JPH10192780A - Treatment for forming catalytic converter bed of exhaust pipe - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of forming a catalytic converter bed in an exhaust pipe to enable the improvement of production efficiency. SOLUTION: After an exhaust pipe is fitted to a coating device 14 for automatically applying coating material to the inner surface of the exhaust pipe, during automatic applying work of the coating device 14, a separate exhaust pipe from which excess coating material has already been sucked by a sucking device 18 is removed from the sucking device 18, and a further separate exhaust pipe which has been supported on a liquid removing device 16 to make excess coating material drip is moved from the liquid removing device 16 to the sucking device 18. Next, sucking of the excess coating material in this exhaust pipe by the suction device 18 is started, and an exhaust pipe in which applying of the coating material by the coating device 14 has been finished is supported by the liquid removing device 16. While excess coating material is sucked from the exhaust pipe by the sucking device 18 and the exhaust pipe is supported by the liquid removing device 16, a new exhaust pipe is fitted to the coating device 14, and this process is repeated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a method for forming a catalytic converter layer on the inner surface of an exhaust pipe of an engine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a catalytic converter layer has been formed on the inner surface of an exhaust pipe attached to an engine. This catalytic converter layer chemically reacts harmful components in exhaust gas, such as oxidizing carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide and water, and simultaneously converting nitrogen oxides to nitrogen and oxygen. And change it into harmless components.

The catalytic converter layer contains, for example, a platinum-rhodium-based catalytic converter material as a main component. A slurry or liquid coating material mixed with the catalytic converter material is applied to the inner surface of the exhaust pipe, and excess coating material is sucked from the exhaust pipe, and the remaining coating material is air-dried and further heat-treated. Is carried out to produce a catalytic converter layer. Alternatively, there is a method in which only an application material for forming irregularities on the inner surface of the exhaust pipe is first applied to the inner surface of the exhaust pipe in order to increase the surface area, and the catalytic converter material is attached to the applied material later. In order to perform these steps, the catalytic converter forming factory is equipped with a degreasing furnace for degreasing exhaust pipes (materials), a coating device for applying a coating material to the material, a suction device for sucking excess coating material by airflow, and a coating material. An air drying device for air-drying, a heat treatment furnace and the like are provided.

[0004]

However, in the conventional method for forming a catalytic converter layer of an exhaust pipe, a coating material is applied to the exhaust pipe by a coating device, and then extra coating material is removed from the exhaust pipe for a while on the coating device. Dropping was performed (hereinafter, also referred to as "liquid draining" as appropriate), the operator removed the exhaust pipe from the coating device, and then attached the exhaust pipe to the suction device. Such a draining operation is a necessary step in order not to scatter the applied material around the apparatus and to prevent excessive applied material from remaining in the exhaust pipe. Further, it is necessary to attach the exhaust pipe to the coating device or the suction device while precisely positioning the exhaust pipes one by one.

[0005] In contrast, degreasing work in a degreasing furnace, air drying in an air drying device, and heat treatment in a heat treatment furnace are automatically performed for a plurality of exhaust pipes. However, during draining work, during the time of holding the exhaust pipe and the time of attaching the exhaust pipe to the suction device, the worker may handle other exhaust pipes and work on other equipment. I can't do that either. Therefore, in the case of mass production, the draining operation and the mounting operation of the exhaust pipe have been problems in terms of production efficiency.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for forming a catalytic converter layer of an exhaust pipe capable of improving production efficiency.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a coating apparatus for automatically applying a coating material for providing a catalytic converter layer to an inner surface of an exhaust pipe. Forming a catalytic converter layer in an exhaust pipe by using a liquid drainage device that supports an exhaust pipe to drop excess coating material from the exhaust pipe and a suction device that sucks the excess coating material from the exhaust pipe by air flow. The method
(a) Attach an exhaust pipe to the coating device, (b) While the coating device is automatically applying the coating material to the inner surface of the exhaust pipe, suck the excess coating material with the suction device already. Removed another exhaust pipe from the suction device,
(c) moving another exhaust pipe supported by the liquid draining device from the liquid draining device to the suction device, and starting suction of excess coating material in the exhaust pipe by the suction device, (d) ) Supporting the exhaust pipe after the application of the application material in the application device to the liquid draining device, (e)
The suction device sucks excess coating material from the exhaust pipe,
And while the exhaust pipe is supported by the draining device, a new exhaust pipe is attached to the coating device, and (f) and (b)
Or (e) is repeated.

As described above, while the coating apparatus is automatically applying the coating material to the inner surface of the exhaust pipe, another exhaust pipe is removed from the suction apparatus, and the suction and liquid draining apparatus by the suction apparatus are used. By attaching a new exhaust pipe to the coating device while performing liquid draining at
It is possible to greatly improve production efficiency.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a factory for performing a method for forming a catalytic converter layer of an exhaust pipe according to an embodiment. In the drawing, reference numeral 10 denotes a material box for accommodating a large number of exhaust pipes serving as materials, and reference numeral 12 denotes a degreasing furnace for degreasing the exhaust pipe in order to easily apply a coating material. The exhaust pipe is supported by a chain conveyor and can be circulated in the degreasing furnace 12, and the exhaust pipe is degreased by hot air from a heating blower provided in the degreasing furnace 12.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a coating device. In the present embodiment, the coating device 14 applies a slurry or liquid coating material as a catalytic converter material to the inner surface of the exhaust pipe. An operator attaches exhaust pipes to the coating device 14 one by one. Thereafter, the coating device 14 automatically sprays the coating material onto the inner surface of the exhaust pipe by the spray nozzle. At the lower part of the coating device 14, a receiving tray is provided for receiving the portion of the coating material ejected from the injection nozzle that has not been applied to the inner surface of the exhaust pipe.

At a position close to the coating device 14, there is provided a liquid draining device 16 which supports an exhaust pipe coated with the coating material and drops excess coating material from the exhaust pipe. The liquid draining device 16 includes a clamp that supports the exhaust pipe, and an operator attaches the exhaust pipe to the clamp so that the exhaust pipe is substantially in a vertical state. In addition, a receiving tray is disposed below the draining device 16, and the receiving tray receives an excess coating material dripped from an exhaust pipe supported by the clamp.

The coating material received in the tray of the draining device 16 is collected in the same tank together with the coating material received in the tray of the coating device 14. The recovery tank is provided with a pump for re-supplying the coating material to the injection nozzle. This makes it possible to reuse the applied coating material without wasting it. Further, the operation for collecting the coating material is not required. Further, separate collection tanks for the coating device 14 and the liquid removing device 16 are not required, and the device is simple.

Further, at a position close to the liquid removing device 16, there is arranged a suction device 18 for sucking an excess coating material by an air current from an exhaust pipe to which the coating material is applied. The suction device 18 includes a suction tank to which an exhaust pipe is attached, and a suction pump that makes the inside of the suction tank a negative pressure. Reference numeral 20 denotes an air drying device into which an exhaust pipe that has passed through the suction device 18 is carried in and air-drys the application material. The air drying device 20
An air drying tank to which an exhaust pipe is attached is provided, and a turbo blower for pumping air into the air drying tank is provided.

Reference numeral 22 denotes a heat treatment furnace for carrying a heat treatment on the coating material, into which an exhaust pipe whose coating material has been dried via the air drying device 20 is carried in, and reference numeral 24 denotes an exhaust pipe which has become a product through the heat treatment furnace 22. 2 shows a product box to be stored. A heating blower is provided in the heat treatment furnace 22, and the exhaust pipe is supported by a chain conveyor, circulated in the heat treatment furnace 22, and heated by the heating blower. In addition,
In the figure or the work procedure is shown, the details of which will be described later.

B. Next, a method for forming a catalytic converter layer in the above factory will be described. First, an operator takes out an exhaust pipe for processing from the material box 10 and attaches it to the chain conveyor of the degreasing furnace 12. Then, while the exhaust pipe is circulated in the degreasing furnace 12, the exhaust pipe is degreased by hot air from the heating blower.

Next, the degreased exhaust pipe is taken out of the degreasing furnace 12, carried to the coating device 14, and set on a mounting portion of the coating device 14. Thereafter, as described above, the coating process of the coating material is automatically performed in the coating device 14.

Then, the exhaust pipe on which the coating process has been performed is removed from the mounting portion, and the exhaust pipe is supported by the clamp of the liquid removing device 16.
Extra coating material is dropped from here. Thereafter, the exhaust pipe is removed from the clamp, attached to the mounting portion of the suction device 18, and excess coating material is removed from the exhaust pipe. next,
The exhaust pipe is removed from the mounting portion of the suction device 18 and supported by the support portion of the air drying device 20 to air-dry the application material.

Further, the exhaust pipe is removed from the support of the air drying device 20 and set on the chain conveyor of the heat treatment furnace 22. Then, while the exhaust pipe is circulated in the heat treatment furnace 22, heat treatment of the coating material is performed by hot air from the heating blower. Thereafter, the exhaust pipe is removed from the chain conveyor and placed in the product box 24. This completes the catalytic converter layer forming process for each exhaust pipe.

Also, in FIGS.
Indicates the sequence of operations performed by an operator, and by repeating these operations, a catalytic converter layer is formed on a large number of exhaust pipes. The arrow in FIG. 1 indicates a path along which the operator carries the exhaust pipe. Next, a work procedure performed by the worker will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2B. Here, in order to form a catalytic converter layer on a large number of exhaust pipes, these operations are performed while performing operations on other exhaust pipes. FIG. 2 shows the time (seconds) required to perform each operation.

First, after a certain number of exhaust pipes have been subjected to the catalytic converter layer forming process, the exhaust pipes removed from the degreasing furnace 12 and carried to the coating apparatus 14 are set in the coating apparatus 14 (). Next, another exhaust pipe degreased by the degreasing furnace 12 is carried to the vicinity of the coating device 14 (). Then, the exhaust pipe to be processed in the future is placed in the material box 1
0 and set on the chain conveyor of the degreasing furnace 12 (). Further, the exhaust pipe subjected to the suction process by the suction device 18 is removed from the suction device 18 and the air drying device 20 is removed.
Attach to ().

Further, the exhaust pipe already subjected to the air drying process in the air drying device 20 is removed from the air drying device 20 and attached to the chain conveyor of the heat treatment furnace 22 (). Thereafter, the exhaust pipe already heat-treated in the heat treatment furnace 22 is removed from the heat treatment furnace 22 and placed in the product box 24 (). After that, the exhaust pipe from which draining has been completed by the draining device 16 is removed from the clamp of the draining device 16 and set on the suction device 18 (). Then, the exhaust pipe having been subjected to the coating process is removed from the coating device 14 and attached to the clamp of the liquid removing device 16 (). Thereafter, the worker repeats the above operation.

As shown by the dotted line in FIG. 2B, the automatic coating process in the coating device 14 requires 26 seconds, and the suction process in the suction device 18 requires 16 seconds. The draining process in the draining device 16 requires 12 seconds. However, during these processes, the operator can perform other operations, there is no useless waiting time, and the production efficiency is very high. In addition, the above work ~
The time required for one cycle is 35 seconds.

C. Next, effects of the present embodiment will be described. C-1. Comparative Example FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view illustrating a factory that performs the catalytic converter layer forming method compared with the present embodiment. In the factory of this comparative example, unlike FIG. 1, the liquid draining device 16 is not provided. For this reason, after applying the coating material to the exhaust pipe with the coating device 14, before the suction device 18 sucks the excess coating material, the worker holds the exhaust pipe for a while and removes the excess coating material from the exhaust pipe. It needs to be dropped.

The procedure of the operator in the catalytic converter layer forming process in the comparative example will be described with reference to FIG. Symbols '' indicate the sequence of operations performed by the operator, and by repeating these operations, a catalytic converter layer is formed on a large number of exhaust pipes. The work procedure performed by the worker will be described with reference to FIGS. Again, these operations are performed while performing operations on other exhaust pipes in order to form a catalytic converter layer on a large number of exhaust pipes.

First, after a certain number of exhaust pipes have been subjected to the catalytic converter layer forming process, the exhaust pipes removed from the degreasing furnace 12 and transported to the coating apparatus 14 are set in the coating apparatus 14 (). Next, another exhaust pipe degreased by the degreasing furnace 12 is carried to the vicinity of the coating device 14 (). Then, the exhaust pipe to be processed in the future is placed in the material box 1
0 and set on the chain conveyor of the degreasing furnace 12 (). Further, the exhaust pipe subjected to the suction process by the suction device 18 is removed from the suction device 18 and the air drying device 20 is removed.
Attach to ().

Further, the exhaust pipe which has already been subjected to the air drying process in the air drying device 20 is removed from the air drying device 20 and attached to the chain conveyor of the heat treatment furnace 22 (). Thereafter, the exhaust pipe already heat-treated in the heat treatment furnace 22 is removed from the heat treatment furnace 22 and placed in the product box 24 (). Thereafter, the exhaust pipe subjected to the coating process by the coating device 14 is removed from the coating device 14 and set on the suction device 18 ('). Thereafter, the worker repeats the above operation.

As shown by the dotted line in FIG. 2, the automatic coating process in the coating device 14 takes 26 seconds, and the operator can perform other work during this process.
However, after the coating is performed by the coating device 14, the liquid is drained by one.
It takes 2 seconds, during which time the exhaust pipe needs to be held by the coating device 14. For this reason, 11 seconds are required as the time from the operation of (1) to the operation of (2). During this time,
This is a waiting time, and the operator cannot perform other operations. The suction process in the suction device 18 takes 16 seconds, and the operator performs the following operations during this process. However, the total work time of is 13 seconds, and a waiting time of 3 seconds is required before starting the work.

Therefore, a wasteful waiting time (a total of 14 seconds) is generated in one cycle of the operation '′, and the production efficiency is inferior to the above embodiment. In the above embodiment, the work (4 seconds) of removing the coated exhaust pipe from the coating device 14 and attaching it to the clamp of the liquid removing device 16 is added. Therefore, the time required for one cycle of the work in the comparative example is 10 seconds longer than that of the embodiment, and is 45 seconds.
Seconds.

C-2. Conclusion As is clear from the above, in the present embodiment, the coating apparatus 1
A liquid draining device 16 that supports the exhaust pipe and drops excess coating material from the exhaust pipe is provided at a position close to both between the suction device 4 and the suction device 18, and the coating material is dropped in the liquid draining device 16. . For this reason, it is not necessary for the operator to hold the exhaust pipe during the time of dropping the coating material, and this time can be spent for other work. In addition, during the time of suction by the suction device 18, a hand waiting time can be reduced by performing other operations. Furthermore, while the application device 14 automatically applies the application material, various operations can be performed to improve the operation efficiency.

As is clear from the comparison between FIGS. 2A and 2B, in the processing according to the present embodiment, the procedure for setting the exhaust pipe from the coating apparatus 14 to the liquid removing apparatus 16 is more difficult than the processing according to the comparative example. One has increased (). However, since the waiting time unlike the comparative example does not occur, the time required for one cycle from operation to operation can be reduced to 35 seconds, and the production efficiency in mass production can be greatly improved.

Further, as in the comparative example, simply holding the exhaust pipe on the coating apparatus 14 on which the coating operation has been performed and draining the liquid may cause the operator to remove the liquid before the predetermined draining time has elapsed. , Stop draining and connect the exhaust pipe to the suction device 18
May be set to However, by providing the draining device 16 with a process of supporting the exhaust pipe as in the present embodiment, the time required for the supporting process is ensured,
Draining can be performed.

Although the minimum time required for draining is 12 seconds shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the exhaust pipe is removed from the draining device 16 by performing other operations during draining. Before the work, the liquid is drained for a sufficient time. That is, 27 seconds, which is the total time of, is the time during which the liquid drainage continues. As described above, by lengthening the drainage, the amount of the coating material to be collected in the tank is increased, and the coating material can be saved.

The time shown in the time chart of FIG. 2 is merely an example, and can be changed according to conditions such as the size of the exhaust pipe and the type of the coating material. In the above-described embodiment, the coating device 14 applies the slurry or liquid coating material, which is a catalytic converter material, to the inner surface of the exhaust pipe. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Only the coating material for forming the unevenness on the inner surface of the exhaust pipe may be applied by the coating device 14.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to spend time for dropping the coating material in the liquid removing device for other operations. Therefore, it is possible to improve the production efficiency in mass production.
In addition, since a step of supporting the exhaust pipe in the liquid draining device is provided, the liquid draining time can be secured for a predetermined time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a factory for performing a method for forming a catalytic converter layer of an exhaust pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a time chart showing a procedure of a catalytic converter layer forming process of the embodiment and a comparative example.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing a factory for performing a catalytic converter layer forming method of the comparative example.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 material box, 12 degreasing furnace, 14 coating device, 16
Liquid draining device, 18 suction device, 20 air drying device, 22
Heat treatment furnace, 24 product boxes

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A coating apparatus for automatically applying a coating material for providing a catalytic converter layer to an inner surface of an exhaust pipe, and a liquid draining apparatus for supporting an exhaust pipe for dropping excess coating material from the exhaust pipe. And a suction device for successively using a suction device for sucking excess coating material from the exhaust pipe by an air flow, a processing method for forming a catalytic converter layer in the exhaust pipe, (a) attaching an exhaust pipe to the coating device, b) While the coating device is automatically applying the coating material to the inner surface of the exhaust pipe, remove another exhaust pipe that has already absorbed excess coating material with the suction device from the suction device, (c) moving still another exhaust pipe supported by the draining device from the draining device to the suction device, and starting suction of excess coating material in the exhaust pipe by the suction device, (d) ) The coating by the coating device (E) sucking excess coating material from the exhaust pipe with the suction device, and supporting the exhaust pipe with the liquid drain device. A method for forming a catalytic converter layer in an exhaust pipe, wherein a new exhaust pipe is attached to the coating device while the coating is being performed, and the steps (f), (b), and (e) are repeated. 2. After the step (b) and before the step (c),
The method for forming a catalytic converter layer of an exhaust pipe according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust pipe detached from the suction device is attached to an air drying apparatus that air-drys the coating material. 3. After the exhaust pipe is attached to the air drying device, and before the step (c), the air drying device is already attached to the air drying device in a heat treatment furnace for heat treating the air dried application material. 3. The method for forming a catalytic converter layer of an exhaust pipe according to claim 2, wherein another exhaust pipe on which exhaust gas treatment has been completed is moved. 4. After the step (a) and before the step (b),
The method for forming a catalytic converter layer of an exhaust pipe according to claim 1, wherein the new exhaust pipe is moved from the degreasing furnace for degreasing the exhaust pipe to the vicinity of the coating device. 5. A further exhaust pipe is introduced into the degreasing furnace after moving a new exhaust pipe from the degreasing furnace to the coating apparatus and before the step (b). Item 5. A method for forming a catalytic converter layer in an exhaust pipe according to Item 4.