Sealed laminated structure, system and method for electrolytic processing the same

Abstract

Generally stated, provided is a sealed laminated metal structure. This laminated metal structure has a metal layer, where the metal layer has a first surface and an opposite second surface. A material is laminated on each of the first and second surfaces of the metal layer. Typically, the laminated metal structure is removed from a larger laminated sheet of metal. The laminated metal structure is subjected to alternating current electrolytic deburring and cleaning to remove any burrs along the perimeter edge. After deburring and cleaning, a sealer, which is a phosphate compound, is deposited on the perimeter edge of the laminated metal structure where the metal is exposed using alternating current.

1 . A sealed laminated metal structure comprising:
 a lamination comprising a metal layer, the metal layer having a first surface and an opposite second surface, a material laminated on each of the first and second surfaces of the metal layer, wherein the lamination is removed from a larger laminated sheet of metal, the lamination having a perimeter edge with metal of the metal layer exposed along at least a portion the perimeter edge, and the lamination being subjected to alternating current electrolytic deburring and cleaning to remove any burrs along the perimeter edge, and   a sealer comprising a phosphate compound deposited on the perimeter edge of the lamination where the metal is exposed.   
     
     
         2 . The sealed laminated structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the material laminated to each of the first surface and the second surface of the metal layer comprises an insulation coating, and the sealer is further applied to laminated metal structure where any metal of the first or second surface is exposed through the insulation coating as a result of the alternating current electrolytic deburring and cleaning. 
     
     
         3 . The sealed laminate structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the sealer comprises a metal phosphate. 
     
     
         4 . The sealed laminate structure according to  claim 3 , wherein the metal phosphate comprises zinc phosphate or manganese phosphate. 
     
     
         5 . The sealed laminate structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the sealer is applied by an alternating current electrolytic deposition and/or alternating current electrolytic conversion. 
     
     
         6 . The sealed laminate structure according to  claim 2 , wherein the sealer comprises zinc phosphate or manganese phosphate and the sealer is applied by an alternating current electrolytic deposition. 
     
     
         7 . A system comprising:
 an electrolytic deburring and cleaning tool for cleaning a workpiece comprising:
 a first electrode, 
 a second electrode, 
 a first electrolyte supply configured to supply a first electrolyte between the first electrode and the workpiece, 
 a second electrolyte supply configured to supply a second electrolyte between the second electrode and the workpiece, and 
 a power supply configured to supply alternating current to the first and second electrodes, 
 wherein the first electrolyte and the second electrolyte are electrically insulated from one another, and the workpiece makes the electrical connection between the first electrode and the second electrode through the first electrolyte and the second electrolyte respectively; and 
   an electrolytic sealing tool for depositing a sealer on the workpiece which has been processed with the electrolytic deburring and cleaning tool, comprising:
 a first electrode, 
 a second electrode, 
 a first electrolyte supply configured to supply a first sealer electrolyte between the first electrode and the workpiece, 
 a second electrolyte supply configured to supply a second sealer electrolyte between the second electrode and the workpiece, and 
 a power supply configured to supply alternating current to the first and second electrodes, 
 wherein the first sealer electrolyte and the second sealer electrolyte are electrically insulated from one another, the first and second sealer electrolyte each contain a component capable of being deposited on the workpiece to seal deburred and cleaned sections of the workpiece, and the workpiece makes the electrical connection between the first electrode and the second electrode through the first sealer electrolyte and the second sealer electrolyte, respectively. 
   
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the electrolytic deburring and cleaning tool and the electrolytic sealing tool comprises a workpiece holder for inserting the workpiece into the electrolytes and removing the workpiece from the electrolytes. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the first and second electrodes of both the deburring and cleaning tool and the sealing tool alternatively functions as a transient cathode and a transient anode as the alternating current flow toward and away from the first and second electrode of each tool, respectively. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the deburring and cleaning tool and the sealing tool comprises a first cell and a second cell, the first cell of each tool comprising a first container, the first electrode positioned in the first container and the first electrolyte contained within the first container; and the second cell of each tool comprising a second container, the second electrode positioned in the second tank and the second electrolyte contained within the second container such that the second electrolyte is in communication with the second electrode, wherein the first cell is electrically isolated from the second cell. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein each cell further comprises an inlet, an outlet, a pump, a filter and a storage tank, wherein the electrolyte is circulated between the container and the storage tank by the pump and the electrolyte is filtered by the filter before the electrolyte is returned to the container of each cell. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein the deburring and cleaning tool comprises more than two cells, and each additional cell comprise an additional container, an additional electrode, and an additional electrolyte supply and each addition cell is electrically separated from the other cells. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein the sealing tool comprises more than two cells, and each additional cell comprise an additional container, an additional electrode, and an additional electrolyte supply and each addition cell is electrically separated from the other cells. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein there are an even number of additional cells and the cells are arranged in an alternating pattern such that when the electrode in a given cell is a transient anode, the electrode in the adjacent cells is a transient cathode, and when the electrode of a given cell is a transient cathode, the electrode in the adjacent cell is a transient anode. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein there are an even number of additional cells and the cells are arranged in an alternating pattern such that when the electrode in a given cell is a transient anode, the electrode in the adjacent cells is a transient cathode, and when the electrode of a given cell is a transient cathode, the electrode in the adjacent cell is a transient anode. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein the first and second electrolyte is electrically insulated from each other by a separator which is an electrical insulator. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the first and second electrodes of each of the electrolytic deburring and cleaning tool and the electrolytic sealing tool are each independently a bi-polar stable material. 
     
     
         18 . A method of processing a workpiece comprising:
 electrolytically deburring and cleaning the workpiece using alternating current to form a deburred and cleaned workpiece comprising:
 contacting the workpiece simultaneously with a first electrolyte and a second electrolyte, wherein the first electrolyte and the second electrolyte are electrically insulated from one another, 
 supplying alternating current to a first electrode and a second electrode, where the first electrode is in communication with the first electrolyte, and the second electrode is in communication with the second electrolyte, and 
 electrolytically sealing the deburred and cleaned work workpiece comprising: 
 contacting the deburred and cleaned workpiece simultaneously with a first sealing electrolyte and a second sealing electrolyte, wherein the first sealing electrolyte and the second sealing electrolyte are electrically insulated from one another,
 supplying alternating current to a first electrode and a second electrode, where the first electrode is in communication with the first sealing electrolyte, and the second electrode is in communication with the second sealing electrolyte. 
 
   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the workpiece, in each of the electrolytically deburring and cleaning and the electrolytically sealing, is contacted with electrolyte such that there is a gap between the workpiece and each electrode, and the electrolyte is positioned in the gap. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the gap for the electrolytically deburring and cleaning is between about 0.01 to about 0.05 inches and the gap for the electrolytically sealing is between about 0.05 to about 2.0 inches. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the sealing electrolyte is a composition comprising zinc oxide, phosphoric acid, sodium hydroxide and sodium nitrate.