Optimization of Process Parameters for Automotive Paint Application

Sensitivity analysis of spray painting process to input parameters: Validation of CFD jet impingement model against an experimental dataset

“…Leaving aside the geometry of the set up (which can be easily varied), examining the process below it can be seen that the breakup (and subsequent deposition of paint particles) is dependent on air flow pattern and speed and the rheological properties of the paint and it is these areas that most of the The work of [1,3,5,8] investigate the effect of differing atomizer design (with differing atomisation or breakup mechanisms), while [2][3][4][5][6][7]9,10] investigate the effect of ambient operating conditions along with paint rheology (although consensus does not appear to have been reached on the effect of paint thixotropy). The research of [11,12] make comprehensive attempts to understand the sensitivity of the whole process to each input parameter; however it remains difficult to properly generalise the results due to the number of variables (and complexity of others such as atomiser geometry).…”

“…Simulating the entire spray painting process as well as its individual components has been completed many times with success in predicting deposition rates [2,5,6,[9][10][11] however improvements are still required by industry to continue to reduce variability. As discussed, this study is concerned with one component of this problem -jet impingement on a surface.…”