# US 2021/0172083 A1 · Coating system and method for e-coating and degasification of e-coat fluid during e-coat > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0172083 A1 - Document ID: US20210172083A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/769,211 - Filed: 2018-12-07 - Published: 2021-06-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-07 - Assignees: Tesla, Inc. - Applicants: Tesla, Inc. - Inventors: Gunjan Agarwal; Sundaresan Avudaiappan; Christopher Lillywhite - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210172083A1 ## CPC - C25D 5/20: Electroplating using ultrasonic waves - B05D 7/16: using synthetic lacquers or varnishes - C25D 3/02: from solutions (C25D5/34 - C25D5/46 take precedence) - C25D 7/00: Electroplating characterised by the article coated - C25D 13/22: Servicing or operating {apparatus or multistep processes} - C25D 21/12: Process control or regulation (controlling or regulating in general G05) - C25D: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR - B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02) ## Abstract A coating system includes an electrocoat (e-coat) bath having an e-coat fluid with a first amount of dissolved gases, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers mounted on at least two sides of the e-coat bath, a carrier frame and control circuitry. The control circuitry is configured to control a trajectory of a metal part dipped in the e-coat bath using the carrier frame, control the plurality of ultrasonic transducers to direct a plurality of acoustic waves at a defined ultrasonic operating frequency and at a first intensity to cause a plurality of localized pressure drops in the e-coat fluid, the first amount of dissolved gases is reduced or removed as bubbles from the e-coat fluid of the e-coat bath based on the directed plurality of acoustic waves, and increase the first intensity of the directed plurality of acoustic waves over a defined time period to accelerate dispersion of an e-coat pigment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A coating system, comprising: an electro-coat (e-coat) tank that stores an e-coat fluid solution having a first amount of dissolved gases; a plurality of ultrasonic transducers mounted in a zone-of-interest of the e-coat tank; and control circuitry configured to: control the plurality of ultrasonic transducers to direct a plurality of acoustic waves at an ultrasonic frequency in the zone-of-interest of the e-coat tank, wherein the directed plurality of acoustic waves at the ultrasonic frequency causes a controlled degasification of the first amount of the dissolved gases from a volume of the e-coat fluid solution that corresponds to the zone-of-interest; and control a first intensity of the directed plurality of acoustic waves over a defined time period for a control over a deposition of an e-coat pigment of the e-coat fluid solution over a metal part of a vehicle, wherein the metal part is immersed in the e-coat fluid solution at a specific height from a bottom level of the e-coat tank. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The coating system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the dissolved gases in the e-coat fluid solution is hydrogen gas (H2). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The coating system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of ultrasonic transducers are mounted to a bottom portion of the e-coat tank and within the zone-of-interest. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The coating system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of ultrasonic transducers are in the zone-of-interest such that the plurality of acoustic waves are directed uniformly in different directions throughout the volume of the e-coat fluid solution in the zone-of-interest. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The coating system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of ultrasonic transducers comprises at least one push-pull ultrasonic transducer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The coating system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of ultrasonic transducers comprises a first set of ultrasonic transducers and a second set of ultrasonic transducers, and wherein the first set of ultrasonic transducers and the second set of ultrasonic transducers are mounted on a bottom portion of the e-coat tank in the zone-of-interest such that a first position of the first set of ultrasonic transducers staggers from a second position of the second set of ultrasonic transducers. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The coating system according to claim 6, wherein the first position staggers from the second position for an inhibition of at least one dead fluid zone in the zone-of-interest. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The coating system according to claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to control a defined trajectory of the metal part through the e-coat fluid solution within the e-coat tank. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The coating system according to claim 8, further comprising a carrier frame, wherein the metal part is mounted on the carrier frame, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to control the carrier frame to guide the metal part across a length of the e-coat tank in accordance with the defined trajectory. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The coating system according to claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to control at least the first intensity or the ultrasonic frequency of the directed plurality of acoustic waves over the defined time period to cause a dispersion or a de-agglomeration of the e-coat pigment in the e-coat fluid solution. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The coating system according to claim 10, wherein at least the first intensity or the ultrasonic frequency of the directed plurality of acoustic waves is controlled such that particles of the e-coat pigment unstick to walls of the e-coat tank. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The coating system according to claim 1, wherein the control of the first intensity of the acoustic waves corresponds to a rate of a removal of the first amount of the dissolved gases from the e-coat fluid solution of the e-coat tank. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The coating system according to claim 1, wherein the first intensity corresponds to an acoustic intensity of the plurality of acoustic waves in the e-coat fluid solution. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The coating system according to claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to control an orientation of the metal part in the e-coat fluid solution, wherein the orientation is controlled to cause a change in an angle of incidence of the plurality of acoustic waves on a surface of the metal part, wherein the change in the angle of incidence causes a change in an acoustic pressure on the surface of the metal part, and wherein the acoustic pressure corresponds to the controlled first intensity of the directed plurality of acoustic waves. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The coating system according to claim 1, wherein the deposition of the e-coat pigment on the metal part is based an acoustic range of each ultrasonic transducer of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers from the metal part, and wherein the acoustic range corresponds to the specific height of the metal part from the bottom level of the e-coat tank. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The coating system according to claim 1, further comprises a non-immersible ultrasound transducer that includes a radiating plate, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to control the non-immersible ultrasound transducer to direct an acoustic wave from the radiating plate to rupture a plurality of semi-immersed bubbles within a coating layer of the e-coat pigment on the metal part of the vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The coating system according to claim 16, wherein the radiating plate of the non-immersible ultrasound transducer is parallel to a surface of the metal part. ### Claim 18 A method, comprising: in a coating system that includes an e-coat tank, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, and control circuitry: controlling, by the control circuitry, the plurality of ultrasonic transducers to direct a plurality of acoustic waves at an ultrasonic frequency in a zone-of-interest of the e-coat tank, wherein the directed plurality of acoustic waves at the ultrasonic frequency causes a controlled degasification of a first amount of dissolved gases from a volume of an e-coat fluid solution that corresponds to the zone-of-interest; and controlling, by the control circuitry, a first intensity of the directed plurality of acoustic waves over a defined time period for a control over a deposition of an e-coat pigment of the e-coat fluid solution over a metal part of a vehicle, wherein the metal part is immersed in the e-coat fluid solution at a specific height from a bottom level of the e-coat tank. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, further comprising controlling, by the control circuitry, a trajectory of the metal part through the e-coat fluid solution within the e-coat tank. ### Claim 20 A method for performing degasification of dissolved gases in an e-coat fluid solution and e-coating on a metal part of a vehicle, the method comprising: immersing the metal part of the vehicle at a specific height in the e-coat fluid solution from a bottom level of an e-coat tank; directing a plurality of acoustic waves at an ultrasonic frequency in a zone-of-interest of the e-coat tank by controlling a plurality of ultrasonic transducers mounted in the zone-of-interest, wherein the directed plurality of acoustic waves at the ultrasonic frequency causes a controlled degasification of a first amount of dissolved gases from a volume of the e-coat fluid solution that corresponds to the zone-of-interest; and controlling a deposition of an e-coat pigment of the e-coat fluid solution over the immersed metal part of the vehicle by controlling a first intensity of the directed plurality of acoustic waves over a defined time period.