Analytical system and method for evaluating and predicting performance factors of coatings

Abstract

The invention relates to an analysis system (100) for evaluating and predicting the quality of at least one coating on at least one object having a plurality of subunits. The analysis system comprises a sensor device (103) having a plurality of sensors, a management unit (105) having at least one processor, and an output unit (107). The sensor device is configured to perform colorimetric measurements of at least one object coated with at least one corresponding coating by means of the plurality of sensors and to provide corresponding measurement data to the management unit. The management unit is configured to determine, for the plurality of subunits of the at least one object, corresponding colorimetric deviations between the at least one coating and a corresponding color reference based on the measurement data provided by the sensor device and to output at least some of these deviations on the output unit in a compressed form using at least one feature.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an analysis system and method for evaluating and predicting a performance factor of at least one coating applied to at least one object having a plurality of subunits in a manufacturing plant, such as an automobile.

[0002] In factories, especially manufacturing factories, in the coating of objects such as body parts and auxiliary parts of vehicles, a large amount of data is determined for the colorimetric properties of the respective coatings applied to the objects. Until now, this large amount of data has only been easy to interpret by users at the cost of a lot of time.

[0003] Furthermore, it is necessary to optimize the coating materials with regard to their respective matching to the respective specified color references when they are applied to the respective objects.

[0004] In this context, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved possibility to acquire and monitor performance factors of coatings applied or to be applied to objects, in particular in manufacturing plants, in parallel with the manufacturing process, ie online.

[0005] The aforementioned objects are solved by the respective subjects of the independent patent claims.

[0006] Therefore, an analysis system for evaluating and predicting a performance factor of at least one coating on at least one object having a plurality of subunits is proposed. The analysis system comprises a sensor device having a plurality of sensors, a management unit having at least one processor, and an output unit.

[0007] The sensor device is configured to perform colorimetric measurements of at least one object coated with at least one coating material by means of a plurality of sensors and to provide corresponding measurement data or measured values.

[0008] The management unit is configured to determine, for a plurality of subunits of the at least one object, a chromaticity deviation of the at least one coating relative to a corresponding color reference based on the measurement data provided or to be provided by the sensor device, and to output these data in real time on an output unit in a compressed form using at least one coefficient assigned to the corresponding chromaticity deviation of the at least one coating, which data are sorted by means of at least one filter function. Here, the corresponding chromaticity deviation can alternatively be output as raw data (i.e. unprocessed data) and / or further calculated in the form of at least one color performance indicator, thereby displaying the output, for example, on a display unit (such as a display panel).

[0009] The management unit is further configured to select at least one filter function as a function of the variation of at least one coefficient, wherein the at least one filter function is designed to output the measurement data and / or the chromaticity deviation in a quantitatively compressed form by means of at least one mathematical operation. To this end, the filter function is capable of pooling the measurement data and / or the chromaticity deviation by means of a mathematical operation (e.g. a bandpass filter, a transformation or any other mathematical operation) and / or selecting individual values ​​or value ranges from the entire value range of the measurement data and / or the chromaticity deviation.

[0010] The management unit is also configured to: a) based on the chromaticity deviation of at least one paint relative to the corresponding color reference, drive the coating unit in the following manner for multiple sub-units of at least one object: the unit applies at least one paint to the at least one object so that the chromaticity deviation of the at least one paint relative to the corresponding color reference is minimal for the multiple sub-units of the at least one object, and dynamically adjust the coating unit according to the at least one coefficient, and / or b) based on the chromaticity deviation of at least one paint relative to the corresponding color reference, drive the mixing unit in the following manner: the unit provides a paint whose chromaticity deviation relative to the corresponding color reference is minimal for the multiple sub-units of the at least one object, and adjust the mixing unit according to the at least one coefficient.

[0011] In the context of the present invention, a color reference is referred to as a color master.

[0012] In order to control at least one coating unit for applying the coating to the object and / or a mixing unit for providing the coating and / or mixing the coating, the management unit can be connected to, for example, at least one coating unit and / or mixing unit via an interface such as a wireless interface, a wired interface or a computer network. The mixing unit and / or the coating unit can in each case be included by the analysis system, i.e. can be a corresponding component of the analysis system, or can be designed as a corresponding component of the analysis system.

[0013] Correspondingly, the management unit can adjust the mixing unit by transferring operating parameters for mixing of the paint from the management unit to the mixing unit, wherein the paint is characterized in that the chromaticity deviation of the paint relative to the corresponding color reference is minimal. For example, the operating parameters may include "mixing ingredients of the base material of the paint" and / or "stirring time" or "resting time". The mixing unit adjusts the operating parameters, mixes the paint under these conditions and provides the paint.

[0014] In order to adjust the coating unit, the management unit can send operating parameters to the coating unit, such as, for example, the value of the paint to be used, the pressure, the application angle, or the spray robot to be used to apply the paint to the object. The coating unit drives its components, such as the corresponding spray robot to be used, according to the operating parameters, and coats the object under these conditions.

[0015] In order to determine the respective chromatic deviation of at least one coating, firstly, for a plurality of subunits coated with the coating, chromaticity coordinates of a color reference and chromaticity coordinates of at least one coating are determined, wherein each spectrophotometer is used for a plurality of measuring geometries and a plurality of light sources. Based on these determinations, for each of the plurality of measuring geometries and for each of the plurality of light sources, for a plurality of subunits coated with the coating, respective color differences are calculated from the chromaticity coordinates of the color reference and the respective chromaticity coordinates of the coating. The respective chromaticity coordinates are each normalized using a weighting factor.

[0016] The corresponding chromatic aberrations are based in particular on the corresponding color differences and / or sparkle differences determined or calculated in these ways. The colorimetric deviation can be determined by the color difference and / or roughness difference. This means that the corresponding color deviation can be directly displayed or represented by the corresponding color difference or at least one of the plurality of color performance indicators. Each of the plurality of color performance indicators is determined by a mapping of function values ​​to values ​​on a prescribed scale, wherein the mapping is defined by a prescribed mapping protocol, the function values ​​being calculated in each case for a plurality of measuring geometries and a plurality of light sources by means of a mathematical correlation between the color differences of at least one subunit (relative to a color reference) that is specific to the corresponding color performance indicator. Sparkle differences and roughness differences as well as color differences relative to a color reference can also be taken into account.

[0017] The improvements will be apparent from the description and accompanying drawings.

[0018] In the context of the present invention, the performance factor of a coating is the match or deviation of the colorimetric properties of the coating relative to a corresponding color reference, especially after application to an object.

[0019] In the context of the present invention, colorimetric properties are physical manifestations of a coating which can be expressed, for example, using coordinates in a color space, in particular Lab color space, LhC color space, sparkle effect coefficients and / or specification of roughness values.

[0020] In the context of the present invention, an object is an object to be coated with paint, such as a vehicle. In particular, the object has a plurality of subunits, ie geometrically separated subregions, such as a left fender, a right fender, a hood and / or a bumper.

[0021] In the context of the present invention, a color reference is a color master with specified and known colorimetric properties.A color reference can be applied, for example, on a reference object (master panel) and represented virtually, for example, as a point in a color space.

[0022] In the context of the present invention, real-time output is the output of results for direct output, i.e. the output is performed on the output unit within a time frame of less than one minute, preferably less than 30 seconds, more preferably less than 10 seconds and very preferably less than 1 second from the measurement time of acquisition of the measurement data required for calculating the performance factor of the coating.

[0023] In the context of the present invention, a coefficient is a statistic used to quantify the colorimetric properties of a coating. The coefficient is based on a quantitative, repeatable measurement protocol of the colorimetric properties of the coating in relation to a performance criterion. The coefficient condenses factual information and causal relationships about the colorimetric properties of the coating through absolute numbers; based on the coefficient, the performance of the coating can be evaluated relative to the performance criterion, thereby deriving a grade in the case of a plurality of investigated coatings, and ultimately making a decision related to the coating that will ultimately be selected with respect to the performance criterion. More particularly, a coefficient is a statistical or quantitative indication of a performance factor, such as the match of the colorimetric properties of a coating with a color benchmark with respect to a performance criterion. In the case of considering different standards or performance criteria, a corresponding plurality of coefficients assigned to the respective performance criteria will have to be provided and determined.

[0024] In the context of the present invention, the compressed output of the measured values ​​or measured data or the chromaticity deviation relative to the color reference is a mathematical fusion output of a plurality of measured values, for example, at least a small number of coefficients, or a selection of the measured values ​​or measured data and / or the chromaticity deviation relative to the color reference from a plurality of determined measured data or measured values ​​and / or from the chromaticity deviation relative to the color reference. This means, for example, that a portion of the measured data or measured values, and / or a portion of the chromaticity deviation relative to the color reference is selected and filtered or processed by means of a filter function and compressed under these conditions. As a result of the compression, the corresponding measured data or measured values ​​and / or the chromaticity deviation relative to the color reference are particularly compressed in a way that they can be collected by humans.

[0025] In the context of the present invention, an object comprises at least one surface element. In the context of the present disclosure, a surface element does not refer to an individual coated surface, but rather represents a group of identical or similar surfaces coated with a paint. Thus, for example, the painted surface of a part of a product (especially a body part of a vehicle body) should be classified into the first surface element, while the painted surface of an auxiliary part of a product (especially a specific type of body auxiliary part, such as a bumper) should be classified into the second surface element. In the following, a part of a product (especially a body part of a vehicle body), and / or a surface element representing its surface, is represented by OEM, and a surface element representing an auxiliary part of a product (especially a specific type of auxiliary body part) is represented by ASP.

[0026] As described above, various color performance indicators can be determined based on the measured values ​​or measured data, wherein each color performance indicator for a corresponding coating is represented by a corresponding coefficient or is assigned to a corresponding coefficient. Accordingly, in the case of compressed output, different measured values ​​are associated with each other by corresponding mathematical operations specific to the color performance indicator and are respectively assigned to corresponding coefficients representing the corresponding color performance indicator of the coating.

[0027] The respective values ​​of the coefficients can correspond here to values ​​on a prescribed scale. The prescribed scale is the same for all color performance indicators and covers integer values ​​from 1 to 8 or Q1 to Q8, where 1 or Q1 represents the worst grade and 8 or Q8 respectively represents the best grade of the coating with respect to the performance criterion of the coating, which is characteristic of the respective color performance indicator. As an alternative to this, it is also possible that for each color performance indicator a specific scale for the respective color performance indicator is or will be assigned. The prescribed mapping protocol is at least the same for a subgroup of a plurality of color performance indicators and is therefore consistent with respect to the color performance indicators, which subgroup contains more than one color performance indicator.

[0028] Since each sub-area or sub-unit of an object interacts differently with the paint applied to the object and thus differently with the paint applied to the corresponding sub-unit, the colorimetric properties of the paint are affected differently by the corresponding sub-areas or sub-units. Therefore, the paint usually exhibits different colorimetric properties on different sub-areas or sub-units. For example, the colorimetric properties of the paint may be affected by the geometrical properties of the corresponding sub-area, in particular by its surface structure.

[0029] With the aid of the presented analysis system, the colorimetric properties of the coating for each sub-unit of the object can be determined based on the colorimetric deviations relative to a color reference, for example expressed in the form of calculated different color performance indicators, so that these properties can be output in such a way that they can be intuitively acquired on an output unit. By means of a comparative representation of the colorimetric properties of the coating for a plurality of sub-ranges or sub-units of the object on the output unit, differences that are caused, for example, by the geometric design of the sub-unit and that influence the colorimetric properties of the coating relative to the color reference and / or relative to another sub-unit can be quickly and intuitively identified. Once such a difference is identified and possibly exceeds a prescribed threshold, the difference can be corrected by appropriate countermeasures, for example by re-coating, and possibly avoided in further coating processes.

[0030] In a possible development of the proposed analysis system, respective sensors of the plurality of sensors are divided into a plurality of sensor groups and respective sensor groups are assigned to respective subunits of the at least one object.

[0031] The division of the respective sensors into sensor groups has the technical effect that the measured values ​​determined by the respective sensors can be assigned particularly easily and unambiguously to the respective subunits of the object.

[0032] Furthermore, the measured values ​​determined by the sensors of a sensor group can be filtered particularly effectively and unambiguously, i.e., distinguished from the measured values ​​of other sensors. Correspondingly, by selecting a suitable sensor group (which, for example, exclusively shows measured values ​​originating from the respective subunit), it is possible to minimize edge effects of the interaction of adjacent subunits with the respective subunit.

[0033] In another possible development of the proposed analysis system, the management unit is configured to output, on the output unit, corresponding chromaticity deviations for a plurality of subunits of a plurality of objects, which chromaticity deviations are sorted according to at least one prescribed filter setting.

[0034] The technical effect of the filter settings that may be specified by the user is, for example, to process or sort a set of data so that only data that is relevant to a particular query assigned to the filter settings or corresponding data sorted according to relevance is presented. Accordingly, corresponding data of a particular relevance may be quickly and easily identified.

[0035] For example, the proposed analysis system can be used to selectively or prominently output all chromatic deviations of the applied paint relative to a color reference for the left front fender of various vehicles on a production line by activating corresponding filter settings.

[0036] In another example, for the left and right front fenders of a specific vehicle or a specific type of vehicles on a production line, the proposed analysis system can be used to selectively or prominently output, i.e., with a label, all chromatic deviations of the applied paint relative to a color reference by activating the corresponding filter settings.

[0037] In a development of the proposed analysis system, provision can be made for the case where different preset filter settings are to be displayed as tabs of a display logic, in particular of a display menu or menu bar, and can be activated, for example, by touching and / or by clicking with the aid of a cursor. This means that, when a tab is activated, the corresponding measured values ​​determined and / or the colorimetric deviations determined from these values ​​relative to a color reference are operated with the filter setting assigned to the tab and are sorted accordingly and output on an output unit.

[0038] In another possible development of the proposed analysis system, the management unit is configured to output a warning message on the output unit if a respective chromaticity deviation of a respective subunit of a respective object lies above a prescribed threshold value.

[0039] The technical effect of the warning message is that critical chromaticity deviations (i.e., situations where the corresponding chromaticity deviations of corresponding subunits of corresponding objects are above a specified threshold) can be displayed in a manner that can be quickly captured by a user or another system and enable appropriate countermeasures.

[0040] In another possible development of the analysis system, the management unit is configured to display at least one chromaticity deviation of at least one subunit of the object and a corresponding measurement variance for each measurement value on which the chromaticity deviation is based.

[0041] The representation of the measurement variance has the technical effect that the respective measurement value can be considered and evaluated quickly and easily relative to other measurement values. Thus, for example, an outlier or measurement error can be detected if the measurement value is, for example, greater than three times the average measurement variance.

[0042] In one example, the corresponding measurement variance can be displayed as process variability in at least one box plot. The "box plot" enables the process variability on a manufacturing plant or production line to be displayed in an intuitively captured manner. For example, respective vehicles that have been coated with a batch of paint can be displayed together in a box plot so that the respective individual vehicles can be compared particularly quickly with other vehicles that have also been coated with the same batch of paint, in order to determine, for example, whether the respective vehicle lies within the average variance of all vehicles coated with the same batch of paint.

[0043] A series or series production of surfaces coated with a batch of paint includes all surfaces of the corresponding surface elements that are coated with a batch of paint in a continuous coating operation. In the context of the present disclosure, a surface element discloses not an individual coated surface, but a group of identical or similar surfaces coated with paint. Thus, for example, a first surface element is assigned to the surface of a product part coated with paint, in particular a body part of a vehicle body, and a second surface element is assigned to the surface of an auxiliary part of the product for coating with paint, in particular a specific type of auxiliary body part, such as a bumper. In the following, a part of a product, in particular a body part of a vehicle body, or a surface element representing a surface thereof, is denoted by OEM and a surface element representing an auxiliary part of a product, in particular a specific type of auxiliary body part, is denoted by ASP.

[0044] A batch is a single supply of material within specified batch tolerances.

[0045] In a further possible development of the proposed analysis system, the management unit is configured to output the respective chromaticity deviations separated according to the color dimensions or color coordinates of the color space on the output unit.

[0046] The representation of chromaticity deviations separated according to color coordinates (e.g., lightness coordinate (L*), green-red coordinate (a*) or blue-yellow coordinate (b*)) (e.g., in Lab space) provides the following advantage: individual coordinate representations can be quickly viewed, evaluated and compared for chromaticity deviations of at least one coating and / or objects or sub-units coated with at least one coating.

[0047] In another possible improvement of the proposed analysis system, the management unit is configured to assign a corresponding chromaticity deviation of at least one coating material to a coefficient of at least one color performance indicator in the form of at least one of a plurality of color performance indicators by means of a prescribed assignment scheme specific to the corresponding color performance indicator, and to output the corresponding chromaticity deviation on an output unit using at least the coefficient of the at least one color performance indicator.

[0048] As already explained above, the coefficients of the corresponding color performance indicators represent qualitative performance criteria for the coating based on at least one measured value and / or at least one chromatic deviation. The coefficients or coefficient values ​​of the corresponding color performance indicators of different coatings on the same part unit of the object, and / or the coefficients of the corresponding color performance indicators of the same coating on different part units or subunits of the object can be compared with each other. Thus, using the corresponding coefficients, a set of measured values ​​can be quickly filtered in a manner taking into account multiple factors and / or different factors, or a set of measured values ​​can be evaluated multi-factorially accordingly. In particular, for example, a set of measured values ​​or measurement data can be sorted according to the magnitude of the decrease in the corresponding coefficients, or the measured values ​​in the displayed set of measured values ​​can be only those measured values ​​that are assigned to coefficients that are equal to or greater than a specified threshold.

[0049] In another possible improvement of the proposed analysis system, the management unit is configured to use the respective chromaticity deviations of respective sub-units of at least one object coated with a reference paint relative to the color reference to calculate an expected performance factor of a paint formulated based on the reference paint and to be applied to the respective object and display it on the output unit.

[0050] Although a color reference is a specified reference object (master panel) having specified colorimetric properties, the colorimetric properties of an object coated with the reference paint may differ from those of the color reference due to, for example, irregularities in applying the reference paint to the object.

[0051] By calculating the expected performance factor of the coating, i.e. by determining the prediction by means of, for example, a correlation analysis of the respective colorimetric properties of the coating being evaluated with the respective colorimetric properties of an already measured reference coating, the coating being evaluated can be optimized in a targeted manner, if appropriate, even before the respective object or the respective subunit of the respective object has been coated, so that, for example, weaknesses in the measured reference coating can be corrected.

[0052] By dynamically setting a mixing unit for mixing the paint, it is possible, for example, using the proposed analysis system and / or the proposed method, to dynamically adapt the paint to be used in a manufacturing plant to the current situation, to adapt to the current component geometry or to current ambient conditions, in order to achieve, for example, minimal chromaticity deviations relative to a color reference.

[0053] The invention also relates to a coating determination unit for providing a coating. The coating determination unit comprises a management unit having at least one processor and an output unit. The management unit is configured to determine a chromaticity deviation of a reference coating relative to a color reference on a corresponding subunit of at least one object, calculate the determined chromaticity deviation using the chromaticity deviation of a candidate coating relative to the reference coating, wherein the chromaticity deviation of the candidate coating relative to the reference coating is determined as a deviation factor, the calculation being performed in particular by means of a mathematical method, for example by addition or multiplication, thereby predicting the chromaticity deviation of the candidate coating relative to the color reference.

[0054] The management unit is further configured to virtually modify the recipe of the candidate paint to give the final paint until the respective predicted chromaticity deviation of the candidate paint or then the final paint relative to the color reference is below a specified threshold. Furthermore, in a further refinement, the management unit is configured to transmit the paint recipe of the final paint to the mixing unit for producing the final paint.

[0055] The candidate paint may be, for example, a prescribed paint with which the object is to be painted.

[0056] In particular, the at least one coefficient comprises at least one value of a plurality of color performance indicators. Each of the plurality of color performance indicators is determined by mapping function values ​​calculated for a plurality of measurement geometries and a plurality of light sources to values ​​of a prescribed scale, wherein the mapping is defined by a prescribed mapping protocol that is the same for the color performance indicators, in each case by means of a mathematical correlation between chromaticity deviations from at least one surface element (relative to a color reference), the correlation being specific to the respective color performance indicator. This means that by means of the at least one coefficient, a plurality of measured values ​​are compressed into a respective coefficient or a respective value of the respective color performance indicator.

[0057] In order to modify the candidate coating, in other words to modify the composition of the coating components forming the candidate coating, the management unit is capable of performing a virtual modification of the respective coating components and / or the quantitative proportions of the respective coating components forming the candidate coating, thereby correspondingly modifying the expected colorimetric properties of the candidate coating and therefore the expected at least one coefficient provided according to the invention.

[0058] In another possible improvement of the proposed coating determination unit, the management unit is configured to optimize the candidate coating by correcting the candidate coating using the predicted deviation between the candidate coating and the reference coating. This means that, for example, using the determined deviation, the recipe or the technique for applying the candidate coating is modified in such a way that, after application by the coating system, the deviation is minimal or becomes minimal. For example, the coating can be corrected by a modified recipe in which the corresponding component is replaced by an alternative component, or alternative weights are used when producing the coating.

[0059] The invention also relates to a method for evaluating and predicting a performance factor of at least one coating on at least one object having a plurality of subunits by colorimetrically measuring at least one object coated with at least one coating with the aid of a sensor device of a provided analysis system and providing corresponding measurement data to a management unit. Furthermore, with the aid of the management unit, a corresponding colorimetric deviation of at least one coating relative to a color reference is assigned at least one coefficient using a prescribed assignment scheme, and the measurement data is output in a compressed form using the at least one coefficient and at least one filter function, wherein the at least one filter function is selected depending on the size of the at least one coefficient, and wherein the at least one filter function is configured to represent the measurement data and / or the colorimetric deviation in a quantitatively compressed form with the aid of at least one mathematical operation.

[0060] Additionally, snap-ins are used to:

[0061] a) for the plurality of sub-units of the at least one object, based on the respective chromaticity deviations of at least one coating relative to the color reference, driving a coating unit in the following manner: the coating unit applies the coating to the at least one object, for the plurality of sub-units of the at least one object, the chromaticity deviations of the coating relative to the color reference being minimal, and dynamically adjusting the coating unit according to the at least one coefficient, and / or

[0062] b) based on the respective chromaticity deviation of at least one paint relative to the color reference, driving a blending unit in such a way that the blending unit provides a paint whose chromaticity deviation relative to the color reference is minimal for a plurality of sub-units of the at least one object, and dynamically adjusting the blending unit according to the at least one coefficient.

[0063] The proposed analysis system is used in particular for carrying out the proposed method.

[0064] The invention furthermore relates to a computer program having program code means for controlling an analysis system, which computer program, when executed by a processor unit, is designed to carry out the method steps of the proposed method.

[0065] The invention also relates to a computer readable medium, on which the proposed computer program is stored.

[0066] Other advantages and improvements of the present invention will become apparent from the description and the accompanying drawings.

[0067] It is to be understood that the features mentioned above and those still to be explained below can be used not only in the particular combination specified but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0068] The invention is schematically illustrated in the drawings by means of exemplary embodiments and is described in detail below with reference to the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0069] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing a possible development of the analysis system of the invention is shown.

[0070] Figure 2 A possible improvement of a first output on an output unit generated by means of an embodiment of the analysis system according to the invention is shown.

[0071] Figure 3 A possible improvement of the second output on the output unit generated by means of an embodiment of the analysis system according to the invention is shown.

[0072] Figure 4 A possible improvement of the third output on the output unit generated by means of an embodiment of the analysis system of the invention is shown.

[0073] Figure 5 A possible improvement of the fourth output on the output unit generated by means of an embodiment of the analysis system of the invention is shown.

[0074] Figure 6 A possible refinement of a fifth output on an output unit generated by means of an embodiment of the analysis system of the invention is shown.

[0075] Figure 7 A possible refinement of a sixth output on an output unit generated by means of an embodiment of the analysis system of the invention is shown.

[0076] Figure 8 A possible refinement of a seventh output on an output unit generated by means of an embodiment of the analysis system of the invention is shown.

[0077] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram showing a possible process of one embodiment of the method of the present invention is shown.

[0078] Figure 1 1 shows an analysis system 100 . The analysis system 100 comprises a sensor device 103 , a management unit 105 and an output unit 107 .

[0079] The purpose of the sensor device 103 is to acquire the colorimetric properties of at least one coating material. This means that the sensor device 103 measures values ​​of a specific coating material, in particular a color measurement value in a color space, and / or at least one sparkle effect value, and / or at least one roughness value, and assigns these values ​​to the corresponding coating material.

[0080] The sensor device 103 may include a plurality of sensors which are each individually or in groups, for example, exclusively assigned to a respective subunit of a respective object coated with paint and are correspondingly capable of determining only measured values ​​of the respective subunit coated with the paint.

[0081] The sensor device 103 may have an at least partially movable configuration in order to be able to implement different illumination and / or measurement geometries, in other words to be able to set different illumination angles and / or measurement angles or viewing angles.

[0082] The management unit 105 comprises at least one processor and is used for processing the measured values ​​determined by the sensor device 103 and for generating an output to be output on the output unit 107 .

[0083] In particular, the management unit 105 is configured to determine, for a plurality of sub-units of the object, respective chromaticity deviations of the paint relative to a corresponding prescribed color reference and to output these deviations at least partially on the output unit 107 .

[0084] In addition, the management unit 105 can communicate with another system (e.g., a mixing unit for mixing paint and / or a coating unit for applying paint to an object) to control the other system based on the colorimetric deviation and / or performance criteria currently determined by the management unit 105.

[0085] The purpose of the analysis system 100 is in particular to determine the colorimetric properties of a coating on an object, such as a vehicle, for example at the manufacturer's site of the object, such as at a manufacturing plant, and to adjust the production conditions of the coating and / or the object in real time, i.e. during ongoing manufacturing. To this end, for a plurality of sub-units, such as fenders and / or air flow deflectors, the measured values ​​determined from the corresponding coated object according to its colorimetric properties are compared with a color reference and evaluated in particular with respect to a performance criterion represented, for example, by one of a plurality of color performance indicators. In addition, based on the comparison or based on the evaluation, it is possible to predict the coating to be used on the object in the future and to make optional corrections to the coating preventively, in particular virtually, to ensure that the colorimetric deviation of the coating finally produced and applied on as many sub-units as possible is minimal with respect to the color reference. Using, for example, coefficients of at least one color performance indicator, it is possible to generate an output that can be easily collected and interpreted by a human user. In other words, the proposed analysis system compresses the measured values ​​and the chromaticity deviations relative to a color reference by means of at least one coefficient and generates an output usable by a user on an output unit (e.g. on a display panel of the analysis system), thereby, for example, allowing the user to actually perceive the measured values ​​and / or the chromaticity deviations determined therefrom and to analyze and process these values / deviations in a complete manner.

[0086] The display panel may be implemented in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI), allowing the user to exert direct influence on displayed objects, for example via a menu bar with predefined labels.

[0087] With the aid of the proposed analysis system 100, the data structures on which the respective measured values ​​are based are changed in such a way that they lead to an output which is compressed relative to the original data. For example, arrays can be made smaller or merged. In particular, for example, a plurality of arrays filled with measured values ​​can be transposed into one or a few arrays, thus allowing particularly fast calculations or viewing and / or unification of data structures.

[0088] The proposed analysis system 100 allows the user or a third-party system to identify corresponding subunits of an object that are particularly important in terms of colorimetry and to process them in a manner suitable for optimizing the coating. For this purpose, for example, a coating that is particularly suitable for the critical subunit, i.e. a coating that has been optimized with respect to a color reference, can be selected, or a coating unit can be adapted to the critical subunit in a specific manner, such as, for example, by applying a particularly thick film of the coating. Such an adaptation of the coating and / or the coating unit can be carried out, in particular in real time and fully automatically, based on current measured values ​​of the corresponding manufacturing plant.

[0089] exist Figure 2 In the figure, on an output screen 200 designed as a dashboard or a graphical user interface (GUI for short) and as part of an output unit 107, various paint symbols 201 to 206 are displayed, which are assigned to corresponding sub-units of the object, in the present case the vehicle body and / or the bumper of the vehicle.

[0090] Here, a first paint symbol 201 is assigned to the vehicle body subunit or "body". The paint symbol 201 also displays the warning "Danger" 207. In the case of a comparison of the measured values ​​determined by the sensor device 103 for the paint and for the color reference, the warning 207 is output by the management unit 105 when the paint assigned to the paint symbol 201 has shown a deviation greater than a prescribed threshold value or a dynamically determined threshold value. In this case, the threshold value can be determined, for example, as a function of the variance of the measured values ​​of the paint on the "body" subunit or of the variance of the measured values ​​of an entire series or a plurality of "body" subunits.

[0091] Like paint symbol 201, paint symbols 202 and 206 also display the warning "Danger" 207, because the corresponding paint is also assigned to paint symbol 202 and paint symbol 206 when the comparison of the measurement values ​​determined by sensor device 103 for the corresponding paint with the color reference has produced a deviation greater than the corresponding threshold value.

[0092] exist Figure 3In the embodiment, different paint numbers 301 and paint numbers 302 are represented on an output screen 300 designed as a dashboard and as part of the output unit 107, with corresponding coefficients for different color indices; the respective paints assigned to the respective paint numbers 301 and paint numbers 302 have been applied to the "body" subunit, i.e. to the vehicle body, at different times 303 to 307 and measured at different times 308 to 312. The first coefficient 313 here indicates the chromaticity deviation of the respective paint applied to the subunit relative to the color reference as the series color performance index "CPI". The second coefficient 315 here indicates the chromaticity deviation of the respective paint relative to the color reference as the color performance index "TPI". The third coefficient 317 here indicates the chromaticity deviation of the respective paint relative to the color reference as the color performance index "LPI".

[0093] Here, as a mathematical operation of the filter function implemented by the management unit according to the invention, the color performance index CPI (General Color Performance Index) is functionally associated with the number or percentage of corresponding surfaces of sub-units of an object, in this case the object being the vehicle body of a vehicle, which object comprises surfaces coated with a batch of paint on sub-units from a series (i.e. one production operation of one producer), whose corresponding color differences relative to the color reference are in each case greater than the tolerance value Ss or are not within the tolerance range specified by the tolerance value Ss.

[0094] It is conceivable that the number of surfaces thus counted and / or their fraction as a percentage of the total number of surfaces of the series coated with the batch of paint will be assigned a value on a scale according to a prescribed mapping, wherein the scale value indicates the value of the color performance index CPI of the series. In this case, the scale value ranges from 1 to 8 or Q1 to Q8, wherein the scale value 1 (or Q1) represents the worst grade and the scale value 8 (or Q8) represents the best grade.

[0095] The color performance index LPI (Line Performance Index) is determined for each measurement geometry and each light source on the basis of or as the variance of the corrected and normalized color differences of at least one subunit, for example: at least one subunit of at least one surface element OEM of a vehicle body, which is applied, for example, by a body manufacturer, and / or at least one subunit of at least one surface element ASP of an auxiliary body part, which is applied, for example, by a vehicle part supplier and is in particular made of plastic. In the process, the corresponding values ​​resulting from a plurality of measurement geometries and a plurality of light sources are calculated for each subunit in turn, and the corresponding results generated for each subunit are respectively assigned to a value on the scale by means of a mapping protocol provided in advance, which value is the same for all color performance indicators. In this case, the color performance index LPI is generated as follows:

[0096] LPI OEM,ASP = sort[f(б <dx> WLPI(OEM,ASP,经净化的) )] (14)

[0097] Among them <dx>denotes the variance, WLPI denotes the normalization factor by which the corresponding color difference and / or the corresponding chromaticity constant is normalized. In this case, the chromaticity constants L*, a*, b*, C*, H* are weighted in each case as follows: L* with 1.0, a* with 0.2, b* with 0.2, C* with 0.8 and H* with 0.2. These respective weighting constants are prescriptive for the measurement geometry and / or the spectral geometry.

[0098] OEM generally means "Original Equipment Manufacturer", but is used here in particular to identify surface elements of a product that is painted by the OEM, and more specifically refers to surface elements of a vehicle body ("body") that is painted by a body manufacturer; here, as mentioned above, the surfaces in question are all surfaces of product parts that are painted, and in particular the surfaces of the body parts of the vehicle body, which are to be measured.

[0099] ASP generally stands for "Automotive Supplier Plastic", but is used here in particular to identify painted auxiliary product parts, in particular painted auxiliary body parts, in particular made of plastic by, for example, a vehicle component supplier; the surfaces in question are here all painted auxiliary product parts, in particular auxiliary body parts of a specific type and / or a specific origin, for example from a specific vehicle component supplier. The parts in question can be, for example, bumpers, air flow deflectors, etc.

[0100] QC here means "Quality Control".

[0101] The color performance index LPI represents the operational variance in the coating of a sub-unit of a line or a series of objects (i.e., for example, an auxiliary body part or a vehicle body). For each sub-unit, different color performance indicators LPI are calculated independently and separately from each other; in other words, for example, there is a color performance index LPI for the surface of the "vehicle body" sub-unit. OEM , and there is a corresponding color performance index LPI for the surface of the corresponding "auxiliary body component" subunit ASP .

[0102] The color performance index TPI (coloring performance index) is generated as follows:

[0103] TPI OEM,ASP = sort [f (average <dx> SC(OEM,ASP,经净化的) )] (15)

[0104] in <dx>=dX* / S x , and among them, find the average <dx> sc(OEM,ASP,经净化的) Mean value of the color differences corresponding to a surface element OEM of a vehicle body, for example, applied by a body manufacturer, or correspondingly to a surface element ASP of a (plastic) auxiliary body part, for example, applied by a vehicle component supplier, wherein the color differences are normalized and corrected using a normalization factor SC (=batch tolerance). The normalization factor SC here corresponds to the respective batch tolerance of the specific batch of paint under investigation. Therefore, for each batch there is a color performance indicator TPI for the surface element OEM coated with the respective batch of paint, and a color performance indicator TPI for the surface element ASP coated with the respective batch of paint. In this case, for a surface element OEM coated with the batch of paint, there are usually a plurality of identical measured surfaces represented by this surface element.

[0105] Currently, the second quality coefficient 315 of the color performance indicator TPI of paint number 301 measured by the management unit 107 at time 308 is painted yellow or shown by light shading in the figure, because the coefficient 315 of paint number 301 measured at time 308 has obtained a value "Q4", which is lower than, for example, a specified threshold value "Q5". Correspondingly, the user is able to quickly and intuitively collect the low value of the coefficient 315 of paint number 301 measured at time 308, and initiate countermeasures, such as re-coating, when appropriate. Similar considerations apply to the coefficient 317 of paint number 301 measured at times 309 and 310, and the coefficient 317 of paint number 302 measured at time 312, which are also emphasized by color or shown by light shading in the figure, i.e. with a warning. All other coefficients are painted green or shown with light shading in the figure because they are greater than or equal to the specified threshold value and, accordingly, meet the specified minimum quality level.

[0106] Figures 4 to 7 The respective color performance indicators CPI, TPI, LPI and API of the respective coating material under consideration are shown, as well as their respective correlation coefficient "Q". The coefficient "Q" of the respective color performance indicator allows conclusions to be drawn about the quality of the specific coating material under consideration with respect to the corresponding color performance indicator and / or the performance standard represented by said indicator. In order to determine the reasons for particularly low values ​​of the coefficient "Q" of the respective color performance indicator, it is possible to display the measured data and / or the colorimetric deviations of the respective coating material under consideration in compressed form with the aid of various filter functions.

[0107] Figures 4 to 7 The displays that can be selected via the menu bar are shown separately, which is not shown here. For each selectable display, there is a tab available on the menu bar, by clicking on which the corresponding display assigned to it is automatically called up for illustration.

[0108] like Figure 4 As shown, in the case of selecting the "Average" tab as the mathematical operation of the filter function, on an output screen 400 configured as a dashboard and as part of the output unit 107, three graphs 401, 403 and 405 are shown, which respectively show the measured curves of the paint filtered according to different sub-units of the object, in the present case the object being the bumper (dotted line) and the vehicle body (continuous line). The measurements were carried out at different measuring angles or measuring geometries of 15°, 25°, 45°, 75° and 110° and the corresponding normalized color coordinates or color coordinate differences for the individual 、 <da>and <db>Respectively represent the color deviation relative to the color reference in the Lab space. These corresponding color coordinates are different 、 <da>and <db>On the ordinate are plotted against the corresponding measured angles on the abscissa. Tables 407 and 409 tabulate the average values ​​(expressed as CARB, color adjustment compared to a reference batch) represented in the curves according to the measured values ​​of a batch over a period of time (in this case from 03.16.2017 to 04.28.2017). The lines shown in dot-dash format are based on a coating characterized by the values ​​shown in table 409. The lines shown in continuous format are based on a coating characterized by the values ​​shown in table 407. By means of the elements "+" and "-" assigned to the respective curves 401, 403 and 405, the scaling on which the respective curves 401, 403 and 405 are based can be changed.

[0109] With the aid of the representation of the measured values ​​and / or colorimetric properties of two different sub-units separated according to corresponding measurement angles in the same figure, specific problem areas of the corresponding sub-units that cause severe changes in the colorimetric properties of the paint and / or specific problem areas of the boundary areas where the corresponding sub-units are adjacent to each other can be quickly and intuitively identified.

[0110] exist Figure 4 The top right corner of the shows the choice of color performance index. CPI is Q8, TPI is Q6, and API is Q7 are non-critical, identified by dark shades and are actually green, while LPI is Q4 and CHI is Q5 are critical, identified by light shades and are actually yellow or orange.

[0111] and Figure 4 In contrast, the diagrams 401, 403 and 405 depicted therein are in each case based on an average value of the measured values ​​determined within the indicated time period. Figure 5 In the example of FIG. 5 , in the case of a selection of the "Color Difference" tab, an output screen 500 configured as a dashboard and as part of the output unit 107 displays a plurality of individual measured values ​​and the color deviations determined from them, which have been filtered by means of mathematical operations according to the measuring geometries 15°, 25°, 45°, 75° and 110° and were recorded in the above-mentioned time period at different measuring dates and / or different measuring times 501 to 503. The corresponding diagrams 505, 511 and 517 assigned to the measuring day 501 represent the measured values ​​and / or the deviations calculated from the measured values. 、 <da> 、 <db>, which are filtered in each case according to the bumper and body as subunits of multiple vehicles. In this case, the diagram 505 represents the dimension The color difference relative to the color reference in FIG. 511 represents the dimension <da>The color difference relative to the color reference in FIG. 517 represents the dimension <db>The color deviations in relation to the color reference are shown in Figure 1. The deviations are marked in each case by the solid circles. 、 <da>and <db>Assigned to the vehicle body; deviations in each case indicated by open circles 、 <da>and <db>The corresponding deviations are plotted in each case for measuring angles of 15°, 25°, 45°, 75° and 110°, viewed from left to right in the respective figures. 、 <da>and <db>.

[0112] The respective graphs 507, 513 and 519 assigned to the measurement day 502 represent measured values ​​and / or color deviations which are filtered in each case according to the bumper and the body as subunits of a plurality of vehicles. In this case, the graph 507 indicates the dimension The color difference relative to the color reference in Figure 513 indicates the dimension <da>The color difference relative to the color reference in Figure 519 indicates the dimension <db>The color difference relative to the color reference color.

[0113] The respective graphs 509, 515 and 521 assigned to the measurement day 503 represent measured values ​​and / or color deviations which are filtered in each case according to the bumper and the body as subunits of a plurality of vehicles. In this case, the graph 509 indicates the dimension The color difference relative to the color reference in FIG. 515 indicates the dimension <da>The color difference relative to the color reference in Figure 521 indicates the dimension <db>The color difference relative to the color reference.

[0114] By comparing the graphs of different measuring days 501 to 503 , any changes in the quality of the coated finished product from one measuring day to another can be quickly and intuitively detected.

[0115] Figure 523 shows the maximum average deviation between different measurement days <de>The curve, where:

[0116] <de> ＝( 2 + <da> 2 + <db> 2 ) 1 / 2 .

[0117] exist Figure 5 The top right corner of the shows the choice of color performance index. CPI is Q8, TPI is Q6, and API is Q7 are non-critical, identified by dark shades and are actually green, while LPI is Q4 and CHI is Q5 are critical, identified by light shades and are actually yellow or orange.

[0118] In the case where the tab “Color Space” is selected on the output screen 600 configured as a dashboard and as a part of the output unit 107, Figure 6 Graphs 601 to 605 are shown, which indicate the color deviation on the right, respectively, and the lightness deviation dL in the Lab space on the left, in a coordinate system generated in each case by the chromaticity deviation "da" on the abscissa and by the chromaticity deviation "db" on the ordinate. All measurements on which Graphs 601 to 605 are based were carried out using a D65 illuminant. Graph 601 shows the chromaticity deviation of a coating relative to a color reference determined at a measuring angle of 15°. Graph 602 shows the chromaticity deviation of a coating relative to a color reference determined at a measuring angle of 25°. Graph 603 shows the chromaticity deviation of a coating relative to a color reference determined at a measuring angle of 45°. Graph 604 shows the chromaticity deviation of a coating relative to a color reference determined at a measuring angle of 75°. Graph 605 shows the chromaticity deviation of a coating relative to a color reference determined at a measuring angle of 110°.

[0119] Figures 601 to 605 show the chromaticity differences or deviations of the measured data of the paint determined with respect to the bumper and the body relative to the color reference; in other words, these chromaticity deviations have been filtered out from the multiple chromaticity deviations determined with respect to the vehicle for the purpose of representation. Here, the light circle / area represents the corresponding determined chromaticity deviation of the bumper, while the dark circle / area represents the corresponding determined chromaticity deviation of the body. Correspondingly, using the output screen 600, any changes in the chromaticity difference between the corresponding paint and the color reference on the corresponding subunit (i.e., the bumper or the body here) for different measurement angles under a specific illumination source can be quickly and intuitively collected. In addition, different color performance indicators, i.e., CPI, TPI, LPI, API and CHI, and their corresponding values ​​determined for the currently applied paint are also indicated here in the upper right. The values ​​of CPI, TPI and API are respectively higher than the specified threshold, as indicated by the dark shade or actually green, while the values ​​of LPI Q4 and CHI Q5 are both lower than the specified threshold, as indicated by the light shade or actually yellow or orange.

[0120] As a result of the shading or coloring of the color performance indicators, the viewer can quickly perceive which color performance indicators are critical for the current coating. Since each color performance indicator represents a specific performance criterion, it is also possible to quickly detect aspects of the current coating that may be critical and in connection with this, possible changes in the coating composition and / or the application conditions. By coloring the respective values ​​of the various color performance indicators, a quick overview can be provided to the viewer. Thus, for example, green means "not critical", orange or yellow means "critical" and red means "highly critical". The coloring depends on how far the respective value of the respective color performance indicator is below a specified threshold; if it is above the threshold, the value is colored green, if it is only slightly below the specified threshold, it is colored yellow or orange, and if it is far below the specified threshold, it is colored red.

[0121] Since the "Line Performance" tab is selected on the output screen 700 configured as a dashboard and as a part of the output unit 107, Figure 7 Graphs 701 , 702 , 705 , 706 , 709 , and 710 are shown.

[0122] In the case of Figures 701 and 702, the chromaticity deviation in each case is " ” is mapped to the ordinate, and different object models or body types are mapped to the abscissa, identified by type codes “C519”, “F06” and “F11”.

[0123] In the case of Figures 705 and 706, the chromaticity deviation in each case is " <da>” is mapped to the ordinate, and different object models or body types are mapped to the abscissa, identified by type codes “C519”, “F06” and “F11”.

[0124] In the case of Figures 709 to 710, the chromaticity deviation in each case is " <db>” is mapped to the ordinate, and different object models or body types are mapped to the abscissa, identified by type codes “C519”, “F06” and “F11”.

[0125] Graphs 701, 705 and 709 each represent the chromaticity deviation of a coating relative to a color reference, as a mathematical operation of the filter function, which has been determined at a measurement angle of 15°.

[0126] Graphs 702, 706 and 710 each represent the chromaticity deviation of a coating relative to a color reference, as a mathematical operation of the filter function, which has been determined at a measurement angle of 25°.

[0127] Furthermore, for each of the three subunits 713, 714 and 715 in each case, the graphs 701, 702, 705, 706, 709 and 710 show in each case in the form of a so-called "box plot" of a mathematical operation as a filter function the chromaticity deviation of the coating material determined by the sensor device 103 relative to a color reference.

[0128] The box plots indicate the respective colorimetric deviations determined for one subunit 713 to 715, and the variances representing the operational variability of the corresponding coating process. Accordingly, with the aid of the box plots in the graphs 701, 702, 705, 706, 709 and 710, problems associated with the coating process can be quickly and intuitively identified and corrected when appropriate. The subunits represented in the current example are: "Left Front Door" 713, "Left Rear Fender" 714 and "Left Front Fender" 715.

[0129] exist Figure 7 The top right of the diagram shows the selection of color performance indicators in sequence. TPI is Q6 and API is Q8 are non-critical, as identified by the dark shade and actually colored by green, CPI is Q4 is critical, as identified by the light shade and actually colored by yellow or orange, and LPI is Q1 is highly critical, as identified by the light shaded line and actually colored by red.

[0130] exist Figure 8 , represented on an output screen 800 configured as a dashboard and as a part of the output unit 107 is a prediction coefficient 801. The prediction coefficient 801 indicates a performance factor by which the corresponding paint represented by the paint number 803 will match the benchmark paint represented by the reference number 805 if the corresponding paint represented by the paint number 803 is applied to the object.

[0131] The management unit 105 determines the prediction coefficients 801 by studying the measurement data determined by the sensor device 103 for the chromaticity deviations relative to the color reference. When performing this step, the management unit 105 takes into account the performance factor of the chromaticity deviations relative to the color reference between the coatings that have been applied to the respective objects and / or subunits.

[0132] In the case of a new paint batch for which the predicted value is being calculated, it is assumed that it behaves identically with regard to the corresponding operating fluctuations and that, with the aid of a new shadow setting, only one operating position is changed, i.e. the result corresponding to the average value without outliers.

[0133] Figures 2 to 9 The output screens represented in show respectively measured values ​​and / or chromaticity deviations determined from these values ​​relative to a color reference, which have been sorted using corresponding filter settings or by selecting the corresponding tabs of the menu bar and are represented accordingly.

[0134] Fig. 9 A flow chart 900 of a possible specific embodiment of the proposed method is shown in FIG.

[0135] In a first step 901, the measured value X*R of the main panel is compared with the measured value X* of a reference batch object coated with a reference coating or a corresponding subunit i of the reference batch object. 线,基准批次,i Determined as chromaticity coordinates (L*, a*, b*) φ,σ,主面板 and chromaticity coordinates (L*, a*, b*) σ,φ,i,线,基准批次 .

[0136] Here, "φ" denotes the measurement geometry used, "σ" denotes the light source or illumination source used, and "i" denotes the component or subunit to be measured.

[0137] In a second step 903, the measurement value X* of the reference batch object is determined 线,基准批次,i Deviation from the master panel or from the color reference X*R. Therefore:

[0138] dX* 线,基准批次,i =(dL*,da*,db*) φ,σ,i,线,基准批次

[0139] In a third step 905, a deviation factor TM of the paint currently in use is determined based on the current application state (related to color and / or texture) of the paint associated with a panel coated with a reference batch of paint (i.e., the reference paint). For this purpose, the colorimetric deviation between the paint currently in use and the reference paint is calculated.

[0140] In a fourth step 907, the deviation of the coating intended for future use (i.e., the candidate coating) is predicted using the deviation determined in the second step 903 and the deviation factor determined in the third step 905. This is as follows:

[0141] (prediction dX*) = F_dX 线,基准批次,i =(dL*,da*,db*) φ,σ,i,线,基准批次 +(bias factor TM determined in step 905).

[0142] In a fifth step 909 , the tolerance Ss is determined by, for example, specifying it as a threshold value.

[0143] Finally, in the sixth step 911, the color index CPI of the candidate coating is determined or predicted with the help of the following function:

[0144] CPI_ 预测 =f( <F_dX i > Ss ) OEM,ASP .

[0145] Here, "OEM" indicates a first subunit such as a vehicle body, "ASP" indicates a second subunit such as an auxiliary component, and "F" is an abbreviation for forecast.

[0146] In particular, the deviation between the current paint batch that is being colored or the paint batch that is currently being used for coating on the production line and a reference batch is determined, which deviation is determined as a color difference. The corresponding determined measured values ​​of the paint to be used on the production line are corrected with the aid of the determined deviations. At least one color performance index, such as a CPI, is recalculated based on the corrected measured values ​​and output as a coefficient or "predicted color performance index" to a display unit.

[0147] Based on the value of the predicted color performance indicator, it can be verified whether the composition change of the paint to be used compensates for the determined deviation and, for example, whether the corresponding color performance indicator of the paint to be used is above the corresponding prescribed threshold. Once the color performance indicator of the paint to be used is above the corresponding prescribed threshold, the corresponding composition of the paint to be used or the candidate paint can be transmitted to the mixing unit to generate the final paint.

[0148] For example, a chromatic deviation of the currently used paint may be caused by an incorrectly set painting robot, which, for example, applies too much paint, so that the applied paint appears darker than the reference paint. In order to correct this deviation caused by the painting robot, the corresponding paint to be provided (i.e. the candidate paint that initially only exists virtually) can be modified by, for example, virtually mixing with an additional proportion of light-colored pigments. In this case, for example, prescriptive corrective measures for the corresponding deviation can be stored in a memory, so that the candidate paint can be automatically corrected.

[0149] By using the predicted color performance index, the corresponding correction can be qualitatively evaluated using the specifications, such as the color performance index, that have been determined for the benchmark paint. Accordingly, the candidate paint can be virtually modified until its predicted color performance index is within the tolerance range of the color performance index of the benchmark paint - in other words, the candidate paint exhibits the specified quality in matching the benchmark paint.

[0150] Reference numerals list

[0151] 100 Analysis System

[0152] 103 Sensor device

[0153] 105 Management Unit

[0154] 107 Output Unit

[0155] 200 Output screen

[0156] 201 Paint Symbols

[0157] 202 Paint Symbols

[0158] 203 Paint symbols

[0159] 204 Paint Symbols

[0160] 205 Paint Symbols

[0161] 206 Paint Symbols

[0162] 207 Warning

[0163] 300 Output screen

[0164] 301 Paint No.

[0165] 302 Paint No.

[0166] 303 Time

[0167] 304 Time

[0168] 305 Time

[0169] 306 Time

[0170] 307 Time

[0171] 308 Time

[0172] 309 Time

[0173] 310 Time

[0174] 311 Time

[0175] 312 Time

[0176] 313 First coefficient

[0177] 315 Second coefficient

[0178] 317 The third coefficient

[0179] 400 Output Screen

[0180] 401 Figure

[0181] 403 Figure

[0182] 405 images

[0183] 407 Table

[0184] 409 Table

[0185] 500 Output Screen

[0186] 501 Measurement data

[0187] 502 Measurement data

[0188] 503 Measurement data

[0189] 505 images

[0190] 507 Figures

[0191] 509 images

[0192] 511 images

[0193] 513 images

[0194] 515 images

[0195] 517 images

[0196] 519 images

[0197] 521 images

[0198] 600 Output Screen

[0199] 601 Figure

[0200] 602 Figures

[0201] 603 Figures

[0202] 604 Figures

[0203] 605 images

[0204] 700 Output screen

[0205] 701 Figure

[0206] 702 images

[0207] 705 images

[0208] 706 images

[0209] 709 images

[0210] 710 images

[0211] 713 subunits

[0212] 714 subunits

[0213] 715 subunits

[0214] 800 Output screen

[0215] 801 prediction coefficient

[0216] 803 Paint No.

[0217] 805 Reference Number

[0218] 900 Flowchart

[0219] 901 Steps

[0220] 903 Steps

[0221] 905 Steps

[0222] 907 Steps

[0223] 909 Steps

[0224] 911 Steps< / db> < / da> < / db> < / da> < / de> < / de> < / db> < / da> < / db> < / da> < / db> < / da> < / db> < / da> < / db> < / da> < / db> < / da> < / db> < / da> < / db> < / da> < / db> < / da> < / dx> < / dx> < / dx> < / dx> < / dx>

Claims

1. An analysis system (100) for evaluating and predicting a performance factor of at least one coating on at least one object having a plurality of subunits, in, The analysis system comprises: - a sensor device (103) having a plurality of sensors, - a management unit (105) having at least one processor, and - an output unit (107), wherein the sensor device is configured to perform colorimetric measurements of at least one object coated with at least one corresponding coating material by means of the plurality of sensors and to provide corresponding colorimetric measurement data to the management unit, wherein the management unit is configured to determine, for the plurality of subunits of the at least one object, the respective chromatic deviations of the at least one coating material relative to a color reference based on the measurement data provided or to be provided by the sensor device, and to output these data in compressed form in real time on the output unit using at least one coefficient (313, 315, 317) assigned to the corresponding chromatic deviation of the at least one coating material, the data being sorted with the aid of at least one filter function, wherein the management unit is configured to select the at least one filter function as a function of a variable of the at least one coefficient, and wherein the at least one filter function is designed to represent the measurement data and / or the chromatic deviations in a quantitatively compressed form with the aid of at least one mathematical operation, wherein the filter function is used to pool the measurement data and / or the chromatic deviations and / or to select individual values ​​or value ranges from the entire value range of the measurement data and / or the chromatic deviations, and wherein the management unit is further configured to: a) based on the respective chromaticity deviations of the at least one coating relative to the color reference, for the plurality of sub-units of the at least one object, driving a coating unit in such a manner that the coating unit applies coating to the at least one object, the chromaticity deviations of the coating relative to the color reference being minimum and / or below respectively defined thresholds for the plurality of sub-units of the at least one object, and dynamically adjusting the coating unit according to the at least one coefficient, and / or b) based on the respective chromaticity deviation of the at least one coating material with respect to the color reference, driving a mixing unit in such a way that the mixing unit provides a coating material whose chromaticity deviation with respect to the color reference is minimal and / or below a respectively defined threshold value for the plurality of sub-units of the at least one object, and dynamically adjusting the mixing unit according to the at least one coefficient; Wherein, the at least one coefficient is based on a quantitative, repeatable measurement protocol of the colorimetric performance of the coating relative to a performance standard, and wherein the coefficient condenses factual information and causal relationships regarding the colorimetric properties of the coating through absolute numbers, and wherein the at least one coefficient includes values ​​of color performance indicators including at least a general color performance index CPI, a line performance index LPI, and a color performance index TPI.

2. The analysis system according to claim 1, in, Respective sensors of the plurality of sensors are divided into a plurality of sensor groups, and wherein respective sensor groups are assigned to respective subunits of the at least one object.

3. The analysis system according to claim 1, in, The management unit is configured to output a warning message (207) on the output unit if the respective chromaticity deviations of the respective subunits of the at least one object are above a respectively specified threshold value.

4. The analysis system according to claim 1, in, The management unit is configured to represent at least one chromaticity deviation of at least one sub-unit of the at least one object together with a corresponding measurement variance.

5. The analysis system according to claim 4, in, The management unit is configured to represent the corresponding measurement variance as process variability in at least one box plot.

6. The analysis system according to claim 1, in, The management unit is configured to output respective coordinates of respective chromaticity deviations in a color space separately from one another on the output unit.

7. A coating determination unit for providing a coating, in, The coating determination unit comprises: - a management unit of an analysis system according to claim 1 having at least one processor, and - an output unit (204), Wherein, the management unit is configured to determine the chromaticity deviation of the benchmark paint on the corresponding sub-unit of at least one object relative to the color benchmark based on the chromaticity measurement data of the provided benchmark paint, thereby determining the chromaticity deviation of the candidate paint relative to the benchmark paint as a deviation factor, and in particular, using the deviation factor to calculate the determined chromaticity deviation of the benchmark paint relative to the color benchmark by addition or multiplication, thereby predicting the chromaticity deviation of the candidate paint relative to the color benchmark.

8. The coating determination unit according to claim 7, in, The management unit is configured to modify the recipe of the candidate paint to give a final paint until the corresponding chromaticity deviation of the candidate paint or subsequently the final paint relative to the color reference is below a specified threshold, and send the paint recipe of the final paint to a mixing unit for producing the final paint.

9. A method for evaluating and predicting a performance factor of at least one coating on at least one object having a plurality of subunits, wherein: By means of the analysis system (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, by means of a sensor device (103), a colorimetric measurement of the at least one object coated with the at least one coating material is performed and corresponding measurement data are provided to the management unit (107), and wherein at least one coefficient (313, 315, 317) is assigned to a respective chromaticity deviation of the at least one coating material determined by the management unit relative to a color reference using a prescribed assignment scheme, the measurement data and / or the chromaticity deviation are output in compressed form using the at least one coefficient and at least one filter function, wherein the at least one filter function is selected depending on a parameter of the at least one coefficient, and wherein the at least one filter function is configured to represent the measurement data and / or the chromaticity deviation in a quantitatively compressed form by means of at least one mathematical operation, wherein the filter function is used for pooling the measurement data and / or the chromaticity deviation and / or for selecting individual values ​​or value ranges from the entire value range of the measurement data and / or the chromaticity deviation, and wherein the management unit is used for: a) based on the respective chromaticity deviations of the at least one coating relative to the color reference, for the plurality of sub-units of the at least one object, driving a coating unit in such a way that the coating unit applies coating to the at least one object, the chromaticity deviations of the coating relative to the color reference being minimal and / or below respectively defined thresholds for the plurality of sub-units of the at least one object, and dynamically adjusting the coating unit according to the at least one coefficient, and / or b) based on the respective chromaticity deviations of the at least one coating material relative to the corresponding color reference, driving a mixing unit in such a way that the mixing unit provides a coating material whose chromaticity deviation relative to the corresponding color reference is minimum and / or below a respectively specified threshold for the plurality of sub-units of the at least one object, and dynamically adjusting the mixing unit according to the at least one coefficient, Wherein, the at least one coefficient is based on a quantitative, repeatable measurement protocol of the colorimetric performance of the coating relative to a performance standard, and wherein the coefficient condenses factual information and causal relationships regarding the colorimetric properties of the coating through absolute numbers, and wherein the at least one coefficient includes values ​​of color performance indicators including at least a general color performance index CPI, a line performance index LPI, and a color performance index TPI.

10. A computer program product comprising a computer program for controlling an analysis system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the method steps according to claim 9 are implemented when the computer program is executed on a computing unit.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program has executable instructions, and when the executable instructions are executed on a computing unit, the executable instructions cause the computing unit to perform the method steps according to claim 9.

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