Method of cleaning a torch of a plasma-coating plant and a plasma-coating plant

Abstract

Method of cleaning a plasma coating torch utilizing at least one nozzle mounted so as to be directed at the plasma coating torch in order to subject an external surface of the plasma coating torch to a cleaning agent that removes spray material particles which have adhered to the external surface of the plasma coating torch during coating with the plasma coating torch, and such that the cleaning agent exiting the at least one nozzle and being directed toward the external surface and directly changing to a gaseous state from either a solid state or a liquid state.

Claims

1. A method of cleaning a plasma coating torch, comprising a movable and rotatable plasma coating torch configured to generate a plasma and apply a coating inside a cylindrical surface, utilizing a plasma coating torch cleaning system that comprises at least one nozzle mounted so as to be directed at the plasma coating torch in order to subject an external surface of the plasma coating torch to a cleaning agent that removes spray material particles, which have adhered to the external surface of the plasma coating torch during a coating operation with the plasma coating torch, wherein the cleaning agent exiting the at least one nozzle is constituted to directly change to a gaseous state from either a solid state or a liquid state, the method comprising: subjecting the plasma coating torch to the cleaning agent to remove spray material particles, which have adhered to the external surface during the coating operation with the plasma coating torch, wherein during said subjecting, the cleaning agent exits the at least one nozzle and, upon exiting the at least one nozzle, the cleaning agent directly changes to a gaseous state from either a solid state or a liquid state; and moving the plasma coating torch between a position where the plasma coating torch applies a coating inside the cylindrical surface and a defined cleaning position where the external surface of the plasma coating torch is subjected to the cleaning agent while the plasma coating torch generates the plasma and when there is an interruption of the coating operation with the plasma coating torch.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adhered spray material particles are cooled to a point of crack formation so that the cleaning agent can penetrate cracks and expand to such an extent that the adhered spray material particles are split-off.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein during said subjecting, the cleaning agent exits the at least one nozzle and, upon exiting the at least one nozzle, directly changes to a gaseous state from a solid state.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein during said subjecting, the cleaning agent exits the at least one nozzle and, upon exiting the at least one nozzle, directly changes to a gaseous state from a liquid state.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cleaning agent is dry ice.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cleaning agent is liquid nitrogen.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the cleaning agent is liquid carbon dioxide.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to the subjecting, rotating the plasma coating torch during coating.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to the subjecting, stopping a rotation of the plasma coating torch during coating.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to the subjecting, positioning the plasma coating torch at a cleaning location or station.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to the subjecting, moving the plasma coating torch to the defined cleaning position.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising, during the subjecting, collecting removed spray material particles.

13. A method of cleaning a plasma coating torch that utilizes a movable and rotatable plasma coating torch configured to generate a plasma and rotate inside a cylindrical surface that will receive a coating, a coupling module configured to mount the rotating plasma coating torch to a robot and at least one nozzle mounted so as to be directed at the plasma coating torch in order to subject an external surface of the plasma coating torch to a cleaning agent that removes spray material particles that have adhered to the external surface of the plasma coating torch during a coating operation with the plasma coating torch, the method comprising: moving the plasma coating torch between a first position where the plasma coating torch applies the coating to the cylindrical surface and a second position defined as a cleaning position where the external surface of the plasma coating torch is subjected to the cleaning agent while the plasma coating torch generates the plasma and when there is an interruption of the coating operation with the plasma coating torch, and when in the second position, causing the cleaning agent to exit the at least one nozzle in a direction toward the external surface of the plasma torch, wherein the cleaning agent exiting the at least one nozzle directly changes to a gaseous state from either a solid state or a liquid state.

14. A method of cleaning a plasma coating torch that utilizes a rotatable plasma coating torch configured to generate a plasma and to rotate inside an engine cylinder that will receive a coating and at least one nozzle mounted so as to be directed at the movable plasma coating torch to subject an external surface of the plasma coating torch to a cleaning agent that removes spray material particles, which have adhered to the external surface of the plasma coating torch during a coating operation with the plasma coating torch, the method comprising: moving the plasma coating torch between a coating position and a defined cleaning position, said coating position being a position where the plasma coating torch applies the coating to the engine cylinder, and said defined cleaning position being a position where, while the plasma coating torch generates the plasma and when there is an interruption of coating with the plasma coating torch, the external surface of the plasma coating torch is subjected to the cleaning agent.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages, features and particulars of the invention result from the subsequent description of embodiments, as well as with reference to the drawing in which like or functionally like elements are provided with identical reference numerals.

(2) In the drawings there is shown the following:

(3) FIG. 1 show a very schematically illustrated plasma spray device of a plasma coating plant having a torch in a cleaning station; and

(4) FIG. 2 shows a part of a very schematically illustrated plasma spray device having a torch and two cleaning nozzles arranged at the torch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(5) In accordance with FIG. 1 a plasma spray device 10 of a non-further illustrated plasma coating plant has a housing 11, a connection element 12 partly arranged in the housing 11 and a torch 13. The torch 13 comprises a substantially cylindrical torch shaft 14 via which it is fixedly connected to the connection element 12 and a torch head 15 disposed opposite of the connection element 12. The connection element 12 and in this way also the torch 13 can rotate about a longitudinal axis 16. For this purpose an electric motor 17 configured as a step motor is arranged within the housing 11, said electric motor being connected drive wise to a drive shaft 20 of the connection element 12 via a gear 18 and a toothed belt 19 with the drive shaft being arranged coaxially with respect to the longitudinal axis 16. The operating media required for the operation of the plasma spray device 10 are supplied and also partly discharged via connections 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25. Coating material in the form of powder can be supplied via the connection 21 arranged at the drive shaft 20 coaxially with respect to the longitudinal axis 16. The other connections 22, 23, 24 and 25 are arranged transverse with respect to the longitudinal axis 16 at the housing 11. Cooling water is supplied via the connection 22 and led away again via the connection 23. Air is supplied via the connection 24 and plasma gas, for example, in the form of argon, helium, hydrogen, nitrogen or mixtures thereof is supplied via the connection 25. The individual lines for the operating media within the connection element 12 and the torch 13, as well as the associated rotary feed-throughs are of no further interest in this case and for this reason are also not illustrated.

(6) The housing 11 of the plasma spray device 10 is connected to a non-illustrated industrial robot via an only partly illustrated coupling module 26, with said industrial robot being able to bring the plasma spray device 10 into a desired position. In this way the plasma spray device 10 can also be positioned such that the torch 13 is present in a cleaning station 27. The cleaning station 27 has a cleaning nozzle 28 which is connected to an only schematically illustrated supply unit 29 for the cleaning agent 30. The supply unit 29 can supply the cleaning nozzles 28 with cleaning agent 30 which can be applied at the torch 13 under pressure so that the torch 13 can be impinged by the cleaning agent 30. The cleaning station 27 moreover has a collection basin 31 above which the torch 13 is positioned during a cleaning process. The cleaning station 27 furthermore has a suction 33 besides which the torch 13 is positioned during a cleaning process.

(7) The plasma spray device 10 is, for example, used for the coating of cylinder inner surfaces of a crank housing of a combustion motor. During the coating, this means during a coating process, the torch 13 rotates about the longitudinal axis 16 in this respect. On the application of spray material at the cylinder inner surface also spray material particles 32 are deposited at the torch 13 which should be removed during an interruption of the coating process, in particular during the time in which a new crank housing is brought into the correct position. For this purpose, the plasma spray device is positioned in such a way that the torch 13 is present in the cleaning station 27 as is illustrated, with the plasma remaining active. At the same time the rotation of the torch 13 is stopped such that it is present at a defined cleaning position with respect to the cleaning nozzle 28. Subsequently, the torch head 15 is impinged by the cleaning agent 30 in the form of dry ice pellets which are shot against the torch head 15 by way of pressurized air. The dry ice pellets sublime after their exit from the cleaning nozzles 28. The low temperature and the volume increase on sublimation ensure that spray material particles 32 adhering at the torch head 15 are removed from the torch head 15 and are caught in the collection basin 31 or are sucked away by the suction 33.

(8) The torch 13 can be stopped during the cleaning process at a fixed cleaning position. However, it is also possible that the torch 13 is moved on a defined cleaning track relative to the cleaning nozzle 28 during the cleaning process. For this purpose, for example, the torch 13 can be simply rotated, wherein the cleaning track is selected such that the plasma is not directly impinged with cleaning agent, this means the torch 13 is, for example, rotated by about approximately 180 to 250°. Alternatively or additionally, the torch 13 can be moved such that, apart from the torch head 15, also the torch shaft 14 is impinged by the cleaning agent 30. For this purpose, the torch 13 is moved downwardly in the FIG. 1, this means in direction of the collection basin 31. However, it is also possible that the cleaning nozzle is moved and not the torch.

(9) Instead of dry ice, for example, also liquid nitrogen for liquid carbon dioxide can be used as a cleaning agent.

(10) A part of a plasma spray device 110 having a different arrangement of cleaning nozzles 128 is illustrated in FIG. 2. The plasma spray device 110 is otherwise assembled like the plasma spray device 10 of FIG. 1 so that reference is only made with respect to the differences. The cleaning nozzles 128 are fastened to a connection element 112 and in this way are arranged at a torch 113 in such a way that they can impinge a torch head 115 of the torch 113 with a cleaning agent 130. The cleaning nozzles 128 are arranged diametrically opposite with respect to a longitudinal axis 116 in this connection. They are supplied with a cleaning agent via a non further illustrated connection at the connection element 112 and via corresponding lines in the connection element 112. In this respect generally the same cleaning agents can be used as were described in connection with the method described in FIG. 1.

(11) It is also possible that only one cleaning nozzle or more than two, this means, for example three or four cleaning nozzles are provided.