JP2010196152A - Heat treating method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the cycle time of heat treatment including solution treatment and aging hardening treatment. <P>SOLUTION: In the heat treatment method, following steps are performed in the order: a first step of taking out a first workpiece W1 to which the solution treatment is applied from a solution furnace 2 and carrying into a quenching water tank 3; a second step of carrying a second workpiece W2 conveyed by a carrying-in apparatus 6 into the solution furnace 2; a third step of taking out a third workpiece 3 to which the aging hardening treatment is applied from the aging furnace to transfer to the carrying-out apparatus 7; and a forth step of taking out the workpiece 1 in the quenching water tank 3 to carry it into an aging furnace. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat treatment method for performing solution treatment and age hardening treatment of a workpiece made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy.

  In order to improve the mechanical properties of aluminum alloy materials and aluminum alloy castings, solution treatment and age hardening treatment are widely performed as heat treatment. That is, the workpiece to be treated is heated to a temperature specific to the material and then rapidly cooled, so that the alloy element added to the base metal is dissolved (solution treatment), and then the temperature is re-established to the temperature specific to the material. By heating, solid solution alloy elements are precipitated as fine intermetallic compounds to increase the hardness (age hardening treatment).

  Patent Document 1 shows an example of equipment for performing the above heat treatment. The heat treatment facility shown in FIG. 1 of the same document is schematically shown in FIG. 6 (reference numerals are reassigned). The heat treatment facility 100 includes a solution furnace 101, a quenching water tank 102, an aging furnace 103, an air cooling device 104, a robot arm 105, a workpiece carry-in device 106, and a workpiece carry-out device 107.

  Each of the solution furnace 101 and the aging furnace 103 has a cylindrical furnace body 112, and a plurality of stages of mounting shelves 116 on which workpieces are placed are rotatably disposed in the furnace chambers therein. Each stage mounting shelf 116 is divided into 10 sections, and two workpieces 108 can be placed in each section. The work 108 is carried into the mounting shelf 116 from a loading / unloading port 118 provided in the furnace body 112, and the work 108 is unloaded from the loading shelf 116 from the loading / unloading port 118 provided separately from the loading port 118. It starts from 119.

  The heat treatment in this facility is performed by moving the workpiece 108 by the robot arm 105 in the order of the workpiece carry-in device 106 → solution furnace 101 → quenching water tank 102 → aging furnace 103 → air cooling device 104 → work carry-out device 107.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-200823

Although the above-mentioned patent document 1 does not describe a specific procedure of the heat treatment operation, for example, the following procedure is conceivable.
(1) The work (first work) conveyed by the work carry-in device 106 is carried in from the carry-in port 118 of the solution furnace 101.
(2) A second workpiece (solution-treated) different from the first workpiece is unloaded from the carry-out port 119 of the solution furnace 101.
(3) The second workpiece is carried into the quenching water tank 102 and subjected to quenching treatment.
(4) The second work is taken out from the quenching water tank 102 and carried from the carry-in port of the aging furnace 103.
(5) From the outlet of the aging furnace 103, a third workpiece (age hardening processed) different from the second workpiece is carried out and transferred to the air cooling device 104.
(6) The third workpiece is transferred from the air cooling device 104 to the workpiece carry-out device 107.

  By repeating the above steps (1) to (6), each workpiece is subjected to heat treatment in order. In this method, since heat treatment of a plurality of workpieces is always performed inside the solution heat treatment furnace 101 and the aging furnace 103, solution treatment and age hardening treatment with a relatively long treatment time can be efficiently performed. However, in recent years, since the demand for cost reduction of products has become more severe, further shortening of the heat treatment time has been demanded.

  Further, in the above method, since the processed workpiece is unloaded immediately after the untreated workpiece is loaded into the solution furnace 101 or the aging furnace 103, a loading port 118 and a loading port 119 are provided separately. It is necessary to provide (if the workpiece is loaded and unloaded from the same loading / unloading port in the above procedure, the unprocessed workpiece just loaded is unloaded). In this case, since it is necessary to access the robot arm 105 from different directions when the workpiece is loaded and unloaded (see arrows A and B in FIG. 6), the robot arm 105 is translated or bent. Therefore, the workability is lowered and the cycle time is extended.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to shorten the cycle time of heat treatment including solution treatment and age hardening treatment.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a solution furnace for subjecting a workpiece to a solution treatment, a quenching water tank for subjecting the workpiece to a quench treatment, an aging furnace for subjecting the workpiece to an age hardening treatment, and a solution furnace. Between the carry-in device for transporting the workpiece to be processed from the previous process, the carry-out device for transporting the work unloaded from the aging furnace to the subsequent process, and the solution furnace, quenching water tank, aging furnace, carry-in device, and carry-out device The solution furnace and the aging furnace have a mounting table rotatably provided in the furnace, and the mounting table is divided into a plurality of sections in the rotation direction, and sequentially loaded into each section. A heat treatment method using a heat treatment facility that heats a workpiece that has been rotated together with a mounting table for a predetermined time and then sequentially carries it out of the furnace. The first workpiece that has undergone solution treatment is taken out of the solution furnace. Quenching A first step for carrying in the tank, a second step for carrying the second work conveyed by the carry-in device into the solution furnace, and a third work subjected to age hardening treatment from the age furnace. There is provided a heat treatment method for sequentially performing a third step of taking out and transferring to a carry-out device and a fourth step of taking out the first work in a quenching water tank and carrying it into an aging furnace.

  As described above, in the heat treatment method of the present invention, while the first workpiece is being quenched in the quenching water tank, the second workpiece is carried into the solution furnace (second step) and aging is performed. The third work is carried out (third step) from the furnace. Thus, the cycle time of the whole heat treatment can be shortened by effectively utilizing the time of the quenching process.

  Moreover, in said method, since the workpiece | work before a process is carried in after carrying out the processed workpiece | work from a solution furnace or an aging furnace, a workpiece | work carrying in and carrying out can be performed from the same carrying-in exit. Accordingly, since the work can be carried into and out of the solution furnace or the aging furnace by accessing from the same direction, the work in / out can be simplified, and the cycle time of the heat treatment can be further shortened.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to shorten the cycle time of heat treatment including solution treatment and age hardening treatment.

It is a top view of heat processing equipment. It is a plane sectional view of a solution furnace. It is side surface sectional drawing of a solution furnace. It is a top view which shows the heat processing procedure. It is a figure which shows the heat processing procedure. It is a top view of the conventional heat processing equipment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  A heat treatment facility 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a solution furnace 2, a quenching water tank 3, an aging furnace 4, a robot arm 5 as a transfer means, a workpiece carry-in device 6, and a workpiece carry-out device 7. The robot arm 5 is provided so as to be rotatable around the base 51 and surrounds the robot arm 5 so as to surround the solution furnace 2, the quenching water tank 3, the aging furnace 4, the work carry-in device 6, and the work carry-out device 7. Is provided. The solution furnace 2 and the aging furnace 4 are arranged such that the lines connecting the centers of the solution furnace 2 and the rotation center of the robot arm 5 form approximately 90 °, and the loading / unloading ports 23 and 43 are provided on the lines. The quenching water tank 3 is disposed between the solution furnace 2 and the aging furnace 4.

  The solution furnace 2 and the aging furnace 4 have a mounting table rotatably provided in the furnace, the mounting table is divided into a plurality of sections in the rotation direction, and the workpieces sequentially loaded into each section are rotated together with the mounting table. It is a rotary heating furnace that is heated for a predetermined time while being carried out and then sequentially carried out of the furnace. Hereinafter, the specific structure of the solution furnace 2 is demonstrated using FIG.2 and FIG.3. In addition, since the structure of the aging furnace 4 is the same as that of the solution furnace 2, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The solution furnace 2 mainly includes a furnace body 21, a mounting table 22, and a loading / unloading port 23. The mounting table 22 is provided in multiple stages (for example, four stages, see FIG. 3) and is rotatable inside the furnace body 21. Specifically, each mounting table 22 is mounted in multiple stages on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 24 provided to be rotatable, and the cylindrical portion 24 and each mounting portion are mounted by a driving device 25 provided below the cylindrical portion 24. The mounting table 22 rotates integrally. Each mounting table 22 is partitioned into a plurality of radially provided sections (for example, 8 sections, see FIG. 2), and two workpieces can be placed in each section.

  The furnace body 21 is provided with one loading / unloading port 23 corresponding to the multistage mounting table 22. The loading / unloading port 23 is provided with a lid 23a that can be opened and closed by a cylinder 23b. The lid portion 23a can be opened and closed separately for each of the plurality of loading / unloading ports 23. For example, only the lid portion 23a of the loading / unloading port 23 at a predetermined stage can be opened and closed.

  The furnace body 21 is provided with a gas burner 26, a fan 27, and a duct 28 as heating means for raising the temperature in the furnace. The duct 28 extends horizontally around the upper end portion in the furnace and is connected to the upper end opening of the cylindrical portion 24. The air heated by the gas burner 26 is sent to the duct 28 by the fan 27. The heated air sent to the duct 28 is supplied to the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion 24 from above, and the heated air is placed on the mounting table 22 through a blower opening (not shown) provided in the cylindrical portion 24. It is supplied to each workpiece (see arrow in FIG. 3). The air that has passed through the workpiece is supplied to the vicinity of the gas burner 26 and heated again. By repeating this circulation, the workpiece is heated to a predetermined temperature.

  In the solution furnace 2, the temperature of the workpiece carried on the mounting table 22 is raised to a temperature required for the solution treatment while rotating once in the furnace together with the mounting table 22. In the present embodiment, the mounting table 22 rotates once in 64 minutes, that is, the mounting table 22 rotates 45 ° every 8 minutes, and the section of the mounting table 22 arranged at the position of the loading / unloading port 23 changes every 8 minutes. Is set to be replaced.

  Next, a heat treatment method using the heat treatment equipment 1 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. In the initial state, two works are placed on all sections of the placing table 22 of the solution furnace 2 and the aging furnace 4, and there is no work inside the quenching water tank 3 (FIG. 4). (See (a)). Further, the transfer of the workpieces by the robot arm 5 is all performed in one set (in FIG. 4, two workpieces are indicated by one circle).

(1) First step (see FIG. 4A)
First, the lid 23a of the loading / unloading port 23 at any stage (for example, the uppermost stage) of the solution furnace 2 is opened, and a workpiece subjected to solution treatment (this workpiece is referred to as a first workpiece W1) is a robot. After taking out with the arm 5, the cover part 23a is closed. The taken out first work W <b> 1 is carried into the quenching water tank 3 by the robot arm 5.

(2) Second step (see FIG. 4B)
Next, the work carried by the work carry-in device 6 (this work is referred to as a second work W2) is picked up by the robot arm 5. Then, the uppermost lid portion 23a of the solution furnace 2 is opened again, the first workpiece W1 is taken out in the first step, and the second workpiece W2 is loaded into the empty section, and then the lid portion 23a. Close.

(3) Third step (see FIG. 4C)
Next, the lid portion of the loading / unloading port of any stage (for example, the uppermost stage) of the aging furnace 4 is opened, and the work subjected to age hardening treatment (this work is referred to as a third work W3) is the robot arm 5. After removing with, close the lid. The taken out third work W3 is transferred to the lower part of the aging furnace 4, and air is blown onto the work with an air blower (not shown) provided here to remove foreign matters (for example, core sand) adhering to the work. Thereafter, the third work W <b> 3 is transferred to the work carry-out device 7 by the robot arm 5.

(4) Fourth step (see FIG. 4D)
Next, the first work W1 carried into the quenching water tank 3 in the first step is taken out by the robot arm 5. Then, the uppermost lid portion of the aging furnace 4 is opened again, the third workpiece W3 is taken out in the third step, and the first workpiece W1 is loaded into the empty section, and then the lid portion 23a is closed. .

  Thus, when the first to fourth steps (S1 to S4) are completed with respect to the uppermost loading / unloading ports of the solution furnace 2 and the aging furnace 4, the loading of the other stages (for example, the second stage from the top) is performed. The same procedure is performed on the outlet (see FIG. 5). At this time, the mounting tables of the solution furnace 2 and the aging furnace 4 are stopped until the first to fourth steps are completed for all the stages. And if the 1st-4th step is completed with respect to all the stages, the mounting table of solution furnace 2 and aging furnace 4 will be rotated 45 degrees, and the section which faces loading / unloading ports 23 and 43 will be replaced, and the mounting table 22 is stopped. By repeating the above cycle, heat treatment is sequentially performed on the workpiece.

W1 1st workpiece W2 2nd workpiece W3 3rd workpiece 1 Heat treatment equipment 2 Solution furnace 3 Quenching water tank 4 Aging furnace 5 Robot arm 6 Work loading device 7 Work loading device

Claims (2)

A solution furnace for subjecting the workpiece to a solution treatment, a quenching water tank for subjecting the workpiece to a quenching treatment, an aging furnace for subjecting the workpiece to an age hardening treatment, and a loading device for transporting the workpiece carried into the solution furnace from a previous process A transporting device for transporting the work carried out from the aging furnace to a subsequent process, and a solutionizing furnace, a quenching water tank, an aging furnace, a transporting device, and a transfer means for transporting the work between the transporting device, The aging furnace has a mounting table rotatably provided in the furnace, and the mounting table is divided into a plurality of sections in the rotation direction, and the workpieces sequentially loaded into each section are heated for a predetermined time while rotating together with the mounting table. After that, a heat treatment method by heat treatment equipment that is sequentially carried out of the furnace,
A first step of taking out the first work subjected to the solution treatment from the solution furnace and carrying it into the quenching water tank, and a second step carrying the second work carried by the carry-in device into the solution furnace. And a third step of taking out the third work subjected to age hardening from the aging furnace and transferring it to the carry-out device, and taking out the first work in the quenching water tank and carrying it into the aging furnace. The heat processing method which performs these steps in order.   The heat treatment method according to claim 1, wherein when the work is carried in and out of the solution furnace and the aging furnace, the work is carried in and out from the same carry-in / out port.

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