Automated coating system having smart end-effector tool
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsNicholas G. Amell, Jonathan B. Arthur, Thaine W. Fuller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Automated systems and methods of using a smart end-effector tool (20) including an applicator (30) to apply a coating onto an object surface (2) (e.g., a wind blade) are provided. The smart tool (20) can process on-board sensor signals and update its working state with a remote robot controller (28) in real time and send instructions to the robot controller (28) to adjust the tool's travelling around the object surface (2) and optimize the applicator's (30) operation.
Claims20
An end-effector tool mounted on a motive robot arm to apply a coating onto an object surface, the tool comprising:
- an applicator configured to apply a coating onto an object surface;
- one or more first sensors configured to detect a working state of the applicator, while the applicator applies the coating onto the object surface;
- one or more second sensors configured to detect a travelling state of the tool, while the tool travelling under the locomotion of the motive robot arm along the object surface;
- and
- a tool control circuit to receive signals from the first and second sensors and process the signals to generate state information of the end-effector tool.
A method of coating an object surface, the method comprising:
- providing an end-effector tool to a motive robot arm, the tool comprising an applicator configured to apply a coating onto the object surface;
- communicating the tool with the robot arm to update the respective state information;
- while the applicator applies the coating onto the object surface, detecting, via one or more first sensors of the tool, a working state of the applicator to generate applicator state signals, and detecting, via one or more second sensors of the tool, a travelling state of the tool to generate tool travelling state signals;
- processing, via a control circuit of the tool, the applicator state signals and the tool travelling state signals from the respective first and second sensors to generate real-time tool state information, notifications or instructions;
- transmitting the real-time tool state information, the notifications, or the instructions from the control circuit to a robot controller of the robot arm;
- and
- adjusting the tool's movement with respect to the object surface and the applicator's operation based on the real-time tool state information, the notifications, and the instructions from the end-effector tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.