The spraying work of helicopters is of great significance. It not only affects the aesthetic appearance but also plays an important role in the helicopter's protective performance and identification. Traditional manual spraying has several problems, such as low efficiency, unstable quality, high labor intensity, and potential harm to the health of operators. The emergence of robot - automatic spraying technology has brought a more efficient, precise, and safe solution to helicopter spraying.
Industrial Robot
A high - precision and high - load - capacity industrial robot is used. It has multiple degrees of freedom, allowing it to perform spraying operations at various angles and positions on the helicopter surface flexibly. The robot's motion trajectory can be precisely controlled through programming to adapt to the complex shape of the helicopter.
Spraying Equipment
It includes spray guns, paint supply systems, and pressure control systems. The spray gun can precisely control the shape, size, and spraying volume of the paint mist according to different spraying requirements. The paint supply system ensures a stable supply of paint to the spray gun, and the pressure control system guarantees the stability of pressure during the spraying process, thus ensuring the consistency of the spraying quality.
Visual Recognition System
The visual recognition system is one of the key components of robot - automatic spraying. Through cameras and sensors, it conducts a three - dimensional scan and recognition of the helicopter's shape to obtain accurate geometric information about the helicopter surface. Based on this information, the robot can automatically adjust the spraying trajectory and parameters to ensure a uniform spraying effect on different parts.
Control System
The control system is responsible for coordinating and managing the entire spraying process. It receives information from the visual recognition system and controls the robot's movement, the on - off of the spray gun, and the adjustment of spraying parameters according to the preset spraying program. Additionally, the control system has fault diagnosis and alarm functions, which can promptly detect and handle problems that occur during the spraying process.
Pre - preparation
Clean and pre - treat the helicopter to remove impurities such as oil and dust on the surface, ensuring the cleanliness of the spraying surface.
Input the corresponding spraying program and parameters into the control system according to the helicopter model and spraying requirements.
Three - dimensional Scanning and Modeling
Use the visual recognition system to conduct a comprehensive three - dimensional scan of the helicopter and build a three - dimensional model. This model will serve as the basis for the robot's spraying trajectory planning.
Trajectory Planning
Based on the three - dimensional model and spraying requirements, the control system automatically generates the robot's spraying trajectory. During the planning process, factors such as the helicopter's shape characteristics, spraying thickness requirements, and the spraying range of the spray gun are considered to ensure that each part is properly sprayed.
Spraying Operation
The robot performs the spraying operation according to the preset trajectory. During the spraying process, the visual recognition system monitors the spraying effect in real - time. If any deviation is found, the control system will promptly adjust the robot's movement and spraying parameters to ensure the spraying quality.
Quality Inspection
After the spraying is completed, inspect the spraying quality of the helicopter. A combination of manual inspection and automated inspection can be used to check whether indicators such as spraying thickness, uniformity, and color meet the requirements. If problems are found, make timely repairs and adjustments.
Improve Spraying Quality
The robot can precisely control spraying parameters and trajectories, avoiding problems such as uneven thickness, sagging, and missed spraying that may occur in manual spraying, thereby improving the stability and consistency of the spraying quality.
Enhance Production Efficiency
The robot has a fast spraying speed and can work continuously, greatly shortening the spraying cycle and improving production efficiency. At the same time, it reduces the preparation time and rest time in manual operation, further enhancing the overall production efficiency.
Reduce Costs
Although the initial investment in the robot - automatic spraying system is relatively large, in the long run, it can reduce labor costs, paint waste, and rework costs caused by quality problems. In addition, the robot has a long service life and relatively low maintenance costs.
Ensure Operator Safety
Harmful gases and paint mists are generated during the spraying process, which pose potential harm to the health of operators. Using robot - automatic spraying allows operators to stay away from the spraying site, avoiding contact with harmful substances and ensuring their physical health.
Currently, many helicopter manufacturing and maintenance enterprises have started to adopt robot - automatic spraying technology. For example, after introducing a robot - automatic spraying system in the production line of a large - scale helicopter manufacturing enterprise, the spraying quality has been significantly improved, and the appearance pass rate of products has increased by more than 20%. Meanwhile, the production efficiency has increased by 30%, greatly shortening the product delivery cycle.
