EP2953732A1

EP2953732A1 - Application method and application facility

Info

Publication number: EP2953732A1
Application number: EP14704076.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hans-Georg Fritz; Benjamin WÖHR; Marcus Kleiner; Timo Beyl; Frank Herre
Original assignee: Duerr Systems AG
Current assignee: Duerr Systems AG
Priority date: 2013-02-11
Filing date: 2014-02-03
Publication date: 2015-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 2034-02-03
Also published as: EP3804863A1; JP6608703B2; HUE061173T2; ES2934076T3; US11117160B2; WO2014121916A1; MX2015009529A; US20210379620A1; JP2020022965A; US11872588B2; JP2016507372A; JP6906031B2; EP2953732B1; DE102013002412A1; ES2856182T3; CN104994966A; WO2014121916A8; HUE053410T2; MX369366B; EP3804863B1

Abstract

The invention relates to an application method for applying a coating agent, in particular a varnish or paint, a sealant, a separating agent or an adhesive, to a component (6), in particular to a motor vehicle body component. The application method comprises the following steps: dispensing a coating agent jet (5) from an application device (2) and positioning the application device (2) relative to the component (6) at a defined application distance (d) between the application device (2) and the component (6) such that the coating agent jet (5) strikes the component (6) and coats the component (6). According to the invention, the application distance (d) is less than the collapse length (LZERFALL) of the coating agent jet (5) so that the coating agent jet (5) strikes the component (6) with its continuous portion. The invention further relates to a corresponding application facility.

Description

DESCRIPTION Application method and application system

The invention relates to an application method and an application system for applying a coating agent (for example paint, sealant, release agent, adhesive, functional layer) to a component (for example a motor vehicle body component).

From DE 10 2010 019 612 AI a coating process is be ^¬ known in which a stream of droplets of the coating agent is produced which strikes the component to be coated surface. The droplet decay of the initially continuous coating agent beam is here deliberately forced by vibration coupling, so that the decay length of the coating agent beam is smaller than the Lackierabstand, ie the distance between the application device and Bauteilober ^¬ surface.

However, this known application method by means of a droplet jet is not yet completely satisfactory.

Furthermore, reference is made to the prior art to DE 38 35 078 C2 and DE 10 2009 004 878 AI.

The invention is therefore based on the object to provide a correspondingly improved application method and an ent ^¬ speaking application system. This object is achieved by an inventive application method and a corresponding application system according to the independent claims. The invention comprises the general technical teaching not to force droplet decay-as in DE 10 2010 019 612 A1-specifically by means of vibration coupling, but to use the continuous area of the coating agent jet for coating. In the context of the invention, the application distance (ie the distance between the outlet opening of the application device on the one hand and the component surface to be coated on the other hand) is chosen smaller than the decay length of the coating agent jet, ie the length of the continuous area of the coating agent jet between the outlet opening of the application device on the one hand and the End of the continuous area at the transition to drip decay. This has the consequence that the coating agent jet impinges with its contiguous area on the component, resulting in a better coating result.

In the application method according to the invention, therefore, in accordance with the prior art described above, a coating agent jet is emitted from an application device, the coating agent jet after leaving the application device until reaching a decay length initially having a region which is connected in the jet direction, whereupon the coating agent jet then disintegrates after the decay length after exiting the application device according to the laws of nature ( "natural decay Rayleigh") into droplets which are separated from each other in the Strahlri ^'rect. The term "coating agent jet" used in the context of the invention includes both one and several coating agent jets, but in the following, for the sake of simplicity, only the singular shape is used. The coating agent jet is to be distinguished from a coating agent mist, as it is discharged, for example, from conventional rotary atomizers. Thus, the coating agent jet according to the invention is characterized by a contiguous cross-section, a low expansion angle compared to a spray mist and a very small lateral extent, which is particularly important in detail painting.

In addition, the application method according to the invention provides, in accordance with the prior art described at the outset, that the application device is positioned relative to the component to be coated (eg motor vehicle body component) with a certain application distance between the application device and the component, so that the coating agent jet the component hits and the component is coated.

By a suitable positioning of the application device relative to the component, a detail coating is possible in this way, since the cross section of the coating medium beam is relatively small and defined. Therefore, it is also possible to selectively coat only a correspondingly small area of the component surface. However, it is alternatively also possible for the component to be coated flat with the coating agent in that the coating agent jet leaves the component surface in several adjacent or overlapping webs. The application method according to the invention differs from the prior art described at the beginning in that the application distance is chosen to be smaller than the disintegration length of the coating agent jet, so that the coating agent beam strikes the component with its contiguous region. In the known prior art described at the outset, individual droplets of the coating agent thus strike the component surface, whereas according to the invention, a continuous coating medium jet impinges on the component.

The term coating agent used in the invention is to be understood generally and includes, for example, paint (for example basecoat, clearcoat), sealant, release agent, functional layer and adhesive. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, a delaillierung is provided, wherein a paint is applied. The category functional layer includes all layers which result in a surface functionalization, such as, for example, adhesion promoters, primers, rockfall protection or also layers for reducing the transmission.

For example, the coating agent beam may apply a pattern to the component, such as a strip (e.g., design strips, decorative strips). However, the term pattern used in the context of the invention is to be understood generally and is not restricted to stripes.

For example, the pattern may also be a graphic, such as a silhouette of a jumping horse on a hood or a checkered flag on a roof surface of a motor vehicle body. With the application method according to the invention, in contrast to conventional sputtering by Rotationszerstäubern reach a sharp edge pattern, which is important for a high-quality appearance. On the one hand, the term "sharp-edge pattern" used in the context of the invention means that the edge of the pattern has only very slight deviations with respect to a predetermined edge profile, which are preferably smaller than 3 mm, 1 mm.

0.5 mm, 0.2 mm or even 0.1 mm. On the other hand, the term "sharp-edge pattern" used in the context of the invention also means that no coating agent splashes impinge on the component surface outside the coated pattern. It has already been briefly mentioned above that the inventive application method is also suitable for surface component coating. In this case, the coating agent jet can be driven several times over the component, wherein in each case one coating middle web is applied. In this way, a meandering guidance of the coating agent jet can be used to apply numerous parallel coating agent webs.

In a variant of the invention, the individual coating center webs run into one another after application and then form a uniform strip or a uniform coating agent layer.

In contrast, in another variant of the invention, the individual coating agent webs do not run into one another, but in the finished state form two or more separate strips. It has already been mentioned briefly above that the term of a pattern used in the context of the invention is preferably applied to a strip which is applied to the component surface. With the application method according to the invention can be advantageously applied extremely narrow strips having a width of less than 1 m, 10 cm, 5 cm, 2 cm, 1 cm, 5 mm, 2 mm, 1 mm, 400 μιη or even less than 200 μηι can have. However, the individual strip preferably has a width of at least 100 μm, 200 μm, 400 μm, 1 mm, 2 mm, 5 mm, 1 cm, 2 cm, 5 cm, 10 cm or even 1 m.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the application device emits not only a single coating agent beam but a plurality of coating agent jets, which are aligned substantially parallel to one another. The distance between the immediately adjacent coating agent jets is in this case preferably so great that the immediately adjacent coating agent jets between the application device and the component not vien ^¬ nen, but as separate coating agent jets impinge on the component surface, but still unite on the component to form a surface.

For delivery of the individual coating agent jets, a plurality of application nozzles are preferably provided, which have a specific nozzle inner diameter and are arranged at a specific nozzle spacing. In order to avoid an association of adjacent coating agent rays between the application nozzle and the part surface, the nozzle pitch between the immediately adjacent application nozzle is preferably at least equal to three times, four times or six times ^¬ of the nozzle inner diameter. The individual application nozzles are preferably arranged together in a perforated plate, which allows cost-effective production. In addition, within the scope of the invention, it is possible for the individual application nozzles or areas with a plurality of nozzles to be controlled independently of one another so that the coating agent jets emerging from the individual application nozzles have different operating variables. For example, the exit speed of the coating agent from the application nozzles, the type of coating agent or the volume flow of the exiting coating agent for the individual application nozzles or areas can be set individually.

It has already been mentioned above that the application device is moved relative to the component during the application of the coating agent, so that the coating agent jet with its point of impingement on the component surface moves away a corresponding path.

In a variant of the invention, the application device can be arranged stationary while the component is being moved. The speed of movement is preferably at least 10 cm / s, 50 cm / s, 1 m / s, 1.5 m / s and at most 10 m / s, 5 m / s or at most 1 m / s. This variant is already known per se from EP 1 745 858 A2, so that the content of this patent application is to be fully attributed to the present description with regard to the relative movement of application device and component.

In another variant of the invention, however, the component is arranged stationary, while the application device is moved be ^¬ . Here, the movement speed is preferred at least 10 cm / s, 20 cm / s, 30 cm / s, 50 cm / s, 1 m / s or at least 2 m / s and not more than 250 cm / s, 700 mm / s, 500 mm / s or at most 100 mm / s.

Furthermore, the relative movement between the application device and the component to be coated can be achieved by moving both the application device and the component to be coated.

It has already been mentioned briefly above that the application device is moved relative to the component over the component surface, so that the coating agent jet with its point of impact on the component surface travels a path which is then coated with the coating agent. In this case, there is the possibility that the coating agent jet is briefly switched off or interrupted during the travel of the web on the component surface and then switched on or continued, so that the worn web has a gap on the component surface which is not coated with the coating agent. In the context of the invention, the coating agent beam can be moved slowly over the component surface and turned on or turned off so fast that a spatial resolution of finer than 5 mm, 2 mm or 1 mm is achieved on the component. This is especially true for a detail painting of a Pattern advantageous.

An advantage of the application method according to the invention consists in the avoidance of overspray or in the increase of the application efficiency, ie the proportion of the applied coating agent, which actually deposits on the component surface. The coating agent jet is therefore preferably only switched on when the coating agent jet actually reaches the component top surface. surface impinges. When coating a component with a lateral edge, the application device is therefore preferably moved in the lateral direction to the edge when the coating agent jet is switched off. The coating agent jet. is then turned on only when the application device is located over the edge, so that the switched coating agent beam then actually impinges on the component. Subsequently, the application device is then moved over the component to be coated along the component surface to be coated in order to apply a corresponding path of the coating agent. The coating agent jet is then switched off again when the application device is moved over a lateral edge of the component to be coated, since the coating agent jet then would no longer impinge on the component surface.

In order to enable the appropriate switching on or off of the coating agent beam, the spatial positions of the component to be coated and of the application device are preferably detected in order to be able to derive from it whether the coating agent jet would impinge on the component surface. The coating agent jet is then preferably switched off when the detected positions of component and application device suggest that the coating agent jet would not impinge on the component surface. By contrast, the coating agent jet can preferably only be switched on if the detected positions of the component and the application device indicate that the coating agent jet would actually impact the component surface.

The above-mentioned position detection can be done, for example, by means of a camera, an ultrasound sensor, an internal ductile or capacitive sensor or by means of a laser sensor. However, there is also the possibility that the positions of the component and the application device are read out of a machine or robot control, provided that the component and the application device are positioned by a machine or a robot.

It has already been mentioned above that the application method according to the invention enables a high application efficiency, which can be, for example, greater than 80%, 90%, 95% or even more than 99%, so that substantially all of the applied coating composition is completely on the component is deposited without causing significant overspray.

In addition, the application method according to the invention also allows a relatively high surface coating performance of at least 0.5 m ² / min, 1 m ² / min or 3 m ² / min. The surface coating performance can be increased almost arbitrarily by the number of application nozzles in the application device is increased accordingly.

In addition, it should be mentioned that it should be prevented that the coating agent jet bounces off the component again after hitting the component, as this would lead to disturbing coating agent splashes, which prevent a sharp-edged coating. The volume flow of the applied coating agent and thus the exit velocity of the coating agent are therefore preferably adjusted so that the coating agent does not bounce off the component after hitting the component. The exit velocity of the coating agent here is preferably at least 5 m / s, 7 m / s or 10 m / s and at most 30 m / s, 20 m / s or 10 m / s.

The application distance between the outlet opening of the application device on the one hand and the component surface on the other hand, however, is preferably at least 4 mm, 10 mm or at least 40 mm and preferably at most 200 mm or 100 mm.

It should also be mentioned that the application device is preferably moved by means of a multi-axis robot, which may have a serial or parallel kinematics. Such robots are known per se from the prior art and therefore need not be described in detail.

It was also mentioned briefly above that the loading can be a lacquer coating agents, which may be for example, a base coat, a clear coat, an effect ^¬ paint, a Micalack or a metallic paint. It should also be mentioned that the coating agent may optionally be a water-based paint or a solvent-based paint.

It should also be mentioned that the coating agent beam can preferably be switched on or off within the scope of the invention with a switching duration of less than 50 ms, 20 ms, 10 ms, 5 ms or 1 ms. The switching time is defined as the minimum time period which is required to turn off the coating center beam and then again turn on or turn einzu ^¬ and then turn off again. In addition to the application method described above, the invention also encompasses a corresponding application system, as is already apparent from the above description, so that a separate specification of the application system can be dispensed with.

Other advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the dependent claims or are described below together ^¬ together with the description of the preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the figures. Show it:

1 shows a schematic representation of a conventional ap plikationsanlage,

FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of an application system according to the invention,

FIGS. 3A-3C and 4A-4C show various representations of edge-sharp or non-sharp-edged strips of a coating agent,

5 shows a representation of a coating agent strip to clarify the edge sharpness, FIGS. 6A-6D show schematic diagrams for switching on and off the coating agent jet in a component coating, and FIG

FIG. 7 is a flowchart corresponding to FIGS. 6A-6D.

Figure 1 shows a conventional application system, as it is known for example from DE 10 2010 019 612 AI. An application technique 1 supplies an application device 2 with the required media, such as the plating coating, which may be, for example, a paint.

The application device 2 has a perforated plate 3, in which numerous application nozzles 4 are formed. Each of the application nozzles 4 of the perforated plate 3 in each case emits a coating agent jet 5, wherein the coating agent jets 5 are initially coherent in the jet direction over a decay length LZERFALL immediately after emerging from the application nozzles 4, and then subsequently disintegrate into droplets, wherein the Droplet decay in this conventional application system is deliberately forced by vibrations are coupled. In this case, the application device 2 is positioned at an application distance d relative to a component 6 to be coated, wherein the positioning takes place such that the application distance d is greater than the decay length LZERFALL.

This means that the coating agent jets 5 do not impinge with their continuous area on the component 6, but as a droplet sequence.

FIG. 2 shows a modification of the conventional application system according to FIG. 1 in the direction of the invention. The application system according to the invention in accordance with FIG. 2 partially coincides with the conventional application system described above, so that reference is made to the above description to avoid repetition, the same reference numerals being used for corresponding details.

A special feature of the application system according to the invention is that the application device 2 is positioned relative to the component 6 such that the application distance d is smaller than the decay length LZERFALL. This means that the coating agent jets 5 impinge on the surface of the component 6 with their area related in the beam direction, which leads to a better painting result.

In addition, the droplet decay of the coating agent jets 5 is not deliberately forced by vibration coupling, since droplet decay in the context of the invention is just to be prevented.

The application system according to the invention enables the application of edge-sharp patterns, as shown in Figures 3A-3C and 4A-4C and is explained below.

Thus, FIG. 3A shows a sharp-edged strip, as it can be applied to the component 6 with the application system according to the invention according to FIG. By contrast, FIGS. 3B and 3C show embodiments of conventional strips with more or less frayed edges of the strip.

FIGS. 4A-4C likewise show no sharp edges but rather unsuitable strips with coating agent splashes laterally next to the actual strip.

Figure 5 shows a schematic representation of a strip 7 to illustrate the edge sharpness of the strip 7. Thus, the strip 7 with respect to a predetermined edge curve on a maximum deviation a, wherein the deviation a in the invention is preferably less than 3 mm, 1mm or 0 , 5 mm. As a result, for example, on a motor vehicle car body produce decorative strips with a high quality appeal.

FIGS. 6A-6D show, in a schematic form, the application of a painting line to a component 9, the component 9 being delimited laterally by two edges 10, 11.

In this case, the coating agent webs are applied by means of an application device 12, wherein the application device 12 can deliver coating agent jets 13, as already described above.

The application device 12 is first brought laterally to the component 9, as shown in Figure 6A, wherein the coating agent beam 13 is initially turned off because the coating agent beam 13 would not impinge on the component 9, when the application device 12 is still laterally next to the Edge 10 of the component 9 is located. As it passes the edge 10 of the component 9, the coating agent jet 13 is then switched on, as shown in FIG. 6B.

Subsequently, the application device 12 is then guided with the activated coating agent jet 13 over the surface of the component 9, as shown in FIG. 6C.

When passing the opposite edge 11 of the component 9 of the coating agent jet 13 is then turned off again, as shown in Figure 6D, since the coating agent beam 13 in a subsequent movement of the application device 12 beyond the edge 11 of the component 9 also no longer on the surface of the component 9 would hit. By switching on and off the coating agent jet 13, an extraordinarily high application efficiency can be achieved with almost no overspray. The precise switching on or off of the coating agent beam 13 is made possible here by detecting the positions of the application device 12 and of the component 9 by means of a camera sensor 14.

As already mentioned, an ultrasonic sensor, an inductive or capacitive sensor or a laser sensor can be used instead of a camera sensor, which can be arranged both fixed in the environment of the application device and the component, but can also be moved with the application device.

FIG. 7 shows the operating method of the application system according to the invention in accordance with the various stages in FIGS. 6A-6D in a corresponding flow chart.

The invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above. Rather, a variety of variants and modifications is possible, which also make use of the inventive idea and therefore fall within the scope. In particular, the invention also claims protection of the subject matter and the features of the dependent claims independently of the claims in each case. List of reference numbers:

1 application technique;

2 application device

3 perforated plate

4 application nozzles

5 coating agent jets

6 component

7 stripes

8 Specified edge course

9 component

10 edge

11 edge

12 application device

13 coating agent jets

14 camera sensor

15 uncoated substrate

a deviation from the given edge course d application distance

LZERFALL decay length

Claims

EXPECTATIONS

1. Application method for applying a coating agent, in particular a paint, a sealant, a release agent, a functional layer or an adhesive, to a component (6; 9), in particular to a motor vehicle body component, with the following steps:

a) delivery of a coating agent jet (5; 13) from an application device (2; 12),

al) whereby the coating agent jet (5; 13) initially has an area connected in the direction of the jet after it emerges from the application device (2; 12) until it reaches a decay length (LZERFALL),

a2) whereupon the coating agent jet (5; 13)

according to the decay length - (LZERFALL) after emerging from the application device (2; 12) disintegrates into droplets that are separated from each other in the direction of the jet,

b) positioning the application device (2; 12) relative to the component (6; 9) with a certain application distance (d) between the application device (2; 12) and the component (6/9), so that the coating agent jet ( 5; 13) hits the component (6; 9) and coats the component (6; 9),

characterized,

c) that the application distance (d) is smaller than the decay length (LDEGRADATION) of the coating agent jet (5; 13), so that the coating agent jet (5; 13) impinges on the component (6; 9) with its continuous area.

2. Application method according to claim 1,

characterized,

a) that the coating agent jet (5; 13) applies a pattern, in particular a pattern, to the component (6; 9).

stripes, and

b) that the pattern is sharp at the edges with maximum deviations (a) from a specified edge of at most 3mm, 1mm, 0.5mm, 0.2mm or at most 0.1mm and without any splashes of coating agent outside the pattern.

3. Application method according to claim 2,

characterized,

a) that the coating agent jet (5; 13) is moved several times over the component (6; 9) to generate the pattern, with a coating agent web being applied in each case, and

b) that the adjacent coating agent strips run into one another after application and then form a uniform strip, or

c) that the adjacent coating agent strips do not run into each other after application and then form two or more separate stripes. 4. Application method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in

a) that the pattern has a stripe of the coating agent, and/or

b) that the strip has a width of at least ΙΟΟμπι,

200μηα, 400μιη, 1mm, 2mm, 5mm, 1cm, 2cm, 5cm, 10cm or

Im has, and/or

c) that the strip has a width of at most Im, 10cm,

5cm, 2cm, lern, 5mm, 2mm, 1mm, 400μπι or 200μιη.

Application method according to one of the previous ones, characterized in that

in that the application device (2; 12) emits a plurality of coating agent jets (5, 13), which are aligned essentially parallel to one another, and/or

that the distance between the immediately adjacent coating agent jets (5, 13) is so large that the adjacent coating agent jets (5, 13) do not unite between the application device (2; 12) and the component (6; 9), and/or

in that several application nozzles (4) with a specific nozzle inner diameter and a specific nozzle spacing are provided to deliver the coating agent jets (5, 13), the nozzle spacing being at least equal to three times, four times or six times the nozzle inner diameter.

6. Application method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in

a) that the application device (2; 12) has several ^application nozzles (4), at least some of which are controlled independently of one another, and/or

b) that for the independently controllable application nozzles (4), at least one of the following operating variables can be controlled independently:

bl) exit speed of the coating agent from the application nozzles (4),

b2) type of coating material,

b3) Volume flow of the coating agent through the application nozzles (4).

7. Application method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the application device (2; 12) is moved relative to the component (6; 9) during the application of the coating agent.

8. Application method according to claim 7,

characterized,

a) that the application device (2; 12) is arranged in a stationary manner while the component (6; 9) is moved, and/or b) that the component (6; 9) moves during the application of the coating agent at a speed of at least 10cm/ s, 50cm/s, 1m/s, 1.5m/s and/or

c) that the component (6; 9) is moved at a maximum speed of 10m/s, 5m/s or 1m/s during the application of the coating agent.

9. Application method according to claim 7,

marked thereby,

a) that the component (6; 9) is arranged in a stationary manner while the application device (2; 12) is moved,

and or

b) that the application device (2; 12) is moved during the application of the coating agent at a speed of at least 10cm/s, 20cm/s, 30cm/s, 50cm/s, 1m/s or 2m/s, and/ or

c) that the application device (2; 12) is moved during the application of the coating agent at a maximum speed of 250cm/s, 700mm/s, 500mm/s or 100mm/s.

10. Application method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in

a) that the application device (2; 12) is moved relative to the component (6; 9) over the component surface, so that the coating agent jet (5; 13) with its

A path follows the impact point on the component surface, and

b) that the coating agent jet (5; 13) is switched off and switched on again while the web is traveling on the component surface, and/or c) that the coating agent jet (5; 13) is moved slowly over the component surface and switched on so quickly and is switched off so that a spatial resolution of finer than 5mm, 2mm or 1mm is achieved on the component (6; 9).

11. Application method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the following steps;

a) moving the application device (2; 12) towards an edge (10) of the component (6; 9) to be coated with the coating agent jet (5; 13) switched off, in particular in a lateral direction in relation to the component surface to be coated,

b) switching on the coating agent jet (5; 13),

when the application device (2; 12) is above the component (6; 9),

c) moving the application device (2; 12) over the component (6; 9) to be coated along the component surface to be coated,

d) switching off the coating agent jet (5; 13) when the application device (2; 12) is no longer above the component surface to be coated.

12. Application method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the following steps:

a) detecting the spatial position of the component (6; 9) to be coated, and/or

b) Detecting the spatial position of the application device

( 2 ; 12 ), and/or

c) switching on the coating agent jet (5; 13) depending on the detected position of the component (6; 9) and/or the application device (2; 12),

and or

d) switching off the coating agent jet (5; 13) depending on the detected position of the component (6; 9) and/or the application device (2; 12).

13. Application method according to claim 12, characterized in that the position is detected by means of

a) a camera (14),

b) an ultrasonic sensor,

c) an inductive sensor,

d) a capacitive sensor,

e) a laser sensor, and/or

f) a robot control from which the position is read.

14. Application method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in

a) that the application process has an application efficiency of at least 80%, 90%, 95% or 99%, so that essentially the entire applied coating agent is completely deposited on the component (6; 9) without overspray occurring, and /or b) that the application process has a surface coating performance of at least 0.5m ² /min, lm ² /min or at least 3m ² /min, and/or c) that the volume flow of the applied coating agent and thus the exit speed of the coating agent is adjusted so that the coating agent does not bounce off the component (6; 9) after hitting the component (6; 9), and /or d) that the exit speed of the coating agent from the application device (2; 12) is at least 5m/s, 7m/s or 10m/s, and/or

e) that the exit speed of the coating agent from the application device (2; 12) is at most 30m/s,

20m/s or 10m/s, and/or

f) that the application distance (d) is at least 4mm, 10mm or 40mm and/or, and/or

g) that the application distance (d) is a maximum of 200mm or

is 100mm, and/or

h) that the application device (2; 12) is moved by means of a machine, in particular a multi-axis robot, and/or

i) that the coating agent is a varnish, in particular a base varnish, a clear varnish, an effect varnish or a mica

Paint or a metallic paint, and/or

j) that the coating agent is a water-based paint or a

Solvent varnish is, and/or

k) that the coating agent jet (5; 13) is switched on or off with a switching time of less than 50ms, 20ms, 10ms, 5ms or 1ms.

15. Application system for applying a coating, in particular a varnish, a sealant, a release agent or an adhesive, to a component (6; 9), in particular to a motor vehicle body component, with a) an application device (2; 12) for delivering a coating - layering agent jet (5; 13), al) whereby the coating agent jet (5; 13) initially has an area connected in the direction of the jet after it emerges from the application device (2; 12) until it reaches a decay length (LZERFALL),

a2) whereupon the coating agent jet (5; 13) disintegrates into droplets that are separated from one another in the direction of the jet after it emerges from the application device (2; 12) according to the decay length (LDEGRADATION), and

b) a positioning device for positioning the application device (2; 12) relative to the component (6; 9) with a certain application distance (d) between the application device (2; 12) and the component (6; 9), so that the coating agent jet (5; 13) on that

Component (6; 9) hits and the component (6; 9) is coated,

characterized,

c) that the positioning device is the application device

(2; 12) positioned relative to the component (6; 9) so that the application distance (d) is smaller than the decay length (L _DECAY ) of the coating agent jet (5; 13), so that the coating agent jet (5; 13) with its contiguous area hits the component (6; 9).

16. Application system according to claim 15,

characterized,

a) that the application device (2; 12) has a nozzle plate

has, in which several application nozzles are arranged, and / or

b) that the application device (2; 12) has a plurality of application nozzles, each of which emits a spray of coating agent (5; 13), the coating agent Tel rays (5, 13) together produce a strip on the component (6; 9), and/or

c) that the strip has a width of at least ΙΟΟμπι,

200μιη, 400μπι, 1mm, 2mm, 5mm, 1cm, 2cm, 5cm, 10cm or Im, and/or

d) that the strip has a . Width of at most Im, 10cm,

5cm, 2cm, lern, 5mm, 2mm, 1mm, 400μπι or 200μπι.

17. Application device (2; 12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in

a) that the application device (2; 12) emits a plurality of ^coating agent jets (5, 13) which are aligned essentially parallel to one another, and/or

b) that the distance between the immediately adjacent

Coating agent jets (5, 13) are so large that the adjacent coating agent jets (5, 13) between the application device (2; 12) and the component (6; 9) do not unite, and/or

c) that the application device (2; 12) for delivering the ^coating agent jets (5, 13) has several application nozzles with a specific nozzle inner diameter and a specific nozzle spacing, the ^nozzle spacing being at least equal to three times, four times or six times the nozzle inner diameter.

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