines, one or more pickling and / or painting devices, a storage room for paints (1), one or more rooms for staff (2), - a post for supervising pickling and reprocessing of the media (3), a room for the compression devices (6), a room for reprocessing (4 ') and storage (4) of the abrasive material, a cabin for pickling the parts after dismantling (5), characterized in that the installation also uses connection blocks (8) installed in a stationary manner for supplying energy to dry projection nozzles of a medium, supplied by compressed air, stations mobile or fixed pickling (12) surrounding the machine to pickling, pipes distributing the abrasive product (9) and an abrasive medium attacking the paint without damaging the primer.

2. Installation according to claim 1, in that it also comprises an inlet for paints (A), an outlet for paint waste (B), an inlet for new media (C), an outlet for waste of media (D), an outlet for new or reprocessed media (F) and an inlet for the media after projection (E), the abrasive media being formed from cross-linked and cooked wheat flour.

3. Installation according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the connection blocks (8) are connected to the pickling stations (12) by computer and energy connections.

4. Installation according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the media is recovered by suction and that it is rid of other waste by a sieving system.

5. Installation according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the dry projection nozzles of a media are moved manually by operators.

6. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the soiled media falling to the ground is recovered and then recycled.

7. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the recovered media is mixed with new media to be used in a new operation.

8. Installation according to claim 5, characterized in that each projection nozzle (12) is associated with a generator assembly (8) mounted on an independent carriage movable on the ground and movable in height.

9. Installation according to claim 8, characterized in that the pickling carriage (23) comprises a pressure pot, a distributor assembly allowing the regulation of the media flow, valves carrying out the isolation and the supply of the generator and a flexible bag type supply support located above a supply hopper.

10. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises an automatic or semi-automatic control device which allows local processing of the operation of the assembly.

11. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the abrasive flow rate is between 0.5 and 6 kg / min. operating at a relative pressure between 1 and 6 bars.

12. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the recycling or supply device has a capacity varying from 200 to 2,000 liters and preferably of the order of 500 liters.

3. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that it comprises means intended to effect the stripping and the refurbishment of air, sea and land vehicles and in particular of planes, boats or trains.