US-12623246-B2 - Treatment station, treatment unit, and method for treating workpieces

US12623246B2US 12623246 B2US12623246 B2US 12623246B2US-12623246-B2

Abstract

In order to provide a device and a method for treating workpieces ( 102 ), which allow optimum treatment of the workpieces, a treatment station ( 114 ) comprises a treatment chamber ( 136 ) that can be flooded for the purpose of treating the workpiece.

Inventors

Tobias Jäger
Michael Lauer
Marek Downar
Klaus Heinsohn
Oliver Seyboth

Assignees

DÜRR SYSTEMS AG

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20210630
Priority Date: 20200701

Claims (13)

1 . Treatment station for treating workpieces, the treatment station comprising: a treatment container surrounding a treatment chamber for accommodating the workpieces, a fluid tank for receiving a fluid, which is a liquid, and a fluid guide, by which the fluid can be guided a) from the fluid tank into the treatment container to flood the treatment chamber; and/or b) from the treatment container into the fluid tank to empty the treatment chamber, wherein the fluid tank is arranged above the treatment container in relation to a direction of gravity, wherein the treatment station has a counter-tank which is arranged below the treatment chamber and to which the fluid to be discharged from the treatment chamber can be fed, and wherein the treatment chamber is configured to be filled with the liquid during flooding to a maximum filling-height selected according to a workpiece geometry and/or position.
2 . Treatment station according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid guide includes a pumping device by which the fluid can be pumped from the treatment chamber into the fluid tank.
3 . Treatment station according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid guide includes a fluid line designed as a supply line, by which the fluid can be fed to the treatment chamber, wherein the supply line opens into the treatment container in a base region of the treatment container.
4 . Treatment station according to claim 3 , wherein the treatment container includes an inflow region, which inflow region is filled with fluid even when the treatment container provided for replacing a workpiece is in an emptied state, and wherein the supply line opens into the inflow region.
5 . Treatment station according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid guide includes a cleaning device for cleaning the fluid, wherein the cleaning device is arranged in the fluid guide for returning the fluid into the fluid tank.
6 . Treatment station according to claim 1 , wherein the treatment station includes a control device by which a flooding process in the treatment chamber can be controlled and/or regulated.
7 . Treatment station according to claim 6 , wherein for controlling and/or regulating the flooding process, one or more workpiece parameters are taken into account, in particular a geometry, and/or size, and/or position of the respective workpiece within the treatment chamber.
8 . Treatment station according to claim 6 , wherein the flooding process can be controlled by the control device in such a way that a rate of filling and/or a rate of change in a fill level of the fluid in the treatment chamber is varied during the flooding.
9 . Treatment station according to claim 6 , wherein the treatment station includes one or more measuring devices by which a volume flow of the fluid flowing into the treatment chamber and/or a fullness or fill level within the treatment chamber and/or a fullness or fill level in the fluid tank can be determined, wherein one or more measured values of the one or more measuring devices are taken into account for controlling and/or regulating the flooding process.
10 . Treatment station according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid flows from the fluid tank into the treatment chamber and/or from a cleaning chamber into the counter-tank by gravity.
11 . Treatment station according to claim 1 , wherein the treatment station includes two or more than two treatment chambers, each having a treatment chamber, wherein a common fluid tank is provided for supplying the fluid to the two or more than two treatment chambers.
12 . Treatment station according to claim 1 , wherein the treatment station includes a flushing device for flushing and/or cleaning the treatment chamber, wherein a flushing medium can be introduced into the treatment chamber and removed from the latter independently of the fluid, independently of the fluid tank, and/or independently of a counter-tank.
13 . Method for treating workpieces using the treatment station of claim 1 , the method comprising: introducing the workpiece into the treatment chamber of the treatment container; and flooding the treatment chamber with the fluid for performing a workpiece treatment, wherein the fluid is guided: a) from the fluid tank into the treatment container to flood the treatment chamber; and/or b) from the treatment container into the fluid tank to empty the treatment chamber.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION This application is a national Phase of international application No. PCT/DE2021/100553 filed on Jun. 30, 2021, and claims the benefit of German application No. 10 2020 208 247.2 filed on Jul. 1, 2020, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and for all purposes. FIELD OF DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to the field of workpiece treatment, and in particular to cleaning and coating workpieces—for example, vehicle bodies or vehicle parts. BACKGROUND For the treatment of workpieces, these can be dipped into dip tanks, for example. In this case, the workpieces are lowered into a dip tank, for example, and are removed from the dip tank after a treatment step. In doing so, a rotation of the workpiece for optimal treatment of the same even at locations that are difficult to access may also be provided. In such dip treatment plants, it may be disadvantageous if workpieces of different sizes and/or shapes are to be treated and/or if different treatment durations are provided for various workpieces. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is therefore to provide devices and methods which allow optimized workpiece treatment by using cost-efficient components. This object is achieved by the device and the method according to the independent claims. The device is in particular a treatment station or a treatment plant for treating workpieces. A treatment station preferably comprises a treatment container which surrounds a treatment chamber for receiving the workpieces. Furthermore, it may be provided that a treatment station comprise several such treatment containers. It is preferably provided that the treatment chamber be able to be flooded with a fluid. The fluid is in particular a treatment fluid, e.g., a cleaning fluid—in particular, for degreasing the workpieces. Furthermore, it may be provided that the fluid be a coating fluid—for example, for phosphating or painting the workpieces. It may be provided that the treatment container comprise at least one access opening for introducing the workpieces into the treatment chamber and/or for discharging the workpieces from the treatment chamber. The treatment container preferably comprises a closing device for selectively closing and opening the at least one access opening. It may be provided that the treatment container comprise a single access opening for introducing the workpieces into the treatment chamber and for discharging the workpieces from the treatment chamber. Alternatively, it may be provided that the treatment container comprise an access opening for introducing the workpieces into the treatment chamber and a further access opening for discharging the workpieces from the treatment chamber, wherein the access openings are then arranged in particular on opposite sides or ends or front walls of the treatment container. It may be advantageous if at least one access opening is arranged and/or formed in one or more side walls of the treatment container, and in particular in one or more front walls of the treatment container. The treatment container is in particular substantially cuboid and preferably comprises a ceiling wall which is, for example, closed, a bottom wall, two or three closed side walls, and two further or one further side wall, which is provided with at least one access opening, wherein the at least one access opening is preferably completely closable by means of the closing device. It may be favorable if the closing device serves for fluid-tight closing of the at least one access opening. For this purpose, the closing device comprises in particular a closing element which, for example, is self-locking and/or is provided with a self-locking mechanism and/or with a self-locking seal. Furthermore, it may be provided that, in order to ensure the sealing effect of the closing device, at least one toggle lever be or be able to be inserted—in particular, in order to press a closing element onto a sealing device. It may be advantageous if the closing device comprises a lifting device for raising and lowering a closing element of the closing device, and in particular for raising the closing element in order to bring it into an open position and/or for lowering the closing element in order to bring it into a closed position. Furthermore, it may be provided that, by means of the lifting device, the closing element be able to be lowered in order to bring it into an open position and/or be able to be raised in order to bring it into a closed position. Such a closing element may, for example, be a gate, and in particular a lock gate. The closing element may, for example, be formed in one piece and may be movable as a whole. Alternatively, it may be provided that the closing element be formed of several parts, wherein the parts of the closing element are preferably movable independently of one another or perform movements different from one another in order to close or open the access opening.