Application and Drying of Automotive Paints

汽车喷漆是生产中非常重要的一步，受到严格的质量控制，涉及多个步骤。机器人被用来操纵油漆喷雾器，喷雾器沿着优化的路径移动，以最大限度地减少使用的油漆量和循环时间。如果喷涂过程不正确，所得到的油漆层可能是不可接受的，通常是因为表面不均匀，油漆不能很好地粘附，或者油漆的颜色有变化。表面缺陷要么是由于涂漆不均匀而产生的，要么是由于涂漆膜沉积在表面后受到引力或毛细力的作用而产生的。越来越多的人努力用计算机模型来模拟油漆的应用过程，以减少将新车推向市场的成本和时间。

Painting of cars is a very important step in production, subject to strict quality control and involving multiple steps. Robots are used to manipulate paint atomizers that move along paths optimized to minimize both the volume of paint used and the cycle time. If the spraying process is not done properly the paint layer obtained may be unacceptable, typically because the surface is uneven, the paint does not adhere well, or there are variations in the colour of the paint. Surface defects either arise because of non-uniform paint application or are created by gravitational or capillary forces acting on the paint film after it has been deposited on the surface. Increasingly there are efforts to simulate, using compute models, the paint application process so as to reduce the cost and time of bringing a new automobile to market. The principal objectives of this project are to: 1) Observe atomization of paint in electrostatic rotating bell atomizers. 2) Develop models of paint atomization in bell atomizers, including the effect of electrostatic forces, atomizing gases, and surface grooves on the bell. 3) Determine the effect of paint application parameters that cause orange peel. 4) Study motion of particles in impacting paint droplets and drying paint layers. 5) Develop numerical models of paint drying and orange peel formation.