METHOD FOR OPERATING A PUMP SYSTEM AND PUMP SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a pump system and to a pump system (10) having a pump unit (11) for dispensing multi-component material under pressure by means of a spray gun, the pump unit comprising a pump device (12), a mixer (13) and a spray gun (14), the pump device having at least two pumps (16, 17) for pumping component material and associated liquid tanks (18, 19) for storing component material, the pump device having an operating means (23) by means of which the pump device is controlled, wherein the pump system has a control device (24), the control device and the operating means together forming a control unit (25) by means of which the pump unit is controlled, the control device being arranged at a distance from the pump unit, and data being exchanged between the control device and the operating means.

Claims

1. A method for operating a pump system (10, 34, 45) having a pump unit (11, 44, 46) for dispensing multi-component material under pressure by means of a spray gun, the pump unit comprising a pump device (12, 35), a mixer (13, 47) and a spray gun (14, 48), the pump device having at least two pumps (16, 17, 36, 37) for pumping component material and associated liquid tanks (18, 19, 38, 39) for storing component material, the pump device having an operating means (23, 40, 51) by means of which the pump device is controlled, characterized in that the pump system has a control device (24, 52), the control device and the operating means together forming a control unit (25, 41) by means of which the pump unit is controlled, the control device being arranged at a distance from the pump unit, and data being exchanged between the control device and the operating means.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the data exchange between the control device (24, 52) and the operating means (23, 40, 51) is wireless.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that control commands of the control device (24, 52) are superimposed on the control commands of the operating means (23, 40, 51).

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that data is exchanged with an external network (31) by means of the control device (24, 52).

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the operating means (23, 40, 51) transmits environmental parameters, operating states, operating parameters and/or error messages of the pump device (12, 35) to the control device (24, 52), the control device (24, 52) processing the environmental parameters, operating states, operating parameters and/or error messages.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the control device (24, 52) continually stores environmental parameters, operating states, operating parameters and/or error messages for an operating period.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the operating means (23, 40, 51) and/or the control device (24, 52) transmit environmental parameters, operating states, operating parameters and/or error messages of the pump device (12, 35) to the spray gun (14, 48).

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device transmits control commands and/or operational settings for the pump device to the operating means.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device (24, 52) adjusts the control commands and/or operational settings according to changed environmental parameters, operating states and/or operating parameters.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the operating means (23, 40, 51) is configured by means of the control device (24, 52).

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that status reports of the control device (24, 52) can be transmitted to the operating means (23, 40, 51) and/or to the spray gun (14, 48) and can be displayed.

12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a documentation of the pump system (10, 34, 45) is made available by means of the control device (24, 52).

13. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a status report is sent to an external network (31) by means of the control device (24, 52) as a function of the environmental parameters, operating states, operating parameters and/or error messages.

14. A pump system (10, 34, 45) having a pump unit (11, 44, 46) for dispensing multi-component material under pressure by means of a spray gun, the pump unit comprising a pump device (12, 35), a mixer (13, 47) and a spray gun (14, 48), the pump device having at least two pumps (16, 17, 36, 37) for pumping component material and associated liquid tanks (18, 19, 38, 39) for storing component material, the pump device having an operating means (23, 40, 51) for controlling the pump device, characterized in that the pump system has a control device (24, 52), the control device and the operating means together forming a control unit (25, 41) for controlling the pump unit, the control device being arranged at a distance from the pump unit.

15. The pump system according to claim 14, characterized in that the control device (24, 52) has an extended regulating, controlling and/or functionality range compared to the operating means (23, 40, 51).

16. The pump system according to claim 14, characterized in that the operating means (23, 40, 51) is provided with a display element (56) and operating elements (59).

17. The pump system according to claim 14, characterized in that the control device (24, 52) is realized as a means for data processing having a display element (54) and operating elements (54).

18. The pump system according to claim 14, characterized in that the control device (24, 52) is realized as a mobile phone (53).

19. The pump system according to claim 14, characterized in that the operating means (23, 40, 51) and/or the control device (24, 52) are ATEX-compliant.

20. A pump system having a pump unit for dispensing multi-component material under pressure by means of a spray gun, the pump unit comprising a pump device, a mixer and a spray gun the pump device having at least two pumps for pumping component material and associated liquid tanks for storing component material, the pump device having a first controller for controlling the pump device, characterized in that the pump system has a second controller, the first and second controllers together forming a control unit for controlling the pump unit, the second controller being arranged at a distance from the pump unit.

Description

[0053] In the drawings:

[0054] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a first embodiment of a pump system;

[0055] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a second embodiment of a pump system;

[0056] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a third embodiment of a pump system; and

[0057] FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a control unit.

[0058] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a first embodiment of a pump system 10. The pump system 10 comprises a pump unit 11 composed of a pump device 12 for pumping component material, a mixer 13 and a spray gun 14. By means of the spray gun 14, a multi-component material mixed from the component materials in the mixer 13 can be sprayed or ejected onto a surface, as is indicated here by arrow 15. The pump device 12 itself comprises a first pump 16 and another pump 17 and a first liquid tank 18 and another liquid tank 19, each for receiving liquid component material. The liquid tanks 18 and 19 are connected to the pumps 16 and 17, respectively, via media lines 20, the pumps 16 and 17 being connected to the mixer 13 via media lines 21 and the mixer 13 being connected to the spray gun 14 via yet another media line 22. The pumps 16 and 17 are realized as pneumatically driven reciprocating piston pumps, allowing the pumps 16 and 17 to suction component materials from the liquid tanks 18 and 19, respectively, and to pump them under pressure via media lines 21 to the mixer 13. In the mixer 13, the component materials are thoroughly mixed, and the thus formed multi-component material is passed on to the spray gun 14 via media line 22. The spray gun 14 has a compressed-air connection (not illustrated), allowing the multi-component material to be dispensed and sprayed by means of compressed air. Moreover, the pump device 12 has an operating means 23, via which the pump devices 12 and the pump unit 11 can be easily controlled. The operating means 23 provides an operator with basic functions for operating the pump device 12.

[0059] The pump system 10 further comprises a control device 24 for controlling the operating means 23 and the pump device 12. Together with the operating means 23, the control device 25 forms a control unit 25. The control device 24 itself has a control means 26 and a database 27. The control device 24 or, more precisely, the control means 26 is connected to the operating means 23 via a schematically illustrated data connection 28 for the purpose of exchanging data. Furthermore, the control means 26 is connected to the database 27 via a data connection 29 for the purpose of exchanging data. Moreover, the control device 24 is connected to an external network 31, such as the internet, via a data connection 30. Via a data connection 32, another database 33 is connected to the external network 31. The other external network 33 is a database of the producer of the pump system 10 or of the producer of the component material, for example.

[0060] The control device 24 is preferably realized as a mobile phone (not illustrated), which means that the data connections 28 and 30 are wireless radio connections. The control device 26 thus represents a processor or data processing device of the mobile phone, and the database 27 represents a memory of the mobile phone. Compared to the operating means 23, the control device 24 has an extended range of functions. For instance, in addition to the functions usable via the operating means 23, functions of the pump device 12 and of the pump unit 11 can be used via the control device 24 that extend beyond the functions of the former. In particular by exchanging data between the operating means 23 and the control device 24, the pump device 12 can also be monitored and environmental parameters, operating states, operating parameters and/or error messages of the pump device 12 and of the pump unit 11 can be documented. This allows the control device 24 to utilize the obtained data for variable control of the pump device 12 in the manner of a closed-loop control on the one hand and the documentation of the data to be used for quality control and retrospective traceability of a work result on the other hand.

[0061] In particular database 27 contains recipes from producers of component material, by means of which the operating means 23 and the pump device 12 can be controlled. For instance, a mixing ratio of the pumps 16 and 17 can be adjusted by means of the control device 24 by varying a delivery rate of the pumps 16 and 17 via the operating means 23. An operator on site operating the spray gun 14 is thus no longer forced to directly access a recipe and to make the necessary adjustments to the pump device 12 and to the operating means 23. Moreover, potential error messages of the pump device 12 can be transmitted to the control device 24, the control device 24 also being able to pass these error messages on to the external network 31. The recipes, documentations, manuals etc. can be stored in the other database 33 and can be synchronized at regular intervals with the data stored in database 27. In this way, it is also possible to immediately send an error message by e-mail, for example, to a producer of the pump system 10 so as to initiate maintenance service, for example. Moreover, the control device 24 and, if applicable, also the operating means 23 offer the option of changing and adjusting the recipes and to store new recipes in the database 27. These changed recipes can contain additional information regarding the actual work conditions, such as temperatures, air humidity etc., allowing the control device 24 to send said data to the other database 33 so as to update or adjust the recipes lying at the producers' of component material.

[0062] FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a pump system 34, which differs from the pump system shown in FIG. 1 in that it has another pump device 35. The other pump device 35 is equipped with a first pump 36 and another pump 37, a first liquid tank 38 and another liquid tank 39 and an operating means 40. The operating means 23 and 40 now form a control unit 41 together with the control device 24. Also, the other pump device 35 is connected to the mixer 13 and to the spray gun 14 via media lines 42 and 22. Moreover, the control means 26 is wirelessly connected to the operating means 40 via a data connection 43. By means of the control device 24, it is now possible to simultaneously control pump device 12 and pump device 35 and to combine them with the mixer 13 and the spray gun 14 to form a pump unit 44. Pump device 12 and pump device 35 are substantially identical, allowing pump device 12 or 35 to be easily exchanged in case of failure of one of them without having to shut down the pump unit 44 entirely. It is also possible to operate the pumps 16, 17 and 36, 37 completely independently from one another via the control device 24 and to connect them to one another in any combination for mixing multi-component material.

[0063] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a third embodiment of a pump system 45. In contrast to the pump system illustrated in FIG. 2, a pump unit 46 is quipped with another mixer 47 and another spray gun 48 in this case, the first pump 36 and the other pump 37 being connected to the miser 47 via media lines 49 and the mixer 47 being connected to the spray gun 48 via a media line 50. The pump devices 12 and 35 can thus also be used while being completely separate from each other in terms of space, and the control device 24 can also be placed separately from the pump devices 12 and 35 in terms of location and space. Still, it is possible to control and monitor the pump devices 12 and 35 simultaneously.

[0064] FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of an operating means 51 together with a control device 52. The control device 52 is realized as a mobile phone 53 having a touch screen 54 and is coupled or connected with the operating means 51 via a radio data connection 55. The operating means 51 has a screen 56, a processor 57, a PLC control 58 and operating switches 59. These components are housed in a pressure-tight encapsulated housing 60, which conforms to the ATEX standard. Owing to the operating switches 59, an operator has limited access to the functionality of the pump unit (not illustrated), full functionality of said pump unit being usable by means of the control device 52.