Numerical modeling of the electrostatic painting process

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Electrostatic painting and powder coating are well established industrial processes in wide use in the automobile industry. However a number of challenges exist in achieving maximum transfer efficiencies under all conditions. Furthermore quality control issues such as non-uniform paint coating, back corona in powder coating etc occur more often than they should. The normal approach to resolve these problems is to vary the operating parameters empirically. However because of the large number of variables involved, this often is ineffective. Prior efforts to model the process have had serious shortcomings because they have been limited in their assumptions and restricted to either electrostatic or aerodynamic forces. The goal of this project is to advance the state of the art by modeling the process through combining both electrostatic and fluid flow phenomena using modern numerical modeling techniques. Using this model, multi-variable optimization techniques may then be applied to determine the best operating conditions. A crucial part of the model is the inclusion of the particle size distribution (and resulting electric charge distribution) within the spray cloud. This factor has recently been demonstrated by the applicants to play a crucial role in optimizing transfer efficiency.