Method for coating a wheel hub assembly
OwnerMarco ROMANETTO, Piero BALLARIinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method includes mounting an assembled wheel hub assembly on a spindle, spraying a zinc flake coating material onto first surfaces of the assembly while rotating the wheel hub assembly, the spraying occurring while shielding second surfaces of the wheel hub assembly with a shield on the spindle and shielding third surfaces of the wheel hub assembly using a shielding tape. After creating the layer of zinc flake coating material on the first surfaces, heating the layer of zinc flake coating material using at least one infrared (IR) lamp to cure the layer of zinc flake coating material, the heating occurring while rotating the wheel hub assembly.
Claims16
A method comprising:
- providing an assembled wheel hub assembly comprising a rolling bearing, the rolling bearing including an outer ring having a first mounting flange and an inner ring having a second mounting flange and a center opening,
- providing a first spindle having a radially extending annular screen, the first spindle having a free end,
- inserting a free end of the first spindle into the center opening of the assembled wheel hub assembly until an axial end of the wheel hub contacts or is located within a first predetermined distance of the screen,
- rotating the assembled wheel hub assembly at a second predetermined distance from an air spray nozzle,
- spraying a zinc flake coating material, using the air spray nozzle, onto at least one axially facing front surface of the first flange and onto a radially facing outer peripheral edge of the first flange to create a layer of the zinc flake coating material while rotating the wheel hub assembly, wherein the air spray nozzle and the screen are positioned such that the screen prevents the layer of zinc flake coating material from forming on at least a first protected portion of the wheel hub assembly,
- positioning a shielding tape between the air spray nozzle and a second protected portion of the assembled wheel hub assembly, and
- after creating the layer of zinc flake coating material on the at least one axially facing front surface of the first flange and on the radially facing outer peripheral edge of the first flange, heating the layer of zinc flake coating material using at least one infrared (IR) lamp to cure the layer of zinc flake coating material, the heating occurring while rotating the assembled wheel hub assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.