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.

A nozzle for an atomizer includes a plate, a piezoelectric actuator, a body, and a connector. The plate defines an aperture. The actuator is configured to oscillate the plate. The body supports the plate. The connector is configured to reversibly mount the body to the atomizer in a first orientation and in a second orientation. In the first orientation, fluid exits the nozzle along a first axial direction through the aperture. In the second orientation, fluid exits the nozzle along an opposite axial direction through the aperture.

In order to provide a checking facility for checking workpieces and also a treatment facility for treating workpieces, which enable efficient and reliable quality optimisation, it is proposed that workpiece parameters are detected, for example by means of an automatic checking station, and a workpiece-specific data set is created on this basis and/or from facility parameters.

In order to provide a checking facility for checking workpieces and also a treatment facility for treating workpieces, which enable efficient and reliable quality optimisation, it is proposed that workpiece parameters are detected, for example by means of an automatic checking station, and a workpiece-specific data set is created on this basis and/or from facility parameters.

A next generation painting robot with advanced fluid delivery system, enhanced kinematics and a service airlock compartment. The painting robot includes a fluid delivery system which places color changing valves and pumping hardware on the back side of the robot's mounting pedestal, where it can be serviced without a technician having to enter the spray booth. Additionally, the robot enables routine cleaning and maintenance to be performed without personnel entering the spray booth and without stopping the vehicle conveyor, due to simplified outer arm design, improved home positioning and an airlock booth adjacent to the robot pedestal. Service personnel can clean and service the applicator and other components on the outer arm from the airlock booth, while other robots continue painting parts moving on the conveyor, without allowing fume-laden vapors into the operator aisle.

A method of controlling application of at least one material onto a substrate includes configuring a material applicator having an array plate with an applicator array. The applicator array has a plurality of micro-applicators with a first subset of micro-applicators and a second subset of micro-applicators. Each of the plurality of micro-applicators has a plurality of apertures through which fluid is ejected. The first subset of micro-applicators and the second subset of micro-applicators are individually addressable, and a liquid flows through the first subset of micro-applicators and a shaping gas, e.g., air, flows through the second subset of micro-applicators. The flow of shaping gas shapes the flow of the liquid from the first subset of micro-applicators to the substrate.

An automated drone-based surface treatment material delivery system includes a drone having a body, at least one propeller rotatably supported by the body, at least one propeller motor supported by the body and configured to selectively apply motive power to the at least one propeller, and a controller supported by the body and configured to control a flight path of the drone at least by manipulating a speed of the at least one propeller. The drone also has a rotary atomizer supported by the body for movement therewith. The rotary atomizer includes a rotating dispersion structure configured to disperse a surface treatment material from a material supply.

Provided are an ink-jet type vehicle coating machine and an ink-jet type vehicle coating method that enable formation of a uniform coating film thickness at a coating portion including an end of a vehicle. In a state where a longitudinal direction of a nozzle head 53 is orthogonal to a scanning direction, a first nozzle array 55A and a second nozzle array 55B are disposed such that droplets discharged from nozzles 54 of the second nozzle array 55B are discharged to intermediate portions between droplets discharged from nozzles 54 adjacent to each other in the first nozzle array 55A. In addition, on the basis of trajectory data for moving the nozzle head 53, attitude data for keeping the longitudinal direction of the nozzle head 53 perpendicular to a main scanning direction of the nozzle head 53 is formed. An arm control unit 110 controls a robot arm on the basis of the trajectory data and attitude data such that, in a state where the nozzle head 53 performs coating while moving in the main scanning direction, the longitudinal direction of the nozzle head 53 is kept perpendicular to the main scanning direction.

The disclosure concerns a coating method and a corresponding coating device for coating components with a nozzle applicator with several nozzles, in particular for painting motor vehicle body components. The disclosure provides that the nozzle applicator is flexibly controlled during the coating method.

A method for modelling a coating process including a plurality of coating parameters, includes the steps of: dispensing, by the coating process and during K work cycles, a coating on each of K pieces of objects to thereby obtain K pieces of coatings; recording, during each of the K work cycles, coating variable values of p coating parameters at M instances to thereby obtain recording results; and measuring at least one coating property at m locations of each of the K pieces of coatings to thereby obtain measurement results. The method is characterized by the step of determining a digital twin of the coating process on the basis of the recording results and the measurement results. By using results from a large amount of classical quality control measurements together with corresponding coating parameter information, a digital twin of the coating process can be determined through statistical processing of such big data. The digital twin) may be used either for automatic adjustment of the coating parameters to obtain an improved coating quality, for prediction of the coating quality right after a work cycle to obtain an improved quality control, or for both.