Automated System Possible?

[rpmvs]

Hello.

Looking to see if a automated system could be set up to sandblast, prime & paint 16" rims, all exactly alike.

I have no experience with paint but am a maintenance manager for a large taxi company.

I've been given the green light to see if a system is cost effective to set up.
The key is to be able to do this with the tire still mounted. We would like to have this system portable or mobile as we would like to service the other cab companies.
We can buy rims cheap enough but then have to mount and balance the tires.
We can send the rims out but then the turn around time is not controlled and the quality is hit and miss. We pay good shops about $ 40 per rim and hackers about $ 20 per rim.

Is it possible to set up a micro system to do only one rim style to keep costs down? Would this keep costs down as I envision stationary nozzle's without robotics as the size would never change?
Is it possible to turn around a rim in say 1/2 hour, 1 hour or 2 hours?
Would heat be required to make the process faster? Would this be ok with the tires mounted?

Thanks in advance as I have asked alot.

Lawrence

 

[TAZ]

Interesting. I don't know of any. I'm sure there would be somesort of machine that could do this, but I would think that would be quite costly.

As far as heating the rims, yes, this would help speed up the dry time. No it would not hurt the tires.
What about powdercoating? Of course, the tires would need to be removed for this to do, but it might be a tad bit cheaper.

 

[rpmvs]

Thanks for the reply.
Who are the better manufacturers or suppliers of paint systems that I can ask?

 

[TAZ]

As far as paint manufacturers, I guess you are talking about companies like Dupont, PPG, House of Kolor, Alsa....?

 

[XLXRider]

You would be adding cost if you left the tires on while painting... masking, larger facility required, possible damage to tires, poor opportunity to get a good job, etc.

You will want to keep the blasting part separate from the painting process; if not, you won't mind having sand in your paint. :crap: Of course, after blasting you'll need to wash the part so some type of washer/degreaser station will be needed. This could be as simple as a ventilated station where the parts are hand-wiped with the appropriate cleaning agent. Or as complex and expensive as a washer.

It is possible to do what you want. For a dedicated system with some flexibility (don't build it so part-specific that you can't do other wheel sizes, you will regret that) and high transfer efficiency, I can see a set-up where you'd want to paint electrostatically, using either an HVLP electrostatic gun or a small centrifugal atomizer (aka turbo-bell). I don't see the need for a conveyor, recips, oscillators, or automatics (unless you have the $$$ to go with a bell) if this is to be a low-volume job-shop, say 8 to 15 wheels/day. If you're looking to do several hundred a day, however, then you're talking a different ball game.
You'll need a batch oven. Large enough to hold at least one wheel! You'll need racking, to rack your part while you coat it. The racking should be modular, in that you'd put a (prepped) wheel on it, put it in your booth, prime it, paint it, flash it off, then remove the rack and wheel and place it on a similar holding fixture in your oven.

For Booths, you might try Global Finishing Systems. For a custom, purpose-built paint machine you can give Alpha Coatings in Fostoria, OH a call. Pricey, but they do good work. For application equipment, Sames (pronounced Sahm-Ez), Kremlin, Binks, DeVilbiss, Finishing Brands (formerly ITW), Ransburg, Graco - they all make good stuff. I'd shy away from the AccuSpray/TurboSpray/Can-Am turbine-air types of HVLP equipment for paints of the rheology that you'll be using, they're expensive and can't do the job efficiently. If you want to go full-tilt boogie high tech, I'd recommend FANUC and ABB as purveyors of excellent paint robots. You'll need a decent compressor, too, for a one-station paint operation with HVLP or bells you'll need AT LEAST a 5hp unit.

For coatings, you'll want to go with one of the Big Three: BASF, PPG, or DuPont. There are many niche manufacturers out there, such as Akzo-Nobel, Henkel, etc. that may also be able to help. You'll want an OEM-type paint, not a refinish. So your oven will have to be capable of at least 285°F and at that you should get the paint "done" in about 10 minutes for one wheel.

I've been a paint engineer in the OEM automotive industry for 38 years. I can help you out on this forum, if you decide to do this project. It can be small or as big as your budget allows... and as you'll soon find out, there's a reason why every descriptive word for paint begins with the letter "F". Har!

Regards,
XLXRider

 

[tomsteve]

anythings possible, but there is always a major cost in R&D.
have ya thought about powder coating? it would require removing the tires, but the finish will last a lot longer than paint, seems there would be less cost in setting up to powder coat rather than R&D of an automated system.