JPH11216401A - Coating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To contrive sharing a coating device between an intermediate coat and a finish coat in outer plate coating of a car body and at the same time to restrain the waste of thinner when changing the coating color. SOLUTION: Supply sources for various kinds of paints S1-S4 and a thinner supply source ST are connected to a paint switching device 1 on the inlet side thereof. The paint from the selected supply sources is fed to a plurality of spray guns 2a, 2b connected to the respective downstream ends of a feed path 3 through the feed path 3 branched on the downstream side thereof. At the branched point of the feed path 3, a spray gun switching value 4 is fitted, and one or both of the spray guns 2a, 2b are selected to feed the paint from the paint switching device 1 to the spray guns. By switching the spray gun switching valve 4, the paint is atomized from the one spray gun 2a at the time of an intermediate coat and both the spray guns 2a, 2b at the time of a finish coat, respectively.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coating apparatus capable of selecting any one of a plurality of types of paints having different properties and applying different coating thicknesses.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a body outer panel coating process in an automobile manufacturing line, generally, an undercoating by electrodeposition coating, an intermediate coating by an automatic coating machine or a robot, and a topcoating by an automatic coating machine or a robot are sequentially performed. Of these, the middle coat and the top coat are performed by a coating apparatus (an example is shown) in which a plurality of coating guns (2) are arranged on the side and upper part of the body (11), as shown in FIG.

FIG. 2 shows a paint supply mechanism in each coating apparatus. The paint supply mechanism is provided with the same number of paint supply systems (X, Y) as the paint guns (2a, 2b) of the coating apparatus (the drawing shows an example having two paint guns and a paint supply system). Each paint supply system (X, Y) includes a plurality of switching valves (1a: a so-called color change valve, hereinafter referred to as “C”).
CV "), a supply path (3) connected to the outlet side of the paint switching apparatus (1),
It is composed of elements such as a pump (P: for example, a flushable gear pump) provided in the supply path (3). Each CCV (1a) of the paint switching device (1) has a different color, for example, four.
The paint supply sources (S1 to S4) for supplying the different kinds of paint are connected, and the paint from each of the supply sources (S1 to S4) is adjusted in flow rate by the regulator (6), and is then supplied to the paint switching device (1). It is supplied to each CCV (1a). Further, a thinner supply source (ST) for supplying a thinner as a cleaning agent is connected to one CCV (1a) of both paint switching devices (1). In the drawing, the supply source (S1) and the corresponding C
Although only the pipes to the CVs are shown, other CCVs are connected to the respective supply sources (S2, S3, S4) by similar pipes.

In this coating apparatus, each CCV (1a)
, Any one of the supply sources (S1 to S4) is connected to each coating gun (2a, 2b) via the paint switching device (1), and the selected paint is supplied via the pump (P). It is sprayed from each coating gun (2a, 2b). When the paint color is changed, the thinner is supplied by switching the CCV (1a), and the thinner is used to clean the piping after the paint switching device (1).
By switching CCV (1a), each paint gun (2a, 2b)
To the new paint supply and restart painting.

[0005]

However, since the required coating film thickness is different between the intermediate coating process and the overcoating process (usually, the overcoating is thicker), the coating apparatus in both processes requires a number of coating guns. It is considered to be a dedicated product with a different for that reason,
In spite of the fact that many mechanisms such as a paint supply mechanism are common, they are often installed exclusively for each of them, which is costly and inconvenient when changing lines.

Further, when changing the paint color, it is necessary to flow the thinner to each of the paint supply systems, so that there is a drawback that a large amount of the thinner is used.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to use a common coating apparatus for the intermediate coating step and the top coating step, and at the same time to suppress the waste of thinner when changing the coating color.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object,
The coating apparatus according to the present invention is a coating apparatus that selects and paints any one of a plurality of types of paints, and the inlet side is any one of a supply source of various paints and a cleaning agent supply source. A paint switching device selectively connected to the supply source, a supply passage connected to the outlet side of the paint switching device and branching the downstream side, and a plurality of coating guns connected to each downstream end of the supply passage, At the branch point of the supply path, each time the paint switching device is switched, a part or all of each coating gun is selected, and the cleaning agent or any paint supplied from the paint switching device is applied to the coating gun. And a coating gun switching valve for supplying the paint gun.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.
It will be described based on FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, a coating apparatus according to the present invention is a system in which the upstream side of a pump (P) of a conventional apparatus is integrated into one system, and a supply source (S1 to S4) of various paints and a thinner. Paint switching device (1: manifold) connected to a supply source (ST) of a cleaning agent, such as a cleaning agent, and a paint gun connected to the outlet side of the paint switching device (1), branching off the downstream side, and providing a plurality of coating guns at each downstream end. (2a, 2b) connected supply path (3), and a coating gun switching valve (4) provided at a branch point of the supply path (3)
And a pump (P) such as a flashable gear pump provided in each supply path (3a, 3b) downstream of the coating gun switching valve (4).

The paint switching device (1) includes a plurality of CCVs (1
a), switching of each CCV (1a), for example, a plurality of paints of different colors supplied from a paint supply source (S1 to S4) via a regulator (6) and a regulator (7). Any paint or thinner is selected from the thinners supplied from the thinner supply source (ST) via the thinner and supplied to the supply path (3) on the outlet side. The paint or thinner supplied to the supply path (3) is supplied to the two paint guns (2) by operating the paint gun switching valve (4).
a, 2b) or both coating guns (2
a, 2b) and is sprayed from the nozzle (21) of each coating gun (2a, 2b).

Hereinafter, the operation of the supply mechanism will be described.

When the above coating apparatus is used for intermediate coating, the coating gun switching valve (4) is connected to one of the coating guns (2a).
Switch to the position to select, and the paint switching device (1)
To switch to one of the paint supply sources, for example, the (S1) side, and supply this paint to the coating gun (2a) via the regulator (6), the paint switching device (1), and the pump (P). When changing the paint color, the CCV (1a) was first switched to the thinner supply source (ST) side, and the pipe from the paint switching device (1) to the paint gun (2a) was cleaned with the thinner from the supply source (ST). Thereafter, the CCV (1a) is switched to connect to another paint supply source (for example, S2). In this case, the supply amount of the thinner is sufficient for only one system on the upstream side of the pump (P), so that the amount of the thinner used is smaller than when the thinner is supplied to each of the two supply systems as in the conventional case. Can be reduced.

On the other hand, when the above coating apparatus is to be diverted for overcoating, the coating gun switching valve (4) is used to switch both coating guns (2a, 2b) to a position where they are selected, and further, the CC is selected.
V (1a) is a paint source corresponding to the top coat, for example, (S
3) Switch to the side and apply this paint to both coating guns (2a, 2a).
b). In this case, the coating amount of the coating is increased by the number of coating guns (2b) as compared with the case of the intermediate coating, so that a thicker coating film can be formed. When the coating color is changed, the CCV (1a) is switched to the thinner supply source (ST) side in the same manner as in the above-mentioned intermediate coating. However, the supply amount of the thinner in this case is smaller than the conventional one for the same reason as the intermediate coating. Can be reduced.

Further, since the piping upstream of the pump (P) is integrated into one system, the equipment (regulators and the like) provided in this part is omitted as compared with a conventional system in which two systems are provided. As a result, cost can be reduced.

As described above, according to the present invention, one apparatus can be diverted between the intermediate coating step and the top coating step only by switching the coating gun switching valve (4). However, the amount of thinner used when changing the coating color can be reduced.

When the above-mentioned coating apparatus is converted from the intermediate coating to the top coating, a cleaning operation using a thinner is similarly required, but even in such a case, one system is provided downstream of the coating gun switching valve (4). It is sufficient to wash only the (paint gun 2a side), and it is not necessary to wash both paint guns (2a, 2b), so the amount of thinner used can be reduced. Conversely, when the coating is changed from the top coating to the middle coating, one system (coating gun 2a) is provided downstream of the coating gun switching valve (4).
It is sufficient to wash only the side), so that the amount of thinner used can be reduced.

Although the above description has been made with reference to the case where the present invention is applied to the middle coat and the top coat of a vehicle body outer panel, the present invention is not limited to this, and two kinds having different coating film thicknesses or more. The same can be applied to painting in the painting step.

[0019]

According to the present invention, a coating apparatus which can be used in each coating process even when selecting any one of a plurality of types of coatings and coating with different coating film thicknesses. Can be provided. In addition, the amount of thinner used when changing the coating color can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a paint supply mechanism in a device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a paint supply mechanism in a conventional coating apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing an intermediate coating step and a top coating step.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Paint switching device 2a Painting gun 2b Painting gun 3 Supply path 4 Painting gun switching valve S1 to S4 Paint supply source ST Cleaning agent (thinner) supply source

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A coating apparatus for selecting and coating any one of a plurality of types of paints, wherein an inlet side is connected to one of a supply source of various paints and a supply source of a cleaning agent. A paint switching device that is selectively connected, a supply path that is connected to the outlet side of the paint switching device, and has a branched downstream side; a plurality of coating guns connected to each downstream end of the supply path; Provided at a branch point, every time the paint switching device is switched, a part or all of each coating gun is selected, and the cleaning agent or any paint supplied from the paint switching device is supplied to the coating gun. A coating apparatus comprising a coating gun switching valve.