Automated Paint Mixing Machine

Precision, accuracy, and efficiency are the main pillars of today’s industries. Specifically, in the paint manufacturing and color mixing industry, where delicacy plays an essential role in obtaining a wide range of colors consistently. Consequently, where there is need for speed and extreme accuracy and precision, automation presents itself as the solution. Automation involves the use of PLCs, sensors, actuators and other components to perform tasks with high consistency, with minimal human intervention.

The aim of this project is to build a PLC controlled machine simulating paint color mixing in a production line. The user will select a color from the HMI (Human Machine Interface), specifically car paint color, which will be communicated to the PLC to begin the process. The machine consists of a white paint dispensing unit, which will fill the canister with the required amount of white paint. The color dispensing unit, which will dispense the required amount of each color to produce the desired color. This unit will operate on a counter-based approach, based on Bernoulli’s principle, allowing the paint to flow through the valves for a specific number of times each time for 1 second in order to obtain the desired volume. To finish the production, a lid will be dropped on top of the canister in the capping unit, which will later be pressed shut in the roller lid press unit.

Project Details

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