Coating methods and related coating equipment

Abstract

The present invention relates to a coating method for coating a part (e.g., an automobile body part) with a coating agent (e.g., paint). The method includes the following steps: applying a coating agent to a part along a reference track (14) within a coating area (3) on the part; detecting the spatial path of the reference track (14) applied to the part; determining the spatial path of at least one adjacent track adjacent to the reference track (14) in accordance with the determined spatial path of the reference track (14); and applying the coating agent to the part within the coating area (3) on the part along at least one adjacent track, wherein defects (8-13) on the part are determined, particularly under the reference track (14), in order to avoid inaccurate detection of the spatial path of the reference track (14) and inaccurate determination of the spatial path of the corresponding at least one adjacent track. Furthermore, the present invention includes corresponding coating equipment for performing the coating method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a coating method for coating a component (for example, an automotive body component) with a coating agent (for example, paint). Further, the present invention further relates to a corresponding coating facility.

Background Art

[0002] When painting vehicle body components, usually, after the paint is applied, a check for painting defects is performed, and such painting defects may be removed by sanding. As a result, annoying sanding marks remain on the surface of the just-painted component. In many cases, such sanding marks can be removed by polishing, and an overall defect-free appearance can be achieved.

[0003] When the vehicle body component is repainted in a subsequent process, polishing can be omitted. This subsequent painting process can be carried out, for example, using a coater or a print head without overspray. For the sake of simplicity, the term "print head" will be used hereinafter. This includes all coaters that apply the coating agent without loss (i.e., without overspray).

[0004] In a known process, a painting robot paints a reference track on the surface of this component. And the spatial path of the reference track is recorded by an optical sensor (for example, a camera system) by measuring the longitudinal ends of the reference track. Next, an additional coating track positioned based on the previous measurement of the reference track can be applied adjacent to the reference track. This is known, for example, from Patent Document 1. When the reference track is applied to a defect-free coating layer without annoying sanding points, the optical sensor can usually accurately measure the reference track. However, when the sensor detects a sanding point in the coating layer, since the sanding point has optical properties different from those of the underlying coating layer, the sensor may not be able to accurately detect the path of the reference track. Therefore, there is a risk that the reference track cannot be accurately measured due to annoying sanding points.

[0005] For the technical background of this invention, it is also necessary to refer to Patent Documents 2 and 3. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] German Patent Application Publication No. 102021108563 [Patent Document 2] German Patent Application Publication No. 102021206386 [Patent Document 3] German Patent Application Publication No. 102017005170 Specification [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The present invention is therefore based on the objective of solving the above-mentioned problem of measuring the reference trajectory when measurement is difficult due to defects (e.g., sanding points). [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This problem is solved by the coating method or coating equipment corresponding to the description in the separate clause according to the present invention.

[0009] The term "defect" as used in the context of this invention is a generally understood term and is not limited to the sanding points exemplified above. A defect is defined by an obstruction such as foreign particles, paint deposits, or pits or indentations in the paint film. These are removed in a subsequent process by sanding them, either manually or automatically. This creates a sanding point at that location, which is usually larger than the original defect. The term "defect" includes the term "sanding point."

[0010] The coating method of the present invention is generally suitable for applying a coating agent to parts. However, the parts to be coated are preferably automobile body parts, and the coating agent applied is preferably paint. However, the present invention is not limited to automobile body parts or paint with respect to the type of parts to be coated or the coating agent applied.

[0011] According to the prior art, the coating method of the present invention first provides a coating agent (e.g., paint) to be applied along a reference trajectory within a coating area on a part to be coated (e.g., an automobile body part). Such application of a reference trajectory is known, for example, in Patent Document 1, where the reference trajectory is also called a "master track" and is applied next to the reference trajectory, functioning as a positioning aid for subsequent parallel coating trajectories (adjacent trajectories).

[0012] Furthermore, according to the prior art, the coating method of the present invention provides for detecting the spatial path of a reference trajectory applied to a component. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the detection of this spatial path of the reference trajectory is performed by at least one optical sensor, for example, a camera system, as will be detailed later.

[0013] In a further step, the coating method of the present invention also provides determining the spatial path of at least one adjacent trajectory adjacent to a reference trajectory, according to the determined spatial path of the reference trajectory, in accordance with the prior art. This point is also described in Patent Document 1. The adjacent trajectories are therefore preferably positioned adjacent to the reference trajectory so that they overlap with the reference trajectory, forming a continuous coating layer, so as to avoid gaps or overcoating where possible. It should be noted here that in practice, not only a single adjacent trajectory is coated. Rather, a number of parallel coating trajectories are coated, forming a continuous coating layer on the part being coated. The position and arrangement of individual coating trajectories can be based on the original reference trajectory. However, as an alternative, the first adjacent trajectory may form a new reference trajectory for the coating of the next coating trajectory, in which case the adjacent trajectory is first optically measured as the new reference trajectory.

[0014] In accordance with the prior art (for example, Patent Document 1), the coating method of the present invention provides a method for applying a coating agent to a part along adjacent trajectories. It should be mentioned again that, in practice, not only a single adjacent trajectory is coated. Rather, as briefly described above, multiple coating agent trajectories are applied parallel to the original reference trajectory, thereby combining these individual coating agent trajectories to form a continuous coating on the part.

[0015] The coating method of the present invention is characterized by the fact that, compared to the prior art, it identifies the troublesome defects on the part described at the beginning (e.g., sanding points) and avoids inaccurate detection of the spatial path of the reference trajectory. This is because inaccurate measurement of the spatial path of such a reference trajectory leads, in turn, to inaccurate measurement of the spatial path of at least one adjacent trajectory. It should be noted here that not all defects on the part are critical to the detection of the reference trajectory path. Rather, the detection of the spatial path of the reference trajectory is hindered, in particular by defects that are directly beneath or adjacent to the reference trajectory.

[0016] When detecting critical defects on a component (e.g., sanding points), various measures can be taken to solve the problem of detecting the spatial path of the reference trajectory.

[0017] One solution is to interpolate the spatial path of the reference trajectory in the defective region along the reference trajectory. If the exact path of the reference trajectory cannot be measured due to defects (e.g., sanding points), the path can be appropriately interpolated.

[0018] Another approach is to measure multiple points along the reference trajectory, thereby considering only the points located outside the defect.

[0019] Another approach is to not use the reference orbital at all to position adjacent orbitals if defects (e.g., sanding points) prevent accurate measurement of the reference orbital's path. In this case, another coated orbital can be used as the reference orbital.

[0020] Furthermore, it should be noted that within the scope of the present invention, it is also possible to divide a coating area (for example, the roof of an automobile) into two sub-areas (for example, the left half and the right half of the roof) and paint each of the two sub-areas with a coating robot. This coordination between two coating robots is known, for example, in Patent Document 1.

[0021] Typically, the first coating robot coats a first sub-region (e.g., the left half of the roof) of the coating area (e.g., the roof of a car body), and the second coating robot coats a second sub-region (e.g., the right half of the roof) of the coating area (e.g., the roof of a car body), unless a significant defect is detected along the reference trajectory.

[0022] On the one hand, if troublesome and serious defects are detected along the reference trajectory and the path of the reference trajectory cannot be determined with sufficient accuracy, as a problem-solving measure, the second partial area (e.g., the right half of the roof) of the coating area (e.g., the roof of an automobile body) can also be coated by the first coating robot so that the entire coating area (e.g., the roof of the automobile body) is coated. In this case, the performance of the coating equipment is halved and the cycle time is extended accordingly, but it is still better than a complete failure of the coating equipment.

[0023] The various problem-solving measures described above can be implemented alone or in combination. However, when defects are detected along the reference trajectory, there is also an alternative option to stop the coating method.

[0024] However, the coating method should be aborted only when at least one of the following conditions is met. · When the number of defects on the reference trajectory exceeds a certain maximum value and the path of the reference trajectory cannot be determined with sufficient accuracy. · When the size of the defects on the reference trajectory exceeds a certain maximum size and the path of the reference trajectory cannot be determined with sufficient accuracy. · When the spatial position of the defects along the reference trajectory is critical. For example, defects at positions far from the reference trajectory do not affect the measurement accuracy of the reference trajectory much, but defects close to the reference trajectory or under the reference trajectory are problematic.

[0025] Generally, it should be mentioned that the spatial position of the defects on the part is preferably determined when determining the defects along the reference trajectory. Furthermore, the size of the defects is also preferably determined. Here, it is possible to consider only defects having at least a certain minimum size (i.e., spatial range), for example, the minimum size is a defect that is at least 20 mm, 50 mm, or 100 mm.

[0026] As explained at the beginning regarding the prior art, defects are typically sanding points that occur when repairing paint defects in a pre-applied paint layer. Therefore, prior to the method of the present invention described above, a paint layer is preferably applied to the part first, thereby determining the paint defects in that layer. The paint defects are then sanded, resulting in the aforementioned sanding points, which hinder the measurement of the spatial path of the reference trajectory.

[0027] As mentioned above, when sanding the surface of a part, the spatial position of the sanding point on the part can be directly determined. This may eliminate the need to optically measure the spatial position and location of the sanding point afterward. Instead, the spatial position of the sanding point on the part can be saved, and the spatial position of the defect along a reference trajectory can be determined by simply reading the saved spatial position of the sanding point.

[0028] The location of the sanding points can also be read from a higher-level automated defect inspection or detection system. Thus, in certain modifications of the present invention, a robot-guided sanding system can sand defects in the paint layer and determine the size and location of the sanding points with great precision.

[0029] As already mentioned above, an image processing system equipped with an optical sensor (e.g., a camera) can be used to detect the spatial path and defects of the reference trajectory applied to the part.

[0030] In one modification of the present invention, an optical sensor (e.g., a camera) is mounted on one of the coating robots and moved over the part by the coating robot.

[0031] However, in another modification of the present invention, the optical sensor (e.g., a camera) is positioned in a fixed location and directed toward the coating area. In this case, the fixed optical sensor can be part of an existing higher-level surface inspection or defect detection system.

[0032] It should also be noted that the reference trajectory is preferably coated by the first coating robot, and at least one adjacent trajectory is preferably coated by the second coating robot. Optical sensors can be mounted on the first and / or second coating robots and moved over the surface of the parts being coated by them.

[0033] The optical sensor moves along the measurement trajectory on the surface of the component being coated, detecting the spatial path of the reference trajectory. The measurement trajectory runs along the reference trajectory and is positioned substantially parallel to it.

[0034] As already mentioned above, since the reference orbital and adjacent orbitals overlap to form a continuous coating layer, precise positioning of at least one adjacent orbital relative to the reference orbital is crucial, thereby avoiding gaps and undercoating on the one hand, and overcoating on the other.

[0035] Using a sprayer as a coating device is relatively simple. The sprayer ejects a spray jet of coating agent, which has low separation accuracy. Because the coating agent jet ejected by the sprayer has low separation accuracy, it has the advantage of tolerating positioning errors and only causing slight, almost imperceptible overcoating or undercoating between adjacent coating agent trajectories.

[0036] However, as an alternative, it is also possible to use an overspray-free applicator or printhead as the applicator. In this case, a narrowly defined, sharp jet of coating agent is applied, rather than a spatially spread, blunt spray jet. The problem with using such an overspray-free printhead is that the positioning of adjacent trajectories relative to the reference trajectory must be much more precise in order to avoid overcoating or undercoating. Therefore, the present invention is particularly advantageous when using such an overspray-free printhead because positioning errors due to inaccurate measurement of the spatial path of the reference trajectory are avoided.

[0037] In addition to the coating method of the present invention described above, the present invention also seeks protection for corresponding coating equipment.

[0038] According to prior art (for example, Patent Document 1), the coating equipment of the present invention first comprises a first coating robot for applying a coating agent (for example, paint) to a part (for example, an automobile body) along a reference track within a coating area (for example, the roof of an automobile body).

[0039] Furthermore, the coating equipment of the present invention also includes at least one optical sensor (e.g., a camera) for detecting the spatial path of a reference trajectory to be coated onto a component, in accordance with the prior art (e.g., Patent Document 1).

[0040] A first coating robot applies the reference trajectory, and an optical sensor is mounted on a second coating robot to record the spatial path of the reference trajectory.

[0041] The coating equipment of the present invention also includes a control device for querying an optical sensor to determine the spatial paths of adjacent trajectories adjacent to a reference trajectory, in accordance with the determined spatial path of the reference trajectory.

[0042] The control device preferably includes a program memory in which a control program is stored. Furthermore, the control device preferably includes a processor that executes the stored control program. The control program then executes the coating method according to the present invention by controlling or querying corresponding parts of the coating equipment.

[0043] Furthermore, in accordance with the prior art (for example, Patent Document 1), the coating equipment of the present invention also includes a second coating robot (for example, a painting robot) for applying a coating agent to a part along an adjacent trajectory adjacent to a reference trajectory within a coating area on the part.

[0044] The control device is designed to avoid inaccurate detection of the spatial path of the reference trajectory and inaccurate determination of the spatial path of the corresponding adjacent trajectory by using optical sensors to detect defects on the component. The control device can then perform the above-described steps using the coating method according to the present invention, and therefore can be referred to in the above description.

[0045] Further embodiments of the present invention are characterized in the dependent claims or described in detail below with reference to the drawings in preferred embodiments of the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0046] [Figure 1] This diagram shows a schematic representation of a painting system according to the present invention, which uses two collaborative painting robots to paint automobile body parts. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows the painting equipment and the measurement track used to measure the spatial path of the reference track. [Figure 3] Figures 1 and 2 show a configuration in which numerous parallel paint trajectories are applied to the surface of the component. [Figure 4] A flowchart illustrating the coating method according to the present invention is shown. [Figure 5]The diagram illustrates various possible measures for detecting defects along the reference trajectory. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of a painting facility according to the present invention, showing a configuration with multiple stations. [Figure 7] A modified version of Figure 6 is shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0047] Figure 1 shows a very simplified schematic diagram of the painting equipment according to the present invention for carrying out the painting process according to the present invention.

[0048] The painting equipment includes two painting robots 1 and 2 that can work together to paint the coating area 3, as known from, for example, Patent Document 1.

[0049] The coating area 3 is, for example, the roof surface of an automobile body. The coating area 3 is divided into two adjacent sub-areas 4 and 5. The first sub-area 4 is painted by painting robot 1, and the other sub-area 5 is painted by painting robot 2. For example, the first sub-area 4 may be the left half of the automobile roof, and the second sub-area 5 may be the right half of the automobile roof.

[0050] Furthermore, the painting equipment includes a control device 6, which controls two painting robots 1 and 2, and also communicates with a camera 7 that is guided over the coating area 3 by painting robot 2. This will be discussed in more detail later.

[0051] Furthermore, the figure shows several defects 8-13, which are sanding marks resulting from the correction of previous paint defects in the paint layer on coating area 3.

[0052] Defects 8-13, as described later, may affect the subsequent application of the coating agent in the coating trajectory to coating area 3.

[0053] The painting robot 1 first paints a reference track 14 ("master track") onto the coating area 3 located at the boundary between two sub-regions 4 and 5. Then, the spatial path of the reference track 14 is measured by a camera 7 guided over the coating area 3 by the painting robot 2.

[0054] The measurement of the spatial path of the reference trajectory 14 by camera 7 may be hindered by defects 8-13. Defects 8-10 are relatively minor defects as they are not directly located on the reference trajectory 14 or the subsequent measurement trajectory. On the other hand, defects 11-13 have a significant impact on the measurement of the spatial path of the reference trajectory 14 by camera 7. This is because the surface reflective properties change in the region of defects 11-13, preventing camera 7 from accurately identifying the sides of the reference trajectory 14. Figure 5 shows various solutions to this problem, which will be explained in detail later.

[0055] Figure 2 shows the diagram in Figure 1 with an additional measurement trajectory 15 next to the actual reference trajectory 14. To measure the spatial path of the reference trajectory 14, the painting robot 2 moves the camera 7 along the measurement trajectory 15 so that the spatial path of the reference trajectory 14 can be measured.

[0056] Figure 3 shows that, in the diagrams of Figures 1 and 2, the coating area 3 is continuously coated by a number of coating tracks 16-27 running parallel to the reference track 14. Coating tracks 16-21 are coated by the first coating robot 1, and coating tracks 22-27 are coated by the second coating robot 2.

[0057] In the completed state, the painted tracks 16-27, together with the previously coated reference track 14, form a continuous painted layer on the coated area 3.

[0058] The flowchart shown in Figure 4 will be explained below.

[0059] In the first step S1, the surface is automatically inspected using an optical system (e.g., strip light projector, camera) as needed.

[0060] In step S2, the number, size, and location of defects are recorded.

[0061] This data is then sent to the painting equipment station control in step S3. The size of the sanding point is calculated depending on whether the defect is sanded manually or robotically. For simplicity, the term "defect" will also be used to refer to the sanding point below.

[0062] In step S4, it is decided whether or not to consider defects.

[0063] If defects are not considered, the process continues in step S5 according to prior art, meaning no problem-solving measures are taken to compensate for possible inaccuracies in the spatial path of the reference trajectory.

[0064] Otherwise, the procedure according to the present invention, as already described above, is performed in step S6, as will be described again below with reference to Figure 5.

[0065] In step S7, the control unit controls the two painting robots, and in step S8, the print head is also controlled appropriately.

[0066] Figure 5 shows possible problem-solving actions if a critical defect is detected along the reference trajectory in step S1.

[0067] The first option in step S2 is to interpolate the spatial path of the reference trajectory in the defect region.

[0068] Another way to solve the problem in step S3 is to define a different coating trajectory that is unaffected by the defect as a reference trajectory. The originally intended reference trajectory is discarded as an aid to directivity, and instead a different coating trajectory is applied and used as a guide.

[0069] Another option in step S4 is to paint the entire surface using the same painting robot. This halves the performance of the painting equipment and increases the corresponding cycle time. However, this is still better than a complete failure of the painting equipment.

[0070] Another way to solve the problem in step S5 is to perform painting in a manually painted area (e.g., a repair area).

[0071] An embodiment shown in Figure 6 is described below.

[0072] Figure 6 first shows a topcoat line 28 for applying the topcoat, which comprises a basecoat station 29, an intermediate dryer 30, a cooling zone 31, a clearcoat station 32, and a dryer 33.

[0073] The vehicle body to be painted is then transported from the topcoat line 28 to the overspray-free painting zone 34. In this zone, the print head is used as the coating device. The overspray-free painting zone 34 (the so-called OFLA zone) includes a decorative painting station 35, a dryer 36, and a cooling zone 37.

[0074] The process of the present invention described above is carried out in a coating zone 34 without overspray. This is an advantage because the print head used as the coating device in this zone emits a narrowly defined, selective jet of coating agent, resulting in only small positioning tolerances.

[0075] Figure 7 shows a modified version of Figure 6, and to avoid duplication, refer to the above description and thereby use the same reference numerals for corresponding details.

[0076] A special feature here is that the paint zone 34, which is free from overspray, also includes an intermediate dryer 38 and a clear coat station 39.

[0077] The present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above. Rather, many variations and improvements utilizing the concepts of the present invention are possible and, therefore, also fall within the scope of protection. In particular, the present invention seeks protection independently of the subject matter and features of the dependent claims, without relying on the claims referenced in each case. Thus, the present invention encompasses various aspects of the invention that are protected independently of each other.

[0078] (Advantages of the invention) A key advantage of the present invention is that it can maintain high paint quality even in the presence of defects (e.g., sanding marks).

[0079] Furthermore, even if defects occur, the production flow can be maintained, for example, by having another painting robot paint the surface area that should actually be painted. Accurate measurement of the reference trajectory is essential only when working with collaborative painting robots.

[0080] (Note) (Note 1) A coating method for applying a coating agent to parts, particularly a method for applying paint to automobile body parts. a) A step of applying the coating agent to the part along the reference track (14) within the coating area (3) on the part, b) A step of detecting the spatial path of the reference trajectory (14) applied on the component, c) A step of determining the spatial paths of at least one adjacent trajectory (16-27) adjacent to the reference trajectory (14) in accordance with the determined spatial path of the reference trajectory (14), and d) The step of applying the coating agent to the part along at least one of the adjacent tracks (16-27) within the coating area (3) on the part, e) By detecting defects (8-13) on the parts, particularly under the reference trajectory (14), in order to avoid inaccurate detection of the spatial path of the reference trajectory (14) and inaccurate determination of the spatial path of at least one of the corresponding adjacent trajectories (16-27). A coating method characterized by the following.

[0081] (Note 2) In response to the detection of at least one defect (8-13) along the aforementioned reference trajectory (14), a) In determining the spatial path of the reference trajectory (14) in the defect (8-13) region along the reference trajectory (14), a step of interpolating the spatial path of the reference trajectory (14), and / or b) When determining the spatial path of the reference trajectory (14) located outside the defects (8-13), a step of measuring the spatial positions of measurement points along the reference trajectory (14) and considering only these measurement points, The coating method described in Appendix 1, characterized by comprising the above.

[0082] (Note 3) In response to the detection of at least one defect (8-13) along the aforementioned reference trajectory (14), A step of defining another coating orbital as the reference orbital (14), The coating method according to Appendix 1 or 2, characterized by comprising:

[0083] (Note 4) a) A first partial region (4) of the coating region (3) is coated by the first coating robot (1), b) In particular, if no defects (8-13) are detected along the reference trajectory (14), the second sub-region (5) of the coating region (3) is coated by the second coating robot (2). A coating method according to any one of appendices 1 to 3, characterized by the above.

[0084] (Note 5) In response to the detection of at least one defect (8-13) along the aforementioned reference trajectory (14), The process involves applying a coating to the second partial region (2) of the coating region (3) using the first coating robot (1), thereby coating the entire coating region (3) by the first coating robot (1). The coating method described in Appendix 4, characterized by comprising the above.

[0085] (Note 6) In response to the detection of at least one defect (8-13) along the reference track (14), the process moves to the manual painting area. A coating method according to any one of appendices 1 to 5, characterized by comprising the following:

[0086] (Note 7) When at least one defect (8-13) is detected along the aforementioned reference trajectory (14), the following conditions apply: a) If the number of defects (8-13) detected along the reference trajectory (14) exceeds a certain maximum value, and / or b) If the size of the defects (8-13) along the reference trajectory (14) exceeds a certain maximum size, and / or c) If the spatial location of the defects (8-13) along the reference trajectory (14) is significant, Movement to the manual painting area is performed only if at least one of the following conditions is met. The coating method described in Appendix 6, characterized by the features described herein.

[0087] (Note 8) a) The spatial location of the defects (8-13) on the part is determined when determining the defects (8-13) along the reference trajectory (14), and / or b) In determining the defects (8-13), determine the size of the defects (8-13) along the reference trajectory (14), and / or c) When determining the defects (8-13) along the reference trajectory (14), consider only the defects (8-13) having at least a certain minimum size, particularly 20 mm, 50 mm, or 100 mm or larger. A coating method according to any one of appendices 1 to 7, characterized by the above.

[0088] (Note 9) Before applying the coating agent, a) A step of applying a paint layer to the part, b) A step of determining painting defects (8-13) in the applied coating layer, c) Sanding the paint layer of the paint defect (8-13) to form sanding points (8-13), thereby causing the sanding points (8-13) to form the defect (8-13), A coating method according to any one of appendices 1 to 8, characterized by comprising at least one of the following.

[0089] (Note 10) a) When sanding the surface of the part, determine the spatial position of the sanding points (8-13) on the part, b) The spatial positions of the sanding points (8-13) on the part are preserved, and c) Evaluate the spatial positions of the saved sanding points (8-13) and determine the spatial positions of the missing points (8-13) along the reference trajectory (14). The coating method described in Appendix 9, characterized by the features described herein.

[0090] (Note 11) The spatial paths of the reference trajectory (14) and / or the defects (8-13) applied to the component are detected using an image processing system, particularly a camera, which includes at least one optical sensor (7). A coating method according to any one of the appendices 1 to 10, characterized by the features described herein.

[0091] (Note 12) a) The optical sensor (7) is mounted on the coating robot (2) and moved over the part by the coating robot (2), or b) The optical sensor is installed in a fixed position, and / or c) The fixed optical sensor is part of a high-level surface inspection or defect detection system. The coating method described in Appendix 11, characterized by the features described herein.

[0092] (Note 13) a) The reference track (14) is coated by the first coating robot (1), b) The adjacent tracks (16-27) are coated by the second coating robot (2), and c) The optical sensor (7) is mounted on the first coating robot (1) and / or the second coating robot (2) and moves over the surface of the part to be coated by the second coating robot (2). The coating method described in Appendix 12, characterized by the features described herein.

[0093] (Note 14) a) The optical sensor (7) is moved along the measurement trajectory (15) on the surface of the part to be coated, and detects the spatial path of the reference trajectory (14), and b) The measuring track (15) runs adjacent to the reference track (14) and is positioned substantially parallel to the reference track (14), A coating method according to any one of appendices 11 to 13, characterized by the features described herein.

[0094] (Note 15) a) The coating agent is a paint, and / or b) The part to be coated is an automobile body part, and / or c) The coating agent is applied by a print head or sprayer, particularly a rotary sprayer, which is substantially free of overspray. A coating method according to any one of appendices 1 to 14, characterized by the above.

[0095] (Note 16) A coating apparatus for coating parts with a coating agent, particularly for applying paint to automobile body parts, a) A first coating robot (1) that applies the coating agent to the part along a reference trajectory (14) within the coating area (3) on the part, b) An optical sensor (7) that detects the spatial path of the reference track (14) applied to the component, c) A control device (6) that queries the optical sensor (7) and determines the spatial paths of adjacent trajectories (16-27) adjacent to the reference trajectory (14) according to the determined spatial path of the reference trajectory (14), d) A second coating robot (2) applies the coating agent to the part along the adjacent tracks (16-27) within the coating area (3) on the part, e) The control device (6) processes information concerning defects (8-13) on the components located beneath the reference track (14), and in particular avoids inaccurate detection of the spatial path of the reference track (14) and inaccurate determination of the spatial paths of the adjacent tracks (16-27) in accordance with the coating method described in any one of Appendices 1 to 15. A coating apparatus characterized by the following features. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0096] 1. First painting robot 2. Second painting robot 3. Coating area (e.g., the roof of the vehicle body) 4. The first sub-region (for example, the left half of the roof) 5. A second sub-region (for example, the right half of the roof) 6 Control device 7 Cameras 8-10 Non-critical defects 11-13 Serious defects 14 Reference trajectory 15 Measurement trajectory 16-27 Painted track 28. Top coat line using rotary sprayers as coating equipment. 29 Basecoat Station 30 Intermediate dryer 31 Cooling Zones 32 Clear Coat Station 33 Dryer 34. Overspray-free coating zone using a print head as the coating device. 35 Decorative Painting Station 36 Dryer 37 Cooling Zones 38 Intermediate dryer 39 Clear Coat Station

Claims

1. A coating method for applying a coating agent to parts, particularly a method for applying paint to automobile body parts. a) A step of applying the coating agent to the part along the reference track (14) within the coating area (3) on the part, b) A step of detecting the spatial path of the reference trajectory (14) applied on the component, c) A step of determining the spatial paths of at least one adjacent trajectory (16-27) adjacent to the reference trajectory (14) in accordance with the determined spatial path of the reference trajectory (14), and d) The step of applying the coating agent to the part along at least one of the adjacent tracks (16-27) within the coating area (3) on the part, e) By detecting defects (8-13) on the component, particularly under the reference track (14), in order to avoid inaccurate detection of the spatial path of the reference track (14) and inaccurate determination of the spatial path of at least one of the corresponding adjacent tracks (16-27). A coating method characterized by the following.

2. In response to the detection of at least one defect (8-13) along the aforementioned reference track (14), a) In determining the spatial path of the reference trajectory (14) in the defect (8-13) region along the reference trajectory (14), a step of interpolating the spatial path of the reference trajectory (14), and / or b) When determining the spatial path of the reference trajectory (14) located outside the defects (8-13), a step of measuring the spatial positions of measurement points along the reference trajectory (14) and considering only these measurement points, The coating method according to claim 1, characterized by comprising:

3. In response to the detection of at least one defect (8-13) along the aforementioned reference track (14), A step of defining another coating orbital as the reference orbital (14), A coating method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by comprising:

4. a) A first partial region (4) of the coating region (3) is coated by the first coating robot (1), b) In particular, if no defects (8-13) are detected along the reference trajectory (14), the second sub-region (5) of the coating region (3) is coated by the second coating robot (2). A coating method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that

5. In response to the detection of at least one defect (8-13) along the aforementioned reference track (14), The first coating robot (1) applies coating to the second partial region (2) of the coating region (3), thereby coating the entire coating region (3) by the first coating robot (1). The coating method according to claim 4, characterized by comprising:

6. In response to the detection of at least one defect (8-13) along the reference track (14), the process moves to the manual painting area. A coating method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by comprising:

7. When at least one defect (8-13) is detected along the aforementioned reference trajectory (14), the following conditions apply: a) If the number of defects (8-13) detected along the reference track (14) exceeds a certain maximum value, and / or b) If the size of the defects (8-13) along the reference track (14) exceeds a certain maximum size, and / or c) If the spatial location of the defects (8-13) along the reference trajectory (14) is significant, Movement to the manual painting area is performed only if at least one of the following conditions is met. The coating method according to claim 6, characterized in that

8. a) The spatial location of the defects (8-13) on the part is determined when determining the defects (8-13) along the reference trajectory (14), and / or b) When determining the defects (8-13), determine the size of the defects (8-13) along the reference trajectory (14), and / or c) When determining the defects (8-13) along the reference track (14), consider only the defects (8-13) having at least a certain minimum size, particularly 20 mm, 50 mm, or 100 mm or larger. A coating method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that

9. Before applying the coating agent, a) A step of applying a paint layer to the part, b) A step of determining the coating defects (8-13) in the applied coating layer, c) Sanding the paint layer of the paint defect (8-13) to form sanding points (8-13), thereby causing the sanding points (8-13) to form the defect (8-13), A coating method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by comprising at least one of the following.

10. a) When sanding the surface of the part, determine the spatial position of the sanding points (8-13) on the part, b) The spatial positions of the sanding points (8-13) on the part are preserved, and c) Evaluate the spatial positions of the saved sanding points (8-13) and determine the spatial positions of the missing points (8-13) along the reference trajectory (14). The coating method according to claim 9, characterized in that

11. The spatial paths of the reference trajectory (14) and / or the defects (8-13) applied to the component are detected using an image processing system, particularly a camera, which includes at least one optical sensor (7). The coating method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. a) The optical sensor (7) is mounted on the coating robot (2) and moved over the part by the coating robot (2), or b) The optical sensor is installed in a fixed position, and / or c) The fixed optical sensor is part of a high-level surface inspection or defect detection system. The coating method according to claim 11, characterized in that

13. a) The reference track (14) is coated by the first coating robot (1), b) The adjacent tracks (16-27) are coated by the second coating robot (2), and c) The optical sensor (7) is mounted on the first coating robot (1) and / or the second coating robot (2) and moves over the surface of the part to be coated by the second coating robot (2). The coating method according to claim 12, characterized in that

14. a) The optical sensor (7) is moved along the measuring trajectory (15) on the surface of the part to be coated, and detects the spatial path of the reference trajectory (14), and b) The measuring track (15) runs adjacent to the reference track (14) and is positioned substantially parallel to the reference track (14), A coating method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that

15. a) The coating agent is a paint, and / or b) The part to be coated is an automobile body part, and / or c) The coating agent is applied by a print head or sprayer, particularly a rotary sprayer, which is substantially free of overspray. A coating method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that

16. A coating apparatus for coating parts with a coating agent, particularly for applying paint to automobile body parts, a) A first coating robot (1) that applies the coating agent to the part along a reference track (14) within the coating area (3) on the part, b) An optical sensor (7) that detects the spatial path of the reference track (14) applied to the component, c) A control device (6) that queries the optical sensor (7) and determines the spatial paths of adjacent trajectories (16-27) adjacent to the reference trajectory (14) according to the determined spatial path of the reference trajectory (14), d) A second coating robot (2) applies the coating agent to the part along the adjacent tracks (16-27) within the coating area (3) on the part, e) The control device (6) processes information concerning defects (8-13) on the components located beneath the reference track (14), and in particular, avoids inaccurate detection of the spatial path of the reference track (14) and inaccurate determination of the spatial paths of the adjacent tracks (16-27) in accordance with the coating method described in any one of claims 1 to 15. A coating apparatus characterized by the following features.

Images