METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SPRAY PAINTING A WORKPIECE

Abstract

A method and a device for spray painting a workpiece uses an application device. The workpiece has at least two components that are movable relative to each other which are at least arranged region by region or meshing with each other such that, dependent on the relative position of the components, at least a subregion of one of components is mounted shaded so that the subregion is inaccessible for spray painting by the application device. The method and the device for the spray painting of workpieces, allow a fast, complete and cost-effective painting of a workpiece. One of the components is moved during the spray painting by means of an actuator such that the subregion of the component is displaced so that the subregion is not shaded and is accessible for spray painting by the application device.

Claims

1. A method for spray painting a workpiece by means of an application device, the method comprising the steps of: providing the workpiece that has at least two components that are movable relative to each other, which are at least sectionally arranged or meshing with each other so that, dependent on the relative position of the components, at least a subregion of one of the components is mounted so as to be a shaded region which is blocked such that the subregion for spray painting is inaccessible by the application device; and moving one of the components during spray painting by means of an actuator such that the subregion of the component is displaced such that the subregion is no longer a shaed region and is accessible for spray painting by the application device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the components are rotatable relative to each other and at least one of the components is rotated by the actuator.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the provided workpiece is a motor vehicle axle, which comprises: an axle body; at least one brake caliper; and a wheel suspension having a brake disk and a wheel mount having a plurality of wheel bolts and/or a plurality of wheel bolt receptacles, wherein the wheel suspension is rotatable relative to the axle body and the brake caliper and subregions of the wheel mount and/or the brake disk, form the subregion that is shaded depending upon an angular position of the brake caliper.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the movable component is rotatable on both sides by means of the actuator.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the actuator has a contact device by means of which a releasable connection is made to the rotatable or displaceable component of the workpiece.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the rotatable component is rotated by the actuator by at least 30.

7. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of: spray painting a part of the workpiece using the application device; interrupting the spray painting; rotating or displacing the component having at least one shaded subregion, so that the rotated or displaced subregion is accessible for spray painting by the application device; spray painting of the previously shaded subregion; and repeating the steps of spray painting a part, interrupting, rotating or displacing and spray painting of the previously shaded subregion.

8. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of: spray painting the workpiece using the application device; and simultaneously rotating or displacing the component having at least one shaded subregion until the workpiece is completely spray painted.

9. A device for spray painting a workpiece, the device comprising: an application device, wherein the workpiece has at least two components that are movable relative to each other, which are at least sectionally arranged relative to one another are meshing with each other so that, dependent on the relative position of the components, at least a subregion of one of the components is shaded such that the subregion is inaccessible for spray painting by the application device; and an actuator, which allows a movement of the component during the spray painting, so that the shaded subregion of the component is displaceable such that the subregion is accessible for spray painting by the application device.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the components are rotatable relative to each other and that at least one of the components is rotatable by the actuator.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the workpiece is a motor vehicle axle, which comprises: an axle body; and at least one brake caliper; and a wheel suspension having a brake disk and a wheel mount having a plurality of wheel bolts and/or a plurality of wheel bolt receptacles, wherein the wheel suspension is rotatable relative to the axle body and the brake caliper and subregions of the wheel suspension, in particular subregions of the wheel mount and/or the brake disk, are shaded dependent on the angular position of the brake caliper.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein the actuator has a contact device by means of which a releasable connection can be made to the rotatable or displaceable component of the workpiece.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the contact device comprises a finger or a hook which engages behind a wheel bolt when rotating the wheel suspension or is insertable into a wheel bolt receptacle.

14. The device according to claim 12, wherein the contact device comprises a gripper, by means of which components of the workpiece can be gripped, so that the components are rotatable and/or displaceable.

15. The device according to claim 12, wherein the contact device has a contact surface which allows a frictional contact on the component for the rotation or displacement of the component.

16. The device according to 12, wherein the actuator is arranged directly on the application device or on a separate robot arm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In the drawings:

[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a motor vehicle axle in a paint shop;

[0033] FIG. 2a is a detail view of the wheel suspension in the spray painting with shaded regions;

[0034] FIG. 2b is a detail view of the wheel suspension in the spray painting with shaded regions;

[0035] FIG. 3a is a detail view of the wheel suspension when rotating the wheel mount;

[0036] FIG. 3b is a detail view of the wheel suspension when rotating the wheel mount;

[0037] FIG. 4a is a detail view of the wheel suspension when rotating the wheel mount;

[0038] FIG. 4b is a detail view of the wheel suspension when rotating the wheel mount; a

[0039] FIG. 5a is a schematic view of an alternative contact device of an actuator; and

[0040] FIG. 5b is a schematic view of an alternative contact device of an actuator.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0041] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a paint shop 1 for spray painting motor vehicle axles 2. The motor vehicle axle 2 is suspended for this purpose on a transport device 3, which preferably continuously moves the motor vehicle axle 2 in transport direction 4, thus avoiding vibrations of the motor vehicle axle 2 when stopping and starting. The motor vehicle axle 2 has an axle body 5, on which are arranged on both sides respectively a brake caliper 6 having brake linings 7 and a wheel suspension 8 respectively having a wheel mount 9 and brake disks 10. The wheel mount 9 has a plurality of wheel bolts 11, which serve for later receiving of a wheel. Furthermore, the wheel 9 is rotatably mounted together with the brake disk 10 about the longitudinal axis A of the motor vehicle axle 2.

[0042] A robot arm 12 is provided for spray painting the motor vehicle axle 2, at the tip of which robot arm an application device 13 is attached in the form of a high-speed rotation atomizer. The application device 13 can be aligned in any position due to the elements of the robot arm 12 being arranged movable relative to each other. Five different positions P.sub.1, . . . , 5 of the application device 13 are illustrated by way of example in FIG. 1.

[0043] Regardless of the various possibilities of movement of the robot arm 12, there are construction-dependent shadow regions on the workpiece which are inaccessible for spray painting using the application device 13. An example of such a shadow region 14 is illustrated in FIGS. 2a and 2b, which is located substantially between the brake caliper 6 and the wheel mount 9. A uniform spray painting by the application device 13 cannot take place either from the position P.sub.2 in FIG. 2a or from the position P.sub.1.

[0044] In order to produce a complete and uniform spray painting, the device according to the invention has an actuator 15, which in the illustrated embodiments has a contact device configured as a hook 16 and which is fastened on the application device 13. One of the wheel bolts 11 can be engaged behind by means of this hook 16 and the wheel suspension 8 can be rotated together with the wheel mount 9 and the brake disk 10 by approximately 180, so that the region 14 (FIG. 3a) shaded by the brake caliper 6 is rotated to the opposite side (FIG. 3b). The application device 13 can be aligned again in this position and spray paint the previously shaded and inaccessible subregions of the workpiece. The intermediate space between two wheel bolts 11 is detected and controlled by an optical device (not shown).

[0045] FIGS. 4a, 4b show the detail views of FIGS. 3a and 3b in a view parallel to the longitudinal axis A of the motor vehicle axle 2. It can clearly be seen here that the relatively large region, which is shaded by the brake caliper 6, is rotated out of the shaded region 14 by a rotation of the wheel mount 9 by approximately 120, so that a complete spray painting can subsequently take place.

[0046] An alternative contact device of the actuator 15 is illustrated in FIG. 5a in the form of a gripper 17, which can engage a part of the wheel suspension 8 for rotating said wheel suspension, for example, the brake disk 10. In contrast, FIG. 5b shows an embodiment having a contact surface 18 which has frontal elastic material 19 in order to provide a frictional contact for rotating the wheel suspension 8.

[0047] The figures show an embodiment variant in which the contact device of the actuator 15 is arranged directly on the application device 13, so that the spray painting must be interrupted for rotating or displacing the movable component. Alternatively, the contact device can also be arranged on a separate robot arm, so that a continuous spray painting is possible.

[0048] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0049] 1 paint shop [0050] 2 motor vehicle axle [0051] 3 transport device [0052] 4 transport direction [0053] 5 axle body [0054] 6 brake caliper [0055] 7 brake linings [0056] 8 wheel suspension [0057] 9 wheel mount [0058] 10 brake disk [0059] 11 wheel bolts [0060] 12 robot arm [0061] 13 application device [0062] 14 shaded region [0063] 15 actuator [0064] 16 hook [0065] 17 gripper [0066] 18 contact surface [0067] 19 elastic material [0068] A longitudinal axis [0069] P.sub.n positions