System and method for coating workpieces

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and to a method for coating workpieces using a coating device, which is designed to apply a metal coating to a surface of the workpiece. According to the invention, it is provided that a plurality of coating devices, which are designed as identical coating modules, are provided and are arranged in a module group, that an input measuring station is assigned to the module group, by means of which station a surface of the face of the workpiece to be coated can be detected, that a conveying apparatus is provided, by means of which a workpiece can be supplied to one of the coating modules from the input measuring station, and that an output measuring station is assigned to the module group, by means of which station a surface of the coated face of the workpiece can be detected.

Claims

1. A system for coating brake discs or brake drums, using a coating device for applying a metal coating to a surface (6) of one of the brake discs or brake drums (5), the system comprising: a plurality of coating devices for applying the metal coating as a metal brake surface onto the brake discs or brake drums, wherein the plurality of coating devices are identical coating modules (20), and are arranged in a module group (30), an input measuring station (40) associated with the module group (30), by means of which station a structure of the surface of the face (6) of the one of the brake discs or brake drums (5) to be coated can be detected prior to any of the coating devices applying the metal coating to the one of the brake discs or brake drums, a conveying apparatus (36), by means of which the one of the brake discs or brake drums (5) can be supplied to one of the coating modules (20) from the input measuring station (40), a control apparatus to control one of the coating modules when the metal coating is being applied to the one of the brake discs or brake drums depending on the measured values of the one of the brake discs or brake drums which have been detected in the input measuring station, and an output measuring station (50) associated with the module group (30), by means of which station a surface of the coated face (6) of the one of the brake discs or brake drums (5) can be detected; the system further comprising: a plurality of the module groups (30) each having an input measuring station (40) and an output measuring station (50), wherein the plurality of the module groups are arranged in parallel with one another; and a post-processing station (64) associated with the plurality of the module groups (30), wherein the post-processing station is designed for a material-removing processing of the coated surface of the one of the brake discs or brake drums, the material-removing process including grinding, honing, lapping, or polishing of the coated surface of the one of the brake discs or brake drums.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the conveying apparatus (36) comprises a linear conveyor, along which the individual coating modules (20) are arranged.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein in a conveying direction of the linear conveyor, the input measuring station (40) is upstream of the module group (30) and the output measuring station (50) is downstream of the module group (30).

4. The system according to claim 1, comprising at least one handling apparatus (32) including a multi-axis gripper, by means of which the one of the brake discs or brake drums (5) can be supplied to the input measuring station (40) and/or to the conveying apparatus (36) and/or to the output measuring station (50).

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control apparatus controls the conveying apparatus (36) to supply a particular one of the brake discs or brake drums (5) to a particular one of the coating modules (20), and to control the particular one of the coating modules (20) when the metal coating is being applied to the particular one of the brake discs or brake drums (5) depending on the measured values of the particular one of the brake discs or brake drums (5) which have been detected in the input measuring station (40).

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein each coating module (20) comprises a transport frame (22) and is arranged interchangeably in the module group (30).

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the coating modules (20) in a module group (30) are arranged in parallel with one another.

8. The system according to claim 1, comprising a main conveying apparatus (60) for supplying the brake discs or brake drums (5) to the module group (30) and for discharging said brake discs or brake drums therefrom.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control apparatus is for controlling the post-processing station (64) on the basis of measured values of the coated one of the brake discs or brake drums (5), which have been detected by the output measuring station (50) through which the one of the brake discs or brake drums (5) has passed.

10. Method for coating workpieces (5), in particular brake discs or brake drums, using a system (10) according to claim 1, wherein the workpiece (5) to be coated is supplied to an input measuring station (40), in which a surface of a face (6) of the workpiece (5) to be coated is detected, the workpiece (5) is guided to one of the coating modules (20) in a module group (30) by means of a conveying apparatus (36), in which module group a metal coating is applied to the surface (6) of the workpiece (5) to be coated, and the coated workpiece (5) is supplied to an output measuring station (50), in which the coated surface of the workpiece (5) is detected.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control apparatus is for controlling the post-processing station (64) on the basis of measured values of the coated one of the brake discs or brake drums (5), which have been detected by the output measuring station (50) through which the one of the brake discs or brake drums (5) has passed.

Description

(1) The invention is explained in greater detail in the following on the basis of preferred embodiments shown schematically in the drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a system according to the invention comprising a module group;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic view for coating a workpiece; and

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another system according to the invention comprising a plurality of module groups according to FIG. 1.

(5) A first embodiment of a system 10 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1. Said system comprises four coating modules 20, which form a module group 30 in a parallel arrangement beside one another. An input measuring station 40 is upstream of the module group 30, to which station workpieces (not shown here) are conveyed by means of a main conveying apparatus 60. By means of a handling apparatus 32, which is configured in the present, exemplary embodiment as a multi-axis robot, the workpieces are picked up from the main conveying apparatus 60 and supplied to the box-shaped input measuring station 40.

(6) The workpieces, in particular a surface to be coated, are measured in the input measuring station 40. In this process, a surface structure of the face to be coated can in particular be detected, with peaks and troughs in the surface in particular being detected and measured.

(7) The measured workpiece can then be transferred out of the input measuring station 40 via the handling apparatus 32, or directly out of the input measuring station 40, to a linear conveying apparatus 36 which runs along the coating modules 20. A supply apparatus 38 is arranged on the conveying apparatus 36, designed as a linear conveyor, upstream of each coating module 20, by means of which supply apparatus a workpiece is introduced into an inlet opening 24 in a box-shaped housing 21 of the selected coating module 20.

(8) The coating modules 20 are designed to be the same or substantially the same and comprise a transport frame 22. With this transport frame 22, the coating modules 20 can be moved and relocated by means of an indoor crane or forklift truck. This makes it possible, for example in the event of a capacity change, to add or remove additional coating modules 20 or to replace an existing coating module 20 with a new coating module 20 for repair or maintenance purposes.

(9) In the coating module 20, at least one surface of the workpiece 20 is provided with a metal coating, as will be explained in greater detail in the following in conjunction with FIG. 2. After the coating, the workpiece is guided back through the inlet opening 24 onto the conveying apparatus 36. This can also be carried out by the supply apparatus 38. By means of the conveying apparatus 36, the coated workpiece is transported to a common output measuring station 50, in which the coated surface of the workpiece is measured. After this final measurement in the output measuring station 50, the workpiece is placed back onto the main conveying apparatus 60, by means of which the workpiece can be conveyed to further processing. The workpiece can likewise be transferred from the conveying apparatus 36 into the output measuring station 50 and again to the main conveying apparatus 60 by a handling apparatus 32 in the same way as on the input measuring station 40, but this is not shown in FIG. 1.

(10) The measured values determined in the input measuring station 40 for a specified workpiece are transmitted to a central control apparatus. By means of the control apparatus, the conveying apparatus 36 is also controlled by the relevant supply apparatus 38 such that the measured workpiece is guided to a specified coating module 20 in the module group 30. At the same time, the measured values for the specified workpiece are forwarded to the selected or specified coating module 20 by the control apparatus, such that the workpiece can be coated depending on the input measured values. After the coating, the workpiece is measured in the box-shaped output measuring station 50, the determined measured values likewise being forwarded to the central control apparatus and to the data set for the specified workpiece. A comparison of the input measured values and the output measured values as well as the coating parameters can be carried out in the control apparatus in order to determine whether a coating has been correctly carried out. If necessary, operating parameters of a coating module 20 can be readjusted by the control apparatus during the coating.

(11) According to FIG. 2, a disc-shaped element can be provided as a workpiece 5 to be coated, in particular a brake disc having one or two surfaces 6 to be coated. The metal coating can be applied by a coating nozzle 26, by means of plasma coating or laser deposition welding. The coating nozzle 26 is arranged on a carrier 27. In plasma spraying, metal particles are melted in an arc and are applied to the surface 6 at high speed. In deposition welding, coating material, in particular a metal powder, is initially applied and then locally melted by means of a laser. In the process, the coating can be carried out in multiple steps and multiple layers. In particular, the layers can also be applied with different layer thicknesses, different materials and different methods in order to achieve desired properties, in particular in terms of adhesion, abrasion resistance and/or corrosion resistance.

(12) In principle, it is possible to carry out the coating using a coating nozzle 26, which is moved along the surfaces 6 to be coated by means of the carrier 27. Besides a plasma spraying and/or a laser deposition welding, other thermal metal coating methods may also be used as alternatives or in combination with one another.

(13) A development of a system 10 according to the invention comprising a total of three module groups 30, which are each made up of four coating modules 20, is shown in FIG. 3. Here, the individual module groups 30 are designed according to the embodiment in FIG. 1, with an input measuring station 40 and an output measuring station 50 being assigned in each module group 30.

(14) The total of three module groups 30 are arranged along a linear main conveying apparatus 60, such that, in this parallel arrangement, workpieces can be processed in parallel in the individual module groups 30 and in the individual processing modules 20. After passing through the respective output measuring station 50, a workpiece which has finished being coating is guided back to the main conveying apparatus 60, by means of which the workpiece is fed to a post-processing station 64.

(15) In the embodiment shown according to FIG. 3, the post-processing station 64 comprises a total of four grinding devices 66 arranged in parallel. By means of the grinding devices 66, the at least one coated surface of the workpiece can be processed and ground as a final step. In order to ensure efficient post-processing, the detected measured values for each workpiece can be forwarded to the specified grinding device 66 in the post-processing station 64 which has been selected by the control apparatus for processing the workpiece. Depending on the detected final height of the coated surface of the workpiece, for example, the grinding tool can thus be efficiently advanced towards the workpiece in the respective grinding device 66.

(16) It can be seen in particular from the embodiment according to FIG. 3 that even for larger increases in capacity that are potentially required, not only individual coating modules 20 but also whole module groups 30 which each comprise a plurality of coating modules 20 and associated input measuring stations 40 and output measuring stations 50 can be readily added to a total system.