Exemplary illustrations of a bell cup for a rotary atomizer and method of using the same are disclosed. The exemplary illustrations are generally directed to the control of the rotating bell plate of a rotary atomizer used for the serial coating of work pieces. An air flow component may be created by the structural design of the bell plate and/or of an element of the rotary atomizer and by the rotation of the bell plate. The air flow component may correspond to the bell plate design, and the element may be adjacent to the bell plate and stationary relative to same. The air flow component may be measured and compared to a predefined reference value.