Abstract: A catch pan apparatus for starting and stopping coating is disclosed for coating a downwardly moving receiving surface by curtain coating. The catch pan device includes an intercepting pan that intercepts the curtain when coating is stopped and a substantially horizontal intercepting surface that intercepts the curtain only when the catch pan moves to start or stop coating. The intercepting pan and horizontal intercepting surface intersect to create a volume that retains in the catch pan excess liquids that would otherwise spill onto the coating receiving surface as the catch pan is retracted to a non-intercepting position. The catch pan is controllably retracted at high speed through the curtain using linear servomotors such that the releasing edge of the horizontal intercepting surface passes close to the coating receiving surface at the point of curtain release. Flushed edge guides maintaining curtain width are positioned outside the lateral edges of the catch pan.

Abstract: Methods and devices for protecting and/or coating medical devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes surrounding a medical device with a cage, the medical device having a surface. The method further includes attaching the medical device to the cage with at least one securement, suspending the medical device in an air stream, the air stream substantially devoid of suspending particles, and coating at least a portion of said surface of said suspended medical device with a first coating material.

Abstract: A dual cup spin coating system for capturing a discharged flowable coating material in a spin coating process including a first outer cup and a second outer cup said first outer cup concentrically disposed around the second outer cup forming a first capture space arranged for capturing at least a portion of a discharged flowable coating material discharged from a process substrate at a first positive angle with respect to the process substrate in a spin coating process; and, an inner cup disposed concentrically within the second outer cup forming a second capture space arranged for capturing at least a second portion of the discharged flowable coating material discharged from the process substrate at a second positive angle less than about the first positive angle with respect to the process substrate in a spin coating process.

Abstract: Mounted on a wrist portion (10) of a single coating robot (6) is a common main assembly body (11) to which a plural number of bell-shape heads (42, 81, 83) are replaceably connectible. Further, a head changer (61) is provided within a working area of the coating robot (6), the head changer (61) being provided with head gripping mechanisms (63) to hold a plural number of bell-shape heads (42, 81, 83) thereon. By the use of the coating robot (6), one of the bell-shape heads (42, 81, 83) on the head changer (61) is replaceably connected to the common main assembly body (11) to form a complete sprayer (55, 101). Accordingly, the coating robot (6) can perform various coating operations by selectively picking up a suitable bell-shape head (42, 81, 83) from the head changer (61) and connecting same to the common main assembly body (11).