Abstract: In the program control of a robot intended for painting vehicles and in order to facilitate finding the numerous coating parameters stored in a robot movement program, coordination between the process parameter change point and the relevant coating parameters is to be obtained. To this end, and to establish a path of movement, an individual address is associated with each process parameter change point and, based upon the movement program, a separate parameter file is employed in which the relevant coating parameters are associated with the individual addresses. According to the subject method, the configuration of the workpiece to be coated is shown upon a display screen and, by utilizing the movement program, the selected process parameter change points are indicated visibly upon the workpiece shown.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the sequential coating of motor-vehicle bodies using a preprogrammed painter-robot is provided. As a result of wear, the signal/response delay times of valves and other control elements deviate from the information stored in the program. According to the subject invention, the actual signal/response delay time is measured and compared with the stored information stored in the program. In the event of unacceptable deviations in the actual verses stored signal/response delay times, the actuating times controlled by the program are changed in response thereto, and signals warning of excessive actual delay time are given.

Abstract: The outer surface of a turbine-housing (2) of an air-driven rotary atomizer for coating workpieces electrostatically is surrounded by a cover (5) made of a three-dimensional material permeable to air, whereby the formation of condensation-water upon the turbine-housing can be avoided.

Abstract: A process and apparatus to guide spray material such as paints and lacquers to a plurality of spraying stations by a common ring line for spray material; in the process and apparatus, pressure, speed, volume flow and/or mass flow of the spray material flowing in the ring line are continuously monitored and adjusted to the respective requirements such that the spray material flowing in the ring line is conserved as such as possible. Thus, negative effects on the quality of the spray material are avoided even with long circulation times for the spray material.

Abstract: A roof machine for the electrostatic paint coating of the front end, roof, and rear surfaces of an automobile chassis, transported on a conveyor belt includes a roof beam equipped with atomizers, the roof beam extending over the conveyor belt. Opposite ends of the roof beam are positioned in two vertical columns, one column containing the drive elements for the roof beam and the atomizers, and the other column containing the paint supply for the atomizers. The roof beam is positioned in the vertical columns that the roof beam can be moved up and down and can be rotated around its longitudinal axis as well, and the atomizers can be moved jointly back and forth and tilted and individually adjusted with respect to their lateral spacing relative to one another. The housing jacket of the roof beam is cylindrical.

Abstract: Particles of conductive coating material, such as the water-enamel type paint, are sprayed from a grounded bell-atomizer (2) and are electrostatically charged in the corona-discharge area by outer electrodes (10) which are inserted into a holding-arrangement (11, 12, 15) made of an insulating material. Potential-control means in the form of suitably selected materials for the holding-arrangement (11, 12, 15) and/or an atomizer-housing (4) are provided. The radial-potential pattern between the atomizer-housing (4, 6) and the outer electrodes (10) is approximated to the radial-potential distribution of the material sprayed. The insulating material of at least a portion of the apparatus consists of a fluorocarbon such as PTFE (polytetrafluorethylene). The subject invention reduces the danger of the apparatus coating itself.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the sequential coating of motor-vehicle bodies using a preprogrammed painter-robot is provided. As a result of wear, the signal/response delay times of valves and other control elements deviate from the information stored in the program. According to the subject invention, the actual signal/response delay time is measured and compared with the stored information stored in the program. In the event of unacceptable deviations in the actual verses stored signal/response delay times, the actuating times controlled by the program are changed in response thereto, and signals warning of excessive actual delay time are given.

Abstract: Particles of conductive coating material, such as the water-enamel type paint, are sprayed from a grounded bell-atomizer (2) and are electrostatically charged in the corona-discharge area by outer electrodes (10) which are inserted into a holding-arrangement (11, 12, 15) made of an insulating material. Potential-controls in the form of suitably selected materials for the holding-arrangement (11, 12, 15) and/or an atomizer-housing (4) are provided. The radial-potential pattern between the atomizer-housing (4, 6) and the outer electrodes (10) is approximated to the radial-potential distribution of the material sprayed. The insulating material of at least a portion of the apparatus consists of a fluorocarbon such as PTFE (polytetrafluorethylene). The subject invention reduces the danger of the apparatus coating itself.

Abstract: Coating defects are overcome which occur in the prior art as a result of positional tolerance variations between an automatic spraying device and a part, as the part, e.g., an automobile body, is transported along a conveying system into the spray booth of a coating station during a series coating operation using lacquering robots to apply paint. The distance between at least one fixed reference point on the coating apparatus and a reference point on the automobile body is measured during a preparatory coating operation and stored in the processing program of an operation controlling computer as a standard reference distance value. The reference distance is remeasured for each automobile body during subsequent series coating operations and then compared to the standard reference distance value. The processing program then corrects the movements of the lacquering robots as a function of the calculated deviation to elimate the coating defects arising out of positional tolerance variations.

Abstract: In an apparatus for electrostatically coating workpieces with an electrically conductive coating material, an intermediate isolation tank (V) is conencted by electrically insulating conduit lines (LVA, LVB, LZA, LZB) between an electrically grounded coating material supply and a high voltage spraying device atomizer (Z). When the apparatus is in operation, the conduit lines (LVA, LVB, LZA, LZB) are alternately filled and emptied, such that the grounded supply and the high voltage atomizer (Z) are continuously insulated from each other. One embodiment utilizes an isolation tank V' which includes a metering cylinder (DZ) having a displaceable piston (2) for adjusting the coating material capacity of the tank (V') to the amount required to coat a single workpiece.

Abstract: In an apparatus for the use of so-called water enamels or some other similarly conductive coating material, the electrical field for charging the sprayed particles is produced between the grounded spraying edge (6) of a bell-shaped atomizer (10) and a large number of external electrodes (10) inserted into an annular element (20) made of an insulating material.

Abstract: In an apparatus for the use of so-called water enamels or some other similarly conductive coating material, the electrical field for charging the sprayed particles is produced between the grounded spraying edge (6) of a bell-shaped atomizer (10) and a large number of external electrodes (10) inserted into an annular element (20) made of an insulating material.

Abstract: In the electrostatic coating of workpieces with a coating installation in which material sprayed from a grounded rotary sprayer is electrically charged in the corona-discharge area by external electrodes inducing a corona-current to the sprayed material, the danger of the spraying device coating itself is reduced if the corona-current is adjusted to a predetermined value.

Abstract: Device for the atomization of liquid paints, includes an atomizer bell and a coaxial centrally perforated deflecting member. The transition surface of the bell cooperates with the axially rear surface and the radially outer surface of the deflecting member to form the boundaries of a chamber in the form of a gap between the bell and the deflecting member, which chamber has only localized interruptions in the form of spacers between the bell and the deflecting member in which the axially rear surface of the deflecting member and the base part of the transition surface facing said rear surface each have an obtuse angled step in cross-section.

Abstract: In the sequential coating of motor-vehicle bodies using a preprogrammed painter-robot, the paint is switched on and off by an automatically controlled pilot needle-valve (FNV) at predetermined times as a function of the relative positions of the robot and the motor-vehicle body. Return circuits including flow-control valves (DV1, DV2) actuated at predetermined times are provided which match the switching on and off of the pilot needle-valve (FNV) for avoiding unwanted pressure fluctuations.

Abstract: In the case of sequentially coating workpieces, such as motor vehicle bodies, with a program controlled painter-robot, it has hitherto been difficult or impossible to finish painting a partly coated workpiece in the event of an unscheduled breakdown. This was because the robot and the workpiece would inertially overrun their synchronized relative positions after the breakdown, thus making it difficult to resynchronize the two. According to the subject invention, based upon the synchronized relative positions of the workpiece and the painter-robot both at the time of the breakdown and after the unit has come to stop, a path of travel is determined over which the robot is returned accurately to the relative position at which the breakdown occurred. The coating operation is then resumed from this position.

Abstract: In the case of rotary atomizers, especially those having external electrodes on a grounded spray head, there is a danger of self-contamination of the front part of the atomizer housing; the latter is, therefore, provided with a rotating cover (10) which may be connected to the rotating spray head (2).