A method of, and apparatus for, electrocoating.

摘要

A method of, and apparatus for, electrocoating. A method of electrocoating the surface of an article such as the internal surface of a can body using as electrode a mandrel (4) having an external surface of substantially the same shape as the surface to be coated. The can body is positively located in a cell containing the mandrel (4) by way of a seal (40) in the cell wall (2) and a limiting surface (44) such that the internal surface to be electrocoated is substantially equidistantly spaced from the mandrel (4). Electrocoating fluid is flowed by way of a central bore (36) in the mandrel between the mandrel and the internal surface and one or more electrocoating pulses are applied between the mandrel and the can body to electrocoat the internal surface thereof.

The spacing between the can body and mandrel is in the range 0.25 to 5.00 mm and the total duration of the one or more electrocoating pulses is in the range 10 to 500 msec. Furthermore, a short circuit test is made on the cell before the electrocoating pulses are applied.