Automated Method And System For Making Painted Vehicle Body Panel Skins And Vehicle Body Panels, Such As Instrument Panels, Utilizing Same

Abstract

An automated method and system for making painted vehicle body panel skins and vehicle body panels are provided. The method includes transferring a mold having a mold surface from an entrance station to a paint station within a dispensing area. The method further includes applying paint on the mold surface to form a layer of paint on the mold surface at the paint station. The method still further includes spraying curable polyurethane elastomer on the painted surface at a spray station within the dispensing area. The paint and spray stations may be coincident. The method still further includes, after the step of spraying and while the polyurethane elastomer is uncured, transferring the mold with the paint and the uncured polyurethane elastomer from the spray station to at least one accumulator station in a curing area to allow the polyurethane elastomer to completely cure in the mold and form the skin.

1 . A method of making a painted vehicle body panel skin, the method comprising:
 transferring a mold having a mold surface from an entrance station to a paint station within a dispensing area;   applying paint on the mold surface to form a layer of paint on the mold surface at the paint station;   spraying curable polyurethane elastomer on the painted surface at a spray station within the dispensing area;   after the step of spraying and while the polyurethane elastomer is uncured, transferring the mold with the paint and the uncured polyurethane elastomer from the spray station to at least one accumulator station in a curing area to allow the polyurethane elastomer to completely cure in the mold and form the skin;   transferring the mold with the completely cured polyurethane elastomer from the at least one accumulator station to an unload station;   unloading the painted body panel skin from the mold at the unload station; and   cleaning the mold surface after the skin has been unloaded from the mold at the unload station and before paint is reapplied on the mold surface.   
   
   
       2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the step of transferring the mold from the spray station to the curing area allows another mold to be transferred to the dispensing area from the entrance station. 
   
   
       3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of the paint, spray and accumulator stations has an enclosed chamber and wherein the method further comprises pressurizing each of the paint, spray and accumulator chambers at subatmospheric pressure. 
   
   
       4 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the paint station is coincident with the spray station. 
   
   
       5 . (canceled) 
   
   
       6 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the unload station is coincident with the entrance station. 
   
   
       7 . The method as claimed in  claim 3  further comprising transferring the mold to the entrance station prior to the step of transferring the mold to the paint station wherein the entrance station has an enclosed chamber and wherein the method further comprises pressurizing the entrance chamber at subatmospheric pressure. 
   
   
       8 . (canceled) 
   
   
       9 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising applying a release agent to the mold surface after the skin has been unloaded from the mold at the unload station and before paint is reapplied on the mold surface. 
   
   
       10 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the mold is transferred along a loop-shaped guide path and wherein each of the stations is located along the guide path. 
   
   
       11 . The method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the mold is transferred along a guide path between the stations by a transport mechanism disposed within each of the enclosed chambers. 
   
   
       12 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the step of spraying includes the step of automatically moving a polyurethane sprayer through a predetermined polyurethane spray path relative to at least two control axes while spraying the polyurethane elastomer on the painted surface. 
   
   
       13 . The method as claimed in  claim 12  further comprising the step of automatically controlling the polyurethane elastomer so that the flow of polyurethane elastomer on the painted surface is controlled. 
   
   
       14 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the step of transferring the mold from the entrance station includes the step of transferring the mold into the work envelope of a paint sprayer within the paint station. 
   
   
       15 . The method as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the step of applying includes the step of automatically moving the paint sprayer through a predetermined paint spray path relative to at least two control axes while spraying the paint on the mold surface. 
   
   
       16 . The method as claimed in  claim 15  further comprising the step of automatically controlling the paint sprayer so that the flow of paint on the mold surface is controlled. 
   
   
       17 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising the step of transferring the mold into the work envelope of a polyurethane sprayer at the spray station. 
   
   
       18 . A method of making a vehicle body panel comprising the steps of:
 transferring a mold having a mold surface from an entrance station to a paint station within a dispensing area;   applying paint on the mold surface to form a layer of paint on the mold surface at the paint station;   spraying curable polyurethane elastomer on the painted surface at a spray station within the dispensing area;   after the step of spraying and while the polyurethane elastomer is uncured, transferring the mold with the paint and the uncured polyurethane elastomer from the spray station to at least one accumulator station in a curing area to allow the polyurethane elastomer to completely cure in the mold and form the skin;   transferring the mold with the completely cured polyurethane elastomer from the at least one accumulator station to an unload station;   unloading the skin from the mold at the unload station;   inserting the unloaded skin into a plastic injection mold;   injecting molten plastic into the injection mold to at least partially cover a surface of the skin opposite the paint; and   allowing the molten plastic to cool wherein the cooled molten plastic is contiguous, directly contacting and bonded to the skin to form the vehicle body panel.   
   
   
       19 . A method of making a vehicle body panel comprising the steps of:
 transferring a mold having a mold surface from an entrance station to a paint station within a dispensing area;   applying paint on the mold surface to form a layer of paint on the mold surface at the paint station;   spraying curable polyurethane elastomer on the painted surface at a spray station within the dispensing area;   after the step of spraying and while the polyurethane elastomer is uncured, transferring the mold with the paint and the uncured polyurethane elastomer from the spray station to at least one accumulator station in a curing area to allow the polyurethane elastomer to completely cure in the mold and form the skin;   transferring the mold with the completely cured polyurethane elastomer from the at least one accumulator station to an unload station;   unloading the skin from the mold at the unload station;   inserting the unloaded skin and a corresponding injection molded part into a foam mold;   holding the skin and the part within the foam mold so a space is formed between the skin and the part;   injecting or pouring foam into the space between the skin and the part; and   allowing the foam to cure wherein the cured foam is contiguous, directly contacting and bonded to both the skin and the part thereby bonding the skin to the part with the cured foam therebetween to thereby form the vehicle body panel.   
   
   
       20 . A system for making painted vehicle body panel skins, the system comprising:
 an entrance station;   a paint station within a dispensing area wherein paint is applied on mold surfaces of molds to form a layer of paint on each mold surface at the paint station;   a spray station within the dispensing area and including a program-controlled manipulator having a work envelope and an automatic sprayer supported on the manipulator for movement relative to at least two control axes for spraying curable polyurethane elastomer therefrom on the painted surfaces of the molds;   at least one accumulator station in a curing area to allow the curable polyurethane elastomer to completely cure in the molds to form the skins;   an unload station wherein the skins are unloaded from the molds at the unload station and wherein each of the stations is located along a guide path; and   a transport mechanism for transporting the molds, the mechanism conveying the molds along the guide path and stopping and maintaining each of the molds in a stationary predetermined position relative to the guide path during painting, spraying and unloading functions performed in the paint, spray, and unload stations, respectively; and   a control system for causing the manipulator to move the sprayer through a predetermined spray path relative to the at least two control axes, for controlling the sprayer so that the flow of the polyurethane elastomer on the painted surface is controlled and for causing the transport mechanism to move the molds to each of the different stations along the guide path, wherein, after each skin is unloaded from its corresponding mold in the unload station, the corresponding empty mold is maintained in a stationary predetermined position in the entrance station.   
   
   
       21 . The system as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the transport mechanism includes a plurality of pallets, each of the pallets receiving and returning one of the molds thereon. 
   
   
       22 . The system as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the unload station is coincident with the entrance station and the guide path is loop-shaped. 
   
   
       23 . The system as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein each of the paint, spray and accumulator stations has an enclosed chamber and wherein the system further comprises blower means for pressurizing each of the chambers with an ambient at subatmospheric pressure. 
   
   
       24 . The system as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein each of the entrance, paint, spray, accumulator and unload stations has an enclosed chamber and wherein the system further comprises blower means for pressurizing each of the enclosed chambers with an ambient at subatmospheric pressure. 
   
   
       25 . The system as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the paint station is coincident with the spray system. 
   
   
       26 . The system as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the manipulator also applies paint to the mold surfaces of the molds at the paint station. 
   
   
       27 . The system as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the transport mechanism also includes a transfer mechanism disposed within each of the enclosed chambers for conveying the pallets along the guide path. 
   
   
       28 . A system for making vehicle body panels including the system as claimed in  claim 20  and further comprising:
 a plastic injection mold for receiving and retaining an unloaded skin, for receiving molten plastic which at least partially covers a surface of the skin opposite the paint and which allows the molten plastic to cool and bond with the skin to form the vehicle body panel within the mold.   
   
   
       29 . A system for making vehicle body panels including the system as claimed in  claim 20  and further comprising:
 a foam mold for receiving and retaining an unloaded skin and a corresponding injection molded part in spaced relationship in the foam mold to form a space between the skin and the part, the foam mold also receiving foam into the space between the skin and the part and allowing the foam to cure thereby bonding the skin to the part with the cured foam therebetween to thereby form the vehicle body panel within the foam mold.