Automatic feeding of carrier members with plastic parts to a feeding frame of a coating plant by overlapping and connecting the gate lands or connecting pieces to form carriers

摘要

Plastic parts (1) to be coated have a gate land (2) or connecting piece and are automatically positioned on plastic carrier members (3) under computer control so that the gate land or connecting areas overlap the carrier. Overlapping areas (5) are joined together and carriers and plastic parts mounted on a frame for feeding to a chemical and galvanic coating plant. After coating the products including gate land and/or connecting piece are separated from the carrier. Independent claims are also included for: (a) a process for forming a carrier member from the parts to be coated in which pairs of parts with gate lands extending at a right angle from the connecting pieces are automatically positioned with the free ends of the gate lands overlapping and these are then mechanically and/or thermally joined to form a carrier member; (b) a feeding frame for plastic parts to be chemically coated comprising either a downward facing U-shaped frame or a rectangular frame with an upper transverse column and side columns with long holding ribs projecting forwards and/or backwards at a right angle to the frame for carrying layers of carrier members (3); (c) a feeding frame for parts to be galvanically coated comprising either a downward facing U-shaped frame or a rectangular frame whose side columns have either short holding pins or ribs for holding a single layer of carrier members; (d) a plant for the coating process with a positioning, feeding and charging station which can be arranged either as a rectangle, in rows or in a circle.