Design and Development of Semi-Automatic Residential Painting

Machine
Lokesh Kumar.P.J1*, Navin Surya R.P2, Vivekananthan T3, Suseendar D4
1
Asstant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, R.M.K. Engineering College, Chennai, TN, India
2
UG Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, R.M.K. Engineering College, Chennai, TN, India
3
UG Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, R.M.K. Engineering College, Chennai, TN, India
4
UG Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, R.M.K. Engineering College, Chennai, TN, India
*Corresponding author E-Mail ID: lokeshpj@gmail.com, pjl.mech@rmkec.ac.in Mobile: +91 9791543852

ABSTRACT
Automation is the technology by which a process or procedure is performed with minimum
human assistance. Nowadays Automation is widely done in many applications such as military,
medical application, factories, automobile industries etc. However, the application is still not widely
implemented in construction industry. In construction industry, Automated Machines can be designed
to increase speed and improve the accuracy of construction field operations. It can also be used to do
hazardous and dangerous jobs in construction. Wall paintings are a repetitive, exhausting and
hazardous process which makes it an ideal case for Automation. Painting had been automated in
automotive industry but not yet for the construction industry. It is very difficult and troublesome for
human being because it significantly increases the risk of cancer. Painting in an upright position is also
very dangerous for the eyes. Our Project’s objective is to overcome such hazards through
“AUTOMATION OF THE PAINTING PROCESS IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS”. The conceptual
design of an autonomous wall painting machine is described consisting of an arm that covers the walls
vertically and is fitted on a base to give the lateral feed motion to cover the painting area. The design
objective is to satisfy the criteria of simplicity, low weight, low cost and fast painting time.
Keywords— Automation

1. INTRODUCTION
The development of service robots became popular recently since the society needs robots to
relax humans from tedious and dangerous jobs. This project is about the development of low cost
automated portable painting machine with minimal human intervention. Our project also focuses on
providing finishing processes for the house as well. Unlike an industrial painting robot which provide
painting for the fixed areas our machine paints over a variable painting area with mobile base by
incorporation of simple mechanical components. In India, as well as other developing countries, the
increasing population stimulates the construction-related activities such as interior finishing and
painting. Painting is classically done by humans and generally requires exhaustive physical efforts and
involves exposure to dangerous chemicals. Chemicals can seriously impair the vision, respiratory
system and general health of the human painter. These factors make painting an ideal candidate
process for automation. More than 5,00,000 Houses are built annually in India, with an average
painting area of 200 million square meters (based on an average 100m2 apartment area with 400 m2
painting area). The surface area of painting is more due to the renovation work and expected
population increase in the future. This demand imposes challenges that will hardly be met using human
painters only in the next decade. Therefore, development of a painting machine that can perform the
painting task with minimum human intervention is needed and will improve the quality of painting.
The need for an autonomous painting machine is both clear and strong. Automated painting had been
realized successfully in the automotive industry to paint millions of cars in the assembly lines. This
industry uses spray painting and the robotic system is fixed in the assembly line. The domestic painting
machine should be different in the sense that it should have mobility so that it can move to paint the
fixed walls. The Development of a low-cost automated painting machine is not a simple task generally
knowledge of mechanics, electronics and for full automation a thorough knowledge of programming is
needed. Material selection and design are the most crucial parameter to be determined in designing the
low cost automated machine. Power supply is required to drive the motor which in turn provides the
motion in vertical and horizontal direction through screw rod and rack and pinion arrangement as it is
being a better mechanism to give the lift in proper pace. For these reasons it is important to choose the
best material capable of bearing the forces and stresses and making better design, choosing proper
power supply also plays a crucial role.

2. CONVENTIONAL PAINTING
A. Method
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface
(support base). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such
as knives, sponges, and airbrushes, can be used. The final work is also called a painting. Almost all
residential painting is done by manually by labor. The cons outweigh the pros in the above-mentioned
process.

B. Occupational Hazards
The Health and safety hazards for painters include: (1) Exposure to paint products, solvents,
lead, and other toxic chemicals. (2)Toxic effects to multiple organ systems, including neuropathy and
cardiac/kidney injury.(3)Lung cancer, leukaemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and other
cancers.(4)The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies painting as a
carcinogenic occupation.(5)Exposure to toxic moulds, fungi and bacteria with resultant risks of
infectious disease.(6)Flammability hazards from paints and solvents.(7)Working at heights and on
ladders, platforms and scaffolds, with attendant risks of falls.(8)Working in confined spaces.(9)Risks
of eye injury.(10)Slips, trips and falls, and risk of injury from falling objects.(11)Working in awkward
positions or performing repetitive physical tasks.(12)Standing for long periods of time.(13)Lifting
heavy or awkward objects.(14)Exposure to heat and ultraviolet radiation from work
outdoors.(15)Exposure to noise with risk of resultant hearing loss and impairment.(16)Stress and
increased risk of injury and disease from shift work or extended work days.

3. MODERN PAINTING
Air Sprayers push compressed air into the liquid paint in order to break it up into tiny droplets.
This is known as atomization which can also be achieved by pumping high pressure into the fluid
through a small nozzle and it is this method that is utilized in airless paint spraying an airless paint
spraying system gives a glass-smooth layer of coating over a surface that is practically impossible to
achieve using a brush or roller. It is viscosity and surface tension that hold liquids together and
atomization dissipates these to produce a mist of droplets instead of a continuous mass of fluid. In
airless spray painting systems the energy produced by the high pressure that is injected into the paint is
strong enough to achieve atomization. The paint is pushed through a hose then out of a minute hole in
the tip of a spray gun where it exits in a continuous stream under extremely high pressure.

4. DESIGN OF SEMI AUTOMATIC RESIDENTIAL PAINTING MACHINE

A. Experimental Setup
(1)Screw Rod (2) Rack and Pinion (3) DC Motor (4) Air Compressor (5) Spray Paint Gun (6)
Battery.
B. Screw rod mechanism
Lead screws use the helix angle of the thread to convert rotary motion to linear motion. The
performance of a lead screw is heavily dependent on the coefficient of friction between the nut and the
screw, which in turn depends upon the material used for the nut and screw. Lead screws typically use
nuts made of internally lubricated plastic or bearing-grade bronze. Plastic nuts usually travel on
stainless steel screws while bronze nuts often run on carbon steel screws. When bearing-grade bronze
nuts are used, stainless steel screws are an option. The torque required to lift or lower a load can be
calculated by "unwrapping" one revolution of a thread.
Two Screw rods are employed of dimension
Length-60 inches
Diameter-1 inch
Thread angle-60 Degree
Distance between Screw Rod-56.75 inches

C. Rack and Pinion

Rack and pinion is a mechanical device consisting of a bar of rectangular cross section (the
rack), having teeth on one side that mesh with teeth on a small gear (the pinion). The pinion may have
straight teeth, as in the figure, or helical (twisted) teeth that mesh with teeth on the rack that are
inclined to the pinion-shaft axis. If the pinion rotates about a fixed axis, the rack will translate; i.e.,
move on a straight path.
The Dimensions of the Rack are
Length-31 inches
Gear Ratio-4
Pinion Diameter-1 inch

D. DC Motors and Battery

A Direct Current (DC) motor is a rotating electrical device that converts direct current, of
electrical energy, into mechanical energy. An Inductor (coil) inside the DC motor produces a magnetic
field that creates rotary motion as DC voltage is applied to its terminal. Inside the motor is an iron
shaft, wrapped in a coil of wire. This shaft contains two fixed, North and South, magnets on both sides
which cause both a repulsive and attractive force, in turn, producing torque. We employ three DC
Motors in this experiment. One is used to move the Rack and Pinion to provide Horizontal Motion and
Two DC Motors for Vertical Motion through Screw rod mechanism. An Exide battery of 12 V 7 Ah is
used to power the two motors coupled to screw rod and a 12 V 2 Ah to power the rack and pinion
arrangement.

5. WORKING
The apparatus consists of two screw rods, a rack and pinion arrangement to which a paint gun
is attached through a blank of steel and three DC motors to provide motion to the arrangements and
two batteries of 12V (7Ah,2Ah).

Fig 1.Experimental setup

 The whole apparatus is mounted onto a frame. On connecting the motor to battery, the screw
rod rotates and provides the required vertical motion both upwards or downwards depending on
polarity of connection and same is applied to the rack and pinion arrangement to provide horizontal
motion. Once the compressor is switched on the paint filled gun applies the paint on the wall.

6. DESIGN CALCULATIONS
A. Torque Calculation

Fig 2. Torque results

B. Critical Speed Calculation

Fig 3. Critical Speed Calculation

N = (4.76*106*1*0.36)/602
=476 RPM (Rotation per Minute)

=39.66 FPM (Feet per Minute)

Referring to the following table

Table 1. Safe running speeds for various nut materials and loads on a steel screw

Nut material Safe loads [psi] Speed

Bronze 2500–3500 Low speed

Bronze 1600–2500 10 fpm

 Cast iron 1800–2500 8 fpm

Bronze 800–1400 20–40 fpm

Cast iron 600–1000 20–40 fpm

Bronze 150–240 50 fpm

Nut Material- Cast iron

The critical speed is under safe limits for the given material. Therefore, the design is safe.

7. CONCLUSION
The semi-automatic residential painting machine has achieved optimum benefits regarding
reliability, safety appearance, and ease of use. All the objectives set up for this system have been
achieved successfully. In terms of mechanical design all mountings, joints and modules are fabricated
properly.
By employing this machine various benefits can be availed such as
Increased floor space covering rate.
Efficient time management.
Eliminations of occupational hazards of painters like exposing to toxic elements.
Elimination of error due to fatigue.
Reduced cost consumption.
Accurate and precise surface finish

REFERENCES
[1] Berardo Naticchia, Alberto Giretti and Alessandro Carbonari (2007) “Setup of an automated
multicolor system for interior wall Painting”, International Journal of Advanced Robotic System,
Vol-4 No.4.
[2] Jitendra N. Shelar and Prof. N. R. Gilke (2013) “Conceptual Design of Fixture for Automate
Exterior Wall Painting and Design and Analysis Its Main Component” –International Journal of
Innovative Research & Development, ISSN: 2278-0211 Vol-2 Issue 5.
[3] Khurmi R.S.and Gupta J.K. (2003) “A Text book of Machine Design”, published by Eurasia
Publishing house (p) Ltd., ISBN: 81-219-0501-X.
[4] Rethliya R.P “Mechanics of Solid” published by Atul Prakashan 8th edition ISBN: 81-89736-07-8.
[5] Selvamarilakshmi D, Gajendran S, Muralidharan G (2015) “Design and Fabrication of Wall
Painting Robot” Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences ISSN: 0974-2115 Special
Issue 6.