JP6051272B2 - Molding equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a molding apparatus, and for example, relates to an apparatus for producing a molded product such as an aspheric glass lens used for a digital camera or the like by heat-softening a material to be molded and press-molding.

  In a molding apparatus that heat-softens a material to be molded and performs pressure molding, the mold part that holds the material to be molded is moved between each unit that performs a heating process, a press molding process, and a cooling process, and heating, molding, and 2. Description of the Related Art A moving mold type apparatus that shortens a molding cycle by advancing each cooling process in parallel with a plurality of molding materials is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In this type of molding apparatus, in order to keep the inside in a non-oxidizing atmosphere such as an inert gas, the units are arranged in parallel in one box-shaped isolation chamber, and the mold part is transported between the units. A transport unit is provided.

  In such a molding apparatus, generally, one or two or more units are provided in the isolation chamber, but the number is fixed. That is, the number of units set in advance according to the processing time determined in accordance with the characteristics of the material to be molded and the molded product is incorporated. For example, when processing a plurality of molding materials in parallel in a plurality of units, for example, the units are opened simultaneously after the processing time of the unit that takes the longest time elapses, and the mold unit is adjacent to the transport unit. To the next unit.

JP 2006-199537 A

  However, the above technique has the following problems. In other words, in the above-described molding apparatus, the number of units to be incorporated is fixed in advance, so that it is necessary to change the design of the molding apparatus or remanufacture for each target molded product or standard. For this reason, there exists a problem that versatility is low and the manufacturing cost of a shaping | molding apparatus is high.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a molding apparatus that has high versatility and can keep manufacturing costs low.

A molding apparatus according to an example of the present invention includes: a mold unit that holds a molding material; a press plate on which the mold unit is placed; and a press unit that molds the molding material by pressing the mold unit. A heating plate for placing the mold unit; a heating unit for heating the mold unit to heat the material to be molded before the molding process; and a cooling plate for placing the mold unit. A cooling unit that cools the mold unit after the molding process and cools the molded product formed by the molding material, and the heating unit, the press unit, and the cooling unit, along a conveyance path. Isolation chamber in which the heating plate, the press plate, and the cooling plate are disposed along the transfer path. , Comprising a pushing mechanism, the heating plate, the press plate, and wherein a plurality of said die unit adjacent is placed in each of the cooling plate is in contact, by said pushing mechanism to push the same length as the pitch And a transport unit that transports in a lump, and a carry-out unit that is provided at the downstream end in the transport direction of the transport unit in the isolation chamber, and is along the transport path among a plurality of rows of the mold units The mold unit disposed at the downstream end is transported away from the mold unit adjacent to the mold unit by a fixed distance, and the mold unit transported by the fixed distance is different from the transport path. And an unloading unit for unloading the mold unit from the isolation chamber.

  According to the present invention, in a molding apparatus, versatility is high and manufacturing costs can be kept low.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a part of the configuration of the molding apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The side view which shows the structure of the shaping | molding apparatus by notching the structure of a shaping | molding apparatus partially. Explanatory drawing which shows the molding apparatus. The top view which shows the die unit of the molding apparatus. The side view which shows the same mold unit. The side view which shows the type | mold part of the same die unit. The side view which shows a part of structure of the carrying-in unit of the molding apparatus in a cutaway manner. The side view which shows a part of structure of the carrying-out unit of the molding apparatus in a cutaway manner. Explanatory drawing which shows increase / decrease in the unit of the shaping | molding apparatus. Explanatory drawing which shows the type | mold unit and guide rail part of the shaping | molding apparatus which concern on 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

[First Embodiment]
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In each drawing, the configuration is appropriately enlarged, reduced, or omitted.

  A molding apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 softens a molding material 1 such as a glass material by heat treatment, molds it by press processing, and forms a molded product such as an aspheric glass lens represented by a digital camera or the like. This is a molding apparatus 10 for producing the optical glass element 2.

  The molding apparatus 10 includes a mold unit 20 (mold unit) that holds the molding material 1 or the optical glass element 2, and two press units 40 that press the mold unit 20 and press-mold the molding material 1. Two heating units 30 for heating the mold unit 20 by heating the mold unit 20 before the press molding process, and the optical glass element 2 (molded product) after the molding process by the press unit 40 are performed. Two slow cooling units 50 for performing slow cooling processing, a rapid cooling unit 60 for rapidly cooling the optical glass element 2 subjected to the slow cooling processing, a transport unit 70 for transporting the mold unit 20, and a transport path along the X axis in the figure And a tunnel unit 16 of these units 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, respectively. The isolation chamber 11 is isolated from outside atmosphere, and a host controller 12 for controlling the operation of each unit and the isolation chamber 11 (shown in FIG. 3), the.

  The isolation chamber 11 is connected to a vacuum pump 13 that can exhaust the gas inside the isolation chamber 11 and a nitrogen gas supply unit 14 that supplies nitrogen gas. Accordingly, the isolation chamber 11 is configured to be replaceable with a vacuum atmosphere isolated from the atmosphere or with an inert gas atmosphere so as to prevent the mold unit 20 to be heated from being oxidized. Yes.

  The plurality of units, in order from the one end side in the conveying direction along the X axis (the right side in FIG. 1), the carry-in unit 80, the first heating unit 30, the second heating unit 30, and the first press unit. 40, the second press unit 40, the first slow cooling unit 50, the second slow cooling unit 50, the rapid cooling unit 60, and the carry-out unit 90 are arranged in parallel at the same interval (unit pitch) P1. Yes. These units 30, 40, 50, 60 are configured to be rearranged.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the mold unit 20 is disposed so as to face the upper mold 21 and the upper mold 21 (upper mold) formed corresponding to the upper shape of the optical glass element 2. And the lower mold 22 (lower mold) formed corresponding to the lower shape of the optical glass element 2 and the outer periphery of the optical glass element 2 disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22. A mold part 24 including a cylindrical guide member 23 having a shape of a part, and a holding part 25 that holds the mold part 24 are provided.

  Both the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22 are inserted into the guide member 23. The workpiece 1 is disposed between the upper mold 21 and the lower mold 22.

  The holding portion 25 is connected to the support tray 26 (support portion) configured in a rectangular plate shape, an extension portion 27 extending from the support tray 26 to both ends in the width direction of the transport path, and connected to the extension portion 27 for transport. And a connecting portion 28 extending in the direction.

  A circular recess 26 a is formed at the center of the upper surface of the support tray 26. The lower mold 22 is placed in the recess 26a and the mold part 24 is held.

  As shown in FIG. 6, guide portions 26 b having tapered surfaces that are inclined in the vertical direction and in the vertical direction with respect to the transport direction are formed at both ends in the transport direction on the lower surface of the support tray 26. Thereby, conveyance between the plates of adjacent units is performed smoothly.

  At both ends that intersect the transport direction of the support tray 26, connecting portions 28 that extend in the transport direction are provided. The connecting portion 28 is an elongated member made of, for example, ceramics having a low thermal conductivity, foamed ceramics, or the like, and is engaged so that the connecting portions 28 arranged in adjacent units are continuous with each other in the transport direction. It is transported by a transport unit 70 described later.

  The length of the connecting portion 28 in the transport direction is the same as the unit pitch P1 which is the interval between the carry-in unit 80, the heating unit 30, the press unit 40, the slow cooling unit 50, the rapid cooling unit 60, and the carry-out unit 90. Is set to That is, it is comprised so that the connection parts 28 of the metal mold unit 20 mounted in an adjacent unit may continue.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the two heating units 30 arranged in parallel in the transport direction sandwich the mold unit 20 in the tunnel portion 16 as a peripheral wall portion and the region surrounded by the tunnel portion 16. The upper and lower heating plates 31 (heating units) arranged above and below, the support shaft 32 connected to the upper and lower heating plates 31 and extending in the vertical direction, and the lifting means connected to the upper heating plate 31 An air cylinder 33 and a heating control unit 34 (shown in FIG. 3) for controlling these operations are provided.

  Each of the plurality of tunnel portions 16 is configured in a cylindrical shape that surrounds the periphery of the heating plate 31, the press plate 41, the slow cooling plate 51, and the rapid cooling plate, and is open at both ends in the transport direction. An integrated attachment / detachment structure 16a is provided. By this detachable structure 16a, it is possible to airtightly connect to the tunnel portion 16 of another unit, and this connection can be released. The plurality of tunnel portions 16 are all configured in the same shape, and a standardized detachable structure 16a is provided at the opening edge of the end portion.

  The upper and lower heating plates 31 are formed in a rectangular plate shape, and are made of an inexpensive material such as silicon carbide, carbon, boron nitride, etc. that has good thermal conductivity, excellent lubricity, and the like. A heater mechanism 36 for heating is incorporated in the heating plate 31. Further, the upper heating plate 31 can be moved up and down by an air cylinder 33.

  The upper heating plate 31 is lowered, and heat treatment is performed by contacting and pressurizing the mold unit 20 placed on the lower heating plate 31. At this time, the temperature is adjusted to a desired temperature by the heating control unit 34.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the heating control unit 34 is provided with a control panel 35 having a predetermined function necessary for performing processing in the heating unit 30, and includes a standardized signal input port 35a and a standardized signal output port 35b. And is connected to a host control unit 12 that performs overall control of the entire system. That is, the heating control unit 34 is connected to the host control unit 12 via the input port 35a and the output port 35b, and is controlled by the host control unit 12 by a standardized signal. Since the functions of each unit are limited, the input / output signals of the heating control unit 34 are small. For example, information necessary for the heating unit 30 includes “heating time” “heating temperature” “process start signal” “process end” Signal ".

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the two press units 40 arranged in parallel in the transport direction include a tunnel portion 16 as a cylindrical peripheral wall portion having both ends opened in the transport direction, and the tunnel portion 16. An upper and lower press plate 41 (press part) arranged vertically so as to sandwich the mold unit 20 in an enclosed area, a support shaft 42 connected to the upper and lower press plates 41 and extending in the vertical direction, and an upper press An air cylinder 43 as lifting means connected to the plate 41 and a press control unit 44 for controlling these operations are provided.

  The upper and lower press plates 41 are formed in a rectangular plate shape, and are made of a material such as cemented carbide or SiC that has a good thermal conductivity and is a hard material. The upper press plate 41 can be moved up and down by an air cylinder 43, and the upper support shaft 42 is provided with a press detector 46 that detects the position of the press plate 41 and the pressing force.

  The upper press plate 41 is lowered, and the mold unit 20 placed on the lower press plate 41 is pressurized to perform heat treatment. At this time, the press control unit 44 adjusts to a desired pressing force according to the detection result of the press detection unit 46. Note that the press plate 41 may be further provided with a heater to adjust the temperature to a desired temperature.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the press control unit 44 is provided with a control panel 45 having a predetermined function necessary for performing processing in the press unit 40. The control panel 45 includes an input port 45a and an output port 45b. And is controlled by the host control unit 12 by a standardized signal. Information necessary for the press unit 40 includes “press force”, “press time”, “press temperature”, “process start signal”, “process end signal”, and the like.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the two slow cooling units 50 arranged in parallel in the transport direction include a tunnel portion 16 as a cylindrical peripheral wall portion having both ends opened in the transport direction, and the tunnel portion 16. An upper and lower slow cooling plate 51 (cooling part) disposed above and below so as to sandwich the mold unit 20 in a region surrounded by, and a support shaft 52 connected to the upper and lower slow cooling plate 51 and extending in the vertical direction, An air cylinder 53 serving as an elevating means connected to the upper slow cooling plate 51 and a slow cooling control unit 54 (shown in FIG. 3) for controlling the operation of these units are configured.

  The upper and lower slow cooling plates 51 are formed in a rectangular plate shape, and are made of a material such as cemented carbide or SiC that has a good thermal conductivity and is a hard material. The slow cooling plate 51 incorporates a heater mechanism 56 for slow cooling. Further, the upper slow cooling plate 51 is configured to be moved up and down by an air cylinder 53.

  The upper cooling plate 51 is lowered, and a slow cooling process is performed by contacting and pressurizing the mold unit 20 placed on the lower annealing plate 51. At this time, the temperature is adjusted to a desired temperature by the slow cooling control unit 54.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the slow cooling control unit 54 is provided with a control panel 55 having a predetermined function necessary for performing processing in the slow cooling unit 50, and includes a standardization signal input port 55 a and a standardization signal output. It is connected to the host controller 12 that controls the entire system through the port 55b. That is, the slow cooling control unit 54 is connected to the host control unit 12 through the input port 55a and the output port 55b, and is controlled by the host control unit 12 by a standardized signal. Since the functions of each unit are limited, there are few input / output signals of the slow cooling control unit 54. For example, as the information required for the slow cooling unit 50, "slow cooling time", "slow cooling temperature", "process start signal" "Process end signal".

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rapid cooling unit 60 as the second cooling unit includes a tunnel portion 16 as a cylindrical peripheral wall portion having both ends opened in the transport direction, and a region surrounded by the tunnel portion 16. Connected to the upper and lower quenching plates 61, the upper and lower quenching plates 61 (cooling portions) arranged vertically so as to sandwich the mold unit 20, the support shaft 62 connected to the upper and lower quenching plates 61 and extending vertically. The air cylinder 63 is used as an elevating means, and a rapid cooling control unit 64 (shown in FIG. 3) for controlling the operation of these units.

  The upper and lower quenching plates 61 are formed in a rectangular plate shape, and are made of a material such as cemented carbide or SiC that has a good thermal conductivity and is a hard material. The quenching plate 61 incorporates a refrigerant pipe 66 that constitutes a flow path through which the cooling catalyst flows. Further, the upper quenching plate 61 can be moved up and down by an air cylinder 63.

  The upper quenching plate 61 is lowered, and the die unit 20 placed on the lower quenching plate 61 is brought into contact with and pressurized to perform a rapid cooling process. At this time, the temperature is adjusted to a desired temperature.

  The rapid cooling control unit 64 is provided with a control panel 65 having a predetermined function necessary for performing processing in the heating unit 30, and controls the entire system through the standardized signal input port 65a and the standardized signal output port 65b. It is connected to the host controller 12. That is, the rapid cooling control unit 64 is connected to the host control unit 12 through the input port 65a and the output port 65b, and is controlled by the host control unit 12 by a standardized signal. Since the functions of each unit are limited, there are few input / output signals of the rapid cooling control unit 64. For example, as information necessary for the rapid cooling unit 60, “cooling time” “cooling temperature” “process start signal” “process end” Signal ".

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the carry-in unit 80 is arranged at one end side in the transport direction, that is, next to the heating unit 30 (right side in the drawing).

  An example of the carry-in unit 80 is shown in FIG. In the upper part of the carry-in unit 80, a carry-in side gate valve 107 and a load-in side load lock chamber 110 formed by the load lock chamber cover 103 are installed. The support tray 26 is configured to be capable of reciprocating between the tunnel portion 16 and the loading side load lock chamber 110 via the loading side gate valve 107.

  Seal mechanisms 104 and 106 are provided above and below the gate valve 107. With this sealing mechanism, the tunnel portion 16 can be kept airtight. The load lock chamber cover 103 that forms the load-side load lock chamber 110 is provided with a tray moving cylinder 100 that can move up and down while maintaining an airtight state by the cylinder shaft seal 101. The tray moving cylinder 100 has a function of holding the support tray 26 and moving the support tray 26 up and down.

  The load lock chamber cover 103 is provided with a nitrogen supply port 102 and a nitrogen exhaust port 105 so that the loading-side load lock chamber 110 can be replaced with nitrogen.

  On the other hand, below the carry-in unit 80, a carry-in plate 81 that serves as a guide during movement, a carry-in plate base 108 on which the carry-in plate 81 can be placed, a cylinder shaft 71 that pushes out the support tray 26, and a carry-in plate stand A moving cylinder 109 is installed. The carry-in plate pedestal 108 is configured to be movable in the left-right direction in the figure by a carry-in plate pedestal moving cylinder 109.

  The support tray 26 and the cylinder shaft 71 are in contact but are not fixed to each other. The cylinder shaft 71 has a function of pushing the support tray 26 leftward in the figure, but does not have a function of moving to the right.

  The carry-in plate holder moving cylinder 109 and the carry-in plate 81 are fixed, and the carry-in plate holder moving cylinder 109 can be freely moved in the left-right direction in the drawing.

  Next, an example of the carry-out unit 90 is shown in FIG. Similarly to the carry-in unit 80, the carry-out unit 90 has a carry-out side load lock chamber 129 formed by a load lock chamber cover 123, a carry-out side gate valve 126, a carry-out plate 91, a tray moving cylinder 120, a cylinder shaft seal 121, a carry-out plate receiver. It is provided with a stand 128, a carry-out plate receiving moving cylinder 127, and seal mechanisms 124 and 125, and the support tray 26 and the mold unit 20 can be taken out via the carry-out side load lock chamber 129 without breaking the nitrogen atmosphere in the tunnel portion 16. It has a structure. Since the function and structure of each part are the same as those of the carry-in unit 80, description thereof will be omitted. The cylinders 109, 127, 73a, the cylinder shaft 71, and the isolation chamber 11 are kept airtight by a mechanism (not shown).

  The carry-in unit 80, the heating unit 30, the press unit 40, the slow cooling unit 50, the rapid cooling unit 60, and the carry-out unit 90 described above are standardized. Moreover, all the tunnel parts 16 are standardized and comprised in the same shape, and the adjacent tunnel parts 16 can be connected to each other in an airtight manner and can be disconnected. In a state where the plurality of tunnel portions 16 are connected to each other, the opening portions at both ends of the transport path are hermetically closed by the closing portions 17, and a box-shaped isolation chamber 11 such as a substantially rectangular parallelepiped is configured. The blocking portion 17 includes a standardized attachment / detachment structure 16a and is configured to be attachable / detachable to / from any tunnel portion 16. That is, the isolation chamber 11 includes a tunnel portion 16 provided on the outer periphery of each unit, and a closing portion 17 at the end portion on the carry-in side and the carry-out side, and forms a sealed space inside.

  The lower heating plate 31, press plate 41, slow cooling plate 51, quenching plate 61, carry-in plate 81, and carry-out plate 91 are arranged at one end so that the upper surface is on the same horizontal plane along a predetermined transport path. To the other end side in parallel. For this reason, conveyance is possible with a simple configuration in which the mold unit 20 is only moved horizontally.

  The conveyance unit 70 regulates the extrusion distance, a cylinder shaft 71 coupled to the coupling portion 28 of the mold unit 20, a conveyance air cylinder 72 connected to the host control unit 12 and moving the cylinder shaft 71 in the conveyance direction. And a stopper cylinder 73a. The cylinder shaft 71 extends coaxially with the connecting portion 28 and continues to the end of the connecting portion 28 on one end side in the transport direction.

  The transfer air cylinder 72 is installed at the end of the isolation chamber 11 on the carry-in side, and has a function of pushing out the connecting portion 28 with a constant stroke along the transfer direction. Along with the movement of the connecting portion 28, each mold unit 20 is pushed out along the transport path together with the support tray 26, thereby transporting the plurality of mold units 20 in order from one end side to the other end side.

  The stopper cylinder 73a is disposed in the vicinity of the end on the carry-out side, and has a function of regulating the conveyance distance by abutting the support tray 26 and regulating the position during conveyance. In addition, the conveyance distance in one conveyance is the unit pitch P1, and is set to a distance equal to the length of the connecting portion 28 of one mold unit 20.

  Hereinafter, a procedure for manufacturing the optical glass element 2 as a molded product from the molding material 1 using the molding apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  In the molding apparatus 10, one mold unit 20 is arranged for each unit, and a plurality of processes in a plurality of units are performed in parallel, but the procedure will be described mainly for one mold for the following description. To do.

  That is, processing for one mold unit 20 is performed in one unit, and processing for another mold unit 20 is performed in another processing unit. 1 and 2 show a case in which one mold unit 20 is arranged for each unit.

  First, in the host control unit 12, predetermined information is input by an operator's operation via an input unit (not shown).

  First, the mold unit 20 is placed on the carry-in gate valve 107 in FIG. 7 in a state where the mold unit 20 is placed on the support tray 26 by a conveying means (not shown). At this time, the load lock chamber cover 103 is open, and the carry-in side gate valve 107 is closed.

  When the installation is completed, the load lock chamber cover 103 is closed, and the tray moving cylinder 100 fixed to the load lock chamber cover 103 holds the support tray 26. When the load lock chamber cover 103 is closed, the outside air does not flow into the loading side load lock chamber 110.

  Next, purge nitrogen is supplied from the nitrogen supply port 102 into the loading-side load lock chamber 110 and exhausted from the nitrogen exhaust port 105. If the nitrogen exhaust port 105 is connected to a vacuum exhaust device, nitrogen gas can be supplied after the loading-side load lock chamber 110 is once evacuated, so that complete purge can be performed at high speed.

  When the inside of the loading-side load lock chamber 110 becomes a nitrogen atmosphere, the loading-side gate valve 107 is opened, and the support tray 26 and the mold unit 20 are placed on the loading plate 81 by the tray moving cylinder 100 in the drawing.

  When the placement is completed, the carry-in plate support moving cylinder 109 is moved to the left in the drawing until the end surface 111 and the end surface 112 in the drawing contact each other. When moving, the cylinder shaft 71 is not expanded and contracted. When the end surfaces 111 and 112 come into contact with each other, the cylinder shaft 71 is extended and moved to the left until the tip contacts the support tray 26. This completes the carry-in process.

  When processing of other units such as the heating unit 30 is completed, the support tray 26 is moved to the left by the unit pitch P1 by the cylinder shaft 71. After this moving operation, the cylinder shaft 71 and the carry-in plate support moving cylinder 109 are returned to the right. Thereafter, the above operation is repeated.

  Next, the mold unit 20 of the carry-in unit 80 is moved onto the heating plate 31 of the first heating unit 30 by the transport unit 70 (transport process). This transport process is performed in a state where the upper plate of each unit is raised and the upper and lower plates in each unit are separated from each other.

  For example, when the “process end signal” of each unit is output, the host control unit 12 operates the transport unit 70 and moves the mold unit 20.

  That is, a plurality of mold units 20 connected at the same pitch as the unit pitch P1 are formed by pushing the connecting portion 28 along the transport direction (X direction in the drawing) by the transport air cylinder 72 of the transport unit 70. Move at the same time. At this time, the conveyance between the units is smoothly performed by the guide portion 26b.

  In the first heating unit 30, the upper heating plate 31 is lowered and the mold unit 20 is sandwiched between the upper and lower heating plates 31, thereby heating the upper mold 21, the lower mold 22, and the workpiece 1. Then, the molding material 1 is softened at a predetermined temperature (heat treatment).

  Next, the mold unit 20 is transferred from the first heating unit 30 to the second heating unit 30 by the same transfer process as described above.

  In the second heating unit 30, the upper heating plate 31 is lowered and the mold unit 20 is sandwiched between the upper and lower heating plates 31 to heat the upper mold 21, the lower mold 22, and the molding material 1. Then, heat treatment is performed at a temperature higher than the temperature in the first heating unit 30 to soften the molding material 1.

  Next, the mold unit 20 is transferred from the second heating unit 30 to the first press unit 40 by the same transfer process as described above.

  In the first press unit 40, the upper press plate 41 is lowered and the mold unit 20 is sandwiched between the upper and lower press plates 41 to press-mold the material 1 (press process).

  At this time, press molding is performed in accordance with any programmed press force profile. The press molding is controlled by feedback of the pressing force. For example, the pressing force is feedback-controlled while the pressing detection unit 46 detects the pressing force. The pressing amount and pressing force can be set in the host controller 12 for each mold unit 20. That is, the pressing amount and pressing force are set for each desired material 1 to be programmed. For this reason, a press position and a press force can be controlled with high precision, and an arbitrary press process can be programmed.

  Next, the mold unit 20 is transported from the first press unit 40 to the second press unit 40 by the same transport process as described above, and the press process is similarly performed by the press plate 41. Is done.

  Next, the mold unit 20 is transported from the second press unit 40 to the first slow cooling unit 50 by the transport process similar to that described above.

  In the first slow cooling unit 50, the upper slow cooling plate 51 is lowered and the mold unit 20 is sandwiched between the upper and lower slow cooling plates 51, whereby the mold unit 20 is cooled, for example, by adjusting the temperature of the heater. (Slow cooling treatment).

  Next, the mold unit 20 is transported from the first slow cooling unit 50 to the second slow cooling unit 50 by the same transport process as described above, and the slow cooling process is performed similarly to the above. Made.

  Next, the mold unit 20 is transported from the second slow cooling unit 50 to the rapid cooling unit 60 by the same transport process as described above.

  In the rapid cooling unit 60, the upper rapid cooling plate 61 is lowered, and the mold unit 20 is sandwiched between the upper and lower rapid cooling plates 61, so that the refrigerant is cooled to a temperature range that is not oxidized even in the atmosphere (rapid cooling process).

  When the processing in each unit is completed, the cylinder shaft 71 moves the mold unit 20 and the support tray 26 at the same time.

  FIG. 8 shows the unloading part after movement. At this time, the tip of the stopper cylinder 73a presses the left side surface of the support tray 26, and functions as a stopper. When the movement of the support tray 26 is completed, the stopper cylinder 73a moves backward to the left in the drawing to a position where it does not contact the support tray 26.

  Further, the carry-out plate receiving cylinder 127 moves the carry-out plate 91 on which the mold unit 20 is placed to a position just below the carry-out side gate valve 126 in the drawing. During this time, the carry-out side gate valve 126 is closed. Prior to this, the nitrogen purge of the carry-out side load lock chamber 129 is completed in the same manner as the carry-in side load lock chamber 110.

  When the above operation is completed, the unloading side gate valve 126 is opened, the tray moving cylinder 120 is lowered, the support tray 26 is gripped, and as shown in the drawing, the unloading side load lock chamber 129 is lifted, and the unloading side gate valve 126 is opened. Close.

  Next, the support tray 26 on which the mold unit 20 is placed is installed on the carry-out side gate valve 126. When the installation is confirmed, the carry-out side load lock chamber cover 123 is opened, and the mold unit 20 is moved by a transfer device (not shown). Is conveyed.

  After the above operation is completed, the carry-out side load lock chamber cover 123 is closed, and the carry-out operation is performed with the nitrogen supply from the nitrogen supply port 131 and the nitrogen exhaust from the nitrogen exhaust port 132 to make the inside of the carry-out side load lock chamber cover 123 a nitrogen atmosphere. Prepare for. The above is a series of operations related to the carry-out process.

  In this molding apparatus 10, the tunnel portions 16 can be attached to and detached from each other, and each unit is configured to be rearranged. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, another unit including the similarly configured tunnel portion 16 is increased. Or it is possible to reduce the number of units.

  That is, for example, when the characteristics of the optical glass element 2 to be manufactured or the material 1 to be molded are changed, or when a different product is produced, the processing time can be easily increased or decreased. For example, FIG. 9 illustrates a case where the heating unit 30 is reduced by one and the slow cooling unit 50 is increased by one.

  The molding apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment has the following effects. In other words, by providing an isolation chamber 11 configured with a cylindrical tunnel section 16 and providing a host control section that is supervised by all units, addition, deletion, and recombination of each station can be performed on the user side. Can be arranged freely.

  Therefore, it is possible to deal with the user's production environment at a low cost, such as increase / decrease in the number of products and small-lot production of various products. That is, it is possible to easily cope with a process in which the user optimizes the process or an optimized process found as a result. In addition, a unit equipped with the latest press method and heating method can be reflected at low cost in user-owned equipment in a short period of time.

  Therefore, this is particularly effective in fields where model changes frequently occur such as mobile phones and digital cameras. For example, when mass production moves from a small-aperture lens to a large-aperture lens, the optimum process is different, but it is not necessary to develop, design, and manufacture a new device, and it is possible to cope with a prolonged development period and an increase in cost. In addition, a small-diameter dedicated molding device may become unnecessary equipment in some cases, but each unit can be controlled overall and can be increased or decreased by adopting the same configuration. Can be incorporated into other devices. Furthermore, the unit between a plurality of apparatuses can be exchanged, and convenience is improved. That is, even if the mass-produced item changes, a part of the device that has been used can be diverted, and the downtime facility can be minimized. Furthermore, since each unit can be developed, the space required for development can be reduced.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, the shaping | molding apparatus 10 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated with reference to FIG. In addition, since it is the same as that of the shaping | molding apparatus 10 of the said 1st Embodiment except providing the guide rail part 29, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As in the first embodiment, the holding unit 25 according to the present embodiment includes a rectangular plate-like support tray 26, an extension portion 27 extending from the support tray 26 to both ends in the width direction of the conveyance path, and an extension. A connecting portion 28 extending from the end of the portion 27 to both sides in the transport direction. The connecting portion 28 extends downward.

  Further, a guide rail portion 29 that guides the movement of the holding portion 25 is provided below the molding apparatus 10. The guide rail portions 29 are disposed on both sides in the width direction of the transport path below the plate of each unit, and extend along the transport path.

  On the upper surface of the guide rail portion 29, a guide groove 29a with which the lower end of the connecting portion 28 is engaged is provided. In addition, in FIG. 10, the guide rail part 29 and the connection part 28 are shown with a cross section for description.

  The guide rail portion 29 is set to have a length equal to that of the connecting portion 28. A jet outlet 29 b that communicates with the guide groove 29 a of the guide rail portion 29 and jets an inert gas to the connecting portion 28 is formed. The jet outlet 29b is provided at a position corresponding to the lower end 28a of the connecting portion 28, and injects the inert gas and floats the holding portion 25 including the connecting portion 28, so that the die is moved by the transfer air cylinder 72. The units 20 are transported all at once.

  That is, in the first embodiment, the connecting portion 28 provided integrally with the support tray 26 of the mold unit 20 is pushed out and conveyed. In this embodiment, the holding portion 25 is moved during the conveyance. The structure is such that it is floated by an inert gas and transported so as to move in the transport direction with respect to the guide rail portion 29.

  Also in this embodiment, the same effect as the first embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, since the holding unit 25 is lifted and transported, the force required for transport can be kept low.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, although a heater mechanism is used as the heating means, lamp heating or high frequency induction heating (RF) may be used. In the case of lamp heating, the heating plate 30 may be brought close to the mold unit 20. Further, the molding material 1 and the optical glass element 2 are not limited to the above embodiment, and the temperature setting can be changed as appropriate. Further, although the air cylinder 33 is used as the elevating means for the upper plate of each unit, an electric actuator, a hydraulic cylinder or the like can be used instead of the air cylinder 43 as a pressing mechanism for the press portion that requires precise pressing force control. It is also possible to drive with another actuator.

  The tapered guide part 26b is provided on the lower surface of the support tray 26. Instead of or in addition to this, the upper surface of the heating plate 31, the press plate 41, and the cooling plate on which the support tray 26 is placed. In addition, a guide portion 26b having a tapered surface that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction and the conveying direction may be formed.

  Furthermore, although the example provided with a heating unit, a press unit, and a cooling unit was demonstrated in the said embodiment, this invention is applicable also to the shaping | molding apparatus and manufacturing line which are not provided with a cooling unit.

It is also possible to combine the features of a plurality of embodiments. Of course, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Hereinafter, the invention described in the scope of claims of the present application will be appended.
[1]
A mold unit for holding a molding material;
A press unit having a molding unit that pressurizes the mold unit to mold the molding material, and a peripheral wall that surrounds the molding unit;
A heating unit that heats the mold unit before the molding process and heats the material to be molded; and a peripheral wall that surrounds the heating part;
A transport unit for transporting the mold unit along a predetermined transport path passing through the heating unit and the press unit;
Host control means for controlling the press unit, the heating unit, and the transport unit;
A plurality of the peripheral wall portions are connected to each other in an airtight manner and include an isolation chamber configured to include a closing portion that closes both end sides of the transfer path,
At least one of the press unit and the heating unit is configured to be rearrangeable.
[2]
A cooling unit including a cooling unit that cools the mold unit after the molding process and cools the molded product that has been molded by the molding material; and a peripheral wall that surrounds the cooling unit;
The transport unit transports the mold unit along a predetermined transport path passing through the heating unit, the press unit, and the cooling unit,
The molding apparatus as set forth in [1], wherein the host control unit controls the press unit, the heating unit, the cooling unit, and the transport unit.
[3]
The molding apparatus according to appendix [1], wherein the inside of the isolation chamber can be maintained in a reduced pressure state or an inert gas state.
[4]
The press unit and the heating unit each include independent control means that can be controlled independently for each unit, and the independent control means is controlled by the host control means. Molding equipment.
[5]
The heating unit and the press unit are arranged in parallel along the transport path at least one by one,
The molding apparatus according to [1], wherein the peripheral wall portion of the heating unit, the peripheral wall portion of the press unit, and the peripheral wall portion of the cooling unit are detachably connected to form the isolation chamber. .
[6]
The heating unit is configured to be able to contact and separate from each other, and has a heater mechanism, and a plurality of heating plates that heat the mold unit by approaching each other with the mold unit disposed therebetween. Prepared,
The press section is configured to be able to contact and separate from each other, and press-molds the press-molded material sandwiched between the mold units by being close to each other in a state where the mold unit is disposed therebetween, and a plurality of presses With plates,
The cooling unit includes a plurality of cooling plates configured to be close to each other and having a cooling mechanism, and cooling the mold unit by approaching each other with the mold unit disposed therebetween. ,
The molding apparatus according to [5], wherein the transport unit transports the mold unit in an open state in which the press plates, the heating plates, and the cooling plates are separated from each other.
[7]
The cooling unit is
The molding apparatus according to [2], wherein the cooling plate is provided with a heater mechanism, and the molding material is cooled by temperature setting of the heater mechanism.
[8]
The cooling unit is
The molding apparatus according to [2], wherein the cooling plate is provided with a refrigerant flow path, and the molding material is cooled by the refrigerant.
[9]
As the cooling unit,
A heater mechanism is provided on the cooling plate, and a first cooling unit that cools the molding material by setting a temperature of the heater mechanism;
The molding apparatus as set forth in [2], further comprising: a cooling channel provided in the cooling plate, and a second cooling unit that cools the material to be molded with the refrigerant.
[10]
The transport unit is provided in each of a plurality of mold units and extends along the transport path;
An extrusion mechanism for extruding the connecting portion along the transport path from one end side to the other end side of the transport path;
The length of the connecting portion corresponds to a pitch between the units, and the end portions of the adjacent connecting portions are configured to be able to engage with each other.
[11]
The plurality of peripheral wall portions have a similar detachable structure, and are configured to be able to increase or decrease at least one of the heating unit, the press unit, and the cooling unit. Molding equipment.
[12]
The mold unit includes an upper mold formed corresponding to the upper shape of the molded product, and a lower mold that is disposed to face the upper mold and is formed corresponding to the lower shape of the molded product. A mold part, and a support part on which the mold part is placed,
At least one of the lower surface of the stage unit or the opposing surface of the heating plate, the press plate, and the cooling plate on which the support unit is placed is inclined in the vertical direction and the direction perpendicular to the transport direction. The forming apparatus according to [1], wherein a guide portion having a tapered surface is formed.
[13]
The molding apparatus according to [1], further comprising a load lock chamber that allows the inside and the outside of the isolation chamber to communicate with each other and that the inside of the isolation chamber can be maintained in a decompressed state or an inert gas state.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Molding apparatus, 11 ... Isolation chamber, 12 ... Host control part, 13 ... Vacuum pump,
14 ... Nitrogen gas supply unit, 16 ... Tunnel part, 16a ... Detachable structure, 17 ... Closure part,
20 ... Mold unit, 21 ... Upper mold, 22 ... Lower mold, 23 ... Guide member, 24 ... Mold part,
25 ... holding part, 26 ... support tray, 26a ... concave part, 26b ... guide part, 27 ... extension part,
28 ... Connecting part, 28a ... Lower end, 29 ... Guide rail part, 29a ... Guide groove,
29b ... outlet, 30 ... heating unit, 31 ... heating plate, 32 ... support shaft,
33 ... Air cylinder, 34 ... Heating control unit, 35 ... Control panel, 35a ... Input port,
35b ... Output port, 36 ... Heater mechanism, 40 ... Press unit, 41 ... Press plate, 42 ... Support shaft, 43 ... Air cylinder, 44 ... Press controller, 45 ... Control panel,
45a ... Input port, 45b ... Output port, 46 ... Press detection unit, 50 ... Slow cooling unit, 51 ... Slow cooling plate, 52 ... Support shaft, 53 ... Air cylinder, 54 ... Slow cooling control unit,
55 ... Control panel, 55a ... Input port, 55b ... Output port, 56 ... Heater mechanism,
60 ... quenching unit, 61 ... quenching plate, 62 ... support shaft, 63 ... air cylinder,
64 ... Rapid cooling control unit, 65 ... Control panel, 65a ... Input port, 65b ... Output port,
66 ... Refrigerant piping, 70 ... Conveyance unit, 71 ... Cylinder shaft, 72 ... Conveyance air cylinder, 73a ... Stopper cylinder, 80 ... Carry-in unit, 81 ... Carry-in plate, 90 ... Carry-out unit, 91 ... Carry-out plate, 110 ... Carry-in Side load lock chamber, 129...

Claims (1)

A mold unit for holding a molding material;
A press unit for placing the mold unit, pressurizing the mold unit and molding the molding material;
A heating unit for mounting the mold unit, heating the mold unit before the molding process, and heating the molding material;
A cooling unit that mounts the mold unit; and a cooling unit that cools the molded unit after the molding process and cools the molded product that has been molded by the molding material;
The heating unit, the press unit, and the cooling unit are accommodated in parallel at the same pitch along the conveyance path, and the heating plate, the press plate, and the cooling plate are arranged along the conveyance path. An isolation chamber;
Comprising a push-out mechanism, the heating plate, the press plate, and a plurality of said die unit are in contact with each other those adjacent is placed on each of the cooling plates, by extruding the same length as the pitch by the pushing mechanism , A transport unit that transports in bulk,
A carry-out unit provided at a downstream end in the conveyance direction by the conveyance unit in the isolation chamber, wherein the mold unit arranged at the downstream end along the conveyance path among a plurality of rows of the mold units, The mold unit is transported away from the mold unit adjacent to the mold unit by a certain distance, and the mold unit transported by the certain distance is moved in a direction different from the transport path to isolate the mold unit. An unloading unit for unloading from the chamber;
Forming apparatus characterized by comprising a.