Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
  • E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
  • E04B1/348—Structures composed of units comprising at least considerable parts of two sides of a room, e.g. box-like or cell-like units closed or in skeleton form
  • E04B1/34815—Elements not integrated in a skeleton
  • E04B1/3483—Elements not integrated in a skeleton the supporting structure consisting of metal
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
  • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
  • C23C14/00—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
  • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
  • C23C16/00—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
  • E04H5/00—Buildings or groups of buildings for industrial or agricultural purposes
  • E04H5/02—Buildings or groups of buildings for industrial purposes, e.g. for power-plants or factories

Definitions

• This invention relates to a PVD and/or CVD coating center according to claim 1 and claim 9 and a method to setup a coating center from an industrial module according to claim 14.
• the object of the invention is to provide a "mobile", compact and cost effective PVD and/or CVD coating center which can be assembled from transportation mode into production mode within a very short period of time or vice versa can be quickly disassembled if a change of location should be necessary due to economic reasons or the like.
• Such a coating center can be placed in at least one transportable industrial module wherein at least parts of the production equipment comprising a PVD/CVD-plant, cleaning-, blasting- & decoating facilities, as well as basic technical infrastructure such as water preparation and recirculation, compressed air supply, gas supply, power distribution, air conditioning and the like are preassembled and provided with a transportation lock where necessary.
• the same can be provided for additional production necessities like goods receipt/issue, storing racks, a lounge/reception or else.
• parts of the industrial modules e.g. transport walls
• transport walls can be designed to give additional rooms and/or a higher roof over the pvd-plant when changed from transportation into production mode.
• such a coating center can be switched into production mode within one or a few days only essentially by removing transportation locks, plug in some gas, compressed air, water and power lines within the center and connecting the center to the public power and water supply. Due to a high degree of standardized elements investment costs can be low compared with a traditional center, that means between 0.5 and 1 million Euro for a center with one PVD/CVD-equipment .
• the present invention is directed to a PVD and/or CVD coating center comprising at least one PVD and/or a CVD sytem as well as further equipment and utilities to supply the coating system and further equipment, whereby the coating system and further equipment and/or utilities are mounted in a pre-assembled way within at least one industrial module and/or an industrial platform and means are provided to switch the coating center from transport to production mode and vice versa.
• a module or industrial module according to the actual invention is a container carrying at least parts of the technical equipment and/or utilities of a PVD and/or CVD coating center in a pre-assembled condition and can be used to transport and after having switched into production mode operate at least the pre-assembled equipment and/or utilities.
• the module is accessible when in production mode to allow access to equipment and/or utilities and to operate the module as a coating center or part of the coating center.
• a modular platform according to the actual invention is a platform carrying at least parts of the technical equipment and/or utilities of a PVD and/or CVD coating center in a preassembled condition and can be used to transport and after having switched into production mode operate at least the pre- assembled equipment and/or utilities.
• the platform is accessible when in production mode to allow access to equipment and/or utilities.
• Transport walls and ceilings, a canvas cover or the like can be mounted to protect technical equipment and/or utilities for transport.
• a modular platform can be the basis of an industrial module. The platform is accessible when in production mode to allow access to equipment and/or utilities and to operate the module as a part of the coating center.
• Further Equipment of a coating center may comprise equipment for pre and post-treatment like brushing, blasting or microblasting units for mechanical treatment, cleaning and/or decoating units for chemical treatment, an outgassing furnace for thermal treatment and the like as well as quality control, analytical equipment as well as goods receipt/issue or the like.
• a process gas supply for gases like argon or other inert gases, hydrogen, nitrogen, methane, ethane, ethylene, acetylene, silanes and the like b) a power supply like a main power rack, a power distribution like a modular electrical network and other electrical utilities like transformers or voltage stabilizers, c) a compressed air supply for blasting, cleaning, valve control or else, d) water distribution and/or preparation unit for temperature control of the coating system or equipment, to provide cleaning and/or decoating unit; e) further utilities like a monitoring rack, a phonesystem and lines or else; Additionally as for point a) to c) quick-release fastener systems for power lines, air compression and/or gas pipes will be advantageous to provide fast mutual connection between the modules or platforms.
• gases like argon or other inert gases, hydrogen, nitrogen, methane, ethane, ethylene, acetylene, silanes and the like
• a power supply like a main power rack, a power
• Means to switch the coating center from transport to production mode may comprise at least one of a removable wall, a transport cover, a ceiling, a canvas cover, a sealing, a hood, a protection shield, centering members, mounting devices, a transportation lock or the like.
• the coating center may comprise in it's minimal version one module only, but will usually comprise 2 or more modules according to the need at the respective production site.
• a four module center described in detail later can be a good compromise if all the equipment for a small stand alone solution is needed. Smaller centers are rather convenient when pre- and/or posttreatment like cleaning, blasting or decoating operations can be performed at other production sites. It should be noted that due to the modular set-up such centers can be quickly extended in compliance to growing business and turn over. Quick set-up as well as extension of existing centers is enabled by quick-release fastener systems for power lines, air compression and/or gas pipes to provide mutual connection. Additionally removable walls can be arranged to give further room for premises when needed.
• Most centers are divided in at least two main zones: a production zone where parts are handled and a utilities zone where the utilities required to operate the equipment are placed. These zones are usually separated by walls due to reasons of operator's safety, waste heat, noise and cleanliness. While operating stuff is working most of the time in the production zone, service stuff will have the permission to enter the utilities zone mainly for purposes of service and maintenance. Separation and size of the zones should be adjusted, if equipment or parts of it are built in a way that utilities are integrated in the equipment itself. This usually means that some utilities are redundant in the center - e.g. water supply for coating system, cleaning unit and decoating unit - measures which may on the one hand minimize space required for the utility zone but on the other hand increase production costs for the equipment.
• zones may be a storage zone where consumables and spare parts are stored, an incoming/outcoming zone for goods, a lounge and else.
• These zones can be made from pre-assembled modules or - as long as there is no need of pre-assembling - from removable walls or transport walls no longer needed after the assembly of the modules. The latter allows to reduce transport volume and costs of the center without causing any essential delay on installation time.
• floor or roof elements can be stored in the modules during the transport to be assembled on the production site later.
• a turnkey PVD coating center comprising a foundation to support the modular center as well as a city water line, a waste water line, a power line and perhaps a telephone line. There may be required an extra diesel generator and water tank according to local needs.
• a surface with the strength of a good parking-lot e.g. with a base plate from concrete, should comply with the needs to support a module which can have a weight of 10 to 30 tons.
• FIG 1 schematic view of a one module coating center
• FIG 2 module with a hood
• FIG 3 cross-section of a pre-assembled equipment
• FIG 4 floor plan of four modules in transport mode
• FIG 5 floor plan of four modules in production mode
• Fig 6 zone repartition within a four module center
• FIG 7 mounted transport wall
• FIG 8 example of a fixing system
• FIG 9 modules with transport walls demounted
• FIG 10 modules with centering members
• FIG 11 modules with mounting devices
• FIG 12 consumption figures of a four modules center
• FIG 13 modular indoor coating center.
• FIG 1 presents a floor plan of a small center in production position comprising only one module 1 and the related infrastructure required for production. Openings for doors 24 and windows 25 can be closed for transport by removable walls or protection shields 25' as mentioned below.
• the module is divided into 2 zones : a production zone 7 equipped with a coating system 12, a loading/unloading station 20 and shelves 22 to store in-/outcoming goods and fixtures for the parts to be coated, a utilities cubicle 8 containing coating system utilities 26 like a pumping unit, a system power rack and the like not shown in detail in the figure as well as common utilities like a process gas supply 16, a main power rack 17 to supply the whole module 1, compressed air supply 18 and a water distribution/preparation unit 19.
• the typical interior height of such a module is between 2.5 and 2.9 m, smaller dimensions can be used for utility modules or other elements when access is restricted to service needs as an example.
• the outer dimension should be limited to a maximum length of typically 12.2 m and maximum height and/or width of 3 m (or 40' x 10' x 10'), which are ISO-standard dimensions of transport containers for land, sea and air cargo. This means that the typical surface of such a module is about 36 m 2 . Weight restrictions can also be an issue to heed but usually oversize is the main issue making transports much more difficult and costly.
• the coating system 12 is the piece of equipment having the highest upright dimension the choice of a comparatively small coating system with high productivity is essential to fulfill the needs of a modular center. Adequate coating systems for example would be commercially available RCS, BAI 830 or BAI 730 systems.
• FIG 2 presents an example how to extend height dimensions of a module with a hood 27.
• the hood 27 can be stored within a module 1 to 6 whereas the opening is closed by a transport cover 28.
• Such extensions can also be provided by removable transport walls no longer needed when the coating center is set up for production.
• the transport cover can be fixed during transport similar to comments with FIG 6/7.
• FIG 3 shows an exemplary construction to fix a piece of equipment 46 on the floor 48 of a module 1.
• a steel structure 49 provided with tapped holes, grid structure or other means to allow a stable connection with the floor mounted equipment 46 is fixed on a lower frame structure 53 of the container/module 1 which can be done by reversible means like screws and nuts or irreversible means like welding bonds or rivets.
• Floor mounted equipment 46 can then be fixed with floor screws 47 or equivalent means.
• other floor, wall or roof structures can be adjusted e.g. in order to fix equipment permanently, to provide a transportation lock only or to ensure stable and safe placement of the equipment during production. Provisions like that are of special importance for the integration of pre-assembled heavy equipment and/or the coating plant with a high centre of gravity within the module.
• FIG 4 depicts a floor plan of four different modules 1 to 4 in transport mode which can be assembled together on site to make a four modules center as presented in FIG 5.
• a transport cover 28 can be replaced in production by a hood 27 in order to extend the height of the center to provide easy access to the top of the coating system 12 and parts of the coating system utilities 26.
• Protection shields 25' are mounted detachable to secure windows 25 during transport.
• Transport walls 29 to 34 can be removed quickly from modules 1 to 4 to extend the footprint of the four module center.
• transport walls 29 to 31, together with door 24 as well as prefabricated ceiling and floor elements - the latter being not further illustrated in the drawings - were used to construct a magazine 9 whereas transport walls 32 to 34 including double door 24' were used to set up a reception 10. If additional walls should be needed they can be stored in the modules during transport like any prefabricated elements too arid then be assembled on the production site.
• Fig 6 shows the zone repartition of the actual four module center with a production zone 7, utilities cubicle 8, magazine 9, reception 10 and lounge 11.
• every piece of equipment should belong to one module only and utilities like process gas 16 and compressed air supply 18, as well as main power rack 16 and system power rack (integrated in coating system utilities 26 with the actual example) should be placed within the module where the highest need of gas, compressed air, high electrical power or else accrues. That is why with the actual example process gas supply 16, main power rack 17 as well as coating system utilities 26 are mounted in module 1 to supply coating system 12, whereas compressed air supply 18 is mounted in the same module 2 as blasting and/or microblasting units 13.
• modules have to be built in such a way that they are compatible with all kinds of transport and fulfill the usual static needs and strength of a standard transport container.
• transport cover 28, removable transport walls 29 to 34 as well as protection shields 25' have to be of comparable strength and can be closed water- tightly.
• FIG 7 depicts a mounted transport wall in transport position whereas FIG 8 shows an example of a fast fixing system.
• transport wall 50 is mounted on upper and lower frame structure 52, 53 of a container module n 5 with fixing means 51, which can be screws, pluggable release handles or the like.
• fixing means 51 which can be screws, pluggable release handles or the like.
• a sealing 35 is placed between the transport wall 50 and frame structures 52, 53 and container module 5. Sealing 35 can be designed as a one- or multi-part seal and be made from an elastomer, an appropriate tissue like neoprene or similar materials .
• FIG 9 to 11 give an example how to combine two modules, namely module n 5 and module n+ ⁇ 6, and change them from transport to production mode. For a center with n modules, this operation has to be repeated n-1 times.
• first assembling steps as presented in FIG 9 comprise removal of the transport walls 50 and putting sealing 38 in place near the outer diameter of the connecting sidewall of module n 5.
• sealing 38 it should is referred to transport sealing 35.
• module n 5 and module n+1 6 have to be positioned by crane, by pushing or the like to a minimal distance allowing fine positioning with centering members 39 and 40 to center modules in their mutual position before connecting together definitively.
• fine positioning is done by a thread-rod 40 cooperating with two eyelets 39 with contrariwise threads being mountable on modules 5 and 6 or using additional nuts instead of contrariwise threads or the like. After fine positioning of the modules 5, 6 centering members 39 and 40 can be demounted.
• FIG 11 it is shown how definitive connection of two modules 5, 6 can be mounted to keep the mutual position of the modules and to provide adequate compression of seal 38 to make watertight connection.
• Two examples for different mounting devices are described which can be used alone or mixed as shown according to the actual needs .
• a flat mounting device comprising thread holes 41 in the lower (or upper) frame structure 53 (52) of both modules 5, 6, a mounting plate 42 and mounting screws 43. It can be used as an inside connection due to its flat design or - on the top - as an outside connection too.
• a top mounting device comprising connection plates 44 mounted on the upper frame structure 52 or sidewise on the outside walls of both modules 5, 6, being connected by at least one connection screw 45. Due to the upright design the top mounting device is rather adapted for outside applications than for inside.
• FIG 13 shows an example of a modular indoor coating center in the case that hiring or purchasing a local premises 61 should be an interesting alternative in consideration of cost aspects, due to a bargain sales or else. Similar to the coating centers as mentioned above equipment and utility lines and pipes are integrated and pre-assembled in a module or on a platform before transport in order to shorten the set-up time in the hall.
• transport modules 54 to 58 are not longer needed to construct an overall housing for the coating center but are only used to separate production zones from each other when required.
• all utilities like process gas supply 16, main power rack 18, water distribution/preparation 19, monitoring rack 19' as well as additional utilities 62 like air conditioning or else can now be placed within one module 54.
• This module should be isolated from the rest of the premises 61 for reasons of noise, heat and safety. Alternatively it could be placed outside of the premises 61.
• a similar case is with the blasting room 56 due to generation of dust and noise.
• modules of the actual example are pre-assembled according to usual process steps of a coating center which are cleaning in module 58, coating in module 55, decoating in module 57 and blasting in module 56. Goods receipt/issue can be provided outside the modules within premises 61.
• a pre-fabricated media duct 60 brings all media required (water, electrical power, gas, compressed air and else when needed) from utilities container 54 to equipment mounted in modules 55 to 58 through a connection devices 59 composed of fast connections referring to the actual media needs.
• the media duct 60 can be dismounted for transport and stored in one or several containers during transport. If some utilities are used for one piece of equipment only appropriate utilities can be integrated within the same module. As for example for the process gas supply 16 which could be integrated in module 55 being used for supply of the coating system 12 only. Similar considerations can be made e.g. for compressed air supply 18, as well as for water distribution/preparation 19.
• floor level of modules 54, 55, 56, 57, 58 is higher than floor level of premises 61 it is useful to provide a ramp 63 to be able to move parts, especially parts to be surface treated, with a rolling table from one module to another.
• modular platforms with pre-assembled production equipment can be used for production steps or zones which do not need a closed housing, the latter being definitely advantageous for the utility module 58 or the blasting module 56 for reasons as mentioned above.
• ceilings and wall elements can be demounted to switch a transport module into production mode facilitating sidewise access to the equipment.
• Such platforms could be used favorably for modules 55, 57 and 58 as an example .

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Metallurgy (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Application Of Or Painting With Fluid Materials (AREA)
• Coating Apparatus (AREA)
• Ventilation (AREA)
• Refuse Collection And Transfer (AREA)

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Citations (4)

• 2005
  • 2005-03-24 WO PCT/CH2005/000172 patent/WO2005109472A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2005-03-24 CN CNU2005900000665U patent/CN201080493Y/zh not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2005-03-24 DE DE212005000023U patent/DE212005000023U1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2005-05-05 TW TW94114523A patent/TWI397602B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (4)

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