Coating device and coating method

Abstract

To provide an application apparatus and the like suitable to realize highly accurate coating processing by utilizing such a situation that an application object is installed on a stage.SOLUTION: An application apparatus comprises: a scanning processing unit which obtains shape data of specifying the shape of an application object by performing scanning processing on the application object installed on a stage; a locus generation unit which generates work data for generating a locus for applying a coating material to the application object by using mesh data obtained from the shape data; and a coating unit which applies the coating material to the application object by using the work data. The locus generation unit generates the locus with the shape in which a mesh including at least a portion of an edge is deleted after smoothing of the shape obtained by the scanning processing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a coating device and a coating method, and more particularly to a coating device having a coating unit that applies paint to an object to be coated that is placed on a stage. [Background technology]

[0002] As described in Patent Document 1, the applicant has proposed to use two-dimensional application conditions to generate three-dimensional application conditions and automatically generate a trajectory for painting.

[0003] Fig. 14 shows a combination of a coating device 51 and an information processing device 53 such as a personal computer that realizes the automatic trajectory generation process described in Patent Document 1. Fig. 15 shows a specific example of the coating device 51 provided by one of the applicants.

[0004] The information processing device 53 includes a data processing unit 61 and a trajectory generation and storage unit 63. The data processing unit 61 includes a CAD data input unit 67, an input processing unit 69, an automatic trajectory generation unit 71, and a JOB file generation unit 73.

[0005] The coating device 51 includes a stage 55 and a coating unit 57. The coating unit 57 includes a spray unit 77, a coating processing unit 79, and a coating storage unit 81. The coating processing unit 79 includes a JOB file input unit 83 and a film formation processing unit 85.

[0006] The object 75 to be coated is placed on the stage 55 .

[0007] The CAD data input unit 67 inputs shape data (CAD data, etc.) that specifies the shape of the object 75 to be coated.

[0008] The input processing unit 69 sets the painting area and the initial line according to instructions from the operator.

[0009] The automatic trajectory generating unit 71 references the application conditions on a plane and generates a trajectory for application from an initial line to a coating range.

[0010] The JOB file generating unit 73 generates a JOB file for realizing painting according to the trajectory.

[0011] The worker inputs the generated JOB file into the JOB file input unit 83.

[0012] The film forming processing unit 85 controls the spray unit 77 in accordance with the JOB file to perform the coating process on the coating target 75 . [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0013] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-084080 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0014] However, the system shown in Figure 14 assumes that shape data of the object 75 to be coated is obtained in advance. Furthermore, this shape data is virtual and does not reflect the actual state of the object 75 to be coated placed on the stage 55. Therefore, when actually performing coating work, minute errors may occur in the edge position, for example, which may result in a decrease in coating accuracy. It is desirable to achieve coating processing with higher accuracy.

[0015] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a coating device or the like that is suitable for realizing a highly accurate coating process by utilizing the fact that the coating target is placed on a stage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] A first aspect of the present invention is a coating device comprising a coating unit that applies paint to an object to be coated placed on a stage, and a trajectory generation unit that uses mesh data obtained from shape data that identifies the shape of the object to be coated to generate work data for generating a trajectory for applying paint to the object to be coated, and the coating unit applies paint to the object to be coated using the work data.

[0017] A second aspect of the present invention is a coating device according to the first aspect, comprising a scanning processing unit that performs a scanning process on the object to be coated to obtain the shape data, and the trajectory generation unit generates the trajectory based on a shape from which meshes including at least a portion of the edges have been deleted after smoothing the shape obtained by the scanning process.

[0018] A third aspect of the present invention is a coating device of the second aspect, wherein the trajectory generation unit generates the trajectory by correcting the difference between the position coordinates of the coating object in the shape data and the position information of the coating object actually installed.

[0019] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a coating device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the trajectory generating unit generates the trajectory including a stroke along the longitudinal direction when the object to be coated has a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction.

[0020] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a coating method in a coating device having a coating unit that applies paint to a coating object placed on a stage, the method including a trajectory generation step in which a trajectory generation unit included in the coating device uses mesh data obtained from shape data that identifies the shape of the coating object to generate work data for generating a trajectory for applying paint to the coating object, and a coating step in which the coating unit applies paint to the coating object using the work data.

[0021] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a coating method according to the fifth aspect, including a scanning processing step in which a scanning processing unit provided in the coating device performs a scanning process on the object to be coated to obtain the shape data. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] According to each aspect of the present invention, it is possible to achieve highly accurate coating work by using a 3D scanner or the like to obtain shape data of the object to be coated placed on a stage, and then automatically generating a trajectory to apply paint. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a coating device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the coating apparatus 1 of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a specific example of the processing in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining installation on a stage. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining mesh data obtained by scanning. [Figure 6] The actual misalignment and twisting that occurred is shown. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram for explaining smoothing processing of mesh data by the preprocessing unit 25. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 shows an example of mesh data after the worker has selected the application area. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining an example of automatic trajectory generation according to the shape of an object to be coated. [Figure 10] This is an operational simulation verification using the trial operation section conducted before film deposition. [Figure 11] An example of a specific process in the longitudinal direction will be described. [Figure 12]This is a photo of the spray unit (3D-rCoater) spraying the object. [Figure 13] A film of luminous paint was applied to the propeller, and the distribution of brightness (luminous intensity) was investigated. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a conventional combination of a coating device 51 and an information processing device 53 that realizes automatic trajectory generation processing. [Figure 15] A specific example of a coating device 51 provided by one of the applicants is shown below. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. [Example]

[0025] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a coating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] The coating apparatus 1 includes a stage 3, a scanning processing unit 5, a trajectory generating unit 7, and a coating unit 9.

[0027] 14, the coating device 1 is an apparatus equipped with a scanning processing unit 5 and a trajectory generating unit 7. The scanning processing unit 5 performs a scanning process on the coating target 11 on the stage 3 and uses the actual state grasped to perform the coating process, thereby achieving a highly accurate coating process.

[0028] The object 11 to be coated is placed on the stage 3 .

[0029] The scanning processing unit 5 includes a scanning unit 13 , a mesh data generating unit 15 , and a scan storage unit 17 .

[0030] The scanning unit 13 is, for example, a three-dimensional scanner that scans the coating target 11 to generate shape data. The mesh data generating unit 15 is an information processing device that generates mesh data from the shape data. Generally, it is relatively easy to obtain mesh data (such as an STL (Stereolithography) file) from geometry data (such as CAD data or shape data obtained by scanning), but it is difficult to obtain geometry data from mesh data. The mesh data generating unit 15 transmits the generated mesh data to the trajectory generating unit 7. The scan storage unit 17 stores the shape data and mesh data.

[0031] The trajectory generation unit 7 includes a data processing unit 19 and a trajectory generation storage unit 21. The data processing unit 19 is an information processing device, and includes a mesh data input unit 23, a preprocessing unit 25, an input processing unit 27, an automatic trajectory generation unit 29, and a JOB file generation unit 31.

[0032] The mesh data input unit 23 receives mesh data from the scanning processing unit 5 .

[0033] The preprocessing unit 25 performs preprocessing on the mesh data, such as smoothing the mesh data.

[0034] The input processing unit 27 inputs instructions from an operator of the coating device 1. For example, the operator specifies a coating range or an initial line.

[0035] The automatic trajectory generating unit 29 automatically generates a trajectory for application using the technique described in Patent Document 1, for example.

[0036] The JOB file generation unit 31 generates a JOB file that specifies information necessary for coating using the trajectory generated by the automatic trajectory generation unit 29. As with the technology described in Patent Document 1, for example, the JOB file generation unit 31 generates three-dimensional coating conditions for coating using the trajectory generated by the automatic trajectory generation unit 29 from planar coating conditions for coating a flat surface, and generates information necessary for coating using the trajectory generated by the automatic trajectory generation unit 29 in accordance with the three-dimensional coating conditions to generate a JOB file. The JOB file generation unit 31 transmits the generated JOB file to the coating unit 9.

[0037] The trajectory generation storage unit 21 is a storage device such as a memory, and stores the plane coating conditions for coating a plane, received mesh data, information identifying instructions from the operator, the trajectory generated by the automatic trajectory generation unit 29, JOB files, etc.

[0038] The coating unit 9 includes a spray unit 33, a coating processing unit 35, and a coating storage unit 37. The coating processing unit 35 includes a JOB file input unit 39, a test run unit 41, and a film formation processing unit 43.

[0039] The spray unit 33 sprays, under the control of the film forming processing unit 43, paint, functional paint, or the like onto the object 11 to be coated.

[0040] The JOB file input unit 39 receives the JOB file from the trajectory generation unit 7 .

[0041] The test run unit 41 performs a test run of the coating work using a JOB file by simulation or the like.

[0042] The film forming processing unit 43 controls the spray unit 33 to spray paint, functional paint, or the like onto the object 11 to be coated.

[0043] The coating storage unit 37 is a storage device that stores job files and the like.

[0044] FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the coating apparatus 1 of FIG.

[0045] An operator of the coating apparatus 1 places the coating target 11 on the stage 3 (step ST1).

[0046] The scanning unit 13 of the scanning processing unit 5 scans the coating target 11 and generates shape data (step ST2).

[0047] The mesh data generating unit 15 generates mesh data from the shape data and transmits it to the trajectory generating unit 7 (step ST3).

[0048] In the trajectory generating unit 7, the mesh data input unit 23 receives the mesh data (step ST4).

[0049] The preprocessing unit 25 performs preprocessing such as smoothing on the received mesh data (step ST5).

[0050] The input processing unit 27 sets the application range according to the selection made by the operator (step ST6).

[0051] The input processing unit 27 sets the initial painting line according to the instruction from the operator (step ST7).

[0052] The automatic trajectory generating unit 29 calculates the geodesic distance from the initial line (step ST8) (see Patent Document 1).

[0053] The automatic trajectory generating unit 29 automatically generates a trajectory for application (step ST9) (see Patent Document 1).

[0054] The JOB file generating unit 31 generates a JOB file using the trajectory generated by the automatic trajectory generating unit 29, and transmits the JOB file to the coating unit 9 (step ST10).

[0055] In the coating unit 9, the JOB file input unit 39 receives the JOB file (step ST11).

[0056] The test run unit 41 performs a test run by simulation or the like in accordance with the JOB file (step ST12).

[0057] The film forming processing unit 43 controls the spray unit 33 in accordance with the JOB file to perform a coating operation on the coating target 11 (step ST13).

[0058] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a specific example of the processing in FIG.

[0059] FIG. 3(a) shows an example of the object to be coated 11 (see step ST1 in FIG. 2).

[0060] FIG. 3(b) shows mesh data obtained by scanning FIG. 3(a) with the scanning unit 13 to obtain shape data, and then converting the shape data with the mesh data generating unit 15 (see step ST3 in FIG. 2).

[0061] FIG. 3(c) shows the initial line L designated by the operator (see step ST7 in FIG. 2).

[0062] FIG. 3(d) shows the geodesic distance calculated from the initial line by the automatic trajectory generating unit 29 (see step ST8 in FIG. 2).

[0063] FIG. 3(e) shows the trajectory generated by the automatic trajectory generating unit 29 (see step ST9 in FIG. 2).

[0064] FIG. 3(f) shows the operation of spraying the spray unit 33 along a trajectory under the control of the film forming processing unit 43 (see step ST13 in FIG. 2).

[0065] 4 to 13 are diagrams illustrating specific examples of spray coating on a propeller.

[0066] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the installation on the stage.

[0067] The propeller, which is the object to be coated, is fixed to the first positioning jig J1. On the stage, the second positioning jig J2 is fixed to the rotary table R. The first positioning jig J1 can be inserted into the second positioning jig J2 and fixed there. The second positioning jig J2 has a shape that extends on the side opposite to the side where the first positioning jig J1 is inserted. The object to be coated is fixed so that the coating range is located at the position of the extended shape of the second positioning jig J2. Robot C performs coating by moving the spray gun with the robot arm.

[0068] Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining mesh data obtained by scanning. Figure 5(a) shows shape data of the entire propeller. Figure 5(b) shows mesh data obtained by scanning one side of the propeller.

[0069] As shown in Figure 5(c), the position coordinates in the mesh data obtained by scanning may be misaligned or distorted from the actual installation position of the object to be coated (workpiece). Figure 6 shows the actual misalignment and distortion. Line E1 indicates the perpendicular line in the shape data obtained by scanning, and line E2 indicates the perpendicular line of the actual object to be coated. The difference between lines E1 and E2 indicates the distortion. Line E3 indicates the position of the bottom surface of the object to be coated obtained by scanning, and line E4 indicates the position of the bottom surface of the actual object to be coated. The difference between lines E3 and E4 indicates the misalignment. Generally, this misalignment is slight, but it significantly affects the target angle and distance of the spray unit. Therefore, processing to correct the misalignment and distortion is performed in preprocessing (step ST5 in Figure 2) and trajectory generation processing (step ST9 in Figure 2), etc. For example, the twist correction may be specified by the operator during the pre-processing stage before automatic trajectory generation, or the correction may be performed automatically to prevent misalignment when the operator places the object to be coated on the jig on the stage using a positioning jig with a predetermined positional relationship.

[0070] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the mesh data smoothing process performed by the preprocessing unit 25. Shape data obtained by scanning typically contains irregularities. This results in significant changes in the normal direction. Large changes in the normal direction increase the movement of the spray unit, significantly affecting the film thickness and other parameters. This effect is particularly pronounced near edges (e.g., the outermost edges of a spatial extent). Therefore, the preprocessing unit performs a smoothing process to correct the normal direction so that the change is gentler than in the original data and in the same direction. FIG. 7(a) shows the data before (without smoothing) and after (with smoothing). Smoothing essentially ensures that the movement of the spray unit is gentle and in a consistent direction, reducing the likelihood of unevenness. However, as shown at point F, abnormalities may still exist even after smoothing, especially near edges. Therefore, software masking is performed on the vicinity of the edge (e.g., a portion including at least a portion of the edge) to remove and cut out the mesh. A trajectory is generated for this corrected data.

[0071] FIG. 8 shows an example of mesh data after the worker has selected the application area.

[0072] Figure 9 illustrates an example of automatic trajectory generation based on the shape of the target object. For a shape with both longitudinal and transverse directions, such as a propeller, if the stroke direction discretization distance is too short, the spray tip speed will shift to the next position before reaching the command value, resulting in inconsistent operation according to the command value (specified gun speed). Therefore, depending on the trajectory, the gun speed specified for one stroke may not be met. By setting the stroke direction using the longitudinal direction, the stroke direction discretization distance can be increased, making it easier to achieve operation according to the command value for the spray tip speed. Figure 9(a) shows a trajectory generated using the longitudinal direction, with a stroke direction discretization distance of 30 mm. On the other hand, Figure 9(b) shows a trajectory generated using the transverse direction, with a stroke direction discretization distance of 10 mm. Figure 10 shows a test run performed prior to film deposition. Figure 10(a) shows the longitudinal direction, and the spray tip speed on the target object is close to the spray tip speed on a flat surface and close to the specified gun speed. On the other hand, Figure 10(b) is based on the lateral direction, and the spray tip speed on the object to be coated is slower than the spray tip speed on a flat surface and slower than the specified gun speed. Therefore, it is desirable to use the longitudinal direction as the reference. Therefore, the automatic trajectory generation unit generates a trajectory taking into account the stroke length. For example, by preferentially generating a trajectory whose stroke length is close to the longitudinal length so that the stroke length approaches the longitudinal direction, the optimal coating method for the shape can be selected, reducing liquid waste, reducing unevenness in movement, and enabling smooth movement. The input processing unit may, for example, prompt the operator to set the initial line so that it is on or near the longitudinal edge of the object to be coated, or along the edge.

[0073] Figure 11 shows an example of specific processing in the longitudinal direction. As shown in Figure 11(a), the initial line is set to one of the edges in the longitudinal direction. Then, the trajectory is set along the longitudinal direction.

[0074] FIG. 12 is a photograph of the spray unit (3D-rCoater) coating an object.

[0075] Figure 13 shows the distribution of luminance (luminous intensity) when a film of luminous paint was applied to a propeller using (a) a conventional hand spray and (b) the three-dimensional automatic spray of the present invention. The luminance at each position was normalized by the maximum luminance. The normalized luminance (luminous intensity) in Figure 13(a) was 0.134 on average and had a standard deviation of 0.034, which was 25.1% of the average, while in Figure 13(b) it was 0.212 on average and had a standard deviation of 0.022, which was 10.5% of the average. Thus, the present invention provides a uniform film thickness, including at the edges, without any unevenness. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1 Coating device 3 Stages 5. Scanning processing section 7 Trajectory generator 9 Coating Department 11. Application object 13 Scanning section 15 Mesh data generation unit 17 Scan memory section 19 Data Processing Unit 21 Trajectory generation memory section 23 Mesh data input section 25 Pretreatment section 27 Input processing section 29 Automatic trajectory generation section 31 JOB file generation section 33 Spray section 35 Coating Processing Section 37 Coating Memory Unit 39 JOB file input section 41 Test Operation Department 43 Film forming processing section

Claims

1. A coating device including a coating unit that applies paint to an object to be coated placed on a stage, a trajectory generating unit that generates a trajectory for applying paint to the object to be coated using mesh data obtained by smoothing shape data that specifies the shape of the object to be coated, and generates work data for applying paint using the trajectory; the trajectory generation unit generates the trajectory based on a shape in which a mesh including at least a part of an edge has been deleted; The coating unit is a coating device that applies paint to the object to be coated using the work data.

2. The coating apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a scanning processing unit that performs a scanning process on the coating object to obtain the shape data.

3. The coating device according to claim 2 , wherein the trajectory generating unit generates the trajectory by correcting a difference between position coordinates of the coating target object in the shape data and position information of the coating target object that is actually placed.

4. The coating device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the object has a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, the trajectory generating unit generates the trajectory including a stroke along the longitudinal direction.

5. A coating method for a coating apparatus including a coating unit that applies paint to a coating target placed on a stage, comprising: a trajectory generation step in which a trajectory generation unit included in the coating device generates a trajectory for applying paint to the coating object using mesh data obtained by smoothing shape data that identifies the shape of the coating object, and generates work data for applying paint using the trajectory; a coating step in which the coating unit applies paint to the coating object using the work data, The trajectory generating unit generates the trajectory based on a shape in which a mesh including at least a part of an edge has been deleted.

6. The coating method according to claim 5, further comprising a scanning step in which a scanning processing unit provided in the coating apparatus performs a scanning process on the coating object to obtain the shape data.

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