Device for etching the surface of an elongated metal article (embodiments)

etching the surface of the device of long metal products (options)

The invention relates to the production of finishing materials with the chemical surface treatment of long metal products, preferably decorative panels used in cladding facades of buildings and structures, interior decoration of residential and office space, window and door openings, the premises, as well as a compartment and cab vehicles as well as furniture and household appliances.

It is known (RU, Patent 2139594) unit for chemical cleaning of the surface of products, mainly of semiconductor wafers. The known device comprises a system for wet chemical cleaning of plates, electrochemical cell activation and cleaning solution as the anode and cathode chambers separated by a semipermeable membrane, and a system to ensure continuous circulation of the solution in the installation system, consisting of pipes, intermediate tanks, filters , pumps and stop-regulating valves. The cathode provided with the cathode reaction products adsorber, the anode chamber from the cathode chamber communicated tubular channel having an inlet which is placed on the level of sulfuric acid in the cathode chamber, and the output - at the bottom of the anode chamber.

The disadvantage of the known installation is necessary to recognize its fundamental unsuitability for the treatment of long metal products. Known (S. Corbin et al. Equipment for blasting PCB. Magazine "Texnologii in the electronics industry)), 2006, N ° 2) the jet etching, used in the manufacture of microelectronic devices and photomasks. These facilities include an etching zone, and a conveyor that moves the workpiece through the etching zone.

Their disadvantage is necessary to recognize the fundamental unsuitability for the treatment of long metal products because of the design features, including, and because of the size of the treatment area.

The results of the search patent, scientific and technical literature is not allowed to reveal the closest analogue of the technical solutions developed.

None of the identified analog solutions are not suitable for etching the technical problem of long metal products, in particular, thin ribbons or sheets providing gathering capability with the exception countertop thin ribbon as said converging tapes leads to rupture, tear or jam the tape. In any case, this leads to suspension movement on the conveyor belt and, in the case of an active etchant, complete dissolution of the tape, which in turn leads to interruption of the processing tape and downtime.

Technical problems solved emaya through the process of the invention is to allow the manufacture of high-quality long-length metal products, including including cut length sheets and roll materials with a decorative effect.

The technical result obtained by the implementation of the developed method is to provide the possibility of obtaining lengthy metal products with low cost and high heat resistance and corrosion in the presence of the decorative effect on the surface of the article. Furthermore, the new system and the article transporting clamp preserves discontinuity of the integrity of the thin metal strips and ensure high productivity of the manufacturing process. Besides used clamping devices provide high-quality surface etching and reliefs, maintaining dimensions with a given accuracy while enabling protection backside of the workpiece by the action of the etching solution.

To achieve the specified technical result is proposed to use a device designed etching the surface of metal products of long length in the two embodiments.

To achieve said technical result of the first embodiment is proposed to use an apparatus for etching a metallic elongated product thickness of less than 0.5 mm, the jet means comprising etching an underlying conveyor, and means for clamping said article to the body of the load carrying conveyor. Use of this device allows you to slack off long articles from 1 to 200 meters in length and over. Means inkjet etching can be accomplished in any known manner depending upon the type of etching (obtaining the relief pattern on the surface of the product, cleaning product from the surface chemically removes impurities and so on. d.). In a preferred embodiment, the means for inkjet etching apparatus taken substantially along the entire length of the conveyor. This enables the use of a large movement speed of the processed metal products and elongated. respectively, high performance and high quality processing. The type of conveyor can be anything, not spoiling lengthy processed metal products and providing even moving it through the etching zone. Failure to do so may be received quality (non-uniform) etching the surface of the processed elongated metal product. Furthermore, uneven movement in case of lengthy processing a thin metal strip or panel may result in breakage of the workpiece. From experience, it follows that it is preferable to use a belt, roller, ball, magnetic (in the case of processing products made of a ferromagnetic material), plate or belt conveyor chains. As used in the surface treatment of the elongated metal product is a reactive etchant is desirable that the load-bearing belt body has been made of chemically stable polymeric material. However, an embodiment when said load-carrying body may be formed from individually chemically resistant to the etchant used material. In particular, when used as an etchant mixture of sulfuric and nitric acid solution of ferric chloride or roller conveyor elements may be made of polypropylene and / or polytetrafluorethylene, since these polymers are resistant to the above etchants.

Tool clamping elongated metal product processed to the load-bearing body of the conveyor is an essential element developed by the etching device of long metal objects.

For uniform etching of the surface is a prerequisite (in case of a uniform flow or etchant jets or relatively uniform over time processing) uniform movement of the elongated metal product processed through the etching zone. In all other cases, the non-uniform motion of the treated product of long metal etching the surface is also uneven. The most frequent cause uneven movement of long metal product processed through etching sliding zone is elongated metal article treated (in particular, a thin metal strip or panel - sheet) with the load-carrying conveyor organ. To prevent uneven movement of the elongated metal product processed through the etching zone is proposed to use a clip processed lengthy system metal products for load-bearing surface of the conveyor body.

Depending on the type of elongated metal product processed, conveyor type and said means of processing targets processed clamping elongated metal product can be accomplished in various ways.

One of the most preferred embodiments of the means pressing the processed elongated metal article to the surface of the load-bearing belt body (in the most preferred embodiment - a tape made of a chemically resistant polymer material) is the use of pumping air out of the elongated metal product and / or from the space between the elongated metal products and load-carrying body of the conveyor. This embodiment is preferred for the following reasons:

- It is universal, as it can be used in the treatment of long metal products, made of any material, thickness and virtually any shape, provided that the conveyor belt adjacent to the workpiece surface is flat;

- It is quite easy to implement as the technique known significant amount of resources create local zones of dilution air; after lengthy processed metal products etching zones specified clamp easily stop, providing easy separation of long-treated metal product from the conveyor belt;

- Using pressing means of this embodiment does not affect the treated surface of the article and therefore does not affect the quality of the surface etching.

In a most preferred embodiment, the developed device for pumping air out of the elongated holes metallic article used in a carrying body (belt) of the conveyor and / or gaps between the conveyor and the side guides additionally introduced (see. FIG. 1). In the drawing, denoted by the following items: a reference perforated sheet 1 is used for pumping air from the tape, as well as a guide surface for movement of the conveyor belt, the side fence guide rail 2, the belt 3 of the conveyor, the processed thin strip 4, openings 5, perforations, side 6. Usually stopper guide support sheet is a perforated upper surface of the chamber beneath the conveyor belt substantially without clearance with said conveyor belt. Depending on the conditions, the means of creating the pressing chamber or directly in or connected to the duct volume chamber is set vacuum suction means, preferably with adjustable degree of vacuum in the air chamber. As such means evacuating the vacuum pump can be used, a piston pump, fan - motive means any air movement. When you remove the air from the air chamber and removed from the holes perforations, creating a vacuum therein, clamping the metal product processed lengthy to the surface of the conveyor belt. For the case of processing a thin elongated metal products such as a metal strip or thin sheet metal requires that the size of the perforation holes, their shape and arrangement density on the conveyor belt in combination with the degree of air dilution by the conveyor belt provided no deflection of the workpiece into the perforations that It can lead to disruption of the uniformity of etching. It is advisable to use a hole in the form of a highly elongated ovals or circles located on the conveyor belt in a checkerboard pattern. For relatively thick workpieces (over 0.5 mm), shape, location and size of the perforations is not important.

According to a second embodiment of the workpiece clamping from the air - a metallic elongated product being processed is removed by using a conveyor, and gaps between the fixed guides or lateral rails, adapted to move (Fig 2.). The variant of the joint use of these technical solutions (removal of air through the perforations and through the side clearances) for removing air from under the technical solution to be treated.

Enough effective solution to the pressing means of the processed elongated metal product to the load-bearing surface of the body is the conveyor system the compressed gas flow to the load-carrying conveyor organ located above the specified load-carrying body of the conveyor.

In a most preferred embodiment, the tool load-carrying clamp body in the direction of conveyor air is fed under overpressure. Thus it is necessary to consider that an excessive pressure in the compressed gas stream can lead to distortion of the supplied etchant jets and disturbance of the uniformity of etching the surface of the elongated metal product. In a most preferred embodiment, the nozzles are provided, through which compressed air is supplied, the load-carrying body disposed above the conveyor in a staggered manner, and the excess pressure of the feed gas is 0.01 atm. and more.

The apparent advantage of this means of creating a clip of long metal processed products should be recognized as providing the possibility of using virtually any load-bearing body of the conveyor. Some lack of it can accept the possibility of a non-uniform pressure.

It is also a means of long pressing the treated metal article can be carried out mechanically.

Mechanical clamping elongated metal product processed to the load-bearing surface of the body of the action can be performed, at least one wheel forming a rubberized surface or with rubber tires mounted on the load-carrying surface of said body so that rotation of said Wheel it presses said article to the body of the load-bearing surface.

An advantage of the pressing means in this embodiment is that it is applicable to any load-carrying body. It should be recognized disadvantage of considerable design complexity of the entire device, not only due to the use of wheels and drive them to summing allowing their rotation.

Also, means for clamping the workpiece, load-carrying body of the conveyor can be configured as a magnetic field generator. With all the advantages of this embodiment (.. A large enough range of similar products, the ease of placement of the generator under load-carrying body, etc.) it has a significant drawback - it can only be used in the processing of long metal products, made of ferromagnetic material.

The above list of execution means of long pressing the treated metal material is not exhaustive of all possible embodiments.

With the implementation of the developed surface etching device of long metal products can be used, and combinations of the above mentioned embodiments of the means of long pressing of processed metal products.

As previously noted apparatus may further comprise two guides placed parallel to the load-bearing body of the conveyor, arranged to movement in the horizontal plane. These guides allow the surface treatment of long metal product in the case if the width of the elongated metal product processed exceeds the width of the load-carrying body of the conveyor. Furthermore, these rails can be used for supplying pressurized gas (preferably air) under the lower surface of the elongated metal product processed for protection of said lower surface by the action of etch unwanted etching the bottom surface of metal products of long length. Preferably, said guides are designed as tubes, preferably, though not necessarily, of rectangular section comprising perforations oriented parallel to the load-carrying surface of the conveyor body. These elongated metal product processed guides depending on the size can be displaced both horizontally and vertically.

At least one of said rails may be made of an elastic material, in particular, chemically resistant rubber, neoprene or other elastomeric materials, including composite materials. The advantage of using this type of guide is the fact that under the influence of gravitational forces processed long products tightly to this guide, thereby isolating the back side and protecting it from the action of the etching solution. Another option of using elastic 1 ¹^

the guide is to use a flexible cover, filled with air, preferably at a pressure slightly less than atmospheric. Under the weight of the processed product indicated a lengthy case is deformed, tightly clinging to the underside of the workpiece, thus protecting it from the action of the etching solution.

At least one of the guide can be made spring-loaded. It is desirable that the surface layer of the elastic material of the guide was done. The combined effect of biasing the guide system and weight of the workpiece will result in a firm contact the back surface of the workpiece and the guide surface that will protect the product from the back surface of the action of the etching solution.

To ensure pressing of the processed products in an elongated guide, in any embodiment of the method may be used evacuating air from under the guide.

To ensure movement of the workpiece through the treatment zone can be used at least one of the following mechanisms: a hydraulic pusher, pusher pneumatic or mechanical pusher mounted to move the elongated product being processed.

Also, the supply of the compressed gas can be used to prevent undesirable etching the bottom surface of the processed elongated metal product under workpiece through perforations in a carrying body of the conveyor and / or through the perforations in the guides (Fig. 3).

To achieve said technical result, according to the second embodiment, it is preferred for long metal products thicker than 0.5 mm, it is proposed to use a device comprising means inkjet etching and etching the underlying table adapted to move across the surface of the workpiece, and means clamping said article to the etching surface of the table.

In a preferred embodiment, the etch table is made of a polymer or a chemically resistant material, at least lined with a similar material. Furthermore, the etch table can be made from wood or an inorganic material resistant to the action * etchants used.

Means jet etching, as in the previous embodiment can be accomplished in any known manner depending on the type of etching (obtaining the relief pattern on the surface of the product, cleaning product from the surface chemically removes impurities and so on. D.). In a preferred embodiment the machine tool taken by inkjet etching substantially the entire treatment area elongated metal article. This allows the use of considerable speeds and correspondingly high productivity and high quality processing. The tool clamping can be It fulfilled all the ways mentioned in the previous version of the device.

To prevent unwanted etching of the lower side of the elongated metal product peripheral and / or central part of the etch table can be perforated and the perforations to the places summed compressed gas supply means. This provides a supply of compressed gas from under the table to avoid contact with the etchant on the lower surface of elongated article. Also possible to use the bottom surface protection products from the action of the etchant contained in the previous embodiment of the apparatus.

Above the surface of the table it can be located load-carrying conveyor body for moving into the area being treated etching of long metal products. The requirements to the form of the conveyor used in this embodiment of the device, similar to the previous embodiment.

Similarly embodiment of the device in question may comprise two guides, as in the previous embodiment.

At least one of said rails may be made of an elastic material, in particular, chemically resistant rubber, neoprene or other elastomeric materials, including composites. The advantage of using this type of guide is the fact that under the influence of gravitational forces processed long products tightly to this guide, thereby isolating the back side and protecting it from the action of the etching solution. Another embodiment using the elastic guide may be the use of a flexible cover, filled with air, preferably at a pressure slightly less than atmospheric. Under the weight of the processed product indicated a lengthy case is deformed, tightly clinging to the underside of the workpiece, thus protecting it from the action of the etching solution.

At least one of the guide can be made spring-loaded. It is desirable that the surface layer of the elastic material of the guide was done. The combined effect of biasing the guide system and weight of the workpiece will result in a firm contact the back surface of the workpiece and the guide surface that will protect the product from the back surface of the action of the etching solution.

To ensure pressing of the processed products in an elongated guide, in any embodiment of the method may be used evacuating air from under the guide.

To ensure movement of the workpiece through the treatment zone can be used at least one of the following mechanisms: a hydraulic pusher, pusher pneumatic or mechanical pusher mounted to move the elongated product being processed.

The work developed by the device will be considered on an example of the first embodiment using the vacuum clamping. Under the perforated conveyor belt 3 metal chamber installed length of 10 meters with holes located in the upper part of the chamber. After that, through connected to the camera via the flanged duct fans began to take the air out of the chamber. Initially, before the inclusion of the fan, conveyor belt lying freely on top of the perforated surface of the chamber. After switching on the fan air in a vacuum chamber partially pinned perforated conveyor belt to the perforated surface of the metal chamber. Then the fixed perforated conveyor belt section placed stainless steel 600mm tape width, 10 meters in length and 0.1 mm in thickness so that the steel tape covering metal chamber located under the conveyor belt. After placing a steel tape, the latter was pressed against the conveyor belt due to the negative pressure, generated by the fan. After switching on the drive belt conveyor belt and pressed against stainless steel belt began to move. At the site where the conveyor is in motion was pressed and slidably moved on the metal surface of the chamber, the treated steel strip was maintained on the belt by the air dilution transmitted through the perforations. In areas steel band movement, where there was no air intake chamber with steel tape lying loose, not pressed against the conveyor belt and was able to slip off her. This was confirmed by a second experiment in which the conveyor is inclined at an angle of 30 degrees from the horizontal. The conveyor was designed such that the conveyor belt was limiting guides preventing it outright with a conveyor shaft. Steel tape immediately after the movement was kept on the conveyor belt in the area, where the fan chamber and a metal slide off those areas where there was no air to nip the conveyor belt. In the third experiment on the moving steel strip, pressed underpressure to the conveyor belt fed etchant - ferric chloride solution with a density of l, 4 g / cmZ at 40⁰C. This etching mode provides remote from the surface of the steel strip unwanted metallic inclusions, oxides, technological defects, after the zone of the jet etching unreacted etchant flow of water washed away. After the tape was provided outside the air exhaust area is slid to the conveyor belt, followed by winding-in the tape roll.

This conveyor belt was perforated in a checkerboard pattern. Distances between otvectiyami-15mm. The diameter of the holes in a conveyor belt-ZMM. Perforation of the upper metal plane of the camera aperture diameter of 10mm. Distance between otvestiyami- 30mm. Location holes - in a staggered manner.

Application of the method enables preparation of long metal products with low cost and high heat resistance and corrosion in the presence of a decorative effect. Furthermore, the new system and the article transporting clamp preserves discontinuity of the integrity of the thin metal strips and ensure high productivity of the manufacturing process. Besides used clamping devices provide high-quality etched surface and relief, maintaining the size of a given accuracy.