A device (1) for automatically changing sanding discs (12) includes a stacking device (10) for a plurality of grinding discs (12) and a guide element (16) for orienting the suction openings (32) in the grinding discs (12) along a common central axis (18), wherein the guide element (16) is arranged eccentrically with regard to the central axis (18). A positioning element (17) is provided for positioning a tool head of a grinding device, wherein the positioning element (17) and the guide element (16) are mounted in a floating manner. A device (1) for automatically changing grinding discs (12) includes a detachment device (50), wherein the detachment device (50) has a bearing surface (51) for a grinding-disc receptacle. The bearing surface (51) has an opening (52), the diameter of which is greater than the diameter of the grinding disc (12). A separating element (53) is arranged above the opening (52). A system includes a device (1) for automatically changing grinding discs (12) containing a stacking device (10) and a detachment device (50).

A roughing grinding tool has a supporting body and at least one abrasive circle. The supporting body includes an abrasive grain for roughing grinding. The supporting body serves to support the at least one abrasive circle and itself for roughing grinding. The roughing grinding tool is easy to produce and robust and has a high removal capacity in conjunction with a long service life.

An apparatus (1) for carrying out the replacement of an abrasive element (20) in a machine (100) for finishing surfaces, comprises a support body (10) configured to reversibly engage the abrasive element (20). The support body (10) and the abrasive element (20) provide, at respective engagement surfaces (15,25), mutual engagement members of removable type (16,26) configured to move from an engagement position to a disengagement position by rotating about a rotational axis (110) in a first sense of rotation e, from the disengagement position to the engagement position, by rotating about the rotational axis (110) in a second sense of rotation opposite to the first one. The apparatus furthermore, comprises a displacement device (40) for moving the support body (10) in the space according to at least 1 degree of freedom. The apparatus (1), furthermore, provides at least a removal station (101) for removing an abrasive element (20) from the support body (10), or at least an application station (102) for engaging an abrasive element (20) to the support body (10).

To change the direction of water flowing toward a painted surface so as to flow toward the center side of a hood, a water deflecting member is provided that extends toward the center side of the hood while extending toward the painted surface as seen in a state where automatic wet sanding is performed. Thus, water bouncing off the painted surface is less likely to scatter over a wide area of the painted surface, and sanding dust is also less likely to scatter over a wide area of the painted surface. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the need for the troublesome task of wiping off sanding dust remaining on the painted surface, and to achieve a quality finish on the painted surface.

In an automatic wet sanding apparatus including a paper peeling unit that has a clamping shaft and a clamping hook, an inclination angle of a leading end surface of the clamping hook is equal to an inclination angle of an outer circumferential surface of a cushion pad at the start of a paper peeling step. Thus, the leading end surface of the clamping hook comes into contact with an outer circumferential end of a disc at the same time as coming into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the cushion pad, so that the cushion pad is less likely to get caught due to deformation of the outer circumferential surface and its peripheral part of the cushion pad. It is therefore possible to appropriately remove the sandpaper from the cushion pad and stably perform the task of removing the sandpaper.

In an automatic wet sanding apparatus including a disc and a cushion pad, a disc center hole is formed at a central portion of the disc and a pad center hole is formed at a central portion of the cushion pad. Water having been supplied to an introduction space inside a skirt is stirred as an eccentric head rotates eccentrically and thereby pushed out toward a painted surface via the disc center hole and the pad center hole with enhanced pressure. Thus, sanding dust resulting from automatic wet sanding can be washed away toward an outer circumferential side by the water that is pushed out toward the outer circumferential side, so that the likelihood of clogging due to sanding dust can be reduced and high sanding efficiency can be maintained.

An automatic wet sanding apparatus is equipped with a suction unit having a suction nozzle that is located under an automatic wet sanding unit in a state where automatic wet sanding is performed and a suction device that generates a suction force for suctioning water through the suction nozzle, so that water having been used for automatic wet sanding can be suctioned through the suction nozzle. This can significantly reduce the amount of water containing sanding dust that flows down a painted surface under the suction nozzle, and thereby reduce the amount of sanding dust that remains on the painted surface after completion of automatic wet sanding. As a result, it is possible to achieve a quality finish on the painted surface while eliminating the need for the troublesome task of wiping off remaining sanding dust.

An air cylinder that changes the posture of an automatic wet sanding unit main body having sandpaper mounted thereon is provided with a guide rod, and an outer circumferential surface of the guide rod has grooves that extend along a shaft centerline of the guide rod and have an arc-shaped cross-section. Balls are interposed between a bottom of each groove and an inner surface of a bush that is provided inside the air cylinder. Thus, it is possible to make two objects compatible with each other: to achieve high-accuracy automatic wet sanding by enhancing the adaptability of the sandpaper to the shape of a painted surface through a reduction of the diameter of the piston rod; and to enhance the durability of the automatic wet sanding apparatus.

A device (1) for automatically changing sanding discs (12) includes a stacking device (10) for a plurality of grinding discs (12) and a guide element (16) for orienting the suction openings (32) in the grinding discs (12) along a common central axis (18), wherein the guide element (16) is arranged eccentrically with regard to the central axis (18). A positioning element (17) is provided for positioning a tool head of a grinding device, wherein the positioning element (17) and the guide element (16) are mounted in a floating manner. A device (1) for automatically changing grinding discs (12) includes a detachment device (50), wherein the detachment device (50) has a bearing surface (51) for a grinding-disc receptacle. The bearing surface (51) has an opening (52), the diameter of which is greater than the diameter of the grinding disc (12). A separating element (53) is arranged above the opening (52). A system includes a device (1) for automatically changing grinding discs (12) containing a stacking device (10) and a detachment device (50).

A process for automated sanding of a vehicle component surface is provided and includes providing a sanding mechanism having a sanding head engaged with a housing, a rotary motor contained within the housing, the rotary motor having a drive shaft rotatable about an axis and extending outwardly therefrom, a radial plate attached to a first end of the drive shaft, and a sanding disk having an abrasive surface releasably attached to the radial plate; attaching the sanding head to a gimbal having a pressure sensor; powering the rotary motor driving rotation of the drive shaft, the radial plate and the sanding disk in at least one of a clockwise or counterclockwise direction; movably applying the sanding disk to the surface at a maintained constant pressure; and achieving a desired finish on the surface prepared to be primed and painted to a class A auto high sheen surface finish.