Coating device for coating components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11944990-B2
Application number	US-201716468693-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2017
Priority date	Dec 14, 2016
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

The disclosure concerns a coating device for coating components with a coating agent, in particular for painting motor vehicle body components, with a printhead, a multi-axis coating robot and with a robot control which controls the coating robot. The disclosure additionally provides for a separate printhead control which controls the printhead valve of the printhead.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Coating device for coating components with a coating agent, with
a) a printhead with
a plurality of nozzles for delivering a coating agent jet to the component to be coated, and
a plurality of printhead valves controlling the release of coating agent through the plurality of nozzles,

b) a multi-axis coating robot which guides the printhead over the surface of the component to be coated,
c) a robot control which controls the coating robot, and
d) a printhead control that controls the printhead valves, the printhead control connected on the input side to the robot control and receives from the robot control at least one of a current spatial position, a current speed, and a current spatial orientation of the printhead as input information.

2. Coating device according to claim 1 , wherein
a) the robot control controls the coating robot with a specific first cycle time in a clocked manner, and
b) the printhead control controls a printhead valve of the plurality of printhead valves of the printhead in a clocked manner with a specific second cycle time,
c) the second cycle time of the printhead control is shorter than the first cycle time of the robot control.

3. Coating device according to claim 2 , wherein the second cycle time of the printhead control is at most 100 ms.

4. Coating device according to claim 1 , wherein the printhead control controls at least one of the following in addition to the plurality of printhead valves of the printhead:
a) a color changer which selects one of a plurality of coating means and forwards the selected coating means to the printhead,
b) a metering device which meters the coating agent to be applied.

5. Coating device according to claim 1 , wherein the printhead control can switch on and switch off the coating agent jet applied by the printhead in a time-controlled manner with a spatial resolution on the surface of the component to be coated of less than ±2 mm.

6. Coating device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a) a measuring device for measuring the spatial position of the component to be coated, the measuring device being connected on the output side to the printhead control and transmitting the spatial position of the component to be coated to the printhead control, and
b) a mechanical positioning device for precise positioning of the component to be coated.

7. Coating device according to claim 6 , wherein the measuring device comprises the following:
a) at least one sensor for position determination, and
b) an evaluation unit which evaluates a sensor signal of the sensor and determines therefrom the spatial position of the component to be coated.

8. Coating device according to claim 6 , wherein the measuring device determines the spatial position of the component to be coated with a position tolerance of less than ±2 mm.

9. Coating device according to claim 1 , wherein
a) the coating device has a metering control for controlling a metering device which meters the coating agent and conveys it to the printhead, and
b) the metering control is connected to the robot control in order to synchronize the control of the metering device with the control of at least one printhead valve of the plurality of printhead valves of the printhead, and
c) the metering control is connected to the robot control in order to synchronize the control of the metering device with the control of the coating robot.

10. Coating device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one printhead valve of the printhead has a short switching time of at most 100 ms.

11. Coating device according to claim 1 , further comprising a first data interface for communication with a production planning.

12. Coating device according to claim 11 , further comprising a second data interface for receiving a control file for coating the component with a graphic, the graphic being predetermined by the control file.

13. Coating device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the printhead emits a continuous jet of coating medium in a longitudinal direction or a droplet jet consisting of numerous droplets separated from each other in the longitudinal direction and aligned along the longitudinal direction, in contrast to a spray mist.

14. Coating device according to claim 1 , wherein coating agent pressure is controlled with a maximum variation of ±500 mbar.

15. Coating device according to claim 1 , wherein the printhead has an application efficiency of at least 90% so that substantially all of the applied coating agent is completely deposited on the component without overspray.

16. Coating device according to claim 1 , wherein the printhead has a surface coating performance of at least 0.5 m 2 /min.

17. Coating device according to claim 1 , wherein a printhead valve of the plurality of printhead valves has an electrically controllable actuator in order to eject drops of the coating agent from the printhead.

18. Coating device according to claim 6 , wherein the measuring device for measuring the spatial position of the component to be coated is a camera.

19. Coating device according to claim 18 , further comprising an evaluation unit that evaluates a picture of the component to be coated and the printhead taken by the camera to extract the position of the printhead relative to the component to be coated.

20. Coating device for coating components with a coating agent, with
a) a printhead with
a plurality of nozzles for delivering a coating agent jet to the component to be coated, and
a plurality of printhead valves controlling the release of coating agent through the plurality of nozzles,

b) a multi-axis coating robot which guides the printhead over the surface of the component to be coated,
c) a robot control which controls the coating robot, and
d) a printhead control that controls the printhead valves and at least one of a color changer which selects one of a plurality of coating means and forwards the selected coating means to the printhead and a metering device which meters the coating agent to be applied.

21. Coating device in accordance with claim 20 , wherein the printhead emits a continuous jet of coating medium in a longitudinal direction or a droplet jet consisting of numerous droplets separated from each other in the longitudinal direction and aligned along the longitudinal direction, in contrast to a spray mist.

Assignees

• Duerr Systems Ag

Inventors

• Fritz Hans-Georg
• Wöhr Benjamin
• Kleiner Marcus
• Bubek Moritz
• Beyl Timo
• Herre Frank
• Sotzny Steffen

Classifications

• B05B13/002

  Machines or plants for applying coating liquids or other fluent materials by inkjet · CPC title

• B05B13/0452

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

• B05B12/00 Primary

  Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area · CPC title

• B05B1/14

  with multiple outlet openings (B05B1/02, B05B1/26 take precedence); with strainers in or outside the outlet opening · CPC title

• B05B12/12

  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