Distributed control system for powder coating system

A method of applying powder coatings to parts as a function of the parts moving with respect to the plurality of powder spray guns, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing a plurality of sets of powder spray parameters in each of a plurality of gun controls, each of the plurality of gun controls operating a respective one of the plurality of powder spray guns, each set of powder spray parameters comprising a set of operating parameters for a respective powder spray gun to apply a powder coating to a part;
• producing a part identification code as a function of a physical characteristic of one of the parts moving with respect to a sensor;
• transmitting the part identification code to the plurality of gun controls;
• and
• utilizing with at least one of the plurality of gun controls one of the plurality of sets of powder spray parameters associated with the part identification code.

A powder coating system for applying a powder coating to a part comprising a plurality of powder spray guns disposed with respect to the part, at least one powder source supplying powder to the spray guns through a plurality of hoses connected between the at least one powder source and the plurality of spray guns, a plurality of flow regulators, each flow regulator varying the flow of powder through one of the hoses, a system control which includes a memory for storing a plurality of sets of parameters and a plurality of part identification codes, the memory further including a mapping data table that associates each of the part identification codes with a set of parameters, wherein the mapping data table includes a gun mapping data table for each spray gun which correlates each part identifying code with a set of parameters for that particular spray gun, and further comprising a plurality of gun controls, each of the gun controls having a separate address which is communicated to the system control, each gun control having a processor connected to a memory, the memory for each gun control storing part identification codes and associated sets of parameters downloaded from system control through a communications network in communication with the system control and the gun controls, the system control having a first input connected to a first sensor, the first sensor generating a part position signal which is received at the first input, the system control generating a first output signal in response to the part position signal, the first output signal being transmitted through the communications network to the plurality of gun controls, and wherein the system control further having a second input connected to a second sensor, the second sensor generating a part identification signal in response to the part moving with respect to the second sensor, the part identification signal being received at the second input, the system control generating a second output signal in response to the part identification signal, the second output signal being transmitted through the communications network to the plurality of gun controls, each of the flow regulators being connected to one of the gun controls and each of the gun controls selecting one set of parameters from the gun control memory based on the second output signal received from system control, each of the gun controls using the first output signal and the selected set of parameters to vary the operation of the associated regulator and control the flow of powder through the hose connected to that regulator.