The automotive industry has employed automation in applying coatings and other tasks for many years. The abilities of robotic coating applications have been improved because of this long history of use. These automation capabilities are not only available for finished goods, but robotic coating devices are being used in the food industry now as well. It would be worth a review for smaller and medium-sized manufacturing operations to look at the capabilities and cost savings that can be afforded by coating application automation. The advantages of robotic coating application include the enhancement of the quality of the task performed. Robot work stations made of articulated robots must be programmed correctly and adjusted for efficiency.
After this fine tuning is done, coatings can be applied most effectively. Precision is the result, there are no unsightly runs, annoying over sprays, or general inconsistencies. Since the robot programming has been adjusted for maximum utility, it will be able to apply coatings in the most inaccessible areas. Positioning for coating application is sometimes impossible for humans to attempt, let alone, actually perform efficiently. Flexibility is a definite hallmark of this device. It can spray coatings very consistently to all the required surfaces, the easy and hard to to access. Installation of this device can be wherever is best to do the job that is required. Mounting can be on the wall, ceiling, or floor. The coating application robotic works in close proximity to other equipment. It can setup with anti-collision capability, so that even though it may be moving at a very fast pace, it will not collide or interfere with other devices in its work area.
Without all those sags and drips in the coatings, the robotic coating robotic can save significantly in material costs. Coatings are not all over the wall, only on the object being sprayed, and only at the thickness required, so there can be as much as 20-30% savings in coatings purchases. Usually the industrial unit that applies the coatings is much smaller than other equipment, so it will take up much less floor space, allowing for other equipment placements nearby. The accuracy of the device will reduce or eliminate the rework of objects that have been coated incorrectly. This will have a positive bearing on labor costs. There is great reduction of the need to rework or scrap incorrectly coated products. This device usually has a recovery system that will bring any coating material that did not adhere to the surface back into the original container for redistribution.
When applying coatings the well being of employees is always a great consideration. Using an automated application device will eliminate the concerns for employees being effected by inhaling hazardous fumes, such as solvents, isocyanides or carciogens. Safety can be a part of the actual application of coatings. Repetitive application movements for employees can cause movement injuries.
Automated spraying of coatings is a versatile way to gain many benefits from automation. Coatings can also be applied using the automated rolling method. This method uses a hard rubber roller to apply the coating to the object. It is felt that roll coating can be a more significant savings of material cost than spraying. Using rolling of coatings there is no loss of materials, when the coating is applied. If the coating does not adhere, the excess drains back into the original container to be re-applied. The capital cost of the equipment for roll coating is about 50 percent of the cost of automated spraying equipment. Coatings that are applied by dipping can sometimes be used in addition to spraying or rolling. Dipping would be used to supplant the abilities of rolling and spraying.
There are some definite drawbacks to the use of the roll coating equipment. The areas to be coated have to be flat, which is fairly obvious. Also, the edges of the object that is coated have to be handled separately from the general rolling that is done. Sometimes a manufacturing operation will find that it is economical to own both automated spraying and roll coating equipment. When the objects are flat, the business would use roll coating, while other objects are coated using the automated spraying. In using the rolling method the cost per square foot of material that adheres to the surface it about 25% of the amount that adheres when using the spraying method. There is very little defined loss of material by rolling, while there is slightly more loss when using the spraying method.
There is a wide variation of coatings that can be applied by robotic application. In addition to paints, sealers, and primers automated systems apply powder coatings that are put on in replacement for paints and electroplating. These types of coatings are have a high resistance to chemical corrosion and mechanical destruction. They provide a high degree of protection for the products that are coated.
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