Flexible Nozzle Applicator Control for Precise Vehicle Body Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current nozzle applicators, such as rotary atomizers and printheads, face limitations in application efficiency, overspray, and inadequate surface coating for complex geometries and edges of motor vehicle body components, requiring improved control and flexibility for series painting.
Innovation Solution
A flexible nozzle applicator system with multi-axis robot kinematics, adjustable nozzle control via valves or mechanical alignment, and switching between large and small area coating performance, along with jet and droplet modes, to optimize paint application on varying surfaces and geometries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If rotary atomizers are used for painting motor vehicle body components, then coating application is achieved, but application efficiency is limited and overspray occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical rotary atomizer system with a printhead system that uses piezoelectric actuators to generate controlled paint jets. This substitution eliminates the inherent overspray problem of rotary atomizers while maintaining high coating efficiency through precise digital control of each nozzle's activation and timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental operating parameters from continuous rotary spray to pulsed jet emission. By controlling the duration, frequency, and timing of individual nozzle activations, the system achieves complete paint deposition on the component surface with minimal overspray, directly addressing both efficiency and paint loss concerns.
2Loss of energy
If printheads with narrowly confined paint jets are used, then overspray is minimized, but area coating performance and accuracy are insufficient for series coating
Solution Approach 1:
The printhead is divided into multiple independently controllable nozzle segments arranged in rows and columns. Each nozzle can be activated or deactivated individually based on the component geometry and required coating area, allowing the system to adapt from small detailed areas to large surface areas while maintaining precision and minimizing overspray.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts which nozzles are active and their firing patterns based on real-time requirements. The flexible control system can switch between coating different areas of a component by selectively activating specific nozzle groups, enabling both high area coverage and precise edge detailing without sacrificing accuracy or increasing overspray.
3Area of stationary object
If all nozzles of the nozzle applicator are active during coating, then area coverage is maximized, but coating accuracy on curved surfaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different nozzle groups are activated based on the local surface geometry being coated. For curved or complex surfaces, only the nozzles positioned to achieve optimal application distance and angle are active, ensuring precise coating quality. For flat or large areas, additional nozzles are activated to maximize coverage. This local activation strategy maintains both accuracy and area performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical adjustment of application distance with digital control of nozzle activation. The flexible control system compensates for varying surface geometries by selectively activating nozzles and adjusting their firing parameters, eliminating the need for physical repositioning while maintaining coating accuracy across different surface types and areas.
4Productivity
If the nozzle applicator is moved quickly to increase productivity, then coating speed increases, but coating uniformity and precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic pulsed jet emission from each nozzle rather than continuous spray. By precisely controlling the timing, duration, and frequency of each pulse according to the component geometry and travel speed, the system maintains uniform coating deposition even at high traversal speeds, eliminating the trade-off between speed and uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible control system incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor component geometry, nozzle-to-surface distance, and travel speed in real-time. Based on this feedback, the system dynamically adjusts nozzle activation patterns and pulse parameters to maintain consistent coating quality and precision regardless of traversal speed, enabling high productivity without sacrificing uniformity.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure concerns a coating method and a corresponding coating device for coating components with a nozzle applicator with several nozzles, in particular for painting motor vehicle body components. The disclosure provides that the nozzle applicator is flexibly controlled during the coating method.