A method and apparatus is disclosed for additive manufacturing and three-dimensional printing, and specifically for extruding tubular objects. A print head extrudes a curable material into a tubular object, while simultaneously curing the tubular object and utilizing the interior of the cured portion of the tubular object for stabilizing and propelling the print head.

A coating system for coating objects with a coating material includes at least one material source for a coating material, which can be fluidically connected to an application device. A feed system can be used for feeding coating material back to its material source in a feeding-back direction over a feed path. It can be determined by means of a detection device whether coating material or some other material is present in a control portion of the feed path, the detection device generating a corresponding output signal. Also specified is a method for coating objects in which it is determined during the feeding back of coating material to its material source whether regions made up of material other than the coating material are being carried along by the coating material to be fed back.

The present application is related to reducing the paint left inside the piping of the painting device. More specifically the present application is directed to a painting device that includes: a paint output part for outputting paint towards an object to be painted; a paint piping for the paint to pass through towards the paint output part; and a steel ball provided inside the paint piping; and a paint supply part supplying the paint to the paint piping from a side opposite to the paint output part. After the paint supply part stops supplying of the paint, the steel ball moves inside the paint piping towards the paint output part while the paint output part outputs the paint towards the object to be painted. The first moving fluid causes the steel ball to move inside the paint piping towards the paint output part by pushing the steel ball.

An installation for spraying a fluid comprising a fluid circulation circuit including a sprayer capable of spraying the fluid, a pump and a circulation pipe for the fluid, the pump being suitable for injecting the fluid into the circulation pipe, the circulation pipe being configured to guide the fluid from the pump to the sprayer, the installation further including at least one injector configured to inject a liquid separate from the fluid into the circuit, wherein the injector is configured to compare a total volume of liquid injected into the circuit to a predetermined volume, and to stop the injection when the total volume of injected liquid is equal to the predetermined volume.

A method for spraying a fluid using a fluid spraying installation including a pump, a sprayer capable of spraying the fluid and a fluid circulation pipe capable of conducting the fluid from the pump to the sprayer, upstream and downstream directions being defined for the fluid circulation pipe, the fluid circulating from upstream to downstream when the fluid passes through the pipe from the pump to the sprayer, the method including a step for the circulation, in the pipe, of a scraper from upstream to downstream in order to push the fluid contained in the circulation pipe back to the sprayer, the fluid pushed back by the scraper being sprayed by the sprayer.

A header delivery system and method for performing a pigging operation on a process tube connected at an angle to a header pipe. The header delivery system includes a base assembly coupled to a rotation assembly. The base assembly has a frame member supporting a launcher pipe coupled to a tube coupler and a jack apparatus. The rotation assembly is configured to position the base assembly with respect to the rotation assembly to adjust an angular position of the base assembly. The header delivery system may be aligned with a process tube in the header pipe and the jack apparatus may position the tube coupler from a first retracted position to an extended position to form a seal between the tube coupler and the first process tube. A service operation may be performed on the first process tube with the tube coupler in the extended position.

The disclosure relates to a supply system for supplying multiple consumers with a substance to be applied, preferably paint, for application to motor vehicle bodies and/or add-on parts thereof. The supply system comprises a feed line, a return line, a first consumer device which comprises a first consumer, the first consumer being connected to the feed line and the return line and preferably forming a first consumer of the feed line in the flow direction of the substance to be applied, and a further consumer device which comprises a further consumer, the further consumer being connected to the feed line and the return line and preferably forming a last consumer of the feed line in the flow direction of the substance to be applied and/or being arranged after the first consumer in the flow direction of the substance to be applied. The supply system is distinguished in particular in that the feed line is connected to the return line via a connecting line. The disclosure relates further to an associated coating installation and to an associated supply method.

The disclosure relates to a paint supply system for a coating installation (e.g. painting installation) comprising a ring line for circulation of a coating agent, a ring line tapping point in the ring line for extraction of the coating agent from the ring line, a consumer and a tap line leading from the ring line tapping point to the consumer. The disclosure provides a device for alternately moving the coating agent forward and backward in the tap line to avoid settling of the coating agent in the tap line.

A method of monitoring cleaning of an apparatus for applying a coating medium to an object, the apparatus including a rotatable deflecting element for atomizing the coating medium; and a cleaning medium line for conducting a cleaning medium to the deflecting element; where the method including commanding performance of a cleaning operation including delivery of the cleaning medium through the cleaning medium line towards the deflecting element while rotating the deflecting element; collecting operational values of at least one operational parameter of the apparatus for the cleaning operation; comparing the operational values with reference values of the at least one operational parameter for the cleaning operation; and determining whether the cleaning operation was successful or unsuccessful based on the comparison. A method of cleaning an apparatus for applying a coating medium to an object is also provided.

A coating system for coating objects having an application device and a supply system which supplies the application device with a liquid material. The supply system includes at least one base supply device with a piggable supply line which extends between a first pigging station and a second pigging station and can be connected to one of multiple material sources by a supply unit. The piggable supply line is a piggable primary supply line which can be connected to a discharge line of the supply unit by a valve unit. A piggable secondary supply line is provided which is connected to the valve unit and is connected to a secondary pigging station at the end remote from the valve unit. The valve unit is designed as a multi-way valve such that the discharge line of the supply unit can be at least selectively connected to the primary supply line (68.1); or the discharge line of the supply unit can be at least selectively connected to the primary supply line and the secondary supply line; or the primary supply line can be at least selectively connected to the secondary supply line.