Coating device and coating method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a coating device which, in particular, is used to coat a narrow side of a plate-shaped workpiece with a coating material. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a coating method which, in particular, is used to coat a narrow side of a plate-shaped workpiece with a coating material. The coating device comprises a detection device (S1, S2) for detecting a surface property on the surface of the workpiece (W) to be coated and a device for acting on the adhesive to be used based on the detection result of the detection device.

Claims

1. A coating device for coating a workpiece with a coating material, comprising: a pressing element for applying a coating material to a surface of a workpiece to be coated, an apparatus for effecting a relative movement between the workpiece and the pressing element; a detection device for detecting a surface property on the surface of the workpiece to be coated and a device for acting on an adhesive to be used based on the detection result of the detection device; and an applicator element for applying the adhesive to the surface of the workpiece to be coated; and a dosing device for changing the adhesive amount to be applied by the applicator element to the workpiece, wherein the coating device is configured to change the adhesive temperature in an area of the applicator element based on the detection result of the detection device, and wherein the dosing device is configured, on the basis of the detection result of the detection device, to change the adhesive amount.

2. The coating device according to claim 1, further comprising a control device which is configured to receive and process the detection result of the detection device and to actuate the device to act on the adhesive to used.

3. The coating device according to claim 1, wherein the detection device is arranged such that the detection device detects the surface property immediately before the application of the application of the adhesive or the attachment of the coating material provided with the adhesive.

4. The coating device according to claim 1, wherein the applicator element has a heating element.

5. The coating device according to claim 1, further comprising a testing device for testing the adhesive applied by the applicator element.

6. The coating device according to claim 1, further comprising an activation device which is configured to activate the adhesive of the coating material provided with the adhesive based on the detection result of the detection device.

7. The coating device according to claim 1, further comprising a manipulation device for manipulating the surface to be coated.

8. The coating device according to claim 1, wherein the detection device comprises a sensor for detecting the surface roughness, and/or the detection device comprises a sensor for detecting the surface temperature.

9. The coating device according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus for effecting a relative movement between workpiece and the pressing element is a belt conveyor, a chain conveyor, or a band conveyor.

10. A method for coating a workpiece, comprising the steps: effecting a relative movement between a workpiece and a pressing element to apply a coating material to a surface of the workpiece to be coated; detecting a surface property on the surface of the workpiece to be coated; acting on an adhesive to adhere the coating material to the surface to be coated; applying the coating material to the surface of the workpiece to be coated; and changing, by a dosing device, the adhesive amount to be applied to the workpiece, wherein the adhesive is applied before the application of the coating material to the surface of the workpiece to be coated, wherein the adhesive temperature in an area of the applicator element is changed based on a detection result of a detection device, and wherein the adhesive amount is changed based on the detection result of the detection device.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the surface property is a surface roughness.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the surface property is a surface temperature.

13. The coating device according to claim 5, wherein the testing device comprises a temperature sensor.

14. The coating device according to claim 7, wherein the manipulation device is a temperature regulating device.

15. The coating device according to claim 7, wherein the manipulation device is provided in a traveling direction after the detection device and before the pressing element.

16. The coating device according to claim 14, wherein the manipulation device is provided between the detection device and the applicator element for applying the adhesive.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein a narrow side of a plate-shaped workpiece is coated with the coating material.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the amount of the adhesive is changed based on the detection result of the surface roughness.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the temperature of the adhesive is changed and/or acted upon by a temperature control device on the surface of the workpiece to be coated based on the detection result of the surface temperature.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 schematically shows a course of the procedure with a coating method according to a first embodiment of the description.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(3) Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below on the basis of the enclosed drawing. Further modifications of certain individual features mentioned in this context can each be combined with one another in order to form further embodiments.

(4) Although the invention is described using the schematic drawings which each depict a course of the procedure, components of a coating device according to the invention are also revealed by the drawings.

(5) The coating method described using FIG. 1 is a so-called continuous process in which a workpiece W is moved, whereas the coating aggregate which comprises inter alia an applicator element (glue roller) and a pressure roller, essentially remains stationary. It is apparent that according to a further embodiment, the coating aggregate can be moved whilst the workpiece is at least at times kept stationary.

(6) The workpiece W is continuously moved in the traveling direction D, for example, by means of a belt conveyor. Before the workpiece W reaches the section of the glue application, the surface temperature is determined by a first sensor S1 in an area in which the adhesive is supposed to be applied.

(7) With a second sensor S2, the surface contour/surface roughness can be determined in the area in which the adhesive is supposed to be applied. For example, the surface of the workpiece is sampled with a laser beam and the roughness is determined from the reflected components. Consequently, it can be determined whether it is a particleboard having relatively large pores or a solid wood board having a relatively smooth surface.

(8) The first sensor S1 and the second sensor S2 are connected by a line 11 to a control device 10 of the coating device. The control device 10 can be a centralized or decentralized control device. By means of the control device 10, the values detected by the sensors S1, S2 are recorded and evaluated as described below.

(9) The control device 10 is further connected by a second line 12 to a dosage device 15 and an applicator element 16 (in particular glue roller).

(10) In the embodiment example, in the traveling direction D before the applicator element 16, a temperature regulating device 21 is provided as an example of a manipulation device for manipulating a surface to be coated. With the temperature regulating device 21, the surface of the workpiece W can be pre-heated, for example, if it was detected with the first sensor S1 that the workpiece surface has a temperature which is too low. The workpiece surface can also be cooled if a temperature which is too high is detected. The temperature regulating device 21 is connected to the control device by means of the line 24.

(11) In the traveling direction D after the applicator element 16, a testing device 20 is provided which is connected by the line 23 with the control device 10. Presently, the testing device is formed as a temperature sensor in order to test the temperature of the applied adhesive.

(12) Using the data of the sensors S1, S2 evaluated by the control device 10, the position of the dosing device 15 which can be rotated around an axis, is configured in order to control the amount of the adhesive which is supposed to be applied with the applicator element 16 to the narrow side of the workpiece W.

(13) For example, if it is a chipboard having relatively large pores on the surface to be coated, a larger amount of adhesive will be required than with a relatively smooth surface of a piece of solid wood. When selecting the amount of adhesive, a balance must be struck between optimum adhesion and the thinnest possible adhesive joint.

(14) Consequently, for example, for a relatively rough workpiece surface which was detected by the sensor S2, the amount of the adhesive to be applied can be increased since the adhesive also penetrates into the pores of the workpiece. By contrast, if it is a smooth workpiece surface, the amount of adhesive is to be reduced in order to prevent an adhesive layer which is too thick from being formed on the workpiece.

(15) Moreover, the control device 10 is connected with a heating element (not shown) of an adhesive container (not shown) and/or a heating cartridge in the applicator element 16, in order to adjust the temperature of the adhesive at the applicator element 16.

(16) In the embodiment example according to FIG. 1, it is also possible to heat the adhesive in an adhesive container and/or at the applicator element 16, the temperature regulating device 21 is provided in order to optionally change the temperature of the workpiece surface and consequently to control the temperature of the applied adhesive.

(17) If a relatively high workpiece temperature is detected by the first sensor S1, the temperature of the adhesive H can thus be reduced and/or the surface of the workpiece W can be cooled by the temperature regulating device 21. A relatively high temperature at the narrow side of the workpiece W can, for example, be present if the ambient temperature is already relatively high or a machining step in the area of the surface of the workpiece to be coated is carried out immediately before the application the adhesive.

(18) Since the workpiece W was then provided with an adhesive layer which is optimally adapted to the workpiece W, the workpiece is moved further in the direction of a pressing element 18. The testing device 20 checks the applied adhesive, in particular its temperature and/or the thickness of the adhesive film.

(19) The pressing element 18 is used to press a coating material B which was trimmed in the length of the surface to be coated and will be trimmed on the narrow side of the workpiece provided with the adhesive.

(20) After application of the coating material, post-processing steps can be carried out.

(21) In the following, a second embodiment of the invention is described on the basis of the schematic illustration in FIG. 2. Identical or similar components are provided with corresponding reference numbers. Reference is made to the statements regarding the first embodiment for a detailed description of these components.

(22) The coating device according to the second embodiment comprises, as with the first embodiment, a first sensor S1 and a second sensor S2 which are connected by a line 11 to a control device 10. Furthermore, a manipulation device 21 is provided which is connected by a line 24 to the control device 10.

(23) The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that instead of an adhesive application on the workpiece, an activation of an adhesive provided on a coating material B′ is carried out. The coating material B′ can be a co-extruded coating material or a support material provided with an adhesive layer.

(24) Consequently, according to the second embodiment, an activation device 30 is provided which is connected with the control device 10 by means of a line 30. The activation device 30 is configured to activate the adhesive or the adhesion promoting layer of the coating material B′, in particular to heat it.

(25) If a raised surface temperature on the workpiece is detected by means of the first sensor S1, the control device 10 can thus determine that the activation device 30 is to be operated with reduced power so that the adhesive or the adhesion promoting layer of the coating material B‘ is activated to a reduced extent.

(26) If it is detected by means of the second sensor S2 that the surface to be coated has an increased surface roughness, the control device 10 can thus determine that the activation device 30 is to be operated with increased power. Consequently, the adhesive or the adhesion promoting layer of the coating material B′ is activated to an increased degree. Consequently, the flowability of the adhesive is kept at a higher degree and the adhesive correspondingly penetrates more into the pores of the workpiece surface.

(27) With regard to the mode of function of the manipulation device 21, reference is made to the statements about the first embodiment. The manipulation device 21 can additionally be used to prepare the surface to be coated, in particular to heat it or to cool it.

(28) Although lines are described in the embodiment examples in order to connect the sensors S1, S2, the manipulation device 21, the testing device 20 or an activation device 30 with the control device, the data transmission can also occur wirelessly.