EP1555330B1 - Installation and process for the transport of metallic workpieces and installation for the heat treatment of metallic workpieces - Google Patents

Installation and process for the transport of metallic workpieces and installation for the heat treatment of metallic workpieces Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1555330B1
EP1555330B1 EP05008611A EP05008611A EP1555330B1 EP 1555330 B1 EP1555330 B1 EP 1555330B1 EP 05008611 A EP05008611 A EP 05008611A EP 05008611 A EP05008611 A EP 05008611A EP 1555330 B1 EP1555330 B1 EP 1555330B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
workpieces
chamber
transport chamber
treatment
transport
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Revoked
Application number
EP05008611A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP1555330A3 (en
EP1555330A2 (en
Inventor
Jörg Müller-Ziller
Franz Bless
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Ipsen International GmbH
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Ipsen International GmbH
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Publication of EP1555330A3 publication Critical patent/EP1555330A3/en
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    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C21METALLURGY OF IRON
    • C21DMODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
    • C21D9/00Heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering, adapted for particular articles; Furnaces therefor
    • C21D9/0006Details, accessories not peculiar to any of the following furnaces
    • C21D9/0018Details, accessories not peculiar to any of the following furnaces for charging, discharging or manipulation of charge
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C21METALLURGY OF IRON
    • C21DMODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
    • C21D9/00Heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering, adapted for particular articles; Furnaces therefor
    • C21D9/0006Details, accessories not peculiar to any of the following furnaces
    • C21D9/0025Supports; Baskets; Containers; Covers
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F27FURNACES; KILNS; OVENS; RETORTS
    • F27DDETAILS OR ACCESSORIES OF FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS, OR RETORTS, IN SO FAR AS THEY ARE OF KINDS OCCURRING IN MORE THAN ONE KIND OF FURNACE
    • F27D3/00Charging; Discharging; Manipulation of charge
    • F27D3/0024Charging; Discharging; Manipulation of charge of metallic workpieces
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F27FURNACES; KILNS; OVENS; RETORTS
    • F27DDETAILS OR ACCESSORIES OF FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS, OR RETORTS, IN SO FAR AS THEY ARE OF KINDS OCCURRING IN MORE THAN ONE KIND OF FURNACE
    • F27D3/00Charging; Discharging; Manipulation of charge
    • F27D3/12Travelling or movable supports or containers for the charge
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C21METALLURGY OF IRON
    • C21DMODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
    • C21D1/00General methods or devices for heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering
    • C21D1/74Methods of treatment in inert gas, controlled atmosphere, vacuum or pulverulent material
    • C21D1/773Methods of treatment in inert gas, controlled atmosphere, vacuum or pulverulent material under reduced pressure or vacuum
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C21METALLURGY OF IRON
    • C21DMODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING
    • C21D9/00Heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering, adapted for particular articles; Furnaces therefor
    • C21D9/0056Furnaces through which the charge is moved in a horizontal straight path

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a device for transporting metallic workpieces, in particular during a heat treatment, with a transport chamber for receiving the workpieces, means for loading and unloading the workpieces and a transport chamber moving chassis, wherein the transport chamber is horizontally movable, vacuum-tight and formed on a Workpieces can be evacuated from environmental influences protective vacuum and contains a horizontal batch loading and unloading.
  • the invention further relates to a plant for heat treatment of metallic workpieces, which has at least two treatment chambers in which the workpieces are heat-treatable.
  • the invention has to do with a method for transporting metal workpieces during a heat treatment in which the workpieces are transported in a heat-insulated transport chamber between at least two treatment chambers, in which the workpieces are heat-treatable.
  • metallic workpieces are usually subjected to a thermal or thermochemical heat treatment.
  • the result of the heat treatment is a modified material structure, which gives the workpieces the required properties.
  • the atmosphere in which the heat treatment is carried out is, in addition to the general process parameters, pressure, Temperature and duration of treatment also the atmosphere in which the heat treatment is carried out.
  • a number of procedures are known in which the workpieces are exposed to different atmospheres to achieve the desired treatment result.
  • the workpieces are successively fed to several treatment chambers of a heat treatment plant.
  • the individual treatment chambers are for this purpose usually by a transfer lock, which protects the workpieces during transport from environmental influences, which would adversely affect the previously achieved treatment result, connected to each other.
  • the transfer lock can be acted upon either with a protective gas atmosphere, as known, for example, from DE-A-43 16 841, or can be evacuated, as proposed in FR-A-2 771 754.
  • a heat treatment plant which comprises a vacuum furnace, a lock and a mobile transport chamber.
  • the transport chamber can be coupled via the lock to the vacuum furnace.
  • the heat-insulated to the outside and provided with a hermetically sealed door transport chamber also has a heater for heating the workpieces and a conveyor for loading and unloading of the workpieces.
  • the transport chamber is coupled to the lock and preheated. Subsequently, both the lock and the transport chamber with an inert gas to a pressure greater than the Ambient pressure flooded to prevent air from entering the lock or transport chamber from the outside.
  • the workpieces in the vacuum furnace are then cooled to the temperature prevailing in the transport chamber, and the vacuum furnace is also flooded with inert gas. After the same pressure level is reached in the vacuum furnace and in the lock or transport chamber, the door of the vacuum furnace is opened and the workpieces by means of the conveyor of the transport chamber in this loaded.
  • FR-A-2 782 156 a generic device for transporting metallic workpieces is known, provided with a transport chamber for receiving the workpieces, means for loading and unloading of the workpieces and a transport chamber moving chassis is, wherein the transport chamber is horizontally movable, vacuum-tight and can be evacuated to a workpieces from environmental influences protective vacuum and a horizontal batch loading and unloading device contains.
  • the transport chamber is not formed thermally insulated.
  • the temperature within the transport chamber of the device known from FR-A-2 782 156 can not be kept constant, so that it can disadvantageously lead to undesirable temperature drops within the transport chamber.
  • the previously known from FR-A-2,782,156 device is not suitable for the transport of during a heat treatment before Termperaturschwankache to be protected workpieces.
  • the invention has for its object to provide a device and a method for transporting metallic workpieces and a plant for heat treatment of these workpieces, while also easy to repair and maintain in a relatively flexible and efficient way transporting the workpieces between multiple treatment chambers during a heat treatment in the Allow high temperature range.
  • the transport chamber is heated and provided with a replaceable thermal insulation.
  • a device designed in this way offers a flexible transport of the workpieces during a heat treatment compared to the stationary transfer locks known in the prior art.
  • individual treatment chambers of a heat treatment plant for maintenance or repair work can be excluded from the process cycle without the other treatment chambers being affected as a result.
  • the extension of an existing heat treatment plant to additional treatment chambers is possible with the device according to the invention without much effort.
  • such a device recognizes the fact that a much more efficient process can be achieved if, instead of floating with inert gas, a vacuum is generated in the transport chamber to the workpieces against unwanted environmental influences, such as by the supply of Oxygen-related oxidation, to protect.
  • a vacuum is generated in the transport chamber to the workpieces against unwanted environmental influences, such as by the supply of Oxygen-related oxidation, to protect.
  • the device according to the invention it is thus possible with the device according to the invention to continue the heat treatment during the transport of the workpieces to a next treatment chamber in the transport chamber, without a noticeable temperature change occurring.
  • the device according to the invention is therefore also characterized by the fact that it is particularly suitable for heat treatment processes that take place in the high temperature range.
  • the device is provided with a vacuum pump for evacuating the transport chamber.
  • a vacuum pump for evacuating the transport chamber.
  • the transport chamber can be evacuated even during transport. This comes into play, for example, when loading the Workpieces from a processing chamber into the transport chamber, the atmosphere in the processing chamber is allowed to expand into the transport chamber to continue the heat treatment in this atmosphere during transport until just before reaching the next treatment chamber.
  • the transport chamber already counteracts due to their thermal insulation temperature drop of the workpieces, which is usually sufficient for short transport routes, it may be necessary in cases of heat treatment at high temperatures to keep the workpieces by an additional heat to the desired temperature.
  • it has been found to provide the transport chamber with a replaceable thermal insulation. Such insulation can be freely exchanged for repair and maintenance purposes.
  • the insulation is made of steel, for example a chromium-nickel steel.
  • the transport chamber is provided with a hermetically closing loading door, which can be actuated by a drive to ensure an automatic docking of the transport chamber to a treatment chamber.
  • a hermetically closing loading door which can be actuated by a drive to ensure an automatic docking of the transport chamber to a treatment chamber.
  • the landing gear so as to allow the device to be turned on the spot.
  • the suspension is depending on the operational requirement rail-bound or freely steered by embedded in the ground induction loops.
  • Such a heat treatment system makes use of the advantages resulting in connection with the previously described device for transporting metallic workpieces.
  • By providing the lock This ensures that the workpieces protected against environmental influences between a treatment chamber and the transport chamber can be shipped.
  • the heat treatment plant according to the invention is characterized by great flexibility in terms of the transport of the workpieces between the individual treatment chambers, which also allows a relatively high throughput and thus achieve an efficient process in economic terms.
  • the lock In order to ensure a compact and relatively lightweight design of the transport chamber, it is expedient to arrange the lock stationary on the treatment chamber. This has the consequence that a lock is to be provided on each treatment chamber. In general, however, the lock can also be designed as an integrated part of the transport chamber or even mobile. Although the latter embodiment is associated with a higher design effort, but offers about when the heat treatment plant has a large number of treatment chambers, each with long residence times of the workpieces, so that a mobile lock can be used in time unproblematically for several treatment chambers ,
  • the lock is separately evacuated, so that it is independent of the type of the respective treatment chamber, such as vacuum oven or atmospheric oven to operate.
  • the lock is evacuated by a vacuum pump arranged on the transport chamber.
  • the lock has a drive, through which the loading door of the transport chamber can be actuated. This contributes to a particularly lightweight design of the transport chamber and thus at a relatively low cost for the promotion of workpieces between the individual treatment chambers.
  • the treatment chamber is expediently a vacuum furnace, an atmospheric furnace or a cooling chamber.
  • the solution to the above problem in a method having the features mentioned is characterized in that the vacuum-tight transport chamber is evacuated to a workpieces from environmental influences protective vacuum and the workpieces are transported in this vacuum from one treatment chamber to the next.
  • the transport of the workpieces in an evacuated to a predetermined vacuum transport chamber has been found to be extremely advantageous, especially for the transport of heated to a relatively high temperature, for example, 1000 ° C workpieces.
  • transport of the workpieces in an atmosphere of inert gas can be avoided in this way namely often unwanted temperature drop.
  • the method according to the invention is further proposed to couple the transport chamber by means of a lock to the respective treatment chamber to use the advantages described above. Finally, it is proposed to evacuate the lock separately to ensure a rapid coupling of the transport chamber.
  • the device shown in Fig. 1a for transporting metallic workpieces 20 has a heat-insulated to the outside and vacuum-tight, cylindrical transport chamber 10 for receiving the assembled into a batch of workpieces 20 and a transport chamber 10 moving chassis 30.
  • the device is also provided with means 40 for loading and unloading the workpieces 20, which have a horizontally movable pawl 41.
  • the pawl 41 can move by means of a forward and retractable print chain 43 in the horizontal direction, the leadership of the empty strand is made in a vertically arranged receptacle 42. In this way, it is ensured that all Startraczar braking operations with respect to a reliable transport of the workpieces 20 from the transport chamber 10 into a treatment chamber 50 or vice versa soft run.
  • the transport chamber 10 has a flange 11 for a vacuum pump, not shown.
  • the heat-treated workpieces 20 located in the transport chamber 10 are protected from environmental influences, such as an undesired oxidation-inducing oxygen supply.
  • the transport chamber 10 is provided with an exchangeable thermal insulation 12 of, for example, chromium-nickel steel and additionally has heating elements 14 connected to a current feedthrough 13.
  • the Heating elements 14 allow heating of the empty transport chamber 10 to about 1000 ° C in no time at a control temperature of about ⁇ 5 ° C.
  • the transport chamber 10 On its front side, the transport chamber 10 is provided with a hermetically closing loading door 15, which can be raised in the vertical direction by a drive 16, which in the present case is hydraulically movable, depending on the application, but also electrically or pneumatically actuated.
  • a drive 16 which in the present case is hydraulically movable, depending on the application, but also electrically or pneumatically actuated.
  • the loading door 15 moves in a double-walled portal 17, on whose side facing away from the transport chamber 10 coupling means 18 are arranged.
  • the transport chamber 10 With the aid of the coupling means 18, the transport chamber 10 can be vacuum-tight dock to a lock 60 only hinted.
  • the provided with wheels 31 chassis 30 of the device is driven by a driven by means of an inverter and thus soft starting or braking gear motor.
  • the positioning speed of about ⁇ 1 mm permitting travel speed of the freely traveling in all directions and rotating on the ground chassis 30 is only between 0.01 m / s and 0.03 m / s, so that additional protective measures, such as a Grid arrangement are dispensable.
  • safety devices are provided to trigger an emergency stop when hitting an obstacle.
  • rails 32 are also arranged, through which the transport chamber 10 is movable relative to the chassis 30 over a distance of about 200 mm. The transport chamber 10 is moved by a hydraulic cylinder, not shown.
  • the transport chamber 10 of the transport device 70 is moved over the sluice 60 which is stationarily arranged in front of each treatment chamber 50 coupled to the vacuum preheat chamber 50a.
  • the lock 60 and the transport chamber 10 is evacuated. Then, the doors of the vacuum preheating chamber 50a and the lock 60 and the loading door 15 of the transport chamber 10 are opened and the workpieces 20 are transported by means of the loading fork 41 into the transport chamber 10.
  • the transport chamber 10 is transported to one of the vacuum carburizing chambers 50b.
  • the thermal insulation 13 and the heating elements 14 thereby ensure that the workpieces 20 experience no temperature loss.
  • After reaching the position of the corresponding carburizing 50 b opens a second door of the loading door 15 on rails 71 linearly movable transport device 70, and the workpieces 20 are moved over the standing in this treatment chamber 50 lock 60 by means of the loading fork 41 into the carburizing 50 b.
  • the sequence described above is repeated in a corresponding manner.
  • the respective separately evacuated designed locks 60 help that the workpieces 20 without much loss of time between Treatment chambers 50 can be transported, which, such as the carburizing 50b and the diffusion chambers 50c, accommodate different atmospheres, while ensuring that the workpieces 20 are transported in the environmental protection protective vacuum inside the transport chamber 10.
  • the workpieces 20 leave the gas quenching chamber 50d via a conveyor belt 52 which, depending on the type of heat treatment, conveys the workpieces 20 to a tempering furnace 53 and to a cooling tunnel 54 adjoining this.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Heat Treatments In General, Especially Conveying And Cooling (AREA)
  • Tunnel Furnaces (AREA)
  • Furnace Charging Or Discharging (AREA)
  • Furnace Details (AREA)

Abstract

The arrangement has a heat-insulated transport chamber (10) to hold work pieces (20). The chamber is moved horizontally and designed to be vacuum-tight, and evacuated of air to create vacuum to protect work pieces from environmental influences. The chamber has a heating unit for heating a treatment chamber. The transport chamber has removable thermal insulation made of steel. A vacuum pump evacuates the air from the transport chamber. Independent claims are also included for the following: (a) a system for heat treating metallic work pieces; and (b) a method of transporting metallic work pieces during a heat treatment process.

Description

Die Erfindung betrifft eine Vorrichtung zum Transportieren metallischer Werkstücke, insbesondere während einer Wärmebehandlung, mit einer Transportkammer zur Aufnahme der Werkstücke, Mitteln zum Be- und Entladen der Werkstücke und einem die Transportkammer bewegenden Fahrwerk, wobei die Transportkammer horizontal verfahrbar, vakuumdicht ausgebildet und auf ein die Werkstücke vor Umgebungseinflüssen schützendes Vakuum evakuierbar ist sowie eine horizontale Chargenbe- und -entladevorrichtung enthält. Die Erfindung bezieht sich ferner auf eine Anlage zur Wärmebehandlung metallischer Werkstücke, die zumindest zwei Behandlungskammern, in denen die Werkstücke wärmebehandelbar sind, aufweist. Darüber hinaus hat die Erfindung mit einem Verfahren zum Transportieren metallischer Werkstücke während einer Wärmebehandlung zu tun, bei dem die Werkstücke in einer wärmeisolierten Transportkammer zwischen zumindest zwei Behandlungskammern, in denen die Werkstücke wärmebehandelbar sind, transportiert werden.The invention relates to a device for transporting metallic workpieces, in particular during a heat treatment, with a transport chamber for receiving the workpieces, means for loading and unloading the workpieces and a transport chamber moving chassis, wherein the transport chamber is horizontally movable, vacuum-tight and formed on a Workpieces can be evacuated from environmental influences protective vacuum and contains a horizontal batch loading and unloading. The invention further relates to a plant for heat treatment of metallic workpieces, which has at least two treatment chambers in which the workpieces are heat-treatable. Moreover, the invention has to do with a method for transporting metal workpieces during a heat treatment in which the workpieces are transported in a heat-insulated transport chamber between at least two treatment chambers, in which the workpieces are heat-treatable.

Zum Erzeugen definierter Werkstückeigenschaften, wie etwa einer hohen Härte oder besonderen Verschleißfestigkeit, werden metallische Werkstücke gewöhnlich einer thermischen oder thermochemischen Wärmebehandlung unterzogen. Das Ergebnis der Wärmebehandlung ist ein verändertes Werkstoffgefüge, das den Werkstücken die geforderten Eigenschaften verleiht. Von besonderem Einfluß auf das Behandlungsergebnis ist neben den allgemeinen Prozeßparametern Druck, Temperatur und Behandlungsdauer auch die Atmosphäre, in der die Wärmebehandlung durchgeführt wird. Eine Anzahl an Verfahrensweisen sind bekannt, bei denen die Werkstücke unterschiedlichen Atmosphären ausgesetzt werden, um das gewünschte Behandlungsergebnis zu erzielen. Die Werkstücke werden dabei nacheinander mehreren Behandlungskammern einer Wärmebehandlungsanlage zugeführt. Die einzelnen Behandlungskammern sind zu diesem Zweck in der Regel durch eine Transferschleuse, welche die Werkstücke während des Transports vor Umgebungseinflüssen schützt, die das bis dahin erreichte Behandlungsergebnis in nachteiliger Weise beeinträchtigen würden, miteinander verbunden. Die Transferschleuse ist hierfür entweder mit einer Schutzgasatmosphäre beaufschlagbar, wie beispielsweise aus der DE-A-43 16 841 bekannt, oder evakuierbar, wie in der FR-A-2 771 754 vorgeschlagen wird.To produce defined workpiece properties, such as high hardness or wear resistance, metallic workpieces are usually subjected to a thermal or thermochemical heat treatment. The result of the heat treatment is a modified material structure, which gives the workpieces the required properties. Of particular influence on the treatment result is, in addition to the general process parameters, pressure, Temperature and duration of treatment also the atmosphere in which the heat treatment is carried out. A number of procedures are known in which the workpieces are exposed to different atmospheres to achieve the desired treatment result. The workpieces are successively fed to several treatment chambers of a heat treatment plant. The individual treatment chambers are for this purpose usually by a transfer lock, which protects the workpieces during transport from environmental influences, which would adversely affect the previously achieved treatment result, connected to each other. For this purpose, the transfer lock can be acted upon either with a protective gas atmosphere, as known, for example, from DE-A-43 16 841, or can be evacuated, as proposed in FR-A-2 771 754.

Derartige Transferschleusen sind mit dem Nachteil verbunden, daß sie eine variable Gestaltung des Verfahrensablaufs der Wärmebehandlungsanlage allenfalls in beschränktem Maße ermöglichen. Zudem ist der Ausbau der Wärmebehandlungsanlage auch bei einer modular ausgestalteten Bauweise, wie sie aus der FR-A-2 771 754 bekannt ist, nicht ohne einen verhältnismäßig hohen Aufwand zu realisieren. In wirtschaftlicher Hinsicht äußerst unbefriedigend ist gleichfalls, daß sich Wartungsarbeiten an einzelnen Behandlungskammern und insbesondere an dem Transportwagen in der Transferschleuse nur bei Inkaufnahme der zeitweiligen Stillegung der gesamten Wärmebehandlungsanlage durchführen lassen.Such transfer locks are associated with the disadvantage that they allow a variable design of the procedure of the heat treatment system at best to a limited extent. In addition, the expansion of the heat treatment plant, even with a modular design, as is known from FR-A-2 771 754, not without a relatively high effort to realize. From an economic point of view, it is also extremely unsatisfactory that maintenance work on individual treatment chambers and in particular on the transport carriage in the transfer lock can only be carried out when the temporary temporary shutdown of the entire heat treatment installation is accepted.

Aus der US-A-5 567 381 ist ferner eine Wärmebehandlungsanlage bekannt, die einen Vakuumofen, eine Schleuse und eine fahrbare Transportkammer aufweist. Die Transportkammer ist über die Schleuse an den Vakuumofen ankoppelbar. Die nach außen hin wärmeisolierte und mit einer hermetisch schließenden Tür versehene Transportkammer weist außerdem eine Heizeinrichtung zum Erwärmen der Werkstücke und eine Fördereinrichtung zum Be- und Entladen der Werkstücke auf. Um die in dem Vakuumofen auf eine bestimmte Temperatur erwärmten Werkstücke in eine weitere Behandlungskammer, etwa eine Abschreckkammer, überzuführen, wird die Transportkammer an die Schleuse gekoppelt und vorgewärmt. Anschließend wird sowohl die Schleuse als auch die Transportkammer mit einem Inertgas bis zu einem Druck größer als der Umgebungsdruck geflutet, um zu verhindern, daß Luft von außen in die Schleuse oder die Transportkammer gelangt. Die im Vakuumofen befindlichen Werkstücke werden sodann auf die in der Transportkammer herrschende Temperatur abgekühlt, und der Vakuumofen wird gleichfalls mit Inertgas geflutet. Nachdem im Vakuumofen und in der Schleuse beziehungsweise Transportkammer das gleiche Druckniveau erreicht ist, wird die Tür des Vakuumofens geöffnet und die Werkstücke mittels der Fördereinrichtung der Transportkammer in diese hinein verladet.From US-A-5 567 381 a heat treatment plant is also known which comprises a vacuum furnace, a lock and a mobile transport chamber. The transport chamber can be coupled via the lock to the vacuum furnace. The heat-insulated to the outside and provided with a hermetically sealed door transport chamber also has a heater for heating the workpieces and a conveyor for loading and unloading of the workpieces. In order to transfer the workpieces heated in the vacuum furnace to a certain temperature into a further treatment chamber, such as a quenching chamber, the transport chamber is coupled to the lock and preheated. Subsequently, both the lock and the transport chamber with an inert gas to a pressure greater than the Ambient pressure flooded to prevent air from entering the lock or transport chamber from the outside. The workpieces in the vacuum furnace are then cooled to the temperature prevailing in the transport chamber, and the vacuum furnace is also flooded with inert gas. After the same pressure level is reached in the vacuum furnace and in the lock or transport chamber, the door of the vacuum furnace is opened and the workpieces by means of the conveyor of the transport chamber in this loaded.

Mit der zuvor beschriebenen Transportkammer ist es demnach möglich, Werkstücke im erwärmten Zustand von einer Behandlungskammer zur nächsten zu transportieren und sie dabei einer Atmosphäre aus Inertgas auszusetzen, die eine unerwünschte Oxidation der Werkstücke verhindert. Obzwar die Wärmebehandlungsanlage nach der US-A-5 567 381 damit eine größere Flexibilität bietet als die weiter oben erörterten Wärmebehandlungsanlagen mit einer stationären Transferschleuse, weist sie den Nachteil auf, daß beim Ankoppeln der Transportkammer an den Vakuumofen sowohl die Transportkammer und die Schleuse als auch der Vakuumofen mit dem Inertgas geflutet werden. Abgesehen davon, daß dies einen nicht zu vernachlässigenden Aufwand für die Bereitstellung des Inertgases erfordert, erweist sich das Inertgas als hinderlich, um die Werkstücke auch während des Transports zu einer anderen Behandlungskammer einer fortgesetzten Wärmebehandlung zu unterziehen. Denn die mit dem unabwendbaren Fluten des Vakuumofens mit Inertgas einhergehende Veränderung der Ofenatmosphäre setzt nicht nur den Abschluß des im Vakuumofen stattfindenden Verfahrensschritts der Wärmebehandlung voraus, sondern ist unweigerlich auch mit einer Abkühlung der Werkstücke verbunden, sofern das Schutzgas nicht vorgewärmt ist. Letzteres macht sich in besonders nachteiliger Weise bei einer Wärmebehandlung im Hochtemperaturbereich bemerkbar, bei der in der Regel keine nennenswerten Temperaturschwankungen gestattet sind.With the transport chamber described above, it is thus possible to transport workpieces in the heated state from one treatment chamber to the next and thereby exposing them to an atmosphere of inert gas, which prevents unwanted oxidation of the workpieces. Although the heat treatment plant according to US Pat. No. 5,567,381 thus offers greater flexibility than the heat treatment plants with a stationary transfer lock discussed above, it has the disadvantage that, when the transport chamber is coupled to the vacuum furnace, both the transport chamber and the lock as well the vacuum furnace is flooded with the inert gas. Apart from the fact that this requires a not inconsiderable expense for the provision of the inert gas, the inert gas proves to be a hindrance to subject the workpieces during transport to another treatment chamber of a continued heat treatment. Because the change in the furnace atmosphere associated with the inevitable flooding of the vacuum furnace with inert gas not only requires the completion of the heat treatment process step taking place in the vacuum furnace, but is inevitably associated with a cooling of the workpieces, as long as the inert gas is not preheated. The latter is noticeable in a particularly disadvantageous manner in a heat treatment in the high temperature range, in which no appreciable temperature fluctuations are allowed in the rule.

Schließlich ist auch aus der FR-A-2 782 156 eine gattungsgemäße Vorrichtung zum Transportieren metallischer Werkstücke bekannt, die mit einer Transportkammer zur Aufnahme der Werkstücke, Mitteln zum Be- und Entladen der Werkstücke und einem die Transportkammer bewegenden Fahrwerk versehen ist, wobei die Transportkammer horizontal verfahrbar, vakuumdicht ausgebildet und auf ein die Werkstücke vor Umgebungseinflüssen schützendes Vakuum evakuierbar ist sowie eine horizontale Chargenbe- und -entladungsvorrichtung enthält. Bei dieser vorbekannten Vorrichtung ist es von Nachteil, daß die Transportkammer nicht wärmeisoliert ausgebildet ist. Mithin kann die Temperatur innerhalb der Transportkammer der aus der FR-A-2 782 156 bekannten Vorrichtung nicht konstant gehalten werden, so daß es in nachteiliger Weise zu unerwünschten Temperaturabfällen innerhalb der Transportkammer kommen kann. Damit ist die aus der FR-A-2 782 156 vorbekannte Vorrichtung nicht für den Transport von während einer Wärmebehandlung vor Termperaturschwankungen zu schützenden Werkstücken geeignet.Finally, also from FR-A-2 782 156 a generic device for transporting metallic workpieces is known, provided with a transport chamber for receiving the workpieces, means for loading and unloading of the workpieces and a transport chamber moving chassis is, wherein the transport chamber is horizontally movable, vacuum-tight and can be evacuated to a workpieces from environmental influences protective vacuum and a horizontal batch loading and unloading device contains. In this prior art device, it is disadvantageous that the transport chamber is not formed thermally insulated. Thus, the temperature within the transport chamber of the device known from FR-A-2 782 156 can not be kept constant, so that it can disadvantageously lead to undesirable temperature drops within the transport chamber. Thus, the previously known from FR-A-2,782,156 device is not suitable for the transport of during a heat treatment before Termperaturschwankungen to be protected workpieces.

Der Erfindung liegt die Aufgabe zugrunde, eine Vorrichtung und ein Verfahren zum Transportieren metallischer Werkstücke sowie eine Anlage zur Wärmebehandlung dieser Werkstücke bereitzustellen, die bei gleichzeitiger Reparatur- und Wartungsfreundlichkeit auf vergleichsweise flexible und effiziente Weise einen Transport der Werkstücke zwischen mehreren Behandlungskammern während einer Wärmebehandlung auch im Hochtemperaturbereich ermöglichen.The invention has for its object to provide a device and a method for transporting metallic workpieces and a plant for heat treatment of these workpieces, while also easy to repair and maintain in a relatively flexible and efficient way transporting the workpieces between multiple treatment chambers during a heat treatment in the Allow high temperature range.

Zur Lösung dieser Aufgabe wird vorrichtungsseitig vorgeschlagen, daß die Transportkammer beheizbar und mit einer auswechselbaren thermischen Isolierung versehen ist.To solve this problem, it is proposed on the device side, that the transport chamber is heated and provided with a replaceable thermal insulation.

Eine solchermaßen ausgebildete Vorrichtung bietet im Vergleich zu den im Stand der Technik bekannten stationären Transferschleusen einen flexiblen Transport der Werkstücke während einer Wärmebehandlung. So lassen sich etwa einzelne Behandlungskammern einer Wärmebehandlungsanlage für Wartungs- oder Reparaturarbeiten aus dem Verfahrenskreislauf ausschließen, ohne daß die anderen Behandlungskammern hierdurch in Mitleidenschaft gezogen werden. Auch die Erweiterung einer bestehenden Wärmebehandlungsanlage um zusätzliche Behandlungskammern ist mit der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung ohne größeren Aufwand möglich.A device designed in this way offers a flexible transport of the workpieces during a heat treatment compared to the stationary transfer locks known in the prior art. Thus, for example, individual treatment chambers of a heat treatment plant for maintenance or repair work can be excluded from the process cycle without the other treatment chambers being affected as a result. The extension of an existing heat treatment plant to additional treatment chambers is possible with the device according to the invention without much effort.

Darüber hinaus macht sich eine solche Vorrichtung die Erkenntnis zu eigen, daß sich eine weitaus effizientere Verfahrensführung dann erreichen läßt, wenn anstelle eines Flutens mit Inertgas ein Vakuum in der Transportkammer erzeugt wird, um die Werkstücke vor unerwünschten Umgebungseinflüssen, wie etwa eine durch die Zufuhr von Sauerstoff bedingte Oxidation, zu schützen. Im Unterschied zu der fahrbaren Transportkammer gemäß der US-A-5 567 381 ist es bei der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung somit möglich, die Wärmebehandlung während des Transports der Werkstücke zu einer nächsten Behandlungskammer in der Transportkammer fortzusetzen, und zwar ohne daß eine merkliche Temperaturänderung eintritt. Neben der hierdurch hervorgerufenen, in wirtschaftlicher Hinsicht günstigen Zeitersparnis zeichnet sich die erfindungsgemäße Vorrichtung demnach auch dadurch aus, daß sie sich in besonderem Maße für Wärmebehandlungsverfahren eignet, die im Hochtemperaturbereich stattfinden.In addition, such a device recognizes the fact that a much more efficient process can be achieved if, instead of floating with inert gas, a vacuum is generated in the transport chamber to the workpieces against unwanted environmental influences, such as by the supply of Oxygen-related oxidation, to protect. In contrast to the mobile transport chamber according to US Pat. No. 5,567,381, it is thus possible with the device according to the invention to continue the heat treatment during the transport of the workpieces to a next treatment chamber in the transport chamber, without a noticeable temperature change occurring. In addition to the thus caused, economically advantageous time savings, the device according to the invention is therefore also characterized by the fact that it is particularly suitable for heat treatment processes that take place in the high temperature range.

Besonders vorteilhaft ist es, wenn die Vorrichtung mit einer Vakuumpumpe zum Evakuieren der Transportkammer versehen ist. Dies bietet den Vorteil, daß die Vorrichtung in Hinsicht auf das Evakuieren der Transportkammer autark und damit unabhängig von der jeweiligen Bauart der Behandlungskammern ist. Sie kann deshalb beispielsweise sowohl an Vakuum- oder Atmosphärenöfen als auch an Kühlkammern andocken. Weiterhin ermöglicht das Vorsehen einer Vakuumpumpe, daß die Transportkammer auch noch während des Transports evakuiert werden kann. Dies kommt etwa dann zum Tragen, wenn beim Beladen der Werkstücke von einer Behandlungskammer in die Transportkammer die in der Behandlungskammer befindliche Atmosphäre in die Transportkammer expandieren gelassen wird, um die Wärmebehandlung in dieser Atmosphäre während des Transports bis kurz vor dem Erreichen der nächsten Behandlungskammer fortzuführen.It is particularly advantageous if the device is provided with a vacuum pump for evacuating the transport chamber. This offers the advantage that the device is self-sufficient with respect to the evacuation of the transport chamber and thus independent of the respective type of treatment chambers. It can therefore for example dock both to vacuum or atmospheric furnaces and to cooling chambers. Furthermore, the provision of a vacuum pump that the transport chamber can be evacuated even during transport. This comes into play, for example, when loading the Workpieces from a processing chamber into the transport chamber, the atmosphere in the processing chamber is allowed to expand into the transport chamber to continue the heat treatment in this atmosphere during transport until just before reaching the next treatment chamber.

Von Vorteil ist ferner, die Transportkammer zu beheizen. Wenngleich die Transportkammer schon aufgrund ihrer Wärmeisolierung einem Temperaturabfall der Werkstücke entgegenwirkt, was bei kurzen Transportwegen meist ausreichend ist, kann es jedoch in Fällen einer Wärmebehandlung mit hohen Temperaturen erforderlich sein, die Werkstücke durch eine zusätzliche Wärmezufuhr auf der gewünschten Temperatur zu halten. Als sehr zweckmäßig in diesem Zusammenhang hat sich herausgestellt, die Transportkammer mit einer auswechselbaren thermischen Isolierung zu versehen. Eine solche Isolierung läßt sich für Reparatur- und Wartungszwecke ungehindert austauschen. Sie bietet weiterhin den Vorteil, daß aufgrund ihrer geringen Speicherwärme die Temperatur der Transportkammer innerhalb weniger Minuten geändert, das heißt an die verschiedenen Temperaturen mehrerer Behandlungskammern angepaßt werden kann. Gemäß einem Merkmal der Erfindung besteht die Isolierung aus Stahl, beispielsweise einem Chrom-Nickel-Stahl.Another advantage is to heat the transport chamber. Although the transport chamber already counteracts due to their thermal insulation temperature drop of the workpieces, which is usually sufficient for short transport routes, it may be necessary in cases of heat treatment at high temperatures to keep the workpieces by an additional heat to the desired temperature. As very useful in this context, it has been found to provide the transport chamber with a replaceable thermal insulation. Such insulation can be freely exchanged for repair and maintenance purposes. It also has the advantage that due to their low heat storage, the temperature of the transport chamber changed within a few minutes, that can be adapted to the different temperatures of several treatment chambers. According to a feature of the invention, the insulation is made of steel, for example a chromium-nickel steel.

In einer besonders nutzbringenden Weiterbildung der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung ist die Transportkammer mit einer hermetisch schließenden Beladetür versehen, die durch einen Antrieb betätigbar ist, um ein selbsttätiges Andocken der Transportkammer an eine Behandlungskammer sicherzustellen. Im Hinblick auf einen in der betrieblichen Praxis immer wieder auftretenden Störfall 11 kann es zudem vorteilhaft sein, die Transportkammer zusätzlich mit einer hermetisch schließenden Montagetür zu versehen. Mittels beispielsweise eines externen Hubladegeräts kann die Transportkammer somit unabhängig von der unter Umständen nicht frei zugänglichen Beladetür durch die Montagetür entladen werden.In a particularly useful development of the device according to the invention, the transport chamber is provided with a hermetically closing loading door, which can be actuated by a drive to ensure an automatic docking of the transport chamber to a treatment chamber. With regard to an accident occurring in operational practice again and again 11, it may also be advantageous to provide the transport chamber additionally with a hermetically closing mounting door. For example, by means of an external Hubladegeräts the transport chamber can thus be unloaded regardless of the possibly not freely accessible loading door through the mounting door.

Eine überaus vorteilhafte Ausgestaltung der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung ist ferner dann gegeben, wenn Transportkammer und Fahrwerk relativ zueinander bewegbar sind. Denn hierdurch ist es auf einfache Weise möglich, die von der Vorrichtung zu befahrende Bahn von der Anordnung der einzelnen Behandlungskammern weitgehend zu entkoppeln und damit den jeweiligen betrieblichen Umständen bestmöglich Rechnung zu tragen. Als besonders geeignet in diesem Zusammenhang hat sich gezeigt, die Transportkammer horizontal verschwenkbar oder in horizontaler und/oder vertikaler Richtung geradlinig verfahrbar auf dem Fahrwerk anzuordnen. Letztere Variante findet zum Beispiel dann Anwendung, wenn mehrere Behandlungskammern vertikal übereinander angeordnet sind.An extremely advantageous embodiment of the device according to the invention is also given when transport chamber and chassis relative are movable relative to each other. Because this makes it possible in a simple manner to largely decouple the trajectory to be traveled by the device of the arrangement of the individual treatment chambers and thus to take the best possible account of the respective operating conditions. As particularly suitable in this context, it has been shown to arrange the transport chamber horizontally pivotable or in a horizontal and / or vertical direction to move rectilinearly on the chassis. The latter variant is used, for example, when several treatment chambers are arranged vertically one above the other.

In Hinsicht auf ein müheloses Andocken der Transportkammer an Behandlungskammern, deren Beladeseiten unterschiedlich im Raum orientiert sind, kann es alternativ oder zusätzlich überdies nützlich sein, das Fahrwerk derart auszubilden, daß es ein Drehen der Vorrichtung auf der Stelle ermöglicht. So ist es etwa bei beidseitig einer Wärmebehandlungsstraße hinsichtlich ihrer Beladeseite vis-ä-vis angeordneten Behandlungskammern in diesem Fall ausreichend, die Transportkammer in wirtschaftlich günstiger Weise nur mit einer Beladetür zu versehen. Vorteilhafterweise ist das Fahrwerk je nach betrieblichem Bedürfnis schienengebunden oder durch in den Boden eingelassene Induktionsschleifen frei lenkbar. Um ein bequemes Verladen der Werkstücke von einer Behandlungskammer in die Transportkammer beziehungsweise umgekehrt zu erreichen, hat es sich ferner bewährt, wenn die Mittel zum Be- und Entladen der Werkstücke eine Ladegabel aufweisen, die horizontal und vertikal verfahrbar ist.Furthermore, in view of effortless docking of the transport chamber to treatment chambers whose loading sides are oriented differently in space, it may alternatively or additionally be useful to form the landing gear so as to allow the device to be turned on the spot. For instance, in the case of treatment chambers arranged on both sides of a heat treatment line with respect to their loading side, it is sufficient in this case to provide the transport chamber in an economically favorable manner with only one loading door. Advantageously, the suspension is depending on the operational requirement rail-bound or freely steered by embedded in the ground induction loops. In order to achieve a convenient loading of the workpieces from a treatment chamber in the transport chamber or vice versa, it has also proven to be, if the means for loading and unloading of the workpieces have a loading fork, which is horizontally and vertically movable.

Zur Lösung der obigen Aufgabe wird bei einer Anlage zur Wärmebehandlung metallischer Werkstücke mit den eingangs genannten Merkmalen vorgeschlagen, daß eine Vorrichtung nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 9 mittels einer evakuierbaren Schleuse an die Behandlungskammer ankoppelbar ist.To achieve the above object is proposed in a system for heat treatment of metallic workpieces with the features mentioned that a device according to one of claims 1 to 9 can be coupled by means of an evacuable lock to the treatment chamber.

Eine derartige Wärmebehandlungsanlage macht sich die im Zusammenhang mit der zuvor beschriebenen Vorrichtung zum Transportieren metallischer Werkstücke ergebenden Vorteile zunutze. Durch das Vorsehen der Schleuse ist dabei sichergestellt, daß die Werkstücke vor Umgebungseinflüssen geschützt zwischen einer Behandlungskammer und der Transportkammer verfrachtet werden können. Die erfindungsgemäße Wärmebehandlungsanlage zeichnet sich danach durch große Flexibilität in Hinsicht auf den Transport der Werkstücke zwischen den einzelnen Behandlungskammern aus, wodurch sich zudem eine verhältnismäßig hohe Durchsatzleistung und damit eine in wirtschaftlicher Hinsicht effiziente Verfahrensführung erzielen läßt.Such a heat treatment system makes use of the advantages resulting in connection with the previously described device for transporting metallic workpieces. By providing the lock This ensures that the workpieces protected against environmental influences between a treatment chamber and the transport chamber can be shipped. The heat treatment plant according to the invention is characterized by great flexibility in terms of the transport of the workpieces between the individual treatment chambers, which also allows a relatively high throughput and thus achieve an efficient process in economic terms.

Um eine möglichst kompakte und verhältnismäßig leichtgewichtige Gestaltung der Transportkammer zu gewähren, ist es zweckvoll, die Schleuse stationär an der Behandlungskammer anzuordnen. Dies hat zur Folge, daß an jeder Behandlungskammer eine Schleuse vorzusehen ist. Generell kann die Schleuse allerdings auch als integrierter Bestandteil der Transportkammer oder selbst mobil ausgebildet sein. Letztere Ausführung ist zwar mit einem höheren konstruktiven Aufwand verbunden, bietet sich aber etwa dann an, wenn die Wärmebehandlungsanlage über eine große Anzahl an Behandlungskammern mit jeweils langen Verweilzeiten der Werkstücke verfügt, so daß eine mobile Schleuse in zeitlicher Hinsicht unproblematisch für mehrere Behandlungskammern eingesetzt werden kann.In order to ensure a compact and relatively lightweight design of the transport chamber, it is expedient to arrange the lock stationary on the treatment chamber. This has the consequence that a lock is to be provided on each treatment chamber. In general, however, the lock can also be designed as an integrated part of the transport chamber or even mobile. Although the latter embodiment is associated with a higher design effort, but offers about when the heat treatment plant has a large number of treatment chambers, each with long residence times of the workpieces, so that a mobile lock can be used in time unproblematically for several treatment chambers ,

Zweckmäßig ist ferner, wenn die Schleuse gesondert evakuierbar ist, so daß sie unabhängig von der Art der jeweiligen Behandlungskammer, etwa Vakuumofen oder Atmosphärenofen, zu betreiben ist. Zudem ist es auf diese Weise möglich, die Schleuse bereits während des Transports der Transportkammer an die entsprechende Behandlungskammer zu evakuieren, um einen möglichst raschen Verfahrensablauf zu gewähren. Je nach Anwendungsfall ist es allerdings auch denkbar, daß die Schleuse durch eine an der Transportkammer angeordnete Vakuumpumpe evakuiert wird. In einer besonders vorteilhaften Ausgestaltung der erfindungsgemäßen Anlage weist die Schleuse einen Antrieb auf, durch den die Beladetür der Transportkammer betätigbar ist. Dies trägt zu einer besonders leichtgewichtigen Ausgestaltung der Transportkammer und damit zu verhältnismäßig geringen Kosten für die Förderung der Werkstücke zwischen den einzelnen Behandlungskammern bei. In Hinsicht auf eine größtmögliche Variabilität in der Gestaltung der Wärmebehandlung, ist die Behandlungskammer zweckmäßigerweise ein Vakuumofen, ein Atmosphärenofen oder eine Kühlkammer.It is also expedient if the lock is separately evacuated, so that it is independent of the type of the respective treatment chamber, such as vacuum oven or atmospheric oven to operate. In addition, it is possible in this way to evacuate the lock already during the transport of the transport chamber to the corresponding treatment chamber to grant the fastest possible procedure. Depending on the application, however, it is also conceivable that the lock is evacuated by a vacuum pump arranged on the transport chamber. In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the system according to the invention, the lock has a drive, through which the loading door of the transport chamber can be actuated. This contributes to a particularly lightweight design of the transport chamber and thus at a relatively low cost for the promotion of workpieces between the individual treatment chambers. In terms of one the greatest possible variability in the design of the heat treatment, the treatment chamber is expediently a vacuum furnace, an atmospheric furnace or a cooling chamber.

In verfahrensmäßiger Hinsicht ist die Lösung der obigen Aufgabe bei einem Verfahren mit den eingangs genannten Merkmalen dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die vakuumdicht ausgebildete Transportkammer auf ein die Werkstücke vor Umgebungseinflüssen schützendes Vakuum evakuiert wird und die Werkstücke in diesem Vakuum von einer Behandlungskammer zur nächsten transportiert werden.In procedural terms, the solution to the above problem in a method having the features mentioned is characterized in that the vacuum-tight transport chamber is evacuated to a workpieces from environmental influences protective vacuum and the workpieces are transported in this vacuum from one treatment chamber to the next.

Der Transport der Werkstücke in einer auf ein vorgegebenes Vakuum evakuierten Transportkammer hat sich vor allem für den Transport von auf eine relativ hohe Temperatur von beispielsweise 1000 °C erwärmten Werkstücke als äußerst vorteilhaft herausgestellt. Im Unterschied zu dem im Stand der Technik bekannten Transport der Werkstücke in einer Atmosphäre aus Inertgas läßt sich auf diese Weise nämlich ein oftmals unerwünschter Temperaturabfall vermeiden. In Weiterbildung des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens wird fernerhin vorgeschlagen, die Transportkammer mittels einer Schleuse an die jeweilige Behandlungskammer anzukoppeln, um die weiter oben beschriebenen Vorteile zu nutzen. Schließlich wird vorgeschlagen, die Schleuse gesondert zu evakuieren, um ein zügiges Ankoppeln der Transportkammer sicherzustellen.The transport of the workpieces in an evacuated to a predetermined vacuum transport chamber has been found to be extremely advantageous, especially for the transport of heated to a relatively high temperature, for example, 1000 ° C workpieces. In contrast to the known in the prior art transport of the workpieces in an atmosphere of inert gas can be avoided in this way namely often unwanted temperature drop. In a further development of the method according to the invention is further proposed to couple the transport chamber by means of a lock to the respective treatment chamber to use the advantages described above. Finally, it is proposed to evacuate the lock separately to ensure a rapid coupling of the transport chamber.

Einzelheiten und weitere Vorteile des Gegenstandes der vorliegenden Erfindung ergeben sich aus der nachfolgenden Beschreibung eines bevorzugten Ausführungsbeispieles. In den zugehörigen Zeichnungen zeigen im einzelnen:

Fig. 1a
eine schematische Seitenansicht einer Vorrichtung zum Transportieren metallischer Werkstücke;
Fig. 1b
einen Schnitt gemäß der Linie Ib-Ib in Fig. 1 und
Fig. 2
eine schematische Darstellung einer Anlage zur Wärmebehandlung metallischer Werkstücke mit einer der Vorrichtung nach den Fig. 1a und 1b ähnlichen Transportvorrichtung.
Details and further advantages of the subject matter of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment. In the accompanying drawings show in detail:
Fig. 1a
a schematic side view of an apparatus for transporting metallic workpieces;
Fig. 1b
a section along the line Ib-Ib in Fig. 1 and
Fig. 2
a schematic representation of a plant for heat treatment of metallic workpieces with a device of the Fig. 1a and 1b similar transport device.

Die in Fig. 1a dargestellte Vorrichtung zum Transportieren metallischer Werkstücke 20 weist eine nach außen hin wärmeisolierte und vakuumdicht ausgebildete, zylinderförmige Transportkammer 10 zur Aufnahme der zu einer Charge zusammengestellten Werkstücke 20 und ein die Transportkammer 10 bewegendes Fahrwerk 30 auf. Die Vorrichtung ist außerdem mit Mitteln 40 zum Be- und Entladen der Werkstücke 20 versehen, die eine horizontal verfahrbare Klinke 41 aufweisen. Durch einen elektromechanischen Antrieb läßt sich die Klinke 41 mittels einer vor- und rückfahrbaren Druckkette 43 in horizontaler Richtung bewegen, wobei die Führung des Leertrums in einer vertikal angeordneten Aufnahme 42 vorgenommen wird. Auf diese Weise ist sichergestellt, daß alle Startbeziehungsweise Bremsvorgänge in Hinsicht auf ein zuverlässiges Verfrachten der Werkstücke 20 von der Transportkammer 10 in eine Behandlungskammer 50 oder umgekehrt weich ablaufen.The device shown in Fig. 1a for transporting metallic workpieces 20 has a heat-insulated to the outside and vacuum-tight, cylindrical transport chamber 10 for receiving the assembled into a batch of workpieces 20 and a transport chamber 10 moving chassis 30. The device is also provided with means 40 for loading and unloading the workpieces 20, which have a horizontally movable pawl 41. By an electromechanical drive, the pawl 41 can move by means of a forward and retractable print chain 43 in the horizontal direction, the leadership of the empty strand is made in a vertically arranged receptacle 42. In this way, it is ensured that all Startbeziehungsweise braking operations with respect to a reliable transport of the workpieces 20 from the transport chamber 10 into a treatment chamber 50 or vice versa soft run.

Wie hauptsächlich in Fig. 1b zu erkennen ist, weist die Transportkammer 10 einen Flansch 11 für eine nicht dargestellte Vakuumpumpe auf. Mittels der auf dem Fahrwerk 30 befestigten Vakuumpumpe ist es möglich, das Innere der Transportkammer 10 auf einen Enddruck von ca. 0,1 mbar (= 10 Pa) zu evakuieren und bei einer Leckrate von ca. 0,003 mbar l/s auf diesem Druckniveau zu halten. Demzufolge ist sichergestellt, daß die sich in der Transportkammer 10 befindenden, wärmebehandelten Werkstücke 20 vor Umgebungseinflüssen, wie etwa einer eine unerwünschte Oxidation herbeiführenden Sauerstoffzufuhr, geschützt sind.As can be seen mainly in Fig. 1b, the transport chamber 10 has a flange 11 for a vacuum pump, not shown. By means of the vacuum pump mounted on the chassis 30, it is possible to evacuate the interior of the transport chamber 10 to a final pressure of about 0.1 mbar (= 10 Pa) and at a leak rate of about 0.003 mbar l / s at this pressure level hold. As a result, it is ensured that the heat-treated workpieces 20 located in the transport chamber 10 are protected from environmental influences, such as an undesired oxidation-inducing oxygen supply.

Um einen merklichen Temperaturabfall der etwa zuvor in einer Behandlungskammer 50 erwärmten Werkstücke 20 zu vermeiden, ist die Transportkammer 10 mit einer austauschbaren thermischen Isolierung 12 aus beispielsweise Chrom-Nickel-Stahl versehen und weist zusätzlich an eine Stromdurchführung 13 angeschlossene Heizelemente 14 auf. Die Heizelemente 14 gewähren eine Erwärmung der leeren Transportkammer 10 auf ca. 1000 °C in kürzester Zeit bei einer Regeltemperatur von ca. ± 5 °C.In order to avoid a noticeable drop in temperature of the workpieces 20 previously heated in a treatment chamber 50, the transport chamber 10 is provided with an exchangeable thermal insulation 12 of, for example, chromium-nickel steel and additionally has heating elements 14 connected to a current feedthrough 13. The Heating elements 14 allow heating of the empty transport chamber 10 to about 1000 ° C in no time at a control temperature of about ± 5 ° C.

An ihrer Frontseite ist die Transportkammer 10 mit einer hermetisch schließenden Beladetür 15 versehen, die durch einen im vorliegenden Fall hydraulisch, je nach Anwendung aber auch elektrisch oder pneumatisch betätigbaren Antrieb 16 in vertikaler Richtung anhebar ist. Beim Öffnen beziehungsweise Schließen bewegt sich die Beladetür 15 in einem doppelwandigen Portal 17, auf dessen der Transportkammer 10 abgewandten Seite Koppelmittel 18 angeordnet sind. Mit Hilfe der Koppelmittel 18 läßt sich die Transportkammer 10 vakuumdicht an eine nur andeutungsweise dargestellte Schleuse 60 andocken.On its front side, the transport chamber 10 is provided with a hermetically closing loading door 15, which can be raised in the vertical direction by a drive 16, which in the present case is hydraulically movable, depending on the application, but also electrically or pneumatically actuated. When opening or closing, the loading door 15 moves in a double-walled portal 17, on whose side facing away from the transport chamber 10 coupling means 18 are arranged. With the aid of the coupling means 18, the transport chamber 10 can be vacuum-tight dock to a lock 60 only hinted.

Das mit Rädern 31 versehene Fahrwerk 30 der Vorrichtung wird durch einen mittels eines Umrichters angesteuerten und damit weich startenden beziehungsweise bremsenden Getriebemotor angetrieben. Die eine Positioniergenauigkeit von ca. ± 1 mm erlaubende Verfahrgeschwindigkeit des in allen Richtungen frei fahrenden und auf der Stelle drehenden Fahrwerks 30 beträgt dabei nur zwischen 0,01 m/s und 0,03 m/s, so daß zusätzliche Schutzmaßnahmen, wie etwa eine Gitteranordnung, entbehrlich sind. An der vorderen und hinteren Stirnseite des Fahrwerks 30 sind allerdings Sicherheitseinrichtungen vorgesehen, um beim Auftreffen auf ein Hindernis einen Nothalt auszulösen. Auf dem Fahrwerk 30 sind außerdem Schienen 32 angeordnet, durch welche die Transportkammer 10 relativ zu dem Fahrwerk 30 auf einer Strecke von ca. 200 mm verfahrbar ist. Die Transportkammer 10 wird dabei durch einen nicht dargestellten Hydraulikzylinder bewegt.The provided with wheels 31 chassis 30 of the device is driven by a driven by means of an inverter and thus soft starting or braking gear motor. The positioning speed of about ± 1 mm permitting travel speed of the freely traveling in all directions and rotating on the ground chassis 30 is only between 0.01 m / s and 0.03 m / s, so that additional protective measures, such as a Grid arrangement are dispensable. At the front and rear end of the chassis 30, however, safety devices are provided to trigger an emergency stop when hitting an obstacle. On the chassis 30 rails 32 are also arranged, through which the transport chamber 10 is movable relative to the chassis 30 over a distance of about 200 mm. The transport chamber 10 is moved by a hydraulic cylinder, not shown.

Mit der zuvor beschriebenen Vorrichtung zum Transportieren metallischer Werkstücke 20 lassen sich Chargen mit einer Abmessung von 600 mm x 900 mm x 600 mm und einem maximalen Gewicht von 600 kg - aber auch Chargen von 900 mm x 1200 mm x 900 mm und 1000 kg und auch noch größere sowie auch kleinere - mit Temperaturen von bis ca. 1100°C flexibel und effizient zwischen mehreren Behandlungskammern 50 einer Anlage zur Wärmebehandlung metallischer Werkstücke 20 transportieren. In der Darstellung gemäß Fig. 2 ist eine solche Anlage gezeigt. Die beidseitig einer der zuvor beschriebenen Vorrichtung mit leichten Modifikationen entsprechenden Transportvorrichtung 70 vis-ä-vis aufgestellten Behandlungskammern 50 sind dabei als Vakuum-Vorwärmkammer 50a, Unterdruck-Aufkohlungskammern 50b, Diffusionskammern 50c und Gasabschreckungskammer 50d - oder auch Öl- oder Salzbadabschreckkammer - ausgebildet.With the above-described apparatus for transporting metal workpieces 20, batches having a dimension of 600 mm x 900 mm x 600 mm and a maximum weight of 600 kg - but also batches of 900 mm x 1200 mm x 900 mm and 1000 kg and also even larger and smaller - with temperatures of up to about 1100 ° C flexible and efficient transport between several treatment chambers 50 a system for heat treatment of metallic workpieces 20. In the Representation of FIG. 2, such a system is shown. The treatment chambers 70 located opposite one another on either side of the apparatus described above with slight modifications are designed as vacuum preheating chamber 50a, vacuum carburizing chambers 50b, diffusion chambers 50c and gas quenching chamber 50d, or oil or salt bath quenching chamber.

Um die über ein Förderband oder eine Rollenbahn 51 in die Vakuum-Vorwärmkammer 50a zu Beginn eingebrachten, unbehandelten Werkstücke 20 in die der jeweiligen Wärmebehandlung entsprechenden Behandlungskammern 50 zu transportieren, wird die Transportkammer 10 der Transportvorrichtung 70 über die stationär vor jeder Behandlungskammer 50 angeordnete Schleuse 60 an die Vakuum-Vorwärmkammer 50a angekoppelt. Zum Beladen der Transportkammer 10 mit den Werkstücken 20 wird die Schleuse 60 und die Transportkammer 10 evakuiert. Sodann werden die Türen der Vakuum-Vorwärmkammer 50a und der Schleuse 60 sowie die Beladetür 15 der Transportkammer 10 geöffnet und die Werkstücke 20 mittels der Ladegabel 41 in die Transportkammer 10 verfrachtet. Nachdem die Beladetür 15 wieder geschlossen ist, wird die Transportkammer 10 zu einer der Unterdruck-Aufkohlungskammern 50b transportiert. Die thermische Isolierung 13 sowie die Heizelemente 14 stellen dabei sicher, daß die Werkstücke 20 keinen Temperaturverlust erfahren. Nach Erreichen der Position der entsprechenden Aufkohlungskammer 50b öffnet sich eine der Beladetür 15 gegenüberliegende zweite Tür der auf Schienen 71 geradlinig verfahrbaren Transportvorrichtung 70, und die Werkstücke 20 werden über die an dieser Behandlungskammer 50 stehende Schleuse 60 mittels der Ladegabel 41 in die Aufkohlungskammer 50b verschoben.In order to transport the untreated workpieces 20 initially introduced into the vacuum preheating chamber 50a via a conveyor belt or a roller conveyor 51 into the treatment chambers 50 corresponding to the respective heat treatment, the transport chamber 10 of the transport device 70 is moved over the sluice 60 which is stationarily arranged in front of each treatment chamber 50 coupled to the vacuum preheat chamber 50a. For loading the transport chamber 10 with the workpieces 20, the lock 60 and the transport chamber 10 is evacuated. Then, the doors of the vacuum preheating chamber 50a and the lock 60 and the loading door 15 of the transport chamber 10 are opened and the workpieces 20 are transported by means of the loading fork 41 into the transport chamber 10. After the loading door 15 is closed again, the transport chamber 10 is transported to one of the vacuum carburizing chambers 50b. The thermal insulation 13 and the heating elements 14 thereby ensure that the workpieces 20 experience no temperature loss. After reaching the position of the corresponding carburizing 50 b opens a second door of the loading door 15 on rails 71 linearly movable transport device 70, and the workpieces 20 are moved over the standing in this treatment chamber 50 lock 60 by means of the loading fork 41 into the carburizing 50 b.

Beim weiteren Transport der Werkstücke 20 in etwa eine der Diffusionskammern 50c oder die Gasabschreckungskammer 50d wiederholt sich der zuvor beschriebene Ablauf in entsprechender Weise. Die jeweils gesondert evakuierbar ausgestalteten Schleusen 60 tragen dazu bei, daß die Werkstücke 20 ohne großen Zeitverlust auch zwischen Behandlungskammern 50 transportiert werden können, die, wie etwa die Aufkohlungskammern 50b und die Diffusionskammern 50c, unterschiedliche Atmosphären beherbergen, wobei zugleich sichergestellt ist, daß die Werkstücke 20 in dem sie vor Umgebungseinflüssen schützenden Vakuum im Inneren der Transportkammer 10 transportiert werden. Schließlich verlassen die Werkstücke 20 die Gasabschreckungskammer 50d über ein Förderband 52, das je nach Art der Wärmebehandlung die Werkstücke 20 noch zu einem Anlaßofen 53 und einem sich an diesen anschließenden Kühltunnel 54 fördert.During further transport of the workpieces 20 in approximately one of the diffusion chambers 50c or the gas quenching chamber 50d, the sequence described above is repeated in a corresponding manner. The respective separately evacuated designed locks 60 help that the workpieces 20 without much loss of time between Treatment chambers 50 can be transported, which, such as the carburizing 50b and the diffusion chambers 50c, accommodate different atmospheres, while ensuring that the workpieces 20 are transported in the environmental protection protective vacuum inside the transport chamber 10. Finally, the workpieces 20 leave the gas quenching chamber 50d via a conveyor belt 52 which, depending on the type of heat treatment, conveys the workpieces 20 to a tempering furnace 53 and to a cooling tunnel 54 adjoining this.

Die weiter oben beschriebene, nur eine Beladetür 15 aufweisende und damit in konstruktiver Hinsicht einfacher zu gestaltende Vorrichtung zum Transportieren metallischer Werkstücke 20 ließe sich gleichfalls im Rahmen der zuletzt erörterten Wärmebehandlungsanlage einsetzen. Grund hierfür ist, daß das Fahrwerk 30 dieser Vorrichtung derart ausgebildet ist, daß die Transportkammer 10 auf der Stelle drehbar ist, wodurch sich die gegenüberliegenden Behandlungskammern 50 problemlos andocken lassen.The above-described, only one loading door 15 having and thus structurally simpler to be designed device for transporting metallic workpieces 20 could also be used in the last discussed heat treatment plant. The reason for this is that the chassis 30 of this device is designed such that the transport chamber 10 is rotatable in place, allowing the opposite treatment chambers 50 can dock easily.

BezugszeichenlisteLIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1010
Transportkammertransport chamber
1111
Flanschflange
1212
Isolierunginsulation
1313
Stromversorgungpower supply
1414
Heizelementheating element
1515
Beladetürloading door
1616
Antriebdrive
1717
Portalportal
1818
Koppelmittelcoupling means
2020
Werkstückeworkpieces
3030
Fahrwerklanding gear
3131
Radwheel
3232
Schienerail
4040
Mittel zum Be- und EntladenMeans for loading and unloading
4141
Klinkepawl
4242
Aufnahmeadmission
4343
Druckkettepressure chain
5050
Behandlungskammertreatment chamber
50a50a
Vakuum-VorwärmkammerVacuum preheating
50b50b
Unterdruck-AufkohlungskammerVacuum carburizing
50c50c
Diffusionskammerdiffusion chamber
50d50d
GasabschreckungskammerGas quenching chamber
5151
Förderband/RollenbahnConveyor belt / roller track
5252
Förderband/RollenbahnConveyor belt / roller track
5353
Anlaßofentempering furnace
5454
Kühltunnelcooling tunnel
6060
Schleuselock
7070
Transportvorrichtungtransport device
7171
Schienerail

Claims (17)

  1. Apparatus for transporting metallic workpieces (20), particularly during heat treatment, including a transport chamber (10) for receiving the workpieces (20), means (40) for loading and unloading the workpieces (20) and a carriage (30) moving the transport chamber (10), wherein the transport chamber (10) is horizontally movable and of vacuum-tight construction and may be evacuated to a vacuum which protects the workpieces from environmental influences and includes a horizontal batch loading and unloading device, characterised in that the transport chamber (10) is heatable and is provided with replaceable thermal insulation (12).
  2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, characterised by a vacuum pump for evacuating the transport chamber (10).
  3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the replaceable thermal insulation (12) is made of steel.
  4. Apparatus as claimed in one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the transport chamber (10) is provided with a hermetically sealing loading door (15), which is operable by an actuator (16).
  5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that the transport chamber (10) is provided with a hermetically sealing mounting door.
  6. Apparatus as claimed in one of Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the transport chamber (10) and carriage (30) are movable relative to one another.
  7. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, characterised in that the transport chamber (10) is arranged on the carriage (30) so as to be horizontally pivotable or to be movable in a straight line in a horizontal and/or vertical direction.
  8. Apparatus as claimed in one of Claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the carriage (30) is constructed to be rotatable on the spot.
  9. Apparatus as claimed in one of Claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the carriage (30) is mounted on tracks or is steerable by induction loops set into the ground or freely.
  10. An installation for heat treating metallic workpieces (20) including at least two treatment chambers (20) for horizontally receiving batches, in which the workpieces (20) may be heat treated, characterised in that an apparatus as claimed in one of Claims 1 to 10 may be coupled to the treatment chambers (50) by means of an evacuable airlock (60).
  11. An installation as claimed in Claim 10, characterised in that the airlock (60) is stationarily arranged on the treatment chamber (50).
  12. An installation as claimed in Claim 10 or 11, characterised in that the airlock (60) is evacuable separately.
  13. An installation as claimed in one of Claims 10 to 12, characterised in that the airlock (60) has an actuator by which the loading door (50) of the transport chamber (10) may be operated.
  14. An installation as claimed in one of Claims 10 to 13, characterised in that the treatment chamber (50) is a vacuum furnace, an atmospheric furnace or a cooling chamber.
  15. A method of transporting metallic workpieces (20) during heat treatment, in which the workpieces (20) are transported in a heat-insulated, horizontally movable transport chamber (10) between at least two horizontally loadable treatment chambers (50), in which the workpieces (20) may be heat treated, characterised in that the transport chamber (10), which is of vacuum-tight construction, is evacuated to a vacuum, which protects the workpieces (20) from environmental influences, and the workpieces (20) are transported in this vacuum from one treatment chamber (50) to the next and are maintained at the treatment temperature without significant temperature reduction.
  16. A method as claimed in Claim 15, characterised in that the transport chamber (20) is coupled to each treatment chamber (50) by means of an airlock (60).
  17. A method as claimed in Claim 16, characterised in that the airlock (60) is evacuated separately.
EP05008611A 2001-01-26 2001-01-26 Installation and process for the transport of metallic workpieces and installation for the heat treatment of metallic workpieces Revoked EP1555330B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

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EP01101852A EP1229137B1 (en) 2001-01-26 2001-01-26 Installation and process for the transport of metallic workpieces and installation for the heat treatment of metallic workpieces

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EP1555330A2 EP1555330A2 (en) 2005-07-20
EP1555330A3 EP1555330A3 (en) 2006-04-12
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CN1374408A (en) 2002-10-16
ES2285597T3 (en) 2007-11-16
US6749800B2 (en) 2004-06-15
DE50110689D1 (en) 2006-09-21
EP1555330A3 (en) 2006-04-12
EP1555330A2 (en) 2005-07-20
US20020146659A1 (en) 2002-10-10
EP1229137A1 (en) 2002-08-07
ES2270907T3 (en) 2007-04-16
ATE335859T1 (en) 2006-09-15
DE50112495D1 (en) 2007-06-21
EP1229137B1 (en) 2006-08-09
ATE362000T1 (en) 2007-06-15

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