Hanging Coating Robot Inversion for Airflow and Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing coating plant design with raised paint robots suffers from airflow disturbances, contamination issues, and poor maintenance access, requiring additional frames and increased costs due to the need for multiple robots and complex airflow management.
Innovation Solution
The installation of application robots at an angle, allowing their operating range to be below the installation plane, reduces contamination and airflow disruptions, enabling a single robot to efficiently coat objects from all sides with reduced maintenance needs and costs by utilizing a hanging installation and optimized paint booth design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If paint robots are installed raised on legs above the floor, then maintenance requirements are reduced and contamination from overspray is minimized, but airflow is disturbed and access for maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional installation approach by positioning the robot base at the ceiling level rather than on the floor, with the working end executing coating operations below. This inversion allows the robot to be suspended from above, reducing contamination exposure while maintaining accessibility through the inverted configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional horizontal floor-mounted installation to a vertical ceiling-suspended installation. This dimensional change repositions the robot base to the ceiling plane and extends the working arm downward, fundamentally altering the spatial relationship between the robot, the workpiece, and the paint booth environment.
2Ease of manufacture
If paint robots are installed raised on legs, then less maintenance is required, but additional frames and legs must be installed in the paint booth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex frame and leg support structure from the paint booth environment by suspending the robot from the ceiling. This removes the additional structural elements that would otherwise be required to support raised floor-mounted robots, simplifying the overall system while maintaining the benefits of elevated positioning.
3Area of stationary object
If conventional paint robots with work space above installation plane are used, then work space utilization is improved, but the operating range must be below the installation plane for hanging installation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the spatial configuration by positioning the robot base at the ceiling and extending the working arm downward into the paint booth volume. This inversion allows the work space to be effectively utilized below the installation plane, matching the requirements for hanging installation while maintaining efficient workspace geometry.
Data Source
AI summary
A coating plant having a multi-axis application robot to apply a coating means to an application object, where the application robot is installed hanging at least partially into a paint booth. A method for coating an object in a coating plant is also taught.