Abstract:
In order to produce a cleaning plant for cleaning work pieces which comprises at least one cleaning station in which the workpiece is subjected to a cleaning process in such a manner that the cleaning process can be organized in a flexible manner and easily adapted to changes in the workpiece, it is proposed that the cleaning plant should comprise at least one manipulating device which picks up a workpiece prior to treatment in a treatment area of the cleaning station, supplies the workpiece to the treatment process within the treatment area of the cleaning station and passes on the workpiece after the treatment in the treatment area of the cleaning station.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/781,053 filed Jul. 20, 2007, currently pending, which is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2006/000163 filed Jan. 11, 2006, which claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2005 003 093.9 filed on Jan. 22, 2005, the entire specifications of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a cleaning plant for cleaning workpieces which comprises at least one cleaning station in which the workpieces are subjected to a cleaning process. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Such cleaning plants are known from the state of the art. 
         [0004]    In particular, multi-chamber or multi-station cleaning plants are known wherein the internal transportation of the workpieces from station to station is accomplished by means of conveying devices such as walking beam conveyers, lift-over devices or roller-track conveyers for example. 
         [0005]    In the case of the conveying devices used up to now for the internal transportation of the workpieces within the plant, the orientation of the workpieces does not vary. At best, the workpiece is rotated within a cleaning station about a horizontal or vertical axis of rotation. In the case where use is made of walking beam conveyers, the retention time of the workpiece in a cleaning station is also unalterable and is of the same length in each of the cleaning stations. For every change in the workpiece requiring cleaning and for each change in the cleaning process, the cleaning plant must be reconfigured. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The object of the present invention is to produce a cleaning plant of the type specified hereinabove which permits the cleaning process to be organized in a flexible manner and easily adapted to changes in the workpiece. 
         [0007]    In accordance with the invention, this object is achieved by a cleaning plant in accordance with claim  1  which comprises at least one manipulating device which picks up a workpiece prior to treatment in a treatment area of the cleaning station, supplies the workpiece to the treatment process in the treatment area of the cleaning station and passes on the workpiece after the treatment in the treatment area of the cleaning station. 
         [0008]    The solution in accordance with the invention enables the treatment process within the treatment area of the cleaning station to be varied and in particular adapted to the changed workpiece geometry when there is a change in the workpiece simply by altering the pattern of movement of the manipulating device without reconfiguration of the cleaning plant being necessary for this purpose. 
         [0009]    Moreover, the use of a manipulating device for moving the workpiece enables individual borings and other critical points of the workpiece to be subjected to the treatment by appropriate control of the manipulating device using a simply constructed treatment device having static treatment means without the need to use moveable parts, such as moveable spraying lances for example, in the treatment device. 
         [0010]    Thus, to a large extent, the mechanical construction of the cleaning plant in accordance with the invention is capable of being standardised independently of the type of workpieces requiring cleaning. 
         [0011]    Preferably, the manipulating device is provided with a programmable control system so that an alteration to the pattern of movement of the manipulating device is realizable by changes in the software alone. Thus, the cleaning plant can be adapted to workpieces of altered geometry by changes in the software alone; nevertheless, an adjustment to a gripping device in the manipulating device in response to the altered geometry of a workpiece could also be necessary. 
         [0012]    The manipulating device of the cleaning plant in accordance with the invention can take over the workpiece prior to the treatment at a work piece&#39;s point of entry into the cleaning plant or else from another manipulating device arranged upstream of the manipulating device or from a workpiece storage means or a workpiece moving device which is inserted between two successive manipulating devices. 
         [0013]    Furthermore, the manipulating device can hand over the workpiece after the treatment at a work piece&#39;s point of exit from the cleaning plant, to another manipulating device arranged downstream from the manipulating device or to a workpiece storage means or workpiece moving device which is inserted between two successive manipulating devices. 
         [0014]    Apart from a process which serves to free the workpiece from foreign bodies and/or adhering liquids, the expression “cleaning process” as used in this description and in the attached Claims is to be understood as being any such process that is usually carried out in the course of a workpiece cleaning treatment, in particular, a drying process or a workpiece deburring process. 
         [0015]    In a preferred embodiment of the cleaning plant in accordance with the invention, provision may be made for the pattern of movement of the manipulating device to be controllable in a manner specific to the type of work piece in dependence on the type of workpiece currently being handled. This not only permits the cleaning plant to be reset from one type of workpiece to another type of workpiece in a simple manner, but it also enables workpieces of different workpiece types that are following each other in a mixed sequence to be treated in the same cleaning plant. 
         [0016]    In order to enable the workpiece to be moved relative to the respective treatment device within the treatment area by means of the manipulating device in as free a manner as possible, both in regard to translatory movements as well as rotational movements, it is expedient for the manipulating device to exhibit at least three, preferably at least four, degrees of freedom of movement. 
         [0017]    In this description and in the attached Claims, the expression “rotational movement” is to be understood as being any movement about a static or moveable axis of rotation which can be implemented through arbitrary angles and with or without changes in the direction of rotation. 
         [0018]    The manipulating device preferably comprises a gripping device for grasping the workpiece. 
         [0019]    In a preferred embodiment of the cleaning plant in accordance with the invention, provision is made for the manipulating device to be in the form of a robot. 
         [0020]    The cleaning plant in accordance with the invention may comprise a plurality of cleaning stations, wherein each cleaning station has associated therewith at least one manipulating device which picks up a workpiece prior to the treatment in the treatment area of the cleaning station, supplies the workpiece to the treatment process in the treatment area of the cleaning station and passes on the workpiece after the treatment in the treatment area of the cleaning station. 
         [0021]    The at least one manipulating device of the cleaning plant can be arranged in a static manner at a cleaning station of the cleaning plant. 
         [0022]    As an alternative thereto, it is also possible for the cleaning plant to comprise a manipulating device which is moveable within the cleaning plant between different cleaning stations. 
         [0023]    For example, provision could be made for one or more robots to be arranged on a ground rail or on a roof rail such as to be displaceable in a longitudinal direction of the cleaning plant. 
         [0024]    In particular, the cleaning plant in accordance with the invention may comprise at least one washing station which comprises a washing vessel in which the workpiece is located during a washing process, wherein the washing vessel has an access opening through which the manipulating device extends into the washing vessel during the washing process. 
         [0025]    This access opening can be arranged at the top of the washing vessel in particular. 
         [0026]    Furthermore, provision may be made for the cleaning plant to comprises at least one vacuum station which comprises a vacuum container in which the workpiece is located under vacuum during a working process, wherein the vacuum container has an entry opening which is closed during the working process by means of a cover arranged on the manipulating device. 
         [0027]    Furthermore, provision may be made for the cleaning plant to comprise a deburring station which comprises at least one spraying lance. 
         [0028]    In this case, provision may be made, in particular, for the workpiece to be moved within the treatment area of the deburring station by means of the manipulating device in such a way that a spraying opening of the spraying lance enters a cavity of the workpiece during the spraying process. 
         [0029]    Furthermore, provision may be made for at least one cleaning station of the cleaning plant to be arranged in a chamber having a chamber wall and for the cleaning plant to comprise a workpiece moving apparatus, in particular a rotary partition, by means of which the workpiece is movable from one side of the chamber wall to the other side of the chamber wall through a passage opening in the chamber wall 
         [0030]    In particular, the workpiece moving apparatus may comprise a turntable. 
         [0031]    Preferably, provision is made for the workpiece to be held on the manipulating device during the treatment in the treatment area of the cleaning station. 
         [0032]    It is particularly expedient, if the workpiece is movable relative to a treatment device of the cleaning station by means of the manipulating device during the treatment thereof in the treatment area of the cleaning station, in particular, in rotary and/or pivotal manner. 
         [0033]    Further features and advantages of the invention form the subject matter of the following description and the pictorial illustration of an exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0034]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic plan view from above of a cleaning plant having four successive cleaning stations (pre-wash, high pressure deburring, injection flood washing and vacuum-drying) each of which has a manipulating device in the form of a robot associated therewith; 
           [0035]      FIG. 2  shows a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the cleaning plant of  FIG. 1  along the line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0036]      FIG. 3  shows a schematic cross sectional view of the cleaning plant of  FIG. 1  along the line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0037]      FIG. 4  shows a schematic perspective illustration of the cleaning plant with its roof wall removed as seen from the rear; 
           [0038]      FIG. 5  shows a schematic perspective illustration of the cleaning plant with its rear wall removed as seen from the rear; 
           [0039]      FIG. 6  shows a schematic perspective illustration of the cleaning plant with the side walls and the roof wall thereof removed as seen from the output side of the cleaning plant; 
           [0040]      FIG. 7  shows a schematic perspective illustration of the cleaning plant with the side walls and the roof wall thereof removed as seen from the front side of the cleaning plant; 
           [0041]      FIG. 8  shows a schematic perspective illustration of the cleaning plant with the side walls and the roof wall thereof removed as seen from the input side of the cleaning plant; 
           [0042]      FIG. 9  shows a schematic perspective illustration of a pre-washing station of the cleaning plant with a pre-washing vessel, a robot and a workpiece requiring pre-washing; 
           [0043]      FIG. 10  shows an illustration of the pre-washing station corresponding to  FIG. 9 , wherein a gripping device of the robot is moving towards the workpiece; 
           [0044]      FIG. 11  shows a schematic perspective illustration of the workpiece and the gripping device of the robot, prior to the workpiece being grasped by the gripping device; 
           [0045]      FIG. 12  shows a schematic perspective illustration corresponding to  FIG. 11 , after the workpiece has been grasped by the gripping device of the robot and after the workpiece has been lifted from a workpiece retaining means; 
           [0046]      FIG. 13  shows a schematic perspective illustration of the pre-washing vessel in the pre-washing station with the spraying nozzles arranged on the inner wall of the pre-washing vessel; 
           [0047]      FIG. 14  shows a schematic perspective illustration of the pre-washing station, wherein the workpiece held by the gripping device is just being inserted into the pre-washing vessel from above; 
           [0048]      FIG. 15  shows a schematic perspective illustration of the pre-washing station during a pre-washing process, wherein the workpiece is subjected to jets of a pre-washing liquid by the spraying nozzles and is moved relative to the spraying nozzles by the robot during this process; 
           [0049]      FIG. 16  shows a schematic perspective illustration of a partition wall between two cleaning stations of the cleaning plant with a rotary partition and an empty workpiece retaining means arranged on the rotary partition; 
           [0050]      FIG. 17  shows a schematic perspective illustration of the rotary partition of  FIG. 16 , wherein a workpiece has just been placed on the workpiece retaining means by means of a robot; 
           [0051]      FIG. 18  shows a schematic perspective illustration of the rotary partition with a workpiece seated on the workpiece retaining means; 
           [0052]      FIG. 19  shows a schematic perspective illustration of the rotary partition whilst the rotary partition is being rotated about a vertical axle; 
           [0053]      FIG. 20  shows a schematic perspective illustration of a deburring device of the cleaning plant with a spraying lance spraying in a radial direction and a robot arm which is holding a workpiece requiring deburring; 
           [0054]      FIG. 21  shows a schematic perspective illustration corresponding to  FIG. 20 , after the workpiece has been moved relative to the spraying lance by means of the robot in such a manner that the outlet openings of the spraying lance are located within a cavity of the workpiece; 
           [0055]      FIG. 22  shows a schematic perspective illustration corresponding to  FIG. 20  which shows how the workpiece is deburred by means of a further spraying lance spraying in the axial direction; 
           [0056]      FIG. 23  shows a schematic perspective illustration of an injection flood washing station and a vacuum drying station of the cleaning plant with the side walls removed; 
           [0057]      FIG. 24  shows a schematic perspective illustration of an injection flood washing vessel of the injection flood washing station; 
           [0058]      FIG. 25  shows a schematic perspective illustration of the injection flood washing vessel, wherein a workpiece requiring washing is just being inserted into the injection flood washing vessel from above by means of a robot; 
           [0059]      FIG. 26  shows a schematic perspective illustration of the injection flood washing vessel during an injection flood washing process, wherein the workpiece is being subjected to jets of cleaning fluid and is being moved relative to the flood washing nozzles by means of the robot during this process; 
           [0060]      FIG. 27  shows a schematic perspective illustration of a vacuum container in the vacuum drying station of the cleaning plant; 
           [0061]      FIG. 28  shows a schematic perspective illustration of the vacuum container and a robot arm with a cover for the vacuum container, wherein a workpiece that is to be vacuum-dried is just being inserted into the vacuum container from above by means of the robot; and 
           [0062]      FIG. 29  shows a schematic perspective illustration corresponding to  FIG. 28 , after the workpiece has been inserted into the vacuum container and the vacuum container has been closed by means of the cover arranged on the robot arm. 
       
    
    
       [0063]    Similar or functionally equivalent elements are designated by the same reference symbols in each of the Figures. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0064]    A cleaning plant bearing the general reference  100  which is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 29  comprises a substantially cuboidal housing  102  having a bottom wall  104 , a front side wall  106 , a rear side wall  108  provided with windows  107 , a left input-side side wall  110  incorporating a filling opening  112  for the insertion of a workpiece  114  requiring cleaning into the cleaning plant  100 , a right output-side side wall  116  incorporating a withdrawal opening  118  for delivering a work piece that has been cleaned in the cleaning plant  100  and also having a roof wall  120 . 
         [0065]    The cleaning plant  100  comprises a plurality of, four in the present exemplary embodiment, cleaning stations  122  which succeed one another in the longitudinal direction  124  of the cleaning plant  100  between the input-side side wall  110  and the output-side side wall  116  thereof. 
         [0066]    The concretely illustrated embodiment of a cleaning plant  100  comprises in succession from the input to the output sides of the cleaning plant  100 , a pre-washing station  126 , a high pressure deburring station  128 , an injection flood washing station  130  and a vacuum drying station  132 . 
         [0067]    Each of the cleaning stations  122  is subdivided by a respective vertical partition wall  134  running parallel to the longitudinal direction  124  of the cleaning plant  100  into a maintenance area  136  lying between the partition wall  134  and the rear side wall  108  of the housing  102  and a work area  138  lying between the partition wall  134  and the front side wall  106  of the housing  102 . 
         [0068]    The supply and processing means that are required for carrying out the treatment on the workpieces  114  in the work area  138 , such as cleaning-agent tanks, pumps, filtering devices, cleaning-agent processing plants, vacuum pumps or the like for example, are arranged in the maintenance area  136  of each cleaning station  122 . 
         [0069]    Together, the maintenance areas  136  of each of the cleaning stations  122  form a continuously traversable maintenance space  140  which extends in parallel with the partition walls  134  in the longitudinal direction  124  of the cleaning plant  100  and is accessible to maintenance personnel from the exterior of the cleaning plant  100  via a (not illustrated) entrance door so that the necessary maintenance work can be carried out in the maintenance space  140  without the treatment of the workpieces  114  in the work areas  138  of the cleaning plant  100  needing to be interrupted for this purpose. 
         [0070]    Furthermore a switchgear cabinet  141 , which contains controllers and/or power supply devices for the supply and processing means arranged in the maintenance areas  136 , is fitted into the side wall  116  of the housing  102  at one end of the maintenance space  140  in such a manner that the doors  143  of the switchgear cabinet  141  can be opened from the exterior of the cleaning plant  100  in order to provide access to the interior of the switchgear cabinet  141 . 
         [0071]    The work area  138  of each cleaning station  122  comprises a treatment area  142  directly adjacent to the partition wall  134  and a robot standing area  144  extending between the treatment area  142  and the front side wall  106 . 
         [0072]    The steps of a treatment on the workpieces  114  that are specific to the respective cleaning station  122  are implemented in the treatment area  142  of each cleaning station  122 . The construction of the treatment areas  142  in the cleaning stations  122  will be described in more detail hereinafter in the context of the description of the functioning of the cleaning plant  100 . 
         [0073]    In each partition wall  134 , there is provided a pivotal access window  145  through which the respective treatment area  142  is accessible from the respectively associated maintenance area  136  in order to enable maintenance, cleaning and/or repair work to be carried out in the treatment area  142  from the maintenance area  136 . 
         [0074]    The treatment areas  142  of the cleaning stations  122  following one another in the longitudinal direction  124  are separated from each other by a respective vertical lateral partition wall  146  running perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction  124 . 
         [0075]    The robot support zone  144  of each cleaning station  122  has a base formed by a grating  148  (see  FIG. 9 ) which supports a respective pedestal  150  for a robot  152  serving as a manipulating device. 
         [0076]    The robot support zones  144  of each of the cleaning stations  122  are not separated from each other by partition walls, but together, they form a continuously traversable robot support space  154  for the cleaning plant  100 . 
         [0077]    The robot support space  154  is accessible to maintenance personnel from the exterior of the cleaning plant  100  via a (not illustrated) access door. 
         [0078]    Arranged next to the pedestal  150  of each robot  152 , there is a robot services cabinet  156  which is inserted into the front side wall  106  of the housing  102  of the cleaning plant  100  in such a way that a front door  158  of the robot services cabinet  156  can be opened from the exterior of the cleaning plant  100  in order to gain access to the robot services cabinet  156  and carry out any programming, maintenance and/or repair work that has become necessary. 
         [0079]    As can be seen from  FIG. 3  for example, each of the respective robots  152  has at least six axes of rotation, about which parts of the robot  152  are moveable relative to each other by means of suitable rotary or pivotal drives under the control of a (not illustrated) control system for the robot  152 . 
         [0080]    Thus, a base part  160  of each robot is arranged on the pedestal  150  and is rotatable relative to the pedestal  150  about a vertical first axis of rotation  162  (see  FIG. 3 ). 
         [0081]    A main arm  164  of the robot  152  is held on the base part  160  and is pivotal relative thereto about a horizontal second axis of rotation  166 . 
         [0082]    An angular retaining part  168  is arranged on the main arm  164  and is pivotal relative thereto about a horizontal third axis of rotation  170 . 
         [0083]    The retaining part  168  forms a bearing for a rotary arm  172  which is arranged such as to be rotatable relative to the retaining part  168  about its longitudinal axis, the fourth axis of rotation  174  (see  FIG. 10 ). 
         [0084]    The free end of the rotary arm  172  remote from the retaining part  168  carries a substantially U-shaped stirrup part  176  which is arranged such as to be pivotal relative to the rotary arm  172  about a fifth axis of rotation  178  running substantially perpendicularly to the fourth axis of rotation  174 . 
         [0085]    The web  182  interconnecting the two mutually parallel legs  180  of the U-shaped stirrup part  176  carries a robot head  184  on the outer side thereof remote from the fifth axis of rotation  178 , said robot head  184  being arranged on the stirrup part  176  such as to be rotatable relative thereto about a sixth axis of rotation  186  running radially relative to the fifth axis of rotation  178 . 
         [0086]    Arranged on a side face  188  of the substantially cuboidal robot head  184 , there is a gripping device  188  which comprises a gripper  190  that is static relative to the robot head  184  (see  FIG. 11 ) and two moveable grippers  194  that are displaceable relative to the robot head  184  by means of a respective displacement device  192 . 
         [0087]    The displacement devices  192  can be in the form of (hydraulic or pneumatic) two-way cylinders or else electrically operable spindle nut/spindle mechanisms for example. 
         [0088]    The static gripper  190  and the moveable grippers  194  of the gripping device  188  are provided with recesses and/or with projections of a type such that the workpiece  114  will be held positively between the grippers  190 ,  192  when the gripping device  188  is closed. 
         [0089]    The cleaning process that is carried out with the previously described cleaning plant  100  is described in detail hereinafter with reference to  FIGS. 9 to 29 , wherein the individual components in the treatment areas  142  of the four cleaning stations  122  of the cleaning plant  100  are also described at the same time: 
         [0090]    After the workpiece  114  requiring treatment has been inserted into the pre-washing station  126  of the cleaning plant  100  through the filling opening  112 , the workpiece  114  is initially located on a workpiece retaining plate  196  having four positioning pins  198  extending upwardly from the upper surface thereof (see  FIG. 12 ), said pins entering corresponding recesses in the workpiece  114  so that the workpiece  114  is held securely on the workpiece retaining plate  196  and cannot be displaced in the horizontal direction. 
         [0091]    For the purposes of picking up the workpiece  114  by the first robot  152   a,  the rotary and pivotal drives of the robot  152   a  are actuated by the robot&#39;s automatic control system in such a manner that the gripping device  188  of the robot  152   a  is moved from the position illustrated in  FIG. 9  through the position illustrated in  FIG. 10  into the position illustrated in  FIG. 11  wherein the grippers  190 ,  194  of the gripping device  188  are aligned substantially vertically and the workpiece  114  that is to be picked up is surrounded on three sides. 
         [0092]    In the position shown in  FIG. 11 , the workpiece  114  is picked up by the holding device  188  of the robot  152   a,  in that the gripper  190  which is static with respect to the robot head  184  is moved towards the workpiece  114  by a substantially horizontal movement of the robot head  184  in the radial direction so that a projection  200  of the workpiece  114  enters a seating opening  202  in the static gripper  190 , and also in that the two moveable grippers  194  are moved towards the workpiece  114  by the displacement device  192  in the direction of displacement  193  thereof so that projections  204  disposed at the lower end of the moveable grippers  194  are then located below a base plate  206  of the workpiece  114 . 
         [0093]    Due to the displacement of the moveable grippers  194 , the gripping device  188  is transferred from the open position illustrated in  FIG. 11  into the closed position illustrated in  FIG. 12  wherein the workpiece  114  is held in positive manner by the gripping device  188   
         [0094]    After this action of closing the gripping device  188 , the workpiece  114  is lifted upwardly from the workpiece retaining plate  196  and is inserted, from above, through an access opening  209  into an upwardly open, substantially cup-shaped pre-washing vessel  208  of the pre-washing station  126  by controlling the rotary and pivotal drives of the robot  152   a  in a suitable manner (see  FIGS. 12 to 14 ). 
         [0095]    The pre-washing vessel  208  has a conically upwardly diverging side wall  210  upon the inner surface of which there are provided several spraying nozzles  212  that are formed into a plurality of, three for example, groups of spraying nozzles  214 . 
         [0096]    Each of the groups of spraying nozzles  214  comprises a plurality of, four for example, spraying nozzles  212  which are arranged one above the other such as to be vertically spaced along a surface line of the side wall  210 . 
         [0097]    The groups of spraying nozzles  214  themselves are distributed substantially equidistantly around the circumference of the side wall  210 , thus for example, at an angular spacing of 120°. 
         [0098]    As can best be seen from  FIG. 14 , the spraying nozzles  212  of each group of spraying nozzles  214  are connected by branch lines  216  to a respective supply line for a group of nozzles  218 , and for their part, these group supply lines are connected to a ring line  220 . 
         [0099]    A liquid pre-washing agent is supplied under pressure to the ring line  220  via a (not illustrated) supply line from a tank arranged in the maintenance area  136  of the pre-washing station  126  by means of a positive-displacement pump which is likewise arranged in the maintenance area  136  of the pre-washing station  126  as soon as a (not illustrated) non-return valve in the supply line to the ring line  220  is opened. 
         [0100]    The opening of this non-return valve takes place as soon as the workpiece  114  has been inserted into the interior  222  of the pre-washing vessel  208  so that each spraying nozzle  212  produces a jet of pre-washing agent  224  which is directed towards the vertical central axis of the pre-washing vessel  208 . 
         [0101]    These fluid jets strike the workpiece  114  and loosen any impurities adhering thereto. 
         [0102]    In order to obtain a satisfactory pre-washing effect, the workpiece  114  is moved relative to the jets of pre-washing agent  224  within the effective range of these jets of pre-washing agent  224  by appropriate actuation of the rotary and pivotal drives of the robot  152   a  in such a manner that all the externally accessible surfaces of the workpiece, and even the surfaces of any cavities in the workpiece  114 , are directly exposed to the jets of pre-washing agent  224 . 
         [0103]    The pre-washing agent running off the workpiece  114  collects at the base of the pre-washing vessel  208 , and from there it is supplied via a (not illustrated) drain to a filtration process for subsequent re-usage. 
         [0104]    At the end of the pre-determined pre-washing time, the non-return valve in the supply line to the ring line  220  is closed so that the jets of pre-washing agent  224  shut off. 
         [0105]    After a subsequent dripping-off phase that is provided when necessary, the workpiece  114  is passed on to the next cleaning station  122  by the robot  152   a,  in this case, to the high pressure deburring station  128 . 
         [0106]    The rotary partition  226  that is illustrated in  FIGS. 16 to 19  and is arranged in the lateral partition wall  146  between the pre-washing station  126  and the high pressure deburring station  128  serves to effect this transfer. 
         [0107]    This rotary partition  226  comprises a substantially circular disk-shaped turntable  228  which carries a vertical central wall  230  on its upper surface, said wall extending in the radial direction of the turntable  228  over the entire diameter thereof so that the central wall  230  divides the upper surface of the turntable  228  into two workpiece seating regions  232 , of which only one is illustrated in  FIGS. 16 to 19 . 
         [0108]    A respective workpiece retaining plate  196  of the type previously described above is arranged in each workpiece seating region  232  of the turntable  228 . 
         [0109]    In the rest position of the workpiece transfer channel  226  illustrated in  FIG. 16 , the workpiece seating region  232  protruding into the pre-washing station  126  is empty, i.e. it is not occupied by a workpiece  114 , and the central wall  230  closes a substantially rectangular passage opening in the lateral partition wall  146  which is associated with the rotary partition  226 . 
         [0110]    After the conclusion of the treatment in the pre-washing station  126 , the workpiece  114  is placed on the workpiece retaining plate  196  by appropriate actuation of the rotary and pivotal drives of the robot  152   a  and is released by opening the gripping device  188 , as is illustrated in  FIGS. 17 and 18 . 
         [0111]    After the gripping device  188  has moved on from the workpiece seating region  232 , the turntable  228  is rotated about its central vertical axle by means of a (not illustrated) rotary drive device so that the central wall  230  frees the passage opening  234  in the lateral partition wall  146  and the workpiece seating region  232  carrying the workpiece  114  enters the next cleaning station  122  through the passage opening  234 , this station here being the high pressure deburring station  128 . 
         [0112]    At the same time, the (not illustrated) second workpiece seating region  232  of the turntable  228 , which is empty at this time, leaves the high pressure deburring station  128  and enters the pre-washing station  126  due to the rotation of the turntable  128  through an angle of 180° so that the next workpiece  114  requiring treatment can be set down in this second workpiece seating region  232 . 
         [0113]    In the high pressure deburring station  128 , the workpiece  114  is picked up from the workpiece retaining plate  196  by a second robot  152   b  by means of the gripping device  188  thereof in the manner previously described above and is supplied to a high pressure deburring treatment. 
         [0114]    For the purposes of carrying out this treatment, the high pressure deburring station  128  comprises a high pressure deburring unit  236  (see  FIGS. 20 to 22 ) which is arranged in its treatment area  142  and comprises a first deburring spraying lance  238  and a second deburring spraying lance  240 . 
         [0115]    The first deburring spraying lance  238  comprises a spraying lance pipe  242 , at whose free end there are arranged a multiplicity of spraying openings which point in the radial direction and through which a liquid deburring means, water for example, emerges at a very high pressure of approximately 1000 bar for example, in the form of a plurality of deburring jets  242  that are aligned radially relative to the spraying lance pipe  242 . 
         [0116]    This first deburring spraying lance  238  serves to deburr the surfaces of cavities in the workpiece  114 . For this purpose, the workpiece  114  is positioned in front of the high pressure deburring unit  236  by appropriate actuation of the rotary and pivotal drives of the robot  152   b  in such a manner that the inlet opening of a cavity therein points towards the first deburring spraying lance  238  (see  FIG. 20 ). 
         [0117]    Subsequently, the holding device  188  together with the workpiece  114  is moved in substantially the axial direction of the first deburring spraying lance  138  by appropriate actuation of the rotary and pivotal drives of the robot  152   b  such that the free end of the spraying lance pipe  242  gains entry into the corresponding cavity in the workpiece  114  so that the surfaces of this cavity in the workpiece  114  are subjected to the radial deburring jets  244  and thus deburred. 
         [0118]    If the workpiece  114  comprises a plurality of cavities requiring deburring, then this deburring treatment can be repeated by means of the first deburring spraying lance  238  in that it is driven into another cavity of the workpiece  114 . 
         [0119]    The second deburring spraying lance  240  of the high pressure deburring unit  236  produces a single deburring jet  246  which is directed perpendicularly away from a side wall of the high pressure deburring unit  236  in the axial direction of the second deburring spraying lance  240  and serves for deburring the exterior surfaces of the work piece  114 . 
         [0120]    In order to enable all the exterior surfaces of the workpiece  114  requiring deburring to be subjected to the deburring jet  246 , the workpiece  114  is moved relative to the deburring jet  246  within the effective range of the deburring jet  246  by appropriate actuation of the rotary and pivotal drives of the robot  152   b  such that all the exterior surfaces of the workpiece  114  requiring deburring are subjected to the deburring jet  246 . 
         [0121]    The deburring spraying lances  238 ,  240  of the high pressure deburring unit  236  are connected by a (not illustrated) deburring agent supply line which is provided with a controllable non-return valve and a high-pressure pump to a deburring agent tank which is arranged in the maintenance area  136  of the high pressure deburring station  128 . 
         [0122]    After the conclusion of the high pressure deburring treatment, the workpiece  114  is placed on a rotary partition  226  by the robot  152   b  in the manner previously described above and this then transfers the workpiece  114  from the high pressure deburring station  128  to the injection flood washing station  130  following thereon. 
         [0123]    The injection flood washing station  130  illustrated in  FIGS. 23 to 26  comprises an injection flood washing vessel  248  which is constructed in a manner similar to that of the pre-washing vessel  208  and in particular, is provided with spraying nozzles  212  for producing jets of fluid, in this case injection flood washing jets  250 , on the inner surface of its side wall  210 . 
         [0124]    The workpiece  114  is picked up from the rotary partition  226  by the third robot  152   c  which is assigned to the injection flood washing station  130  in the manner previously described above, and it is then inserted, from above, through the access opening  209  into the upwardly open injection flood washing vessel  248  (see  FIGS. 25 and 26 ). 
         [0125]    In contrast to the pre-washing station  126  however, the injection flood washing vessel  248  of the injection flood washing station  130  is filled with a liquid cleaning agent up to a level lying above the spraying nozzles  212  so that the workpiece  114  is completely immersed in this bath of cleaning agent and is subjected to the injection flood washing jets  250  within the cleaning agent bath. 
         [0126]    For reasons of clarity, the bath of cleaning agent filling the injection flood washing vessel  248  is not illustrated in  FIGS. 24 to 26 . 
         [0127]    As in the case of the pre-washing station  126 , the workpiece  114  is moved relative to the injection flood washing jets within the effective range of the injection flood washing jets  250  by appropriate actuation of the rotary and pivotal drives of the robot  152   c  such that all the externally accessible surfaces of the workpiece  114  are subjected to the injection flood washing jets  250 . 
         [0128]    The spraying nozzles  212  of the injection flood washing vessel  248  are connected via the supply lines of a group of nozzles  218  and a ring line  220  as well as a (not illustrated) supply line incorporating a controllable non-return valve to a positive-displacement pump arranged in the maintenance area  136  of the injection flood washing station  130  and a cleaning agent tank. 
         [0129]    Cleaning agent running out of the injection flood washing vessel  248  through a (not illustrated) drain is supplied to a filtration process for subsequent re-usage. 
         [0130]    After the conclusion of the injection flood washing treatment in the injection flood washing station  130 , the workpiece  114  is passed on by the robot  152   c  to a rotary partition  226  in the manner previously described above, and this then advances the workpiece  114  from the injection flood washing station  130  to the vacuum drying station  132  following thereon. 
         [0131]    The vacuum drying station  132  illustrated in  FIGS. 27 to 29  comprises a vacuum drying chamber  252  which is substantially cup-shaped and upwardly open. 
         [0132]    The workpiece  114  is picked up from the workpiece transfer channel  226  by the fourth robot  152   d  assigned to the vacuum drying station  132 , and is inserted, from above, through the inlet opening  258  into the interior  254  of the vacuum drying chamber  252 . 
         [0133]    The robot  152   d  assigned to the vacuum drying station  132  differs from the robots assigned to the rest of the cleaning stations  122  in that it is provided additionally with a closure cap  256  for the inlet opening  258  of the vacuum drying chamber  252 . 
         [0134]    This closure cap  256  is arranged on the side of the robot head  184  remote from the gripping device  188  and is provided along its lower edge with a peripheral seal  260 . 
         [0135]    The diameter of the interior  254  of the vacuum drying chamber  252  is dimensioned in such a manner that the robot head  184  together with the gripping device  188  and the workpiece  114  arranged thereon can be introduced in their entirety into the interior  254  of the vacuum drying chamber  252  until the closure cap  256  lies on the upper surface of the vacuum drying chamber  252  in the position illustrated in  FIG. 29  and closes the inlet opening  258  of the vacuum drying chamber  252  in substantially gas-tight manner. 
         [0136]    The interior  254  of the vacuum drying chamber  252  is now evacuated via a (not illustrated) vacuum line which leads to a vacuum pump arranged in the maintenance area  136  of the vacuum drying station  132  in order to expose the workpiece  114  to a vacuum drying treatment. 
         [0137]    After the conclusion of the predetermined period for the vacuum drying process, the interior  254  of the vacuum drying chamber  252  is ventilated again, and the workpiece  114  is placed on a workpiece retaining plate  196  by the robot  152   d  in the manner previously described above, and from there, the workpiece  114  can be removed from the cleaning plant  100  through the withdrawal opening  118 . 
         [0138]    The process of cleaning the workpiece  114  (including the concluding drying process) in the cleaning plant  100  is thereby closed.