Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Jeffrey Petty

Timothy Jay Potter

Aaron Fiala

Daniel Joseph Ondrus

Kenneth P Tremonti

An innovative robotic foam application process that integrates system communications, non-contact vehicle insertion point locations, and applications controls to accurately dispense a two-component structural foam at a high volume and flow rate. The process begins by first inserting a baffle within the support structure. After an electrocoat application and bake, the baffles expand and are sealed within the support structure to form cavities having a fill hole. A hydraulic driven robotic dispensing system equipped with a high-pressure static mixer senses the respective fill hole, moves a robotic arm to a location sensed, and injects a high volume of mixed two-component viscous material within each of the respective located fill holes at a high fill rate. After dispensing, the viscous material undergoes an exothermic curing reaction to cure and is expanded to substantially fill each cavity.

Method for robotically applying large volumes of structural foam within automotive applications

A wear resistance coated bell atomizer ( ) and method for making same. The coating applied to the outer surface of a bell cup ( ) of the bell atomizer ( ) is preferably a silicon-doped amorphous carbon coating. This silicon-doped amorphous carbon coating significantly increases the usable life of a bell cup ( ) in a bell atomizer paint system ( ) by limiting the effects of abrasive materials on the wearable surfaces of the bell cup ( ), including the top serrated edges ( ), which may negatively affect the performance of uncoated bell atomizer spray equipment.

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Livonia, MI, United States of America

Jeffrey Petty