Application: Paint small and series-produced components flexibly and reproducibly
What this application is about
Various wet-spray processes are suitable for industrial application. Depending on the medium, component geometry, batch size and quality requirements, application can take place with a manual paint spray gun, a coating gun, an automatic spray gun or within a painting and coating system.
What the coating must achieve in the process
The application mainly concerns metal, plastic, wood, glass, ceramics and composites. The required effect occurs only when coating material, substrate, layer thickness and subsequent drying or curing fit together. The spraying process must therefore be adapted to the concrete material system and the real production conditions.
Alongside surface quality, material consumption, cleaning effort, system availability and reliable repeatability also matter. A sound technical solution therefore combines controlled atomisation with a stable material supply that is easy to regulate.
Challenges in spray application
Even small fluctuations in material pressure, viscosity, distance or movement control can change the coating visibly or functionally. Typical requirements include:
- high overspray content with very small areas
- precise switching points and short spray times
- Complete coverage of complex geometries
- fast variation and color change
- Reproducible positioning of the components
- economic automation of small and medium series
Flexibility without compromising repeatability
For small and serial components, geometry, color and lot size often change. The system must be able to be quickly retrofitted, but at the same time it must provide a reproducible spray pattern for each component. Devices, component position and spray path are therefore part of the process design.
Circular machines can be used for rotationally symmetrical parts. Complex geometries can be processed with multiple spray stations, lifting movements or robots.
- short set-up and colour change times
- Repeatable component position
- customized spray pattern for changing geometries
- low dead volume with small batch sizes
- Scalable manual or automatic process
Krautzberger application technology for this application
Krautzberger treats application and material supply as a connected system. Depending on the task, manual and automatic spray guns, suitable air and material nozzles, material pressure tanks, diaphragm pumps, pump and lifting stations, and material pressure regulators can be combined.
In automated processes, spray guns can be integrated into mounts, lifting devices, axes or robots. Material changeover valves and flushing equipment support applications with several colours or media. The specific selection depends on viscosity, solids content, application quantity, cycle time and component geometry.
For fine surface finishes, various XLINE nozzle combinations and spray patterns are available. With highly viscous, abrasive or sedimenting media, sufficiently large flow cross-sections, suitable material combinations, agitators and pressure-stable delivery become more important.
The focus is on compact hand and automatic spray guns, automatic rotary machines, lifting or robot technology, material pressure vessels, pumps, controllers and material exchange valves. The technically and economically suitable combination is selected for the specific medium, components and required production output.
Typical components and areas of application
The application is used in different industries and component groups. Typical examples are:
- Fittings and fittings
- small housings and covers
- Turned parts and rotationally symmetrical components
- Handles, buttons and controls
- technical plastic and metal parts
- Consumer goods and decorative parts
From manual application to automated installation
With frequently changing components, manual painting remains flexible. For recurring series, workpiece carriers, turntables or rotary machines can create a reproducible sequence with short cycle times.
In addition, component feed, extraction or ventilation, cleaning, media change and accessibility for maintenance work must be taken into account during the system integration. This keeps the process stable not only in the pattern run, but also in everyday production.
Advantages of a coordinated spray solution
- low material usage on small surfaces
- high flexibility in variants
- Reproducible serial quality
- Scalable automation
- fast color and material change
- coordinated solution from gun to system
Application trials at the Krautzberger technical centre
Liquid media and coating materials with similar names can differ considerably in viscosity, solids content, solvent base, wetting and drying. A reliable choice of spray gun, nozzle and material supply should therefore be made using the original material and a representative component.
Workpiece fixtures, spray direction, switching time and material quantity are optimised using real parts.
On this basis, the spray pattern, material quantity, pressure, distance, movement and cleaning sequence can be defined. The result is an application solution suited to the medium, the geometry and the intended production process.
Related products
All products
Matching solution for your process
Looking for a spray gun, an automatic spray gun or a complete material supply for this process? Krautzberger helps you select and design suitable spray technology, nozzle configurations, delivery and regulation.
Contact Krautzberger to discuss your medium, component, production volume and desired result. Together, we assess how the process can be implemented safely and economically.
Industries for this application
Whether small components are guided individually or run in indexed systems, geometry and batch size determine the spray pattern and the material use. This applies equally to components from automotive, plastics processing and aerospace.
