ISO Non contact paint applicator

[NeverNotNixon]

Designing a mechanism to apply a thin layer of paint to round pieces of steel. Must be NON contact. Right now the best option seems like an airbrush with a sheath to prevent over spray. There must be a better method out there. Suggestions ?

Thank you

 

[MikeHalloran]

Electrostatic spray.


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[BrianPetersen]

Original poster hasn't stated how big the parts involved are.

Every automotive assembly plant uses electrostatic spray paint application. I don't know who supplies the equipment, but google will work as well for you as it does for me.

 

[NeverNotNixon]

Parts are .5" dia - 5.0" dia. Thanks guys I'll check it out

 

[NeverNotNixon]

I also forgot to mention the paint/ ink band thickness is small. .015" - .200" wide, with a tolerance of +/- .005

 

[MikeHalloran]

In that case, the sensible thing is to machine a shallow groove where you want the stripe, then pay a woman with a small paintbrush to fill the groove with paint.

Or mask the area you don't want painted, then remove the masking, which is more expensive.

Or use one of the roller pinstriping tools they sell at car shows.

... or explain why the cylinders can't be touched.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[NeverNotNixon]

There is a group of women completing the operation right now. They take too long, and are at times, inconsistent. Paint globs everywhere, uneven lines, mood swings, etc. Roller pin-striping has been used but is also inconsistent. It is often two or three cycles before one part is painted satisfactorily.

NON contact is mainly a customer request, and is desired to eliminate the variables listed above.

 

[tygerdawg]

It's not "non-contact" but would some form of pad printing or screen printing technology work for this?

TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering

http://www.bluetechnik.com

 

[BrianPetersen]

"Non-contact" means "spray application" in my world, and if you don't want overspray, it ain't gonna work.

Pick-and-place mechanism that dips a brush into the paint and then puts it in contact with the workpiece while another mechanism holds the part in a little chuck and spins it? If the parts are always the same, it's pretty easy. If they come in batches and you can have a set-up change-over, it's harder. If the process involves variable diameters and part shapes, life will be miserable. If varying sized parts come down the line randomly, much more so.