Coating Apparatus and Method

A method of applying a coating to a component comprising the steps of moving said component along a primary conveyor to a coating station, transferring said component from said primary conveyor to a mast assembly movably supported on a secondary conveyor, moving said mast assembly along said secondary conveyor and rotating said component about a vertical axis to orient and position said component over said fluid bed, operating said mast assembly to lower said component in to said fluid bed to apply said coating thereto, moving said component within said fluid bed to displace said component vertically relative to said secondary conveyor, periodically reversing the direction of movement of said component to produce cyclic bodily translation of said component in a vertical direction within said fluid bed during application of said coating, operating said mast assembly to lift said component and remove the component from said fluid bed, moving said mast assembly along said secondary conveyor and rotating said component about a vertical axis to move said component away from said fluid bed and toward said primary conveyor and depositing said component on to said primary conveyor.

A coating apparatus to apply a coating to a component, said coating apparatus including a primary conveyor to convey said component to a coating station including a fluid bed, a secondary conveyor extending from said primary conveyor to said fluid bed, a mast assembly movably supported on said secondary conveyor and moveable along said secondary conveyor between said primary conveyor and said fluid bed, said mast assembly including a hook assembly to engage and support said component, said hook assembly being rotatable relative to said secondary conveyor to rotate said component about a vertical axis to orient and position said component over said fluid bed, said hook assembly being vertically displaceable along said mast assembly to lower said component in to said fluid bed to apply said coating thereto and to raise said component from said fluid bed, and a drive to move said component within said fluid bed to displace said component vertically relative to said secondary conveyor, said drive periodically reversing the direction of movement of said component to produce cyclic bodily translation of said component in a vertical direction within said fluid bed during application of said coating.