Method and systems for setting automatic gun triggering parameters in automated spray coating systems

An automated coating application system comprising one or more spray guns operative to spray a coating, the spray guns positioned proximate to a conveyor on which parts to be coated are carried past the spray guns,

• a sensor operative to detect the presence and length of a part carried by the conveyor past the sensor,
• a spray gun control system having input controls operative to control the spray guns to on and off states, the input controls adapted for operation by an operator based upon observation of movement of parts past the guns,
• the spray gun control system including a programmable controller operatively connected to the input controls, to a conveyor encoder, and to triggering mechanisms of the spray guns, the input controls mounted upon a pendant having START SPRAY and STOP SPRAY input controls operative respectively to turn the spray guns on and to turn the spray guns off, to store start and stop inputs in a memory of the programmable controller, and to set a Pickoff gun control parameter, the pendant being located within viewing distance of at least one of the spray guns, whereby the START SPRAY and STOP SPRAY and SET PICKOFF input controls can be operated by an operator viewing parts as the parts pass the spray guns on the conveyor, the SET PICKOFF input control being activated when a leading edge of a part is aligned with one of the spray guns, the START SPRAY input control being activated at a part position relative to the spray guns at which it is desired to commence spraying by the spray guns, and the STOP SPRAY input control being activated at a part position relative to the spray guns at which it is desired to cease spraying by the spray guns.

An automated spray coating system for coating a series of parts conveyed by a conveyor past one or more spray guns, the system comprising:

• at least one spray gun adapted to spray a coating according to gun triggering controls,
• a conveyor for conveying parts past the gun,
• an encoder operatively connected to the conveyor, and a sensor proximate to the conveyor operative to detect a part on the conveyor,
• a spray gun controller operatively connected to the spray gun and having input controls for inputting gun triggering parameters, the input controls provided on a moveable control device which is positionable within viewing distance of the spray gun, whereby an operator can operate the control device while observing parts as they are conveyed past the gun by the conveyor,
• the spray gun controller having START SPRAY and STOP SPRAY input controls, the START SPRAY input control operative to trigger the spray gun on when the part reaches a first position relative to the spray gun, the STOP SPRAY input control operative to trigger the spray gun off when the part reaches a second position relative to the spray gun.

A method of triggering one or more spray guns in an automatic spray coating system having at least one spray gun located proximate to a conveyor on which a part to be coated is conveyed past the spray gun, the spray gun operatively connected to a coating supply reservoir, and to a spray gun triggering control system operative to turn the spray gun on and off according to gun triggering control parameters input by an operator to the control system, the system further having a sensor for sensing the presence and length of a part conveyed by the conveyor, and a control input device, the method comprising the steps of:

• sensing a part as it is conveyed on the conveyor,
• selectively setting a part location relative to the spray gun at which the spray gun is to be triggered to an on state, by operation of a START SPRAY input control of the control input device, to define a START SPRAY gun triggering control parameter,
• selectively setting the location of the part relative to the spray gun when the spray gun is triggered to an off state by operation of a STOP SPRAY control of the control input device, to define a STOP SPRAY gun triggering control parameter, and
• automatically coating a series of parts conveyed past the spray gun according to the input gun triggering control parameters.

A method for setting and determining gun triggering parameters in an automated spray coating arrangement having a conveyor for conveying parts to be coated past a spray gun operative to be turned on and off to spray a coating onto a part as the part is conveyed past the gun, a sensor associated with the conveyor operative to sense the length of a part on the conveyor, and an encoder operative to provide signals which correspond to movement of the conveyor and position of the part relative to the spray gun, the method comprising the steps of:

• inputting a START SPRAY gun triggering control parameter at a point at which it is desired to commence spraying by the gun relative to a part on the conveyor,
• inputting a SET PICKOFF gun triggering control parameter when a front edge of a part is aligned with the gun, and inputting a STOP SPRAY gun triggering control parameter at a point at which it is desired to stop spraying by the gun relative to a part on the conveyor,
• determining a Front Edge Spray gun triggering control by combining the START SPRAY encoder count from the SET PICKOFF, and
• determining a Back Edge Spray gun triggering control by combining the STOP SPRAY encoder count a length encoder value of the part and the SET PICKOFF.