Cleaning subframes

The subframe cleaning unit comprises charging, cleaning and discharging sections. A specially developed gripper system, which travels on a gantry, picks up the subframes from the charging station and places them in the cleaning machine ready for the robot. The robot controlled high-pressure jets work together to traverse the programmed path of the weld seam extremely accurately. In the process, the weld seam region is blasted by high-pressure water jets to achieve the required level of cleanliness. The high-pressure water is fed to the nozzles either through high-pressure hoses or the newly developed high-pressure helical pipes, which provide greater throughput. A high-performance extraction unit removes the clouds of water vapour from the machine and this vapour is then passed through a condensing separator on the roof of the installation. In subsequent operations, the components are sprayed with corrosion inhibitor, air-dried with and deposited in the discharge station.