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.

The disclosure concerns a pivoting unit for a handling robot for opening a flap (e.g. door) of a motor vehicle body, comprising a mounting flange, a gripper arm and a first gripping tool for gripping an engagement on the flap to be opened, the first gripping tool being mounted on the gripper arm, and a pivoting head for pivoting the gripper arm between an initial position and an engaged position. The disclosure provides that a second gripping tool is also mounted on the gripper arm, and that the two gripping tools on the gripper arm are adapted to be inserted in different insertion directions into engagement with the openable flap of the motor vehicle body, in particular from top to bottom for the first gripping tool and from bottom to top for the second gripping tool. The disclosure further comprises an associated method.

A brushless car wash system includes a wash unit that washes upper surfaces of the vehicle. The height of the wash unit is adjusted based on the contour of the upper surfaces of the vehicle. Adjusting the height of the wash unit results in increased wash performance of the brushless car wash system.

A paint system includes a paint unit having a first paint robot and a second paint robot. The first paint robot includes a first robot base and a first robot arm operably mounted on the first robot base. The second paint robot includes a second robot base and a second robot arm operably mounted on the second robot base. When a virtual plane extending in a vertical direction and along a direction of relative movement between an object to be painted and the paint unit is defined as a reference plane, a distance between the first robot base and the reference plane is set to be shorter than a distance between the second robot base and the reference plane. A passage range allowing passage of the second robot arm is provided under the first robot base.

The invention relates to an automatic cleaning process, carried out during cleaning sequences during which all or at least part of an element to be cleaned is cleaned, each element to be cleaned being positioned inside a controlled atmosphere booth belonging to a coating facility. The cleaning sequences of the element(s) are programmed during imposed production stoppages of the facility.

The invention also relates to a drying station, intended to be positioned inside a booth with a controlled atmosphere belonging to a coating facility, this drying station being dimensioned to receive all or part of a spraying robot, comprising a moving arm at the end of which a handle and a sprayer attached on the handle are provided.

A coating of a coating medium, produced by means of a multichannel printhead (5) in a coating region (3) on a two- or three-dimensional surface (2) of an object (1), which is built up from coating points (8) along tracks (7) of one or more coating paths (6), characterized in that the starting coating point (HP) of at least one track (7) is aligned with a starting contour (AK) and an end coating point (EP) of the track (7) is aligned with an end contour (EK).

A coating method for coating components, e.g. motor vehicle bodywork components in a painting installation, is provided. The coating method includes moving an application device over a component surface to be coated along a pre-determined coating path , and applying a coating medium stream onto the component surface by means of an application device. The coating medium stream is not rotationally symmetrical relative to its stream axis and therefore generates on the component surface an elongate spray pattern with a particular longitudinal direction. The method further includes rotation of the application device about the stream axis relative to the coating path during the movement of the application device so that the angular position of the longitudinal direction of the spray pattern relative to the path transverse direction changes along the coating path.

This system has an articulated robot having an arm and a base portion which rotatably supports the arm; and a rotation positioner to which the base portion of the articulated robot is mounted. A turn axis of the base portion of the articulated robot is orthogonal to a rotation axis of the rotation positioner. Thus, interference of a workpiece with the arm can be avoided and flexibility of works performed by the robot can be expanded.

The present application discloses a coating method including: detecting a shape of an object over a coating zone which extends from a start point position to an end point position to generate first detection data before application of coating agent to the object; moving a bracket for holding a nozzle for discharging the coating agent with bringing the bracket into contact with the object to apply the coating agent to the object over the coating zone; detecting a shape of the object after application of the coating agent over the coating zone, to generate second detection data; extracting first extraction data and second extraction data in correspondence to detection positions intermittently set in the coating zone from the first detection data and the second detection data; and comparing the first extraction data with the second extraction data to detect a coating state of the coating agent.

An apparatus and method for locating a position of a coating applicator in a coating process for applying coating material to an article. At least one positioning member is attached to a spray applicator at one end and carries a marker at an opposite end capable of depositing a visible track on a markable surface removably attached to the surface of the article to be coated. The positioning member provide a resilient biasing force on the marker to maintain the marker in contact with the surface of the article despite surface topography changes as the article and the marker move relative to each other. The visible track(s) define a centerline or the overall spray pattern of the spray applicator.