STANDARD & LEGISLATION - UCIF Informs
Robots Become “Painters” Marcello Zinno UCIF – Italian Surface Treatment Equipment Manufacturers’ Association, Milan, Italy
F
info@ucif.net
or several years now, the Italian Surface
supply chain should adapt to such changes
much so that this is often referred to as “pixel
Treatment Equipment Manufacturers’
– always with an eye on process automation,
painting”, because it is potentially possible
Association (UCIF) has been emphasising
since the focus is on mass-produced items.
to create any type of image on the selected
that, thanks to the high level of technology
One of the solutions identified and already
surface.
achieved, finishing processes have managed
available on the market is automated coating
Such technological development is therefore
to significantly reduce both paint and energy
without overspray. This guarantees accurate
not only linked to the characteristics of the
consumption and waste production. By
paint application thanks to a complex,
specific coating product used, but it is also
comparing the coating processes performed
integrated system consisting of robots,
achieved thanks to the high automation level
twenty years ago with those carried out
software, and sensors, which automatically
and programming potential of the robots
today using highly sophisticated machines
assesses the surface to be coated to identify
employed, which can first recognise the area
and systems, one quickly realises how much
where to operate (a very useful option for
to be treated and then apply the desired tints,
the industry has changed. The need for
two-tone finishes) and detect how much
just as a printer reproduces an image on
technological developments has arisen from
product is needed in order to obtain, among
paper. We could arguably see these robots as
market demands, with customers requiring
other things, maximum waste reduction. This
“modern painters” who, after being suitably
different colours, often including two-tone
avoids the need for manual application while
trained, paint a picture on a surface. Maybe
finishes, for different parts and products. Cars
making every surface coatable regardless of
it will come to the point where cars’ roofs
are a clear example of this. As colour trends
the decorations and colours chosen. Coating is
will be customised with works of art... For
change according to fashion and depending
therefore transformed from a simple coating
now, we can say that this is at least possible
on the historical period (UCIF organised a
process into a precision operation: the nozzles
and it further confirms the strategic role
training course some time ago to talk about
can be as small as 1/100th of a millimetre in
played by the Italian finishing industry on the
design applied to mechanics), the entire
diameter to achieve maximum accuracy, so
international level.
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international PAINT&COATING magazine - SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 - N. 71
133
