Multi-Nozzle Painting Head Control for Curved Vehicle Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing painting robots struggle to maintain high paint quality on vehicle surfaces with large curvature and reduce paint waste, particularly on thin portions with significant curvature like pillars, due to variations in distance between the painting head and the vehicle surface.
Innovation Solution
A painting robot equipped with a nozzle head featuring multiple nozzles, a robot arm, an arm control unit, a head control unit, a distance measuring device, and an image processing portion to form a three-dimensional model, allowing precise control of paint discharge based on measured distances and surface curvature, ensuring paint is applied only within a prescribed range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a long strip painting head is used to paint vehicle surfaces, then the painting coverage is improved, but the painting quality deteriorates on surfaces with large curvature due to increased distance between the painting head ends and the vehicle surface
Solution Approach 1:
The painting head is divided into multiple independent nozzle units arranged in the long direction. Each nozzle can be independently controlled to discharge or stop paint based on its distance to the vehicle surface, allowing the long painting head to maintain high painting quality on curved surfaces while covering large areas.
2Area of stationary object
If the distance between the painting head and vehicle surface increases, then the painting coverage is improved, but paint waste increases due to tiny paint droplets flying
Solution Approach 1:
A distance measuring device continuously measures the distance between each nozzle and the vehicle surface. Based on this feedback, the control unit adjusts the paint discharge of each nozzle individually, stopping paint discharge when the distance exceeds the prescribed range, thereby preventing paint waste from flying droplets while maintaining adequate coverage.
3Productivity
If a long strip painting head is used to paint thin portions with large curvature, then the painting efficiency is improved, but the painting quality deteriorates due to excessive distance from the painting head to the surface
Solution Approach 1:
The painting system dynamically adjusts the paint discharge state of each nozzle based on real-time distance measurements. For thin portions with large curvature where the distance exceeds the prescribed range, the system automatically stops paint discharge from affected nozzles, maintaining painting quality without sacrificing overall efficiency through adaptive control.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a painting robot and a painting method using the painting robot. The painting robot includes: an arm control unit which controls operation of the robot arm; a head control unit which controls driving of nozzles of the nozzle head; a distance measuring device which measures the distance between the painting portions and the nozzle discharging surface; and an image processing portion which forms a three-dimensional model for painting, which is a three-dimensional model, based on the painting coverage of the vehicle expected to be painted. The head control unit, based on the distances measured between the painting portions in the three-dimensional model for painting and an imaginary nozzle head or the distances measured by distance measuring device, controls to discharge paint from nozzles with distances within the prescribed range, and to not discharge paint from nozzles outside the prescribed range.