The present invention relates to a dip washing machine for machined parts, of the type which comprises transfer bars for the parts to be washed on a common bed frame, and at least one washing station, in which the part is dipped all or in part in a bath which may contain a washing liquid. The washing liquid comes from a filter system and the dirty washing liquid is collected below the washing station and then led to the filter system. The parts which are to be washed are fed by the transfer bars, which have a step-by-step movement, and insert them successively in the baths of the washing stations. In the washing stations, the parts are retained during the washing operation by holders in a support frame inserted inside the bath and attached to a rotating shaft crossing through a side wall of the bath support.
Several types of machined parts washing machines are already known, in which the washing is effected by dipping the parts in a washing liquid. The great majority of such machines have the drawback that they use a large amount of washing liquid, which must then be filtered and recycled, at the same time as a relatively large amount of washing liquid is lost every time the part is inserted in or removed from the washing bath.
To eliminate this drawback, the machine of European Patent Application 0341184, of which the applicant is the owner, was developed.
Nevertheless, in all the machines known to date, the mechanism causing the part to rotate is inserted in the washing bath and submerged in the washing liquid, or at least exposed to splashing by the washing liquid, which represents a greater risk of degradation of the mechanism.
Furthermore, in the known machines, the filling and draining downtimes of the washing baths are relatively long. This, together with the complexity of the movements of large heavy mechanical blocks from their operative positions to the discharge or rest positions and vice versa, means that the parts washing time in actual practice is substantially longer than is desirable.
A further drawback which is commonly found in the known washing machines is that the mechanisms allowing the cross transfers of the parts to the different operative stations to be carried out, take up a large amount of space and substantially hinder access to the interior of the machine, for example for maintenance thereof.