BIW Interior Preheating to Prevent Paint-Oven Panel Buckling
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Solution Overview
Problem
During the curing process in vehicle paint ovens, the temperature difference between outer and inner panels of a vehicle body-in-white (BIW) causes thermal stress, leading to outer panel buckling due to uneven heating.
Innovation Solution
A heating system with robot arms and a controller is used to position heat sources, such as resistive, inductive, infrared, or heated air, directly or indirectly, to preheat inner components of the BIW before entering the oven, reducing temperature differentials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the vehicle BIW is heated in the oven with outer panels directly exposed to the heat source, then the outer panels heat up faster and paint curing is efficient, but the temperature difference causes thermal stress and outer panel buckling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies supplemental heating specifically to inner panels that are shielded from the main heat source, creating localized heating zones. This ensures that inner panels receive adequate heat to match the heating rate of outer panels, preventing thermal stress and buckling while maintaining overall curing efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-heats inner panels before they would otherwise lag behind in temperature. By providing supplemental heating in advance to the inner panels, the system prevents the development of dangerous temperature differentials that would lead to buckling during the main curing process
2Speed
If the oven heat source directly heats outer panels, then heating speed is high and curing time is reduced, but inner panels are shielded and heat up slower causing thermal stress
Solution Approach 1:
The supplemental heating system targets specific inner panel regions that are shielded from the main oven heat source. By applying heat locally to these shielded areas, the system achieves uniform temperature distribution across all panels without compromising the high heating speed provided by the main oven
3Manufacturing precision
If supplemental heating is applied to inner panels, then temperature uniformity improves and buckling is prevented, but system complexity increases with additional heating equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the oven's existing hot air environment as an intermediary to provide supplemental heating. Rather than introducing completely separate heating systems, the design leverages the already-present thermal field, using strategic positioning and reflection to direct heat to inner panels, thereby reducing system complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively reduces thermal stress and prevents outer panel buckling by ensuring uniform heating of both inner and outer panels, maintaining structural integrity during the curing process.
Implementation Method 1
position the heat source near or in direct contact with one or more inner components of the one of the vehicle BIWs to heat the one or more inner components
Implementation Method 2
The non-contact heat source includes a heated air source
Implementation Method 3
The non-contact heat source includes an infrared heater
Implementation Method 4
The contact heat source comprises a resistive heater
Implementation Method 5
The non-contact heat source includes an inductive heater including a coil
Data Source
AI summary
A heating system includes a conveying system configured to transport a plurality of vehicle body-in-whites (BIWs) sequentially through an oven room to cure paint applied in a paint room. A preheating system includes one or more robot arms. A heat source is connected to the one or more robot arms. A controller is configured to control the one or more robot arms based on a position of one of the vehicle BIWs on the conveying system and to position the heat source near or in direct contact with one or more inner components of the one of the vehicle BIWs to heat the one or more inner components prior to the one of the vehicle BIWs entering the oven room.