JPS62250967A - Coating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the treatment in a post process by curing a coating surface simultaneously with coating, by arranging a coating means and a heating means in close vicinity to a manipulator relatively moving along the predetermined coating locus on the surface of a material to be coated. CONSTITUTION:When a work W such as car sheet metal parts transferred by a conveyor is located at a definite position, a robot 2 is operated to move an emitting nozzle 5 to the coating start point of the work W and a valve block 4 is opened and the emitting nozzle 5 moves on the work W along a predetermined locus to apply a sealant P. At the same time, the applied sealant P is cured by hot air blown off from blow nozzles 6, 7 while the surface thereof is smoothed to be brought to a surface non-sticky state. As a result, troubles such as the dissolution of the sealant in the succeeding washing or chemical forming treatment process, deformation, scattering or the like are eliminated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a coating device for coating a coating agent such as a sealant, a primer, or an adhesive, for example, for rust-preventing joints and hems of steel plates. Or sealants and adhesives applied to impart waterproofness or airtightness to these materials, such as hem sealers, aftersealers, body sealers, dust sealers, etc.

(Prior art and its problems) Traditionally, the work of applying coating agents such as sealants, primers, or adhesives was often done manually, but recently automatic application by robots has become popular. be. However, the characteristics of such coating agents, e.g.
Due to reasons such as the surface being very soft and unstable for a while because it takes time to cure, and the adhesion being poor when the surface temperature of the material to be coated is low, the position of the coating process during the entire process may vary. In some cases, the availability of the liniment is limited, or special processing steps are required before and after the coating process.

For example, in the manufacturing process of automobiles, various parts such as doors, bonnets, and bodies are press-formed from steel sheet materials to create semi-finished products.After these are assembled and combined, they are degreased, chemically treated, dried, and then electroplated. , baking, intermediate coating, baking,
It goes through a process of topcoating, baking, and refining, and the process of applying a sealant to prevent rust on the folded edges of the back of sheet metal parts such as doors and bonnets.
Conventionally, this was done before the intermediate coating process, that is, after the doors and bonnet were assembled to the body. Therefore, the application parts of these doors and bonnets are very complicated, and the position and orientation of the application surface cannot be set freely, making it extremely difficult to automate the application work. In addition, there is a problem in that the sealing agent does not directly adhere to the steel sheet material because the coating surface already has deposits such as paint on it, resulting in a reduction in the rust prevention effect.

However, if the sealant is applied before these parts are assembled, the applied sealant will be very soft and unstable, and the sealant will dissolve during the subsequent cleaning or chemical conversion process. There was a risk that the material could be damaged, deformed, or scattered.

(Technical Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention addresses the above-mentioned problems by curing the surface of the applied coating agent at the same time as applying the coating agent such as a sealant, and by the subsequent process. Another object of the present invention is to provide a coating device in which deformation of the coating agent is less likely to occur. Technical means for this purpose include a coating means 5 which is attached to the manipulator 2 and moves relative to the material W to be coated along a predetermined coating locus on the surface of the material W to be coated to apply the coating agent; heating means 6 that is attached to the manipulator 2 in close proximity to 5 and heats the coating agent applied along the coating trajectory;
, 7.17.

(Example) The present invention will now be described with reference to an example of a coating device that applies a sealant to the peripheral edge of an automobile door before it is assembled to the body.

In FIG. 4, door works W are sequentially conveyed on an intermittent conveyor 1, and are positioned and stationary at a station in a coating process for applying a sealant. This station is equipped with a coating device using an articulated robot 2, which applies a certain amount of sealant P to the folded edge of the upper surface of the workpiece W as shown by the chain line. The surface of the sealant P is hardened to such an extent that it becomes non-adhesive.

Referring also to FIGS. 1 to 3, the robot 2 has an arm 2.
It has a rotating wrist 2b and a bent wrist 2c at the tip of the bent wrist 2c, and a discharge nozzle 5 serving as an application means and a heating means are connected through a valve block 4 attached to a bracket 3 at the lower end flange part of the bent wrist 2c. A blower nozzle 6.7 is installed.

A discharge nozzle 5 made of copper pipe or the like is attached to a block 8 with a connector 9, and is attached to a valve block 4.
By opening and closing the hose 4a from the pressure feeder (not shown)
The sealant that is pressure-fed through the discharge nozzle 5
It is designed to discharge or stop at a constant flow rate from the tip. Each blow nozzle 6.7 consists of an outer tube 10 made of quartz glass or the like, a heating element 11 made of an alloy built in the outer tube 10, a base 12 that supports these, and protrudes from the base 12. heating element 1
It consists of lead terminals 13a, 13b and a connection port 14 for passing current through the nozzle 1, one of the blower nozzles 6 is substantially perpendicular, and the other blower nozzle 7 is at an angle of about 10 to 20 degrees with this. 1, it is attached to the ventilation block 15. Voltage-adjusted power is appropriately supplied to each lead terminal 13a, 13b through an electric wire 16, and air pumped through a hose 4b from a compressed air source (not shown) is heated by each heating element 11. The hot air 1 at several hundred degrees is blown out from the tip of the outer tube 10. The blown hot air H hits the surface of the applied sealant P, accelerates hardening of the surface, and smoothes or spreads the surface smoothly. The pressure of the compressed air source mentioned above may be, for example, about 1 kg/aj, the air flow rate within the outer tube 10 may be about several tens to 17 m1, and the temperature of the hot air blown out from the outer tube 10 may be about several hundred degrees.

Note that the temperature of the hot air blown out from the outer tube IO can be adjusted by the voltage value applied to the heating element 11 and the flow rate of the air.

Next, the operation of the robot 2 and the control of the positional relationship of the discharge nozzle 5 and the blower nozzle 6.7 with respect to the workpiece W will be explained.

First, the flow rate and temperature of the sealant P to be pumped are determined so that the discharge nozzle 5 moves around the workpiece W at a predetermined position and applies a certain amount of the sealant P to the workpiece W at a predetermined position. The timing of opening and closing of the valve block 4, the distance between the tip of the discharge nozzle 5 and the workpiece W, and the speed of the discharge nozzle 5 are adjusted. Then, the hot air blown out from the blowing nozzle 6.7 hits the sealant P applied by the discharge nozzle 5, that is, the discharge nozzle 5
The robot 2 is taught or programmed to follow the same trajectory.

Next, to explain the operation 8, when the workpiece W transferred by the conveyor 1 is positioned at a fixed position, the robot 2 is activated, the discharge nozzle 5 moves to the coating start point of the workpiece W, and the valve block 4 is opened. The discharge nozzle 5 is opened, and the discharge nozzle 5 moves on a predetermined trajectory over the workpiece W to spread the sealant P, and at the same time, the hot air blown out from the blower nozzle 6.7 smooths and hardens the surface of the applied sealant P. Let it happen. At this time, it is practically sufficient to cure only one layer of the surface of the sealant P to the extent that surface adhesion is eliminated.

According to the above embodiment, the discharge nozzle 5 can apply the sealant P to the work W in a predetermined trajectory, and the blow nozzle 6.7 can smooth and harden the surface of the sealant P applied. Surface adhesive can be removed.

The blower nozzle 6.7 is provided integrally with the discharge nozzle 5, and is controlled by the robot 2 to move a certain distance behind the discharge nozzle 5 and follow the application surface. The surface is hardened almost simultaneously with the application by the discharge nozzle 5. Therefore, even if a cleaning process or a chemical conversion treatment process is performed after applying the sealant P to the workpiece W using the above-described apparatus, there is no fear that the sealant will melt, deform, or scatter.

In the above embodiment, two blower nozzles 6.7 were used, but
/Ill or 3111 or more may be used 0 heating element 11
For example, a coiled or band-shaped nichrome wire or tungsten wire, or other shapes may be used, or the outer tube 10 may be heated by resistance or induction. As an air source for the blowing, a suitable fan may be provided in the vicinity of the blowing nozzle 6.7. Although a pipe with a circular cross section is used as the discharge nozzle 5, a pipe with a flat tip may be used, and a brush, a sponge, a roller, etc. may be used instead of the discharge nozzle. In addition, as a heating means, a device that does not rely on hot air, such as a laser device such as a semiconductor laser, a carbon dioxide laser, or a xyshima laser, a plasma device such as an air plasma or a carbon dioxide plasma, an electron beam, or a high-frequency heating device, may be used.

The robot 2 may use other types of manipulators to move the workpiece W for coating. In addition to sealants, coating agents can also be used as paints, primers, and adhesives.

In the above-described embodiment, the blower nozzle 6 is moved along the application trajectory by the discharge nozzle 5 so as to follow the discharge nozzle 5.
．． As shown in FIG. 5, a blow nozzle 17 is provided in front of the discharge nozzle 5, that is, so that the blow nozzle 17 leads the discharge nozzle 5. By preheating the surface and/or the coating agent C with hot air 11, it is possible to improve the adhesion of the coating agent C discharged from the discharge nozzle 5 to the material W to be coated.

Of course, such blower nozzles 6.7.17 may be provided before and after the discharge nozzle 5 as required.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the present invention, the surface of the applied coating agent can be cured at the same time as the coating agent is applied, and the coating can be performed without requiring any special process or time for curing the coating agent. The coating agent is less likely to dissolve, deform, or scatter during subsequent steps.

Therefore, the step of applying the sealant to the door of the automobile can be performed before the door is assembled to the body, making the application easier and easier to automate.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show embodiments of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a front view of the coating device, FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the main part of FIG. 1, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing the coating device, and FIG. 5 is a front view showing another example of the position where the blower nozzle is installed. W...Work (material to be coated), P...Sealing agent (
coating agent), 2... robot (manipulator), 5...
・Discharge nozzle (application means), 6.7...Blower nozzle (
heating means), 10... outer tube, 11... heating element. Applicant Sunstar Giken Co., Ltd. Ml ■ No. 21!1 Figure 3 No. 4 Indication

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A coating means that is attached to a manipulator and moves relative to the material to be coated along a predetermined coating locus on the surface of the material to be coated to apply a coating agent; and a heating means attached to the manipulator to heat the coating agent applied along the coating trajectory. 2. The coating device according to claim 1, wherein the coating means is a discharge nozzle. 3. The coating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heating means is a blowing nozzle having a built-in heating element and blowing out hot air.