Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to the ~epair of applied
finishes on articles to which finish is applied from
atomization and dispensing devices in~ for example,
assembly-line-type operations. More speciEically, the
invention relates to a repair method useful on larger
articles which may be thought of as divisible into various
zones for finish-application purposes. Examples of such
articles are large appliances (e.g., refrigeratorsl dish
washers, and clothes washers and dryers) and automobile and
truck bodies.
As automobile and truck bodies, for example, are
painted, defects sometimes occur in the various stages of the
paint application. Repair of these defects is handled in
many different ways, depending upon how the automobile bodies
are processed through a finishing system, and in what stage
of the finish-application procedure the defect occurs. For
example, repair of a defect may be treated differen~ly if the
defect occurs in the prime coating stage, rather than in the
finish-coat application stage. Similarly, repairs for
single-~olor vehicle bodies typically will be performed
diferently from repairs on "two-tone" bodies. Lac~uer
repairs are handled somewhat differently from enamel repairsr
since lacquers are typically thermoplastic and can be "spot
repaired" as opposed to enamels, which typically are
thermosetting and requlre masking and painting of entire
vehicle body panels, such as doors, fenders, hoods, etc.,
upon which repairs are necessary.
In the majority of cases, vehicle body repair, even
during the manufacture of a vehicle, is performed using
manual finish material atomizing and dispensing equipment.
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There are a number of finishing systems presently in use
which employ stationary, or semi-stationary,
electrostatically aided, finish-material atomizing and
dispensing systems. Typically, these systems include a group
of atomizing devices arranged in a manner such that each
atomizing device is primarily responsible for covering a
specific area or zone of the particular article being
finish-coated. In many cases, some of these atomizing
devices are manipulated or moved to follow the contours of
the particular configurations of the articles being
finish-coated.
In automobile finish-coating systems of this type,
automobile bodies being finish-coated are typically thought
of as divisible into various zones. Each atomizing device,
or group of atomizing devices, is primarily responsible for
dispensing coating material which eventually ~inds its way
mainly or solely to a particular one or more of these zones.
For example, overhead groups of atomizing devices are
typically charged primarily with the responsibility of
coating the hood, top, and trunk lid of an automobile body.
~hose atomizing devices or groups o~ atomizing devices
situated generally on the le~t hand .side of the
finish-coating line, as the automobile hody passes along this
line, are charged primarily with the dispensing of
Einish-coating material onto the left-hand side of the
automobile body (i.e., let front fender, left front door,
left rear door--in four-door and station wagon models--and
left rear fender). Those atomizing devices or groups oE
atomizing devices situated generally on the right-hand side
of the finish-coating line or conveyor are responsible
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primarily for dispensing finish-coating material onto the
right-hand side of the automobile body (i.e., the right front
fender, right front door, right rear doorr and right rear
fender).
In such prior art systems for the application of
"two-tone" finishes, the vehicle body is next passed through
a second similar finish-application area. However, just
prior to passage of the vehicle body through the second
finish-application area, specific zones or portions of zones
of the automobile body are masked, e.g., with pre-cut,
pressure-sensitive, adhesive-backed paper or tape which
prevents the second color of finish-coating material from
appearing on the masked zones or sub-zones.
If repair is required on a lacquer-coated
automobile body, lacquer can typically be applied to the spot
requiring repair; and the "spot repaired" body can then be
"rubbed outl' with rubbing compound so that the repair cannot
be detected. As discussed, the repair is conducted using
manual equipment. On an enamel-finished vehicle body, the
body is masked to leave exposed the zone or zones requiring
repair, enamel is applied from manual spray equipment to
those zones, and any necessary fuxther treatment is
performed~ ~s can be readily appreciated, such repair
methods are highly labor-intensive, increasing the production
costs oE vehicle bodies upon which repairs must be made, and
thereby re~ucing the pro~it margin on these vehicle bodies.
Major efEorts have been directed toward reduction
of all labor-intensive operations performed upon automobiles.
The thrust of many improvements in automobile productions has
been automation with the primary objective of reducing cost.
The added benefit of automation in automotive body finish repair,
as well as various other areas, is improved quality and uniform-
ity of the repair.
Therefore this invention provides a method of repairing
a coating on an article coated by an automated coating apparatus,
the article including a plurality of zones into which it is
divided for coating, the coating apparatus including a plurality
of devices for atomiziny and dispensing coating material for
coating the article, each device being primarily used to coat a
particular one or more of the zones but fewer than all of the
zones, the repair method including the steps of determining in
which zones of an article repairs are necessary, returning the
article to the coating apparatus and actuating those devices
primarily used to coat those zones in which repairs are
necessary.
Additionally, according to an illustrative embodiment
of the invention, the method includes the step of masking zones
of the article adjacent the zones in which repairs are necessary.
According to an illustrative embodiment, the devices
for atomizing and dispensing finish-coating material are
controlled by a programmable controller to coat~the various
~ones in accordance with predetermi.ned parameters and criteria
of the coating materials and the articles being coated, and
those parameters and criter.ia are stored in the controller.
Additionally according to the invention, the articles
are coated with selected different colors of coating materials,
and the controller also controls the sequence in
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which the different colors are dispensed by the devices onto
the various articles which pass along the finish-coating
line.
Further according to the invention, selected ones
of the articles to be coated are coated with selected
mutiple colors, the controller controlling the
combinations of devices dispensing the colors and the flows
of the selected colors being supplied to selected ones of
the devices.
10The invention may best be understood by referring
to the following description and accompanying drawings which
illustrate the invention. In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a finish-coating line
employing the method of the present invention; and
Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of an automobile body
; which has been illustrated as having been cut along certain
lines and "unfolded" into a single plane for purposes of
illustration of the invention.
With particular reference to Fig. 1, a line 10 for
the finish-coating of automobile bodies 14 includes a first
section 16 for the application of a first coat of finish
ma~erial. The bodles 14 pass through finish application
section 16 in the direction of the arrows from the
right-hand, or entry, end 18 to the left-hAnd, or exit, end
20. As the auto bodies 14 pass through section 16, they are
coated sequentially by batteries of coating equipment of
the type illustrated in our U.S. Patent No. 4,275,838,
issued June 30, 1981. The bodies 14 are coated with
finishes of selected different characteristics, e.g.,
diferent colors, with the control of the devices For the
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application of the various colors being provided by a
programmable controller 22.
From the exit end 20 of the finish-appplication
section 16, the vehicle bodies 14 with finish applied enter a
baking, curing, or drying section 24 in which the finish
material applied in section 16 is baked, cured, and/or dried
to the necessary degree. The bodies 14 enter section 24 at
its left-hand, or entry, end 26, are conveyed past the
equipment which bakes, cures, and/or dries the finish, and
exit from section 24 at its right-hand, or exit, end 28.
For many vehicle bodies 14, this ends the
finish-application procedure. Those bodies 14 move in the
direction indicated by arrow 30 away from the
finish-application area for further processing or the like.
For certain other vehicle bodies, however, additional
processing may be required. For example, certain vehicle
bodies 32 are scheduled for the application of additional
finish material to give them "two-tone" finishes. These
vehicle bodies 32 pass through a masking area 34 in which
certain zones of the vehicle bodies 32 are masked using,
e~g., pre-cut, pressure-sensitive, adhesive-backed paper or
tape to cover those zones or portions of zones to which the
second color oE Einish material is not to be applied. Once
this masking operation is completed, those vehicle bodies 32
proceed in the direction of arrow 36 to the entry end 38 of a
second finish-application cection 40. Again, the devices
employed to atomize and dispense the finish-coating material
in section 40 are typically of the same type as those used to
atomize and dispense finish-coating material in section 16.
Also, control of the atomization and dispensing of the
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various colors of coating material to be dispensed in section
40 onto the automobiles moving in sequence through section 40
is controlled by a programmable controller 44 of the same
type as programmable controller 22.
Once the additional finish-coating material is
applied to the two-tone vehicle bodies 32, they exit from the
right-hand, or exit, end 46 of finish-application section 40
and proceed to the left-hand, or entry, end 48 of a baking,
curing, and/or drying section 50 in which the additional
coating material applied in section 40 is baked, cured,
and/or dried to a desired consistency. From right-hand, or
exit, end 52 of section 50, the completed "two-tone" vehicle
bodies 32 proceed to further processing or the like in the
direction illustrated by arrow 54.
Returning now to the exit end 28 of baking, curing,
and/or drying section 24, an inspection, illustrated
diagrammatically in broken line 56, is perEormed on the
vehicles bodies 14 to determine if repairs are required on
the finish applied in section 16. Those vehicle bodies with
acceptable finishes not needing repair, and not programmed to
receive two~tone finishes, move along in the direction of
arrow 30. Other vehicle bodies with aaceptable finishes
which are scheduled to receive two-tone finishes move along
in the direction o~ arrow 58 to the masking area 34 as
previously discussed. Those vehicle bodies which require
repair are returned in the direction indicated by arrow 60
to a masking area 62 where those areas, or "zones," of the
vehicle body requiring repair are left unmasked for any
necessary refinishing, and adjacent zones which do not
require repair are covered with pre-cut, pressure~sensitive,
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adhesive-backed paper or tape. At the masking station 62,
information relative to those zones of the vehicle body which
are to be refinished, the body type, the body style, and the
color of finish required is entered in a repair data terminal
64 which is linked to programmable controller 22 which
contro~s the finish-application section 16. The data entered
at terminal 64 also includes data relative to where the body
66 requiring repair will be inserted into the line of vehicle
bodies 14 moving toward the entry end 18 of
finish-application section 16. This complete set of data
ensures that programmable controller 22 will control the
atomization and dispensing devices and color-change systems
in finish application section 16 in the proper sequence to
ensure repair of vehicle body 66.
Returning now to the exit end 52 of the baking,
curing, and/or drying section 50, the repair procedure is
also performed. An inspection to determine if the second
color of "two-tone" finishes requires repair is performed at
an inspection station 70 downstream from the exit end 52 of
section 50. Those "two-tone" finishes requiring repair are
returned in the direction indicated by arrow 72 to a masking
sta~ion 74 where the zones or portions of æones requiriny
repair are left unmaslced, and pre-cut, pressure-sensitive,
adhesive-backed paper or tape patches are applied to those
adjacent zones Oe the two-tone vehicle body not re~uiring
repair. In~ormation relative to the color oE einish to be
applied to th0 body 76 requiring repair, the style of the
body 76 requiring repair, and the position in the line of
vehicle bodies 32 at which the vehicle body 76 is being
inserted is entered through a repair data terminal 78 into
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the programmable controller 44 which controls the atomization
and dispensing devices and color-change equipment in
"two~tone" finish-application section 40.
Turning now to Fig. 2, the masking operations
performed in the masking areas 34, 62, and 74, and the manner
in which programmable controllers 22, 44 and repair data
terminals 64, 78 operate upon the atomizing and dispensing
devices in color-change equipment in finish-application
sections 16, 40, will be explained in somewhat greater
detail. In Fig. 2, a typical vehicle body may be thought of
as divisible into eleven zones: zone 1 including the left
front fender; Zone 2, the left front door; Zone 3, the left
rear door; Zone 4, the left rear fender; Zone 5, the right
front fender; Zone 6, the right front door; Zone 7~ the right
rear door; Zone 8, the right rear fender; Zone 9, the hood;
Zone 10, the top; and, Zone 11, the trunk lid. Each of these
zones 1-11 can further be divided into sub-zones, e.g., for
the application of two-tone finishes. In a typical
finish-coating section 16, 40, three devices are provided for
application of finish-coating material to Zones 9, 10, and
11. These devices are mounted on hydraulic ram motors Eor
vertical movement so that they may be projected into closely
paced relation to Zones 9 and 11, and retracted somewha~ to
clear Zone 10~ Similarly, typically two or three o these
devices are provided for dispensing Einish-coating ma~erial
onto Zones 1-4 on the left side, and an additional two or
three are provided or dispensing finish-coating material
onto Zones 5-8 on the right side. Typically, two of such
devices dispense material below the window level, and one is
dedicated to dispensing of material above the window level.
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The programmable controllers 22, 44 control the devices such
that, for example, the flow of finish-coating material starts
as Zones 1, 5, and 9 approach the positions of the devices
the flow of material decreases slightly as the front wheel
well 81 in each of Zones 1, 5 passes the devices, and the
devices then dispense until the ends of Zones 1, 5, and 9 are
reached. At this point, the devices responsible for covering
zones g, 10, and 11 are retracted slightly so that they will
clear the zone L0 region. The devices dispensing coating
material onto zones 1 and 5 remain on. In addition, at this
point, the devices responsible for coating from the window
level up in Zones 2, 3, and 6, 7 are actuated to dispense
finished coating material at a relatively lower rate to cover
the windshield side pillars 82, the door tops 84, the center
pillar 86, and rear roof supports 88. Then these devices are
turned off. At about this time, the devices dedicated to
coating æones 4, 8 are provided with reduced flows to account
for the rear wheel wells 90, and the devices dedicated to
coating of Zones 9, 10, 11 are reciprocated downward into
close proximity to Zone 11 and dispensed material to coat it.
~oward the end o~ the rear wheel well 90 regions o~ 20nes 4,
8, the lower two devices on each of the right and le~t sides
of the vehicle begin dispensing at somewhat higher rates to
account for the increased area which coating material
dispensed from them must cover. Finally, as the ends of
20nes 4, 8, and 11 pass by the dispensing devices, flow in
these devices is terminated by programmable controllers 22,
44. Typically, at this time, programmable controllers 22l 44
initiate a solvent flushing sequence prior to delivery of a
different color o coating material to the dispensing devices
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to coat with a different color the next vehicle body in
finish-application sections 16, 40.
Now let it be assumed that, in inspection station
56 (Fig. 1), finish flaws ~re detected in zones 2 and 8 of
body 66. The vehicle body 66 in which flaws are detected is
returned to masking station 62, and zones 1, 3, 7, 9, 10, and
11 are masked using pre-cut, pressure-sensitive,
adhesive-backed paper or tape. Information is entered at
repair data terminal 64 relative to the particular vehicle
body type and style, the zones requiring repair, the color of
material necessary to perform the repair, and the point at
which the vehicle body 66 (Fig. 1) is to be reinserted in the
line of vehicle bodies 14 entering entry end 18 of
finish-application section 16. The program being executed in
programmable controller 22 is updated to conduct the repair
refinishing, and the vehicle body 66 requiring repair is
refinished in Zones 2, 8.
Substantially the same kinds of activities are
performed at masking station 74 (Fig. 1) for a vehicle body
76 having a two-tone finish, the second color of which
requires repair. However, typically, in masking station 74,
only portions of zones requiring repair may be left unmasked,
since two-tone finishes frequently divide the eleven
illustrated vehicle body zones into sub-%ones.
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