Method and system for spraying material in a spray pattern having a variable form and collecting excess material

摘要

A variable form spray system includes a robot manipulator, a masking tool assembly integrated with the manipulator, sealer supply hardware which supplies spray material to the manipulator and sealer recovery hardware which recovers material sprayed and skived by the masking tool assembly. Spray pattern form is controlled by collecting overspray using adjustable skive manifolds of the assembly on each side of the spray pattern which function to vacuum off the edges of the airless spray pattern. The positions of the skive manifolds are programmable.