Simulation of Spray Painting in Automotive Industry

R. Rundqvist, A. Mark, B. Andersson, A. Ålund, F. Edelvik, S. Tafuri, J. S. Carlson, In G. Kreiss et al. (eds.), Numerical Mathematics and Advanced Applications 2009, 769-777. 30 July, 2010.

Abstract

Paint and surface treatment processes in the car paint shop are to a large extent automated and performed by robots. Having access to tools that incorporate the flexibility of robotic path planning with fast and efficient simulation of the processes is important to reduce the time required for introduction of new car models, reduce the environmental impact and increase the quality. The combination of high physical complexity, large moving geometries, and demands on near real time results constitutes a big challenge. We have developed an immersed boundary octree flow solver, IBOFlow, based on algorithms for coupled simulations of multi-phase and free surface flows, electromagnetic fields, and particle tracing. The solver is included in an in-house package for automatic path planning, IPS. The major improvement of computational speed compared to other approaches is partly due to the use of grid-free methods which in addition simplifies preprocessing.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This work was supported by the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems, VINNOVA, through the FFI Sustainable Production Technology program. The authors are also grateful for the valuable support of geometry models and experimental measurement data from our industrial collaborating partners Volvo Car Corporation and Saab Automobile AB.

AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS

  • R. Rundqvist, Fraunhofer-Chalmers Centre
  • A. Mark, Fraunhofer-Chalmers Centre
  • B. Andersson, Fraunhofer-Chalmers Centre
  • A. Ålund, Fraunhofer-Chalmers Centre
  • F. Edelvik, Fraunhofer-Chalmers Centre
  • S. Tafuri, Fraunhofer-Chalmers Centre
  • J. S. Carlson, Fraunhofer-Chalmers Centre



Photo credits: Nic McPhee