# US 10,478,846 B2 · Dynamic coating thickness measurement and control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,478,846 B2 - Document ID: US10478846B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/144,391 - Filed: 2016-05-02 - Published: 2017-11-02 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-02 - Assignees: Lockheed Martin Corporation - Applicants: Lockheed Martin Corporation - Inventors: Ron K. Franks; Jeffrey T. Drewett; Justin Marcel Solis; Tara Michelle Thomasson; Bobby Charles Dabbs - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10478846B2 ## CPC - B05B 12/084: {responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material already sprayed on the target, e.g. coating thickness, weight or pattern} - B05B 9/01: Spray pistols, {discharge devices}(B05B9/03 takes precedence) - B05B 13/0431: {with spray heads moved by robots or articulated arms, e.g. for applying liquid or other fluent material to three-dimensional [3D] surfaces} - B05B 7/0018: {with devices for making foam} - B05D 1/02: performed by spraying - B25J 11/0075: {Manipulators for painting or coating} - Y10S 901/43: Spray painting or coating - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) - B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract In certain embodiments, a system comprises a robot, a spray gun coupled to the robot and operable to spray a first predefined number of passes of a material onto a substrate at a first flow rate, and a measurement device operable to measure one or more properties of the material sprayed onto the substrate while the material is wet. The system further comprises an analyzer operable to determine a thickness of the wet material based on the one or more measured properties and calculate a second flow rate required to achieve a cured thickness of the material within a second predefined number of passes. The calculated second flow rate is based on the first predefined number of passes, an expected thickness of the wet material for one pass of the first predefined number of passes, the determined thickness of the wet material, and the first flow rate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: spraying, by a spray gun coupled to a robot, a first predefine number of passes of a material onto a substrate at a first flow rate; measuring, by a measurement device, one or more properties of the material sprayed onto the substrate while the material is wet; determining, by an analyzer, a thickness of the wet material based on the one or more measured properties; and calculating, by the analyzer, a second flow rate required to achieve a cured thickness of the material within a second predefined number of passes, the calculated second flow rate based on: the first predefined number of passes; an expected thickness of the wet material for one pass of the first predefined number of passes; the determined thickness of the wet material; and the first flow rate; and where the one or more properties comprises electrical performance data; and wherein the electrical performance data comprises reflectivity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the second flow rate comprises: multiplying the first predefined number of passes by the expected thickness to obtain a first value; dividing the first value by the determined thickness to obtain a second value; and multiplying the second value by the first flow rate to obtain the second flow rate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement device is a microwave probe and the one or more measured properties are one or more electrical properties. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement device is a terahertz sensor and the one or more measured properties are one or more time-of-flight measurements. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first flow rate and the second flow rate are different. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further, comprising spraying, by the spray gun, the second predefined number of passes of the material onto the substrate at the calculated second flow rate, wherein the material is paint. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement device measures the one or more properties of the wet material sprayed onto the substrate without contacting the wet material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by an analyzer, a thickness of the wet material based on one or more measured properties, comprises determining the thickness before the wet material has cured.