Patent Application
20140017392
The present invention relates to automated systems and methods for producing and applying coating compositions while monitoring their formulations and application parameters, and evaluating the resultant coatings and monitored data in comparison with target or reference coatings.
Conventional color matching operations are very labor intensive. A technician typically hand-weighs a coating formula by selecting and manually pouring each component of the formula into a container on a scale, and reducing the formula by selecting a reducer and manually pouring the reducer into the component container using a measuring stick. The technician then mixes and applies the coating composition onto a panel. Each panel is visually assessed by an experienced colorist who adjusts the formula manually. The process then reverts back to the technician to re-weigh, spray and adjust until the match is considered acceptable by the colorist. This process tends to be error prone and inefficient, and can result in low-quality color matches.
An aspect of the invention provides a color matching method for coatings comprising: providing a target formulation for a coating composition including types and target amounts of components of the coating composition to be included in the target formulation; automatically dispensing the components of the coating composition into a container and measuring the amount of each of the components of the coating composition dispensed into the container; comparing the measured amount of each of the components with the target amount of each of the components; applying the coating composition to a substrate and curing the coating composition to form a sample coating; comparing characteristics of the sample coating with characteristics of a target coating produced from the target coating formulation; and correlating any differences between the characteristics of the sample coating and the target coating with the comparison between the measured amount of each of the components and the target amount of each of the components.
Another aspect of the invention provides an automatic color matching system comprising: at least one automatic coating component dispenser containing components of a coating composition; a container positionable adjacent to the at least one component dispenser to receive the components of the coating composition; a component sensor to measure the amounts of each of the components dispensed into the container; a mixer for mixing the components of the coating composition and the solvent; an automatic pressurization station structured and arranged to apply pressure to the mixed coating composition to thereby dispense the coating composition from the container to an application device; and a robotic arm structured and arranged to transport the container to the mixer after the components have been dispensed into the container and measured, and to transport the container from the mixer to the automatic pressurization station.
A coating composition dispensing system comprising: a computer programmed to provide a target formulation for a coating composition including types and amounts of components of the coating composition to be included in the target formulation; at least one automated component dispenser containing the components of the coating composition; a container positionable adjacent to the at least one component dispenser to receive the components of the coating composition; and an automated component sensor to measure the amounts of each of the components dispensed into the container, wherein the computer is programmed to store data corresponding to the measured amounts of each of the components.
As used herein, the term “color matching” means evaluation of the characteristics of a coating in comparison with another coating. The characteristics may include color or spectral characteristics, appearance, and physical properties. Color/spectral characteristics are known in the coatings art, and include solid colors and gonio apparent colors such as metallic and pearlescent colors. Such characteristics are often measured or analyzed in the visual range of the electromagnetic spectrum, but in some cases may be measured or analyzed in other ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as infrared and ultraviolet ranges. Examples of appearance characteristics include gloss, haze, distinctiveness of image, mottling, transparency, and the like. Examples of physical characteristics include film thickness, drying time, hardness, abrasion resistance, adhesion, conductivity, density, dispersion, flexibility, and the like. As used herein, the term “target coating” means a coating having at least one characteristic that is to be matched in comparison with a coating produced in accordance with the present invention. As used herein, the term “target formulation” means a coating formulation corresponding to a selected coating that is identical or similar in characteristics to the target coating to be matched. The selected coating and corresponding target formulation may be selected manually and/or automatically, for example, by a color analyst comparing the target coating to multiple color chips and selecting at least one of the color chips that appear to match the target coating. The selected color chip may have an associated color formulation that becomes the “target formulation” during a color matching process. The term “sample coating” means a coating produced by the present system or method that may be evaluated in comparison with the target coating. The term “component”, when referring to a coating composition, means a constituent or ingredient of the coating composition formulation, such as a pigment, tint, resin, additives, catalysts, solvents or the like.
Any suitable coating compositions may be used in the system of the present invention. For example, some suitable solvent-based coating compositions include isocyanate hydroxyl, epoxy amine, anhydride hydroxyl, acrylate, acrylic/CAB, alkyd, acetylacetonate ketamine, acrylic lacquer, vinyl butylaldehyde, epoxy/acid, melamine hydroxyl, silane, acrylic urethane and the like. Some suitable water-based compositions include isocyanate hydroxyl, epoxy amine, acrylic latex, melamine hydroxyl, polyurethane dispersions and the like.
In the first step 1 illustrated in
In the next step 2 shown in
In the next step 3 shown in
In the next step 4 shown in
After the components of the coating composition are dispensed, measured and their amounts stored, a reducer may optionally be added to the container in step 5 shown in
In the next step 6 shown in
After the coating composition is mixed, the container may be transported to a system where the coating composition is automatically pressurized 7, as more fully described below.
Once pressurized, the coating composition may be applied to various types of substrates and cured in step 8 to form a coated article or sample coating, as more fully described below.
In the next step 9 shown in
As shown in step 10 of
In the pass/fail step 11 shown in
In the next step 12 shown in
In the last step 13 shown in
As shown in detail in
As shown in
The various components and assemblies shown in
In certain embodiments, after the coating components and reducer have been mixed, the container 28 is transported to a pressure delivery system, such as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/104,043, which is incorporated herein by reference. An embodiment of a pressure delivery system is schematically illustrated in
The pressure delivery system has an initial staging position in which the fill container 28 is placed on the support base 140. The support base 140 is then moved horizontally H to a position where the container 28 is located below the raised pressure canister 120. The pressure canister 120 is then lowered to a position in which the pressure canister 120 contacts the support base 140.
When the pressure canister 120 is positioned as shown in
As further shown in
At any suitable time during the cycle, and preferably when the support base 140 is located in the initial position, the spent coating composition container 28 may be removed from the support base 140 and may be replaced with another filled container 28. In this manner, the containers 28 may be removed and replaced during a cleaning operation in order to increase the speed in which the system can deliver various types of coating compositions. Such removal and replacement may be done, in certain embodiments, automatically. For example, a robot arm 42 such as shown in
In certain embodiments, the coating composition may be applied to panels, cured and evaluated, for example, using a carrier system as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/327,903, which is incorporated herein by reference. The steps of the process may include: mounting at least one panel on a carrier; applying a coating composition to the panel(s); transporting the carrier and panel(s) to a curing location; curing the coating composition; transporting the carrier and panel(s) from the curing position; and removing the panel(s) from the carrier. Before or after the removal step, the characteristics of the cured coating may be evaluated manually or automatically.
After the panels are mounted on the carrier, at least one coating composition as described above may be applied to the panels. The coating composition may be applied by any suitable method such as spraying, rolling, brushing, blade coating, spin coating and the like. The same or different coating composition may be applied to each of the multiple panels. Furthermore, each individual panel may have a single coating composition or multiple coating compositions applied thereto.
After the coating composition(s) are applied, the carrier and panels may be transported to a flash location and/or a curing location. The carriers with the affixed coated panels may be moved out of the sprayer or other application area, e.g., by a shuttle system utilizing a robotic arm that grasps the carrier and moves it to a slide mechanism or other support structure. The entire carrier may remain on the support structure for a specified flash time before the carrier is moved to a cure area.
After the curing operation, the carrier and panels may be removed and evaluated. For example, manual or automated measurements as described above may be made. In certain embodiments, quality control measurements may be made with a three-axis device which presents a painted panel surface to a spectrophotometer in a selected orientation and measurement map. For example, multiple measurements at different orientations may be made. Suitable types of spectrophotometers include sphere-based, multi-angle, single-angle and gonio spectrophotometers. Other types of devices for evaluating the panels include electronic microscopes, flatbed scanners, still film cameras, optical cameras, digital cameras, x-ray cameras, infrared cameras, analog video cameras, digital video cameras, gloss meters, film build gauges and the like.
In certain embodiments, when the measurements are completed, a robot arm may move each panel to an indicia labeling system where the panel will have desired indicia applied thereto. The labeled panels may then be stored, for example, by placing them in a rack to protect their coated surfaces. In an embodiment of the invention, an automated process may be provided which tracks a particular panel, its coating formulation, and associated reflectance or other characteristics, and uploads or otherwise stores such information in a database for various uses.
In certain embodiments, the systems and methods of the present invention may utilise various procedures as described below.
Input coating composition formulation: a specific job identification (ID) is created; a specific formula ID is created; a list of components and target weight amounts is created; user/assessor information is tied to the job ID; and job information is tied to the job ID.
Job types: number of dispenser systems, e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4; date/time stamp of job initiation; paint system; job ID; number of coats of base coat requested; number of panels required (e.g., 1 or 4); spectral gray panel color type; heated flash required (y/n) after first coat and timing; amount of reducer to be added based on job ID; specified mixing time; automated pressure container air pressure levels; clear coat required (y/n); clear coat process, e.g., number of coats, pressures, flash times, etc; cure oven timings for basecoat and clear coat operations; ambient air flash times between each stage of panel movement; QC measurement process; QC measurement data linked to job ID; and date/time stamp of job completion.
Data/reporting: number of jobs per dispenser/paint line per hour/day; down time or error incidents causing delayed production; dispense times per job; automation times by process from dispense start/stop, panel movement, application, job completion time, etc.; and date/time stamp of user inputs.
Coating application: during the coating application step, the carrier with panels mounted thereon may be transferred to the applicators and a job number may be called to commence spraying (example: paint type; number of panels=1; number of coats=3; heated flash after first coat only; and 60 second flash between coats). The applicator may then spray or otherwise apply the coating compositions onto the panels. In certain embodiments, after the base coat has been applied, the panel carrier may be presented to a heat box for flash cure so that it can be sprayed with additional coat(s), or it may be transferred to a cure oven for curing, and finally it may be presented to a clear coat applicator.
Evaluation: in the sample coating evaluation step, a robot or other transport device may transfer a panel or a carrier having at least one panel mounted thereon to a quality control (QC) unload station. A panel to be measured may be placed on a cooling plate for 60 seconds to cool down. At the unload QC area, a QC inspection head may be fixed and the panel may move to various positions to present the panel for measurements in pre-defined locations. Feedback may be managed to ensure a reading cycle was successful, in which case the measurement job may be completed. If the measurement is unsuccessful, the panel may be labeled accordingly and sorted, e.g., into a reject stack. If a measurement is successful, the readings may be added to the database.
Indicia application: the QC inspected panel may be presented to a label print and apply system where the final panel label will be printed and applied to the panel. After verification, the panels may be loaded into racks, cartridges or otherwise stored. Data resulting from the above steps may be transferred to a suitable computer database, such as the coating formulation database.
For purposes of this detailed description, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative variations and step sequences, except where expressly specified to the contrary. Moreover, unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about”. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties to be obtained by the present invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.
Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard variation found in their respective testing measurements.
Also, it should be understood that any numerical range recited herein is intended to include all sub-ranges subsumed therein. For example, a range of “1 to 10” is intended to include all sub-ranges between (and including) the recited minimum value of 1 and the recited maximum value of 10, that is, having a minimum value equal to or greater than 1 and a maximum value of equal to or less than 10.
In this application, the use of the singular includes the plural and plural encompasses singular, unless specifically stated otherwise. In addition, in this application, the use of “or” means “and/or” unless specifically stated otherwise, even though “and/or” may be explicitly used in certain instances.
It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the concepts disclosed in the foregoing description. Such modifications are to be considered as included within the following claims unless the claims, by their language, expressly state otherwise. Accordingly, the particular embodiments described in detail herein are illustrative only and are not limiting to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof.
