JPH10122371A - Manufacture of metal gasket material - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To manufacture gaskets of stable quality even under continuous operation for many hours by printing organic polymeric paint simultaneously on both faces of a printed metal sheet, made travel by transfer means engaged with guide holes, by a screen printer. SOLUTION: A printed metal sheet 2 is held from the upper and lower sides by pressure rollers 61, 61' via a cleaning device 3, a primary processing tank 4 and a dryer 5 so as to be prevented from vibrating, rate-determined by two chain type transfer devides 71 and fed to a paint printer 8. The transfer devices 71 are installed at both ends of the sheet 2, and pins of a silent chain 713 are engaged with a large number of holes, bored at constant spaces in both ends of the sheet 2, so as to transfer the sheet 2 at constant speed. The paint printer 8 is a rotary screen printer formed of a pair of coaters 81, 82, and organic polymeric paint is printed simultaneosuly on both faces of the sheet 2. The sheet 2 is thereby prevented from vertical-lateral vibration and dislocation during transfer, and double-side printing in the same position can be performed accurately for many hours.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for producing a metal gasket material suitable as a cylinder head gasket for an automobile engine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 is a plan view of a typical metal cylinder head gasket (hereinafter, CHG) of an automobile engine, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG.
CHG has a three-layer structure in which a flat stainless steel plate member S2 is sandwiched between two stainless steel plate members S1 having a swelling portion (hereinafter, bead) P, and a number of gaskets penetrating the three-layer structure. Holes, ie, combustion chamber holes B1, bolt holes B2, and other holes are drilled. There are water holes and oil holes as other holes, but in order to avoid complication of the drawing, illustration of those holes and beads around the holes is omitted in FIG. The stainless steel plate body S1 generally has a bead P around each gasket hole, and layers R1 and R2 of heat-resistant rubber such as fluoro rubber are formed on both surfaces of the bead P and the vicinity thereof. The bead P and the rubber layers R1 and R2 function to enhance the sealing function of CHG. CHG is a single stainless steel plate S
In some cases, the stainless steel sheet S1 and the single stainless steel sheet S2 have a two-layer structure.

[0003] In any case, the CHG has a stainless steel plate body S1, which has conventionally been manufactured through an extremely complicated process including the following coating process of a paint.
That is, a step 1 of drilling a combustion chamber hole B1, a bolt hole B2, and other holes in a long stainless steel sheet, a step 2 of forming a bead P around each combustion chamber hole B1 and the like, FIG. Step 3 of punching out a stainless steel sheet S1 having a shape as shown in FIG. 3, Step 4 of applying and drying a heat-resistant rubber paint to form a layer of heat-resistant rubber R1, Step 5 of performing the same action as Step 4 again, Step 5 Step 6 of Applying and Drying a Heat Resistant Rubber Paint to Form the Water Resistant Rubber Layer R2, Step 7 of Cross-Linking the Dry Heat Resistant Rubber Layers R1 and R2
7 steps.

Generally, it is extremely difficult to form heat-resistant rubber layers R1 and R2 on both sides of a curved surface portion such as a bead P to a uniform thickness by applying a paint. The reason for this is that, unlike the flat portion of the plate, the curved surface portion has poor applicability of the heat-resistant rubber paint, and the degree of difficulty in applying the paint is different inside and outside the curved surface portion.

In CHG, the heat-resistant rubber layers R1 and R2 formed on both sides of each gasket hole generally have the same pattern shape, thickness, pattern forming position, and the like. In some cases, the thickness of both layers may be different. The meaning that the formation positions of the two-sided patterns are the same as each other means that, for example, when the patterns on both sides are the same shape (mirror-symmetric shape), they have a cut-out relationship with each other. The relation of the cut picture is a relation in which if the sheet is cut along the pattern on one side, the pattern on the other side is cut at the same time without excess or shortage. As for the center point of the pattern, when a through hole is formed perpendicularly to the sheet at the center point of the pattern formed on one side, the through hole reaches the center point of the pattern formed on the other side.

[0006] Usually, if the formation positions of the respective patterns on both sides of the CHG are shifted from each other, there is a problem that the gasket performance is deteriorated. Therefore, it is required that the formation positions are highly identical to each other. The conventional manufacturing method requiring multiple steps is insufficient to solve this problem.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a method of using a long stainless steel plate as a raw material having a heat-resistant rubber layer previously cross-linked on the entire surface of both surfaces may be considered. In this method, a gasket hole is formed in a necessary place of the raw material stainless steel plate, and a necessary bead setting may be performed before or after the step of punching the stainless steel plate body S1 having a shape as shown in FIG. There is an advantage that all the various problems described above are solved. By the way, heat-resistant rubber paints are not generally inexpensive, and stainless steel sheets produced through the application and crosslinking steps using such paints are extremely expensive. On the other hand, when a gasket is punched from a long stainless steel plate, a large amount of punching waste of expensive material is generated. Further, of the heat-resistant rubber layer existing on both surfaces of the manufactured gasket, a portion contributing to the gasket function is only a very small part of the whole. In view of the above circumstances, employing a long stainless steel sheet having a heat-resistant rubber layer cross-linked on both surfaces as a raw material for CHG production has a problem in production cost.

In view of the above, the present inventors reaffirmed the importance of the partial coating method and continuously run the raw material stainless steel plate for the purpose of improving the complexity of the conventional manufacturing method. We studied a double-sided printing method in which paints were printed on necessary places on both sides of a stainless steel plate using printing machines installed on both sides. It has been found from this study that high-quality CHG can be produced in a short-time operation, but in continuous operation over a long period of time, the positions where the two-sided patterns are formed are not the same as each other, and there are often discrepancies. As a result, it is still necessary to improve CHG with high quality at a high yield.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to further improve the above-mentioned partial coating method, and particularly to obtain a metal gasket such as CHG having a stable quality even in a continuous operation for a long time at a high yield. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a high-efficiency and high efficiency.

[0010]

The present invention has the following features. (1) On both sides of the metal sheet to be printed running in the presence of the transfer means engaging with the guide holes provided in the metal sheet to be printed, at least a pair of screen printing machines simultaneously and partially apply the organic layers to both sides. A method for producing a metal gasket material, comprising printing a polymer paint. (2) The method for producing a metal gasket material according to the above (1), wherein the guide holes are provided at both ends of the metal sheet to be printed. (3) The metal sheet to be printed is a long continuous sheet.
A method for producing a metal gasket material according to (1) or (2). (4) The method for producing a metal gasket material according to the above (1) or (2), wherein the metal sheet to be printed is a short metal sheet, and a large number of the metal sheets run continuously in cascade. (5) The method for producing a metal gasket material according to any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein the screen printing machine is a rotary screen printing machine. (6) The transfer means, wherein the transfer means is provided immediately before and / or immediately after a printing step by a rotary screen printing machine.
(5) The method for producing the metal gasket material according to (5). (7) The above (1) to (1) to wherein the metal sheet to be printed is restrained by the restraining roll immediately before and / or immediately after printing by the screen printing machine and runs in the presence of the transfer means.
(6) The method for producing a metal gasket material according to any one of (1) to (4). (8) The method for producing a metal gasket material according to any one of the above (1) to (7), wherein the metal gasket material is a cylinder head gasket for an automobile engine.

[0011]

By using at least a pair of screen printing machines, and simultaneously and partially printing the organic polymer paint on both sides of the metal sheet to be printed, high-efficiency production becomes possible. Further, the metal sheet to be printed is transported in the presence of a transporting means that engages with the guide hole provided therein, and positional deviation due to vertical and horizontal vibrations and other causes during transport is prevented, so that the metal sheet to be printed is kept for a long time. In this way, accurate and same-sided double-sided printing is performed, thereby achieving the object of the present invention.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples. FIG. 1 is a front view of a process for carrying out the method of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partial top view of FIG.
3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is another partially enlarged view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view of FIG.

1 to 5, reference numeral 1 denotes a delivery drum;
Is a long metal sheet, 3 is a washing device, 4 is a primer treatment tank, 5 is a dryer, 61, 61 'to 64, 64' are holding rolls, 71, 71 ', 72, and 72' are chain-type transfer. An apparatus, 8 is a paint printing apparatus, 9 is a crosslinking apparatus, 10 is a gasket punching machine, 11 is a bead stand, and 12 is a gasket punching machine. The metal sheet 2 delivered from the delivery drum 1 continuously passes through each of the above-described devices 3 to 11 in a state where both surfaces thereof are parallel to the ground surface, and finally reaches the gasket punching machine 12.

As the metal sheet 2, a long sheet made of various metals, for example, iron-based metal, aluminum, copper, nickel or other metals can be used. In particular, when the metal gasket material to be manufactured is CHG or its parts as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the constituent metal of the sheet is preferably a heat-resistant metal, particularly an iron-based metal. Examples of iron-based metals include Fe-C alloys, ferritic stainless steels, martensitic stainless steels, stainless steels such as austenitic stainless steels, ferromanganese, ferrosilicon, ferronickel, ferrochrome or other iron-based materials. Ferroalloys having an iron content of at least 80% by weight. Among such iron alloy sheets, stainless steel sheets, particularly SUS301-CSP,
SUS304-CSP, SUS420J2-CSP, S
A stainless steel strip for springs such as US631-CSP is preferred. The appropriate thickness of the metal sheet 2 is 0.05 to 1 mm, particularly 0.1 to 0.5 mm.

The metal sheet 2 is washed with water or an organic solvent on both sides while passing through a washing device 3, a primer treatment tank 4, and a dryer 5, and treated with a primer such as a silane coupling agent. Dry with warm air. The metal sheet 2 is then held down by holding rolls 61, 61 'and 6
2, 62 'suppresses vibration from above and below,
And two chain transfer devices 71, 7 installed between the holding rolls 61 'and 62' and below the metal sheet 2.
1 ′ (indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 2) and is sent to the paint printing apparatus 8 at a limited rate. Holding rolls 61, 61 'and 62,
62 'has a length substantially equal to the width of the metal sheet 2 and acts to prevent the sheet from vibrating over its entire width.

The transfer devices 71, 7 having the same structure as each other
1 'are respectively set at the ends of the metal sheet 2 and are sprockets 711 and 712 driven by an electric motor (not shown) as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, and loop-shaped fittings on both sprockets. It consists of a silent chain 713. Further, each link 714 of the silent chain 713 has a pin 715. The pin 715
Meshes with a number of guide holes 21 pierced at regular intervals on both ends of the metal sheet 2 as shown in FIGS.
The metal sheet 2 is transported at a constant speed by the synchronized rotation of the sprockets 711 and 712. Silent chain 7
13 is tensioned between sprockets 711 and 712 so that it does not move up and down between the sprockets, but if necessary it is necessary to prevent them from moving up and down between sprockets 711 and 712. It is preferable to add third, fourth,... Sprockets of the same structure and the same size to rotate synchronously.

The metal sheet 2 sent by the transfer devices 71, 71 'is transferred to the paint printing device 8. The paint printing apparatus 8 is a rotary screen printing apparatus including a pair of a coater 81 provided on the upper side of the metal sheet 2 and a coater 82 provided on the lower side. The coater 81 and the coater 82 have the same structure. And the rotary screen faces are rotated so as to face each other. When the metal sheet 2 travels between the rotary screens, an organic polymer paint is printed on both surfaces thereof.

4 and 5, the upper coater 81
Are a rotary screen part 811, a housing 812,
812 ′, a squeegee (spatula) 814, a squeegee holding arm 815, and a paint supply pipe 816. The rotary screen portion 811 is composed of a screen 8111 made of a cylindrical stainless steel net shown by a dotted line and a tapered stainless steel plate portion 8112 following the screen 8111. I have.

The squeegee 814 includes a screen 8111
Is held by a squeegee holding arm 815 via a spring 817 so that the screen 8111 can be pressed against the metal sheet 2 at a position where the outer surface of the squeegee holding arm 815 contacts the metal sheet 2. It is fixed to the inner wall. Paint supply pipe 81
6 is installed through the housing 812 ',
The paint discharge tip has reached a position where paint can be supplied between the squeegee 814 and the screen 8111 in the rotary screen section 811. FIG. 5 shows a paint supply pipe 8.
16 shows the paint W supplied between the squeegee 814 and the screen 8111.

The lower coater 82 has the same detailed structure as the upper coater 81, and is provided so as to oppose the upper coater 81 only. Squeegee 824 of lower coater 82
Is installed at a position where the outer surface of the screen 8211 is in contact with the metal sheet 2, that is, at a position corresponding to 12:00 of the clock hand as shown in the figure, and the paint W is supplied to the rotary screen 821 just before the rotation in the direction of the arrow. There is no problem that the paint W itself flows down due to the viscosity of the paint W itself and the rotation of the rotary screen part and the receiving action of the squeegee 824.

As the paint W, a B-type viscometer (BL type is available)
Or BH type) at room temperature with a viscosity of 10^Three~ 1
0^FiveAbout 5 centipoise, especially viscosity at the same temperature
10 ^Three~ 5 × 10^FourOrganic polymer paint of about centipoise
Is preferred. An example of an organic polymer paint is polio.
Refined, polyester, polyamide, polyimide, including
Halogen resin, silicone resin, and other various engines
Plastics such as nearing plastics, fluorine
Rubber, silicone rubber, and other rubbers
Dissolved in a non-reactive or reactive organic solvent
Are uniformly dispersed. The organic polymer in the paint is
Heat crosslinking, electron beam irradiation crosslinking, ultraviolet irradiation crosslinking, or
Those which can be crosslinked and cured by other crosslinking methods are generally preferred.
Good. The metal gas to be manufactured in the present invention
Ket material is high temperature like CHG for car engine
If used in the above, the organic polymer paint
Fluoro rubber, silicone rubber, acrylonitrile
-Butadiene rubber, hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadi
Those made of heat-resistant rubber such as enrubber are particularly preferred.
No.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the rotary screen portions 811 and 821 rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1 due to the contact friction force between the running metal sheet 2 and the rotary screen surface. Due to the rotation, the squeegees 814 and 824 perform the partial printing of the necessary paint on both surfaces of the metal sheet 2. Incidentally, the rotary screen units 811 and 821 may be rotated by a motor at a speed synchronized with the traveling line speed of the metal sheet 2.

At the end of the step shown in FIG. 1, a large number of metal gaskets having a structure such as a stainless steel plate S1 shown in FIGS. In other words, in other words, the acquisition design of the metal gasket material is determined first so that the maximum number of metal gasket materials can be punched out from the unit length of the metal sheet 2. Therefore, on both sides of the metal sheet 2,
Organic polymer paint is partially printed at regular intervals so as to correspond to the above-mentioned predetermined acquisition design. Also, each screen 8111, 8211 of the coater 81, 82
Have a printing pattern that allows such printing, and are installed above and below the metal sheet 2 so that the pattern can be printed at the same position on both sides of the metal sheet 2.

Immediately after printing, the metal sheet 2 partially printed on both sides is held down by pressing rolls 63, 63 'and 64, 64'.
To prevent vibration, and by two transfer devices 72, 72 '(shown by dotted lines in FIG. 2) installed between the holding rolls 63' and 64 'and below the metal sheet 2. Subsequently, it is sent to the cross-linking device 9 while the speed is being controlled. Since there is a printing layer on both sides of the metal sheet 2 which is undried and therefore easily deformed by an external force, each of the pressing rolls 63, 63 'and 64, 64' is a long pressing roll 61, 61 'and 62. , 62 ′, it has a structure in which two short rolls for holding only both ends of the metal sheet 2 are connected by a rotating shaft. The transfer devices 72, 72 '
It is installed at the end of the metal sheet 2, and together with the transfer device 71,
The metal sheet 2 has the same structure and operation as 71 ′, and rotates in synchronization with them to transfer the metal sheet 2 at a constant speed.

In order to perform accurate partial printing on both sides of a sheet, vibration and movement of the sheet in up, down, left, and right directions during duplex printing are most abhorrent. , 61 ′ to 64, 64 ′, the transfer device 71,
Since the speed is controlled by 71 ', 72 and 72', vibration and displacement are highly prevented for a long period of time, and as a result, accurate double-sided partial printing is achieved.

In the present invention, if necessary, the holding rolls 61 and 61 'to 64 and 64' and the transfer devices 71 and 7 may be used.
Any of 1 ′ to 72 and 72 ′ may be omitted. In many cases, good results are obtained with only the transfer devices 71 and 71 'or only 72 and 72'. However, installing a transfer device at least before or after the duplex printing process,
And the side without the transfer device (before or after double-sided printing process)
It is preferable to install at least a pair of pressing rolls on both sides of the metal sheet.

In the present invention, various alternatives to the transfer device other than the silent chain type shown in FIG. 3 are possible. For example, an endless track device such as a roller chain type or a toothed rubber belt type with a built-in stainless steel core layer, and a transfer device including a large number of gears cascaded at both ends of the metal sheet 2 are examples.

After that, the metal sheet 2 is supplied to the crosslinking device 9. The cross-linking device 9 includes a drying chamber 9 provided on the entrance side.
1 and a subsequent crosslinking chamber 92. The printing layer on the metal sheet 2 is dried in the drying chamber 91 at a temperature of about 50 to 120 ° C. At this time, if there is no problem of foaming of the printing layer, the drying temperature is slightly increased to shorten the time required for the next heat crosslinking, for example, 100 to 1
It is preferred that pre-crosslinking occurs after drying at 50 ° C. The printing layer is then applied to the crosslinking chamber 92 for 150
Heat crosslinking is performed at a high temperature of about 300 ° C, preferably about 180 ° C to 250 ° C. In addition, the crosslinking of the printing layer may be performed by, for example, electron beam irradiation crosslinking, ultraviolet irradiation crosslinking, or other crosslinking methods other than heat crosslinking, depending on the type of the organic polymer or the type of the crosslinking agent used. Of course.

On both sides of the metal sheet 2 having undergone the cross-linking step, a number of ring-shaped or other pattern-shaped cross-linked organic polymer layers are formed, and the gasket puncher 10 reaches the combustion chamber 10 Various gasket holes such as holes are punched. The position of the gasket hole to be punched in the continuous process can be determined instantaneously by the image pickup device before each start of drilling, for example, by using a punch having an image pickup device. If the drilling position can be determined instantaneously, a dancer roll can be installed between the cross-linking device 9 and the gasket drilling machine 10 to freely adjust the line speed of the metal sheet 2. it can.

Beads are formed around the gasket holes formed in the metal sheet 2 by the gasket punching machine 10 by the bead setting machine 11. The metal sheet 2 finally reaches the gasket punching machine 12 and from there, FIG.
Gasket material 1 such as stainless steel plate body S1 shown in FIG.
3 is punched.

The present invention includes various modified embodiments other than the embodiment shown in FIG. For example, the metal sheet 2 via the cleaning device 3, the primer treatment tank 4, and the dryer 5
First, necessary gasket holes are punched by a gasket punching machine 10, and thereafter, each processing is performed by each device sequentially through a paint printing device 8, a cross-linking device 9, and a bead setting machine 11, and finally, the gasket It may reach the punching machine 12. In addition, bead setting may be performed after the gasket is punched by the gasket punching machine 12.

In the present invention, the metal sheet to be printed such as the metal sheet 2 is transferred using the transfer means which engages with the guide holes provided in the metal sheet to be printed such as the transfer devices 71 and 71 'as a power source as described above. Or may be transferred by another power source. In this case, the transfer means used in the present invention is an embodiment in which a guide hole provided in the metal sheet to be printed is meshed with a guide hole provided and is passively rotated following the traveling of the metal sheet to be printed, or an embodiment of the metal sheet. There is an embodiment in which the vehicle rotates in synchronization with running, and any of the embodiments can achieve the object of the present invention.

The traveling of the metal sheet to be printed is a traveling method in which both sides thereof are perpendicular to the ground surface, but are run parallel to the ground surface as a whole, and are raised or lowered vertically to the ground surface. Is also possible. In those cases, paint printing devices are installed on the left and right sides of the metal sheet 2 in opposition. Further, the installation position of the guide hole in the metal sheet to be printed is not limited to both ends of the sheet, but is arbitrary as long as there is no problem in printing the paint.

In the present invention, the metal sheet to be printed is a relatively short sheet, for example, having a length of 0.5 to 5 such that several to several tens of desired gaskets can be punched in addition to a long continuous sheet.
It may be a short sheet of m or a piece punched in advance in the final gasket outer shape. In the case of such a short sheet, for example, various types of conveying means are used to cascadely travel at a constant interval between the rear end of the preceding short sheet and the front end of the subsequent short sheet. The guide holes provided at both ends and at other convenient places provide vibration-proof and rate-determining conditions as in FIGS. The above piece may be handled in the same manner as the short sheet. If it is impossible or difficult to provide a guide hole in a previously punched piece, a piece provided with only a small protrusion for providing a guide hole is punched, and the small protrusion is formed at an appropriate stage after the printing process. It is good to remove the part.

[0035]

According to the present invention, a high quality and high performance metal gasket such as CHG can be manufactured at low cost even by continuous operation for a long time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of the steps for performing the method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial top view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is another partial enlarged view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a typical metal cylinder head gasket of an automobile engine.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 6;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sending drum 2 Metal sheet 21 Guide hole 3 Cleaning device 4 Primer treatment tank 5 Dryer 61, 61 'Suppression roll 62, 62' Suppression roll 63, 63 'Suppression roll 64, 64' Suppression roll 71, 71 'Transfer device 72, 72 'Transfer device 8 Paint printing device 9 Cross-linking device 10 Gasket punching machine 11 Bead stand 12 Gasket punching machine

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. At least a pair of screen printing machines simultaneously and partially apply both sides of a metal sheet to be printed which runs in the presence of a transfer means which engages with a guide hole provided in the metal sheet to be printed. A method for producing a metal gasket material, comprising printing an organic polymer paint on the surface of a metal gasket. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the guide holes are provided at both ends of the metal sheet to be printed. 3. The method for producing a metal gasket material according to claim 1, wherein the metal sheet to be printed is a long continuous sheet. 4. The method for producing a metal gasket material according to claim 1, wherein the metal sheet to be printed is a short metal sheet, and a large number of the metal sheets run continuously in cascade. 5. The method for producing a metal gasket material according to claim 1, wherein the screen printing machine is a rotary screen printing machine. 6. The method for producing a metal gasket material according to claim 5, wherein said transfer means is provided immediately before and / or immediately after a printing step by a rotary screen printing machine. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the metal sheet to be printed is restrained by a restraining roll immediately before and / or immediately after printing by the screen printing machine and runs in the presence of the transfer means. Manufacturing method of metal gasket material. 8. The method for producing a metal gasket material according to claim 1, wherein the metal gasket material is a cylinder head gasket of an automobile engine.