Integrated movable cold spraying system

Abstract

The invention discloses an integrated movable cold spraying system which comprises a movable platform, and a cold spraying control cabinet, a gas source, a powder feeder and a heater which are integrally mounted on the movable platform. The spray gun is connected with the movable platform through an integrated pipeline and comprises a spray pipe, a grip and a switch arranged on the grip. The system is provided with a pneumatic control module for distributing gas output by a gas source, so that the gas source is respectively connected with the powder feeder and the heater. A powder feeding gas pipe of the powder feeder flows through the heater to preliminarily preheat powder carrying gas, and then the powder feeding gas pipe and a hot gas pipe of the heater are jointly led to the integrated pipeline. According to the invention, high-pressure cold spraying core equipment is integrated on the mobile platform and is connected to the spray gun with a simplified structure through the integrated pipeline, so that rapid movement and deployment of the whole set of system are realized. And the spray gun is light in weight and can be held by hand, so that high-pressure spraying operation is flexible and convenient, and the field operation capability of the high-pressure cold spraying technology is greatly expanded.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cold spraying technology, and more specifically to an integrated mobile cold spraying system. Background Technology

[0002] Cold spraying, as a solid-state deposition process, has shown great potential in component repair, remanufacturing, and functional coating preparation due to its advantages such as minimal thermal impact on powder materials, the ability to produce coatings with low oxide content and dense structure. Based on the process gas pressure, cold spraying is mainly divided into two technical routes: high-pressure cold spraying (usually referring to pressures greater than 2 MPa) and low-pressure cold spraying (pressures typically between 0.5 and 1.5 MPa). Both have long coexisted in industrial applications, but both suffer from insurmountable systemic limitations.

[0003] High-pressure cold spraying systems can impart higher kinetic energy to powder particles, resulting in coatings with high bonding strength, good density, and excellent deposition efficiency, making them an ideal choice for high-performance coating repair. However, to achieve the high-pressure, high-temperature gas conditions, such systems typically include bulky and heavy gas sources (such as large air compressors or high-pressure gas cylinder groups), gas heaters, high-power cooling devices, and complex control systems. These devices are not only cumbersome themselves, but also require extensive on-site connections and commissioning via numerous high-pressure pipelines and cables, making the deployment of the entire system extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive. They are usually only installed and used in fixed workshops or laboratories. Therefore, while traditional high-pressure cold spraying systems solve the requirement of "high-quality" coatings, they completely sacrifice "on-site mobility" and "operational flexibility," failing to meet the needs of large components, field facilities, or on-site repair scenarios requiring rapid response.

[0004] To meet the needs of on-site operations, portable or handheld low-pressure cold spraying equipment has emerged on the market. These devices achieve lightweighting and portability by reducing system pressure and simplifying structure, allowing operators to work flexibly with a handheld spray gun. However, limited by lower gas pressure and kinetic energy, their coating deposition efficiency, adhesion strength, and density are often significantly lower than high-pressure processes. More importantly, the lower particle velocity limits the range of materials that can be deposited, making it difficult to effectively deposit many high-performance metal or alloy powders. Therefore, while existing handheld equipment achieves "rapid mobility" and "handheld flexibility," it inevitably comes at the cost of "coating quality" and "material applicability."

[0005] In summary, this field has long faced a prominent technical contradiction: pursuing high-quality coatings (high-pressure processes) inevitably leads to bulky systems, difficult deployment, and an inability to achieve flexible handheld field operations; while pursuing mobility and handheld flexibility in field operations (low-pressure portable processes) inevitably results in a significant decrease in coating performance and limitations on applicable materials. Existing technical approaches all involve trade-offs between these two, and the industry generally believes that high-pressure cold spraying and safe, flexible handheld operation are mutually exclusive. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an innovative systemic solution that can collaboratively overcome this contradiction, enabling cold spraying technology to simultaneously achieve the comprehensive goals of high coating quality, rapid deployment, flexible handheld operation, and safe and controllable process control in field environments. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an integrated mobile cold spraying system, aiming to solve the problems existing in the background technology.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: an integrated mobile cold spraying system, comprising: a mobile platform, a cold spraying control cabinet, an air source, a powder feeder, and a heater, wherein the cold spraying control cabinet, air source, powder feeder, and heater are all integrated and installed on the mobile platform; a spray gun, wherein the spray gun is connected to the mobile platform through an integrated pipeline; the spray gun includes a spray pipe, a handle, and a switch disposed on the handle; and a pneumatic control module for controlling the gas distribution output from the air source, wherein the air source is connected to the powder feeder and the heater respectively through the pneumatic control module; the heater is used to heat the gas flowing through it; the powder feeder's powder delivery pipe flows through the heater to preheat the powder-carrying gas, and is subsequently led to the integrated pipeline together with the heater's hot gas pipe.

[0008] Furthermore, within the integrated pipeline, the hot gas pipe is covered with a first heat insulation layer, the powder delivery gas pipe is attached to the first heat insulation layer, and the powder delivery gas pipe and the first heat insulation layer are also covered with a second heat insulation layer.

[0009] Furthermore, the powder-carrying gas in the powder delivery pipe flowing through the heater is initially preheated to a temperature range of 40°C to 60°C.

[0010] Furthermore, within the integrated pipeline, the powder-carrying gas in the powder delivery pipe is further preheated to a temperature range of 80°C to 120°C through the first heat insulation layer.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes a cooling device and a cooling jacket mounted on the spray gun. The cooling device is integrated into the mobile platform and connected to the cooling jacket at the front of the spray gun via a separate cooling water pipe.

[0012] Furthermore, a signal line is integrated within the integrated pipeline, and the switch of the spray gun is connected to the cold spray control cabinet via the signal line located within the integrated pipeline.

[0013] Furthermore, the system also includes a dust removal device, which is integrated into the mobile platform and its start / stop is linked to the on / off signal of the spray gun.

[0014] Furthermore, the switch is a multi-position switch, wherein the first position is used to trigger ventilation and dust removal, and the second position is used to trigger powder dispensing based on stable ventilation.

[0015] Furthermore, the cold spray control cabinet is configured to: upon receiving the first gear signal, first start the air source and the dust removal device; after detecting that the gas flow is stable, issue a prompt that spraying can be carried out; and upon receiving the second gear signal, control the powder feeder to start feeding powder.

[0016] Furthermore, the mobile platform is a vehicle body equipped with wheels.

[0017] The integrated mobile cold spraying system described in this invention offers the following advantages: by integrating the core high-pressure cold spraying equipment onto a mobile platform and connecting it to a minimally simplified handheld spray gun via integrated piping, the system achieves rapid overall mobility and deployment. The spray gun retains only its basic structure, is lightweight, and can be held handheld, making high-pressure spraying operation flexible and convenient, enabling rapid deployment and relocation, and greatly expanding the on-site operational capabilities of high-pressure cold spraying technology. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the cold spraying system according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a heater according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the integrated pipeline according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Cold spray control cabinet; 101. Powder feeder; 2. Spray gun; 201. Spray nozzle; 202. Handle; 203. Integrated piping; 2031. Hot air pipe; 2032. Powder delivery air pipe; 2033. Signal line; 2034. First heat insulation layer; 2035. Second heat insulation layer; 3. Heater; 301. Heating unit; 302. Spray gun bracket; 4. Cooling device; 5. Dust removal device; 501. Dust removal piping; 502. Suction hood; 6. Air source; 7. Mobile platform. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Typical embodiments embodying the features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail in the following description. It should be understood that the present invention can have various variations in different embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention, and the descriptions and illustrations herein are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the present invention.

[0021] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0022] To further illustrate the principles and structure of the present invention, preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] This invention provides an integrated mobile cold spraying system, the core of which lies in resolving a long-standing contradiction in the field of high-pressure cold spraying technology: the difficulty in simultaneously achieving high-quality coating requirements with on-site equipment mobility, operational flexibility, and process safety. To address this, this invention proposes a systematic reconfiguration scheme.

[0024] like Figure 1-3 As shown, the integrated mobile cold spraying system mainly includes a mobile platform 7, and a cold spraying control cabinet 1, spray gun 2, heater 3, cooling device 4, dust removal device 5, and air source 6 integrated and installed on the mobile platform 7. The spray gun 2 is connected to the equipment on the mobile platform 7 through an integrated pipeline 203.

[0025] The overall design concept of this solution is to pre-integrate all the core functional modules (such as the high-pressure air source, main heater, and main controller) that cause traditional high-pressure cold spraying equipment to be bulky, complex, and difficult to move onto a single movable platform 7. Simultaneously, the function of the spray gun 2 is simplified to the extreme, making it merely a lightweight spraying terminal. The two are connected by an integrated pipeline 203 that incorporates multiple media lines. This modular platform architecture, lightweight gun terminal, and integrated connecting pipeline is the cornerstone of this invention, achieving for the first time a fundamental transformation of the high-pressure cold spraying system from a fixed, heavy-duty equipment to a mobile, handheld tool.

[0026] To achieve safe and flexible handheld operation, the spray gun 2 is designed with an extremely simplified structure. It mainly includes a nozzle 201, a grip 202, and a switch located on the grip 202. The spray gun 2 no longer contains any heating unit or complex control circuitry for heating the gas; its core mechanical structure lies in a pre-chamber formed at the front of the nozzle 201 for mixing the gas and powder. This design significantly reduces the weight and size of the spray gun 2, allowing for easy handheld operation. To further improve handheld stability against the recoil force generated by the high-speed airflow, the front of the spray gun 2 preferably features an interface for mounting an auxiliary grip. The operator can install the auxiliary grip as needed, enabling two-handed operation and significantly improving the stability and precision of control.

[0027] The integrated pipeline 203 also integrates a signal line 2033 for transmitting control signals. One end of the signal line 2033 is connected to the switch on the handle 202 of the spray gun 2, and the other end is connected to the control system of the cold spray control cabinet 1. Through this signal line 2033 integrated in the pipeline, the action signal of the operator triggering the switch on the spray gun 2 can be transmitted to the control cabinet 1 in real time and reliably, thereby realizing remote centralized control of the entire operation process, such as the on / off of the air source 6, the start / stop of the powder feeder 101, and the linkage of the dust removal device 5.

[0028] The heater 3 includes a heating unit 301 for the core heating function. This heating unit 301 is preferably an electric heating wire or a tubular heater, used to heat the gas flowing through it to the required high temperature. A spray gun holder 302 is also provided on the outer casing of the heater 3. When the system is in standby or mobile mode, the spray gun 2 can be conveniently suspended or placed on this holder 302. This not only helps maintain the cleanliness of the work area but also facilitates quick access to the spray gun 2 by the operator, which is part of the system's human-machine interface and convenience design.

[0029] To achieve the above architecture, the connection and collaboration methods of the various components of the system are as follows: The gas source 6 is connected via a rigid pipe to the integrated pneumatic control module inside the cold spray control cabinet 1. This module divides the gas into two paths: one path connects via a rigid pipe to the powder feeder 101, also integrated within the control cabinet 1; the other path connects via a rigid pipe to the heater 3. The powder feeder 101's powder delivery pipe 2032 penetrates the housing of the heater 3, flows through the space above the heating core, and then exits. This design allows the powder-carrying gas to be preheated to a relatively low temperature, preferably 40°C to 60°C, within the heater 3 before entering the integrated piping 203. This preheating is not intended to bring the powder to the spraying temperature, but rather to initiate gentle heat exchange and prevent excessively rapid temperature rise when in direct contact with the high-temperature hot gas pipe 2031.

[0030] Subsequently, the preheated powder delivery pipe 2032 merges with the main hot gas pipe 2031 of the heater 3 at the heater 3 outlet, and together enters the integrated pipeline 203. This integrated pipeline 203 is one of the core components of this invention for achieving safe and controllable thermal management. Figure 3 As shown in the schematic diagram of the integrated pipeline cross-section, its internal structure is unique: the innermost layer is a hot gas pipe 2031, which is covered by a first heat insulation layer 2034; the powder delivery pipe 2032 is tightly attached to the outer surface of the first heat insulation layer 2034; finally, the powder delivery pipe 2032 and the first heat insulation layer 2034 are jointly covered by a second heat insulation layer 2035. This structural design of "hot gas pipe 2031-heat insulation layer-powder delivery pipe 2032-outer heat insulation layer" achieves two key effects: 1. The second heat insulation layer 2035 ensures that the outer surface temperature of the integrated pipeline 203 is always kept at a low level, so that even if the internal hot gas pipe 2031 is very hot, it will not cause burns to the operator, meeting the safety requirements of handheld devices; 2. The powder-carrying gas in the powder delivery pipe 2032 passes through the first heat insulation layer 2034 and undergoes continuous, uniform and gentle heat exchange with the hot gas pipe 2031. By designing the material and thickness of the heat insulation layer, heat transfer efficiency can be precisely controlled, allowing the powder-carrying gas to be preheated to an optimal spraying temperature range, preferably 80°C to 120°C, before reaching the spray gun 2. This carefully selected temperature range effectively enhances the kinetic energy and deposition efficiency of the powder particles while strictly preventing the softening or melting of low-melting-point metal powders such as aluminum and zinc due to overheating, thus achieving the best balance between improving coating quality and ensuring material suitability.

[0031] Furthermore, the cooling device 4 and dust removal device 5 are also integrated onto the mobile platform 7, and their design fully considers the flexibility of on-site operations. The cooling device 4 is used to cool the Laval nozzle of the spray gun 2 during long-term or high-power operations. Its cooling water pipe is independent of the aforementioned integrated piping 203 and is directly connected to the detachable cooling jacket at the front of the spray gun 2 via a quick-connect coupling. This design makes the cooling function a module that can be selected according to the working conditions. When performing short-term operations or when cooling is not required, the cooling jacket does not need to be installed, further simplifying the operation.

[0032] Furthermore, the dust removal device 5 is connected to the suction hood 502 located near the nozzle of the spray gun 2 via its dust removal pipe 501. The suction hood 502 is used to capture excess powder and splatter generated during the spraying process. The start and stop of the dust removal device 5 are linked to the on / off signal of the spray gun 2, ensuring that dust removal is started synchronously when the spraying operation begins and stopped when the operation ends or when in standby mode, thereby effectively maintaining a clean working environment.

[0033] System Control and Operation Process The system's control logic is designed with safety and convenience in mind. The switch on the spray gun handle 202 is preferably a multi-position switch (or two independent switches). The operation procedure is as follows: Before operation, process parameters (such as gas pressure, heating temperature, powder feeding rate, etc.) are set through the cold spray control cabinet 1, and then the system is started. Heater 3 begins to preheat the main hot gas, and cooling device 4 starts simultaneously; When heater 3 preheats to near the set temperature, the system issues a prompt. The operator holds spray gun 2 and presses the switch to the first position. At this time, the pneumatic control module opens, air source 6 begins supplying air, and dust removal device 5 starts simultaneously. After the system detects that the gas flow is stable, it issues a second prompt. The operator switches to the second position, and the powder feeder 101 begins feeding powder, officially commencing the spraying operation. During the spraying process, the powder sequentially undergoes the aforementioned initial preheating and secondary preheating within the integrated piping; When the operation is finished, first release the second gear to stop powder feeding, then release the first gear to stop air supply and dust removal. The entire process is logically clear, minimizing the possibility of misoperation and ensuring operational safety.

[0034] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not constitute any limitation on the technical scope of the present invention. Therefore, any minor modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. An integrated mobile cold spraying system, characterized in that, include: Mobile platform; The cold spraying control cabinet, air source, powder feeder, and heater are all integrated and installed on the mobile platform. A spray gun, which is connected to the mobile platform via an integrated pipeline; the spray gun includes a nozzle, a handle, and a switch disposed on the handle; A gas control module is used to control the gas distribution output from the gas source; The gas source is connected to the powder feeder and the heater via the gas control module. The heater is used to heat the gas flowing through it. The powder feeder's gas pipe flows through the heater to preheat the powder-carrying gas, and then it is led to the integrated pipeline together with the heater's hot gas pipe.

2. The integrated mobile cold spraying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Within the integrated pipeline, the hot gas pipe is covered with a first heat insulation layer, the powder delivery gas pipe is attached to the first heat insulation layer, and the powder delivery gas pipe and the first heat insulation layer are also covered with a second heat insulation layer.

3. The integrated mobile cold spraying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The powder-carrying gas flowing through the powder delivery pipe of the heater is initially preheated to a temperature range of 40°C to 60°C.

4. The integrated mobile cold spraying system according to claim 2, characterized in that, Within the integrated pipeline, the powder-carrying gas in the powder delivery pipe is further preheated to a temperature range of 80°C to 120°C through the first heat insulation layer.

5. The integrated mobile cold spraying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a cooling device and a cooling jacket mounted on the spray gun. The cooling device is integrated into the mobile platform and connected to the cooling jacket at the front of the spray gun via a separate cooling water pipe.

6. The integrated mobile cold spraying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The integrated pipeline contains a signal line, and the switch of the spray gun is connected to the cold spray control cabinet through the signal line located in the integrated pipeline.

7. The integrated mobile cold spraying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes a dust removal device, which is integrated into the mobile platform and whose start and stop are linked to the on / off signal of the spray gun.

8. The integrated mobile cold spraying system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The switch is a multi-position switch, where the first position is used to trigger ventilation and dust removal, and the second position is used to trigger powder dispensing based on stable ventilation.

9. The integrated mobile cold spraying system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The cold spray control cabinet is configured to: upon receiving the first gear signal, first start the air source and the dust removal device; after detecting that the gas flow is stable, issue a prompt that spraying can be carried out; and upon receiving the second gear signal, control the powder feeder to start feeding powder.

10. The integrated mobile cold spraying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mobile platform is a vehicle body equipped with wheels.

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