EP2629897B1 - Color application system and method for operating the same - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a paint application system and a method for its operation.

From the DE 695 35 077 T2 a control system for a powder coating system is known. There, a communication network is provided which connects control components of the powder coating system with powder spray guns that spray powder coating materials onto parts to be coated. The disadvantage is that there is no monitoring of the pressure of the applied powder to the powder spray guns, but the pressure is measured and adjusted only relatively far away from the powder spray guns. A pressure fluctuation on the powder spray guns is thus detected late, possibly caused by this order errors can only be compensated badly. Also, leaks in the supply lines or clogging are not recognized in such a system; by the pressure drop or pressure increase, an insufficient coating result is achieved. The long lines in front of the actuators and measuring elements to the gun lead due to the relatively high volumes to inaccurate and delayed controls or settings.

The US 5,443,642 relates to a plant for electrostatic color coating, where there the pressure on pressure sensors and the humidity are measured by humidity sensors, which are not arranged directly on a paint spray gun. Rather, permanently installed spray heads are used, on which a workpiece to be coated is passed.

Another electrostatic spray gun goes off DE 34 02 945 C2 showing a voltage indicator with a display panel pointing to the rear. Depending on the voltage at the gun, a light emitting diode is lit so that voltage changes can be detected quickly.

Since, in contrast to powder coating systems in paint spraying and paint spray guns for liquid colors, the quality of the ink application depends significantly on the atomization and thus the pressure applied directly to the gun nozzle, the known powder coating system for fluid operated paint spray guns does not provide sufficiently good Solution. In particular, it is not possible to measure the pressure directly to the spray guns and thus to regulate in a timely manner.

In known paint spraying or paint spray guns, especially for liquid media such as paint, digital pressure measuring devices are used in the gun, the tracking of the pressure on the paint spray gun done either manually adjustable throttles or pressure regulators, which are located far away from the paint spray gun. In order to change the pressure applied to the paint spray gun, it is necessary to adjust the pressure via the throttle or the pressure regulator until the desired pressure at the paint spray gun is reached. This is prone to errors, especially when the environmental conditions change, for example, the pressure hose is spray gun bent, has bottlenecks, the attitude of the spray gun changes during the paint application, more consumers are connected upstream or off, etc. Due to the pressure changes occurring, the order result is permanently negative affected.

An example of such a paint application system is disclosed US 5,381,962 in the form of a spray gun and transmitter unit arranged therein for wireless data transmission with a receiving unit of a pump module. There, with the aid of switches on the spray gun, adjustments can be made to the spray gun, which are then transferred to the pump module. Thus, the pump module can be operated from the paint spray gun, and this must always be done manually, so relatively sluggish and inaccurate.

Also the US 4,614,300 , Which relates to an automated paint application system, merely discloses that a control and supply of machine-traversable spray guns takes place. Data on the spray guns are neither collected nor sent back from there to the control of the inking system.

The invention is therefore based on the object to provide an inking system and a method for its operation, in which the inking result and the operation of the inking system improved and in particular pressure fluctuation-related inking errors are reduced or avoided altogether.

This object is achieved by the invention by a paint application system with the features of claim 1 and a method for its operation with the features of claim 12.

The WO 2007/133386 A2 relates to a control system for coating cans with a spray device. The spray device operates electrically, the spray medium is therefore transported under pressure from a supply to the spray device. For this purpose, only the pressure of the spray medium has to be regulated there. Additional detection of environmental parameters such as air pressure, humidity, air speed and / or ambient temperature with additional measuring devices is therefore not necessary there.

The EP 1 504 823 A1 discloses an electrical spray coating apparatus with wireless data transmission between a controller and a display device externally positionable therefrom. Even there, only the pressure of the spray material is regulated, but not the pressure of the supplied compressed air. A detection of environmental parameters such as air pressure, humidity, air velocity and / or ambient temperature with additional measuring devices is not disclosed there and also not necessary.

The EP 1 477 232 A1 relates to a spray gun with pressure gauge for applying paint to painted object by atomizing the paint with compressed air. In this case, in the pressure display device, the pressure can be measured and displayed digitally where the spray gun is operated. The detection of further parameters, in particular environmental parameters such as air pressure, air humidity, air speed and / or ambient temperature is not disclosed there.

Advantageous embodiments and expedient developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

The invention provides for this an inking system with one or more receiving units for wireless data transmission between components of the inking system, wherein one of the components of a paint spray gun with a detection unit for detecting operating parameters of the paint spray gun and / or environmental parameters and a transmitting unit for wireless transmission of operating parameters and / or environmental parameters to the receiving unit, wherein the detection unit comprises one or more measuring devices for detecting the environmental parameters air pressure, air humidity, air speed and / or ambient temperature, etc. As a result, such environmental parameters can be taken into account when setting the spraying air pressure and / or the pressure of the medium to be applied as well as other parameters.

Furthermore, the invention provides a method for operating such a paint application system, wherein the operating parameter spraying air pressure and / or the pressure of the medium to be sprayed is detected on or in the paint spray gun, and then the detected pressures or other operating or environmental parameters to a or several components of the inking system are transmitted wirelessly.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the transmitting unit of the paint spray gun can be encapsulated encapsulated in the paint spray gun. In this way, penetration of the medium to be sprayed as well as cleaning and solvent in the sensitive electronics of the detection and transmission unit can be avoided.

Furthermore, the detection unit in or on the paint spray gun can comprise one or more pressure detection devices for detecting the operating parameters spraying air pressure and / or the pressure of the medium to be sprayed and optionally further parameters. As a result, the pressure in question can be determined directly in front of the job site and then quickly readjust a possible deviation from the desired pressure or other parameters without the user of the paint spray gun having to act. This is particularly advantageous with only brief pressure fluctuations, for example by brief change in attitude of the paint spray gun or a kinking or narrowing of the feed hose for the injection pressure air or the medium to be applied.

Furthermore, the paint spray gun can advantageously be connected to the supply of injection compressed air via a compressed air line with a component of the paint application system designed as a compressed air supply with a compressed air source and a compressed air regulator. Advantageously, the detected spray air pressure can thus be transmitted to the compressed air regulator of the compressed air supply and compared there with a predetermined desired spray pressure, and the compressed air regulator then readjust the pressure of the spray compressed air supplied to the spray gun so that the spray air pressure at the spray gun adapts to the desired spray pressure becomes.

Likewise, in addition or alternatively, the paint spray gun can advantageously be connected to the supply of the medium to be sprayed via a media supply line with a designed as a media supply component of the inking system. As a result, the detected pressure of the medium to be sprayed can advantageously be transmitted to the media supply and compared there with a predetermined desired value, and the media supply then readjust the pressure of the medium delivered to the paint spray gun so that the pressure of the medium to be sprayed on the paint spray gun on the Setpoint is adjusted.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the inking system may include as a further component, a controller for monitoring and / or control of the operating parameters of the paint spray gun and other components of the paint application system. Thus, advantageously, the detected pressure or pressures are transmitted to the controller, in the control of the detected pressure with a predetermined setpoint for this pressure is compared, and the controller then controls the compressed air regulator and / or the media supply so that the pressure of the injection pressure air and / or of the medium to be sprayed at the paint spray gun is adapted in an advantageous manner to the predetermined desired value.

In a user-friendly advantageous embodiment, a display unit for displaying the operating parameters and / or environmental parameters detected by the detection unit is provided as a further component of the inking system. Hereby the registered Operating parameters and / or environmental parameters, and in particular the one or more detected pressures to the display unit are transmitted to the display. In a further development can be displayed on the display unit, when set to the spray gun or the control unit default value for the spraying air pressure and / or the pressure of the medium to be sprayed exceeds or falls below a maximum of the inking system provide pressure. As a result, the user of the paint spray gun can be quickly notified if the pressure has not been readjusted automatically or insufficient operating conditions are present.

Preferably, the display unit may be attached to the location of the media application, in particular in a paint booth. Alternatively, the display unit may be arranged on the paint spray gun. Further alternatively, the display unit can be transportable, and in particular in the form of an attachable to the wrist of an operator of the paint spray gun display unit. It is also conceivable to equip a conventional wristwatch or pocket watch with such a display unit as an additional function. All of these variants have the advantage that the user can interrogate the displayed data quickly and immediately during the application, and does not have to go to a remote location, as in known devices in which a display, in particular of pressure parameters regularly at the from the job more or less distant pressure supply or control.

In an advantageous refinement, the inking system can comprise, as a further component, an operating unit for setting setting parameters of the inking system. The operating unit may advantageously be arranged on the paint spray gun, as well as the display unit. Further alternatively, the operating unit as well as the display unit can be transportable, and in particular in the form of an attachable to the wrist of an operator of the paint spray gun control unit. All of these variants have the advantage of requiring the user to set adjustment parameters, e.g. can set and control the desired spray air pressure, quickly and immediately at the place of application of paint, possibly even during the application, and does not have to go to a remote location, as in known devices in which an operation is often possible only there.

One or more of the components may preferably have a receiving unit and / or transmitting unit for wireless data transmission. This can be advantageous to the these components transmit data directly to each other, so that, for example, a failure or error in the compressed air supply can be transmitted directly to the display unit on the wrist of the user of the spray gun and there an alarm - acoustically and / or visually - can trigger. Further advantageously, the wireless data transmission can be bidirectional, so that in a just described alarm when the user can send this directly via the control unit a signal to the faulty compressed air supply, such as a stop signal for immediate shutdown of the compressed air supply.

Advantageously, the wireless data transmission via radio, WLAN, DECT or Bluetooth or other such media done so that already known, standardized transmitting and receiving units can be used.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawing in Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 1 1 shows a functional block diagram of an inking system 1 according to the invention. In order to apply liquid ink or paint as a medium to an object to be sprayed or spattered, a paint spray gun 2 known per se is provided with a pressure sensor arranged in the paint spray gun 2, preferably a digital pressure sensor as a detection unit for provided the operating parameters spray pressure and / or the pressure of the sprayed or to be sprayed medium. Furthermore, the paint spray gun 2 comprises a WLAN transmitting unit and a data processing unit, which processes the detected operating parameters for the data transmission to the WLAN transmitting unit.

The paint spray gun 2 is supplied via a thick drawn connecting line 23 with injection pressure air, also called compressed air, from a compressed air supply 3 (possibly also with compressed air treatment). For this purpose, the compressed air supply 3 has a pressure source 4 and a pressure regulator 5. By means of the pressure regulator 5, the pressure in the connecting line 23 to the paint spray gun 2 can be adjusted. In addition, the transmitting unit communicates via a WLAN connection 25 with the pressure regulator 5.

Here and below denote thick connecting lines 23, 26, 45 delivery lines, while the in Fig. 1 thinly drawn double arrows 25, 26 ', 27, 28, 29, 48, 58, 59, 68, 78, 89 and 810 relate to the data communication.

Further, the paint spray gun 2 is connected via a material supply line 26 with a medium supply formed as a conveying unit 6 for the liquid coating material. On the other hand, the medium (the paint or the paint) could also come via flow, (top), hanging or side cup in the paint spray gun.

The inking system 1 is controlled centrally by a controller 8, which is connected to all other illustrated components of the inking system 1 with WLAN connections 28, 48, 58, 68, 78, 89 and 810 for wireless data transmission. Of course, other such compounds can be provided.

Another component of the inking system 1 is an operating unit 7, which is designed as a wrist computer. But it can also be designed as a portable computer that can be worn by the operator directly on the body or can be arranged in the vicinity of the order location of the color. Alternatively, the operating unit 7 may also be a remote control.

Further, a display unit 9 is provided which displays all the essential data for the ink spraying, e.g. the values set on the pressure supply 3 and / or the media supply 6 and actually present, the detected operating parameters transmitted by the paint spray gun 2, etc. In the present case, the display unit 9 is advantageously integrated with the operating unit 7 in the handheld computer. But it can also be arranged stationary or formed as a portable display.

The data communication in the present case runs completely over wireless WLAN connections 25, 26 ', 27, 28, 29, 48, 58, 59, 68, 78, 89 and 810, but could also be via other suitable wireless connections, eg. B. Bluetooth are operated. A combination of different connectivity options, both wireless and wired, is also possible. However, it is advantageous if at least the paint spray gun, the operating unit 7 and the display 9 wirelessly communicate with each other or with other components, in particular the controller 8.

With the controller 8 is also a painting booth 10 is connected, in which the paint application is carried out with the paint spray gun in the present case.

In particular, when using the paint spray gun 2 in the paint booth 10 is a wireless data transmission of advantage, since then only the supply lines 23 and 26 must be provided for spray compressed air and paint, while other connection lines for data transmission can be omitted.

These wireless connections with transmission powers below the explosion limits ensure a very high level of operational safety in the spray booth, which is generally designed as an explosion-proof room. The cost of sufficient explosion protection measures is reduced in any case.

In addition, in a preferred embodiment, the adjusting elements for the spraying air pressure and / or optionally the color printing on the paint spray gun 2 itself or on the operating unit 7 may be arranged.

In addition, sensors for detecting the relevant delivery data, for example current pressure provided by the delivery unit, flow rate of the conveyed material, etc., can be provided in the delivery unit 6, which can transmit these and possibly further measurement parameters to the controller 8 and / or the display 9.

In the paint spray gun 2 further sensors are advantageously provided in the detection unit, which can detect the humidity, temperature, air velocity in the vicinity of the paint spray gun 2. Further, in an alternative embodiment, the display unit 9 may also be arranged directly on the paint spray gun 2, so as to be able to display the operating environment and / or setting parameters shown in the display unit 9 to the user of the paint spray gun 2. Alternatively or additionally, the parameters detected by the paint spray gun or its sensors can also be transmitted to the display 9, the controller 8 or the operating unit 7, where they are then displayed in a clearly visible manner for the user.

A further advantage of the non-contact transmission of the data from the paint spray gun 2 to the other components 3-10 of the inking system is that this can be done in the paint spray gun 2, for example, to switches, external antennas or externally extending cables can be avoided. This is advantageous because these seals must be made usually solvent-tight and waterproof and In addition, they can easily be damaged mechanically. This effort can be avoided by using the invention. Further, the invention due to the wireless data transmission - as already mentioned above - can be advantageously used when using the paint spray gun 2 under difficult environmental conditions, for example in potentially explosive atmospheres or under dusty conditions.

Claims (17)

1. Paint application system (1) with one or more receiving units for wireless data transmission between components (2-10) of the paint application system (1), wherein one of the components (2-10) is a paint spray gun (2) with a detection unit for detecting operating parameters of the paint spray gun (2) and/or ambient parameters and a transmitting unit for wireless transmission of the operating parameters and/or ambient parameters to the receiving unit, characterised in that the receiving unit comprises one or more measuring devices for detecting the ambient parameters air pressure, air humidity, air speed and/or ambient temperature.
2. Paint application system (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the transmitting unit of the paint spray gun (2) is encapsulated and incorporated in the paint spray gun (2) and/or in that the detection unit in or on the paint spray gun (2) comprises one or more pressure detection devices for detecting the operating parameters spraying air pressure and/or the pressure of the medium to be sprayed/applied.
3. Paint application system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that in order to be supplied with spraying compressed air through a compressed air line (23) the paint spray gun (2) is connected with a component of the paint application system (1) embodied in the form of a compressed air supply (3) with a compressed air source (4) and a compressed air controller (5), and/or in that in order to be supplied with the medium to be sprayed through a media supply line (26), the paint spray gun (2) is connected with a component of the paint application system (1) embodied in the form of a media supply (6), and/or in that the paint spray gun (2) is supplied with the medium to be sprayed by means of gravity-feed, (top-mounted), suspended or side-mounted cups or by means of hoses.
4. Paint application system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that by way of further component (2-10) it comprises a controller (8) for monitoring and/or controlling the operating parameters of the paint spray gun (2) and further components (4-7, 9, 10) of the paint application system (1).
5. Paint application system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that by way of further component (2-10) it comprises a display unit (9) for displaying the operating parameters and/or ambient parameters detected by the detection unit.
6. Paint application system (1) according to claim 5, characterised in that the display unit (9) is mounted in the location of media application, in particular in a spray booth (10), or in that the display unit (9) is arranged on the paint spray gun (2), or in that the display unit (9) is transportable and in particular embodied in the form of a display unit (9) which can be placed on the wrist of an operator of the paint spray gun (2).
7. Paint application system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that by way of further component (2-10) it comprises an operating unit (7) for adjusting setting parameters of the paint application system (1).
8. Paint application system (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that the operating unit (7) is mounted in the location of media application, in particular in a spray booth (10), or in that the operating unit (7) is arranged on the paint spray gun (2), or in that the operating unit (7) is transportable, and in particular embodied in the form of an operating unit (7) which can be placed on the wrist of an operator of the paint spray gun (2).
9. Paint application system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that one or more of the components (2-10) exhibit a receiving unit and/or transmitting unit for wireless data transmission.
10. Paint application system (1) according to claim 9, characterised in that the components (2-10) equipped with a receiving unit and/or transmitting unit transmit data directly to one another.
11. Paint application system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the wireless data transmission is effected by means of radio, WLAN, optically or by means of Bluetooth or by means of another wireless connection, and/or in that the wireless data transmission is effected bidirectionally.
12. Method for operating a paint application system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the operating parameter spraying air pressure and/or when appropriate the pressure of the medium to be sprayed is detected on or in the paint spray gun (2), and then the detected pressure or pressures are transmitted wirelessly to one or more components (3-10) of the paint application system (1).
13. Method according to claim 12, characterised in that the detected operating parameters and/or ambient parameters, and in particular the detected pressure or pressures are transmitted to the display unit (9) for display thereof.
14. Method according to claim 12 or 13, characterised in that the detected spraying air pressure is transmitted to the compressed air controller (5) of the compressed air supply (3), compared there with a predetermined spraying air pressure set value, and the compressed air controller (5) then adjusts the pressure of the spraying compressed air supplied to the paint spray gun (2) so that the spraying air pressure at the paint spray gun (2) is matched to the spraying air pressure set value.
15. Method according to one of claims 12 to 14, characterised in that the detected pressure of the medium to be sprayed is transmitted to the media supply (6), compared there with a predetermined set value, and the media supply (6) then adjusts the pressure of the medium supplied to the paint spray gun (2) so that the pressure of the medium to be sprayed at the paint spray gun (2) is matched to the set value.
16. Method according to one of claims 12 to 15, characterised in that the detected pressure or pressures are transmitted to the controller (8), in the controller the detected pressure is compared with a predetermined set value for this pressure, and the controller then actuates the compressed air controller (5) and/or the media supply (6) so that the pressure of the spraying compressed air and/or when appropriate the medium to be sprayed at the paint spray gun (2) is matched to the predetermined set value.
17. Method according to one of claims 12 to 16, characterised in that the display unit indicates when a set value for the spraying air pressure and/or the pressure of the medium to be sprayed set at the paint spray gun (2) or the operating unit (7) exceeds a maximum pressure that can be delivered by the paint application system (1).

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