Method of automatically controlling a volume of material dispensed in a constant pressure material dispensing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10976754-B2
Application number	US-201816126508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2018
Priority date	Sep 10, 2018
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A method of a method of controlling a volume of material dispensed by a constant pressure adhesive and sealant dispensing system controlled by a controller during shots includes automatically adjusting a proportional valve control setting for an orifice size of a controlled pressure regulator. An orifice size control pressure corresponding to the proportional valve control setting is applied to an orifice size control inlet of the controlled pressure regulator. A volume of the material dispensed during each shot is monitored and when the volume of material dispensed during each shot of a predetermined number of successive shots is outside a target range, the proportional valve control setting is automatically adjusted by the controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a volume of material dispensed by a constant pressure adhesive and sealant dispensing system during shots by automatically adjusting a proportional valve control setting of a proportional valve of the dispensing system that applies an orifice size control pressure corresponding to the proportional valve control setting to an orifice size control inlet of a controlled pressure regulator of the dispensing system, comprising:
monitoring with a controller a volume of the material dispensed during each shot;
determining with the controller to adjust the proportional valve control setting when the volume of material dispensed during each shot of a predetermined number of successive shots is outside a target range; and
upon determining to adjust the proportional valve control setting, the controller determining a new proportional valve control setting and then setting the proportional valve control setting to the new proportional valve control setting,
wherein determining the new proportional valve control setting includes determining an error by the equation:
error=abs(volume average−target volume)/target volume,

where abs represents an absolute value, volume average represents an average of the volumes dispensed during each shot, and target volume represents a desired volume of material to be dispensed during a shot.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the proportional valve control setting includes having the controller provide an output signal corresponding to the proportional valve control setting to an air pressure control input of the pressure proportional valve from which pressurized air is provided to the orifice size control inlet.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
when an average of the volumes of the predetermined number of successive shots is above the target volume, determining the adjusted proportional valve control setting by the equation:
new proportional valve control setting=proportional valve control setting−(proportional valve control setting×error×gain),

where gain is a variable that limits an amount of adjustment that is made to the proportional valve control setting; and

when an average of the volumes of the predetermined number of successive shots is below the target volume, determining the new proportional valve control setting by the equation:
new proportional valve control setting=proportional valve control setting+(proportional valve control setting×error×gain),

where gain is a variable that limits an amount of adjustment that is made to the proportional valve control setting.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the target range is +/−5% of the target volume.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the target range is +/−5% of the target volume.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined number of successive shots is three.

Assignees

• Mitchell Michael D
• Markison Phillip M
• Macdonald John
• Zupancic Michael M
• Fca Us Llc

Inventors

• Mitchell Michael D
• Markison Phillip M
• Macdonald John
• Zupancic Michael M

Classifications

• B05C11/1002

  Means for controlling supply, i.e. flow or pressure, of liquid or other fluent material to the applying apparatus, e.g. valves · CPC title

• B05C11/1005

  responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material already applied to the surface, e.g. coating thickness, weight or pattern · CPC title

• G01F15/005

  Valves (valves in general F16K) · CPC title

• G01F25/0092

  for metering by volume · CPC title

• G05D7/0623 Primary

  characterised by the set value given to the control element · CPC title