Lifting tank for manufacturing

A system comprising:

• an index table configured to hold a workpiece;
• a tank configured to hold a fluid, the tank having a bottom, a number of walls, and an open top end, wherein the tank is disposed within a hollow of a manufacturing floor;
• a number of actuators configured to move the tank in a direction perpendicular to the bottom of the tank such that the tank contains a portion of the index table;
• a tool connected to a gantry system, wherein the tool is configured to perform a number of manufacturing functions on the workpiece, wherein the tool is suspended above the tank;
• and
• a controller configured to send commands to the number of actuators to move the tank such that a desirable height of a top surface of a fluid in the tank relative to the workpiece is maintained as the tool moves across the workpiece when a stable level of fluid is within the tank, wherein the desirable height is associated with a position of the tool as it performs a manufacturing process on the workpiece such that the desirable height changes as the tool moves across the workpiece due to elevations of the workpiece;
• and wherein:
• the index table is held above the hollow of the manufacturing floor;
• the desirable height of the top surface of the fluid relative to the workpiece corresponds to the fluid covering the tool;
• the index table has a number of indexing locations, and comprising a vacuum system having indexing locations to interface with the number of indexing locations of the index table and a second surface having a shape complementary to a first surface of the workpiece, wherein the vacuum system connects the workpiece to the index table;
• the gantry system is configured to move in a first direction relative to the tank;
• and
• the tool is configured to move relative to the gantry system in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

A system comprising:

• an index table configured to hold a workpiece;
• a tank configured to hold a fluid, the tank having a bottom, a number of walls, and an open top end, wherein the tank is disposed within a hollow of a manufacturing floor;
• a number of actuators configured to move the tank in a direction perpendicular to the bottom of the tank;
• a tool connected to a gantry system, wherein the tool is configured to perform a number of manufacturing functions on the workpiece, and the tool is suspended above the tank;
• and
• a controller configured to send commands to the number of actuators to lift the tank prior to performance of a manufacturing function, to move the tank during performance of the manufacturing function on the workpiece by the tool such that a desirable height of a top surface of a fluid in the tank relative to the workpiece is maintained, and lower the tank following performance of the manufacturing function, wherein:
• before lifting the tank with the number of actuators, a top surface of the fluid is disposed lower than an uppermost surface of the manufacturing floor;
• the desirable height is associated with a position of the tool as it performs the manufacturing function on the workpiece such that the desirable height changes as the tool moves across the workpiece due to elevations of the workpiece, and
• while moving the tank with the number of actuators during performance of the manufacturing function, the top surface of the fluid is disposed higher than the uppermost surface of the manufacturing floor.