JP2005280280A - Mold cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mold cleaning device which can increase cleaning power and improve workability of mold cleaning work. <P>SOLUTION: An electrode material 40, which is connected to the positive side of a power source, is suspended in a cleaning tank 14; a conductive plate 12, which is connected to the negative side of the power source, is arranged on a bottom wall 12a of the cleaning tank 14 in the state of being exposed on an inner surface; and the mold 5 is detachably placed in such a manner that the conductive plate 12 on the bottom wall 12a serves as a mold placing surface; and the electrode material 40 and the mold 5 are brought into a current-carrying state via an electrolytic cleaning liquid L poured into the cleaning tank 14, so that electrolytic cleaning can be performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a mold cleaning apparatus, and more particularly, to a mold cleaning apparatus that removes deposits such as resin residue, rubber residue, glass residue, and gas burns attached to a molding die such as resin, rubber, and glass by electrolytic cleaning. Is.

Molds for plastic molding and rubber molding have deposits such as resin debris, rubber debris, and gas burn marks on the inner surface, and these deposits lead to molding defects in products molded later. Inconvenience occurs. Therefore, the molding die must be periodically removed and cleaned to remove the deposits.
In particular, the number of small and complex precision molds is increasing recently, and with these complex shapes and fine irregularities, resin debris adhering to minute depressions can be easily removed by cleaning. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the detergency for removal, and it is necessary to prevent deformation and damage in the fine part of the mold. Therefore, this type of mold cleaning is superior in that the electrolytic cleaning using the electrolytic cleaning liquid can remove the resin residue and the like adhering to the fine recesses of the mold with the electrolytic cleaning liquid. Furthermore, a combination of electrolytic cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning can enhance the cleaning effect.

  As an electrolytic cleaning apparatus for this type of molding die, the present applicant has provided a cleaning apparatus shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-214570. This cleaning apparatus has an advantage that the mold can be cleaned efficiently in a short time by using both electrolytic cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning.

  10 and 11, 1 is a cleaning tank, 2 is a metal mold holding basket that is detachably inserted into the cleaning tank 1, and 3 is an anode-side electrode that is suspended in the cleaning tank 1. A current is passed between the mold 5 held in the mold holding basket 2 on the side and ultrasonic vibration is applied to the electrolytic cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 1 by the ultrasonic vibrator 4 attached to the bottom surface of the cleaning tank 1. The mold 5 is cleaned by using both electrolytic cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning.

In the above-described mold cleaning apparatus, the cleaning power has a great advantage. However, when a large number of molds are mounted in the holding basket, there is a possibility that a mold that does not directly contact the cage serving as a conductive material may be generated. There is also a case where the cleaning power is reduced due to insufficient energization. In addition, when the mold is placed on the bottom wall of the washing tank by mistake without being mounted on the holding basket, and no current is generated in the mold, or when an ultrasonic generator is attached to the bottom wall There is also a risk of causing damage to the ultrasonic generator.
JP-A-7-214570

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a mold cleaning apparatus capable of enhancing the cleaning power and improving the workability of the mold cleaning operation.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention hangs an electrode material connected to the positive side of the power source in the cleaning tank and exposes a conductive plate connected to the negative side of the power source on the inner surface of the bottom wall of the cleaning tank. The electrode plate and the mold are energized through an electrolytic cleaning solution that is detachably mounted using the conductive plate on the bottom wall as a mold mounting surface and placed in the cleaning tank. Thus, there is provided a mold cleaning apparatus characterized in that it is configured to perform electrolytic cleaning.

As described above, in the mold cleaning apparatus of the present invention, the bottom surface of the cleaning tank itself is used instead of the method of using the holding basket as a conductive material for the mold and immersing the mold in the cleaning liquid on the basket. Is used as a conductive plate as a conductive material for the mold, and the mold is energized only by placing the mold on the bottom surface of the cleaning tank. In this way, by eliminating the holding basket, it is possible to eliminate the work of taking in and taking out the mold from the holding basket, and when the holding basket is moved, the mold collapses to cause damage or the like. It can be surely prevented. In addition, since all the molds are placed on the bottom surface of the cleaning tank made of a conductive plate, it is possible to ensure energization of all the molds and increase the cleaning power.
Further, a hook-shaped auxiliary conductive material provided with support legs to be brought into contact with the conductive material on the bottom surface may be provided, and a mold may be placed on the auxiliary conductive material and placed in the cleaning tank.
Furthermore, the conductive plate is not fixed to the bottom wall of the cleaning tank, and a porous or non-perforated conductive plate is detachably attached to the bottom wall so as to be brought into contact with the conductive portion of the cleaning tank and energized. A mold may be placed on the conductive plate so that it can be mounted on the bottom wall of the cleaning tank. In this case, it is preferable to provide a handle for insertion / extraction on the metal plate.
As in the case of Patent Document 1, the mold may be placed on a holding basket made of a conductive material and immersed in the electrolytic solution of the cleaning tank so that it can be cleaned and used separately. Needless to say.

The cleaning tank may be formed by forming at least the inner surface of the bottom wall on which the mold is placed with a conductive plate. The cleaning tank may be formed of resin, and the conductive plate may be attached to the inner surface of the bottom wall.
Conversely, the entire cleaning tank may be made of metal, the bottom wall itself and the side wall may also be formed from a conductive plate, and the cleaning tank made of the conductive plate and the electrode may be insulated. That is, as will be described later, when a conductive material, which is an energizing material for the electrode rod, is mounted on the upper surface of the side wall of the cleaning tank, only the mounting portion may be covered with insulation.

However, from the viewpoint of increasing the detergency of the mold by reducing the current generated except between the electrode material and the mold, it is preferable to use an insulating material other than the bottom wall on which the mold is placed.
Therefore, it is optimal that the inner surface of the side wall of the cleaning tank is an insulator. When the cleaning tank is formed of a conductive material such as stainless steel, iron, or titanium, the inner surface of the side wall is resin-coated.
It should be noted that a conductive material is attached to the outer surface of the side wall of the washing tank made of insulating resin, and a part of the conductive basket on which the mold is placed can be brought into contact with the upper end surface of the conductive material so as to be bridged. It may be. As the basket, a conductive material selected from titanium, stainless steel, iron, graphite, platinum, gold and the like can be used. If it is set as this structure, while a metal mold | die can be arrange | positioned directly at the bottom face of a washing tank, it can also wash | clean by putting a metal mold | die on a cage | basket, and can be used properly.

  In the cleaning tank of the present invention, it is preferable that the side wall is formed of an insulating resin and the bottom wall is formed of a conductive metal plate. Examples of the conductive metal plate used as the bottom wall include titanium, iron, stainless steel, graphite, platinum, and gold, with titanium being most preferred.

  A liquid reservoir is provided at the bottom of the bottom wall of the cleaning tank, and an ultrasonic generator is attached to the liquid reservoir, and the ultrasonic wave from the ultrasonic generator is stored in the liquid reservoir, and It is preferable to be configured to be transmitted to the electrolytic cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank through the bottom wall.

  That is, the cleaning power can be further increased by performing mold cleaning by using both electrolytic cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning. That is, vibrations are applied to the deposits such as resin residue from the outside of the mold to lift the deposits and permeate the electrolytic cleaning solution, or destroy the deposits and generate hydrogen generated from the metal surface by the electrolytic cleaning method. The deposits can be lifted from the mold by the gas, and the deposits can be peeled off from the mold to be removed, thereby exerting a strong cleaning power.

The side wall of the washing tank is a polygonal shape such as a square frame, and the side wall of at least one side thereof is preferably a removable moving wall, and is preferably configured to be removable when a mold is inserted into and removed from the washing tank, A round or oval removable frame may be used. In addition, it is good also as a structure which can remove all the side walls with respect to a bottom wall.
That is, in the present invention, since the mold is disposed on the bottom surface of the cleaning tank, if the mold is taken into the cleaning tank only from the top opening, the mold is placed on the bottom wall when the cleaning tank is deep. Since it becomes difficult, one side can be removed at the time of insertion and removal of the mold, thereby improving workability. Therefore, from the viewpoint of workability, it is preferable that the front wall (front wall) of the cleaning tank facing the worker is a moving wall. In view of this workability, if two opposing sides can be removed as a moving wall, the mold can be inserted and removed from both sides, and the workability can be further improved.
Furthermore, if the moving wall is removed after cleaning, the cleaning liquid accumulated in the cleaning tank can be extracted at a time, and the time for replacing with a new cleaning liquid at the next cleaning can be shortened.

The moving wall described above can be simply inserted between the fixed walls, and the moving wall can be easily provided if it is configured to be joined with a fastener after being inserted.
In addition, a guide rail or the like having a U-shaped cross section is provided on the side edge of the fixed wall (the side wall is formed integrally with a resin molded product), and the moving wall is slid vertically along the guide rail. It is good also as a structure which inserts and takes out. Furthermore, it is good also as a door shape opened to the left-right direction.

A slit-shaped drainage hole is partially provided between the side wall and the bottom wall of the cleaning tank or / and the lower part of the side wall, and the electrolytic cleaning liquid flowing into the cleaning tank is allowed to flow out of the draining hole, and the cleaning is performed. It is preferable that the electrolytic cleaning solution in the tank is circulated to form running water.
Thus, when it is set as the structure which flows out a washing | cleaning liquid from one outflow hole provided in the washing tank, it is preferable to provide the liquid receiving frame surrounding the circumference | surroundings of the bottom wall of a washing | cleaning liquid. In addition, it is sufficient to make it overflow from the upper surface of a side wall, without providing a drain hole in a side wall.

As described above, the electrolytic cleaning liquid is not the static water accumulated in the cleaning tank, but the circulating water can generate a flow in the cleaning tank, and the flowing water is agitated in contact with the mold or the like. The cleaning effect can be further enhanced. In addition, it is possible to prevent the resin debris removed from the mold from flowing out of the cleaning tank and the resin debris removed from the mold and floating in the cleaning liquid from adhering to the mold again.
In the present invention, since the mold is placed on the bottom surface of the cleaning tank, even if the cleaning liquid overflows from the upper surface of the cleaning tank, there is not much flowing water around the mold. The cleaning liquid is allowed to flow out from the lower part of the tank.
Providing the aforementioned moving wall has an advantage that it is easy to check and adjust the distance between the mold and the electrode material. Further, since a gap for the cleaning liquid to flow out is generated between the moving wall and the bottom wall and between the moving wall and the fixed wall, the gap may be used as the drain hole. When the moving wall is not provided, the water drain hole is provided, and even when the moving wall is provided, the slit-like water drain hole is provided in the moving wall and the fixed wall. Good.
As described above, when the drainage hole is provided in the gap between the bottom wall and the side wall of the cleaning wall or in the lower part of the side wall, a drainage receiving part is provided around the cleaning tank, and a drainage port is provided in the drainage receiving part. .

Furthermore, the side wall of the washing tank is provided with an elongate water level adjustment hole in the vertical direction, and an adjustment lid that is slid and closed from above is attached to the water level adjustment hole, and cleaning is performed by adjusting the position of the adjustment lid. It is preferable that the water level of the electrolytic cleaning solution in the tank can be adjusted.
That is, when the height of the mold placed on the bottom wall of the cleaning tank is low, the supply of useless cleaning liquid can be eliminated by lowering the water level, while when the height of the mold is high, the water level is reduced. To ensure that the mold is immersed in the cleaning solution. The water level adjusting hole can also function as a drain hole drilled from the middle position to the upper position of the side wall, and the cleaning liquid can be overflowed from the water level adjusting hole. Can be circulated efficiently.
The amount (Q1) flowing out from the drain hole at the bottom of the washing tank and the amount (Q2) flowing out from the water level adjusting hole are set to Q1: Q2 = 6: 4-7: 3, It is preferable to increase the amount of outflow from the hole.

The electrode material suspended in the cleaning tank is suspended from a conductive material that crosses across the upper end of the opposite side wall of the cleaning tank, and an electric wire connected to a power source is branched and connected to both ends of the conductive material. Yes. That is, a conductive material is placed over the upper opening of the cleaning tank, and the electrode rod is suspended in the cleaning tank.
At that time, as described above, the conductive material held on the upper surface of the opposite side wall of the cleaning tank is connected to the wires branched at both ends, and the electrode material connected to the middle portion of the conductive material from both sides. Power is being supplied. This is because when two or more electrode materials are attached to the conductive material, current can be evenly supplied to these electrode materials from both ends.
When suspending a conventional holding basket from above into the washing tank, it was necessary to remove the electrode rod and its supporting conductive material from the mold both when inserting and removing the holding basket into the washing tank. However, as described above, when the moving wall is provided and the mold is inserted and removed by providing the moving wall, the electrode material supported on the fixed wall and the conductive material that supports and energizes the electrode material Is no longer required to be removed from the washing tank when the mold is moved in and out.

  The electrode material includes a support shaft fixed to a hole provided in the conductive material so that the height can be adjusted, and a circular electrode plate attached to the lower end of the support shaft. The support shaft is made of iron, titanium, stainless steel, copper, brass. Etc., and the electrode plate is preferably made of iron, stainless steel, titanium, a titanium surface with platinum or gold, or graphite (100% carbon sintered at 1500 ° C.). Further, the outer peripheral surface of the support shaft and the lower surface of the electrode plate facing the mold are insulated and coated.

A lid for detachably closing the upper surface opening of the cleaning tank is provided.
It is preferable that the lid is provided integrally with the conductive material, and the lid closes the upper surface opening of the cleaning tank when the conductive material is bridged over the upper end of the side wall of the cleaning tank.
In addition, it is good also considering the electrically conductive material and the lid | cover which suspended the electrode material as a different body.
When the lid for closing the opening of the cleaning tank is provided in this way, the gas and odor generated during the cleaning operation are not diffused into the air, and the cleaning operation environment is not deteriorated. Also, dust such as dust and dust does not enter the cleaning solution. The lid is preferably provided, but is not necessarily provided.

  When the lid is put on the washing tank as described above, hydrogen gas or oxygen gas generated by electrolysis accumulates between the lid and the cleaning liquid. Therefore, in order to use the air in the air pool as clean air, the lid or the washing tank A gas inflow hole and a gas outflow hole that circulate and supply clean gas are provided in the upper part of the side wall, and clean air is always circulated in the cleaning tank. If foreign matter such as dust is mixed in the air to be circulated, there is a risk of adhering to the mold to be cleaned. Therefore, clean air that has passed through a gas cleaner such as an air filter is circulated through a pipe. .

An electrolytic cleaning liquid is allowed to flow into the cleaning tank, and an electrolytic cleaning liquid circulation channel is provided through which the effluent from the cleaning tank is introduced, and a filter and a pump are interposed in the circulation channel.
The inlet of the electrolytic cleaning liquid to the cleaning tank is preferably provided on the side wall opposite to the water level adjusting hole, but the inlet may be a lower part of the side wall, and the upper end opening of the side wall may be opened by opening the supply pipe. You may let it flow in.
By passing the electrolytic cleaning liquid to be circulated as described above through a filter, the resin residue and foreign matter collected in the cleaning tank can be collected by the filter, and the cleaned electrolytic cleaning liquid can be allowed to flow into the cleaning tank.

In the present invention, the discharge amount of the pump interposed in the circulation channel is set such that the electrolytic cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is replaced at least once at the time of one mold cleaning. Preferably, it is 2 times or more, more preferably 3 times or more.
In this way, by increasing the circulation speed of the electrolytic cleaning liquid during mold cleaning, the flow of the electrolytic cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank can be increased to improve the cleaning effect, and by always allowing a clean electrolytic cleaning liquid to flow in. In particular, impurities in the electrolytic cleaning solution can be prevented from adhering to a mold having a fine shape, and the cleaning accuracy of the mold after cleaning can be improved.

It is preferable to circulate and supply a liquid (water or the like) having a normal temperature through the temperature control unit into the liquid reservoir. This can prevent overheating that occurs when ultrasonic waves are generated. Moreover, it is preferable that the lower surface of the bottom wall of the said washing tank which the liquid level of a liquid reservoir part contacts is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. Thus, by making it incline, it can prevent that the bubble which arises on a liquid level flows along an inclined surface, and a bubble adheres to the lower surface of a washing tank. If the flow rate of the liquid to be circulated is increased, the bottom surface of the bottom wall of the cleaning tank may be kept horizontal without being inclined.
The liquid in the liquid reservoir is preferably removed when the operation is stopped.

It is preferable to generate ultrasonic waves by switching the ultrasonic transducer of the ultrasonic generator to two or more frequencies.
As described above, when the ultrasonic vibration is alternately generated by switching to a different frequency, for example, 34 KHz and 44 KHz, without changing the ultrasonic vibration to a constant frequency, an appropriate stirring action can be generated in the electrolytic cleaning liquid. Can be increased. A single wave of 35 KHz to 100 KHz can be used instead of the ultrasonic wave.

  Moreover, it is preferable to provide the temperature control means of the said electrolytic cleaning liquid, and to adjust the temperature to 30 to 60 degreeC, and when an electrolytic cleaning liquid is made into the said temperature range, a cleaning effect can be improved.

The amount of current to be passed between the electrode material and the bottom wall conductive plate is set in the range of 5 to 10 Amp / 10 cm ² .

As the electrolytic cleaning liquid, water prepared by mixing an arikari raw material or a neutral raw material is used. As said water, the purified water which removed the impurity from the tap water through the refinement | purification means is suitable.
Examples of the purification means include purification means employing distillation, ion exchange and / or filtration.
The tap water contains foreign substances such as silica, and if the mold to be cleaned is a high-precision mold, silica contained in the cleaning liquid will also adhere to the mold, which will reduce mold accuracy and cause molding defects. It is preferable to use purified water from which silica or the like has been removed.

Furthermore, it is preferable to use sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, EDTA alkali salt, sodium gluconate or / and nonionic, cationic, or anionic surfactant as the alkaline raw material in the electrolytic cleaning solution.
The amount of the nonionic, cationic, or anionic surfactant is preferably 0.5 to 5 cc% / liter in the electrolytic cleaning solution. It has a function to suppress generation.

  As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, the bottom wall of the cleaning tank itself is eliminated as a conductive plate for energizing the mold, so the mold is attached to the bottom wall of the cleaning tank. Electrolytic cleaning can be performed simply and reliably simply by placing it, and the installation / removal operation of the mold to / from the holding basket becomes unnecessary, and the handling operation of the holding basket is eliminated, so that the workability can be greatly improved. Moreover, the space for arranging the holding basket in the cleaning tank is not required, and the enlargement of the cleaning tank can be suppressed, and a mold can be placed on the entire bottom wall of the cleaning tank, and the volume of the cleaning tank can be effectively used once. The throughput of the mold that can be cleaned easily can be increased. In addition, since all the molds are placed on the bottom wall of the cleaning tank made of a conductive plate, energization to all the molds is stably secured, and the cleaning power is expected to be improved.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The mold cleaning apparatus 10 of FIG. 1 uses both the ultrasonic cleaning method and the electrolytic cleaning method, and eliminates the mold holding cage, so that the mold 5 as a workpiece can be directly attached to the cleaning tank 14. It is placed on the bottom wall 12a, and the deposits such as resin adhered to the mold 5 are surely removed in a short time.

The mold cleaning apparatus 10 is provided with a conductive metal plate 12 made of titanium or stainless steel as an upper partition plate of the frame 11 connected to the negative side of the power source, and a side wall made of an insulating resin on the upper surface of the conductive metal plate 12. The bottom wall 12a forms the washing tank 14 having conductivity by standing 13A to 13D in a square frame shape. A low-profile wall 15 is erected around the cleaning tank 14 with a space therebetween, and an inverted L-shaped guide rail portion 16 protrudes inward from the wall 15. The pair of left and right side walls 13 and 13B are fixed, while the pair of front and rear side walls 13C and 13D are movable walls 13C and 13D that are slidably attached and detached between the guide rail 16 and the ends of the left and right side walls 13A and 13B. Yes. Further, a slit-like drain hole 17 is partially provided between the bottom of the side wall 13A of the cleaning tank 14 and the bottom wall 12a.
Note that the movable walls 13C and 13D are not slidably movable, but are separated from the bottom wall as a flip-up type or a door shape that opens and closes left and right via a connecting means with a fixed wall. Even if it is moved to the position, it may be configured to be connected and held with the fixed wall.

  A cleaning liquid tank 18 is provided below the frame 11, and a discharge pipe 20 led out from a discharge hole 20 a drilled in the bottom surface between the enclosure wall 15 and the side wall 13 A is led to the cleaning liquid tank 18. A supply passage 21 connected to the tank 18 through a strainer 22, a pump 23, a filtering means 25, and a temperature adjusting means 24 is opened at the side wall 13 </ b> A to form a circulation passage 19.

  A liquid reservoir 26 for storing water is provided below the bottom wall 12a of the cleaning tank 14, and an ultrasonic generator 27 is provided on the bottom of the liquid reservoir 26. The ultrasonic generator 27 is provided with a fan 28. Thus, vibration overheating of the ultrasonic vibrator is suppressed. A water tank 29 is provided on the side of the liquid reservoir 26, and a supply pipe 32 connected to the water tank 29 communicates with the liquid reservoir 26 via a pump 33 and a temperature controller 35, and the liquid reservoir The discharge pipe 34 led out from the discharge port 26 a at the upper end of the side wall 26 is connected to the water tank 29 and returned. The supply pipe 32 is connected to a discharge path via a normally closed valve (not shown) so that the water in the liquid reservoir 26 can be discharged and replaced.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the plus-side electric wire 37 connected to the power supply control unit 36 equipped with a required drive device such as a power supply unit, a controller, an electrolytic converter, etc. The end portion of the branch wire 45 connected to the metal shaft 44 at one end of the conductive material 38 and also connected to the metal shaft 44 is connected to the metal shaft 46 at the other end of the first conductive material 38. A wide second conductive material 39 is connected to the center of the first conductive material 38, and the electrode material 40 covered with the insulating coating 41 is suspended from the second conductive material 39 with the lower end exposed. . That is, power is not supplied to only one end of the first conductive material 38, but is supplied to both ends of the first conductive material 38 by the branch wire 45, so that uniform power supply to each electrode 40 is possible.

  An installation strip 47 covered with an insulating coating 48 is provided below the first conductive member 38 and a screw shaft 49 is passed through the installation strip 47 and the first conductive member 38. The height distance between the first conductive material 38 and the installation band 47 is adjusted by rotating it through an adjustment ring (not shown) fixed to the lower surface of the conductive material 38, and fixed with the screw 50. Yes. A handling gripping portion 42 protrudes from the upper surface of the second conductive material 39, and a leg portion 43 having an L-shaped section is suspended from the lower surface of the second conductive material 39. The electrode 40 is made of iron, stainless steel, titanium or graphite (100% carbon sintered at 1500 ° C.).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the lower surface of the bottom wall 12 a of the cleaning tank 14 with which the liquid level in the liquid reservoir 26 contacts is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction H by an angle θ. The angle range of θ is 1 ° ≦ θ ≦ 10 °, which is about 2 ° in this embodiment. This is because when bubbles B adhere to the bottom surface of the bottom wall 12a with which the liquid level of the liquid reservoir 26 comes into contact, even if the flow of water W to the discharge port 26a is weak, the bubbles B are easily discharged along the inclination. It is. Therefore, when the flow of the water W is strengthened, the lower surface of the bottom wall 12 may be a horizontal plane.

  The electrolytic cleaning liquid L is purified water obtained by removing impurities through tap water through a purification means employing distillation, ion exchange or / and filtration, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, alkali salt of EDTA, sodium gluconate or / and An alkaline cleaning solution or a neutral cleaning solution in which nonionic, cationic, anionic surfactants and the like are mixed.

Next, a cleaning operation using the mold cleaning apparatus 10 of the present invention will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 4, the mold 5 to be cleaned is installed on the bottom wall 12a with at least the front side wall 13C removed, and the movable walls 13C and 13D are fixed when the installation is completed. The slide strips are inserted between the end portions of the side walls 13A and 13B and the guide rails 16, and the installation strips 47 below the first conductive material 38 are placed on the opposite side walls 13C and 13D of the cleaning tank 14, as shown in FIG. The electrode material 40 is suspended in the cleaning tank 14 by crossing over the upper end of the cleaning tank 14.

From this state, when the operation panel of the power supply control unit 36 is turned on and cleaning is started, a direct current of 5 to 10 Amp / 10 cm ² is supplied to the electrode 40 and electrolysis is heated to 30 ° C. to 60 ° C. by the heating means 24. The cleaning liquid L is supplied to the cleaning tank 14 through the supply pipe 21. When the electrolytic cleaning liquid L stored in the cleaning tank 14 reaches the electrode 40 and energization is detected between the electrode 40 and the bottom wall 12a, the operation timer is activated and the ultrasonic generator 27 is operated at the same time. Ultrasonic waves are alternately oscillated at frequencies of 34 KHz and 44 KHz.

  As a result, electrolytic cleaning by energization between the electrode 40 and the bottom wall 12a through the mold 5 and the water W and the bottom wall 12a in which the ultrasonic wave from the ultrasonic generator 27 is accommodated in the liquid reservoir 26 are removed. The ultrasonic cleaning performed by being transmitted to the electrolytic cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 14 is used in combination to enhance the cleaning power.

The electrolytic cleaning liquid L flowing into the cleaning tank 14 flows out from the drain hole 17 to the surrounding wall 15 side, and also from the clearance between the contact surfaces of the fixed side walls 13A and 13B and the moving walls 13C and 13D. 15 is discharged to the cleaning liquid tank 18 through the discharge pipe 20 through the discharge hole 20a, and the electrolytic cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 14 is circulated to flow to promote stirring of the electrolytic cleaning liquid L. Further, the electrolytic cleaning liquid L to be circulated can collect resin residue and foreign matter collected in the cleaning tank 14 by passing through the filter of the filtering means 25. The discharge amount of the pump 23 provided in the circulation flow path 19 is set such that the electrolytic cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 14 is replaced at least twice during one mold cleaning.
Further, the water W in the liquid reservoir 26 is also circulated by the pump 33 in a state where the temperature is controlled to normal temperature by the temperature adjusting means 35. The water W is mixed with a thickener to increase the viscosity, so that it is difficult for liquid leakage to occur from a gap or the like even by ultrasonic vibration, but it is not always necessary to add a thickener.

As described above, by the ultrasonic cleaning method, the deposits such as the resin residue are vibrated from the outside of the mold 5 to lift the deposits and permeate the electrolytic cleaning liquid L or destroy the deposits. At the same time, the deposits are lifted from the mold 5 by gas (hydrogen gas or the like) generated from the metal surface by an electrolytic cleaning method, and the deposits are peeled off from the mold 5 and removed. And in that case, since the electrolytic cleaning liquid L is heated to about 30-60 degreeC, the strong detergency is exhibited by softening a deposit | attachment.
Finally, when the operation time set by the timer elapses, the energization is automatically stopped, and an end alarm or / and an end signal (light) is emitted to notify the operator and the cleaning operation is ended.

  In this embodiment, the ultrasonic cleaning is performed simultaneously with the electrolytic cleaning, but it goes without saying that only the electrolytic cleaning may be used without using the ultrasonic cleaning together. Moreover, the metal mold | die 5 which is a to-be-cleaned object is not limited to the metal mold | die for synthetic resin molding, All molds, such as rubber | gum, may be sufficient.

FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment.
In the second embodiment, ultra-precise molds such as a light guide plate and a plastic lens of a liquid crystal display device cause trouble even if indoor dust or dirt adheres. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent dust and dirt in the air from adhering when these molds are cleaned.
In the second embodiment, a lid 53 for detachably closing the upper surface opening of the cleaning tank 14 is provided. The lid 53 is provided integrally with the second conductive material. When the first conductive material 38 and the installation strip 47 are bridged over the upper ends of the side walls 13C and 13D of the cleaning tank 14, the lid 53 opens the upper opening of the cleaning tank 14 to the second conductive material. It is designed to be completely closed together with the material 39.
In addition, a gas inflow hole 54 and a gas outflow hole 55 that circulate and supply the clean air A to the space between the lid 53 and the surface of the electrolytic cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 14 are provided on the upper portion of the side wall 13A ′ of the cleaning tank 14. And an air purifier 57 is connected to the gas inflow hole 54 via a pipe 56.
If it is set as the said structure, while being able to prevent mixing from the air of the silica etc. which do not have ionicity, the noise prevention effect by the lid | cover 53 can also be anticipated. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

8A and 8B show a third embodiment.
In the present embodiment, a vertically elongated water level adjusting hole 60 is formed in the upper part of the side wall 13 </ b> D forming the cleaning tank 14, and an adjusting lid 63 that is slid in the vertical direction and closed is attached to the water level adjusting hole 60. Yes.
On both sides of the water level adjusting hole 60, slide frames 61, 62 having an L-shaped cross section are provided facing each other, and locked recesses 61b, 62b are provided at required positions on the inner walls 61a, 62a. On the other hand, locking protrusions 63a and 63b are provided on both side ends of the adjustment lid 63, and the water level of the electrolytic cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 14 can be adjusted by adjusting the vertical position of the adjustment lid 63.

  Further, the electrolytic cleaning liquid L flowing out from the cleaning tank 14 flows out from both the liquid draining hole 17 at the lower part of the cleaning tank 14 and the water level adjusting hole 60 in the side wall 13D of the cleaning tank 14, and flows out from the liquid draining hole 17. The amount (Q1) and the amount (Q2) flowing out from the water level adjusting hole are set to Q1: Q2 = 6: 4 to 7: 3 to enhance the liquid circulation efficiency. Since other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment or the second embodiment, description thereof will be omitted.

  FIG. 9 shows a fourth embodiment, in which a cleaning tank 70 is formed with a bottom wall 71 and a side wall 73 made of a conductive metal plate made of titanium, stainless steel, or the like, and an insulator 73 is provided on the inner surface of the side wall 73. Note that this configuration is applicable to all the above-described embodiments, and the other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.

1 is a perspective view of a mold cleaning apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of a metal mold | die washing apparatus. It is a principal part perspective view. It is a principal part perspective view of the state which removed the movement wall. It is a principal part side view of an electrode material periphery. It is principal part sectional drawing at the time of electrolytic cleaning. It is principal part sectional drawing of 2nd Embodiment. (A) is a top view of the water level adjustment hole of 3rd Embodiment, (B) is a perspective view. It is principal part sectional drawing of 4th Embodiment. It is a perspective view of the metal mold | die washing apparatus of a prior art example. It is principal part sectional drawing of a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Mold washing | cleaning apparatus 11 Frame 12 Conductive metal plate 12a, 71 Bottom wall 13A-13D, 72 Side wall 14, 70 Cleaning tank 15 Enclosure wall 17 Drain hole 19 Circulation flow path 23 Pump 24 Superheating means 25 Filtration means 26 Liquid reservoir Portion 27 Ultrasonic generator 37 Positive side electric wire 38 First conductive material 39 Second conductive material 40 Electrode material 41 Insulation coating 45 Branching wire 47 Installation band 53 Lid 57 Air purifier (gas purifier)
60 Water level adjustment hole 63 Adjustment lid 73 Insulator L Electrolytic cleaning solution W Water

Claims (25)

  The electrode material connected to the positive side of the power supply is suspended in the cleaning tank, and a conductive plate connected to the negative side of the power supply is disposed on the bottom wall of the cleaning tank so as to be exposed on the inner surface. The mold is detachably mounted on the mold mounting surface, and the electrode material and the mold are energized through an electrolytic cleaning liquid placed in the cleaning tank to perform electrolytic cleaning. Mold cleaning equipment.   The mold cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the side wall of the cleaning tank is an insulator.   The mold cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning tank has a side wall formed of an insulating resin and a bottom wall formed of a conductive metal plate.   The mold cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an ultrasonic generator is provided to generate ultrasonic vibration in the electrolytic cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank.   A liquid reservoir is provided at the bottom of the bottom wall of the cleaning tank, and an ultrasonic generator is attached to the liquid reservoir, and the ultrasonic wave from the ultrasonic generator is stored in the liquid reservoir, and The mold cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mold cleaning apparatus is configured to be transmitted to an electrolytic cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank through a bottom wall.   The side wall of the said washing tank is made into polygonal shape, the side wall of the at least 1 side is made into the movable wall which can be removed, and it is the structure which can be removed when inserting and taking out a metal mold | die in a washing tank. The mold cleaning apparatus according to claim 1.   The mold cleaning apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the moving wall is a side wall on a front side of the cleaning tank.   The mold cleaning apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the side walls of the cleaning tank are two movable side walls facing each other.   A slit-shaped drainage hole is partially provided between the side wall and the bottom wall of the cleaning tank or / and the lower part of the side wall, and the electrolytic cleaning liquid flowing into the cleaning tank is allowed to flow out of the draining hole, and the cleaning is performed. The mold cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein an electrolytic cleaning liquid in the tank is circulated to form flowing water.   The side wall of the washing tank is provided with an elongate water level adjustment hole in the vertical direction, and an adjustment lid that is slid and closed from above is attached to the water level adjustment hole, and the position of the adjustment lid is adjusted to adjust the position of the adjustment tank. The mold cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the water level of the electrolytic cleaning liquid is adjustable.   The electrode material suspended in the cleaning tank is suspended from a conductive material that crosses across the upper end of the opposite side wall of the cleaning tank, and an electric wire connected to a power source is branched and connected to both ends of the conductive material. The mold cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10.   The mold cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a lid that detachably closes an upper surface opening of the cleaning tank.   The mold cleaning apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the lid is provided integrally with the conductive material, and the lid closes an upper surface opening of the cleaning tank when the conductive material is bridged over an upper end of a side wall of the cleaning tank. .   A gas inflow hole and a gas outflow hole that circulates and supplies clean gas in a space between the lid and the surface of the electrolytic cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank are provided on the lid or the upper side wall of the cleaning tank. The mold cleaning apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein a clean gas that has passed through a gas purifier is introduced through a pipe.   The electrolytic cleaning liquid is caused to flow into the cleaning tank and an electrolytic cleaning liquid circulation channel is provided into which the effluent from the cleaning tank is introduced. Filtration means and a pump are interposed in the circulation channel. The mold cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14.   The mold cleaning apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the discharge amount of the pump interposed in the circulation flow path is set so that the electrolytic cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is replaced at least once during the mold cleaning.   The electrolytic cleaning liquid flowing out from the cleaning tank flows out from the drain hole at the lower part of the cleaning tank and also flows out from the water level adjusting hole on the side wall of the cleaning tank, and the amount (Q1) flowing out from the drain hole 17. The mold cleaning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein an amount (Q2) flowing out of the water level adjusting hole is set to Q1: Q2 = 6: 4 to 7: 3.   The mold cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein a heating means for the electrolytic cleaning solution is provided and heated to 30 to 60 ° C.   19. The mold cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive plate on the bottom wall of the cleaning tank is made of a conductive metal plate selected from titanium, iron, stainless steel, graphite, platinum, and gold. .   The mold cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 19, wherein an ultrasonic wave is generated by switching an ultrasonic transducer of the ultrasonic generator to two or more types of frequencies. Mold cleaning apparatus according to any one of the amount of current 5~10Amp / 10cm ² of set range has claims 1 to 20 for energizing between the bottom-wall collector plate and the electrode member .   The mold cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the electrolytic cleaning liquid is a mixture of an alkaline raw material or a neutral raw material in water.   23. The mold cleaning apparatus according to 22, wherein the water is obtained by removing impurities from tap water through a purification means.   The mold cleaning apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the purification means is a purification means employing distillation, ion exchange or / and filtration.   25. Any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, an alkali salt of EDTA, sodium gluconate or / and nonionic, cationic, or anionic surfactant is used as the alkaline raw material. A mold cleaning apparatus according to 1.

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