Spray applicating process and production assembly for manufacturing a pallet
A production assembly and associated process for mass producing such as a thermoplastic pallet and which utilizes a multiple insert supporting and continuously moving carousels inter-faceable with an input line upon which is transported a plurality of rigid and planar shaped inserts, as well as an output line a spaced relationship from the input line for removing, from the carousel, the resin coated articles. The invention further teaches a series of subset variants for spray applying a two part resin and hardener upon the insert according to a selected thickness, following which the inserts are cured and dried prior to transferring to the output line and in order to create a finished product.
1. An assembly for producing a resin coated article, comprising:
an input line upon which is transported a plurality of inserts;
an output line a spaced relationship from said input line for removing the resin coated articles;
at least one carousel type conveyor extending between said input and output lines, said conveyor including a plurality of spaced apart carriers;
a first lift and transfer mechanism communicable between said input line and said conveyor for collecting, in succession, inserts for transferring to said carriers;
a spray booth enclosing a portion of said carousel conveyor through which said carriers travel and for applying a curable resin material upon said inserts;
a curing operation following said spray booth for drying said resin coated inserts, said carriers each further comprising a downwardly extending arm terminating in a rotatable spindle which seats through a central recess defined in each of said inserts for rotating said inserts during at least one of said spraying and curing operations; and
a second lift and transfer mechanism communicable between said conveyor and said output line for removing a finished article from said carrier for depositing upon said output line.
2. The assembly as described in claim 1 , said curing operation further comprising a drying booth following said spray booth.
3. The assembly as described in claim 1 , said curing operation further comprising at least one mold exhibiting a pair of clamshell halves and which are supported upon an underneath positioned conveyor in communication with said carrier supporting carousel, said mold halves being configured to enclose the coated insert for curing as the clamshell molds proceed toward said output line.
4. The assembly as described in claim 3 , said carriers each further comprising a downward extending arm terminating in a rotatable spindle which seats through a central recess defined in each of said inserts for rotating said inserts through said spray booth, said arm being extensible in a first location following said spray booth for loading said insert within a selected mold, as well as in a second downstream location for retrieving the finished article from said mold for acquisition by said second lift and transfer mechanism.
5. The assembly as described in claim 3 , further comprising a mold maintenance and repair area in communication with said underneath positioned conveyor for removing a selected mold from said assembly.
6. The assembly as described in claim 1 , each of said first and second lift and transfer mechanisms further comprising an articulating arm terminating in widthwise extending gripping portion configured for grasping and transferring said inserts to and from said carriers.
7. The assembly as described in claim 1 , further comprising a pair lengthwise extending conduit lines incorporated within said spray booth and for upwardly projecting said curable resin as a two part resin and hardener from a plurality of individual nozzles situated along said conduit lines.
8. The assembly as described in claim 7 , further comprising a first metal coating applied to each of said inserts, a second metal particulate entrained within said two part resin and hardener such that, upon said spray nozzles applying said resin and hardener over said first metal coating pre applied to said inserts, said metals each being subjected to an opposite metal charge in order to create an electrostatic holding force there-between to influence even coating and adherence of said resin across both upper and lower surfaces of said insert.
9. The assembly as described in claim 1 , said assembly further comprising a plurality of carousel type and closed loop conveyors extending in spaced apart fashion between said input and output lines.
10. The assembly as described in claim 9 , each of said conveyors further comprising an assembly line portion incorporating said spray booth and a return line.
11. An assembly for producing a resin coated article, comprising:
an input line upon which is transported a plurality of inserts;
an output line a spaced relationship from said input line for removing the resin coated articles;
at least one carousel type conveyor extending between said input and output lines, said conveyor including a plurality of spaced apart carriers;
a first lift and transfer mechanism communicable between said input line and said conveyor for collecting, in succession, inserts for transferring to said carriers;
a spray booth enclosing a portion of said carousel conveyor through which said carriers travel and for applying a curable resin material upon said inserts;
a curing operation following said spray booth for drying said resin coated inserts;
said curing operation further comprising at least one mold exhibiting a pair of clamshell halves and which are supported upon an underneath positioned conveyor in communication with said carrier supporting carousel, said mold halves being configured to enclose the coated insert for curing as the clamshell molds proceed toward said output line;
said carriers each further comprising a downward extending arm terminating in a rotatable spindle which seats through a central recess defined in each of said inserts for rotating said inserts through said spray booth, said arm being extensible in a first location following said spray booth for loading said insert within a selected mold, as well as in a second downstream location for retrieving the finished article from said mold for acquisition by said second lift and transfer mechanism; and
a second lift and transfer mechanism communicable between said conveyor and said output line for removing a finished article from said carrier for depositing upon said output line.
12. An assembly for producing a resin coated article, comprising:
an input line upon which is transported a plurality of inserts;
an output line a spaced relationship from said input line for removing the resin coated articles;
at least one carousel type conveyor extending between said input and output lines, said conveyor including a plurality of spaced apart carriers;
a first lift and transfer mechanism communicable between said input line and said conveyor for collecting, in succession, inserts for transferring to said carriers;
a spray booth enclosing a portion of said carousel conveyor through which said carriers travel and for applying a curable resin material upon said inserts;
a curing operation following said spray booth for drying said resin coated inserts;
said curing operation further comprising at least one mold exhibiting a pair of clamshell halves and which are supported upon an underneath positioned conveyor in communication with said carrier supporting carousel, said mold halves being configured to enclose the coated insert for curing as the clamshell molds proceed toward said output line;
a mold maintenance and repair area in communication with said underneath positioned conveyor for removing a selected mold from said assembly; and
a second lift and transfer mechanism communicable between said conveyor and said output line for removing a finished article from said carrier for depositing upon said output line.
13. An assembly for producing a resin coated article, comprising:
a linear extending input line upon which is transported a plurality of substantially flattened and planar shaped inserts;
a linear extending output line arranged in a parallel spaced relationship from said input line for removing the resin coated articles;
a plurality of individual, elongated and continuous loop carousel type conveyors extending in spaced fashion between said input and output lines, said conveyors each including a plurality of spaced apart and overhead supported carriers configured for receiving an insert from said input line;
a first lift and transfer mechanism communicable between said input line and said conveyor for collecting, in succession, inserts for transferring to said carriers;
a spray booth enclosing a portion of said carousel conveyor through which said carriers travel and for applying a curable resin material upon said inserts;
a second lift and transfer mechanism communicable between said conveyor and said output line for removing a finished article from said carrier for depositing upon said output line; and
each of said first and second lift and transfer mechanisms being numerically controlled and further comprising first and second pivotally interconnected arm portions, said second arm portion terminating in a widthwise extending gripping portion which is configured for grasping opposite side edges of the planar shaped inserts and for continuously transferring the inserts to and from the carriers at communicating locations associated with said input and output lines.