Abstract:
A powder thermal spray device for coating parts with a curable and/or meltable powder including a powder spray gun configured to spray the powder toward the part to be coated and at least one heater configured to direct generated heat toward the part to be coated for curing and/or melting the powder. A manifold can couple the at least one heater to the powder spray gun, which can be an electrostatic powder spray gun.
Abstract:
A powder hopper is provided with a low turbulence zone for supplying powder to a spray gun. The low turbulence zone is defined by a baffle inside the hopper with the low turbulence zone being within a volume of the baffle, and an annular zone between the baffle and the hopper is used to bulk feed powder into the hopper. The low turbulence zone may alternatively be in the annular zone with powder added to the volume of the baffle. One preferred application for this hopper is in connection with the use of fine powder coating materials to coat the interior of small diameter cans.
Abstract:
A system for dispensing pulverulent coating material comprises a source of pulverulent coating material (6), a source of compressed gas (8), a device (38) for movably supporting a nozzle, the nozzle coupled to the source of pulverulent material and providing an opening (10) through which the pulverulent material is dispensed, a deflector (12) supported by the device and spaced from the opening to aid in shaping a cloud of dispensed coating material, and a source of high-magnitude electrostatic potential (15) coupled to impart electrostatic potential to the dispensed pulverulent material. The deflector includes at least one first passageway (131) extending with a radial component of the deflector and communicating with the source of compressed gas to direct gas with a radial component into the cloud of dispensed coating material.
Abstract:
A powder spray coating discharge assembly (230, 260, 216, 228, 232) for connection to an electrostatic spray coating gun (210), the gun (210) having a gun body (212), means for connecting to a supply of coating powder and means for supplying a voltage (20) at first and second potentials respectively to first (292) and second electrical connections (294) each for connection to a respective one of a discharge electrode (232) and a counter electrode (260), the means for supplying the voltage (20) comprising: a variable voltage power supply (1 14) having an input connected to an electrical power source (110), an output connected to each of the first and second electrical connections (292, 294), a control circuit (128) for controlling the variable voltage power supply (20) and means (120) for sensing an output load, wherein the control circuit (128) is adapted to adjust the variable voltage power supply (20) to reduce the voltage and current in proportion to a sensed increase in load, or vice-versa.
Abstract:
Wear components of a powder coating system are provided with a coded visual element in one aspect of the invention. The coded visual element can provide an indication of the manufacturer or a characteristic of the part. In molded parts, the coded visual element can be implemented as a different color overmolded part wherein a material of one color is overmolded on a base material of another color. The overmolded material can be elastomeric and formed with integral exterior rings to provide a friction fit for the wear component in, for example, a venturi pump or a spray gun while eliminating the need for separate O- rings and the need to machine or form grooves in the exterior of the parts to receive the O-rings. Similarly, integral flanges can be formed to eliminate the need for separate snap rings and grooves to accept the snap rings. Color coding of the overmolded material can also be implemented in a way to provide an indication of wear. Alternatively, the part can be constructed as a layered structure of two or more materials to provide an indication of wear with or without a visual coding element Another aspect of the invention is the idea of forming the replacement part as a single piece part such as a molded part. This type of part can be formed to incorporate integrally formed resilient rings and/or integrally formed flanges on the exterior of the part to take the place of O-rings and snap rings.
Abstract:
A spray applicator for particulate material includes a unitary powder passageway sized to be particularly useful with dense phase material flow. An external electrode assembly is provided that is keyed to an air cap that is used to provide atomizing and pattern shaping air to the dense phase material that exits the powder passageway. In this manner a nozzle is not required. A manual and automatic version of the applicator are provided, including a pattern shaping trigger that can be used by the operator to dynamically adjust the spray pattern. An automatic gun version has the multiplier located at a mounting location to reduce bending moments of the elongated gun.
Abstract:
A powder coating device, wherein a low−voltage pulse signal (S2) generated in a pulse signal generation circuit (7) is boosted to a high voltage in a high voltage application circuit (8) to be applied to a corona electrode (5). This enable corona discharging to be generated intermittently toward an object from the corona electrode (5), powder paint jetted forward from the nozzle opening of a gun body to be charged by negative ions produced by corona discharging, and then charged powder paint to be sent toward the object for coating on the surface of the object.
Abstract:
An acceleration cell for use in coating substrates with plastic resin particles. The cell includes a housing that has an air inlet port, an air outlet port, and a particle feed port, the latter in association with a resin particle source. The housing receives a carrier airflow for taking up resin particles so that the particles are suspended in the carrier flow. The air outlet port has a configuration having a predetermined width, which generally corresponds to the width of the substrate. The cell also contains at least one electrostatic charger for charging the suspended resin particles and at least one apparatus for accelerating the carrier flow and the suspended particles. Finally, the cell includes at least one flow-modifying apparatus for modifying the resin particle outflow, producing a uniform delivery of the particles across the substrate.
Abstract:
A plurality of unconventional negative tribo-charging materials are described for use as the powder contact surfaces in tribocharging and corona powder spray guns, gun compounds, and powder delivery system components. The invention also provides a short barrel tribo-charging powder spray gun having an interchangeable powder contact insert and nozzle, with turbulence inducing air jets. The invention further provides novel tribocharging and corona gun designs. Improved powder coating systems are made possible wherein, for example, negative tribo guns can be utilized with negative corona guns to coat different parts of the same workpiece in a powder coating system and to realize a repair coating process. Also proived is an inside-out configuration in which pressurized air directs powder coating material outward towards a charging surface. Additional configurations provide air jet induced tribocharging and conventional tribocharging portions combined in a single gun.