JVL Controllers in Spray Robot Application

At MAN B&W in Copenhagen, hard-metal coating of various ship motor components is done using thermal spray processes. Components such as exhaust spindles, piston rods, housings and piston rings are treated in this way.

Until now, a chrome coating has been used on piston heads and the process carried out abroad. But to achieve a longer-lasting coating with lower friction, and to save on transporting the units, Man B&W is currently experimenting with a process in which the coating is applied by powder flame spraying. This process allows various materials, such as Wolfram carbides, to be used in powder form.

The experimental set-up consists of a turntable and a robot that controls a spray pistol in the z and x axes. Movement in each axis is performed by Yaskawa AC servo motors, each driven by a JVL AMC12B AC Servo Controller.

Each Servo Controller is programmed to control movement in accordance with a predetermined sequence. Control of the Controllers is carried out from a KDM10 Keyboard/Display Module, via which the required motion sequence can be keyed-in and direction and velocity determined. In spraying the piston heads, the spray pistol must be moved up and down a certain number of times in each piston ring groove while the piston head is rotated. The pistol then moves onto the next groove.

The set-up is primarily intended for components with rotational symmetry but will also be suitable for use on plane surfaces.

 

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