Robotic arm spray painting with precision

Stick With Success: The Ultimate Guide to Adhesive Spray Painting with Robots

Mira Elwood in Tech & Innovation September 2025 • 4 min read.

"Unlock precision and efficiency in your adhesive applications with robotic spray painting. Learn how to optimize parameters for flawless results!"

In today's manufacturing landscape, precision and consistency are paramount. Industries, especially automotive, rely heavily on spray painting to ensure uniform coating and enhance product quality. The use of robots in this process has revolutionized efficiency and accuracy. However, achieving flawless results requires careful planning and parameter optimization.

Traditional methods of robot path planning often involve manual adjustments and trial-and-error, which can be time-consuming and operator-dependent. This approach not only increases the likelihood of errors but also makes it challenging to optimize performance for various performance criteria. Therefore, there's a growing need for a more systematic and automated approach to robot path planning in spraying processes.

This guide delves into the intricacies of adhesive spray painting with robots, offering insights into testing methodologies, parameter dependencies, and best practices. Whether you're aiming to improve your existing robotic spraying process or just exploring the possibilities, this guide provides the knowledge and tools necessary to achieve superior results.

Mastering the Main Parameters of Adhesive Spraying

Robotic arm spray painting with precision

Achieving optimal results in adhesive spray painting hinges on understanding and controlling several key parameters. These parameters not only affect the quality of the coating but also the efficiency of the entire process. Let’s break down the main components:

Below are listed key parameters for optimal adhesive spraying:

Base: Typically, water-borne polyurethane dispersion is used for its excellent adhesive properties and environmental compatibility.
Solid Content: Aim for approximately 45% to ensure a good balance between viscosity and coverage.
Viscosity at 20 °C: Maintain a viscosity of around 3500 mPa-s, measured using a Brookfield RVT viscometer at 20 RPM, to ensure consistent spray patterns.
Density at 20 °C: A density of approximately 1.05 g/cm³ helps achieve uniform material distribution during spraying.
pH: A pH of around 7.5 ensures the stability and effectiveness of the adhesive.
Consumption: Plan for a consumption rate of about 80-120 g/m² wet, depending on the substrate's properties.
Activation Temperature: Set the activation temperature between 55-80 °C to ensure proper curing of the adhesive.
Drying: Allow about 20-60 minutes at ambient temperature (20 °C) for thorough drying.
In Drying Tunnel: Use hot air at 50 °C for 10-15 minutes, ensuring the adhesive film temperature doesn't exceed 50 °C.
Material and Product Temperature: Keep the temperature between 15-25 °C.
Pot Life: Use within approximately 8 hours at 20 °C or 4 hours at 30 °C.
Dilution and Cleaning: Use fresh water while the adhesive is still fresh.

This adhesive is excellent for the bonding of PVC-foil, carpet, and textile to molded body parts with ABS, fibre, wood pulp and more. For instance in case of PP is needed a pre-treatment by flame is needed, in order to increase the superficial tension to 38 ÷ 40 mN/m. After cross-linking, excellent water and heat resistance is expected. The mixture of the adhesive with hardener must be done with a mechanical stirrer at average rotational speed max. 400 rpm, stirring during 8 to 10 minutes until homogeneous colour.

Optimize Your Robotic Spray Painting Today

By understanding the critical parameters and dependencies involved in adhesive spray painting with robots, you can significantly improve the quality and efficiency of your processes. Whether it's adjusting robot speed, optimizing pressure settings, or fine-tuning nozzle lifts, the insights shared in this guide will empower you to achieve consistent, high-quality results. As industries continue to automate, mastering these techniques will be essential for staying competitive and delivering superior products.

About this Article -

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Everything You Need To Know

What is the significance of using robots in adhesive spray painting within the automotive industry?

Robots in adhesive spray painting have revolutionized the automotive industry by enhancing efficiency and accuracy. Traditional methods often involved manual adjustments, leading to errors and time-consuming optimization. The adoption of robots ensures uniform coating and enhances product quality, crucial for meeting the high standards of the automotive sector. This shift allows for consistent results, improved product quality, and streamlined production processes, which are key to competitiveness in today's manufacturing landscape.

What are the key parameters that must be controlled for optimal adhesive spraying, and why are they important?

Optimal adhesive spraying depends on understanding and controlling several key parameters. These include the 'Base', which often utilizes water-borne polyurethane dispersion; 'Solid Content' around 45% for a good balance of viscosity and coverage; 'Viscosity at 20 °C', maintained at approximately 3500 mPa-s; 'Density at 20 °C', set to about 1.05 g/cm³; 'pH' around 7.5; 'Consumption' at roughly 80-120 g/m² wet; 'Activation Temperature' between 55-80 °C; 'Drying' time of 20-60 minutes at 20 °C, with optional 'In Drying Tunnel' at 50 °C; 'Material and Product Temperature' between 15-25 °C; 'Pot Life' of approximately 8 hours at 20 °C or 4 hours at 30 °C; and finally, 'Dilution and Cleaning' with fresh water. Each parameter impacts the quality of the coating, the efficiency of the process, and the ultimate performance of the adhesive bond. Maintaining these parameters ensures consistent spray patterns, uniform material distribution, proper curing, and overall adhesive effectiveness.

How does the choice of 'Base' in adhesive spray painting influence the final outcome, and what are some other important factors?

The 'Base' selection significantly impacts the adhesive's performance. Water-borne polyurethane dispersion is often chosen for its excellent adhesive properties and environmental compatibility. The 'Solid Content' of approximately 45% is crucial for balancing viscosity and coverage, influencing how well the adhesive spreads and adheres. 'Viscosity at 20 °C' and 'Density at 20 °C' also play a vital role in creating consistent spray patterns and uniform material distribution. Furthermore, the 'pH' around 7.5 ensures adhesive stability and effectiveness. Other factors like 'Consumption', 'Activation Temperature', 'Drying' process, and 'Material and Product Temperature' all synergistically affect the quality of the bond, the efficiency of the process, and the overall performance of the adhesive.

What steps should be taken when preparing and applying the adhesive to ensure a successful bond, particularly with materials like PP?

When preparing and applying the adhesive, several steps ensure a successful bond. The mixture of the adhesive with hardener should be done with a mechanical stirrer at an average rotational speed not exceeding 400 rpm, stirring for 8 to 10 minutes until a homogeneous color is achieved. For materials like PP (polypropylene), a pretreatment by flame is necessary to increase the superficial tension to 38 ÷ 40 mN/m, improving the adhesive's ability to bond. It is also important to consider the specified 'Pot Life', ensuring that the adhesive is used within the recommended time frame at a given temperature. Following these steps guarantees excellent water and heat resistance after cross-linking, ensuring a durable and reliable bond for materials like PVC-foil, carpet, and textile to molded body parts.

How can manufacturers optimize their robotic spray painting processes to achieve superior results and maintain a competitive edge?

Manufacturers can optimize robotic spray painting processes by carefully considering and controlling critical parameters. These include the 'Base' material, 'Solid Content', 'Viscosity at 20 °C', 'Density at 20 °C', 'pH', 'Consumption', 'Activation Temperature', 'Drying' procedures, 'Material and Product Temperature', and 'Pot Life'. By understanding the dependencies among these factors, manufacturers can adjust robot speed, optimize pressure settings, and fine-tune nozzle lifts, ensuring consistent, high-quality results. Moreover, staying informed about advancements in automation and process optimization will be essential for maintaining a competitive edge and delivering superior products as industries continue to automate and evolve.