COATING APPARATUS FOR COATING COMPONENTS

Abstract

A coating device for coating components, in particular for nickel-plating spark plug housings. The coating device includes: a housing having an outer anode that is designed to receive the component, an inner anode that can be introduced into a through-opening of the component, and a voltage-generating device, the voltage-generating device being designed to generate a first voltage between the outer anode and the component, as well as a second voltage between the inner anode and the component. The housing has an inlet and an outlet for introducing and discharging a process medium into or out of the housing.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A coating device for coating a component, comprising: a housing having an outer anode that is configured to receive the component; an inner anode that can be introduced into a through-opening of the component; and a voltage-generating device configured to generate a first voltage between the outer anode and the component, and a second voltage between the inner anode and the component; wherein the housing has an inlet for introducing a process medium into the housing, and an outlet for discharging the process medium from the housing.

11. The coating device as recited in claim 10, wherein the coating device is configured to nickel-plate a spark plug housing.

12. The coating device as recited in claim 10, wherein the housing includes a cover having a clamping device, the clamping device being configured to clamp the component to hold the component in a predefined position inside the outer anode.

13. The coating device as recited in claim 12, wherein the component is a spark plug housing having a ground electrode, and the clamping device being configured to clamp the ground electrode.

14. The coating device as recited in claim 13, wherein the clamping device at least partly covers a surface of the ground electrode in a clamped state, and the clamping device covering at least 80% of the surface of the ground electrode in the clamped state.

15. The coating device as recited in claim 13, wherein the clamping device at least partly covers a surface of the ground electrode in a clamped state, and the clamping device covering at least 95% of the surface of the ground electrode in the clamped state

16. The coating device as recited in claim 10, wherein the process medium is a nickel electrolyte.

17. The coating device as recited in claim 10, wherein the inner anode is adjustable along a longitudinal axis of the housing.

18. The coating device as recited in claim 10, further comprising: a flow-regulating device configured to regulate a flow of the process medium through the housing, the flow-regulating device being a perforated diaphragm.

19. The coating device as recited in which 18, wherein the flow-regulating device is rotatable.

20. The coating device as recited in claim 18, wherein the flow-regulating device is configured to regulate, respectively, a first flow between the inner anode and the component and/or a second flow between the outer anode and the component.

21. The coating device as recited in claim 18, wherein the flow-regulating device is configured to regulate, respectively, a first flow between the inner anode and the component and a second flow between the outer anode and the component, independently of one another.

22. A coating installation, comprising: at least one coating device for coating a component, including: a housing having an outer anode that is configured to receive the component; an inner anode that can be introduced into a through-opening of the component; and a voltage-generating device configured to generate a first voltage between the outer anode and the component, and a second voltage between the inner anode and the component; wherein the housing has an inlet for introducing a process medium into the housing, and an outlet for discharging the process medium from the housing.

23. The coating installation as recited in claim 22, wherein the at least one coating device includes at least 20 coating devices.

24. The coating installation as recited in claim 22, wherein the at least one coating device includes at least 48 coating devices.

25. The coating installation as recited in claim 22, wherein the voltage-generating device includes at least two voltage-regulating devices for coating device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The present invention is described on the basis of an exemplary embodiment in connection with the Figure. In the Figure, functionally identical components are provided with the same reference characters.

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a simplified schematic sectional view of a coating device according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a simplified schematic sectional view of a coating device 1 according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Shown here is an operating state of coating device 1 while a component 2 situated in coating device 1 is coated. Component 2 is a spark plug housing having a straight ground electrode 22.

[0017] Coating device 1 includes a housing 3 having an outer anode 4. Housing 3 extends substantially along a longitudinal axis 10. Component 2 is situated inside outer anode 4. Outer anode 4 has an inner contour that is matched to an outer contour of component 2.

[0018] An inner anode 5 of coating device 1 is situated inside a through-opening 21 of component 2. Inner anode 5 is fastened to a floor 35 of housing 3 by a screw 51. Using screw 51, an adjustment of inner anode 5 along longitudinal axis 10 can be carried out.

[0019] In addition, housing 3 includes a cover 8 having a clamping device 81. Ground electrode 22 of component 2 is clamped in clamping device 81 in order in this way to hold component 2 in a defined position inside outer anode 4. In FIG. 1, ground electrode 22 is shown in a state in which it is not yet bent, and thus also extends in the direction of longitudinal axis 10. As can also be seen in FIG. 1, due to the clamping of ground electrode 22 in clamping device 81, more than 90% of the surface of ground electrode 22 is covered by clamping device 81, in order to prevent coating of ground electrode 22 on precisely this covered surface.

[0020] In addition, housing 3 has on floor 35 an inlet 31 via which a process medium can be introduced into housing 3 in direction 71. Moreover, in housing 3 an outlet 32 is provided via which the process medium can be discharged from housing 3 in direction 72, after it has flowed over or through component 2.

[0021] In addition, coating device 1 includes a flow-regulating device 9 that is situated at the transition between floor 35 and outer anode 4. Flow-regulating device 9 is designed as a perforated diaphragm having a plurality of holes 91 in order to regulate, by rotation, a flow, in particular a volume flow, of the process medium through housing 3.

[0022] The process medium is a nickel electrolyte by which a nickel coating can consequently be produced on component 2.

[0023] In order to produce such a nickel coating on component 2, coating device 1 has in addition a voltage-generating device 6. Using voltage-generating device 6, a first voltage can be generated between outer anode 4 and component 2. In addition, a second voltage can also be generated between inner anode 5 and component 2. In this way, by applying the first voltage and the second voltage while the process medium flows through housing 3, the nickel coating can be produced both on the inner side and on the outer side of component 2.