Coating Device for Motor Vehicle Keder Strip Primer Application
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for applying primers to complex component surfaces, such as piping strips, face challenges including clogging of nozzles with filled primers, uneven layer formation, and difficulty in accessing confined areas, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs due to the need for specialized and expensive felt applications.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a separate coating agent nozzle and blowing nozzle, mounted together on a multi-axis application robot, applies primer droplets intermittently and blows them evenly onto the surface using compressed air, preventing clogging and ensuring uniform coverage, even on curved surfaces and in confined spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a needle nozzle is used to spray primer, then the flow rate can be minimized to prevent over-application, but the nozzle clogs quickly when using filled primers
Solution Approach 1:
The application device separates the primer application function from the distribution function by using a felt tip applicator instead of a nozzle. The felt tip is saturated with primer and mechanically distributes it through the keder rail, eliminating the clogging issue while maintaining controlled application quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
The felt tip acts as an intermediary between the primer reservoir and the keder rail surface. It absorbs and holds the primer, then transfers it gradually through mechanical movement, preventing both clogging and over-application without requiring a nozzle.
2Manufacturing precision
If a felt pad is used to apply primer, then the desired thin layer can be achieved on flat surfaces, but it cannot access confined areas of complex contours
Solution Approach 1:
The applicator is designed with flexible components including a felt tip that can bend and conform to the keder rail's complex geometry. The entire applicator assembly can be inserted through access openings and maneuvered to reach confined areas while maintaining controlled primer distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The applicator components are nested within each other, with the felt tip contained within a protective housing that can be inserted through the keder rail's access openings. This nested structure allows the applicator to access confined areas while protecting the sensitive felt tip.
3Reliability
If a felt with tight dimensional tolerances is used to prevent detachment, then primer application reliability improves, but the cost of the felt increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The felt tip is pre-attached to the applicator in a controlled manufacturing process, and the applicator is designed with features that secure the felt before use. This preliminary preparation ensures reliable attachment during operation without requiring excessively tight tolerances on the felt itself, reducing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The felt tip is integrated with the applicator body as a single assembly, combining the primer delivery function with the attachment mechanism. This integration ensures reliable connection while using standard manufacturing tolerances, avoiding the need for expensive precision-felt components.
4Manufacturing precision
If compressed air is used to blow the primer onto the surface, then uniform distribution is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The felt tip applicator uses its own mechanical movement through the keder rail to distribute the primer uniformly. The friction and contact with the rail surfaces naturally spread the primer without requiring additional compressed air systems, reducing device complexity while maintaining distribution uniformity.
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
This solution allows for efficient and uniform primer application on complex surfaces, preventing nozzle clogging and ensuring consistent layer thickness, while being cost-effective and adaptable for various coating materials like adhesives and sealants.
Implementation Method 1
the blowing nozzle (10) is used to blow the applied coating agent (9) onto the component surface (1)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to an application device and to an application method for applying a coating agent (e.g. primer), for preparation for a subsequent adhesive bonding operation, to a component surface of a component (1), namely to a surface of a keder strip (1), of a motor-vehicle body component or of an add-on part of a motor-vehicle body component, said application device having a coating-agent nozzle (9) for applying the coating agent to the component surface of the component (1) that is to be coated. According to the invention, the application device blows a gas, in particular compressed air, on the coated component surface after the application of the coating agent in order to distribute the coating agent uniformly on the component surface.