JPH04354896A - Method for surface treatment and device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce a tact time without being restricted by a treating stage taking a long time even if a batch-tape surface-treating device, in which a work stopped and hung from a hanger is charged into a treating tank as such, is used. CONSTITUTION:Plural treating tanks 4 are set in parallel in a treating station S1 taking a long time, and further, standby stations T1 and T2 are provided before and behind the station S1. When a work is treated in the station S1, a hanger 3 for a work treated in the preceding treating station is moved to the standby station T1 and allowed to stand by. After treatment is completed, the works are discharged from each treating tank 4 in the station S1, plural hangers 3 are simultaneously moved to the standby station T2, the plural hangers 3 in the standby station T1 are moved to the treating station S1, and the succeeding treatment is started.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a plurality of processing stations along a processing line in which workpieces such as automobile bodies are suspended and transported on self-propelled hangers, and each processing tank is placed in a processing tank located at each processing station. The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for performing surface treatment on a workpiece using a batch type surface treatment apparatus configured such that the workpiece is loaded into a tank while being suspended from each hanger with the conveyance of the workpiece stopped.

0002

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Batch-type surface treatment apparatuses have a problem in that the takt time of the entire line is determined by the time-consuming processing steps, making it difficult to shorten the takt time. In order to eliminate this problem, the processing tank installed at processing stations such as electrodeposition coating, which requires longer processing time than other processing stations, is made wider in the transport direction, and the workpieces are placed in a hanger after entering the processing tank. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-2397 discloses a system in which a workpiece is conveyed in a liquid by moving the workpiece, and the next workpiece is placed in the processing tank within the processing time of this workpiece, thereby shortening the takt time. ing. In addition, according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-135560, a plurality of identical processing tanks are installed in parallel at a processing station where processing time is long, and an elevating device for loading and unloading workpieces is provided in each processing tank, and a hanger is installed at an adjacent processing station. The workpiece is transferred from the hanger to the lifting device of a predetermined processing tank and enters the processing tank, and then the next workpiece is transferred to the lifting device of another processing tank and processed. There is also known a method that shortens takt time by allowing processing to be carried out in parallel in a plurality of processing tanks.

0003

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] In the latter conventional technique, each processing tank must be provided with an elevating device and the workpieces must be transferred between this device and the hanger, which makes the structure complicated and makes it difficult to transfer the workpieces. The control for this is complicated, and the former conventional technique, in which the workpiece is taken into and out of the processing tank while suspended on a hanger, is more advantageous in terms of cost. However, when the workpiece is transported in liquid as in the former conventional technology, it becomes difficult to control the processing state, and especially when the workpiece is transported in liquid during the electrodeposition coating process, it becomes impossible to efficiently arrange the electrodes in the tank. There are defects that increase processing time and reduce quality. In view of the above points, the present invention provides a surface treatment method and device that allows workpieces to be transported into and out of a processing tank while suspended on hangers, and to shorten takt time without transporting the workpieces in liquid. Its purpose is to provide.

0004

[Means for solving the problem] In order to achieve the above purpose,
In the present invention, a plurality of processing stations are provided along a processing line in which workpieces are suspended and transported on self-propelled hangers, and each workpiece is placed in a processing tank placed at each processing station while each hanger is suspended from transport. In a method of surface treating workpieces using a batch-type surface treatment device that is configured to enter a tank while being suspended from a tank, certain processing stations require a longer processing time than other processing stations. A plurality of processing tanks are arranged in parallel, and standby stations are provided before and after the predetermined processing station, and a plurality of workpieces are simultaneously transported to the predetermined processing station from the previous standby station, and each workpiece is subjected to the predetermined processing. The workpieces are placed in each processing tank of the station, and after a predetermined processing time has elapsed, these workpieces are simultaneously taken out of each processing tank and transported to the subsequent standby station. It is characterized in that it is transported to a processing station.

[0005]

[Operation] While each workpiece is placed in each processing tank of a predetermined processing station and subjected to surface treatment, the workpieces processed at the processing station with a shorter processing time before the processing station are placed in the standby station at the previous stage. are sequentially transported to
A plurality of workpieces are stocked at the standby station. When the processing time at a predetermined processing station has elapsed, the workpieces are taken out from each processing tank of the processing station, and these workpieces are transported to the subsequent standby station, and at the same time, the workpieces stored in the previous standby station are removed. A plurality of workpieces are transported to a predetermined processing station and placed in each processing tank. The multiple workpieces transported to the subsequent standby station are transported one by one to the next processing station each time the preceding workpiece is processed at the next processing station, and the processing time at the predetermined processing station elapses. When a plurality of workpieces are transferred from the processing station to the subsequent standby station, the last workpiece that was waiting at the standby station is transferred to the next processing station, and the standby station is emptied and the predetermined Workpieces can be transported from the processing station without any problems. In this way, even if the processing at a predetermined processing station takes a long time, the surface of the workpiece can be processed in a takt time that matches the processing time at other processing stations where the processing time is shorter. Note that while the workpiece is on standby at the subsequent standby station, the processing liquid used at the previous predetermined processing station may remain attached to the workpiece and dry, causing unevenness. It is desirable to prevent the workpiece from drying out by spraying water on it.

[0006]

[Embodiment] Referring to FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates a hanger conveyor provided on a processing line, and a cable 3a is connected to each hanger 3 of the conveyor 1, which is self-propelled along a conveyor rail 2. The work W is suspended so that it can be raised and lowered freely, each hanger 3 is stopped at each of a plurality of processing stations provided in the processing line, and the work W is suspended from the hanger 3 in a processing tank 4 arranged at each processing station. I decided to enter the tank. The illustrated processing stations are an electrodeposition station S1 and washing stations S2...S6 provided in five stages in front and behind the electrodeposition station S1. No processing stations are provided.

[0007] The processing at the electrodeposition station S1 takes approximately three times as long as the processing time at each washing station S2...S6, so three processing tanks 4 are installed in parallel at the electrodeposition station S1, Waiting stations T1 and T where three hangers 3 can be placed on standby before and after the electrodeposition station S1, respectively.
2 was established. Then, the three hangers 3 are simultaneously moved from the previous standby station T1 to the electrodeposition station S1, and the work W suspended by each hanger 3 is placed in each processing tank 4 of the station S1. After the predetermined processing time for the work W has elapsed, each workpiece W is taken out from each processing tank 4, and the three hangers 3 are simultaneously moved to the subsequent standby station T2 as shown in FIG. 2(a). On the other hand, during the electrodeposition process, three hangers 3 that had been moved from the previous processing station to the previous standby station T1 were placed on standby.
is moved to the electrodeposition station S1 to start the next electrodeposition process. Three empty tanks 5 are arranged in parallel at the subsequent standby station T2, and the work W suspended by each hanger 3 is placed in each tank 5 while it is waiting at the standby station T2. The workpieces W are sprayed with water using a sprayer (not shown) in the tank 5 to prevent the workpieces W from drying. Figure 2(b)(c)
), the machine moves from the standby station T2 to the washing station for one machine.

In the illustrated embodiment, the rear hanger 3 is packed forward at the standby station T2 as the front hanger 3 is moved to the washing station S2. It may be made to wait in the same position. In addition, if the timing of unloading the workpiece at the electrodeposition station S1 and the timing of unloading the workpiece at another processing station match, the space of each standby station T1 and T2 is divided into two hangers 3. When moving the two hangers that were placed on standby at the previous standby station T1 to the electrodeposition station S1, the hanger that was at the previous processing station is directly electrodeposited without stopping at the standby station T1. Move to station S1, and move the frontmost hanger of the three hangers at electrodeposition station S1 to the subsequent standby station T2.
It is also possible to directly move to the washing station S2 without stopping at , and move the remaining two hangers to the subsequent standby station T2 to stand by.

[0009]

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above description, according to the inventions of claims 1 and 3, a batch-type surface treatment system in which a workpiece enters a processing tank while being suspended on a hanger with its conveyance stopped. By using processing equipment, you can reduce equipment costs and stabilize quality, and even if you use batch-type surface treatment equipment, you can shorten takt time without being restricted by the time-consuming processing process, and you can also reduce billing costs. According to the invention described in item 2, it is possible to prevent the workpieces waiting at the subsequent standby station from drying out, thereby preventing the occurrence of processing unevenness caused by the processing liquid remaining on the workpieces.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1] Side view of an example of the measures of the present invention

[Figure 2] Figures (a), (b), and (c) are side views corresponding to Figure 1 showing the movement of the workpiece.

[Explanation of symbols]

W Work S1 Electrodeposition station (predetermined processing station)
T1 Front standby station T2 Back standby station 3 Hanger 4 Processing tank

Claims (3)

[Claims] Claim 1: A plurality of processing stations are provided along a processing line in which workpieces are suspended and transported by self-propelled hangers, and each workpiece is placed in a processing tank placed at each processing station while transport is stopped. In a method of surface treating workpieces using a batch-type surface treatment device that is configured to enter the tank while being suspended from a hanger, a certain processing station that requires longer processing time than other processing stations is used. A plurality of identical processing tanks are installed in parallel, and standby stations are provided before and after the predetermined processing station, and a plurality of workpieces are simultaneously transported to the predetermined processing station from the previous standby station, and each workpiece is transferred to the predetermined processing station. The workpieces are placed in each processing tank of the processing station, and after a predetermined processing time has elapsed, these workpieces are simultaneously taken out of each processing tank and transported to the subsequent standby station, and one workpiece is delivered from the latter standby station. A surface treatment method characterized by transporting the surface to a treatment station. 2. The surface treatment method according to claim 1, further comprising spraying water onto the workpiece waiting at a subsequent standby station to prevent the workpiece from drying out. 3. A plurality of processing stations are provided along a processing line in which workpieces are suspended and transported on self-propelled hangers, and each workpiece is placed in a processing tank placed at each processing station while transport is stopped. In a batch-type surface treatment device configured to enter the tank while suspended from a hanger, multiple identical processing tanks are installed in parallel at a given processing station that requires a longer processing time than other processing stations. In addition, a surface treatment apparatus characterized in that a standby station is provided before and after the predetermined processing station, in which a number of hangers at least one less than the number of processing tanks provided in the predetermined processing station can be placed on standby.