DLC coating equipment for extrusion type die head of coating machine and process of DLC coating equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses DLC coating equipment for an extrusion type die head of a coating machine and a process of the DLC coating equipment, and relates to the technical field of metal surface treatment. The device comprises an air inlet chamber, a coating chamber is arranged on one side of the air inlet chamber, an air inlet assembly is installed between the coating chamber and the air inlet chamber, the air inlet assembly comprises an air control valve and a plurality of air spraying heads, a mold frame is arranged in the coating chamber, a mold head is installed at the top end of the mold frame, and the air inlet assembly is used for uniformly spraying air to the mold head; a radio frequency power supply is mounted at the top end of the coating chamber, a plasma generator is mounted in the coating chamber, and the plasma generator is electrically connected with the radio frequency power supply; one side of the coating chamber is provided with a vacuum pump and one side of the coating chamber is provided with a sealing assembly. By means of the uniformity of the air source and the uniformity of ionized coating particles, the coating of the die head is more uniform.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of metal surface treatment, and in particular to a DLC coating device for an extrusion die head of a coating machine and a process thereof. Background Art

[0002] The extrusion die of the coating machine is a key component in the production of lithium batteries. It is usually used in the coating process of the positive and negative pole pieces of lithium batteries. It can realize various coating processes such as continuous coating and stripe coating. The die mainly includes an upper die, a lower die and a gasket added in the middle during actual use. When the die is in use, the lithium battery slurry flows through the die, which will cause wear and corrosion to the die metal, resulting in reduced die precision and reduced service life. DLC coating, that is, diamond-like carbon coating, is an amorphous carbon material with diamond-like properties. It has high hardness, excellent wear resistance, good chemical stability and low friction coefficient. It can be used for anti-corrosion coating of the die. The surface of the die needs to be treated with DLC coating before it is put into use.

[0003] The patent specification with publication number CN103668061B discloses a coating device for a diamond-like carbon film with high adhesion, high hardness and low friction coefficient, including a coating chamber, a planetary rotating workpiece rack, a magnetic filtering arc source, a molecular pump and a vacuum system. The coating chamber is a vertical cylindrical structure with an overall double-layer water-cooled structure. A feed door is provided at the front of the coating chamber, a tubular heater and a thermocouple interface are provided at the top of the coating chamber, an air inlet and a planetary rotating workpiece rack are provided at the bottom of the coating chamber, a driving system is connected to the bottom of the planetary rotating workpiece rack, a magnetic filtering arc source is installed on the side wall of the coating chamber, and a molecular pump and a vacuum system are installed at the rear of the coating chamber; This coating equipment generates vacuum arc discharge between a trigger electrode and a graphite cathode, and an ion source is arranged in the coating space. The arc discharge excites a large number of carbon ions in the ion source, and relies on a high temperature environment to plate this part of carbon ions on the workpiece. The disadvantage of this technical solution is that in the process of generating an ion beam by arc discharge, the shape of the arc itself is uncontrollable, resulting in an unstable distribution of the generated ion beam. Therefore, when it is deposited on the workpiece to be plated, the coating thickness will be uneven. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a DLC coating device and process for a coater extrusion die head, and the technical problems to be solved are as follows: when the existing DLC ​​coating device performs coater coating, the coating thickness is uneven.

[0005] The purpose of the present invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions: A DLC coating device for an extrusion die of a coating machine comprises an air inlet chamber, a coating chamber is arranged on one side of the air inlet chamber, an air inlet assembly is installed between the coating chamber and the air inlet chamber, the air inlet assembly comprises a controlled air valve and a plurality of air jets, a mold frame is arranged inside the coating chamber, a die is installed on the top of the mold frame, and the air inlet assembly is used for uniformly jetting the die; a radio frequency power supply is installed on the top of the coating chamber, a plasma generator is installed inside the coating chamber, and the plasma generator is electrically connected to the radio frequency power supply; a vacuum pump is installed on one side of the coating chamber, and a sealing assembly is installed on one side of the coating chamber.

[0006] As a further solution of the present invention: an exhaust pipe is installed on one side of the vacuum pump, and an exhaust pipe is installed on the top side, the air intake assembly also includes an air intake pipe installed between the air intake chamber and the coating chamber, an air pump is installed at the bottom of the air intake chamber, a plurality of air inlet holes are opened at the top of the coating chamber, the top of each of the air jets is connected to the air intake pipe, and the bottoms all penetrate into the interior of the coating chamber along the air inlet holes.

[0007] As a further solution of the present invention: a discharge layer is arranged on a side of the plasma generator close to the die head, the die head is electrically connected to a bias system, and the radio frequency power supply includes a display screen and a frequency modulation knob.

[0008] As a further solution of the present invention: each of the air jet heads is located above the die head, and air jet holes are evenly arranged on the bottom surface of the air jet head.

[0009] As a further solution of the present invention: the mold frame includes a plurality of supporting feet fixedly connected to the interior of the coating chamber, support plates are fixedly connected to both sides of the top of the mold frame, a slide groove is opened in the middle of the support plate, the slide groove is slidably connected to a side clamping plate, a screw is installed between the two side clamping plates, a locking nut is installed at one end of the screw, and the screw passes through the gap in the middle of the die head.

[0010] As a further solution of the present invention: the sealing assembly includes a plurality of ears fixedly connected to both sides of the coating chamber, a cover is installed between each of the ears, bolts are installed on both sides of the cover to fit each of the ears, a groove is provided on the adjacent surface of the coating chamber and the cover, and a sealing strip is installed inside the groove.

[0011] A process for DLC coating equipment for a coater extrusion die head comprises the following steps: S1. Open the cover, loosen the locking nut, place the die head between the two side clamps, and lock the locking nut; S2, close the cover and the air control valve, start the vacuum pump, and extract the air from the coating room; S3, setting the frequency and power of the radio frequency power supply, and connecting the line to the plasma generator; S4, injecting mixed gas into the air inlet chamber, opening the air control valve and the air pump, and introducing the reaction gas required for the coating into the coating chamber; S5. The discharge layer ionizes the mixed gas, and the active particles are deposited at the die head. During the deposition process, the RF power supply and the gas control valve are adjusted intermittently and multiple times, and the active particles are evenly deposited at the die head. After the reaction is completed, the cover is opened and the die head is taken out.

[0012] Beneficial effects of the present invention: 1. In the present invention, an air inlet chamber is installed outside the coating chamber, a plasma generator and a radio frequency power supply are installed inside and outside the coating chamber respectively, an air inlet assembly is arranged between the air inlet chamber and the coating chamber, and each air inlet pipe of the air inlet assembly uniformly sprays air to the die head installed in the coating chamber, providing a uniform and dense ionization environment for the die head, and the plasma generator connected thereto ionizes the internal gas with the aid of the discharge layer by means of the alternating electric field provided by the radio frequency power supply, and the active particles used for coating after ionization are uniformly filled in the coating chamber under the action of the radio frequency power supply that stably provides the alternating electric field, which aims to make the coating of the die head more uniform by means of the uniformity of the gas source and the uniformity of the coating particles after ionization; 2. In the present invention, the air intake volume is controlled by the air control valve, and the intensity of the internal ionization reaction is controlled by the RF power supply by changing the RF frequency and power. The dual process control can make the coating process have the effect of being carried out in stages, so that the deposited layer is more stable in the process of being converted into the coating, so as to improve the adhesion of the coating to the die head and extend the service life of the coating. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0014] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the present invention; Figure 3 is a partial exploded view of the present invention; Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the partial internal structure of the present invention; Figure 5 The present invention Figure 4 Enlarged detail of point A in the middle.

[0015] In the figure: 1. air inlet chamber; 2. coating chamber; 3. air inlet assembly; 31. air control valve; 32. nozzle; 33. air inlet pipe; 34. air pump; 35. fixing rod; 4. mold frame; 41. supporting foot; 42. supporting plate; 43. slide groove; 44. side clamp; 45. screw; 5. mold head; 6. RF power supply; 7. plasma generator; 8. vacuum pump; 9. sealing assembly; 91. support ear; 92. cover; 93. bolt; 94. notch; 95. sealing strip; 10. air inlet; 11. exhaust pipe; 12. exhaust pipe; 13. air inlet hole; 14. discharge layer; 15. display screen; 16. frequency knob. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0017] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, a DLC coating device for an extrusion die head of a coating machine comprises an air inlet chamber 1, a coating chamber 2 is arranged on one side of the air inlet chamber 1, an air inlet assembly 3 is installed between the coating chamber 2 and the air inlet chamber 1, the air inlet assembly 3 comprises an air control valve 31 and a plurality of air jets 32, a mold frame 4 is arranged inside the coating chamber 2, a die head 5 is installed on the top of the mold frame 4, and the air inlet assembly 3 is used to uniformly spray air to the die head 5; a radio frequency power supply 6 is installed on the top of the coating chamber 2, a plasma generator 7 is installed inside the coating chamber 2, and the plasma generator 7 and the radio frequency power supply 6 are electrically connected; a vacuum pump 8 is installed on one side of the coating chamber 2, and a sealing assembly 9 is installed on one side of the coating chamber 2; It should be noted that the die head 5 needs to be cleaned before being placed in the coating chamber 2, such as removing grease, dirt and surface oxide layer; an air inlet 10 is set on one side of the air inlet chamber 1, and a mixed gas of methane and hydrogen is injected into the air inlet 10. Since methane and hydrogen can react to generate methyl when ionized in the coating chamber 2, C atoms in the methyl state are more easily deposited on the die head 5, and hydrogen can be used as a reducing agent to prevent excessive ionization of methane and improve the stability of the plasma.

[0018] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, an exhaust pipe 11 is installed on one side of the vacuum pump 8, and an exhaust pipe 12 is installed on the top side. The air intake assembly 3 also includes an air intake pipe 33 installed between the air intake chamber 1 and the coating chamber 2. An air pump 34 is installed at the air intake pipe 33 at the bottom of the air intake chamber 1. A plurality of fixing rods 35 are installed between the air intake pipe 33 and the coating chamber 2 for fixing the air intake pipe 33. A plurality of air inlet holes 13 are provided at the top of the coating chamber 2. The top of each air jet head 32 is connected to the air intake pipe 33, and the bottom passes through the inside of the coating chamber 2 along the air inlet hole 13. It should be noted that after closing the coating chamber 2, it is necessary to use a vacuum pump 8 to evacuate the air inside the coating chamber 2 to provide a vacuum environment for the subsequent ionization process and prevent gases such as oxygen in the air from interfering with the ionization process. The exhaust pipe 11 of the vacuum pump 8 penetrates into the coating chamber 2, and when the air is evacuated, the air passes through the exhaust pipe 11 through the vacuum pump 8 and is discharged from the exhaust pipe 12. Subsequently, a mixture of hydrogen and methane is injected into the air inlet 10 of the air inlet chamber 1, and the air control valve 31 and the air pump 34 are opened. The mixed gas is transported to each nozzle 32 through the intake pipe 33, and the nozzle 32 transports the mixed gas to the interior of the coating chamber 2.

[0019] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, a discharge layer 14 is provided on one side of the plasma generator 7 close to the die head 5, the die head 5 is electrically connected to a bias system (not shown), and the radio frequency power supply 6 includes a display screen 15 and a frequency modulation knob 16; It should be noted that the bias system includes a bias power supply, a power controller, an electrode and other structures, and its function is to apply a negative bias voltage at the die head 5 to attract methyl ions in the plasma that are easily adsorbed during DLC ​​coating. This is a prior art; the oscillator built into the radio frequency power supply 6 converts the connected electricity into an alternating electric field, and the alternating electric field is connected to the circuit of the plasma generator 7 and is transmitted to the inside of the coating chamber 2. The alternating electric field acts on the discharge layer 14 of the plasma generator 7 to ionize the mixed gas inside the coating chamber 2 to generate a plasma composed of ions, free electrons and methyl elements. The bias system connected to the die head 5 attracts this part of the plasma to be deposited at the die head 5; Furthermore, since the alternating electric field is uniformly distributed in the coating chamber 2, the plasma is also uniformly distributed in the coating chamber 2 under the action of the electric field, and the radio frequency power supply 6 will not be interrupted when working, and will continue to stably cooperate with the plasma generator 7 to generate plasma, so the plasma stably produced and uniformly distributed in the coating chamber 2 is more convenient for generating a uniform coating; Furthermore, since the RF power supply 6 is provided with a frequency modulation knob 16 and an air control valve 31 is installed at the air inlet position, the air intake volume can be controlled. Therefore, during actual coating, the DLC deposition rate of the coating process can be controlled by adjusting the RF frequency and power, in conjunction with the control of the air intake speed and air intake volume, to assist in the production of a uniform and dense coating, that is, after the bottom deposition layer is stable, a new round of deposition coating is carried out, thereby making the coating more uniform and stable.

[0020] Each nozzle 32 is located directly above the die 5, and a large number of nozzle holes are evenly arranged on the bottom surface of the nozzle 32 to ensure that the entire die 5 can be sprayed with the mixed gas. During the ionization process, sufficient and uniform active ions are ensured to fill the periphery of the die 5, providing a sufficient source of coating raw materials.

[0021] The mold frame 4 includes four supporting legs 41 fixedly connected to the inside of the coating chamber 2 by screws, a supporting plate 42 is fixedly connected between the tops of the two supporting legs 41 on the same side, a slide groove 43 is provided in the middle of the supporting plate 42, a side clamping plate 44 is slidably connected in the slide groove 43, a screw rod 45 is installed between the two side clamping plates 44, and a locking nut is installed at one end of the screw rod 45 near the support ear 91 of the side clamping plate 44, and the mold head 5 includes an upper mold and a lower mold, and the upper mold and the lower mold are hinged by a hinge, and the screw rod 45 passes through the gap between the hinged parts of the upper mold and the lower mold; It should be noted that the extrusion die of the coating machine is divided into an upper die, a lower die and a gasket added according to actual coating needs, the lower die is provided with a cavity, and the upper die and the lower die are rotatably connected by a movable connecting member including but not limited to a hinge to realize the opening and closing function, that is, the upper die and the lower die of the die 5 are in an active state during the coating stage, and when the multi-jet head 32 sprays the mixed gas, if the die 5 is not in a fixed state, a slight resonance phenomenon will occur. The two side clamps 44 of the mold frame 4 and the screw 45 are fixed to effectively avoid this partial resonance, so that the die 5 can be fixed in the deposition process. It is more stable in the coating, which is conducive to assisting the formation of uniform coating; on the other hand, the two support plates 42 are located at the side positions of the outer sides of the upper and lower dies of the die 5. This part will not contact the lithium battery slurry during the coating production stage, and the rest of the die 5 can be supported to the center position of the space in the coating chamber 2 through the mold frame 4. After the coating is generated, it will fully cover the part through which the lithium battery slurry flows, that is, the stability of the deposition process of the die 5 is improved by the mold frame 4, and the comprehensive deposition of the position to be protected is ensured, so the uniform and fully covered coating is generated, which effectively improves the service life of the die 5.

[0022] like Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the sealing assembly 9 includes four ears 91 fixedly connected to both sides of one end of the coating chamber 2, a cover 92 is installed between each ear 91, and four bolts 93 are installed on both sides of the cover 92 to adapt to each ear 91. The entrance of the coating chamber 2 can be sealed with the aid of the ears 91 and the bolts 93 installed on both sides of the cover 92. The entrance is used to install the die head 5. Furthermore, the coating chamber 2 is provided with a frame-shaped groove 94 on the adjacent surface of the cover 92, and a rubber sealing strip 95 is installed in the frame-shaped groove 94. After the cover 92 is connected to the coating chamber 2, the sealing strip 95 provides a sealed environment for the interior of the coating chamber 2 to avoid mutual interference with the external space. Specifically, in the vacuum pumping stage, the external air is prevented from entering the coating chamber 2 to interfere with the vacuum degree therein, and in the deposition coating stage, the internal high-pressure mixed gas is prevented from leaking, thereby providing a stable independent space environment for the coating process and improving the coating quality.

[0023] A process for DLC coating equipment for a coater extrusion die head comprises the following steps: S1, open the cover 92, loosen the locking nut, the distance between the two side clamps 44 is adjustable, then the die head 5 is placed between the two side clamps 44, and the locking nut is locked; this step is used to complete the fixation of the die head 5; S2, close the cover 92 and the air control valve 31, start the vacuum pump 8, and extract the air in the coating chamber 2; this step is used to prepare the vacuum environment required for ionization; S3, setting the frequency and power of the radio frequency power supply 6, and connecting the line to the plasma generator 7; this step is used to provide a reaction environment, that is, the radio frequency power supply 6 generates an alternating electric field and controls the plasma generator 7 to facilitate the subsequent ionization of the mixed gas of methane and hydrogen; S4, injecting the mixed gas into the air inlet chamber 1, opening the air control valve 31 and the air pump 34, and introducing the reaction gas required for the coating into the coating chamber 2; this step is used to provide the gas required for ionization; S5, the discharge layer 14 ionizes the mixed gas, and the active particles are deposited at the die head 5. During the deposition process, the RF power supply 6 and the gas control valve 31 are adjusted, and intermittent deposition is performed multiple times until the coating uniformly covers the die head 5. After the reaction is completed, the cover 92 is opened and the die head 5 is taken out. This step is used to control the deposition speed of the die head 5 and complete the coating operation.

[0024] The above is a detailed description of an embodiment of the present invention, but the content is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and cannot be considered to limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. All equivalent changes and improvements made within the scope of the present invention should still fall within the scope of the patent coverage of the present invention.

Claims

1. A DLC coating device for an extrusion die head of a coating machine, comprising an air inlet chamber (1), a coating chamber (2) being arranged on one side of the air inlet chamber (1), characterized in that: An air intake assembly (3) is installed between the coating chamber (2) and the air intake chamber (1), the air intake assembly (3) comprising a controlled air valve (31) and a plurality of air injection heads (32); a mold frame (4) is arranged inside the coating chamber (2), a die head (5) is installed at the top of the mold frame (4), and the air intake assembly (3) is used to uniformly inject air to the die head (5); a radio frequency power supply (6) is installed at the top of the coating chamber (2), a plasma generator (7) is installed inside the coating chamber (2), and the plasma generator (7) and the radio frequency power supply (6) are electrically connected; a vacuum pump (8) is installed on one side of the coating chamber (2), and a sealing assembly (9) is installed on one side of the coating chamber (2).

2. A DLC coating device for an extrusion die head of a coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum pump (8) is provided with an exhaust pipe (11) on one side and an exhaust pipe (12) on the top side. The air intake assembly (3) further comprises an air intake pipe (33) installed between the air intake chamber (1) and the coating chamber (2). An air pump (34) is installed at the bottom of the air intake chamber (1). A plurality of air inlet holes (13) are provided at the top of the coating chamber (2). The top of each of the air jet heads (32) is connected to the air intake pipe (33), and the bottom thereof passes through the air inlet hole (13) to the interior of the coating chamber (2).

3. The DLC coating device for the extrusion die head of a coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A discharge layer (14) is provided on a side of the plasma generator (7) close to the die head (5); the die head (5) is electrically connected to a bias system; and the radio frequency power supply (6) includes a display screen (15) and a frequency modulation knob (16).

4. A DLC coating device for an extrusion die head of a coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the air jet heads (32) is located above the die head (5), and air jet holes are evenly arranged on the bottom surface of the air jet head (32).

5. The DLC coating device for the extrusion die head of a coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mold frame (4) includes a plurality of supporting legs (41) fixedly connected to the inside of the coating chamber (2), and support plates (42) are fixedly connected to both sides of the top of the mold frame (4), and a slide groove (43) is opened in the middle of the support plate (42), and the slide groove (43) is slidably connected to a side clamping plate (44), and a screw rod (45) is installed between the two side clamping plates (44), and a locking nut is installed at one end of the screw rod (45), and the screw rod (45) passes through the gap in the middle of the die head (5).

6. The DLC coating device for an extrusion die head of a coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealing assembly (9) includes a plurality of ears (91) fixedly connected to both sides of the coating chamber (2), a cover (92) is installed between each of the ears (91), bolts (93) are installed on both sides of the cover (92) to fit each of the ears (91), a notch (94) is provided on the adjacent surface of the coating chamber (2) and the cover (92), and a sealing strip (95) is installed inside the notch (94).

7. A process for DLC coating equipment for an extrusion die head of a coater according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1, open the cover (92), loosen the locking nut, place the die head (5) between the two side clamping plates (44), and lock the locking nut; S2, closing the sealing cover (92) and the air control valve (31), starting the vacuum pump (8), and extracting the air in the coating chamber (2); S3, setting the frequency and power of the radio frequency power supply (6), and connecting the line to the plasma generator (7); S4, injecting a mixed gas into the air inlet chamber (1), opening the air control valve (31) and the air pump (34), and introducing the reaction gas required for the coating into the coating chamber (2); S5, the discharge layer (14) ionizes the mixed gas, and the active particles are deposited at the die head (5). During the deposition process, the radio frequency power supply (6) and the gas control valve (31) are intermittently adjusted multiple times, and the active particles are evenly deposited at the die head (5). After the reaction is completed, the sealing cover (92) is opened and the die head (5) is removed.

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