Optimisation method for calculating an optimised movement path (B) of a coating robot which guides an application device over a component surface to be coated, comprising the following steps: a) defining successive path points (P1-P6) of the movement path (B) through path point data, wherein the path point data for each path point a1) firstly at least partially define the spatial position (XP n , YP n , ZP n ) of a reference point (TCP) of the application device at the respective path point (P n ), in particular a paint impact point, and a2) secondly at least partially define the spatial orientation (XR n , YR n , ZR n ) of the application device at the respective path point (P n ), and b) calculating possible robot configurations for the individual path points of the movement path (B), b1) wherein each robot configuration comprises all the axis positions (a1-a7) of all the robot axes (A1-A7) and b2) at least some of the path points (P1-P6) are respectively optionally achievable by means of a plurality of different robot configurations, characterised by the following step: c) calculating a path point-related quality value (PQ n,m ) respectively individually for the different possible robot configurations of the individual path points, so that a quality value (PQ n,m ) is assigned to each robot configuration, and d) selecting one of the possible robot configurations for the individual path points dependent upon the path point-related quality value (PQ n,m ) of the different possible robot configurations. a) defining successive path points (P1-P6) of the movement path (B) through path point data, wherein the path point data for each path point a1) firstly at least partially define the spatial position (XP n , YP n , ZP n ) of a reference point (TCP) of the application device at the respective path point (P n ), in particular a paint impact point, and a2) secondly at least partially define the spatial orientation (XR n , YR n , ZR n ) of the application device at the respective path point (P n ), and a1) firstly at least partially define the spatial position (XP n , YP n , ZP n ) of a reference point (TCP) of the application device at the respective path point (P n ), in particular a paint impact point, and a2) secondly at least partially define the spatial orientation (XR n , YR n , ZR n ) of the application device at the respective path point (P n ), and b) calculating possible robot configurations for the individual path points of the movement path (B), b1) wherein each robot configuration comprises all the axis positions (a1-a7) of all the robot axes (A1-A7) and b2) at least some of the path points (P1-P6) are respectively optionally achievable by means of a plurality of different robot configurations, b1) wherein each robot configuration comprises all the axis positions (a1-a7) of all the robot axes (A1-A7) and b2) at least some of the path points (P1-P6) are respectively optionally achievable by means of a plurality of different robot configurations, c) calculating a path point-related quality value (PQ n,m ) respectively individually for the different possible robot configurations of the individual path points, so that a quality value (PQ n,m ) is assigned to each robot configuration, and d) selecting one of the possible robot configurations for the individual path points dependent upon the path point-related quality value (PQ n,m ) of the different possible robot configurations. <EOS>