Patent ID: 12195838

The present invention provides for a vacuum-coating system10, with which a band-type material11can be provided with a coating on at least one side thereof, preferably on both sides (upper side and lower side). Accordingly, a method particularly for coating the band-type material11can also be implemented with such a vacuum-coating system10. Equivalent features in the two figures of the drawing are each provided with the same reference numbers. At this juncture, particular reference is made to the fact that the drawing is merely simplified and particularly not shown to scale.

The band-type material11may consist of metal, particularly of steel or stainless steel, or corresponding alloys thereof. Furthermore, reference is made to the fact that the band-type material11, which is coated with the vacuum-coating system10, may be a hot band or cold band.

The vacuum-coating system10, the individual components thereof, and the functional principle thereof are explained in detail in the following:

The vacuum-coating system10comprises a conveying section12with (not shown) transport means, e.g. in the form of rollers, on which the band-type material is moved in a transport direction T. In this case, the band-type material11is unwound by a first winding device46at the infeed of the conveying section12, wherein the band-type material11—after implementation and/or completion of the desired coating—is wound up again by a second winding device48at the outfeed of the conveying section12. (Band) storage units44, with or in which the band-type material11can be stored, can be provided directly downstream of the first winding device46and upstream of the second winding device48. The band-type material11is moved and/or transported within the conveying section12in the direction of movement T, namely from the first winding device46in the direction of the second winding device48.

A coating chamber14, through which the band-type material11is moved, is arranged along the conveying section12. To this end, the coating chamber14has an inlet region16and an outlet region18, wherein an entry lock20is provided in the inlet region16and an exit lock22is provided in the outlet region18. A vacuum is generated in the coating chamber14. In this case, the entry lock20and the exit lock22ensure suitable sealing of this vacuum to the external environment upon the simultaneous movement of the band-type material11along the conveying section12and/or through these two locks20,22.

The coating chamber14is formed in multiple parts and has a coating part26and a cleaning part28. As previously explained, both of these parts,26and28, are placed under vacuum. The actual coating of the band-type material11is carried out in the coating part26, e.g. according to the principle of PVD (=physical vapor deposition), either on one side of the band-type material or on both sides thereof.

At least one band position control device24may be arranged within the coating chamber14, e.g. within the coating part26, as is shown inFIG.1. As a supplement or alternative, it is possible to arrange such a band position control device24in the cleaning part28.

The vacuum-coating system10comprises a control unit (shown in simplified form inFIG.1by a box having the reference numeral “34”), which has a signal connection (wired or wireless, e.g. via a radio link or the like) with at least one position sensor36. This position sensor36may be arranged in the coating chamber14for the purpose of determining the position of the band-type material11on the conveying section12, particularly as relates to the center region thereof.

It is possible to adjust and/or align a position of the band-type material11as relates to a center of the conveying section12by means of the band position control device24. This is accomplished in that a position of the band-type material11on the conveying section12is detected by means of the position sensor36within the coating chamber14, wherein subsequently—as needed—actuators (not shown) of the band position control device24are actuated by means of the control unit34in order to align the band-type material11as relates to the center of the conveying section12and perpendicular to the transport direction T. Accordingly, the band-type material11can always be optimally positioned within the coating chamber14under vacuum such that, for example, an impact or contact is prevented between the band-type material11and the sidewalls of the coating chamber14or of the coating part26during a movement of the band-type material11along the conveying section12.

Furthermore, it may be provided that further band position control devices24.3,24.4are arranged within the entry lock20and/or within the exit lock22. It is likewise possible that a further band position control device24.2is arranged upstream of the entry lock20—as seen in the transport direction T of the band-type material11—and/or that a further band position control device24.5is arranged downstream of the exit lock22—as seen in the transport direction T of the band-type material11.

As seen in the transport direction T of the band-type material11, a further chemical cleaning device42, which is traversed by the band-type material11before an infeed into the coating chamber14, may be arranged upstream of the entry lock20. The surfaces of the band-type material11are hereby cleansed or cleaned in preparation before the material is subjected to precision cleaning in the cleaning part28(under a vacuum).

The vacuum-coating system10comprises at least one flatness optimization device39, which has a skin pass mill device40and is arranged upstream of the entry lock20—as seen in the transport direction T of the band-type material11. The band-type material11traverses the skin pass mill device40before it subsequently enters the coating chamber14. The flatness on the surfaces of the band-type material11is adjusted to a desired value due to the contact with the rollers of the skin pass mill device40, wherein potential flatness flaws on the surfaces of the band-type material11are simultaneously eliminated.

FIG.2shows a simplified side view of a stretching/bend-straightening device41, which may be a component of the flatness optimization device39according to a further embodiment of the invention, as a supplement or alternative to the aforementioned skin pass mill device40. The designation “K” and the assigned dashed rectangle inFIG.1simply indicate that the flatness optimization device39can also be formed as a compact unit, which comprises both a skin pass mill device40and a stretching/bend-straightening device41.

By means of the stretching/bend-straightening device41and a placement of the rollers thereof, which is indicated inFIG.2by corresponding vertical arrows, the flatness of the band-type material11is further improved on the surfaces thereof and optionally also a band lengthening is achieved, i.e. a lengthening of the band-type material11in the longitudinal direction thereof. To this end, rollers R may be provided adjacent the stretching/bend-straightening device41, about said rollers the band-type material11is guided in a loop, wherein a targeted band tension can be applied to the band-type material11by means of these rollers R. To do this, the rollers R, which are each arranged outward, can be moved, e.g., translationally horizontally, which is indicated inFIG.2by corresponding horizontal double-headed arrows.

The vacuum-coating system10comprises at least one pair of trimming shears38, upstream of the entry lock20of the coating chamber14—as seen in the transport direction T of the band-type material11. Adjacent thereto, at least one further position sensor36is provided, with which a position of the band-type material11on the conveying section12can be determined in a region upstream of the coating chamber14and thus also in the region of the trimming shears38. This position sensor36is also connected to the control unit34with signals. Accordingly, it is possible by means of the control unit34to actuate the trimming shears38or place them into action as a function of signals of the position sensor36.

The signaling connection between the control unit34, on the one hand, and the position sensors36, the band position control device24, and the trimming shears38, on the other hand, is simply indicated inFIG.1by a dotted-dashed line.

The trimming shears38are used to trim the band-type material11either at a band edge thereof or optionally on both band edges (i.e. on the left and right side edge of the band-type material11), i.e. to make narrower through cutting and thereby to reduce the width of the band-type material11perpendicular to the transport direction T. The trimming shears38are then actuated, during operation of the vacuum-coating system10and upon a corresponding movement of the band-type material11along the conveying section12, when it is detected by the position sensor36that a width of the band-type material11deviates from a predetermined setpoint and, for example, a widening is consequently too large. The trimming makes it possible for the band-type material11to obtain a uniform width over its length in the region upstream of the entry lock20and thus upstream of the infeed into the coating chamber14, wherein said width is also optimally adapted to the width of the entry lock20.

A coating is applied, e.g. a zinc layer, to at least one surface of the band-type material11, preferably to both surfaces thereof, by moving the band-type material11through the coating chamber14. This coating can take place within the coating part26according to the PVD principle. Once at least one surface of the band-type material11has been provided with a coating, e.g. with a zinc layer, the band-type material11is then wound back up again, as explained, by the second winding device12.

Thus, the present invention provides for the application of a coating to a or the surface(s) of the band-type material11only at low temperatures without the material properties of the band-type material11being changed or impacted. This is particularly advantageous when the band-type material is a steel band, particularly in the form of a hot band, which has a structural proportion of at least 10% martensite.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

10Vacuum-coating system11Band-type material12Conveying section14Coating chamber16Inlet region18Outlet region20Entry lock22Exit lock24Band position control device24.2Band position control device24.3Band position control device24.4Band position control device26Coating part28Cleaning part34Control unit36Position sensor38Trimming shears39Flatness optimization device40Skin pass mill device41Stretching/bend-straightening device42Chemical cleaning device44Storage unit46First winding device (infeed)48Second winding device (outfeed)K Compact unit(=skin pass mill device40+stretching/bend-straightening device41)R Rollers (for creating the band tension)T Transport direction (for the band-type material11)