JPH0466153A - Temperature control apparatus of coating material - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an energy-saving temp. control system by discriminating a color necessary for coating by reading the tracking data applied to an object to be coated such as a car body approaching a coating booth by a detection apparatus and controlling the temp. only of the paint of a coating material transfer means for the coating material having the color corresponding to the car body during approaching on the basis of the discrimination result. CONSTITUTION:The body 55 of a car is successively fed to a coating booth 20 from a line R. When the body 55 reaches the interior of the booth 20, coating material is sprayed to the body 55 by a coating robot on the basis of the detection of a detection apparatus 56 within the booth 20 to apply coating to the body 55. When the material passes through a pressure feed pipe 35, a measuring device 47 detects the temp. of the material and the measured result is sent to a control apparatus 50. On the basis of the measured result, the comparison means incorporated in the control apparatus 50 operates a temp. controller 48 when the temp. of the material is ready to lower to control a three-way valve 30 not only to increase the supply amount of hot water to a heat exchanger 36 but also to reduce the supply amount of cooling water thereto. When the temp. of the material is rising from the measured result of the measuring device 47, the temp. controller 48 is operated to control the three-way valve 30 not only to increase the supply amount of hot water thereto. By this method, an article to be coated of the same color system can be efficiently coated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION "Field of Industrial Application" The present invention relates to a paint temperature control system applied to a production line for painting automobile bodies.

``Prior art'' At Nostem, which paints automobile bodies, in order to achieve high-quality painting, it is important to maintain a constant paint viscosity, constant paint pressure during spraying,
One example is that it does not allow the resin, pigments, aluminum, and other linear components in the paint to settle out.

Figure 7 shows an example of the configuration of a system for painting the body of an automobile.
It is equipped with a painting booth 1 which is equipped with a painting robot and the like and into which the car body is transported, and furthermore, this painting booth 1
The mixing tank 2 is provided with a single mixing tank 2 for supplying paint to the mixing tank 2, a drum can 3 for supplying the paint to the mixing tank 2, and a hot water tank 4 for supplying hot water to the mixing tank 2.

The mixing tank 2 has a double structure consisting of an outer container and an inner container, and can store the paint inside the inner container, and also allows hot water to flow through a flow path formed between the inner container and the outer container. It is now possible to do this.

Further, the coating booth 1 and the mixing tank 2 are connected by a pressure feed pipe 6, the mixing tank 2 is connected to the drum can 3 or the supply pipe 7, and the flow path between the inner container and the outer container of the mixing tank 2 is connected to the hot water tank 4. and are connected by a supply pipe 8. Furthermore, a pump 9 is connected to the pressure feed pipe 6, and a pump 10 is connected to the supply pipe 7.
However, a pump 11 is incorporated in each of the supply pipes 8, so that the paint can be supplied to the mixing tank 2, and the mixing tank 2 can also be pumped to the painting booth l.
Hot water can be supplied to the flow path between the inner container and the external container.

The paints stored in the mixing tank 2 and the drum can 3 are always of the same color. Therefore, although omitted in the drawing, a mixing tank 2, a drum can 3, a hot water tank 4, a pressure feed pipe 6, a supply pipe 7, a supply pipe 8, and pumps 9, 10, and 11 are provided to send paint to the coating booth l. A plurality of paint booths are provided for one painting booth, and each mixing tank 2 and drum can 3 store only paint of the same color. Therefore, in order to paint a predetermined color of paint on an object to be painted, such as the body of an automobile, transported to the painting booth l, one of the plurality of mixing tanks 2 containing the paint of the desired color is selected. Then, the paint will be sent from this mixing tank 2 to the coating booth 1.

``Issues to be solved by the invention liJ In order to adjust the temperature of the paint to be pumped into the painting booth 1 in the painting system with the above configuration, the temperature of the paint in the mixing tank 2 is measured, and if the paint temperature falls below the specified temperature, This is done by supplying hot water from the hot water tank 4 to the flow path between the inner container of the mixing tank 2 and the external container, and heating the paint with the hot water.

However, the conventional system that adjusts the paint temperature by heating hot water has the following problems.

One painting booth 1 is equipped with a plurality of mixing tanks 2, but since a large number of bodies are randomly transported to the painting booth 1, it is necessary to paint dozens of different colors in the painting booth. be.

Therefore, conventionally, in the painting booth 1, the temperature of all the mixing tanks 2 was constantly adjusted so that any color could be painted at any time. Therefore, a huge amount of energy was required to adjust the paint temperature.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an energy-saving temperature control system configured so that only the minimum necessary amount of paint needs to be temperature controlled.

"Means for solving the problem" In order to solve the problem, the invention stated in claim 1 has the following features:
As shown in Fig. 1, there is a coating booth a, a line R for sequentially conveying a plurality of objects B to the coating booth a, and a line R attached to each object B to indicate the color of the object to be painted. a plurality of paint transfer means A for sending the paint to the paint booth a; a temperature adjustment means provided in each paint transfer means A for adjusting the temperature of the paint sent to the paint booth a; and the paint booth a. a detection device g for determining the color type of the workpiece B being conveyed to the painting booth a from the tracking data t of the workpiece B approaching the painting booth a; and a detection control section m that operates only the temperature control means of the paint transfer means A equipped with the above.

In order to solve the above problem, the invention described in claim 2 has the following features:
As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, there is a coating booth a, a line R that sequentially conveys a plurality of objects B to the coating booth a, and a line R that sequentially conveys a plurality of objects B to be painted, and a line R that is attached to each object B to color the object B. The objects B to be painted are sorted by color based on the tracking data t and the objects B having the same color are selected based on the tracking data t before being conveyed to the painting booth a by the line R, and the objects B to be painted in the same color are selected and sent to the painting booth. a plurality of paint transfer means A for sending the paint to the paint booth a; a temperature adjustment means provided in each paint transfer means A for adjusting the temperature of the paint sent to the paint booth a; temperature of a detection device a for determining the color type of the object to be painted B transported to the changing means 70 from the tracking data t; and a paint transfer means provided with paint of the color detected by the detection device g from the tracking data t. The sensor is equipped with a detection control section that operates only the adjustment means.

``Function'' A detection device reads the tracking data of objects to be painted, such as the body of a car, that approach the painting booth and determines the color required for painting. Since the temperature of only the paint in the corresponding paint transfer means is regulated, compared to the case where the temperature of the paint in all paint transfer means was controlled, it is much more energy efficient, and the amount of paint required for painting is reduced. The temperature is reliably controlled to the desired temperature.

Furthermore, if the tracking data is read at the stage of the color changing means before entering the paint booth, the temperature of the necessary and sufficient amount of paint can be adjusted more smoothly.

Embodiment FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a paint temperature control system to which the present invention is applied, and the apparatus of this embodiment is installed in the production line shown in FIG. 3.

First, the paint temperature control system shown in FIG. 2 will be explained.

In this embodiment, reference numeral 20 denotes a painting booth which is equipped with a painting robot and the like, and into which an automobile body (object to be painted) B is transported by a line omitted in FIG.
21 is a mixing tank, 22 is a drum, 23 is a cold water tank, and 24 is a hot water tank.

The cold water stored in the cold water tank 23 has a temperature lower than the target paint temperature (for example, 25°C ± 1'C) that is to be controlled in the system of the present invention; is at a temperature higher than the target paint temperature. Further, the cold water tank 23 includes an outgoing pipe 26.
and the connecting pipe 27 are connected, and the hot water tank 24 is connected to the outgoing pipe 28.
A control type three-way valve 30 that can adjust the flow rate is connected to a branch pipe connected to the connecting pipe 29 and the outgoing pipe 26 and the outgoing pipe 28,
Further, a control type three-way valve 31 that can adjust the flow rate is incorporated in each of the branch pipes connected to the connecting pipe 27 and the connecting pipe 29. Note that a cold water pump 32 is connected to the outgoing pipe 26, and a cold water pump 32 is connected to the outgoing pipe 28.
A hot water pump 33 is incorporated in each.

On the other hand, the bottom of the mixing tank 21 and the coating booth 20 are connected by a pressure feed pipe 35, and a heat exchanger 3 is connected to the pressure feed pipe 35.
6 is built in. Heat receiving section 36 of this heat exchanger 36
The input side of a is connected to the mixing tank 21, and the output side of the heat receiving part 36a is connected to the paint booth 20. In addition, the pressure feed pipe 35 between the mixing tank 21 and the heat exchanger 36 includes a pressure pump 37, an accumulator 38, and a line filter 39.
is incorporated.

The pressure feed pipe 35 is connected to an input part of a painting robot provided inside the painting booth 20, and a return pipe 40 connected to a return part of the painting robot is connected to the upper part of the mixing tank 21. Therefore, the paint fed to the painting robot through the pressure feed pipe 35 is applied to the car body in the paint booth as needed, or the paint is returned to the mixing tank 21 through the return pipe 40. It is designed to be circulated.

On the other hand, the input side of the heat radiating section 36b of the heat exchanger 36 is connected to the three-way valve 30 via the supply pipe 42, and the input side of the heat radiating section 36b
The discharge side of is connected to the three-way valve 31 via a discharge pipe 43. Also, in the vicinity of the three-way valve 31, the three-way valve 31
A measuring device 45 that measures the temperature of the fluid in the nearby discharge pipe 43
A temperature regulator 46 connected to the measuring device 45 and the three-way valve 31 is provided.

Furthermore, the pressure pipe 3 between the heat exchanger 36 and the coating booth 20
5 includes a measuring device (
A detecting means) 47 is provided, a temperature regulator 48 is provided near the measuring device 47, and a monitor 4 is provided in the temperature regulator 48.
9 is connected, and a printing machine is attached to this monitor 49. The temperature regulator 46 controls the opening degree of the three-way valve 31, and the temperature regulator 48 controls the opening degree of the three-way valve 30.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 50 indicates a control device such as a computer, and a temperature sensor 51 for measuring outside air temperature is electrically connected to this control device 50, and further measures the temperature in the vicinity of the painting booth 20. A temperature sensor 52 is electrically connected to the temperature sensor 52, and is also electrically connected to a three-way valve 53 built into the supply pipe 42, and further electrically connected to a measuring device 47 and a temperature controller 48. has been done.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 55 indicates a car body (object to be painted) being transported to the painting booth 20, and 56 is a detection device that detects this body 55 and activates the control device 50. .

In the above configuration, the drum 22, the mixing tank 21, and the pressure pump 37 constitute a paint supply means, the cold water tank 23 and the cold water pump 32 constitute a cold water supply means, and the hot water tack 24 and the hot water pump 33 constitute a cold water supply means. A hot water supply means is configured, and a control device 50 is configured to include a comparison means, a control section, a comparison section, and a detection control section.

Although not shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of paint supply means are connected to one painting booth 20, and each paint supply means is attached with a hot water supply means and a cold water supply means. A control device 50 is connected to the
By operating the control means, the temperature of the paint provided in each paint supply means can be adjusted separately as will be described later.

Next, the outline of the production line shown in FIG. 3 will be explained.

After being stored at the WBS, the body B of the automobile is placed on a hanger conveyor, passes sequentially through a pretreatment section 61, an electrodeposition section 62, and an electrodeposition section 63, and is subjected to electrodeposition coating. Next, it passes through a sealer 64, an undercoat section 65, and a sealer furnace 66 to be processed, and is further subjected to adjustment of defective parts in an air polishing section 67, and then passes through an intermediate coating section 68 and an intermediate coating section 69 to undergo an intermediate coating process. This intermediate coating treatment is performed to improve the quality of the top coat that will be applied later, and the color of the intermediate coat is the same for all bodies. After the intermediate coating process, the body B is moved to a color changing means (color alignment strainer) 70.

The color changing means 70 is a line that rearranges the bodies B so that they are painted in the same color as much as possible. If the same colors do not continue, rearrange them so that colors that are not affected by the previous paint color continue. Note that this color changing means 70 will be described in detail later.

Body B continues with the pre-coating adjustment section 71 and the enamel processing section 7.
2, passes through a clear processing section 73 and an overcoat furnace 74. The enamel processing section 72 here is provided with a coating booth 20, and the enamel processing section 72 is also provided with a coating temperature control system shown in FIG.

After the body B has been painted, it is inspected in an inspection section 75, and then the black portion is painted and baked in a black processing section 76 and a blank furnace 77.

After leaving the black furnace 77, the body B is conveyed to the next process via a wax processing section 79.

Next, a mechanism for rearranging a large number of bodies B in the color changing means 70 will be explained.

The body B of the automobile is supported by hangers 90 of a plurality of hanger conveyors provided along a line R, as shown in FIG. 4, respectively.

A hanger plate 91 is attached to each hanger 90, and each hanger plate 9I is formed with a plurality of windows 111 (eight in this embodiment) as shown in FIG. Each of these windows is marked with a symbol such as a number or letter, and a predetermined identification hanger number (tracking data) is indicated depending on whether each window is open or closed. Tracking data is unique to each hanger, and no two hangers are set to the same value.

The tracking data is then read by a hanger reader 92 shown in FIG.

The hanger reader 92 is provided at the input section of each hanger conveyor and at a predetermined position, and detects the tip of the hanger plate 91 with a phototube as shown in FIG. 5, and checks the opening/closing status of each window at this timing. .

When tracking data is detected in each part of the production line, the information is recorded in a host computer that controls the production line one by one.

An example of this recorded content is shown in FIG. In Figure 6,
M indicates the internal memory of the host computer, A1. A
2. A3. indicates the storage area. For example, in the storage area AI, for domestic vehicles, body information indicating the body, car model, and color are stored is stored, as well as tracking data for one hanger on which this body is installed. It looks like this.

As described above, the computers on the production line record one by one whether each hanger 90 is equipped with a body of the type of car and what color it is painted on.

Next, the operation of the paint temperature adjustment system configured as described above will be explained.

First, car bodies 55 to be painted are sequentially conveyed to the painting booth 20 from line R.

When the body 55 reaches the inside of the painting booth 20, based on the detection by the detection device 56, a painting robot climbs up in the painting booth 20 and sprays paint onto the body 55, so that the body 55 is painted.

When the painting of the body 55 is finished in the painting booth 20, the body 55 is transported to the next process along line R, and another unpainted car body is transported to the painting booth 20 again.

Painting the body 55 in the painting booth 20 can be performed by force-feeding the paint stored in the mixing tank 21 to the coating booth 20 using the pressure-feeding pump 37.

The temperature of the paint to be pumped into the paint booth 20 is adjusted as described below.

First, when the paint passes through the pressure feed pipe 35, the measuring device 47 detects the paint temperature, and the measurement result is sent to the control device 50.

Based on this measurement result, when the paint temperature is decreasing, the comparison means built into the control device 50 operates the temperature regulator 48 to control the three-way valve 30, and the heat exchanger 3
6, the amount of hot water supplied is increased and the amount of cold water supplied is decreased. Further, when the paint temperature is increasing as a result of measurement by the measuring device 47, the temperature regulator 48 is operated to control the three-way valve 30 to increase the amount of cold water supplied to the heat exchanger 36 and the amount of hot water supplied. decrease.

In this manner, the paint temperature can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of refrigerating medium sent to the heat exchanger 36 by adjusting the three-way valve 30.

By the way, even if the paint temperature is adjusted as described above, the paint temperature may drop suddenly for some reason. In this case, the opening degree of the three-way valve 30 is adjusted via the temperature regulator 48 so that the refrigerant is not sent to the control device 50 or the heat exchanger 36, and the heating medium is continuously sent to the heat exchanger 36 at the maximum. Adjust the opening degree of the three-way valve 30 so that the object is sent flying.

The paint temperature can be adjusted by adjusting the supply of the cooling medium as described above.

By the way, while the control device 50 is adjusting the opening degree of the three-way valve 30 via the temperature regulator 48, the comparison section built in the control device 50 compares the actual measured value of the paint temperature and the target value of the paint temperature (for example, 25℃±1'C) Monitor 4
It can be displayed on 9. The comparison unit of the control device 50 also displays the control signal output to the temperature regulator 48 on the monitor 49 in addition to the target value and the actual measurement value of the paint temperature.
It can be graphed and printed using a printer (not shown).

In this way, it is possible to know the difference between the target value of the paint temperature displayed on the monitor 49 and the actual value.

If there is a large difference between the paint temperature and the control signal output, that is, the control signal output is increasing,
If the actual measured value of the paint temperature continues to drop without being partially corrected, the operator can infer from the monitor 49 that some kind of failure has occurred in a part of the temperature control system, or that an abnormal situation has occurred. This allows workers to quickly take appropriate countermeasures. Therefore, paint defects on the body of the automobile can be avoided.

By the way, there are a wide variety of automobile bodies B supplied to the production line shown in FIG. 3, and there are also various colors. The bodies B that are transported to the production line are not transported by color, but are transported in a random state depending on the paint color, depending on the order or other reasons.

For body B that is transported in this random state,
In order to be able to paint any color immediately, it is sufficient to adjust the temperature of all of the paint transfer means A provided individually for each color, as described above. Adjusting the temperature of each paint one by one wastes a lot of energy such as electricity.

Therefore, the tracking data of the body 55 approaching the painting booth 20 is read by the detection device 56, and the control device 50 operates only the temperature control means of the paint transfer means A that is equipped with the color of this body 55. The temperature of only the paint is adjusted, and the temperature adjustment means for other paints are stopped.

In this way, it is possible to efficiently control the temperature of a necessary and sufficient amount of paint without wasting electrical energy.

Next, how many minutes before the body 55 arrives at the paint booth 20 should we start controlling the paint temperature of a desired color? When temperature control is started, measure how many minutes it takes for the paint temperature to reach the desired temperature from the start of control. Then, before the body 55 arrives at the painting booth 20 and before the time necessary for the temperature adjustment,
Alternatively, the detection timing of the detection device may be set so as to start controlling the paint temperature slightly before that time.

Therefore, for example, if it takes 15 minutes to adjust the temperature of paint of a certain color to a predetermined temperature, the detection device is set so that it is activated 15 minutes before the body 55 reaches the paint booth 20. All you have to do is install it and start controlling the paint temperature.

By the way, in the process before entering the paint booth 20, if the paint passes through the color alignment storage 70, temperature control of the paint of that color may be started when the body 55 reaches the color alignment storage 70.

In the color alignment storage 70, a host computer on the production line changes the color of the bodies 55 based on the tracking data of the bodies 55, and stocks a specific number of bodies 55 on the line R. Then, a specific number of bodies 55 of each color are retained in the line of the color changing means, and when they are stocked, a computer on the production line starts carrying the bodies 55 into the painting booth 20 one after another, starting with the bodies 55 of the same color.

Therefore, by reading the tracking data recorded in this host computer, or by reading the tracking data at a particular location in the color alignment storage 70, it is possible to determine which color bodies will arrive at the paint booth 20 in what minutes. Therefore, the detection device is activated to start controlling the temperature of the paint of that color after the bodies 55 are aligned for color change in the color alignment storage 70 and before the bodies 55 reach the painting booth 20. Just start temperature control.

By doing this, the bodies 55 sent to the painting booth 20 can be made of the same color, and at the same time,
Since the temperature of the minimum necessary amount of paint can be controlled efficiently, high-quality painting can be performed efficiently.

By the way, in the above embodiment, the present invention was applied to an automobile production line and a painting booth, and the body of the automobile was selected as the object to be painted. However, the present invention can also be applied to other products that require painting. Of course, it can be applied to a production line, and it can also be applied to a painting booth for other products.

"Effects of the Invention" As explained above, according to the present invention, the color required for painting is determined by reading tracking data attached to an object to be painted, such as an automobile body, which approaches a painting booth using a detection device. Based on this determination result, it is possible to adjust the temperature of only the paint of the paint transfer means having the paint of the color corresponding to the approaching body among the plurality of painting means connected to the paint booth.

Therefore, compared to the conventional system that controls the temperature of all paint regardless of whether or not the paint booth is near, it is possible to significantly save energy, and the paint necessary for painting in the paint booth is One of the features is that the temperature of the object to be coated can be reliably adjusted to the desired temperature before it reaches r11 in the booth.

In addition, if tracking data is read at the stage of the means for changing the color of the surface that enters the painting booth, even if various objects with different paint colors are conveyed randomly on the line, it will be possible to The object can be coated efficiently, and the energy required for controlling the temperature of the paint can be omitted.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a coating system to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a production line to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. Figure 5 is a configuration diagram showing a hanger conveyor on which a body is mounted, Figure 5 is a configuration diagram of a hanger plate, Figure 6 is a memory map showing the contents of a computer's memory, and Figure 7 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a conventional painting device. be. B ・Body (object to be painted), 20...Painting booth, 2
1. Mixing tank, 22. Drum, 23. Cold water tank, 24. Hot water tank, 26. 28. Outgoing pipe, 27.
29...Connection pipe, 30...Three-way valve, 32...Cold water pump, 33...Hot water pump, 35...Pressure pipe, 36...Heat exchanger, 37...Pressure pump, 40...Return pipe , 45.
47.Measuring device, 48..Temperature controller, 49..Monitor, 50..Control device, 55..Body, 56..Detector, 70..Color change means (color alignment storage), 72.
...Enamel painting part, 91...Hanger plate,
92...Hunger League, 93...Phototube.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A painting booth, a line that sequentially transports multiple objects to be painted to the painting booth, tracking data attached to each object that includes the color type of the object, and a system that supplies paint to the painting booth. a plurality of paint transfer means, a temperature control means provided in each paint transfer means to adjust the temperature of the paint sent to the painting booth, and a temperature control means for adjusting the color of the object to be painted to be conveyed to the painting booth when approaching the painting booth. and a control device that operates only the temperature control means of the paint transfer means provided with the paint of the color detected by the detection device from the tracking data. Features a paint temperature control system. (2) A painting booth, a line that sequentially transports multiple objects to be painted to the painting booth, tracking data attached to each object that includes the color type of the object to be painted, and a line that transports multiple objects to be painted to the painting booth. a color changing means for sorting the objects to be painted by color based on the tracking data before being transported, selecting objects to be painted of the same color and sending them to the painting booth; and a plurality of paint transport means for sending the paint to the painting booth. , a temperature adjustment means provided in each paint transfer means to adjust the temperature of the paint sent to the painting booth, and a detection device for determining the color type of the object to be painted conveyed to the color changing means from the tracking data; A paint temperature adjustment system comprising: a control device that operates only a temperature adjustment means of a paint transfer means that includes paint of a color detected by the detection device from tracking data.