JP7532727B2 - Systems and methods for applying non-Newtonian fluids - Patents.com - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a system and method for applying a non-Newtonian fluid, such as a sealant, using an application roller.

When assembling structural components of an aircraft, a sealant is applied to the joining surfaces of the components based on requirements for waterproofing, corrosion resistance, etc. For example, the sealant is applied and spread over the joining surfaces while a roller is rotated over the joining surfaces to which the sealant has been applied.
The application of the sealant using a roller is performed manually while checking the condition of the sealant, such as the thickness of the layer that the sealant forms on the joining surfaces.

There are few examples of attempts to automate the application of sealant using an applicator, but Patent Document 1 discloses a sealant application device that can be applied to stringers of aircraft. This sealant application device is equipped with a sealant application mechanism that is suspended from a frame and can run along a rail and is mounted on a cart that can move up and down, and a work support positioner that can apply contact pressure between a work such as a stringer and the sealant application mechanism. The sealant application mechanism includes a sealant supply device and a sawtooth sealant leveling roll that is arranged in series with the supply device. This sealant application mechanism runs following the shape of the work, and while pressing the leveling roll against the work, it evenly distributes the sealant supplied to the joint surface by the supply device to each sawtooth of the leveling roll. The running speed and the peripheral speed of the leveling roll are synchronized.

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 1-179773

Since it is difficult to stabilize the state of application of the sealant using an application device, it is difficult to commercialize an application device that automates the process of applying the sealant, and the process of applying the sealant is still performed manually.
In order to ensure the quality of the joint between parts that are assembled with the sealant between them, it is necessary to apply the sealant to the joint surfaces in a consistent thickness.

An experienced worker can stabilize the condition of the application by checking the viscosity of the sealant dispensed from the dispenser and the condition of the applied sealant, and then adjusting the pressing force of the roller against the joining surface, the speed at which the roller is moved, and, if necessary, the number of times the roller is moved back and forth, based on experience.
However, this requires the securing of skilled workers, and there is a limit to the speed of manual coating, even for experienced workers. In light of the current situation where the coating condition is stabilized by adjusting the roller speed while checking the condition of the sealant each time coating is performed, it is difficult to meet the demand for improved productivity by speeding up the coating process.

In view of the above, the present disclosure aims to provide a system and method that can realize the stable application of non-Newtonian fluids such as sealants, thereby enabling the practical application of application systems.

The non-Newtonian fluid application system disclosed herein includes an application roller that is rotationally driven and rolls over a target area of a target member, a supply mechanism that supplies non-Newtonian fluid to the outer periphery of the application roller, and a supply roller that is disposed in front of the application roller in the direction in which the application roller rolls, with a gap between the supply roller and the application roller. The supply roller is rotationally driven in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the application roller. The non-Newtonian fluid is applied from the application roller to the target area while the target member and the application roller are moved relatively by the movement mechanism.

The present disclosure also provides a method for applying a non-Newtonian fluid to a target area of a target member using an application roller that rolls over the target area, and includes an application step in which a non-Newtonian fluid application system including an application roller rotates the application roller and a supply roller that is disposed in front of the application roller in the direction in which the application roller rolls, in opposite directions, and applies the non-Newtonian fluid from the application roller to the target area while supplying the non-Newtonian fluid to the outer periphery of the application roller while moving the target member and the application roller relatively.

According to the present disclosure, in addition to the application roller, a supply roller that is driven to rotate in the opposite direction to the application roller is used, so that a layer of non-Newtonian fluid of a stable thickness can be formed in the target area through the gap between the application roller and the supply roller. By stabilizing the application state of the non-Newtonian fluid, it is possible to automate and speed up the application of the non-Newtonian fluid.

2 is a partially cutaway view showing a moving body of the sealant application system according to the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a moving body of the sealant application system as viewed from the direction of the arrow II in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the sealant application system shown in FIG. 1 . 4 is a plan view showing a schematic view of a member, an application roller, and a supply roller, which are arranged in a substantially horizontal position, as viewed from above. FIG. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a state in which the sealant that has passed between an application roller and a supply roller is applied to a target member; 13 is a comparative example, and is a diagram illustrating a state in which the sealant that has passed between the application roller and the plate is applied to a target member. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the orientation of the application roller and the sealant supply mechanism is inclined by a swing mechanism provided on the moving body in FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a stringer as a target member for application. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a frame as a target member for application. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a normal vector as a shape parameter of a target member. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a moving body of a sealant application system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram of the sealant application system shown in FIG. 9 . 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining the relationship between the ease with which the sealant peels off from the applying roller and the speed of the applying roller (second embodiment). FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining the relationship between the ease with which the sealant peels off from the applying roller and the speed of the applying roller (first comparative example). FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining the relationship between the ease with which the sealant peels off from the applying roller and the applying roller speed (second comparative example). FIG.

The following describes an embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiment described below discloses a system and method for applying a sealant 3 to a member 2 using an application roller 11.

[First embodiment]
According to the sealant application system 1 (FIGS. 1 to 3) of this embodiment, a sealant 3 can be applied to a member 2 constituting an aircraft fuselage, which is an example of a target member.

[Materials to be coated]
The member 2 corresponds to, for example, the stringer 2-1 shown in Fig. 7A or the frame 2-2 shown in Fig. 7B. Both the stringer 2-1 and the frame 2-2 are structural members of an aircraft and are joined to a skin (not shown). The cross-sectional shape of the stringer 2-1 is merely an example.
Due to requirements for waterproofing and corrosion resistance, for example, a sealant 3 is applied to the target area 2A of the stringer 2-1, and then the stringer 2-1 and the skin are joined by an appropriate method such as fastening.
As shown in FIG. 4, the member 2 can be positioned at a predetermined position by a positioning member 9.
When applying the sealant 3 to a target area 2A, which is a joining surface of a structural member of an aircraft, the sealant 3 is required to be applied over the entire target area 2A.

[Sealing material]
The sealant 3 contains an appropriate dispersoid selected from the viewpoint of weather resistance and the like, and a dispersion medium, and is applied to the target area 2A of the component 2 in a fluid state before hardening. When applied, the sealant 3 corresponds to a non-Newtonian fluid that exhibits viscosity.
The gap between the target area 2A of the member 2 and the target area of a corresponding member (for example, a skin) is sealed by the sealing material 3 being hardened by drying or the like.

In addition to the sealing function, the sealing material 3 may have an adhesive function to bond components together by adhesive force. In that case, the components are bonded together as the sealing material 3 between the components hardens. At this time, while the components are positioned relative to each other, pressure and heat treatments may be performed as necessary.

In this embodiment, the sealing material 3 is sealed in a cylindrical container 3C (FIGS. 1 and 2) and stored under temperature control. The container 3C is provided with a nozzle 31 that discharges the sealing material 3 onto the application roller 11. When the container 3C is opened before use, the container 3C is detachably attached to a moving body 40 including the application roller 11. When the container 3C is replaced with a new container 3C, all of the members that come into contact with the sealing material 3, including the nozzle 31, the piston-shaped extrusion part 32 inserted into the container 3C, and the application roller 11, are washed to prevent the sealing material of the used container 3C from being mixed with the sealing material of the new container 3C. In addition, during periodic inspections, the paths that the sealing material 3 comes into contact with, including the nozzle 31 and the application roller 11, are also washed.

[Sealant application system]
The sealant application system 1 (hereinafter, application system 1) shown in Figures 1 to 3 uses an application roller 11 that rolls over a target area 2A of a component 2, and applies sealant 3 from the application roller 11 to the target area 2A while moving the component 2 and the application roller 11 relative to each other using a movement mechanism 8.
In this specification, the terms "front" and "rear" refer to the front and rear of the direction in which the applying roller 11 rolls (rolling direction RD) with respect to the position of the applying roller 11 as a reference.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the application system 1 includes an application roller 11, a supply roller 12 arranged in front of the application roller 11, a supply mechanism 30 that supplies sealing material 3 to the outer periphery 11A of the application roller 11, a moving body 40 that includes the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12, and a control unit 6 that controls the rotational drive of the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12.
The control unit 6 or another control unit (not shown) drives the moving mechanism 8, whereby the moving body 40 having the application roller 11 is moved toward the member 2 at a moving speed.

Furthermore, the coating system 1 preferably includes a pressure mechanism 41 that brings the coating roller 11 and the target area 2A into contact with each other by elastic force, and a shape parameter acquisition unit 42 and a tracking mechanism 43 that allow the coating roller 11 to follow the shape change of the member 2. The pressure mechanism 41, the shape parameter acquisition unit 42, and the tracking mechanism 43 can be provided on the moving body 40 as in this embodiment.

(Supply mechanism)
The supply mechanism 30 (FIGS. 1 and 2) includes, for example, a container 3C, a nozzle 31, and an extrusion unit 32.
The extrusion unit 32 extrudes the sealing material 3 in the container 3C from the nozzle 31 by a driving device 33 such as an air cylinder whose driving is controlled by the control unit 6. The sealing material 3 is stably supplied to the outer circumferential portion 11A of the application roller 11 through the nozzle 31 in an amount corresponding to the application thickness.
As the sealing material 3 in the container 3C decreases, the pushing portion 32 moves, for example, from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG.

The nozzle 31 located near the outer periphery 11A gradually narrows in the rolling direction RD as it moves downward, and the opening area gradually expands in the width direction of the application roller 11 as shown in FIG. 2. It is preferable that the dimension of the lower end 31A of the nozzle 31 in the direction of the rotation axis 11B perpendicular to the rolling direction RD is set to be equal to the width dimension of the application roller 11 so that the sealant 3 is supplied from the nozzle 31 to the entire width direction of the outer periphery 11A of the application roller 11.

(Mobile)
The moving body 40 is moved by a moving mechanism 8 (FIG. 2) relative to the member 2 along a rolling direction RD in which the application roller 11 rolls. FIG. 2 shows only a mounting portion 81 of the moving mechanism 8 to which the moving body 40 is detachably mounted, and does not show the entire moving mechanism 8 equipped with rails or the like capable of guiding the mounting portion 81 in the horizontal and vertical directions.
The moving body 40 is moved by the moving mechanism 8 relative to the member 2 positioned at a predetermined position.

The moving body 40 includes an application roller 11, a supply roller 12, a support section 400 that supports the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12, a pressure mechanism 41 that includes a spring 411 as an elastic body, a shape parameter acquisition section 42, and a tracking mechanism 43.

(Application roller)
The application roller 11 is supported by a support portion 400 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis 11B, and is rotationally driven by a motor 11M (FIG. 2) under the control of the control portion 6.
The application roller 11 is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow R1, so that the application roller 11 moves in a predetermined direction (RD) while rotating about a rotation axis 11B and in contact with the target area 2A. The term "rolling" of the application roller 11 is used in this sense.

The application roller 11 is made of an appropriate material such as a resin material, and the supply roller 12 is also made of the same material.
As described later, it is preferable that the control unit 6 synchronizes the rotation speed of the application roller 11 and the rotation speed of the supply roller 12 with the relative movement speed between the member 2 and the application roller 11. When controlling the speeds of the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12, servo motors are used for the motors 11M and 12M.

As shown in Figures 7A and 7B, when the member 2 has a target area 2A that is long in a predetermined direction, the application roller 11 of the moving body 40 rolls on the target area 2A along the longitudinal direction of the member 2. At this time, the rolling direction RD of the application roller 11 is approximately the same as the longitudinal direction of the member 2.

The application roller 11 is preferably given a width equal to that of the target area 2A. In order to reliably apply the sealant 3 over the entire target area 2A, the width of the application roller 11 can be set, for example, several mm larger than the width of the target area 2A.
When the width of the application roller 11 is the same as the width of the target area 2A, it is possible to prevent the sealing material 3 from dripping from both sides of the width of the application roller 11, thereby preventing the accumulated sealing material 3 from affecting the thickness of the sealing material 3 at both ends of the width of the target area 2A, and preventing contamination of the sealing material 3 ejected earlier from the nozzle 31 with the sealing material 3 ejected later.
Furthermore, application of the sealant 3 over the entire target area 2A can be completed in a single application step in which the application roller 11 rolls from one end of the long target area 2A to the other end.

It is preferable that the application roller 11 has a diameter of at least a certain level, taking into consideration the stability of the application state of the sealant 3 and the increase in the application speed determined by the rotation speed and diameter of the application roller 11. If the application roller 11 has a diameter of at least a certain level, the application state of the sealant 3 can be stabilized by ensuring that the application roller 11 comes into contact with the target area 2A over an area of at least a certain level. In addition, the application speed can be increased while keeping the rotation speed of the motor 11M within an upper limit.
The diameter of the application roller 11 is preferably, for example, 30 mm or more.
In consideration of increasing the coating speed, it is preferable that the supply roller 12, which is synchronized with the rotation of the application roller 11, also has a certain or greater diameter, similar to the supply roller 12. The diameters of the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12 do not need to be the same and may be different.

The application system 1 can also be applied to a target area 2A that is wider than the width of the application roller 11. In this case, the sealant 3 can be applied to the entire target area 2A while the moving body 40 is moved by the moving mechanism 8 in the width direction of the target area 2A.

(Supply roller)
The supply roller 12 is adjacent to the front of the application roller 11 and is supported by a support portion 400. The sealant 3 supplied to the outer periphery 11A of the application roller 11 from above the supply roller 12 and application roller 11 accumulates between the supply roller 12 and application roller 11, and is supplied at a stable rate to the outer periphery 11C of the application roller 11 below the gap 13 through a gap 13 between the supply roller 12 and application roller 11, which are driven to rotate in opposite directions. The gap 13 functions as a nozzle that supplies the sealant 3 to the outer periphery 11C of the application roller 11.

The supply roller 12 is driven to rotate around a rotation axis 12B parallel to the rotation axis 11B of the application roller 11 by a motor 12M (Figure 2) under the control of the control unit 6 in a direction opposite to the rotation direction (R2) of the application roller 11 (R1).
The supply roller 12 does not come into contact with the target area 2A when the application roller 11 applies the coating to the target area 2A.

To stably supply the sealing material 3 across the entire width of the outer periphery 11C, it is preferable that the width of the supply roller 12 is the same or approximately the same as the width of the application roller 11. To avoid a situation where the width of the supply roller 12 is too wide compared to the width of the application roller 11, causing the sealing material 3 to accumulate on both sides of the supply roller 12 and affecting the thickness of the sealing material 3 on both sides of the application roller 11 in the width direction, it is preferable to keep the difference in width between the rollers 11 and 12 to a few mm, even if the width of the supply roller 12 is wide.

The sealing material 3 supplied from the nozzle 31 of the supply mechanism 30 to the outer periphery 11A of the application roller 11 as shown in Figure 5A passes through the gap 13 between the rollers 11, 12 as the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12 rotate, and forms a layer 3L1 of a thickness corresponding to the dimension of the gap 13 over the entire width direction of the outer periphery 11C.
The outer circumferential portion 11C corresponds to the range from the position of the gap 13 to the target area 2A on the rotating applying roller 11. The outer circumferential portion 11A is located above the gap 13.

Even if the amount of sealing material 3 supplied per unit time from the nozzle 31 fluctuates, the sealing material 3 accumulates between the rollers 11, 12 and is supplied to the outer periphery 11C through the gap 13 as the rollers 11, 12 rotate at a uniform flow rate across the entire width direction, so the thickness of the sealing material 3 in the outer periphery 11C is stable. Therefore, the thickness t of the layer 3L2 of the sealing material 3 formed on the target area 2A by transfer from the outer periphery 11C can be stabilized.

The amount of sealing material 3 that accumulates between the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12 is the minimum amount necessary to stabilize the application state of the sealing material 3.

As shown in the comparative example in Figure 5B, when a plate 14 is installed in a predetermined position in front of the application roller 11 instead of the supply roller 12, the sealing material 3 remains on the plate 14, and the behavior of the sealing material 3 moving from above the gap 15 to the outer periphery 11C is unstable, so the thickness of the sealing material 3 is unstable neither in the outer periphery 11C nor in the target area 2A.

The supply roller 12 is preferably provided with circular partitions 121 (FIG. 1) on both sides in the axial direction. The pair of partitions 121 rotate together with the supply roller 12 around the rotation shaft 12B. The partitions 121 have a larger diameter than the outer periphery 12A, and therefore protrude from the outer periphery 12A over the entire circumference. Therefore, the sealant 3 accumulated in the section between the pair of partitions 121 is separated from the outside of the partitions 121, thereby preventing dust and the like from entering the sealant 3 from the outside, and the area where the sealant 3 is attached is limited between the pair of partitions 121, so that the area where the sealant 3 is attached can be easily cleaned.
The pair of partitions 121 do not necessarily have to rotate together with the supply roller 12 .

(Control Unit)
In order to more stabilize the thickness of the sealing material 3 applied to the target area 2A, it is preferable that the control unit 6 synchronizes the rotation of both the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12 with the relative movement speed F between the member 2 and the application roller 11.
Here, the relationship between the moving speed F, the thickness t of the sealing material 3 required in the target area 2A, the supply amount c (flow rate) of the sealing material 3 from the supply mechanism 30 to the application roller 11, and the width _W1 of the application roller 11 is expressed by the following equation (1).

α is a coefficient for correcting the supply amount c. For example, to prevent the thickness of the sealing material 3 in the target area 2A from being insufficient due to the sealing material 3 adhering to the outer periphery 12A of the supply roller 12 or the partition 121, etc., it is advisable to set a value of α greater than 1. It is also possible to adjust the supply amount c by changing α while applying the sealing material 3 from the application roller 11 to the target area 2A.

The control unit 6 can control the discharge flow rate of the sealing material 3 from the nozzle 31 to be constant or variable so that, throughout the period during which the sealing material 3 is applied to the target area 2A, the sealing material 3 accumulates between the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12, and the sealing material 3 is supplied to the target area 2A through the gap 13 and via the outer circumferential portion 11C.
An appropriate amount of the sealing material 3 may be supplied in advance between the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12 before application.

The control unit 6 , or another control unit not shown, drives the moving mechanism 8 at a moving speed F to move the moving body 40 having the application roller 11 in the rolling direction RD relative to the member 2 .
At this time, in order to make the thickness of the sealing material 3 more stable, it is preferable to match the moving speed F with the peripheral speed of the application roller 11. For the same reason, it is also preferable to match the peripheral speed of the application roller 11 with the peripheral speed of the supply roller 12. The rotation speeds _s1 and _s2 of the rollers 11 and 12 are determined from the moving speed F and the diameters _D1 and _D2 of the rollers 11 and 12, respectively.

Assuming that the diameter of the application roller 11 is _D1 and the diameter of the supply roller 12 is _D2 , the control unit 6 can, for example, derive the rotation speed s1 of the application roller 11 from the following equation (2) and derive the rotation speed _s2 of the supply roller 12 from the following equation (3), and use the rotation speeds _s1 and _s2 for synchronous control of the rollers 11 and 12.

The following are examples of setting values and control parameters set in the control unit 6. The control unit 6 can store the following setting values and control parameters in a storage medium, read them from the storage medium, and use them to control the supply mechanism 30, the application roller 11, etc.
<Setting value>
Required thickness: t [mm]
Traveling speed: F [mm/min]
Diameter of application roller 11: D ₁ [mm]
Width of application roller 11: _W1 [mm]
Diameter of supply roller 12: _D2 [mm]

<Control parameters>
Supply amount of sealing material 3: c [mm ³ /min]
Rotation speed of application roller 11: s ₁ [min ⁻¹ ]
Supply roller 12 rotation speed: s ₂ [min ⁻¹ ]

When the moving speed F and the peripheral speed calculated from the rotation speed _s1 and the diameter _D1 match or substantially match, the rotation of the application roller 11 is synchronized with the moving speed F. Similarly, when the moving speed F and the peripheral speed calculated from the rotation speed _s2 and the diameter _D2 match or substantially match, the rotation of the supply roller 12 is synchronized with the moving speed F. If the rotations of both the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12 are synchronized with the moving speed F, the rotations of the rollers 11 and 12 are also synchronized with each other.

When the rotation of the application roller 11 and the rotation of the supply roller 12 are synchronized, the flow of the sealant 3 through the gap 13 is stabilized, and the thickness of the layer 3L1 of the sealant 3 at the outer periphery 11C is also stabilized.
Furthermore, when the rotation of the application roller 11 is synchronized with the moving speed F, the application roller 11 rolls without slipping in the target area 2A, and the layer 3L1 of the sealing material 3 is stably peeled off from the application roller 11 and transferred to the target area 2A, thereby making it possible to more sufficiently stabilize the thickness of the layer 3L2 of the sealing material 3 in the target area 2A.

(Support part)
The support part 400 supports the application roller 11, the supply roller 12, the supply mechanism 30, and the temperature adjustment mechanism 7. The support part 400 includes a laminate including a first support plate 401, a second support plate 402, and a third support plate 403, a support column 404 that supports the container 3C and the driving device 33, and an attachment part 405 that is attached to the attachment part 81 of the movement mechanism 8.

(Pressure mechanism)
The pressure mechanism 41 has a plurality of (four in this case) coil springs 411 as elastic bodies supporting a second support plate 402 above a first support plate 401 that supports the application roller 11, the supply roller 12, etc. The height of the mounting portion 81 that supports the support portion 400 relative to the target area 2A is adjusted by the movement mechanism 8, and the elastic force of the coil springs 411 is adjusted by a plurality of (four in this case) expandable portions 431, so that the application roller 11 is in contact with the target area 2A in a pressed state by the elastic force of these coil springs 411.

Unlike this embodiment, the device supporting the member 2 may be provided with a pressure mechanism that brings the application roller 11 and the member 2 into contact with each other by elastic force.

(Shape parameter acquisition unit)
The shape parameter acquisition unit 42 is, for example, a line sensor that scans the target area 2A in the width direction using a laser. The shape parameter acquisition unit 42 is, for example, provided on the first support plate 401 and moves in the rolling direction RD together with the support unit 400 to detect shape parameters that indicate the shape of the target area 2A ahead of the application roller 11. The shape parameter is, for example, a normal vector perpendicular to the surface of the target area 2A. In FIG. 8, an image of the normal vector of the target area 2A that can be detected by the line sensor is shown by multiple arrows. When the shape of the target area 2A changes in the rolling direction RD, the detected normal vector changes. As shown by the normal vector in FIG. 8, the inclination of the target area 2A in the width direction is not necessarily constant.

The shape parameter acquisition unit 42 is not limited to a line sensor, and may be configured to include, for example, a camera that captures the target area 2A and an image processing unit that acquires shape parameters from image data obtained by the camera. The camera and image processing unit are not illustrated.

(Follow-up mechanism)
The tracking mechanism 43 uses the shape parameters (normal vectors) acquired by the shape parameter acquisition unit 42 to cause the posture of the applying roller 11 to follow the change in shape of the target area 2A. The pressure mechanism 41 having the coil spring 411 described above allows the applying roller 11 to follow the inclination of the target area 2A to a certain extent. The tracking mechanism 43 makes it possible for the applying roller 11 to follow even a large inclination that exceeds the tracking range of the pressure mechanism 41.
The tracking mechanism 43 has an expansion/contraction section 431 consisting of a plurality of expandable air cylinders or the like provided between the second support plate 402 and the third support plate 403, and an oscillation mechanism 432 for swinging in the width direction of the target area 2A.

Each of the pair of swing mechanisms 432 includes a motor 432B that drives the first support plate 401 relative to the second support plate 402 around a shaft portion 432A. The swing mechanisms 432 are disposed on the front and rear sides of the moving body 40 in the rolling direction RD.
For example, if the member 2 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, by driving the motor 432B using the control unit 6, the first support plate 401 and the rollers 11, 12 and container 3C supported by the first support plate 401 can be swung in the width direction of the target area 2A relative to the second support plate 402 and the third support plate 403, as shown in Figure 6.

The control unit 6 monitors shape parameters such as the normal vector to grasp shape changes such as the inclination of the target area 2A, and drives the expansion and contraction units 431 and the swinging mechanisms 432 to follow the shape changes, thereby changing the posture of the applying roller 11. By providing the moving body 40 with such a following mechanism 43, the angle at which the applying roller 11 can follow the shape changes of the target area 2A can be expanded, compared to a case in which the applying roller 11 is provided with a following mechanism, for example.
By using the attitude control using the shape parameter acquisition unit 42 and the tracking mechanism 43, it is possible to continuously grasp the shapes of a large number of components 2 having various shapes, such as the components 2 that constitute the body of an aircraft, including dimensional and shape tolerances, throughout the application process, and to stably apply the sealant 3 while applying an appropriate contact pressure to the application roller 11 and the components 2 without the sealant 3 causing the application roller 11 to slip in the width direction relative to the target area 2A or separating from the target area 2A.

By controlling the posture using the tracking mechanism 43, it is preferable to suppress the angle that the outer circumferential surface of the application roller 11 makes with respect to the target area 2A to, for example, 5° or less. This angle can also be expressed by the angle (for example, θ in FIG. 6) between the normal vector of the target area 2A and the central axis X set on the moving body 40.

An elastic body such as the spring 411 is not necessarily required to press the application roller 11 and the member 2 into contact with each other. For example, the application roller 11 and the target area 2A of the member 2 may be pressed against each other with a predetermined force by displacing the support part 400 in the vertical direction using the movement mechanism 8 while detecting the load applied to the mounting part 81 that supports the support part 400 using a sensor. In this case, the pressure mechanism 41 is not required.
Furthermore, if the attitude of the support portion 400 is controlled by the moving mechanism 8, the moving mechanism 8 will have the functions of both the pressure mechanism 41 and the follow-up mechanism 43, making the pressure mechanism 41 and the follow-up mechanism 43 unnecessary.

[Method of applying sealant]
An example of a procedure for applying the sealant 3 using the application system 1 described above will be described.
If the control unit 6 acquires the supply amount c of the sealant 3, the rotation speed s ₁ of the application roller 11, and the rotation speed s ₂ of the supply roller 12 through calculation based on the above-mentioned formulas (1) to (3) by the calculation (control parameter acquisition step), the moving mechanism 8 sends the moving body 40 in the rolling direction RD relative to the target area 2A at a moving speed F, while the supply mechanism 30 supplies the sealant 3 to the application roller 11 from the nozzle 31 at the supply amount c, and under the drive control by the control unit 6, the rotation of the application roller 11 in the R1 direction is controlled to the rotation speed s ₁ and the rotation of the supply roller 12 in the R2 direction is controlled to the rotation speed s ₂ , and the application roller 11 is pressed against the target area 2A by the pressure mechanism 41, and the sealant 3 is applied to the target area 2A by the application roller 11 (application step). In this application step, it is preferable to correct the attitude of the application roller 11, the supply roller 12, etc. using the shape parameters detected by the shape parameter acquisition unit 42.

The moving speed F of the moving body 40 relative to the member 2 can be variably controlled by the control unit 6 or another control unit. For example, in order to prevent the thickness of the sealant 3 from being insufficient at the step 2S (FIG. 5A) of the member 2, the moving body 40 may be decelerated before the step 2S in the target area 2A based on the shape parameters acquired before or during application, thereby increasing the amount of sealant supplied per unit length from the application roller 11 to the target area 2A, and the speed of the moving body 40 may be returned to the moving speed F after passing the step 2S. The rotation speed s ₁ of the application roller 11 and the rotation speed s ₂ of the supply roller 12 may be adjusted to follow such a speed change of the moving body 40.

According to this embodiment, by using the supply roller 12 in addition to the application roller 11, a layer 3L2 of a stable thickness can be formed in the target area 2A by the sealing material 3 that is supplied to the target area 2A through the gap 13 between the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12. Furthermore, as described above, only the minimum amount of sealing material 3 is retained between the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12, so that it is possible to prevent foreign matter from being mixed into the sealing material 3 and to prevent mixing of sealing materials 3 that have been discharged from the nozzle 31 for different amounts of time, and it is also easy to perform a cleaning operation to remove the sealing material 3 from the rollers 11 and 12.
By using the application system 1 including the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12, it is possible to move away from manual application work and realize automation and high-speed application of the sealant.

[Second embodiment]
A second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 9, 10 and 11A.
The following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment, with the same components as in the first embodiment being given the same reference numerals.
9 and 10, the coating system 1-2 of the second embodiment includes a temperature adjustment mechanism 7 that adjusts the temperature of the sealant 3 to a predetermined temperature. According to the coating system 1-2 and the sealant coating method of the second embodiment, a layer of the sealant 3 of a desired thickness is formed in the target area 2A even by coating once.

The temperature of the sealant 3 is basically close to the temperature of the environment in which it is used, and the physical properties of the sealant 3, including the viscosity, change depending on the temperature of the sealant 3. According to the second embodiment, by deriving the roller speed V _R during application from the relationship between the ease with which the sealant 3 peels off from the application roller 11 according to the temperature characteristics of the sealant 3 and the speed of the application roller 11, it is possible to stabilize the state in which the sealant 3 is applied to the target area 2A and improve the bonding quality between the components.

The setting of the roller speed _VR corresponding to the temperature characteristics of the sealing material 3 will be described.
The roller speed V _R corresponds to the circumferential speed of the application roller 11. The circumferential speed can be converted from the rotation speed s ₁ of the application roller 11, the diameter D ₁ , and the circular constant π. Therefore, the rotation speed s ₁ may be obtained as the roller speed corresponding to the temperature characteristics of the sealing material 3, and may be converted to the circumferential speed of the application roller 11 using the rotation speed s ₁ .

When the sealing material 3 is at a certain temperature T and has a certain viscosity η, the relationship between the ease with which the sealing material 3 peels off from the application roller 11 and the speed of the application roller 11 is expressed by the following formula (4).
V _G < V _R < V _S (4)
V _G : the speed at which the sealant 3 leaves the outer periphery 11A of the applying roller 11 prior to reaching the target area 2A due to the rotation of the applying roller 11 V _R : the speed equivalent to the peripheral speed of the applying roller 11 V _S : the speed at which the sealant 3 leaves the outer periphery of the applying roller 11 after reaching the target area 2A

Here, V _G is a speed that is determined relatively in relation to V _R depending on the physical properties of the sealing material 3. V _S is also a speed that is determined relatively in relation to V _R depending on the physical properties of the sealing material 3. V _G and V _S can be derived by testing and analysis.
When V _G <V _R , the sealing material 3 can remain on the outer circumferential portion 11C without being separated from the applying roller 11 due to gravity, centrifugal force, or the like, prior to reaching the target region 2A.
Furthermore, when V _R <V _S , the sealant 3 that has reached the target area 2 A and is subjected to gravity, centrifugal force, adhesive force with the target area 2 A, etc., can separate from the outer periphery of the applying roller 11 .
For example, when a coating test is performed by changing the roller speed V _R , if the relationship between V _G and V _R is reversed from equation (4) or the relationship between V _R and V _S is reversed from equation (4), the coating state will be difficult to stabilize.

From the above formula (4), the range (speed region SR) of the roller speed V _R between V _G and V _S is derived. The roller speed V _R is determined within this range. The speed region SR and the roller speed V _R can be stored in the storage medium of the control unit 6.
It is preferable that the roller speed V _R is sufficiently larger than V _G and sufficiently smaller than V _S. For example, the roller speed V _R can be set to the midpoint between V _G and V _S.

FIG. 11A shows a schematic diagram of the behavior of the flow of the sealing material 3 when the application roller 11 is rotationally driven at a set roller speed _{V_R} .
11A, when the relationship of the above formula (4) is established, the sealing material 3 forms a layer 3L1 of a stable thickness in the outer peripheral portion 11C below the gap 13, and when the layer 3L1 comes into contact with the target area 2A as the applying roller 11 rotates in the R1 direction, it separates from the applying roller 11 and forms a layer 3L2 of a stable thickness also in the target area 2A, as shown in FIG. 11A. At this time, the thickness t1 of the layer 3L1 and the thickness t2 of the layer 3L2 are equal to each other.

A case where the above formula (4) does not hold will be described with reference to Figures 11B and 11C. When formula (4) does not hold, even if a stable amount of sealing material 3 is supplied to the outer periphery 11A of the application roller 11, it is difficult to stabilize the application state of the sealing material 3 because the variation in the physical properties of the sealing material 3, such as the viscosity, due to the temperature, has a large effect on the flow state of the sealing material 3.

As shown in Fig. 11B, when V _R is sufficiently smaller than V _G (V _R << V _G ), the roller speed V _R is slower than that in Fig. 11A , so the sealant 3 attached to the outer periphery 11C separates from the outer periphery 11C and flows down due to gravity, centrifugal force, etc., before reaching the target area 2A due to the rotation of the application roller 11. Since the behavior of the flowing down sealant 3 is unstable, it is difficult to stabilize the thickness t1 of the sealant 3 in the outer periphery 11C. As a result, it is also difficult to stabilize the thickness t2 of the sealant 3 attached to the target area 2A. Since the relationship between t1 and t2 is t1>t2 or t1<t2, the thickness of the layer 3L2 of the sealant 3 on the target area 2A varies greatly.

11C, when V _R is sufficiently larger than V _S (V _S << V _R ), because the roller speed V _R is faster than that in FIG. 11A , the sealant 3 attached to the outer periphery 11C moves away from the target area 2A due to the rotation of the application roller 11 before it comes into contact with the target area 2A and separates from the application roller 11. In this way, when the sealant 3 does not separate from the application roller 11 even when it comes into contact with the target area 2A, the behavior of the sealant 3 is unstable, so that even if a portion of the sealant 3 moves from the application roller 11 to the target area 2A as in the example shown in FIG. 11C , it is difficult to stabilize the thickness t2 of the sealant 3.

For example, only a portion of the sealing material 3 attached to the outer periphery 11C is transferred to the target area 2A, and the remaining sealing material 3 is left in the same location (outer periphery 11C') even after passing through the target area 2A. In this case, the relationship between the thickness t1 of the sealing material 3 at the outer periphery 11C and the thickness t2 of the sealing material 3 attached to the target area 2A is t1 > t2, so that insufficient t2 means that the entire target area 2A cannot be covered with the sealing material 3, and part of the target area 2A may be exposed.

If the roller speed V- _R is selected in the speed range SR shown by the above formula (4), the rotation of the application roller 11 can be synchronized with the timing at which the sealant 3 separates from the application roller 11. In this way, as shown in Fig. 11A, regardless of variations in the physical properties of the sealant 3, such as viscosity, due to temperature, the sealant 3 does not separate from the outer periphery 11C and maintains the thickness t1, and when it reaches the target area 2A, it adheres to the target area 2A and separates from the application roller 11. Therefore, a layer 3L2 of the sealant 3 with a stable thickness is formed in the target area 2A.

Based on the results of a test in which the application system 1-2 applies the sealant 3 to the target area 2A while changing the roller speed V _R for each temperature condition, a speed range in which a stable application state was obtained in terms of the application thickness of the sealant 3 and the proportion of the sealant 3 covering the target area 2A is illustrated.
Verification test results:
When the temperature is 15°C: 2.5 to 3 m/min When the temperature is 35°C: 7.5 to 14 m/min

At both 15°C and 35°C, when the application roller 11 was rolled once from one end of the target area 2A to the other end to apply the sealant 3, the applied thickness of the sealant 3 (thickness of layer 3L2) measured by the film thickness gauge was 120 μm or more, and it was visually confirmed that 100% of the target area 2A was covered by the sealant 3.

When the test was conducted under the conditions of an air temperature of 35°C and a roller speed V _R of 5 m/min with the same single application as above, the application thickness of the sealant 3 was insufficient. In this case, an operation such as a second application is required to keep the film thickness constant.
In addition, when the test was conducted with a single application under the conditions of an air temperature of 15°C and a roller speed V _R of 10 m/min, the application thickness of the sealant 3 was insufficient and varied. In this case, there is a risk that the film thickness will not be stable even if the sealant is applied multiple times.
From the above test results, it can be said that there exists a speed range SR that contributes to stabilizing the application state of the sealant 3 depending on the temperature characteristics of the sealant 3, and therefore the test results are consistent with formula (4).

The above test results using the coating system 1-2 show that by rotating the coating roller 11 at a speed range that is suitable for the environmental temperature when coating is performed, a layer 3L2 of sealing material 3 with a stable thickness can be obtained in a single coating on the target area 2A.

From the above test results, the adaptation speed for each temperature is faster as the temperature of the sealing material 3 is higher. Therefore, when the application work is performed when the environmental temperature is relatively high, the application roller 11 rolls at high speed against the member 2 while applying the sealing material 3, and therefore the time required for the application process can be shortened.
In particular, from the viewpoint of shortening the application process, it is preferable to perform the application operation at a temperature close to the upper limit of the temperature allowable for the sealant 3 during application (for example, 35° C.).
In addition to the above, the higher the temperature of the sealing material 3, the wider the suitable speed range for each temperature, so there is a high degree of freedom in the devices driving the application roller 11, the moving body 40, etc., and appropriate speeds can be applied to the application roller 11 and the moving body 40, respectively.

When a test similar to the above-mentioned verification test was performed on the target area 2A that is at an angle of 5° to the horizontal plane, it was confirmed that the sealing material 3 was applied to a sufficient thickness over the entire surface of the target area 2A.

(Temperature adjustment mechanism)
The temperature adjustment mechanism 7 has at least one of heating and cooling functions, and adjusts the temperature of the sealing material 3 to a predetermined temperature. When heating the sealing material 3, the temperature adjustment mechanism 7 may be, for example, one equipped with an electric heating wire, or one equipped with a heat source and a heat medium such as hot water or hot air. When cooling the sealing material 3, the temperature adjustment mechanism 7 may be, for example, one equipped with a Peltier element. When the environmental temperature exceeds the upper limit of the allowable temperature of the sealing material 3, the temperature adjustment mechanism 7 having a cooling mechanism can maintain the temperature of the sealing material 3 at or below the allowable value.

The temperature adjustment mechanism 7 of this embodiment includes a cover 71 that covers the container 3C that is the supply source of the sealing material 3, and a heating wire (not shown) that is incorporated in the cover 71, and adjusts the temperature of the sealing material 3 to, for example, 30° C. or higher via the container 3C by controlling the output of the heating wire that is energized by the control unit 6. However, the temperature is controlled so as not to exceed the temperature allowable for the sealing material 3.
When heat is generated from the heating wire by energizing it, the entire area inside the cover 71, including the container 3C, the extrusion part 32, and part of the nozzle 31, is heated, as shown by the dot pattern in FIG.

The temperature adjustment mechanism 7 can be configured appropriately depending on the configuration of the supply mechanism 30. Although not shown, for example, the supply mechanism for the sealing material 3 may include a tank as a supply source, a nozzle that ejects the sealing material 3 onto the application roller 11, and a hose that connects the tank and the nozzle. In this case, the tank and the hose may be covered by a heating cover that serves as the temperature adjustment mechanism 7. For example, an electric heating wire may be incorporated into the heating cover.

In order to maintain the temperature given to the sealing material 3 by heating or cooling with the temperature adjustment mechanism 7 as long as possible until the sealing material 3 reaches the target area 2A, all or part of the nozzle 31, the application roller 11, and the supply roller 12 can be made of a resin material or the like having a lower thermal conductivity than a metal material. An example of a resin material that can be used is a silicone resin.
In addition to the heat retention, the temperature adjustment mechanism 7 can be incorporated into the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12 .

When the temperature of the sealing material 3 is adjusted to a constant temperature by the temperature adjustment mechanism 7, the speed range SR of the application roller 11 at which a stable application state of the sealing material 3 can be obtained is determined, as explained with reference to the formula (4).
By providing the temperature adjustment mechanism 7, the relationship between the temperature of the sealant 3 and the speed range SR can be established regardless of the environmental temperature. For example, it is possible to provide the sealant 3 with a temperature suited to the speed range in which the application roller 11 and the moving body 40 can be driven by the driving device.

[Method of applying sealant]
An example of a procedure for applying the sealant 3 by the application system 1-2 will be described.
The roller speed V _R is set from the speed range SR based on the above formula (4), and the control unit 6 obtains the supply amount c of the sealing material 3 and the rotation speeds s ₁ and s ₂ of the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12 converted from the roller speed V _R based on the above formulas (1) to (3).
In this case, as in the first embodiment, while the moving mechanism 8 moves the moving body 40 in the rolling direction RD relative to the target area 2A at a moving speed F, the supply mechanism 30 supplies the sealant 3 from the nozzle 31 to the application roller 11 at a supply amount c, and under drive control by the control unit 6, the application roller 11 applies the sealant 3 to the target area 2A while controlling the rotation speed of the application roller 11 in the R1 direction to _s1 and the rotation speed of the supply roller 12 in the R2 direction to _s2 (application step). During the application step, the pressure mechanism 41 presses the application roller 11 against the target area 2A, and the posture of the application roller 11, etc., may be corrected using the shape parameters detected by the shape parameter acquisition unit 42.
Prior to or in parallel with the application step, the temperature of the sealing material 3 may be adjusted by the temperature adjustment mechanism 7 .

According to this embodiment, the application roller 11 is rotationally driven at the roller speed V _R determined in the speed range SR corresponding to the temperature characteristics of the sealant 3, so that the sealant 3 can be applied to the target area 2A in a desired thickness even in a single application. According to this embodiment, as shown in the above test results, it is possible to realize an application speed that significantly exceeds the speed of manual application work.

In addition to the above, it is possible to select and discard the configurations given in the above embodiment, or to change them to other configurations as appropriate.
For example, the coating system 1 of the first embodiment may include a temperature adjustment mechanism 7 that adjusts the temperature of the sealant 3 to a predetermined temperature. In that case, the supply mechanism 30, the movement mechanism 8, and the rollers 11 and 12 can be controlled to the movement speed F, the supply amount c, and the rotation speeds _s1 and _s2 according to the temperature of the sealant 3.

[Additional Notes]
The above-described non-Newtonian fluid application system and non-Newtonian fluid application method disclose the following.
(1) A non-Newtonian fluid application system 1 includes an application roller 11 that is rotationally driven and rolls over a target area 2A of a target member (2), a supply mechanism 30 that supplies a non-Newtonian fluid 3 to the outer periphery of the application roller 11, and a supply roller 12 that is disposed in front of the application roller 11 in the direction (RD) in which the application roller 11 rolls, with a gap 13 between the supply roller 12 and the application roller 11. The supply roller 12 is rotationally driven in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the application roller 11. The non-Newtonian fluid 3 is applied from the application roller 11 to the target area 2A while the target member (2) and the application roller 11 are moved relatively by a movement mechanism.
(2) The width of the application roller 11 and the width of the supply roller 12 are the same or approximately the same.
(3) The control unit 6 is provided to synchronize the rotation of both the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12 with the relative movement speed between the target member (2) and the application roller 11.
(4) Equipped with a shape parameter acquisition unit 42 that acquires shape parameters that indicate the shape of the target area 2A in front of the direction (RD) in which the application roller 11 rolls based on the application roller 11, and a tracking mechanism 43 that uses the shape parameters to cause the posture of the application roller 11 to track changes in the shape of the target area 2A.
(5) The pressure mechanism 41 presses the application roller 11 and the target area 2A together to bring them into contact with each other.
(6) A temperature adjustment mechanism 7 is provided to adjust the temperature of the non-Newtonian fluid 3 to a predetermined temperature.
(7) The movable body 40 is moved by the moving mechanism along the direction (RD) in which the application roller 11 rolls, and the movable body 40 includes at least the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12 .
(8) The target component (2) is a component of an aircraft.
(9) The non-Newtonian fluid application method is a method of applying a non-Newtonian fluid 3 to a target area 2A of a target member (2) using an application roller 11 that rolls over the target area 2A, and includes an application step in which a non-Newtonian fluid 3 application system (1) including the application roller 11 rotates the application roller 11 and a supply roller 12 that is positioned in front of the application roller 11 in the direction (RD) in which the application roller 11 rolls, with a gap 13 between them, in opposite directions, while moving the target member (2) and the application roller 11 relatively, while supplying the non-Newtonian fluid 3 to the outer periphery of the application roller 11, and applying the non-Newtonian fluid 3 from the application roller 11 to the target area 2A.
(10) In the application step, the rotations of both the application roller 11 and the supply roller 12 are synchronized with the relative movement speed between the target member (2) and the application roller 11.
(11) In the application step, shape parameters indicating the shape of the target area 2A in front of the direction (RD) in which the application roller 11 rolls are obtained using the application roller 11 as a reference, and the posture of the application roller 11 is made to follow changes in the shape of the target area 2A using the shape parameters.
(12) The application step is performed while the application roller 11 and the target area 2A are pressed against each other and brought into contact with each other.
(13) Prior to or in parallel with the coating step, the non-Newtonian fluid 3 is adjusted to a predetermined temperature.

1, 1-2 Sealant application system 2 Parts (target parts)
2-1 Stringer 2-2 Frame 2A Target area 2S Step 3 Sealing material (non-Newtonian fluid)
3C Containers 3L1, 3L2 Layer 6 Control unit 7 Temperature adjustment mechanism 8 Movement mechanism 9 Positioning member 11 Application rollers 11A, 11C Outer periphery 11B Rotation shaft 11M Motor 12 Supply roller 12A Outer periphery 12B Rotation shaft 12M Motor 13 Gap 14 Plate 15 Gap 30 Supply mechanism 31 Nozzle 31A Lower end 32 Extrusion section 33 Driving device 40 Moving body 41 Pressurizing mechanism 42 Shape parameter acquisition section 43 Follow-up mechanism 71 Cover 81 Mounting section 121 Partition 400 Support section 401 First support plate 402 Second support plate 403 Third support plate 404 Support 405 Mounting section 411 Coil spring 431 Expandable section 432 Swing mechanism 432A Shaft section 432B Motor RD Rolling direction SR Speed range T Temperature t Thickness X Central axis

Claims (13)

an application roller that is rotationally driven and rolls over a target area of a target member;
a supply mechanism for supplying a non-Newtonian fluid to an outer periphery of the application roller;
a supply roller disposed in front of the application roller in a rolling direction of the application roller with a gap therebetween;
a shape parameter acquisition unit that acquires shape parameters indicating a surface shape of the target area in a forward direction in which the applying roller rolls relative to the applying roller;
a tracking mechanism that uses the shape parameters to cause the posture of the applying roller to track changes in the surface shape of the target area,
The tracking mechanism includes:
an expandable portion that causes the application roller to follow the change in the surface shape in a vertical direction;
a swing mechanism that swings the application roller in a width direction of the target area in response to the change in the surface shape,
the supply roller is driven to rotate in a direction opposite to a direction of rotation of the application roller,
a non-Newtonian fluid application system that applies the non-Newtonian fluid from the application roller to the target area while moving the target member and the application roller relatively with a moving mechanism; The width of the application roller and the width of the supply roller are the same or approximately the same.
The non-Newtonian fluid application system of claim 1 . a control unit that synchronizes the rotation of both the application roller and the supply roller with respect to the relative moving speed between the target member and the application roller;
The non-Newtonian fluid application system of claim 1 or 2. The tracking mechanism includes:
The rollers are disposed on the front and rear sides of the application roller in a rolling direction relative to the application roller.
The non-Newtonian fluid application system of any one of claims 1 to 3. A pressure mechanism is provided to press the application roller and the target area into contact with each other.
The non-Newtonian fluid application system of any one of claims 1 to 4. A temperature adjustment mechanism is provided for adjusting the temperature of the non-Newtonian fluid to a predetermined temperature.
The non-Newtonian fluid application system of any one of claims 1 to 5. a moving body that is moved by the moving mechanism along a rolling direction of the application roller,
The moving body includes at least the application roller and the supply roller.
The non-Newtonian fluid application system of any one of claims 1 to 6. The target component is an aircraft component,
The non-Newtonian fluid application system of any one of claims 1 to 7. 1. A method for applying a non-Newtonian fluid to a target area of a target member using an application roller that rolls over the target area, comprising:
a coating step of applying the non-Newtonian fluid from the application roller to the target area while rotating the application roller and a supply roller, which is disposed in front of the application roller in a rolling direction of the application roller and has a gap between the application roller and the supply roller, in opposite directions and relatively moving the target member and the application roller, and supplying the non-Newtonian fluid to an outer periphery of the application roller ;
In the coating step,
acquiring shape parameters indicating a surface shape of the target area in a forward direction in which the application roller rolls with respect to the application roller as a reference, and causing the posture of the application roller to follow a change in the surface shape of the target area using the shape parameters;
The posture tracking is
an operation of causing the application roller to follow a change in the surface shape in a vertical direction;
and oscillating the application roller in a width direction of the target area in response to the change in surface topography . In the coating step,
synchronizing the rotation of both the application roller and the supply roller with respect to the relative moving speed between the target member and the application roller;
The method of applying a non-Newtonian fluid according to claim 9. The coating step includes:
The application roller and the target area are pressed together to contact each other.
The method for applying a non-Newtonian fluid according to claim 9 or 10 . Prior to or in parallel with the coating step,
conditioning the non-Newtonian fluid to a predetermined temperature;
The method for applying a non-Newtonian fluid according to any one of claims 9 to 11 . The inclination of the target area in the width direction is not constant but variable.
The method for applying a non-Newtonian fluid according to any one of claims 9 to 12.

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