Device for interruption-free coating can bodies and operating method

A device for interruption-free coating of can bodies with a coating liquid, comprising

• an inlet container for providing the coating liquid to be applied to can bodies;
• a pressurized air source for supplying pressurized air, which is adapted to deliver pressurized air with a transport pressure into the inlet container in order to transport coating liquid out of the inlet container through an inlet pipe
• an application nozzle for applying the coating liquid with an application pressure onto the can bodies,
• an intermediary container which is connected on its inlet side to the inlet container by means of the inlet pipe, and which is connected on its outlet side to the application nozzle by means of an outlet pipe;
• a filling level sensor connected with the intermediary container for detecting a target filling level of the coating liquid, in the intermediary container;
• the pressurized air source is also connected to the intermediary container by means of a pressurized air pipe;
• and
• a control unit for controlling the transport pressure and monitoring the filling level sensor connected with the intermediate container for delivering pressurized air from the pressurized air source through the pressurized air pipe to the intermediary container when it is determined from the filling level sensor that the nominal filling level has fallen below the target filling level indicating that the inlet container is empty and needs to be replaced.