Anti-Collision System for Painting Systems

The Lesta anti-collision system for painting systems is a special pneumatic device mounted between the gun holder and the gun itself, protecting both from accidental impacts.

If the gun collides with an object (whether during liquid or powder spraying), a mechanical overload is generated that causes the sensor to shift, releasing pressurized air. This principle is a common application of general pneumatics engineering. The pressure drop is detected and the system sends a signal to the control PLC, which stops the robot.

Three types of overload can occur:

TANGENTIAL: occurs when the gun collides laterally with an obstacle.

AXIAL: occurs when the compression force in the Z direction toward the system exceeds the overload threshold.

TORSIONAL: occurs in the case of rotation around the Z axis when the maximum torque is exceeded.

Why install an anti-collision system for painting systems

An anti-collision system for painting systems significantly reduces the risk of damaging the robot’s gun and wrist in the event of an accidental impact with a poorly positioned part, a fixture, or an unexpected obstacle along the line.

Without this device, even a modest impact can compromise delicate components such as the gun nozzle or the robotic arm’s joints, resulting in machine downtime and repair costs that add to production losses.

Being a pneumatic rather than an electronic device, the anti-collision system reacts immediately and mechanically to the overload, without requiring complex software calibration: the pressure drop is read directly by the system’s PLC, which stops the robot within a fraction of a second.

This immediacy is particularly important on high-cadence lines, where even a few seconds of unplanned downtime affect the overall productivity of the system and the safety of operators working near the robotic cell.

Being compatible with both liquid and powder guns, the Lesta anti-collision system for painting systems can be mounted on the various robot models in the range, making it a cross-cutting solution applicable to multiple robotic cell configurations, from the painting of small components up to complete systems for industrial finishing.

An accessory integrated into the Lesta safety and control family

The anti-collision system is one of the safety and control accessories that Lesta integrates within its complete industrial painting systems, together with other devices such as Syncro, the system that synchronizes robot speed with conveyor speed, and IP cameras, the network cameras that allow remote supervision of the robotic cell’s status.

All these accessories communicate with the same system control PLC, helping to keep every phase of the painting process under control, from path programming to safe stopping in the event of an anomaly.

The anti-collision system for painting systems is therefore part of the wider family of Lesta accessories designed to make automated painting systems safer, more reliable, and easier to manage over time.

This approach reflects Lesta’s philosophy of designing and building complete industrial painting systems, conceived and manufactured entirely in Italy to meet the specific needs of every customer, whether a small workshop or a large-scale production plant.

Every Lesta anti-collision system for painting systems is factory-tested before shipment, ensuring that the pneumatic thresholds are correctly calibrated for the specific gun and robot combination ordered by the customer. This factory testing reduces commissioning time on site and gives integrators confidence that the safety device will behave predictably from the very first production cycle.

For plants that run mixed production, alternating between different part geometries and finishing recipes on the same line, the anti-collision system for painting systems adds a layer of protection that does not depend on vision systems or complex sensors, making it a cost-effective safeguard for facilities of any size.