JP7585840B2 - Blast processing equipment and quantitative supply equipment - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a blast processing device and a quantitative supply device.

Blasting is a widely known surface treatment method in which a two-phase gas-solid flow consisting of an abrasive and gas is sprayed from a spray nozzle onto a workpiece. Blasting is used to remove scale and wrinkles from castings, to remove rust, to remove paint films, and for surface preparation. In recent years, blasting has also been used in applications that require high processing precision, such as the fine processing and smooth finishing of electronic components.

One requirement for achieving high machining accuracy is the stable supply of a fixed amount of abrasive to the nozzle. Patent Document 1 describes a blast processing device equipped with a fixed-amount supply device that supplies a fixed amount of abrasive to the nozzle. This blast processing device is configured such that a screw is provided at the bottom of a tank in which the abrasive is stored, and the abrasive discharged from the screw pump is temporarily stored in a buffer device, after which the abrasive is supplied to the nozzle via an abrasive supply path.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 07-328924

In the blast processing device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the buffer device absorbs the fluctuations in the negative pressure (the suction force that sucks the abrasive) generated in the blast processing nozzle and the fluctuations in the screw, improving the quantitative supply of the abrasive to the nozzle. However, in this blast processing device, the pressure loss in the path for supplying the abrasive increases, so it is necessary to increase the negative pressure. Since the negative pressure depends on the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the nozzle, it is necessary to supply compressed air at a higher pressure than before. Originally, the pressure of the compressed air supplied is set according to the target surface condition of the blast processing. Here, if the pressure of the compressed air is set according to the suction force of the abrasive, it may not be possible to process the surface to the target state. Conversely, if the pressure of the compressed air is set according to the processing to the target surface state, the amount of abrasive supplied to the nozzle may be insufficient or the amount of abrasive supplied may not be stable. In other words, in the blast processing device disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a risk that the fixed amount of abrasive required to obtain the target surface state may not be sprayed. Therefore, this disclosure provides a technology that can suppress increases or decreases in the amount of abrasive sprayed when a fixed amount of abrasive is sprayed in a blasting device.

The blast processing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a storage container, a constant-volume supply device, and a nozzle for blast processing. The storage container defines a storage chamber for storing an abrasive therein. The constant-volume supply device supplies the abrasive from the storage chamber to the outside of the storage container. The nozzle sprays the abrasive supplied from the constant-volume supply device together with compressed air. The constant-volume supply device has a casing and a screw. The casing extends along the horizontal direction and defines a space therein. The casing also has an inlet that connects the space to the storage chamber, and a supply port that opens downward at a position horizontally spaced from the inlet. The screw is housed in the casing and has a rotating shaft that extends along the horizontal direction. The screw transports the abrasive in the space from the inlet to the supply port by rotating around the rotating shaft. The screw is housed in the casing so as not to overlap with the supply port in the vertical direction.

In this blasting device, the abrasive is introduced from a storage chamber defined inside the storage container into the casing of the fixed-volume feeder. In the fixed-volume feeder, the abrasive is transported toward a supply port that opens toward the bottom of the casing by the rotation of the screw. At the supply port, the supply port and the screw do not overlap in the vertical direction, so the abrasive accumulated on the screw does not fall into the supply port. The abrasive that falls from the supply port is sprayed together with compressed air from a nozzle for blasting (hereinafter simply referred to as the "nozzle"). Since the supply port opens toward the bottom of the casing, the distance from the supply port to the nozzle can be shortened. As a result, the loss of spray pressure due to the transport of the abrasive can be suppressed. Therefore, when spraying a fixed amount of abrasive, this blasting device can suppress the increase or decrease in the amount of abrasive sprayed, and can perform blasting well.

In one embodiment, the blast processing device may include an air supply member. This air supply member may be housed in the storage chamber, connected to an air source, and provided with a plurality of air holes for supplying air from the air source. In this case, the abrasive stored in the storage container is fluidized by supplying air. This blast processing device can prevent the abrasive from adhering to the inner wall of the storage container, thereby suppressing bridging.

In one embodiment, the blast processing device may include a connecting pipe. This connecting pipe may connect the nozzle and the supply port of the casing. The nozzle may be provided so that its relative positional relationship with the casing is fixed. In this case, the position of the nozzle is limited to the position of the casing, so the connecting pipe does not deform to follow the nozzle. This blast processing device can therefore avoid changes in the flow of the abrasive due to deformation of the connecting pipe. This blast processing device can therefore suppress increases or decreases in the amount of abrasive sprayed.

In one embodiment, the nozzle may include a nozzle body, an air nozzle, and an injection nozzle. The nozzle body may be connected to a path that transports the abrasive from the constant-volume supply device toward the nozzle. The air nozzle may introduce compressed air into the nozzle body to generate an airflow that draws the abrasive into the nozzle body. The injection nozzle may inject the abrasive transported to the nozzle body together with the compressed air. The nozzle may be positioned such that the pressure loss caused by the generation of this airflow is 0.1 kPa or less.

In one embodiment, the blast processing device may be equipped with a regulating plate. This regulating plate may have an opening formed therethrough in the thickness direction, and may be disposed between the tip of the screw and the supply port so as to separate the inside of the casing. In this case, the abrasive transported to the screw is pressed against the regulating plate. As a result, the abrasive that passes through the opening in the regulating plate is compressed to a predetermined bulk density. Therefore, this blast processing device can stabilize the bulk density of the abrasive sent to the nozzle.

In one embodiment, the blast processing device may include a restricting plate. This restricting plate may be fixed to the tip of the screw so as to form a gap between the restricting plate and the inner wall of the casing. In this case, the abrasive transported to the screw is pressed against the restricting plate. As a result, the abrasive that passes through the gap formed between the restricting plate and the inner wall of the casing is compressed to a predetermined bulk density. Therefore, this blast processing device can stabilize the bulk density of the abrasive sent to the nozzle.

In one embodiment, the blast processing device may include a movement mechanism. The storage container, the constant-volume supply device, and the nozzle may form a unit, and this movement mechanism may move the unit relative to the workpiece. This blast processing device can perform blast processing on the workpiece with the nozzle and the constant-volume supply device unitized.

A constant-volume supply device according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a casing and a screw. The casing extends horizontally and defines a space therein. The casing also has an inlet for introducing an abrasive into the space, and a supply port that opens downward at a position horizontally spaced from the inlet. The screw is housed in the casing and has a rotating shaft that extends horizontally. The screw transports the abrasive in the space from the inlet to the supply port by rotating about the rotating shaft. The screw is housed in the casing so as not to overlap with the supply port in the vertical direction.

In this fixed-volume supply device, the abrasive is transported by the rotation of the screw toward a supply port that opens toward the bottom of the casing. At the supply port, the supply port and the screw do not overlap vertically, so the abrasive that accumulates on the screw does not fall into the supply port. The abrasive that falls from the supply port is sprayed from the nozzle for blast processing together with compressed air. Therefore, this fixed-volume supply device can suppress increases or decreases in the amount of abrasive when supplying a fixed amount of abrasive to the blast processing device.

The technology disclosed herein makes it possible to suppress increases or decreases in the amount of abrasive sprayed and perform blast processing well.

1 is an overall view showing an example of a blast processing device including a constant quantity supply device according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a blast processing device according to a modified example. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a blast processing device according to another modified example. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the regulating plate. FIG. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing another modified example of the regulating plate. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing another modified example of the regulating plate. 1 is an overall view showing a blast processing device according to an embodiment;

Below, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or equivalent elements are given the same reference numerals, and redundant description will not be repeated. The dimensional ratios of the drawings do not necessarily match those in the description. The terms "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are based on the state shown in the drawings and are for convenience only.

[Configuration of blast processing device]
Fig. 1 is an overall view showing an example of a blast processing apparatus equipped with a constant-volume supply device according to an embodiment. The blast processing apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1 is an apparatus for spraying an abrasive M, and is configured as a so-called suction-type (gravity-type) blast processing apparatus. As shown in Fig. 1, the blast processing apparatus 1 includes a storage container 10, a constant-volume supply device 20, and a nozzle 30. The storage container 10 defines a storage chamber S for storing the abrasive M therein, and stores the abrasive M.
The storage container 10 is connected to a constant volume supply device 20 .

The constant-volume supply device 20 is a device that sends out the abrasive M stored in the storage container 10 to the outside. The constant-volume supply device 20 is a so-called screw feeder, and continuously sends out a fixed amount of the abrasive M stored in the storage container 10. The constant-volume supply device 20 is disposed below the storage container 10. A portion of the constant-volume supply device 20 may be housed in the lower part of the storage container 10. The constant-volume supply device 20 has a casing 21 and a screw 24 housed in the casing 21.

The casing 21 is a hollow cylindrical member extending along the horizontal direction. A space V is defined inside the casing 21. The casing 21 has an inlet 22 that connects the storage chamber S of the storage container 10 to the space V. The inlet 22 opens, for example, upward. The abrasive M is introduced from the storage chamber S of the storage container 10 to the space V of the constant-volume supply device 20 through the inlet 22. The casing 21 has a supply port 23 at a position horizontally spaced from the inlet 22. The supply port 23 opens downward of the casing 21. The supply port 23 is formed in the lower part of the casing 21 so that the abrasive M transported by the screw 24 falls. The supply port 23 drops the abrasive M and sends it to the nozzle 30.

The screw 24 is housed in the space V inside the casing 21. The screw 24 has a rotating shaft 24a and blades 24b. The rotating shaft 24a is housed in the casing 21 and extends horizontally. The blades 24b are fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 24a in a spiral shape so that two adjacent blades 24b are arranged at a predetermined interval. The screw 24 is rotatably supported by the first bearing portion 26a and the second bearing portion 26b. The first bearing portion 26a and the second bearing portion 26b are members including a bearing and a bearing support portion. The screw 24 is connected to the motor 25 and rotated around the rotating shaft 24a. The abrasive material M that has entered between the two adjacent blades 24b is transported to the supply port 23 of the casing 21 by the rotational drive of the screw 24.

The screw 24 is housed in the casing 21 so as not to overlap the supply port 23 in the vertical direction. For example, when the screw 24 is rotatably supported in a cantilever manner by the first bearing portion 26a and the second bearing portion 26b near the inlet 22, the screw 24 extends from the inlet 22 toward the supply port 23 to a position where it does not overlap with the supply port 23 in the vertical direction. In other words, the screw 24 does not exist above the supply port 23.

The supply port 23 of the casing is connected to the nozzle 30 via a connection pipe 31. The connection pipe 31 transports the abrasive M sent out from the supply port 23 to the nozzle 30. The connection pipe 31 defines a flow path inside that can transport the abrasive M. The connection pipe 31 is, for example, a resin hose or a metal pipe.

The nozzle 30 injects the abrasive M supplied from the connection pipe 31 together with compressed air. The nozzle 30 includes a nozzle body 30a, an air nozzle 30b inserted from one end of the nozzle body, and an injection nozzle 30c inserted from the other end of the nozzle body. Compressed air is supplied to the inside of the nozzle body 30a from an air pipe 32 connected to the air nozzle 30b. Negative pressure is generated inside the nozzle body 30a due to the ejector phenomenon caused by the compressed air injected from the air nozzle 30b. The negative pressure generated inside the nozzle body 30a generates an airflow in the connection pipe 31 connected to the nozzle body 30a. The abrasive M is transferred from the supply port 23 to the nozzle body 30a by the airflow generated in the connection pipe 31. The transferred abrasive M is mixed with the compressed air inside the nozzle body 30a. The abrasive M is injected from the injection nozzle 30c to the workpiece W as a solid-gas two-phase flow with the compressed air.

The workpiece W is the workpiece to be blasted. As an example, the workpiece W is a hard and brittle material such as glass, silicon, ceramics, or various metals, or a composite material such as CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics) or GFRP (Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastics). The workpiece W is placed on the table 33.

The table 33 is a platform on which the workpiece W is fixed during blast processing. For example, the table 33 has a mounting surface that adsorbs the workpiece W. The table 33 is positioned so as to intersect with the spray direction of the nozzle 30. The table 33 may move the position of the workpiece W relative to the nozzle 30.

The processing vessel 3 defines a processing chamber P therein and houses the nozzle 30, the workpiece W, and the table 33. The blast processing is carried out in the processing chamber P. The abrasive M sprayed onto the workpiece W as a two-phase solid-gas flow of compressed air falls to the bottom of the processing chamber P together with the cutting powder of the workpiece W. The abrasive M and the cutting powder of the workpiece W that fall to the bottom of the processing chamber P are collected in the recovery pipe 12. The recovery pipe 12 connects the processing chamber P of the processing vessel 3 to the classification mechanism 11.

The classification mechanism 11 collects the abrasive M and cutting powder of the workpiece W that have fallen to the bottom of the processing chamber P through the collection pipe 12. The classification mechanism 11 separates the collected abrasive M and cutting powder of the workpiece W. The classification mechanism 11 is, for example, a cyclone type classifier. The classification mechanism 11 separates the abrasive M that can be reused from the abrasive M and cutting powder of the workpiece W that cannot be reused. The abrasive M that can be reused is returned to the storage container 10. The abrasive M and cutting powder of the workpiece W that cannot be reused are collected in the dust collector 2.

The dust collector 2 is a device that collects non-reusable abrasive M and cutting dust of the workpiece W. The dust collector 2 is connected to the classification mechanism 11. The dust collector 2 generates negative pressure. The negative pressure of the dust collector 2 generates an airflow in the classification mechanism 11 and the recovery pipe 12 connected to the classification mechanism 11. The non-reusable abrasive M and cutting dust of the workpiece W are sucked into the dust collector 2 by the airflow. The sucked non-reusable abrasive M and cutting dust of the workpiece W are collected in the dust collector 2, for example, by a filter.

The blasting device 1 is controlled by the control device 4. The control device 4 is configured as, for example, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). The control device 4 may be configured as a computer system including a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memories such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory), input/output devices such as a touch panel, a mouse, a keyboard, and a display, and a communication device such as a network card. The control device 4 realizes the functions of the control device 4 by operating each piece of hardware under the control of the processor based on a computer program stored in the memory. For example, the control device 4 controls the pressure of the compressed air supplied from the air piping 32. The control device 4 controls the amount of abrasive M delivered by the constant-volume supply device 20. The control device 4 may control at least one of the amount of abrasive M sprayed, the pressure at which the abrasive M is sprayed, and the positional relationship between the nozzle 30 and the workpiece W.

According to the blast processing device 1 and the constant-volume supply device 20 of the embodiment, the abrasive M is introduced from the storage chamber S defined inside the storage container 10 into the casing 21 of the constant-volume supply device 20. In the constant-volume supply device 20, the abrasive M is transported toward the supply port 23 that opens downward in the casing 21 by the rotation of the screw 24. At the supply port 23, the supply port 23 and the screw 24 do not overlap in the vertical direction, so the abrasive M accumulated on the screw 24 does not fall into the supply port 23. The abrasive M that falls from the supply port 23 is sprayed from the nozzle 30 for blast processing together with compressed air. Therefore, the blast processing device 1 and the constant-volume supply device 20 can suppress the increase or decrease in the amount of abrasive sprayed.

The blast processing device 1 of the present disclosure may be subject to various omissions, substitutions, and modifications.

[Modification of connection between constant volume supply device and nozzle]
2 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a blast processing device according to a modified example. In the blast processing device shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle 30 is connected to the supply port 23 of the casing 21 so that the relative positional relationship between the nozzle 30 and the casing 21 is fixed. For example, the nozzle 30 is connected to the supply port 23 by a metal connection pipe 31, so that the relative positional relationship between the nozzle 30 and the casing 21 is fixed. Alternatively, the nozzle 30 and the constant-volume supply device 20 may be fixed to a frame member (not shown), so that the relative positional relationship between the nozzle 30 and the casing 21 may be fixed. When the nozzle 30 and the constant-volume supply device 20 are fixed to the frame member, the connection pipe 31 may be a resin hose.

Pressure loss occurs in the path through which the abrasive M is transported from the supply port 23 of the casing 21 to the nozzle 30. The pressure loss is a friction loss that occurs between the connecting pipe 31 that forms the flow path and the airflow flowing through the flow path. The flow rate of the abrasive M transported inside the connecting pipe 31 by the airflow changes according to the pressure loss. This pressure loss changes according to the overall length and shape of the flow path. When the overall length of the flow path is extended or when the flow path is curved, the pressure loss increases. For example, when the relative positional relationship between the nozzle 30 and the casing 21 changes, the overall length and shape of the flow path change according to the relative positional relationship between the nozzle 30 and the casing 21. In this case, the flow rate of the abrasive M transported to the nozzle 30 varies depending on the increase or decrease in pressure loss. By fixing the relative positional relationship between the nozzle 30 and the casing 21, deformation of the flow path through which the abrasive M is transported between the supply port 23 of the casing 21 and the nozzle 30 is avoided, and the flow rate of the abrasive M transported to the nozzle 30 is stabilized.

In addition, if there is a large pressure loss in the path when the abrasive sprayed from the spray nozzle is drawn from the constant-volume supply device, the abrasive M cannot be sufficiently sucked in. If the nozzle 30 is placed in a position where the pressure loss is large, it is necessary to further increase the pressure of the compressed air introduced into the nozzle 30 in order to obtain a negative pressure (suction force) that can sufficiently suck in the abrasive M. However, since the pressure for spraying the abrasive M also increases, the blasting capacity will inevitably improve. As a result, the blasting process may be excessive for the target surface state. Therefore, it is necessary to place the nozzle 30 so that a negative pressure that can sufficiently suck in the abrasive M is obtained. For this reason, the position of the nozzle 30 may be adjusted so that the pressure loss is in the range of 0.1 kPa or less.

In the blast processing device shown in FIG. 2, the storage container 10, the constant-volume supply device 20, and the nozzle 30 are integrated to form a unit 5. The unit 5 is a part of the blast processing device 1 in which the storage container 10, the constant-volume supply device 20, and the nozzle 30 are integrated into a movable unit. In the unit 5, the nozzle 30 is connected to the supply port 23 of the casing 21 via a connection pipe 31 so that the relative positional relationship with the casing 21 is fixed. The unit 5 and the workpiece W are housed in a processing chamber P defined inside the processing vessel 3 (see FIG. 1).

The blast processing device includes a moving mechanism 60 that moves the unit 5 relative to the workpiece W. The moving mechanism 60 moves the unit 5 relative to the workpiece W. The moving mechanism 60 can be, for example, a three-axis Cartesian robot that changes the vertical position (X direction), horizontal position (Y direction), and height position (Z direction) of the unit 5. The position of the nozzle 30 that sprays the abrasive M changes depending on the position to which the moving mechanism 60 moves the unit 5. The moving mechanism 60 changes the position of the unit 5 based on the size of the workpiece W and the blast processing conditions.

As described above, in the blast processing device shown in FIG. 2, the relative positional relationship between the nozzle 30 and the casing 21 is fixed. In this case, the overall length and shape of the flow path through which the abrasive M is transported do not change, even during blast processing. Since the position of the nozzle 30 is limited to the position of the casing 21, the connection pipe 31 does not deform following the nozzle. Therefore, this blast processing device can avoid the flow of the abrasive M changing due to the deformation of the connection pipe 31, so that stable blast processing can be performed. Furthermore, in the blast processing device shown in FIG. 2, there is no need to accommodate the table 33 that moves the position of the workpiece W relative to the nozzle 30 in the processing vessel 3, so it can be made smaller than a blast processing device that moves the workpiece W relative to the nozzle 30.

[Modifications of storage container and constant quantity supply device]
3 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a blast processing apparatus according to another modified example. The blast processing apparatus shown in FIG. 3 includes an air supply member 40 housed in a storage container 10.

The air supply member 40 is a member that facilitates the flow of the abrasive M stored in the storage container 10 to the inlet 22. The air supply member 40 is connected to an air source 41, and has a plurality of air holes that supply air from the air source 41. The air supply member 40 is, for example, a sintered metal, and is a porous member. The air source 41 is, for example, a blower, a compressor, a blower, etc.

The fluidity of the abrasive M stored in the air supply member 40 increases due to the air supply from the air supply member 40. The fluidity of powder refers to the ease with which the powder flows. Powder with high fluidity behaves closer to the liquid phase. Powder with low fluidity behaves closer to the solid phase. The fluidity of powder is determined based on the amount of air contained in the powder, the particle size and physical properties of the particles that make up the powder, etc. The fluidity of the abrasive M stored in the storage container 10 is improved by the air being supplied from the pores of the air supply member 40. This blast processing device can prevent the abrasive M from adhering to the inside of the storage container 10.

The blast processing device shown in FIG. 3 includes a restricting plate 50 disposed between the tip of the screw 24 and the supply port 23 so as to divide the inside of the casing 21. The restricting plate 50 is a member for making the bulk density of the abrasive M inside the casing 21 constant. The restricting plate 50 is, for example, a disk member. As an example, the restricting plate 50 is fixed to the tip of the screw 24. An opening is formed in the restricting plate 50, penetrating it in the thickness direction. The thickness direction of the restricting plate 50 coincides with the horizontal direction of the casing 21. The opening is provided so that the abrasive M transported to the screw 24 can pass through. A plurality of openings may be formed in the restricting plate 50 at predetermined intervals.

A certain amount of the abrasive M stored in the storage container 10 is introduced into the inside of the casing 21 from the inlet 22. The abrasive M is transported toward the supply port 23 by the rotation of the screw 24. When the abrasive M reaches the regulating plate 50, the abrasive M transported to the screw 24 is pressed against the regulating plate 50. As a result, the abrasive M that passes through the opening of the regulating plate 50 is compressed to a predetermined bulk density. Therefore, this blast processing device 1 can stabilize the bulk density of the abrasive M sent to the nozzle 30.

[Other Modifications of the Regulating Plate]
The blast processing device 1 may include a restricting plate 50 fixed to the tip of the screw 24 so as to form a gap between the screw 24 and the inner wall of the casing 21. In this case, the restricting plate 50 does not need to have an opening. The abrasive M transported to the screw 24 is pressed against the restricting plate 50. As a result, the abrasive M that passes through the gap formed between the restricting plate 50 and the inner wall of the casing 21 is compressed to a predetermined bulk density. Therefore, the blast processing device 1 can stabilize the bulk density of the abrasive sent to the nozzle 30.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the regulating plate. As shown in Figure 4, the regulating plate 50 may be fixed to the inside of the casing 21 at a position between the tip of the screw 24 and the supply port 23. In other words, the regulating plate 50 does not have to rotate together with the screw 24.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing another modified example of the regulating plate 50. As shown in Figure 5, the regulating plate 50 may be provided integrally with the second bearing portion 26b inside the casing 21 at a position between the tip of the screw 24 and the supply port 23. In this case, an opening is provided in the bearing support portion of the second bearing portion 26b. The screw 24 is rotatably supported at both ends by the first bearing portion 26a near the inlet 22 and the second bearing portion 26b (regulating plate 50) near the supply port 23.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing another modified example of the regulating plate 50. The blast processing device 1 in Figure 6 includes a regulating plate 50 fixed to the tip of the screw 24, and a regulating plate 50 (second bearing portion 26b) provided integrally with the second bearing portion 26b inside the casing 21 at a position between the tip of the screw 24 and the supply port 23. The screw 24 is supported rotatably at both ends by the first bearing portion 26a near the inlet 22 and the second bearing portion 26b (regulating plate 50) near the supply port 23. The rotating shaft 24a of the screw 24 extends beyond the second bearing portion 26b (regulating plate 50). The regulating plate 50 fixed to the tip of the screw 24 is disposed closer to the supply port 23 than the second bearing portion 26b (regulating plate 50).

[Other Modifications]
The nozzle 30 does not have to be connected to the supply port 23 so that the relative positional relationship with the inlet 22 of the casing 21 is fixed. The storage container 10, the quantitative supply device 20, and the nozzle 30 do not have to constitute the unit 5. The blast processing device 1 does not have to include a moving mechanism 60 that moves the unit 5 relative to the workpiece W.

The blast processing device 1 may not include an air supply member 40 that is housed in a storage container 10, connected to an air source 41, and has a plurality of air holes for supplying air from the air source 41. The blast processing device 1 may not include a restricting plate 50 that has an opening penetrating in the thickness direction and is disposed between the tip of the screw 24 and the supply port 23 so as to separate the inside of the casing 21. The blast processing device 1 may not include a restricting plate 50 that is fixed to the tip of the screw 24 so as to form a gap between the inside of the casing 21 and the tip of the screw 24.

The blast processing device 1 may be a direct pressure type blast processing device. The blast processing device 1 may be a wet type blast processing device. If the abrasive M is not reused, the blast processing device 1 may not be equipped with the classification mechanism 11 and the dust collector 2. In this case, an operator may supply the abrasive M to the storage container 10.

The moving mechanism 60 is not limited to an orthogonal robot. The moving mechanism 60 may be, for example, a multi-joint robot, a parallel link robot, or a scalar robot.

[Verification of nozzle arrangement and blasting conditions]
The arrangement of the nozzle 30 and the blasting conditions were examined so that the pressure loss in the path when the abrasive is drawn from the constant-volume supply device is 0.1 kPa or less.
[Example]
The blast processing device 1A shown in FIG. 7 was used. In the blast processing device 1A, the nozzle 30 was placed below the constant-volume supply device 20. The nozzle 30 was the same as the nozzle 30 of the blast processing device 1. The aperture of the injection nozzle 30c was φ8 mm in diameter. The nozzle body 30a was connected to the constant-volume supply device 20 using the connection pipe 31. The other configurations were the same as those of the blast processing device 1 shown in FIG. 1. As blast conditions, the injection pressure was set to 150 to 600 kPa, and green carborundum GC#600 manufactured by Shinto Kogyo Co., Ltd. was used as the abrasive M. Pressure sensors were installed upstream and downstream of the connection pipe 31, and the difference between the detection results of the pressure sensors obtained during the blast processing was taken as the pressure loss of the connection pipe 31. The injection amount from the nozzle 30 was also measured. The results are shown in Table 1.
[Comparative Example]
In the blast processing apparatus 1A shown in Figure 7, the position of the constant-volume feeder and the length of the feed path from the constant-volume feeder to the nozzle were changed. The constant-volume feeder was placed so as to be located lower than the nozzle 30. A hose having a length 10 times or more longer than the connecting pipe 31 was used instead of the connecting pipe 31. As a blasting condition, the injection pressure was set to 50 to 600 kPa. The other blasting conditions were the same as those in the example. The difference between the detection results of the pressure sensor obtained during the blast processing was taken as the pressure loss of the hose. In addition, the injection amount from the nozzle 30 was measured. The results are shown in Table 1.

Table 1 shows the results of the pressure loss measurements. As shown in Table 1, in the examples, it was confirmed that the pressure loss was 0.1 kPa or less when the injection pressure was in the range of 50 to 600 kPa. When the injection pressure was 50 kPa, the injection amount of the abrasive M was 500 g/min, and the pressure loss was 0.1 kPa or less. In other words, it was confirmed that the pressure loss was small in the examples, and that the abrasive M was stably injected even at extremely low pressures. In the comparative examples, it was confirmed that the pressure loss was greater than 0.1 kPa when the injection pressure was in the range of 150 to 600 kPa. When the injection pressure was 150 kPa, the injection amount of the abrasive M was 150 g/min, and the pressure loss was greater than 0.1 kPa. This indicates that, because the pressure loss was large in the comparative examples, the injection of the abrasive M pulsated at extremely low pressures, and the minimum usable pressure became high. For this reason, in the comparative example, it was confirmed that the abrasive M was not stably sprayed under low pressure conditions, and that even at the lowest usable pressure, only a small amount was stably sprayed.

1...blast processing device, 10...storage container, 20...quantitative supply device, 21...casing, 22...inlet, 23...supply port, 24...screw, 24a...rotating shaft, 30...nozzle, 30a...nozzle body, 30b...air nozzle, 30c...spray nozzle, 31...connecting pipe, 40...air supply member, 41...air source, 50...regulating plate, 60...moving mechanism, M...abrasive, S...storage chamber, V...space.

Claims (6)

A blast processing device that sprays a solid-gas two-phase flow consisting of an abrasive and a gas ,
a storage container defining a storage chamber therein for storing the abrasive;
a constant amount supply device that supplies the abrasive from the storage chamber to the outside of the storage container;
a nozzle for blasting the abrasive supplied from the quantitative supply device together with compressed air;
Equipped with
The quantitative supply device is
A casing extending along a horizontal direction, defining a space therein, and having an inlet that communicates the space with the storage chamber, and a supply port that opens downward at a position horizontally spaced from the inlet;
a screw that is housed in the casing, has a rotation shaft that extends along a horizontal direction, and rotates about the rotation shaft to transport the abrasive in the space from the inlet to the supply port;
having
The screw is housed in the casing so as not to overlap with the supply port in a vertical direction ,
a connection pipe that connects the nozzle and the supply port of the casing;
The nozzle is provided so that a relative positional relationship with the casing is fixed,
The abrasive is transported inside the connecting pipe by an air flow.
Blasting equipment. The blasting device according to claim 1, further comprising an air supply member housed in the storage chamber, connected to an air source, and having a plurality of air holes for supplying air from the air source. the nozzle includes a nozzle body connected to a path for transporting the abrasive from the constant-volume supply device toward the nozzle, an air nozzle for introducing the compressed air into the nozzle body to generate an air current for sucking the abrasive into the nozzle body, and an injection nozzle for injecting the abrasive transported into the nozzle body together with the compressed air;
The blast processing device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the nozzle is disposed so that a pressure loss caused by the generation of the airflow is 0.1 kPa or less. The blast processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising a restricting plate having an opening penetrating in a thickness direction and disposed between the tip of the screw and the supply port so as to partition the inside of the casing. The blast processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising a restricting plate fixed to the tip of the screw so as to form a gap between the tip and an inner wall of the casing. The storage container, the constant-volume supply device, and the nozzle constitute a unit,
A moving mechanism is provided for moving the unit relatively to the workpiece ,
The moving mechanism changes a vertical position of the unit perpendicular to a height position of the unit, or a horizontal position of the unit perpendicular to the height position of the unit and the vertical position of the unit.
The blast processing device according to claim 1 .

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