Influence of Spray Gun Position and Orientation on Liquid Film Development along a Cylindrical Surface

A method combining computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and an analytical approach is proposed to develop a prediction model for the variable thickness of the spray-induced liquid film along the surface of a cylindrical workpiece. The numerical method relies on an Eulerian-Eulerian technique. Different cylinder diameters and positions and inclinations of the spray gun are considered and useful correlations for the thickness of the liquid film and its distribution are determined using various data fitting algorithms. Finally, the reliability of the pro-posed method is verified by means of experimental tests where the robot posture is changed. The provided cor-relation are intended to support the optimization of spray-based coating applications.