Abstract: A work is applied with a solvent-containing thermosetting coating composition to a thickness larger than a limit thickness over which the coating composition on a surface of the work extending in a vertical direction will normally run or sag in a coating zone. After applied with the coating composition, the work is rotated about a substantially horizontal axis to prevent the coating composition on the vertical surface of the work from running or sagging and is conveyed through a heat-hardening zone for hardening the coating composition applied to the work by heating by a conveyor line. The conveyor line includes a pair of conveyors which are separated from each other upstream of a position where the coating composition is applied to the work to a thickness larger than said limit thickness.

Abstract: A solvent-containing coating composition is applied to a work to a thickness larger than a running limit thickness and is subjected to a setting step of evaporating the solvent in the coating composition applied to the work and a hardening step of hardening the coating composition after the setting step while the work is rotated about a substantially horizontal axis after the coating step to prevent the coating composition on a vertical surface of the work from running or sagging. The coating composition is arranged so that the coating composition has a flowability and at the same time the solvent accounts for not more than 30% by weight of the coating composition at a time during the setting step or the end of the same.

Abstract: A color coating composition is applied on a primer coating layer on a work to form an intercoating layer, and the intercoating layer is dried. A color coating composition of a predetermined color is applied on the intercoating layer to form thereon a color base layer, and a coating composition containing therein a lustering material is applied on the color base layer by wet-on-wet system to form thereon a lustering material base layer. A clear coating composition is applied on the lustering material base layer to form a clear layer. Then the coating films thus obtained are dried. The color of the color coating composition for forming the intercoating layer is equal to or resembles that of the color coating composition for forming the color base layer.

Abstract: Only one common main drying oven is provided for plural coating lines. Each of the plural coating lines contains a coating zone and a preparatory drying oven, in which the coating zone is to coat work with a paint and the preparatory drying oven is to perform preparatory drying of the coat on the work prior to the main drying of the coat on the work in the main drying oven. A drying line is further disposed individually and independently from the plural coating lines so as to be applicable as a supply line for supplying the work to the plural coating lines for coating. The plural coating lines are connected to each other through a common line and the work is transferred between the drying line and the common line through transfer units.

Abstract: A work is applied with a solvent-containing thermosetting coating composition to a thickness larger than a limit thickness over which the coating composition on a surface of the work extending in a vertical direction will normally run or sag in a coating zone. After applied with the coating composition, the work is rotated about a substantially horizontal axis to prevent the coating composition on the vertical surface of the work from running or sagging and is conveyed through a heat-hardening zone for hardening the coating composition applied to the work by heating by a conveyor line. The conveyor line includes a pair of conveyors which are separated from each other upstream of a position where the coating composition is applied to the work to a thickness larger than said limit thickness.

Abstract: An overcoat to be formed on an automotive vehicle body is formed by coating an overcoating base paint and, as needed, a solid or clear coating paint. The overcoating is continuously performed in at least three coating stages, wherein a rotary-type atomizing coater is disposed for the first coating stage and an air-nozzle type coater is disposed for each of the second and third coating stages. When a metallic paint having a pale color is coated in all three coating stages, while two coating stages are employed for coating a paint having a relative dark color.

Abstract: A coating or spraying gun is so disposed as to be movable back and forth in a given direction of travel of the member to be coated, including a body of an automotive vehicle, and to reciprocate in a direction different from the direction of travel of the member. The reciprocating stroke of the coating gun is altered depending upon the length of the member in the given direction. By altering the speed at which the coating gun moves back and forth in the direction of travel in accordance with the length of the member in the given direction, a pass pitch of the coating gun can be made constant. A coating region of the member is divided into coating sections or blocks in the given direction, and the sections are coated one after another. In this case, the reciprocating track of the coating gun is altered in accordance the radius of curvature of the sections. This arrangement enables a portion of a complex shape, such as a pillar, to be coated by moving the coating gun along the complex shape of the portion.

Abstract: In a coating, line a first substrate such as a vehicle body, made of a steel plate, is coated separately from a second substrate made of a different material including a plastic, such as vehicle parts, i.e., bumpers and so on, and the parts are assembled with the vehicle body. The vehicle body and parts are coated separately to form each a highly reflective surface coating. The coating is implemented by a spraying step for spraying the paint on them to form a coat; and a drying step for drying the coat. The paint is sprayed in the spraying step in a film thickness which is thicker than a thickness at which the paint sags on a surface extending at least upwardly and downwardly.

Abstract: A painting apparatus selectively sprays a plurality of different color paints by a pair spray gun at a desired discharge rate. A thinner is discharged into a pipe communicating the spray gun so as to force out a selected color paint remainiung in the pipe for continuously spraying the color paint. A flow meter is disposed in the pipe to measure the color paint flowing therethrough so as to detect its flow rate. A thinner discharge rate at which the thinner is discharged, is controlled according to the flow rate so as to spray the color paint at a substantially constant rate before and after the discharge of the thinner into the pipe.

Abstract: A coating line contains a water paint coating step for forming a coat by coating a substrate with a water paint; a pre-heating step for pre-heating the coat; and a baking step for drying the coat by baking. In the coating line, the substrate coated with an oil base solid paint is further coated with the oil base solid paint in the water paint coating step. The substrate is then transferred to the next step by bypassing the pre-heating step or by passing through the pre-heating step which is not heated by turning a pre-heating device disposed therein OFF. The coating line may be provided with an oil base clear paint coating step to thereby form an oil base clear paint coat yielding a two-layer coat. By coating the oil base solid paint in the clear paint coating step only, a one-layer coat can be given.In the clear paint coating step, an oil paint can be coated in the coating line which is provided with a second pre-heating step subsequent to the clear paint coating step yet prior to the baking step.

Abstract: An automatic color change paint spray system for vehicles moving along a production line which includes a paint spray device for painting. A first color change manifold is provided for supplying paint to the paint spray device. A paint feed tube connects the first color change manifold with the paint spray device. A second color change manifold is connected into the paint feed tube between the first color change manifold and the paint spray device, near the paint spray device.