JP7629794B2 - Coating apparatus, manufacturing system, coating apparatus control method, and coating apparatus adjustment method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an application device for applying a coating agent to a substrate made of resin or the like. The present invention also relates to a manufacturing system equipped with this application device. The present invention also relates to a control method and an adjustment method for an application device for applying a coating agent to a substrate made of resin or the like.

Conventionally, a decorative structure is known that includes a base material made of resin or the like, a protrusion formed on one side of the base material, and an overcoat layer that covers the protrusion (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the decorative structure described in Patent Document 1, the overcoat layer is formed by applying a coating agent by a spray method or an inkjet method and then curing the applied coating agent.

JP 2014-213247 A

The inventors of the present application have developed an application device that applies a coating agent to a substrate made of resin or the like. For example, this application device applies a coating agent to the substrate to form a coating layer that protects the print applied to the surface of the substrate. As described in Patent Document 1, spray and inkjet methods are conventionally known as methods for applying a coating agent to a substrate, but in the case of the inkjet method, if the viscosity of the coating agent becomes high, it becomes impossible to eject the coating agent from the inkjet head.

In other words, when the viscosity of the coating agent increases, the inkjet method is no longer able to apply the coating agent to the substrate. Therefore, if the inkjet method is used as a method for applying a coating agent to a substrate, the types of coating agents that can be used are limited, reducing the versatility of the application device. On the other hand, with the spray method, it is possible to apply a coating agent to a substrate even if the viscosity of the coating agent increases. Therefore, the inventors of the present application decided to adopt a spray method in which the coating agent is sprayed from a nozzle as a method for applying a coating agent to a substrate.

However, the inventors' investigations have revealed that when a coating agent is applied to a substrate using a spray method in which the coating agent is sprayed from a nozzle, it is difficult to form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness while suppressing variations in the thickness of the coating layer formed by the applied coating agent. Specifically, when the temperature of the coating agent sprayed from the nozzle fluctuates, causing the viscosity of the coating agent to fluctuate, the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle fluctuates, making it difficult to form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness while suppressing variations in the thickness of the coating layer.

The present invention aims to provide a coating device that applies a coating agent to a substrate, which is capable of forming a coating layer on a substrate with a desired thickness while suppressing variations in the thickness of the coating layer formed by the applied coating agent, even when the coating agent is applied to the substrate by a spray method in which the coating agent is sprayed from a nozzle. Another aim of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing system that includes such a coating device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling and adjusting an applicator that can form a coating layer of a desired thickness on a substrate while suppressing variations in the thickness of the coating layer formed by the applied coating agent, even when the coating agent is applied to the substrate by a spray method in which the coating agent is sprayed from a nozzle.

In order to solve the above problems, the coating device of the present invention is a coating device that applies a coating agent to a substrate, and includes a nozzle that sprays the coating agent toward the substrate, a coating agent reservoir in which the coating agent supplied to the nozzle accumulates, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle, a pressure adjustment mechanism for adjusting the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle, and a control unit that receives an output signal from the temperature sensor and controls the pressure adjustment mechanism, the control unit stores supply pressure information in which the supply pressure of the coating agent at which the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle is constant is associated with each temperature, and supply pressure information is stored for each type of coating agent and type of substrate used in the coating device, and the control unit controls the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle is constant.

In the coating device of the present invention, the control unit stores supply pressure information in which the supply pressure of the coating agent at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant is associated with each temperature, and the control unit controls the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle becomes the supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant.

Therefore, in the present invention, even if the temperature of the coating agent fluctuates and the viscosity of the coating agent fluctuates, it is possible to suppress the variation in the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle. Therefore, in the present invention, even when the coating agent is applied to the substrate using a spray method in which the coating agent is sprayed from a nozzle, it is possible to form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness while suppressing the variation in the thickness of the coating layer formed by the applied coating agent. In addition, in the present invention, the supply pressure of the coating agent is automatically adjusted, so it is possible to easily form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness while suppressing the variation in the thickness of the coating layer.

It is also possible to suppress the variation in the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time when the viscosity of the coating agent changes by installing a flow sensor to detect the flow rate of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle, and controlling the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the detection result of this flow sensor so that the supply pressure is such that the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant. However, since the flow sensor for detecting the flow rate of the coating agent is very expensive, the cost of the coating device increases in this case. In contrast, the present invention uses a relatively inexpensive temperature sensor to suppress the variation in the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time when the viscosity of the coating agent changes, and therefore the cost of the coating device can be reduced.

In addition, in the present invention, the control unit stores supply pressure information for each type of coating agent used in the coating device . Although the viscosity of the coating agent may differ depending on the type of coating agent, in the present invention , the control unit can control the pressure adjustment mechanism so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent storage unit to the nozzle becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant, based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information according to the type of coating agent used in the coating device. Therefore, even if the type of coating agent used in the coating device changes, it is possible to form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness while suppressing variation in the thickness of the coating layer.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the control unit stores supply pressure information for each type of substrate used in the coating device . The ease of spreading of the coating agent on the substrate surface may differ depending on the type of substrate, and if the ease of spreading of the coating agent on the substrate surface differs, it may be difficult to form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness. However, in the present invention , the control unit can control the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information according to the type of substrate on which the coating layer is formed. Therefore, even if the type of substrate used in the coating device changes, it is possible to form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness. For example, some substrates have a relatively large contact angle, which makes it difficult for the coating agent to spread, resulting in a coating layer that is thicker than intended, or conversely, a relatively small contact angle may cause the coating agent to spread too much, resulting in a coating layer that is thinner than intended. In contrast, if supply pressure information is stored for each type of substrate, more appropriate control is possible, and a coating layer having a film thickness desired by the user can be easily formed on the substrate.

In the present invention, the coating device preferably includes a carriage on which the nozzle is mounted, and the temperature sensor is preferably mounted on the carriage. With this configuration, it becomes possible for the temperature sensor to detect the temperature of the coating agent at a position closer to the nozzle that sprays the coating agent. Therefore, the control unit can control the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the temperature of the coating agent detected at a position closer to the nozzle, and as a result, it becomes possible to effectively suppress the variation in the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle.

In the present invention, for example, the viscosity of the coating agent in the coating agent reservoir is 15 to 150 mPa·s, and the supply pressure of the coating agent included in the supply pressure information is 0.05 to 0.4 MPa. According to the inventor's study, in this case, it is possible to form a coating layer having a thickness of 10 to 40 μm on the substrate. Furthermore, according to the inventor's study, when the coating layer has a thickness of 10 to 40 μm, it is possible to reduce the frequency of cracks in the coating layer.

In addition, when a coating agent has a viscosity of more than 15 mPa·s, it is difficult to eject the coating agent from the nozzle of the inkjet head, but even with such a coating agent, the coating agent can be ejected and applied to a substrate by using the application device of the present invention. In addition, when a coating agent having a viscosity of approximately 100 mPa·s or less is used, a coating layer can be easily formed, but when a coating agent having a viscosity of 150 mPa·s or more is used, it is difficult to form a coating layer having the intended thickness only by controlling the control unit and pressure adjustment mechanism of the application device of the present invention, and manual adjustment by the user is required, for example, resulting in a loss of convenience. Therefore, the viscosity of the coating agent used is preferably 15 to 150 mPa·s. In addition, the viscosity of the coating agent used is more preferably 20 to 120 mPa·s, and even more preferably 25 to 100 mPa·s.

In the present invention, if a predetermined direction perpendicular to the vertical direction is defined as the first direction, and a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the first direction is defined as the second direction, the coating device includes a table on which a substrate is placed, a carriage on which a nozzle is mounted, a carriage holding member that movably holds the carriage, a first moving mechanism that moves the carriage back and forth in the first direction relative to the carriage holding member, and a second moving mechanism that moves the carriage holding member back and forth in the second direction relative to the table, and when the nozzle that sprays the coating agent moves once in the first direction together with the carriage, a strip-shaped coating agent that is a strip-shaped coating agent that is elongated in the first direction is applied to the substrate, and it is preferable that the second moving mechanism moves the carriage holding member relative to the table in the second direction by a distance less than the width of the strip-shaped coating agent in the second direction before the next strip-shaped coating agent is applied to the substrate. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the thickness of the coating layer from becoming thin at the boundary between the strip-shaped coating agents. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress the variation in the thickness of the coating layer formed on the substrate.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the second movement mechanism moves the carriage holding member relative to the table in the second direction by a distance that is approximately half the width of the strip of coating agent in the second direction before the next strip of coating agent is applied to the substrate. According to the inventor's investigation, this configuration makes it possible to more effectively suppress variations in the thickness of the coating layer formed on the substrate.

In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the coating device of the present invention is a coating device that applies a coating agent to a substrate, and includes a nozzle that sprays the coating agent toward the substrate, a coating agent reservoir in which the coating agent supplied to the nozzle accumulates, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle, a pressure adjustment mechanism for adjusting the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle, and a control unit that receives an output signal from the temperature sensor and controls the pressure adjustment mechanism, the nozzle is an external mixing type two-fluid nozzle that mixes the coating agent and compressed air externally and sprays the mixture, the control unit stores supply pressure information that corresponds to each temperature with the supply pressure of the coating agent at which the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle is constant, and the control unit controls the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle becomes the supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle is constant.
In the coating device of the present invention, the control unit stores supply pressure information in which the supply pressure of the coating agent at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant is associated with each temperature, and the control unit controls the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant.
Therefore, in the present invention, even if the temperature of the coating agent fluctuates and the viscosity of the coating agent fluctuates, it is possible to suppress the variation in the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle. Therefore, in the present invention, even when the coating agent is applied to the substrate by a spray method in which the coating agent is sprayed from a nozzle, it is possible to form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness while suppressing the variation in the thickness of the coating layer formed by the applied coating agent. In addition, in the present invention, since the supply pressure of the coating agent is automatically adjusted, it is possible to easily form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness while suppressing the variation in the thickness of the coating layer.
In addition, in the present invention, the nozzle is an external mixing type two-fluid nozzle that mixes the coating agent and compressed air externally and sprays the mixture . Therefore , it is possible to form a coating layer with a relatively thin thickness on the substrate. Furthermore , compared with a case where the nozzle is an internal mixing type two-fluid nozzle that mixes the coating agent and compressed air internally and sprays the mixture, it is easier to suppress scattering of the coating agent sprayed from the nozzle, so it is possible to apply a constant amount of coating agent to the intended position on the substrate. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress variation in the thickness of the coating layer formed on the substrate.

Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the manufacturing system of the present invention is a manufacturing system for manufacturing a predetermined product, and includes an application device that applies a coating agent to a substrate , a printing device that prints on the substrate before the coating agent is applied, a curing device that hardens the coating agent applied to the substrate, and a cutting device that cuts the substrate into a predetermined shape after the coating agent has hardened . The application device includes a nozzle that sprays the coating agent toward the substrate, a coating agent storage section in which the coating agent supplied to the nozzle is stored, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent storage section to the nozzle, and a cutting device that cuts the substrate into a predetermined shape. the control unit stores supply pressure information in which the supply pressure of the coating agent at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant is associated with each temperature, and the control unit controls the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle becomes the supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant.
In the manufacturing system of the present invention, the control unit stores supply pressure information in which the supply pressure of the coating agent at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant is associated with each temperature, and the control unit controls the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant.
Therefore, in the present invention, even if the temperature of the coating agent fluctuates and the viscosity of the coating agent fluctuates, it is possible to suppress the variation in the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle. Therefore, in the present invention, even when the coating agent is applied to the substrate by a spray method in which the coating agent is sprayed from a nozzle, it is possible to form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness while suppressing the variation in the thickness of the coating layer formed by the applied coating agent. In addition, in the present invention, the supply pressure of the coating agent is automatically adjusted, so it is possible to easily form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness while suppressing the variation in the thickness of the coating layer.

In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a control method for a coating device of the present invention is a control method for a coating device which applies a coating agent to a substrate, the control method comprising: a nozzle which sprays a coating agent toward a substrate; a coating agent reservoir in which the coating agent supplied to the nozzle is stored; a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle; and a pressure adjustment mechanism for adjusting the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle, the control method being characterized in that supply pressure information is stored in which the supply pressure of the coating agent at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant is associated with each temperature, and supply pressure information is stored for each type of coating agent and each type of substrate used in the coating device, and the pressure adjustment mechanism is controlled based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant.

In the control method for the coating device of the present invention, supply pressure information is stored that corresponds to each temperature the supply pressure of the coating agent at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant, and the pressure adjustment mechanism is controlled based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle becomes the supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant.

Therefore, in the present invention, even if the temperature of the coating agent fluctuates and the viscosity of the coating agent fluctuates, it is possible to suppress the variation in the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle. Therefore, if the application device is controlled by the control method of the present invention, even when the coating agent is applied to the substrate by a spray method in which the coating agent is sprayed from the nozzle, it is possible to form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness while suppressing the variation in the thickness of the coating layer formed by the applied coating agent. In addition, in the present invention, the supply pressure of the coating agent is automatically adjusted, so that it is possible to easily form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness while suppressing the variation in the thickness of the coating layer.
In addition, in the present invention, supply pressure information is stored for each type of coating agent used in the coating device. Although the viscosity of the coating agent may differ depending on the type of coating agent, in the present invention, based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information according to the type of coating agent used in the coating device, it is possible to control the pressure adjustment mechanism so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant. Therefore, even if the type of coating agent used in the coating device changes, it is possible to form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness while suppressing variation in the thickness of the coating layer.
Furthermore, in the present invention, supply pressure information is stored for each type of substrate used in the coating device. The ease of spreading of the coating agent on the substrate surface may differ depending on the type of substrate, and if the ease of spreading of the coating agent on the substrate surface differs, it may be difficult to form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness. However, in the present invention, it is possible to control the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information according to the type of substrate on which the coating layer is formed. Therefore, even if the type of substrate used in the coating device changes, it is possible to form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness. For example, some substrates have a relatively large contact angle, which makes it difficult for the coating agent to spread, resulting in a coating layer that is thicker than intended, or conversely, a relatively small contact angle may cause the coating agent to spread too much, resulting in a coating layer that is thinner than intended. In contrast, if supply pressure information is stored for each type of substrate, more appropriate control is possible, and it is possible to easily form a coating layer on the substrate with a film thickness desired by the user.

Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the adjustment method of the coating device of the present invention is a method for adjusting a coating device which applies a coating agent to a substrate, the method comprising: a nozzle which sprays a coating agent toward a substrate; a coating agent reservoir in which the coating agent supplied to the nozzle accumulates; a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle; and a pressure adjustment mechanism for adjusting the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle, the method being characterized in that supply pressure information is specified in which the supply pressure of the coating agent at which the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle is constant is associated with each temperature, and supply pressure information is specified for each type of coating agent and type of substrate used in the coating device, and the pressure adjustment mechanism is adjusted based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle is constant.

In the coating device adjustment method of the present invention, supply pressure information is specified that corresponds to each temperature the supply pressure of the coating agent at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant, and the pressure adjustment mechanism is adjusted based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle becomes the supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant.

Therefore, in the present invention, even if the temperature of the coating agent fluctuates and the viscosity of the coating agent fluctuates, it is possible to suppress the variation in the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle. Therefore, by adjusting the coating device using the adjustment method of the present invention, even when the coating agent is applied to the substrate by a spray method in which the coating agent is sprayed from the nozzle, it is possible to form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness while suppressing the variation in the thickness of the coating layer formed by the applied coating agent.
In addition, in the present invention, the supply pressure information is specified for each type of coating agent used in the coating device. Although the viscosity of the coating agent may differ depending on the type of coating agent, in the present invention, based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information according to the type of coating agent used in the coating device, it is possible to adjust the pressure adjustment mechanism so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent storage section to the nozzle becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle per unit time is constant. Therefore, even if the type of coating agent used in the coating device changes, it is possible to form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness while suppressing variation in the thickness of the coating layer.
Furthermore, in the present invention, the supply pressure information is specified for each type of substrate used in the coating device. The ease of spreading of the coating agent on the substrate surface may differ depending on the type of substrate, and if the ease of spreading of the coating agent on the substrate surface differs, it may be difficult to form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness. However, in the present invention, it is possible to adjust the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information according to the type of substrate on which the coating layer is formed. Therefore, even if the type of substrate used in the coating device changes, it is possible to form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness. For example, some substrates have a relatively large contact angle, which makes it difficult for the coating agent to spread, resulting in a coating layer that is thicker than intended, or conversely, a relatively small contact angle may cause the coating agent to spread too much, resulting in a coating layer that is thinner than intended. In contrast, if the supply pressure information is specified for each type of substrate, more appropriate adjustment is possible, and it becomes possible to easily form a coating layer on the substrate with a film thickness desired by the user.

As described above, in the present invention, even when the coating agent is applied to the substrate by a spray method in which the coating agent is sprayed from a nozzle in an application device that applies the coating agent to the substrate, it is possible to form a coating layer on the substrate with a desired thickness while suppressing variation in the thickness of the coating layer formed by the applied coating agent.

1 is a block diagram of a manufacturing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration of the coating apparatus shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of a coating apparatus body of the coating apparatus shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of the nozzle shown in FIG. 3 . 3 is a diagram for explaining a method of creating supply pressure information stored in the PC shown in FIG. 2. 2 is a diagram for explaining a method of applying a coating agent using the application device shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of a coating device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

(General configuration of manufacturing system)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a manufacturing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment is a system for manufacturing a predetermined product using a substrate 2 (see FIG. 3). In the manufacturing system 1, for example, a plate for a key holder used in a key holder is manufactured. The substrate 2 is formed of various materials such as resin, metal, glass, paper, or fabric. For example, the substrate 2 is formed of a resin such as acrylic resin or ABS resin. The manufacturing system 1 includes an application device 3 that applies a coating agent to the substrate 2, a printing device 4 that prints on the substrate 2 before the coating agent is applied, a curing device 5 that hardens the coating agent applied to the substrate 2, and a cutting device 6 that cuts the substrate 2 into a predetermined shape after the coating agent has hardened.

The printing device 4 is, for example, an inkjet printer. In the printing device 4, printing is performed on the substrate 2 using, for example, ultraviolet-curable ink. The cutting device 6 is, for example, a cutting plotter. The application device 3 applies a coating agent at least on the printing applied to the substrate 2 in order to protect the printing applied to the substrate 2 by the printing device 4. The coating agent is, for example, an ultraviolet-curable coating agent or a heat-curable coating agent.

When the coating agent is an ultraviolet-curing coating agent, the curing device 5 is equipped with an ultraviolet irradiator that irradiates ultraviolet light onto the coating agent applied to the substrate 2. When the coating agent is a thermosetting coating agent, the curing device 5 is equipped with a heating mechanism that heats the coating agent applied to the substrate 2. The coating agent cured by the curing device 5 becomes a coating layer. The thickness of the coating layer formed on the substrate 2 is 10 to 40 μm. In this embodiment, a coating layer with a relatively high hardness is formed on the substrate 2.

The time it takes to apply a coating agent to one substrate 2 using one application device 3 is less than half the time it takes to print on one substrate 2 using one printing device 4. Therefore, the manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment is composed of, for example, two printing devices 4, one application device 3, one curing device 5, and one cutting device 6, as shown in FIG. 1, and the substrate 2 printed by the two printing devices 4 is supplied to one application device 3.

(Configuration and Operation of Coating Apparatus)
Fig. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the coating device 3 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the coating device main body 10 of the coating device 3 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of the nozzle 13 shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining a method of creating supply pressure information stored in the PC 11 shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining a method of coating a coating agent in the coating device 3 shown in Fig. 1.

The coating device 3 includes a coating device main body 10 and a PC (personal computer) 11 for controlling the coating device main body 10. The coating device main body 10 includes a table 12 on which the substrate 2 is placed, a nozzle 13 that sprays the coating agent toward the substrate 2, a coating head 14 to which the nozzle 13 is attached, a carriage 15 on which the nozzle 13 and the coating head 14 are mounted, and a Y-bar 16 as a carriage holding member that movably holds the carriage 15. The coating device 3 applies the coating agent to the substrate 2 using a spray method in which the coating agent is sprayed from the nozzle 13.

In the following description, the Y direction in FIG. 3 etc., which is perpendicular to the up-down direction (vertical direction, Z direction in FIG. 3 etc.), is the left-right direction, and the X direction in FIG. 3 etc., which is perpendicular to the up-down and left-right directions, is the front-rear direction. The coating device main body 10 is equipped with a main body side control unit, which is the control unit of the coating device main body 10. This main body side control unit is electrically connected to a PC 11. The PC 11 is a higher-level control device for the main body side control unit, and the main body side control unit controls the coating device main body 10 based on control commands from the PC 11.

The coating head 14 is held by the carriage 15 so that it can move back and forth in the up and down direction relative to the carriage 15. The Y bar 16 is formed in a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that is elongated in the left-right direction. The carriage 15 is held by the carriage holding member 16 so that it can move back and forth in the left-right direction relative to the Y bar 16. The nozzle 13, coating head 14, carriage 15 and Y bar 16 are disposed above the table 12. The Y bar 16 can move relatively in the front-rear direction relative to the table 12.

The coating device main body 10 includes a lifting mechanism 20 that raises and lowers the coating head 14 relative to the carriage 15, and a first movement mechanism 21 that reciprocates the carriage 15 in the left-right direction relative to the Y bar 16. The coating device 3 also includes a second movement mechanism 22 that reciprocates the Y bar 16 in the front-rear direction relative to the table 12. The second movement mechanism 22 in this embodiment reciprocates the Y bar 16 in the front-rear direction relative to the table 12. The left-right direction (Y direction) in this embodiment is a first direction that is a predetermined direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, and the front-rear direction (X direction) is a second direction that is perpendicular to the up-down direction and the first direction.

The coating device main body 10 also includes a coating agent reservoir 23 in which the coating agent to be supplied to the nozzle 13 accumulates, a temperature sensor 24 that detects the temperature of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir 23 to the nozzle 13, and a pressure adjustment mechanism 25 for adjusting the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir 23 to the nozzle 13. The pressure adjustment mechanism 25 in this embodiment is a pressure adjustment valve. Therefore, hereinafter, the pressure adjustment mechanism 25 will be referred to as the "pressure adjustment valve 25."

The lifting mechanism 20 includes a driving source such as a motor, and a power transmission mechanism such as a ball screw for transmitting the power of the driving source to the application head 14. The first moving mechanism 21 includes a driving source such as a motor, and a power transmission mechanism such as a pulley and belt for transmitting the power of the driving source to the carriage 15. The second moving mechanism 22 includes a driving source such as a motor, and a power transmission mechanism such as a ball screw for transmitting the power of the driving source to the Y bar 16.

The nozzle 13 is an external mixing type two-fluid nozzle that mixes the coating agent and compressed air externally and sprays them. As shown in FIG. 4, a supply path 13a for the coating agent and a supply path 13b for the compressed air are formed inside the nozzle 13. The supply path 13b is formed, for example, in a ring shape surrounding the supply path 13a. A compressed air supply source (not shown) such as a compressor that supplies compressed air is connected to the supply path 13b. The nozzle 13 is detachably attached to the coating head 14. In this embodiment, the nozzle 13 is a round nozzle 13 with a circular nozzle or a flat nozzle 13 with an oval or elliptical nozzle. The nozzle 13 sprays the coating agent downward.

The coating agent storage section 23 is, for example, an ink bottle. This ink bottle is, for example, installed in an ink tank. The coating agent storage section 23 may also be an ink tank. The coating agent storage section 23 is disposed below the table 12. The viscosity of the coating agent in the coating agent storage section 23 is 15 to 150 mPa.

The temperature sensor 24 is mounted on the carriage 15. The temperature sensor 24 is attached to a pipe 28 that connects the nozzle 13 and the coating agent storage section 23. The temperature sensor 24 is also attached, for example, to a portion of the pipe 28 that is disposed inside the application head 14. The temperature sensor 24 detects the temperature of the coating agent passing through the pipe 28, thereby detecting the temperature of the coating agent supplied to the nozzle 13.

The pressure regulating valve 25 adjusts the pressure applied to the coating agent in the coating agent storage section 23, thereby adjusting the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent storage section 23 to the nozzle 13. The pressure regulating valve 25 is disposed midway along the piping 30 that connects the coating agent storage section 23 to a compressed air supply source 29, such as a compressor, that supplies compressed air to the coating agent storage section 23. The pressure regulating valve 25 in this embodiment is an electro-pneumatic regulator. The pressure regulating valve 25 controls the pressure of the compressed air applied to the coating agent in the coating agent storage section 23 in response to an electrical signal input to the pressure regulating valve 25.

The temperature sensor 24 is electrically connected to the PC 11, and an output signal of the temperature sensor 24 is input to the PC 11. The pressure regulating valve 25 is also electrically connected to the PC 11, and the PC 11 controls the pressure regulating valve 25. That is, the PC 11 outputs a control signal to the pressure regulating valve 25. In this embodiment, the PC 11 is a control unit that receives the output signal of the temperature sensor 24 and controls the pressure regulating valve 25.

A solenoid valve (not shown) is installed in the middle of the pipe 28. When this solenoid valve is turned on, the coating agent is sprayed from the nozzle 13, and when the solenoid valve is turned off, spraying of the coating agent from the nozzle 13 stops. The coating device main body 10 is equipped with a maintenance unit (not shown) for preventing clogging of the nozzle 13. This maintenance unit is installed in a position outside the area where the coating agent is applied to the substrate 2. This maintenance unit is equipped with a capping mechanism that covers the nozzle outlet of the nozzle 13, a coating agent receiving section for receiving the coating agent that is sprayed from the nozzle 13 before the coating agent is applied to the substrate 2, and the like.

Here, the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from nozzle 13 varies depending on the viscosity of the coating agent sprayed from nozzle 13, provided that the supply pressure of the coating agent to nozzle 13 is constant. Also, the viscosity of the coating agent sprayed from nozzle 13 varies depending on the temperature of the coating agent sprayed from nozzle 13. In other words, the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from nozzle 13 varies depending on the temperature of the coating agent sprayed from nozzle 13, provided that the supply pressure of the coating agent to nozzle 13 is constant.

In this embodiment, the PC 11 stores supply pressure information in which the supply pressure of the coating agent at which the amount of the coating agent sprayed from the nozzle 13 per unit time is constant is associated with each temperature. The supply pressure information is created in advance based on experimental results. When creating the supply pressure information, first, the viscosity of the coating agent used in the coating device 3 is measured according to the temperature (see FIG. 5(A)). For example, the viscosity of each of four types of coating agents, coating agent A, coating agent B, coating agent C, and coating agent D, according to the temperature is measured. In addition, the supply pressure of the coating agent at which the amount of the coating agent sprayed from the nozzle 13 per unit time is constant is measured according to each viscosity of the coating agent (see FIG. 5(B)).

From these measurement results, the supply pressure of the coating agent at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle 13 per unit time is constant is associated with each temperature of the coating agent, and supply pressure information is created and stored in the PC 11. In the supply pressure information, for example, the supply pressure of the coating agent at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle 13 per unit time is 2 (ml/min) is associated with each temperature. In this embodiment, the supply pressure of the coating agent included in the supply pressure information is 0.05 to 0.4 MPa.

The PC 11 stores supply pressure information for each type of coating agent used in the coating device 3. For example, the PC 11 stores supply pressure information for coating agent A, supply pressure information for coating agent B, supply pressure information for coating agent C, and supply pressure information for coating agent D. The PC 11 also stores supply pressure information for each type of substrate 2 used in the coating device 3. Specifically, for example, when a substrate 2 made of acrylic resin and a substrate 2 made of ABS resin are used as the substrate 2, the PC 11 stores supply pressure information for each of coating agents A to D when the substrate 2 is made of acrylic resin, and supply pressure information for each of coating agents A to D when the substrate 2 is made of ABS resin.

The PC 11 also stores supply pressure information for each type of nozzle 13 used in the coating device 3. Specifically, the PC 11 stores, for example, supply pressure information for each of the coating agents A to D when a round nozzle 13 is used and the substrate 2 is made of acrylic resin, supply pressure information for each of the coating agents A to D when a round nozzle 13 is used and the substrate 2 is made of ABS resin, supply pressure information for each of the coating agents A to D when a flat nozzle 13 is used and the substrate 2 is made of acrylic resin, and supply pressure information for each of the coating agents A to D when a flat nozzle 13 is used and the substrate 2 is made of ABS resin.

Before the coating device 3 applies the coating agent to the substrate 2, the operator of the coating device 3 sets the type of coating agent, the type of substrate 2, and the type of nozzle 13 in the PC 11. When the coating device 3 applies the coating agent to the substrate 2, the PC 11 controls the pressure regulating valve 25 based on the supply pressure information corresponding to the type of coating agent, the type of substrate 2, and the type of nozzle 13 set by the operator, and the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor 24, so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir 23 to the nozzle 13 becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle 13 becomes constant.

In other words, based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor 24 and the supply pressure information corresponding to the type of coating agent, etc., set by the operator, the PC 11 generates a control signal to the pressure adjustment valve 25 so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir 23 to the nozzle 13 becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle 13 per unit time is constant.

In the coating device 3, when the nozzle 13 that sprays the coating agent moves once in the left-right direction together with the carriage 15, a strip-shaped coating agent CA (see FIG. 6(A)), which is a strip-shaped coating agent that is elongated in the left-right direction, is applied to the substrate 2. The strip-shaped coating agent CA is applied to a position shifted from the strip-shaped coating agent CA applied immediately before by less than the front-rear width W (see FIG. 6(A)) of the strip-shaped coating agent CA. In other words, before the next strip-shaped coating agent CA is applied to the substrate 2, the second movement mechanism 22 moves the Y bar 16 in the front-rear direction relative to the table 12 by a distance less than the front-rear width W of the strip-shaped coating agent CA.

In this embodiment, the strip coating agent CA is applied to a position shifted by approximately half the width W of the strip coating agent CA in the front-rear direction from the strip coating agent CA applied immediately before. That is, the second moving mechanism 22 moves the Y bar 16 in the front-rear direction relative to the table 12 by a distance of approximately half the width W of the strip coating agent CA in the front-rear direction before the next strip coating agent CA is applied to the substrate 2. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 6(B), the strip coating agent CA is applied to the substrate 2 so that approximately half of the strip coating agents CA adjacent in the front-rear direction overlap each other. The surface of the coating agent applied to the substrate 2 in this manner gradually becomes flat over time due to the self-leveling effect of the coating agent.

(Main effects of this embodiment)
As described above, in this embodiment, the PC 11 stores supply pressure information in which the supply pressure of the coating agent at which the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle 13 is constant is associated with each temperature. Also, in this embodiment, the PC 11 controls the pressure regulating valve 25 based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor 24 and the supply pressure information stored in the PC 11 so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir 23 to the nozzle 13 becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle 13 is constant.

Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the temperature of the coating agent fluctuates and the viscosity of the coating agent fluctuates, it is possible to suppress the variation in the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle 13. Therefore, in this embodiment, by keeping the moving speed of the carriage 15 moved by the first moving mechanism 21 constant and keeping the distance (gap) between the tip (lower end) of the nozzle 13 and the substrate 2 constant, even when the coating agent is applied to the substrate 2 by a spray method in which the coating agent is sprayed from the nozzle 13, it is possible to form a coating layer on the substrate 2 with a desired thickness while suppressing the variation in the thickness of the coating layer formed by the applied coating agent. In addition, in this embodiment, the supply pressure of the coating agent is automatically adjusted, so it is possible to easily form a coating layer on the substrate 2 with a desired thickness while suppressing the variation in the thickness of the coating layer.

In addition, a flow sensor is installed to detect the flow rate of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir 23 to the nozzle 13, and the pressure regulating valve 25 is controlled based on the detection result of the flow sensor to provide a supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle 13 per unit time is constant, thereby suppressing the variation in the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle 13 when the viscosity of the coating agent changes. However, since a flow sensor for detecting the flow rate of the coating agent is very expensive, the cost of the coating device 3 is high in this case. In contrast, in this embodiment, a relatively inexpensive temperature sensor 24 is used to suppress the variation in the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle 13 when the viscosity of the coating agent changes, and therefore the cost of the coating device 3 can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the PC 11 stores supply pressure information for each type of coating agent used in the coating device 3. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the type of coating agent used in the coating device 3 changes, the PC 11 can control the pressure adjustment valve 25 so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir 23 to the nozzle 13 becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle 13 is constant, based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor 24 and the supply pressure information according to the type of coating agent used in the coating device 3. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the type of coating agent used in the coating device 3 changes, it is possible to form a coating layer on the substrate 2 with a desired thickness while suppressing variations in the thickness of the coating layer.

In addition, the ease with which the coating agent spreads on the surface of the substrate 2 may differ depending on the type of substrate 2, and if the ease with which the coating agent spreads on the surface of the substrate 2 differs, it may be difficult to form a coating layer on the substrate 2 with the desired thickness. However, in this embodiment, the PC 11 stores supply pressure information for each type of substrate 2, so the PC 11 can control the pressure adjustment valve 25 based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor 24 and the supply pressure information according to the type of substrate 2 on which the coating layer is formed. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the type of substrate 2 used in the coating device 3 changes, it is possible to form a coating layer on the substrate 2 with the desired thickness.

In addition, even if the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied to the nozzle 13 is constant, the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle 13 per unit time may vary depending on the type of nozzle 13. If the amount of coating agent sprayed from the nozzle 13 per unit time varies, it may be difficult to form a coating layer on the substrate 2 with the desired thickness. However, in this embodiment, the supply pressure information for each type of nozzle 13 is stored in the PC 11, so the PC 11 can control the pressure adjustment valve 25 based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor 24 and the supply pressure information according to the type of nozzle 13. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the type of nozzle 13 used in the coating device 3 changes, it is possible to form a coating layer on the substrate 2 with the desired thickness.

In this embodiment, the temperature sensor 24 is mounted on the carriage 15 on which the nozzle 13 is mounted. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible for the temperature sensor 24 to detect the temperature of the coating agent at a position closer to the nozzle 13 that sprays the coating agent. Therefore, in this embodiment, the PC 11 is able to control the pressure adjustment valve 25 based on the temperature of the coating agent detected at a position closer to the nozzle 13, and as a result, it is possible to effectively suppress the variation in the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle 13.

In this embodiment, the viscosity of the coating agent in the coating agent reservoir 23 is 15 to 150 mPa·s, and the supply pressure of the coating agent included in the supply pressure information is 0.05 to 0.4 MPa. Therefore, according to the inventor's study, in this embodiment, it is possible to form a coating layer having a thickness of 10 to 40 μm on the substrate 2. Furthermore, according to the inventor's study, when the coating layer has a thickness of 10 to 40 μm, it is possible to reduce the frequency of cracks in the coating layer.

In this embodiment, the second moving mechanism 22 moves the Y bar 16 in the front-rear direction relative to the table 12 by a distance less than the front-rear width W of the strip coating agent CA before the next strip coating agent CA is applied to the substrate 2, and the strip coating agent CA is applied at a position shifted from the previously applied strip coating agent CA by less than the front-rear width W of the strip coating agent CA. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the thickness of the coating layer from becoming thin at the boundary between strip coating agents CA and strip coating agents CA. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to effectively prevent the variation in thickness of the coating layer formed on the substrate 2.

In particular, in this embodiment, the second moving mechanism 22 moves the Y bar 16 in the front-rear direction relative to the table 12 by a distance of approximately half the front-rear width W of the strip coating agent CA before the next strip coating agent CA is applied to the substrate 2, and the strip coating agent CA is applied at a position shifted by approximately half the front-rear width W of the strip coating agent CA from the strip coating agent CA applied immediately before. Therefore, according to the inventor's investigation, this embodiment makes it possible to more effectively suppress variations in the thickness of the coating layer formed on the substrate 2.

In this embodiment, the nozzle 13 is an external mixing type two-fluid nozzle that mixes the coating agent and compressed air externally and sprays the mixture. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to form a relatively thin coating layer having a thickness of 10 to 40 μm on the substrate 2. Furthermore, in this embodiment, compared to when the nozzle 13 is an internal mixing type two-fluid nozzle that mixes the coating agent and compressed air internally and sprays the mixture, it is easier to prevent the coating agent sprayed from the nozzle 13 from scattering, making it possible to apply a constant amount of coating agent to the intended position on the substrate 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to effectively prevent variations in the thickness of the coating layer formed on the substrate 2.

Other Embodiments
The above-described embodiment is one example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, when the coating agent is an ultraviolet-curing type coating agent, as shown in FIG. 7, an ultraviolet irradiator 35 that irradiates ultraviolet rays to the coating agent applied to the substrate 2 may be mounted on the carriage 15 of the coating device 3. As shown in FIG. 7, the ultraviolet irradiator 35 may be mounted on the carriage 15 so as to be adjacent to the coating head 14 in the left-right direction, or may be mounted on the carriage 15 so as to be adjacent to the coating head 14 in the front-rear direction. In this case, the curing device 5 is not required. In this case, for example, a cover that covers the ultraviolet irradiator 35 from below and an opening/closing mechanism that opens and closes this cover are attached to the carriage 15. In this case, the coating device 3 is provided with, for example, a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the ultraviolet irradiator 35 relative to the carriage 15.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the function of the PC 11 may be built into the main body control unit, which is the control unit of the coating device main body 10, and the output signal of the temperature sensor 24 may be input to the main body control unit, which controls the pressure adjustment valve 25. In this case, the main body control unit is a control unit that receives the output signal of the temperature sensor 24 and controls the pressure adjustment valve 25. In this case, supply pressure information is stored in the main body control unit, and the main body control unit controls the pressure adjustment valve 25 based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor 24 and the supply pressure information so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent storage unit 23 to the nozzle 13 becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle 13 becomes constant.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the amount of deviation in the front-rear direction of the next strip-shaped coating agent CA relative to the strip-shaped coating agent CA applied immediately before may be less than half the front-rear width W of the strip-shaped coating agent CA, or may exceed half the front-rear width W of the strip-shaped coating agent CA. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the coating device 3 may be equipped with a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the room in which the coating device 3 is installed. In addition, the coating device 3 may be equipped with a humidity sensor for detecting the humidity in the room in which the coating device 3 is installed. In the case where the ease of spreading of the coating agent on the surface of the substrate 2 varies depending on the humidity in the room in which the coating device 3 is installed, the PC 11 may use the detection result of this humidity sensor when controlling the pressure regulating valve 25.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the nozzle 13 may be an internal mixing type two-fluid nozzle that mixes the coating agent and compressed air internally and sprays the mixed mixture. In addition, in cases where the coating layer formed on the substrate 2 can be relatively thick (for example, when the coating layer can be as thick as 50 μm), the nozzle 13 may be a one-fluid nozzle that sprays only the coating agent. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the temperature sensor 24 does not have to be mounted on the carriage 15. In this case, the temperature sensor 24 may be installed, for example, in the coating agent reservoir 23.

In the above-described embodiment, the second moving mechanism 22 may reciprocate the table 12 in the front-rear direction relative to the Y-bar 16. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the type of substrate 2 used in the coating device 3 may be one type, and the type of coating agent used in the coating device 3 may be one type. Also, the type of nozzle 13 used in the coating device 3 may be one type, or three or more types.

In the above-described embodiment, the supply pressure of the coating agent does not have to be adjusted automatically. That is, the pressure adjustment valve 25 may be adjusted manually. In this case, for example, the supply pressure of the coating agent is displayed on the monitor of the PC 11 based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor 24 and the supply pressure information stored in the PC 11, and the operator of the coating device 3 adjusts the pressure adjustment valve 25 on the PC 11. Furthermore, when the pressure adjustment valve 25 is adjusted manually, the pressure adjustment valve 25 may be a manual adjustment valve rather than an electro-pneumatic regulator. When the pressure adjustment valve 25 is a manual adjustment valve, the operator directly operates the pressure adjustment valve 25.

In addition, when the pressure adjustment valve 25 is adjusted manually, the supply pressure information does not need to be stored in the PC 11. Even in this case, the supply pressure information in which the supply pressure of the coating agent at which the spray amount of the coating agent from the nozzle 13 per unit time is constant is associated with each temperature is created based on experimental results. That is, even in this case, the supply pressure information in which the supply pressure of the coating agent at which the spray amount of the coating agent from the nozzle 13 per unit time is constant is associated with each temperature is specified. In addition, in this case, the operator of the coating device 3 adjusts the pressure adjustment valve 25 based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor 24 and the supply pressure information so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent storage section 23 to the nozzle 13 becomes a supply pressure at which the spray amount of the coating agent from the nozzle 13 per unit time is constant.

Even in this case, it is possible to suppress the variation in the amount of coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle 13 when the temperature of the coating agent fluctuates and the viscosity of the coating agent fluctuates. Therefore, even when the coating agent is applied to the substrate 2 using a spray method in which the coating agent is sprayed from the nozzle 13, it is possible to form a coating layer of the desired thickness on the substrate 2 while suppressing the variation in the thickness of the coating layer formed by the applied coating agent.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Manufacturing system 2 Substrate 3 Coating device 4 Printing device 5 Curing device 6 Cutting device 11 PC (control unit)
12 table 13 nozzle 15 carriage 16 Y bar (carriage holding member)
21 First moving mechanism 22 Second moving mechanism 23 Coating agent storage section 24 Temperature sensor 25 Pressure adjustment valve (pressure adjustment mechanism)
CA: Strip coating material W: Width of strip coating material in second direction X: Second direction Y: First direction Z: Up-down direction

Claims (9)

An application device for applying a coating agent to a substrate, comprising:
a nozzle for spraying the coating agent toward the substrate, a coating agent reservoir for storing the coating agent to be supplied to the nozzle, a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle, a pressure adjustment mechanism for adjusting a supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle, and a control unit for receiving an output signal from the temperature sensor and controlling the pressure adjustment mechanism,
the control unit stores supply pressure information in which a supply pressure of the coating agent at which a spray amount of the coating agent from the nozzle per unit time is constant is associated with each temperature, and the supply pressure information is stored for each type of the coating agent and each type of the base material used in the coating device;
The control unit controls the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent storage unit to the nozzle becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of the coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle is constant. a carriage on which the nozzle is mounted;
2. The coating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is mounted on the carriage. The viscosity of the coating agent in the coating agent reservoir is 15 to 150 mPa·s;
3. The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supply pressure of the coating agent included in the supply pressure information is 0.05 to 0.4 MPa. If a predetermined direction perpendicular to the up-down direction is defined as a first direction, and a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the first direction is defined as a second direction,
the nozzle is mounted on a carriage; a carriage holding member that movably holds the carriage; a first moving mechanism that reciprocates the carriage in a first direction relative to the carriage holding member; and a second moving mechanism that reciprocates the carriage holding member in a second direction relative to the table;
When the nozzle for spraying the coating agent moves once in the first direction together with the carriage, a strip of the coating agent that is an elongated strip of the coating agent in the first direction is applied to the substrate;
The coating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the second moving mechanism moves the carriage holding member relative to the table in the second direction by a distance less than the width of the strip of coating agent in the second direction before the next strip of coating agent is applied to the substrate. The coating device according to claim 4, characterized in that the second moving mechanism moves the carriage holding member relative to the table in the second direction by a distance approximately half the width of the strip of coating agent in the second direction before the next strip of coating agent is applied to the substrate. An application device for applying a coating agent to a substrate, comprising:
a nozzle for spraying the coating agent toward the substrate, a coating agent reservoir for storing the coating agent to be supplied to the nozzle, a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle, a pressure adjustment mechanism for adjusting a supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle, and a control unit for receiving an output signal from the temperature sensor and controlling the pressure adjustment mechanism,
the nozzle is an external mixing type two-fluid nozzle that mixes the coating agent and compressed air externally and sprays the mixture ,
the control unit stores supply pressure information in which a supply pressure of the coating agent at which the spray amount of the coating agent from the nozzle per unit time is constant is associated with each temperature;
The control unit controls the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent storage unit to the nozzle becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of the coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle is constant. A manufacturing system for manufacturing a predetermined product, comprising:
The apparatus includes an application device that applies a coating agent to a substrate , a printing device that prints on the substrate before the coating agent is applied, a curing device that cures the coating agent applied to the substrate, and a cutting device that cuts the substrate into a predetermined shape after the coating agent is cured,
the coating device includes a nozzle that sprays the coating agent toward the substrate, a coating agent storage section in which the coating agent to be supplied to the nozzle is stored, a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent storage section to the nozzle, a pressure adjustment mechanism that adjusts a supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent storage section to the nozzle, and a control section that receives an output signal from the temperature sensor and controls the pressure adjustment mechanism;
the control unit stores supply pressure information in which a supply pressure of the coating agent at which the spray amount of the coating agent from the nozzle per unit time is constant is associated with each temperature;
The control unit controls the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent storage unit to the nozzle becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of the coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle is constant . A control method for a coating device which applies a coating agent to a substrate, the control method comprising: a nozzle which sprays a coating agent toward a substrate; a coating agent reservoir which stores the coating agent to be supplied to the nozzle; a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle; and a pressure adjustment mechanism which adjusts a supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle, the control method comprising the steps of:
supply pressure information is stored, in which a supply pressure of the coating agent at which a spray amount of the coating agent from the nozzle per unit time is constant is associated with each temperature, and the supply pressure information is stored for each type of the coating agent and each type of the base material used in the coating device,
A control method for a coating device, characterized by controlling the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of the coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle is constant. A method for adjusting a coating device which applies a coating agent to a substrate, the coating device comprising: a nozzle which sprays a coating agent toward a substrate; a coating agent reservoir which stores the coating agent to be supplied to the nozzle; a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle; and a pressure adjustment mechanism which adjusts a supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle, the method comprising the steps of:
supply pressure information is specified in which a supply pressure of the coating agent at which a spray amount of the coating agent from the nozzle per unit time is constant is associated with each temperature, and the supply pressure information is specified for each type of the coating agent and each type of the base material used in the coating device;
A method for adjusting a coating device, comprising: adjusting the pressure adjustment mechanism based on the temperature of the coating agent detected by the temperature sensor and the supply pressure information so that the supply pressure of the coating agent supplied from the coating agent reservoir to the nozzle becomes a supply pressure at which the amount of the coating agent sprayed per unit time from the nozzle is constant.

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