Automated systems and processes for preparing vehicle surfaces, such as an aircraft fuselage, for painting

A process for preparing a vehicle surface for painting comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a preparation booth which is sized and configured to house a vehicle having the vehicle surface, wherein the preparation booth includes at least one robotic assembly which is reciprocally movable within the preparation booth relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the robotic assembly comprising a robotic hand having at least one abrasive disc attached to at least one attachment pad of the robotic hand, and at least one nozzle for discharging a stream of rinse fluid;
• (b) positioning the vehicle having the vehicle surface to be prepared for painting within the preparation booth;
• (c) operating the at least one robotic assembly to cause the at least one abrasive disc of the robot hand to abrade the surface of the vehicle;
• (d) maneuvering the robotic hand so that the at least one nozzle is directed toward the abraded vehicle surface and discharging the stream of rinse fluid through the at least one nozzle and towards the abraded surface of the vehicle so as to rinse the abraded surface of particulate matter;
• (e) providing the robotic assembly with an abrasive disc cleaning assembly comprising a cylindrical cleaning canister;
• (f) maneuvering the robotic hand so as to coaxially align the at least one attachment pad and the at least one abrasive disc attached thereto with the cleaning canister and thereafter inserting the at least one attachment pad and the at least one abrasive disc attached thereto into the cleaning canister;
• and
• (g) causing a cleaning fluid to be directed against the abrasive disc within the cleaning canister.

A process for preparing a vehicle surface for painting comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a preparation booth which is sized and configured to house a vehicle having the vehicle surface, wherein the preparation booth includes at least one robotic assembly which is reciprocally movable within the preparation booth relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the robotic assembly comprising a robotic hand having at least one abrasive disc attached to an attachment pad of the robotic hand, and at least one nozzle for discharging a stream of rinse fluid;
• (b) positioning the vehicle having the vehicle surface to be prepared for painting within the preparation booth;
• (c) operating the at least one robotic assembly to cause the at least one abrasive disc of the robot hand to abrade the surface of the vehicle;
• (d) maneuvering the robotic hand so that the at least one nozzle is directed toward the abraded vehicle surface and discharging the stream of rinse fluid through the at least one nozzle and towards the abraded surface of the vehicle so as to rinse the abraded surface of particulate matter;
• (e) maintaining a stack of unused abrasive discs within a cylindrical sleeve cage of a disc replenishment system;
• (f) slideably moving a sleeve base member within the cylindrical sleeve cage to advance the stack of unused abrasive discs toward an open forward end of the cylindrical sleeve cage;
• and
• (g) moving a shutter element of the cylindrical sleeve cage between an inoperative position wherein the open forward end of the cylindrical sleeve cage is uncovered by the shutter element so as to expose a forwardmost one of the at least one abrasive discs in the stack, and an operative condition wherein the open forward end of the cylindrical sleeve cage is covered by the shutter element.

A process for preparing a vehicle surface for painting comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a preparation booth which is sized and configured to house a vehicle having the vehicle surface, wherein the preparation booth includes at least one robotic assembly which is reciprocally movable within the preparation booth relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the robotic assembly comprising a robotic hand having at least one abrasive disc attached to an attachment pad of the robotic hand, and at least one nozzle for discharging a stream of rinse fluid;
• (b) positioning the vehicle having the vehicle surface to be prepared for painting within the preparation booth;
• (c) operating the at least one robotic assembly to cause the at least one abrasive disc of the robot hand to abrade the surface of the vehicle;
• (d) maneuvering the robotic hand so that the at least one nozzle is directed toward the abraded vehicle surface and discharging the stream of rinse fluid through the at least one nozzle and towards the abraded surface of the vehicle so as to rinse the abraded surface of particulate matter;
• and
• (e) removing an exhausted abrasive disc from the attachment pad by the steps of:
• (e1) providing a target platform for receiving the attachment pad and the exhausted abrasive disc attached thereto;
• (e2) reciprocally moving a finger element between raised and lowered positions so as to cause the finger element to engage a perimetrical edge of the exhausted abrasive disc when in said lowered position to thereby positionally capture the exhausted abrasive disc against the target platform, and
• (e3) causing the robotic hand to tilt away from the finger element while the exhausted abrasive disc is positionally captured against the target platform thereby responsively stripping the exhausted abrasive disc from the attachment pad of the robotic hand.

A process for preparing a vehicle surface for painting comprising the steps of:

• (a) positioning a vehicle having the surface to be prepared for painting within a preparation booth;
• (b) operating at least one robotic assembly to cause at least one abrasive disc removably attached to an attachment pad associated with a robot hand of the at least one robotic assembly to abrade the surface of the vehicle;
• and
• (c) removing the at least one abrasive disc upon abrasive exhaustion thereof by the steps of:
• (c1) providing a target platform for receiving the attachment pad and the at least one abrasive disc attached thereto;
• (c2) reciprocally moving a finger element between raised and lowered positions so as to cause the finger element to engage a perimetrical edge of the at least one abrasive pad when in the lowered position to thereby positionally capture the at least one abrasive disc against the target platform, and
• (c3) causing the robotic hand to tilt away from the finger element while the at least one abrasive disc is positionally captured against the target platform thereby responsively stripping the at least one abrasive disc from the attachment pad of the robotic hand.

A process for preparing a vehicle surface for painting comprising the steps of:

• (a) positioning a vehicle having the surface to be prepared for painting within a preparation booth;
• (b) providing at least one robotic assembly with at least one abrasive disc removably attached to an attachment pad associated with a robot hand of the at least one robotic assembly by:
• (b1) maintaining a stack of abrasive discs within a cylindrical sleeve cage of a disc replenishment system;
• (b2) slideably moving a sleeve base member within the sleeve cage to advance the stack of abrasive discs toward an open forward end of the cylindrical sleeve cage;
• and
• (b3) moving a shutter element of the cylindrical sleeve cage between an inoperative position wherein the open forward end of the cylindrical sleeve cage is uncovered by the shutter element so as to expose a forwardmost one of the abrasive discs in the stack, and an operative condition wherein the open forward end of the cylindrical sleeve cage is covered by the shutter element;
• and
• (b4) maneuvering the robotic hand relative to the disc replenishment system to allow the forwardmost one of the abrasive discs in the stack to be attached onto the attachment pad of the robotic hand;
• and thereafter
• (c) operating the at least one robotic assembly to cause the at least one abrasive disc of the at least one robotic assembly to abrade the surface of the vehicle.