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JP-7855343-B2 - Robots, systems, and methods for electrostatic powder coating

JP7855343B2JP 7855343 B2JP7855343 B2JP 7855343B2JP-7855343-B2

Inventors

  • フランソワ ルタール

Assignees

  • エクセル インダストリー

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20211216
Priority Date
20201218

Claims (11)

  1. An electrostatic powder spraying robot (4) for an electrostatic powder coating booth (2), Injector (41) configured to perform electrostatic powder dispersal. Equipped with, The injector (41) performs the electrostatic powder dispersal of the article (10) inside the electrostatic powder coating booth (2), and the robotic arm (43) is articulated and moves the injector (41) so that it is positioned inside the electrostatic powder coating booth (2); The system further comprises a blower (42) configured to blow a powder removal fluid , wherein the robot arm (43) moves the blower (42) inside the electrostatic powder coating booth (2) to position the blower (42) inside the electrostatic powder coating booth (2) so that the blower (42) blows the powder removal fluid onto the surface to be powder-removed, thereby removing any residual powder coating from the surface to be powder-removed. The injector (41) is equipped with a powder dispersing electrode (64), and the electrostatic powder dispersal includes bringing the powder dispersing electrode (64) to a powder dispersing potential; and The electrostatic powder dispersing robot (4) is characterized in that it further comprises a powder removal electrode (83) independent of the powder dispersing electrode (64), and the blower (42) is configured to bring the powder removal electrode (83) to a non-electrostatic potential while blowing the powder removal fluid onto the surface from which the powder is to be removed .
  2. The electrostatic dust dispersing robot (4) according to claim 1, wherein the robot arm (43) is equipped with a support head (46) for carrying the injector (41) and the blower (42) so that the injector (41) and the blower (42) are moved together by the robot arm (43).
  3. The electrostatic dust dispersing robot (4) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the robot arm (43) is a multi-jointed arm configured to position the injector (41) and the blower (42) with at least 5 degrees of freedom.
  4. The electrostatic dust dispersing robot (4) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the injector (41) comprises a first row (71) of electrostatic injection heads (61), and the blower (42) comprises a row (91) of blow nozzles (81) arranged parallel to the first row of electrostatic injection heads.
  5. The electrostatic powder dispersing robot (4) according to claim 4, wherein the injector (41) comprises a second row (72) of the electrostatic injection head (61) arranged parallel to the first row (71) of the electrostatic injection head (61), and the row (91) of the blow nozzle (81) is positioned between the first row (71) and the second row (72) of the electrostatic injection head (61).
  6. The electrostatic dusting robot (4) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ; The electrostatic powder coating booth (2) and the robot arm (43) are provided. An electrostatic powdering system in which the injection unit (41) can be positioned inside the electrostatic powder coating booth (2) to perform the electrostatic powdering of the article (10) inside the electrostatic powder coating booth (2); and the electrostatic powdering robot can be positioned inside the electrostatic powder coating booth (2) to blow the powder removal fluid onto the surface from which the powder is to be removed inside the electrostatic powder coating booth (2).
  7. The electrostatic powder dispersal system according to claim 6, further comprising another robot (6) disposed inside the electrostatic powder coating booth (2); and the robot arm (43) is configured to position the blower (42) such that the blower (42) can blow the powder removal fluid to the other robot (6) to remove powder from the other robot ( 6 ).
  8. The electrostatic powder dispersing system according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising an auxiliary blower (29) located inside the electrostatic powder coating booth (2) and configured to blow a powder removal fluid; and the robotic arm (43) is configured to position the injector (41) near the auxiliary blower (29) so that the auxiliary blower (29) blows the powder removal fluid to the injector ( 41 ) to remove powder from the injector ( 41 ).
  9. The blower (42) is detachable from the robot arm (43); The electrostatic dusting system according to any one of claims 6 to 8, comprising a tool changer (90) adapted to allow the robot arm (43) to acquire the blower (42) when the blower (42) is detached from the robot arm (43); and the robot arm (43) is adapted in the tool changer (90) to automatically attach the blower (42) to the robot arm (43) itself so that the blower (42) is carried and the blower (42) is acquired by the tool changer (90) while the robot arm (43) is detached from the robot arm (43) and the blower (42) is being carried by the tool changer ( 90 ) to remove the dust from the surface to be dusted.
  10. The electrostatic powder dispersing robot (4) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the powder removal fluid is air.
  11. An electrostatic powdering method performed by an electrostatic powdering robot (4) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or a powdering system according to any one of claims 6 to 9 , While the injector (41) is positioned inside the electrostatic powder coating booth (2) by the robot arm (43), the injector (41) electrostatically disperses the article (10) , wherein the electrostatic dispersing includes bringing the dispersing electrode (64) to a dispersing potential ; An electrostatic powder dispersal method comprising: after the electrostatic powder dispersal is performed, while the blower (42) is positioned inside the electrostatic powder coating booth (2) by the robot arm (43), the blower (42) blows a powder removal fluid onto the surface from which the powder is to be removed, wherein the powder removal electrode (83) is set to a non-electrostatic potential while the blower (42) is blowing the powder removal fluid onto the surface from which the powder is to be removed .

Description

The present invention relates to a robot for electrostatic powder coating, an electrostatic powder coating system comprising such a robot, and an electrostatic powder coating method performed using such a robot or system. Electrostatic powder booths for applying coatings such as paints to articles by electrostatically coating the articles inside the booth are known. The application of powder to the article is achieved by using an electrostatic injector that emits a stream of powder, while simultaneously setting the injector and the article to a specific potential such that the powder is attracted to the article and coats it. After the article is electrostatically powder-coated, it is transported to an oven. The oven heats the powder to a temperature that causes the thermosetting material in the powder to form a mesh structure, thereby causing the coating to adhere to the article. Despite the electrostatic effect, some of the powder released to spray an item does not reach the item but tends to accumulate on the booth walls or floor, or even on the injector itself. Generally, booths are equipped with a residual powder suction system that vacuums the inside of the booth to recover much of this powder, recycle the recovered powder, and mix it with new powder for spraying the next item. However, despite this vacuum system, residual powder generally remains attached to the walls and floor, and removal of the powder—that is, cleaning the inside of the booth and injector—becomes necessary, especially when changing the type of powder, for example, changing the color. When this is done manually by the operator, this operation requires interrupting the booth's operation for safety reasons. International Publication No. 96/12568 describes such a powder booth having a powder injector and an automatic cleaning unit. However, this automatic cleaning unit is very large and only suitable for the shape of a single booth. In addition, the cleaning unit needs to be moved from the outside to the inside of the booth for each cleaning operation, which is time-consuming. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electrostatic powder dispensing system equipped with an electrostatic powder dispensing robot according to one embodiment of the present invention.Figure 1 is a perspective view of a part of the electrostatic powder dispersing robot.Figures 1 and 2 are exploded perspective views of a portion of an electrostatic dusting robot. Figure 1 shows an electrostatic powder coating system comprising an electrostatic powder coating booth 2, an electrostatic powder dispensing robot 4, and an electrostatic powder dispensing robot 6. Booth 2 is intended to enclose the electrostatic dusting operation of item 10, with item 10 placed inside booth 2, and dusting performed using robots 4 and 6. In the example shown in Figure 1, booth 2 comprises a floor 12, a roof 14 extending above the floor 12, and surrounding walls 16 connecting the floor 12 to the roof 14 along their respective perimeters. Booth 2 defines a substantially enclosed powder compartment within its interior, separated by the floor 12, the roof 14, and the surrounding walls 16, where powder scattering takes place. Essentially, booth 2 is intended to trap any residual powder that did not reach article 10 during the powder scattering process. The interior of booth 2, at least the floor 12, roof 14, and walls 16, is preferably made of or lined with an electrically insulating material, such as a polymeric plastic material. Advantageously, booth 2 includes an access opening 18 provided through the surrounding wall 16 for introducing the article 10 into booth 2. The article 10 can be removed from booth 2 either through this same access opening 18 or through a second similar access opening, for example, an access opening provided at the other end of booth 2 opposite the opening 18. Preferably, the powdering system includes a conveyor 19 for introducing articles 10 into the booth 2 through an opening 18 and for removing articles 10 from the booth 2 through the opening 18 or another opening. The conveyor 19 includes a rail 25 from which the articles 10 are suspended, for example, the rail having means for moving the articles 10 along the rail, such as a belt or chain. Advantageously, the rail 25 is positioned above the roof 14, and advantageously, the roof provides longitudinal notches 26 below the rail 25 that follow the trajectory of the rail 25. As the articles 10 pass through the interior of the booth 2, the articles 10 are suspended from the rail 25 through the notches 26. Preferably, the articles 10 are moved by the conveyor 19 without stopping inside the booth 2, and the powdering of the articles 10 takes place while the conveyor 19 provides continuous forward movement of the articles 10. Preferably, the conveyor 19 is designed to continuously transport multiple items distributed along the rail 25 for the continuous scattering of multiple items within the booth 2. Advantage