Centrally controlled coating system for painting motor vehicle body components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10369583-B2
Application number	US-201515308960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2015
Priority date	May 7, 2014
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

A coating system for coating components, e.g., for paining motor vehicle body components, is provided. The system includes a coating booth, a conveying system, an application system, a process technology system, a safety system, and a robot system. The robot system includes at least one multi-axis coating robot for guiding the application device and a control unit. The control unit also controls the conveying system, the application system, the safety system and/or the process technology system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A coating system for application of coatings to components, wherein said components are motor vehicle body components, the coating system comprising:
a coating booth,
a conveying system configured to convey the components through the coating booth in a conveying direction and at a conveying velocity,
an application system having an application device configured to apply a coating medium onto the components,
a process technology system configured to air-condition an interior region of the coating booth, the process technology system having a ventilation system configured to generate an air flow through the coating booth,
a safety system configured to monitor the coating system,
a robot system having a multi-axis coating robot, the multi-axis coating robot coupled to the application device and configured to guide the application device,

one or more sensor components in each of the conveying system, the application system, the process technology system, the safety system, and the robot system, respectively, and
a control unit in communication with at least the conveying system, the robot system, the application system, and the process technology system, the control unit being directly coupled to the sensor components, the sensor components
each being configured to transmit the respective sensor signals directly to the control unit,
the control unit being to transmit directly to, each of the conveying system, the application system, the process technology system, the safety system, and the robot system, respectively,
wherein the control unit adapts one or more of conveying control signals for at least one of the conveying direction and the conveying velocity of the components through the coating booth of the conveying system, the control unit adapting the one or more conveying control signals according to one or more of the sensor signals of the robot system transmitted directly to the control unit, the control unit transmitting the one or more conveying control signals directly to the conveying system,
wherein the control unit adapts one or more of control signals for the robot system to at least a configuration of the multi-axis coating robot of the robot system, the control unit determining the one or more robot control signals according to one or more of the sensor signals of the conveying system transmitted directly to the control unit, the control unit transmitting the one or more robot control signals directly to the robot system,
wherein the control unit adapts one or more of application control signals for operation of the application device of the application system, the control unit adapts one or more of ventilation control signals for the air flow through the coating booth generated by the ventilation system of the process technology system, the control unit adapting the one or more of the application control signals and the one or more of the ventilation control signals according to at least one of one or more of the sensor signals from the conveying system and one or more of the sensor signals from the robot system transmitted directly to the control unit, the control unit transmitting the one or more application control signals directly to the application system, the control unit transmitting the one or more ventilation control signals to the process technology system.

2. The coating system according to claim 1 , wherein the application system comprises at least one actuator component controlled by the control unit with control signals, the at least one actuator component being one of:
a colour changer selectively providing the coating medium to be applied from a plurality of available coating mediums,
a doser device configured to dose the coating medium to be applied,
valves controlling flow of the coating medium,
a shaping air device configured to emit shaping air to form a spray stream from the application device,
a drive device coupled to the application device and configured to mechanically drive the application device, and
an electrostatic coating medium charging device.

3. The coating system according to claim 1 , wherein the application system comprises at least one of sensor component which transmits sensor signals to the control unit, the at least one sensor component being one of:
a rotary speed sensor configured to measure a rotary speed of a rotary atomiser of the application device,
flow sensors configured to measure one of pressure and quantity flow of one of a shaping air flow, a propulsion air flow, and a coating medium flow, respectively,
a current sensor configured to measure an operating variable of an electrostatic coating medium charging device,
a voltage sensor configured to measure an operating variable of the electrostatic coating medium charging device.

4. The coating system according to claim 1 , wherein the robot system comprises a plurality of axis drives configured to mechanically drive the individual robot axes, respectively, of the coating robot,
wherein the control unit controls the axis drives and the robot system comprises a plurality of axis sensors configured to measure an axis position of the individual robot axes of the coating robot and transmit a corresponding sensor signal to the control unit.

5. The coating system according to claim 1 , wherein the coating robot is locally fixed.

6. The coating system according to claim 1 , wherein the conveying system comprises a conveyor configured to carry a plurality of the components synchronously through the coating system, the control unit controlling the conveyor.

7. The coating system according to claim 1 , wherein the conveying system comprises a plurality of conveying elements each configured to carry at least one of the components through the coating system to facilitate an asynchronous conveying of the components, the control unit controlling each of the plurality of conveying elements.

8. The coating system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first gate drive configured to actuate a gate at an inlet of the coating booth,
a second gate drive configured to actuate a gate at an outlet of the coating booth.

9. The coating system according to claim 1 , wherein the conveying system comprises at least one sensor component which transmits sensor signals to the control unit, the at least one sensor component being one of:
position sensors configured to detect a position of one of a conveyor and conveying elements,
velocity sensors configured to detect a velocity of one of the conveyor and the conveying elements,
a reading station configured to detect identification parameters of incoming components,
an object sensor configured to identify a presence of a component, and
a motor sensor configured to measure at least one of a motor position and a motor rotary speed of a drive motor for powering one of the conveyor and the conveying elements.

10. The coating system according to claim 1 , wherein the process technology system comprises at least one actuator component controlled by the control unit, the at least one actuator component being one of:
a drying apparatus configured to dry booth air in the coating booth,
an air-conditioning system configured to provide temperature control of the booth air in the coating booth,
a ventilation system configured to generate a downwardly directed airflow in the coating booth,
a separation unit configured to separate overspray of the coating medium.

11. The coating system according to claim 1 , wherein the safety system comprises at least one sensor component which transmits sensor signals to the control unit, the at least one sensor component being one of:
a first gate sensor at a f

Assignees

• Duerr Systems Ag

Inventors

• Meissner Alexander
• Herre Frank
• Federmann Andreas
• Weidle Martin
• Friese Heiko
• Spathelf Pascal
• Lauer Michael

Classifications

• B05B13/0452 Primary

  the objects being vehicle components, e.g. vehicle bodies · CPC title

• B05B12/122

  responsive to presence or shape of target (B05B12/124 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05B19/418

  Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM] · CPC title

• B25J11/0075

  Manipulators for painting or coating · CPC title

• B05B12/12 Primary

  responsive to conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature {position or movement of the target relative to the spray apparatus (B05B12/082, B05B12/084 take precedence)} · CPC title