Fanuc Robotics North America, Inc.

Fanuc America Corporation

Raymond J Guzowski

David W Lazar

Akihiro Yanagita

Douglas L Potts

Jeffrey Slagle

James W Ingles

A system for applying sealant material from a cartridge includes a cartridge fixture storing a plurality of cartridges each cartridge including unique identification information and containing sealant material, a cartridge robot for removing a selected one of the cartridges from the fixture, and a dispense robot for receiving the selected cartridge from the cartridge robot and applying the sealant material contained therein to a workpiece. A controller is connected to the cartridge robot and the dispense robot for operating the robots and a plurality of sensors are connected to the controller for generating the unique identification information for the selected cartridge, sealant usage per workpiece, sealant dispense pressure, sealant dispense temperature; and sealant usage from the selected cartridge.

Robotic cartridge dispenser and method

A method is disclosed for providing a steady transition state for an integral pneumatic dispensing system that is related to a robot. The method dispenses a single material using a pneumatic dispensing system having a single output including first and second shotmeters having first and second meters, first and second encoders and first and second pressure transducers. The method includes the step of loading the first shotmeter with the material. Once loaded, a pressure is applied to the material. The material is then dispensed out of the first shotmeter by forcing the material through the single output. Once the material in the first shotmeter is dispensed to a predetermined volume, the method begins to transition the flow of material from the first shotmeter to the second shotmeter. The transition includes the control of the volume being dispensed and the pressure applied to the material. By controlling both the volume and the pressure of the material, the transition between the two shotmeters is smooth allowing for uninterrupted production. In addition, the volume of material being applied can be better monitored reducing the number of times the production has to stop due to inadvertently running out of material.

Integral pneumatic dispenser and method for controlling same

A spray assembly for applying material to an object is provided. The assembly includes a plurality of spray nozzles each having spray openings for applying material to the object. Four nozzles are provided having two orientations each orientation with two spray widths. The assembly also includes a plurality of valves for controlling the flow of material through each of the spray openings. A manifold supports the plurality of spray nozzles and the valves and defines a feed bore and a spray bore extending between the feed bore and each of the nozzles. Water passages are integral with the manifold to regulate the temperature of the material flowing through the spray bores.

Airless spray tool

A method is disclosed for reloading a plurality of shotmeters supplying fluid material to a plurality of robots from a bulk supply. The method is capable of alternating which of the shotmeters is being reloaded at any given time. This greatly reduces the capacity requirements of the bulk supply. The method includes the steps of activating one of the shotmeters to define a primary shotmeter. The material in the primary shotmeter is then dispensed. Once the primary shotmeter is emptied, the other of the two shotmeters associated with the robot is activated and becomes the primary shotmeter. This shotmeter then dispenses the material. A request is forwarded to the system programming logic controller to reload the emptied shotmeter. Once approval is received, the emptied shotmeter is reloaded. The system programming logic controller only allows the emptied shotmeter to reload when the emptied shotmeter is the only one of the plurality of shotmeters relying on the bulk supply at that time.

Method for controlling bulk supply of material to integral pneumatic dispenser

An apparatus (50) and method for dispensing fluid material (55) from a dispensing gun (53) onto a workpiece (17) includes a metering cylinder (56) having a metering chamber formed therein with a pair of variable volume chamber portions (66,67), a valve assembly (52) connected to a supply of fluid material (51), the dispensing gun and to the chamber portions, and a control (58) connected to a meter actuator (60) connected to the metering cylinder and a valve actuator (59) connected to the valve assembly. The control (58) controls the meter actuator (60) and the valve actuator (59) in first and second modes of operation to dispense the fluid material (55) from the dispensing gun (53) by alternately drawing from the supply of fluid material (51) through the valve assembly into a first one of the chamber portions and forcing the fluid material from a second one of the chamber portions through the valve assembly to the dispensing gun. If the amount of material dispensed is less than the volume of the metering chamber, the control (58) controls the metering actuator (60) and the valve actuator (59) in a third mode of operation to force the fluid material in the metering cylinder (56) from one of the chamber portions into the other one of the chamber portions through the valve assembly (52) without forcing the fluid material from the valve assembly to the dispensing gun thereby resetting the dispensing apparatus.

Apparatus and method for dispensing fluid material

A variable form spray system includes a robot manipulator, a masking tool assembly integrated with the manipulator, sealer supply hardware which supplies spray material to the manipulator and sealer recovery hardware which recovers material sprayed and skived by the masking tool assembly. Spray pattern form is controlled by collecting overspray using adjustable skive manifolds of the assembly on each side of the spray pattern which function to vacuum off the edges of the airless spray pattern. The positions of the skive manifolds are programmable.

Method and system for spraying material in a spray pattern having a

A method and system are provided for detecting blockage in a spray gun of a liquid spray system wherein a first transducer is positioned to detect the pressure of paint or sealer in a supply line at an upstream position and a second transducer is positioned immediately adjacent and upstream a spray orifice of a spray gun to detect a second pressure of the liquid wherein a pressure drop of the liquid is calculated and a blockage signal is generated when the pressure drop is less than a predetermined amount. Preferably, the line and the spray gun are sized so that pressure drop is at least 10 psi and preferably approximately 350 psi in the absence of any blockage.

Growing community of inventors

Fenton, MI, United States of America

Raymond J Guzowski