Painting method and painting facility for decorative stripes

Abstract

A method for painting a component such as a motor vehicle body component includes applying to the component a base coat layer, a pattern such as a decorative strip or a graphic element, and applying a clear lacquer coat. The pattern (7) is applied to the base coat layer without interposing a clear lacquer coat. A corresponding painting facility is provided.

Claims

1. A method of painting a component, comprising: applying a single base coat layer onto the entire component; applying a pattern directly onto the base coat layer previously applied to the component without the use of a mask, wherein the pattern is applied with a jet of coating agent that does not emit a coating agent mist; applying a clear coat layer onto the component.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising flash-drying of the base coat layer after application of the base coat layer and before application of the pattern.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising intermediate drying of the base coat layer after application of the base coat layer and before application of the pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising flash-drying of the pattern after application of the pattern and before application of the clear coat layer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising intermediate drying of the pattern after application of the pattern and before application of the clear coat layer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the base coat layer and the pattern are applied wet-on-wet without intermediate drying.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the base coat layer and the pattern and the clear coat layer are applied wet-on-wet in a 3-wet process without intermediate drying.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pattern and the clear coat layer are applied in separate paint booths.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the base coat layer, the pattern and the clear coat layer are applied automatically by means of a multi-axis, freely programmable painting robot.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the pattern is applied by an applicator which does not emit a coating agent mist but emits a narrowly delimited jet of coating agent.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the base coat layer and the clear coat layer are applied by an atomiser.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the base coat layer and the pattern and the clear coat layer consist of wet paint.

Description

(1) Further advantageous refinements of the present disclosure are characterized in the claims or described below together with the description of exemplary embodiments shown in the figures. These show:

(2) FIG. 1 is a cross section view through a conventional motor vehicle paint with a pattern;

(3) FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a conventional painting method for applying a pattern;

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross section view through an example of a multi-layer paint with a pattern;

(5) FIG. 4A is a flow diagram to illustrate an exemplary painting method;

(6) FIG. 4B is a diagrammatic depiction of an exemplary painting facility for executing the painting method according to FIG. 4A;

(7) FIG. 5A is a flow diagram of another exemplary painting method;

(8) FIG. 5B is a diagrammatic depiction of an exemplary painting facility for executing the painting method according to FIG. 5A;

(9) FIG. 6A is a further flow diagram of an exemplary painting method;

(10) FIG. 6B is a diagrammatic depiction of an exemplary painting facility for executing the painting method according to FIG. 6A;

(11) FIG. 7A is a flow diagram to illustrate an exemplary painting method;

(12) FIG. 7B is a diagrammatic depiction to of an exemplary painting facility for executing the painting method according to FIG. 7A;

(13) FIG. 8A is a flow diagram to illustrate an exemplary painting method with a 3-wet process for application of the pattern,

(14) FIG. 8B a diagrammatic depiction for illustrating an exemplary structure of a painting facility for executing the painting method according to FIG. 8A.

(15) FIG. 3 shows a cross section view through an example of a vehicle body paint that partly corresponds to the paint in FIG. 1, so to avoid repetition reference is made to the description above of FIG. 1, wherein for corresponding details the same reference numerals are used.

(16) One feature of this vehicle paint present disclosure is that the pattern 7 (e.g., a decorative stripe) is applied directly to the base coat layer 5, i.e., without the intermediate clear coat layer 6, as in the conventional vehicle paint according to FIG. 1.

(17) The vehicle paint according to the present disclosure therefore contains only the clear coat layer 8, while the further clear coat layer 6 previously required is not necessary. This advantageously allows the omission of two method steps for application and drying of the clear coat layer 6.

(18) FIG. 4A shows as an example, in the form of a flow diagram, an exemplary painting method, while FIG. 4B shows the corresponding structure of an exemplary painting facility.

(19) This flow diagram partially corresponds to the flow diagram of FIG. 2, so to avoid repetition reference is made to the description above, wherein for corresponding details the same reference numerals are used.

(20) After application of the primer 3 and the filler 4 in steps S1 and S2, in step S3 the base coat layer 5 is applied. For this, the painting facility has a separate paint booth 9 in which the base coat layer 5 is applied by a multi-axis painting robot with a rotary atomiser as an applicator.

(21) A conveyor 10, conveys motor vehicle bodywork components 11 through the painting facility in the direction of the arrow, and runs through the paint booth 1 along a paint line.

(22) In a further step S4, the base coat layer 5 is then dried in a drying station 12.

(23) Then in step S5, the pattern 7 is applied in a further paint booth 13. The pattern 7 is here also applied by a multi-axis painting robot carrying an applicator that does not create a coating mist but instead produces a sharply defined jet of coating agent, wherein such an applicator is known, for example, from DE 10 2010 019 612 A1.

(24) In step S6, the pattern 7 is then dried in a drying station 14.

(25) After the pattern 7 has dried, in step S7 the clear coat layer 8 is then applied in a further paint booth 15.

(26) Finally, in a step S8, the clear coat layer 8 is baked in a baking station 16.

(27) FIGS. 5A and 5B show a modification of the exemplary embodiment from FIGS. 4A and 4B, so to avoid repetition reference is made to the description above, wherein for corresponding details the same reference numerals are used.

(28) One feature of this exemplary embodiment is that instead of the drying station 12, a flash-drying station 12′ is provided.

(29) The exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 6A and 6B also partially corresponds to the exemplary embodiments described above, so to avoid repetition reference is made to the description above.

(30) One feature of this exemplary embodiment is that instead of the drying station 14 in FIG. 4B, a flash-drying station 14′ is provided.

(31) The exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 7A and 7B also partially corresponds to the exemplary embodiments described above, so to avoid repetition reference is made to the description above, wherein for corresponding details the same reference numerals are used.

(32) One feature of this exemplary embodiment is that, in a step S4, the pattern 7 is applied “wet-on-wet” on the base coat layer 5, wherein this takes place in a common paint booth 17.

(33) The exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 8A and 8B also partially corresponds to the exemplary embodiments described above, so to avoid repetition reference is made to the description above, wherein for corresponding details the same reference numerals are used.

(34) One feature of this exemplary embodiment is that the clear coat layer 8, the pattern 7 and the base coat layer 5 are applied together in a 3-wet process in the same paint booth 18.

(35) The present disclosure is not restricted to the preferred exemplary embodiments described above. Rather, a plurality of variants and modifications are possible and therefore fall within the scope of protection claimed below. In particular, the present disclosure also includes the subject and features of the dependent claims irrespective of the claims to which they refer.