Coating Press Sensor Layout for Accurate Adhesive Temperature

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing coating devices face issues with unreliable and inaccurate temperature monitoring of the bonding agent due to sensor fluctuations and complex designs, leading to suboptimal coating quality.

Innovation Solution

A sensor arrangement perpendicular to the conveying plane, with a focused imaginary measuring beam and protective casing, allows precise measurement of adhesive temperature, adaptable to varying geometries and temperatures, integrated with an electronic control unit for optimal adhesive application and activation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a robot is used to apply coating material to a workpiece, then coating uniformity and precision are improved, but the complexity of the device increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoating uniformityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A transfer member is introduced as an intermediary between the coating material source and the workpiece. The transfer member receives coating material from the coating material supply unit and transfers it to the workpiece, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining precise coating application capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The coating device is divided into separate functional units: a coating material supply unit and a transfer member. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall system architecture, reducing device complexity while maintaining coating precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If the robot moves slowly to ensure precise coating, then coating precision is improved, but productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoating precisionVSAvoidproductivity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The transfer member is designed to be movable relative to both the coating material supply unit and the workpiece. This dynamic capability allows the system to optimize positioning speed and coating speed independently, enabling fast movement when not coating and precise control only when material is being applied, thus maintaining precision while improving overall productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The transfer member positions itself in advance relative to the workpiece before coating material is applied. This preliminary positioning allows the robot to move quickly to the correct location and then apply coating precisely, reducing the time spent on positioning and improving productivity without sacrificing coating precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If the robot moves quickly to improve productivity, then productivity is improved, but coating precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveproductivityVSAvoidcoating precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The transfer member's movable design enables dynamic speed adjustment: fast movement during repositioning between workpieces or coating areas, and slow controlled movement during actual coating application. This resolves the contradiction by allowing high productivity through fast repositioning while maintaining precision during the coating process itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Device complexity

If coating material is supplied from a fixed position, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to coat different workpiece areas deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidcoating area coverage
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The transfer member is designed to move in multiple directions relative to both the coating material supply unit and the workpiece. This enables a single fixed coating material supply unit to coat various areas of different workpieces by dynamically repositioning the transfer member, maintaining device simplicity while achieving high versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The movable transfer member serves multiple functions: it can transfer coating material to different locations on the same workpiece, accommodate different workpiece sizes and shapes, and work with a single fixed coating material supply unit. This multi-functionality achieves versatile coating coverage without increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4565398B1Device for coating a workpiece
Publication Date: 2026.04.29 HOMAG GMBH
  • EP4565398B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4565398B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

A device (1) for coating a workpiece (2), which preferably consists of wood, wood material, plastic or the like, at least in some sections, comprises a pressing unit (10) for pressing a coating material (4) onto a surface (2') to be coated of the workpiece (2), a conveying unit (20) for creating a relative movement between the workpiece (2) and the pressing unit (10) in a conveying plane, and at least one sensor (30), more particularly a temperature sensor, for capturing an operating parameter, more particularly temperature, of an adhesive (4') that is provided to adhesively attach the coating material to the workpiece. The at least one sensor (30) has a main measurement direction (32) that is at an angle to the conveying plane, at least in the region of the adhesive.