Coating preparation device and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a coating preparation device and method. A gas inlet is formed in the top end of an atomizing nozzle, a spraying liquid inlet is formed in the side wall of the atomizing nozzle, and an atomizing cavity for mixing and atomizing high-pressure gas and spraying liquid is formed in the atomizing nozzle; spraying liquid is stored in the liquid supply module, and the liquid supply module communicates with the spraying liquid inlet; the liquid supply module provides the spraying liquid for the atomization chamber through the spraying liquid inlet; the gas supply module stores high-pressure gas and communicates with the gas inlet, the gas supply module provides the high-pressure gas for the atomization cavity through the gas inlet, the driving mechanism is used for driving the atomization nozzle to move in the space, the atomization nozzle is installed on the driving mechanism, and the spraying end of the atomization nozzle faces the heating table. The heating table is used for placing a workpiece and heating the workpiece to a preset temperature, and the atomized spraying liquid sprayed from the spraying end of the atomizing nozzle is sprayed to the surface of the workpiece to form a coating. The device can be used for preparing a coating with a complete structure and good uniformity on the surface of a workpiece, and has good controllability on structural parameters of the coating.

Description

Coating preparation apparatus and method Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of spraying equipment technology, and specifically relates to a coating preparation apparatus and method. Background Technology

[0002] Coating technology is widely used in material surface treatment, generally to improve the appearance, surface texture, hardness, wear resistance, oxidation resistance, and corrosion resistance of materials. Coating technology can generally be divided into wet spraying, thermal spraying, physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and liquid phase deposition. Among these, high-pressure atomization spraying is a widely used wet spraying process, extensively applied in painting and metal surface rust prevention. The basic principle of high-pressure atomization is to push a liquid substance into a high-pressure environment, then spray it through micro-orifices. During the depressurization process, the liquid expands in volume, forming micron-sized droplets, which then adhere to the workpiece surface with the airflow to form a coating. High-pressure atomization spraying can efficiently prepare coatings, is suitable for both manual operations and automated industrial production, and is mainly used in hardware, plastics, furniture, military, and shipbuilding industries, making it one of the most widely used coating methods today.

[0003] Although high-pressure atomization spraying technology has advantages over other coating preparation technologies, such as low cost, wide coating adaptability, and fast coating deposition rate, the following common problems also exist in the coating preparation process: (1) If the drying rate of the spray liquid is slow, or the spray liquid cannot be fully dried during continuous spraying, the coating is prone to sagging; (2) If the spray liquid dries too quickly, the coating will shrink rapidly during the drying process, and the coating is prone to cracking; (3) If the spraying airflow is too large, the surface vibration amplitude of the spray liquid will be large, and the coating is prone to wrinkling; (4) If the spray liquid is not evenly dispersed, the liquid phase in the spray liquid will separate or the solid phase will agglomerate, and the coating is prone to granulation or wrinkling; (5) If there is a lack of precise control over the spraying position and spraying angle, the coating thickness will be uneven and the uniformity will be poor; (6) The spraying effect is greatly affected by the surface temperature of the workpiece. When the surface temperature of the workpiece is low, it is necessary to reduce the ratio of solvent / dispersant in the spray liquid or add more curing agent, which may have a negative impact on the coating. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a coating preparation apparatus and method that can effectively control coating consistency and structural parameters.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides a coating preparation apparatus, comprising: an atomizing nozzle with a gas inlet at its top and a spray liquid inlet on its side wall, the atomizing nozzle having an atomizing chamber for mixing and atomizing high-pressure gas and spray liquid; a liquid supply module storing spray liquid and communicating with the spray liquid inlet, the liquid supply module supplying spray liquid to the atomizing chamber through the spray liquid inlet; a gas supply module storing high-pressure gas and communicating with the gas inlet, the gas supply module supplying high-pressure gas to the atomizing chamber through the gas inlet; and a support module including a support frame, a drive mechanism mounted on the support frame, and a heating platform, the drive mechanism driving the atomizing nozzle to move in space, the atomizing nozzle being mounted on the drive mechanism with its spray end facing the heating platform, the heating platform for placing a workpiece and heating the workpiece to a preset temperature, the atomized spray liquid sprayed from the spray end of the atomizing nozzle being sprayed onto the surface of the workpiece to form a coating.

[0006] In some embodiments, the atomizing chamber includes, sequentially connected along the axial direction: a mixing chamber, wherein the gas inlet is located on the top wall of the mixing chamber and the spray liquid inlet is located on the side wall of the mixing chamber, the mixing chamber being used to mix high-pressure gas and spray liquid; a depressurization atomization chamber, wherein a swirling layer is further provided between the depressurization atomization chamber and the mixing chamber, the swirling layer being used to uniformly mix the high-pressure gas and spray liquid, and to depressurize and atomize the gas in the depressurization atomization chamber; and a spraying chamber, wherein the bottom end of the spraying chamber has a nozzle, the spraying chamber being used to spray the atomized spray liquid through the nozzle to form a cone-shaped spray.

[0007] In some embodiments, the swirling layer includes a plurality of swirling vanes stacked sequentially along the axial direction, with the outer periphery of each swirling vane abutting against the inner peripheral wall of the atomizing nozzle.

[0008] In some embodiments, the injection chamber includes a converging section and a stabilizing section that are axially connected in sequence along a direction away from the depressurization atomization chamber. One end of the stabilizing section away from the converging section is connected to the nozzle. The inner diameter of the converging section is gradually reduced along the direction towards the stabilizing section. The inner diameter of the stabilizing section is equal to the diameter of the nozzle. The nozzle has a hemispherical structure and its inner diameter is gradually reduced in the direction away from the stabilizing section.

[0009] In some embodiments, the driving mechanism includes: a translation module comprising two first translation shafts spaced apart along a first direction, a second translation shaft slidably connected to the two first translation shafts, and a third translation shaft slidably mounted on the side of the second translation shaft and extending along a third direction, wherein the atomizing nozzle is mounted on the side of the third translation shaft opposite to the second translation shaft, the first translation shafts extending along a second direction, the second translation shafts extending along a first direction, and the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction being perpendicular to each other; a linear drive assembly comprising a first linear drive member for driving the two first translation shafts to move closer to or further away from each other, a second linear drive member for driving the second translation shaft to move along the second direction, and a third linear drive member for driving the third translation shaft to move along the third direction; and a rotation module, drivenly connected to the atomizing nozzle and used to drive the atomizing nozzle to swing relative to the third translation shaft.

[0010] In some embodiments, the heating stage is a plate-shaped structure located between the two first translational axes, and the projected area of ​​the heating stage is larger than the projected area of ​​the workpiece.

[0011] In some embodiments, the liquid supply module includes: a liquid storage tank containing spraying liquid, the liquid storage tank being connected to the spraying liquid inlet via a liquid delivery pipe, and the liquid storage tank being equipped with a stirring element for stirring the spraying liquid; and a liquid supply assembly for driving the spraying liquid in the liquid storage tank to be transported along the liquid delivery pipe to the spraying liquid inlet.

[0012] In some embodiments, the liquid supply assembly includes a liquid supply pump and a guide pipe connected between the liquid supply pump and the infusion pipe. The liquid supply pump is used to pump the spraying liquid in the storage tank into the guide pipe and then introduce it into the infusion pipe via the guide pipe. Alternatively, the liquid supply assembly includes a pressurizing component for pressurizing the spraying liquid in the storage tank into the infusion pipe. The infusion pipe is provided with a flow control component for controlling the infusion rate.

[0013] In some embodiments, the air supply module includes an air compressor connected to the gas inlet via an air delivery pipe, the air delivery pipe being equipped with a pressure regulating valve, and the minimum air pressure of the air compressor being not less than 0.6 MPa.

[0014] A second aspect of this application provides a coating preparation method using the coating preparation apparatus described above. The coating preparation method includes the following steps: placing a workpiece on a heating table and adjusting an atomizing nozzle to a preset position using a drive mechanism; simultaneously activating a liquid supply module and a gas supply module, such that the liquid supply module delivers spray liquid to the atomizing chamber at a first preset flow rate, and the gas supply module delivers high-pressure gas to the atomizing chamber at a second preset flow rate; heating the workpiece to a preset temperature using the heating table, such that the dispersant in the spray liquid sprayed from the atomizing nozzle onto the surface of the workpiece can rapidly vaporize, and the dispersed phase therein forms a coating on the surface of the workpiece.

[0015] According to the above technical solution, the coating preparation device of this application includes an atomizing nozzle, a liquid supply module, a gas supply module, and a support module. The atomizing nozzle has a gas inlet at its top and a spray liquid inlet on its side wall. The atomizing nozzle contains an atomizing chamber for mixing and atomizing high-pressure gas and spray liquid. The liquid supply module stores spray liquid and is connected to the spray liquid inlet, supplying spray liquid to the atomizing chamber through the spray liquid inlet. The gas supply module stores high-pressure gas and is connected to a gas inlet, supplying high-pressure gas to the atomizing chamber through the gas inlet. The support module includes a support frame, a drive mechanism mounted on the support frame, and a heating platform. The drive mechanism drives the atomizing nozzle to move within a space. The atomizing nozzle is mounted on the drive mechanism with its spray end facing the heating platform. The heating platform is used to place the workpiece and heat it to a preset temperature. The atomized spray liquid sprayed from the spray end of the atomizing nozzle is sprayed onto the surface of the workpiece to form a coating. The coating preparation apparatus of this application can prepare a coating with complete structure and good uniformity on the surface of a workpiece by controlling the position of the atomizing nozzle, the spraying direction, the liquid supply rate, and the workpiece temperature, and has good control over the structural parameters of the coating.

[0016] Other features and advantages of the embodiments of this application will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of this application and form part of the specification. They are used together with the following detailed description to explain the embodiments of this application, but do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without any inventive effort. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the coating preparation apparatus of this application; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the atomizing nozzle in the coating preparation apparatus of this application; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the driving mechanism in the coating preparation apparatus of this application.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures Detailed Implementation

[0019] The specific embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit this application.

[0020] The coating preparation apparatus and method of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] Solid oxide electrolysis hydrogen production devices involve numerous coating structures, including an oxygen electrode layer on the electrolyte surface, a spinel layer on the connector surface, an oxygen electrode current collector layer on the spinel layer surface, and a sealing layer at the connector edges, among others. To ensure the stable performance of the solid oxide electrolysis hydrogen production device, it is necessary to precisely control the material composition and structural parameters of the coatings within the device and ensure a highly uniform microstructure. Furthermore, since the coating preparation process for solid oxide electrolysis hydrogen production devices consumes a large amount of coating material, the coating preparation process also needs to have a high material utilization rate to achieve reasonable control over material costs.

[0022] Screen printing is currently the most widely used coating preparation process in solid oxide electrolysis devices. In screen printing, the paste is first prepared, poured onto a screen, pressed onto the substrate surface, and then spread using a squeegee, allowing the paste to pass through the screen and deposit onto the substrate surface to form a coating. However, with the increasing complexity of the process and the growing demand for coating structure, screen printing has gradually revealed its shortcomings: (1) Screen printing is only suitable for flat surfaces and not for workpieces with complex structures; (2) The coating thickness obtained by a single screen printing is relatively thin, generally not exceeding 30 micrometers. If a thicker coating structure is to be prepared, it is necessary to print repeatedly on top of the existing coating, and the consistency and structural accuracy of the coating will gradually decrease with the increase of repeated printing; (3) The screen printing paste contains a large amount of organic matter, which will form pores during the evaporation process, which will not only affect the mechanical strength and bonding force of the coating itself, but also have a negative impact on the density and structural consistency of the coating; (4) The screen printing process will leave traces of the screen mesh in the coating structure, affecting the uniformity of the coating structure. Therefore, in the research of solid oxide electrolysis devices, there is an urgent need for a coating preparation device that can be applied to multi-channel complex structure surfaces and can effectively control the coating consistency and structural parameters.

[0023] Therefore, as shown in Figure 1, this application proposes a coating preparation apparatus, including an atomizing nozzle 100, a liquid supply module, a gas supply module, and a support module; the atomizing nozzle 100 has a gas inlet 11 at its top end and a spray liquid inlet 12 on its side wall; the atomizing nozzle 100 has an atomizing chamber for mixing and atomizing high-pressure gas and spray liquid; the liquid supply module stores spray liquid and is connected to the spray liquid inlet 12, and the liquid supply module provides spray liquid to the atomizing chamber through the spray liquid inlet 12, and can control the liquid inlet rate; the gas supply module... The module stores high-pressure gas and is connected to the gas inlet 11. The gas supply module provides high-pressure gas to the atomizing chamber through the gas inlet 11. The support module includes a support frame 50, a drive mechanism mounted on the support frame 50, and a heating table 51. The drive mechanism is used to drive the atomizing nozzle 100 to move in space. The atomizing nozzle 100 is mounted on the drive mechanism and the spray end is set towards the heating table 51. The heating table 51 is used to place the workpiece and heat the workpiece to a preset temperature. The atomized coating liquid sprayed from the spray end of the atomizing nozzle 100 is sprayed onto the surface of the workpiece and forms a coating.

[0024] In this embodiment, the liquid supply module delivers spraying liquid to the atomizing nozzle 100 through a pipeline, and the spraying liquid enters the atomizing nozzle 100 through the spraying liquid inlet 12; the gas supply module delivers high-pressure gas to the atomizing nozzle 100 through a pipeline, and the high-pressure gas enters the atomizing nozzle 100 through the gas inlet 11. The drive mechanism precisely adjusts the position of the atomizing nozzle 100 in space so that the atomizing nozzle 100 is positioned above the surface of the workpiece to be sprayed. The high-pressure gas and spraying liquid in the atomizing nozzle 100 are mixed and depressurized before being sprayed onto the surface of the workpiece. Since the workpiece is placed on the heating table 51, the heating table 51 heats the workpiece to a preset temperature. The mixed spraying liquid encounters the high temperature above the workpiece, which allows the dispersant to vaporize rapidly. Since the spraying liquid contains only the dispersed phase and the dispersant, the dispersed phase is formed in one step during the vaporization of the dispersant, which can effectively ensure the uniformity and density of the coating.

[0025] This application, by configuring a heating table 51, controls the workpiece temperature and the evaporation rate of the spray liquid. Under the premise of ensuring that the spray liquid can dry at an appropriate rate and form a coating, it effectively reduces the proportion of curing agent in the spray liquid and avoids cracking caused by excessively rapid evaporation of the spray liquid.

[0026] Furthermore, existing thermal spraying processes involve heating and melting the coating material, then spraying it onto the workpiece surface at high speed to form a coating. This process causes a rapid rise in workpiece temperature, making it unsuitable for workpiece materials with low melting or softening points. In contrast, the high-pressure atomization spraying process of this application only requires heating the workpiece to a temperature at which the dispersant can rapidly vaporize (approximately 150°C if water is used as the dispersant), making it suitable for a wider range of workpiece materials.

[0027] In summary, the coating preparation apparatus of this application, by controlling the position of the atomizing nozzle 100, the spraying direction, the liquid supply rate, and the workpiece temperature, can prepare a coating with complete structure and good uniformity on the workpiece surface, and has good control over the structural parameters of the coating. The apparatus is simple in design and has good adaptability to the structure of the workpiece and the composition of the coating. It can not only effectively improve the performance of solid oxide electrolysis devices and reduce the material cost of solid oxide electrolysis devices, but can also be applied to the surface processing of other workpieces to improve their surface properties.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, the atomization chamber includes a mixing chamber 13, a depressurized atomization chamber 14, and a spraying chamber connected sequentially along the axial direction. The gas inlet 11 of the mixing chamber 13 is located on the top wall of the mixing chamber 13, and the spray liquid inlet 12 is located on the side wall of the mixing chamber 13. The mixing chamber 13 is used to mix high-pressure gas and spray liquid. A swirling layer 16 is also provided between the depressurized atomization chamber 14 and the mixing chamber 13. The swirling layer 16 is used to uniformly stir the mixed high-pressure gas and spray liquid, and to depressurize and atomize them in the depressurized atomization chamber 14. The bottom end of the spraying chamber has a nozzle 19. The spraying chamber is used to spray the atomized spray liquid through the nozzle 19 to form a cone-shaped spray.

[0029] The nozzle 19 can be a spherical nozzle 19 or a conical nozzle 19, as long as it can form a conical spray shape.

[0030] In this embodiment, the spray liquid input from the spray liquid inlet 12 and the high-pressure gas input from the gas inlet 11 are mixed in the mixing chamber 13. At this time, the pressure is high. After the mixed atomized spray liquid is stirred by the swirl layer 16, the pressure of the spray liquid entering the depressurization atomization chamber 14 will be greatly reduced. The pressure is further reduced and atomized in the depressurization atomization chamber 14, and then sprayed out through the nozzle 19 at the bottom of the spray chamber to form a cone spray on the surface of the workpiece on the heating table 51.

[0031] Furthermore, because the channel of the swirl layer 16 is very narrow, when the high-pressure gas and spray liquid in the mixing chamber 13 mix and pass through the swirl layer 16, the pressure of the mixed atomized liquid will be consumed due to the friction of the inner wall of the channel, thereby reducing the pressure of the mixed atomized liquid. After the pressure-reduced mixed atomized spray liquid enters the depressurization atomization chamber 14 from the swirl layer 16, the pressure of the mixed atomized spray liquid can be further reduced in the depressurization atomization chamber 14 because the channel of the depressurization atomization chamber 14 becomes wider.

[0032] In addition, since the high-pressure atomizing nozzle 100 needs to be in contact with the spraying liquid and air for a long time, and needs to withstand the internal and external pressure difference during the spraying process, the high-pressure atomizing nozzle 100 is generally made of materials with certain corrosion resistance and mechanical strength, such as iron-chromium based stainless steel, aluminum alloy, and titanium alloy.

[0033] In some embodiments, the swirl layer 16 includes a plurality of swirl vanes stacked sequentially along the axial direction, with the outer periphery of each vane abutting against the inner peripheral wall of the atomizing nozzle 100. When the high-pressure gas and the sprayed liquid are mixed and pass through the swirl vanes, the vanes can generate turbulence through swirl, promoting uniform mixing of the high-pressure gas and the sprayed liquid. Furthermore, the multiple layers of swirl vanes can reduce the pressure of the atomized mixture of the sprayed liquid passing through.

[0034] In some embodiments, the injection chamber includes a converging section 17 and a stabilizing section 18 that are axially connected in sequence along the direction away from the pressure reducing atomizing chamber 14. One end of the stabilizing section 18 away from the converging section 17 is connected to a nozzle 19. The inner diameter of the converging section 17 is gradually reduced in the direction toward the stabilizing section 18. The inner diameter of the stabilizing section 18 is equal to the diameter of the nozzle 19. The nozzle 19 has a hemispherical structure and its inner diameter is gradually reduced in the direction away from the stabilizing section 18.

[0035] In this embodiment, by configuring the spray chamber as a converging section 17 with a gradually narrowing inner diameter and a stabilizing section 18 with a uniform inner diameter and cylindrical shape, the converging section 17 can gather the atomized mixed spray liquid delivered from the depressurized atomization chamber 14, and form a jet-type spray after passing through the stabilizing section 18, and then form a spray with a certain dispersion diameter through the nozzle 19. The dimensions of the converging section 17 and the stabilizing section 18 in this application can be designed according to the coating thickness and diameter required by the workpiece. Furthermore, the high-pressure atomization spraying process of this application only requires the material to be configured as a short-term stable suspension to achieve powder deposition, which can be applied to most inorganic powder materials and has high coating material adaptability. In addition, because ultrasonic atomization spraying devices have a precise structure and narrow liquid flow channels, they are generally only suitable for stable solutions, and spraying suspensions can easily lead to nozzle clogging. The high-pressure atomizing nozzle 100 of this application has a wide flow channel and can be used for suspension spraying, which has a wider range of material applicability compared to ultrasonic atomization spraying technology.

[0036] As shown in Figure 3, the drive mechanism includes a translation module, a linear drive assembly, and a rotation module. The translation module includes two first translation shafts 21 spaced apart along a first direction, a second translation shaft 23 slidably connected to the two first translation shafts 21, and a third translation shaft 25 slidably mounted on the side of the second translation shaft 23 and extending along a third direction. The atomizing nozzle 100 is mounted on the side of the third translation shaft 25 away from the second translation shaft 23. The first translation shafts 21 extend along a second direction, and the second translation shaft 23 extends along the first direction. The first, second, and third directions are perpendicular to each other. The linear drive assembly includes a first linear drive member 22 for driving the two first translation shafts 21 to move closer to or further away from each other, a second linear drive member 24 for driving the second translation shaft 23 to move along the second direction, and a third linear drive member 27 for driving the third translation shaft 25 to move along a third direction. The rotation module is drivenly connected to the atomizing nozzle 100 and is used to drive the atomizing nozzle 100 to swing relative to the third translation shaft 25.

[0037] The first direction is the front-back direction in Figure 3, the second direction is the left-right direction, and the third direction is the up-down direction.

[0038] In this embodiment, the atomizing nozzle 100 can be moved in three directions—left-right, front-back, and up-down—through the coordinated movement of the first linear drive 22 driving the first translational shaft 21, the second linear drive 24 driving the second translational shaft 23, and the third linear drive 27 driving the third translational shaft 25. The translational distances in the left-right and front-back directions should generally not be less than the maximum length of the area to be sprayed in those directions, ensuring that the atomizing nozzle 100 can more completely radiate the entire surface of the workpiece during spraying. Specifically, when the first linear drive 22 drives the two first translational shafts 21 closer to or further apart, the position of the atomizing nozzle 100 in the front-back direction can be adjusted; when the second linear drive 24 drives the second translational shaft 23 to move along the first translational shaft 21 in the left-right direction, the position of the atomizing nozzle 100 in the left-right direction can be adjusted; and when the third linear drive 27 drives the third translational shaft 25 to move in the up-down direction, the position of the atomizing nozzle 100 in the up-down direction can be adjusted. Furthermore, in order to achieve more stable movement of the first translational shaft 21, the second translational shaft 23, and the third translational shaft 25, a structure can be adopted in which the first translational shaft 21 and the support frame 50 are slidably connected by a first slide rail, the second translational shaft 23 and the first translational shaft 21 are slidably connected by a second slide rail, and the sides of the third translational shaft 25 and the second translational shaft 23 are slidably connected by a third slide rail.

[0039] The first linear drive unit 22, the second linear drive unit 24, and the third linear drive unit 27 can all be parallel-axis motors. Furthermore, the rotation module is mainly responsible for driving the atomizing nozzle 100 to rotate in the left-right and front-back directions, with a maximum rotation angle generally reaching 45° (with vertical downwards as 0°). The rotation module can be an XY dual-axis motor. Therefore, the coating preparation device of this application, by configuring a translational shaft and a rotational shaft, can find the center point of the area to be coated on the workpiece based on the dimensions of the actual workpiece surface to be coated when controlling the movement of the translational and rotational shafts. Through the movement of the translational and rotational shafts, the atomizing nozzle 100 is moved above the center point of the area to be coated. This allows the conical spray from the atomizing nozzle 100 to uniformly coat the workpiece surface, improving the coating accuracy of the atomizing nozzle 100 and enabling large-area, multi-angle uniform coating, making the high-pressure atomizing spraying device applicable to a wider range of workpiece designs. In addition, the distance between the spray tip of the atomizing nozzle 100 and the workpiece surface can also be set according to the required coating thickness, which will not be elaborated here.

[0040] In some embodiments, the heating stage 51 is a plate-like structure located between the two first translational axes 21, and the projected area of ​​the heating stage 51 is larger than the projected area of ​​the workpiece. In this embodiment, the heating stage 51 can be a square structure, and the projected area of ​​the workpiece is smaller than the area of ​​the heating stage 51. This provides a certain buffer margin for the atomizing nozzle 100 during the spraying of the coating liquid and allows for complete coating coverage of the workpiece surface. It should be noted that the heating stage 51 can use thermocouples, temperature controllers, etc., to control its heating temperature.

[0041] In some embodiments, the liquid supply module includes a storage tank 31 and a liquid supply assembly. The storage tank 31 stores the spraying liquid and is connected to the spraying liquid inlet 12 via a delivery pipe 32. The storage tank 31 is equipped with a stirring element for stirring the spraying liquid. The liquid supply assembly is used to drive the spraying liquid in the storage tank 31 to be transported to the spraying liquid inlet 12 along the delivery pipe 32. In this embodiment, by configuring a storage tank 31 with a stirring function, the suspension can be stably stored for a long time and continuously supplied to the atomizing nozzle 100, effectively expanding the range of spraying materials applicable to the high-pressure atomizing spraying device.

[0042] In some embodiments, the liquid supply assembly includes a liquid supply pump and a liquid guide pipe connected between the liquid supply pump and the liquid delivery pipe 32. The liquid supply pump is used to pump the spray liquid in the storage tank 31 into the liquid guide pipe and then introduce it into the liquid delivery pipe 32 through the liquid guide pipe. Alternatively, the liquid supply assembly includes a pressurizing component, which is used to pressurize the spray liquid in the storage tank 31 into the liquid delivery pipe 32. The liquid delivery pipe 32 is provided with a flow control component 33 for controlling the liquid delivery rate. By using the flow control component 33, precise control of the liquid supply is achieved, and the sagging phenomenon caused by excessive liquid flow is effectively avoided while ensuring rapid coating deposition.

[0043] In this embodiment, the storage tank 31 and the supply assembly have various designs, which are generally adjusted according to the actual needs of the process. For spraying processes with good stability of the spraying liquid (e.g., solution), low total spraying volume, and high supply accuracy requirements, a supply pump + delivery pipe mode can generally be used for supplying the liquid, and the delivery rate can be controlled by adjusting the pump's push rate. If the spraying volume is large, the spraying liquid can be placed in the storage tank 31, and pressurized to force the spraying liquid into the delivery pipe 32, and the delivery rate can be controlled by a flow control device 33 (such as a flow meter, overflow valve, peristaltic pump, gear pump, screw pump, etc.). If the spraying liquid (suspension or emulsion) has poor stability, a mechanical stirrer or ultrasonic oscillation device needs to be installed in the storage tank 31 to maintain the stability of the spraying liquid. Considering the operating environment, the storage tank 31 and the supply assembly should preferably be made of corrosion-resistant materials with certain mechanical strength, such as tempered glass syringes, stainless steel storage tanks 31, and polytetrafluoroethylene delivery pipes 32. As can be seen from the above, the high-pressure atomization spraying of this application can adjust the design parameters of the storage tank 31 and the supply component according to the parameters and properties of the spraying liquid, thereby improving the versatility of the coating preparation device and enabling it to be used for spraying coatings with different properties.

[0044] In some embodiments, the air supply module includes an air compressor 41, which is connected to the gas inlet 11 via an air supply pipe 42. A pressure regulating valve 43 is provided on the air supply pipe 42, and the minimum air pressure of the air compressor 41 is not lower than 0.6 MPa. In this embodiment, by providing a pressure regulating valve 43 on the air supply pipe 42, precise control of the air flow rate is achieved, effectively avoiding wrinkling caused by excessive air flow while ensuring uniform adhesion of the sprayed liquid to the workpiece surface.

[0045] In addition, the coating preparation apparatus of this application also includes a central control module 60, which is mainly used to control the movement mode of the high-precision moving platform, the liquid and gas supply switches, and the heating start and stop of the heating table 51. It is generally equipped with necessary components such as relays, servos, program units, operating interfaces, wiring, external chassis, software, and control circuits, which will not be described in detail here.

[0046] The second aspect of this application provides a coating preparation method using the coating preparation apparatus described above. The coating preparation method includes the following steps: placing a workpiece on a heating table 51 and adjusting the atomizing nozzle 100 to a preset position using a drive mechanism; simultaneously activating the liquid supply module and the gas supply module, such that the liquid supply module delivers spray liquid to the atomizing chamber at a first preset flow rate, and the gas supply module delivers high-pressure gas to the atomizing chamber at a second preset flow rate; heating the workpiece to a preset temperature using the heating table 51, such that the dispersant in the spray liquid sprayed from the atomizing nozzle 100 onto the workpiece surface can be rapidly vaporized, and the dispersed phase therein forms a coating on the workpiece surface.

[0047] In coating preparation, the workpiece is first placed on the heating platform 51, and the drive mechanism is activated to move the atomizing nozzle 100 back, forth, left, right, up, and down, adjusting it to the optimal position so that the conical spray from the nozzle 100 can effectively cover the surface of the workpiece to be coated. When the conical spray from the nozzle 100 is sprayed towards the surface of the workpiece, the heating platform 51 heats the surface to a certain temperature. At this point, the high temperature and the conical spray meet, rapidly vaporizing the dispersant in the spray liquid and causing the dispersed phase to adhere to the surface of the workpiece in one step. This results in a uniform coating on the workpiece surface, effectively ensuring the uniformity and density of the coating. The coating preparation method of this application has a high material utilization rate and low material and equipment costs, making it more competitive in practical applications.

[0048] In the description of this application, it should be understood that 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 technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0049] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between components; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0050] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0051] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A coating preparation apparatus, characterized in that, include: Atomizing nozzle (100) has a gas inlet (11) at its top and a spray liquid inlet (12) on its side wall. The atomizing nozzle (100) contains an atomizing chamber for mixing and atomizing high-pressure gas and spray liquid. A liquid supply module stores spray liquid and is connected to the spray liquid inlet (12), supplying spray liquid to the atomizing chamber through the spray liquid inlet (12). A gas supply module stores high-pressure gas and is connected to the gas inlet (11), supplying gas to the atomizing chamber through the gas inlet (11). 11) High-pressure gas is provided to the atomizing chamber. The support module includes a support frame (50), a drive mechanism and a heating table (51) mounted on the support frame (50). The drive mechanism is used to drive the atomizing nozzle (100) to move in space. The atomizing nozzle (100) is mounted on the drive mechanism and the spray end is set towards the heating table (51). The heating table (51) is used to place the workpiece and heat the workpiece to a preset temperature. The atomized coating liquid sprayed from the spray end of the atomizing nozzle (100) is sprayed onto the surface of the workpiece and forms a coating.

2. The coating preparation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The atomizing chamber includes, in sequence along the axial direction: a mixing chamber (13), wherein the gas inlet (11) is located on the top wall of the mixing chamber (13) and the spray liquid inlet (12) is located on the side wall of the mixing chamber (13), and the mixing chamber (13) is used to mix high-pressure gas and spray liquid; a depressurization atomization chamber (14), wherein a swirling layer (16) is provided between the depressurization atomization chamber (14) and the mixing chamber (13), wherein the swirling layer (16) is used to uniformly mix high-pressure gas and spray liquid, and to depressurize and atomize in the depressurization atomization chamber (14); and a spraying chamber, wherein the bottom end of the spraying chamber has a nozzle (19), and the spraying chamber is used to spray the atomized spray liquid through the nozzle (19) to form a cone-shaped spray.

3. The coating preparation apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The swirling layer (16) includes a plurality of swirling vanes stacked sequentially along the axial direction, and the outer periphery of each swirling vane abuts against the inner peripheral wall of the atomizing nozzle (100).

4. The coating preparation apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The injection chamber includes a converging section (17) and a stabilizing section (18) that are axially connected in a direction away from the pressure-reducing atomizing chamber (14). The end of the stabilizing section (18) away from the converging section (17) is connected to the nozzle (19). The inner diameter of the converging section (17) is gradually reduced in the direction toward the stabilizing section (18). The inner diameter of the stabilizing section (18) is equal to the diameter of the nozzle (19). The nozzle (19) has a hemispherical structure and its inner diameter is gradually reduced in the direction away from the stabilizing section (18).

5. The coating preparation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The driving mechanism includes a translation module comprising two first translation shafts (21) spaced apart along a first direction, a second translation shaft (23) slidably connected to the two first translation shafts (21), and a third translation shaft (25) slidably mounted on the side of the second translation shaft (23) and extending along a third direction. The atomizing nozzle (100) is mounted on the side of the third translation shaft (25) away from the second translation shaft (23). The first translation shafts (21) extend along a second direction, and the second translation shaft (23) extends along a first direction. The first translational shaft (21) is perpendicular to the second direction and the third direction; the linear drive assembly includes a first linear drive (22) for driving the two first translational shafts (21) to move closer or further apart from each other, a second linear drive (24) for driving the second translational shaft (23) to move along the second direction, and a third linear drive (27) for driving the third translational shaft (25) to move along the third direction; the rotation module is drivenly connected to the atomizing nozzle (100) and is used to drive the atomizing nozzle (100) to swing relative to the third translational shaft (25).

6. The coating preparation apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The heating platform (51) is a plate-shaped structure and is located between the two first translational shafts (21). The projected area of ​​the heating platform (51) is larger than the projected area of ​​the workpiece.

7. The coating preparation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The liquid supply module includes: a liquid storage tank (31) which stores spraying liquid inside, the liquid storage tank (31) being connected to the spraying liquid inlet (12) via a liquid delivery pipe (32), and a stirring element for stirring the spraying liquid inside the liquid storage tank (31); and a liquid supply assembly for driving the spraying liquid in the liquid storage tank (31) to be transported along the liquid delivery pipe (32) to the spraying liquid inlet (12).

8. The coating preparation apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The liquid supply assembly includes a liquid supply pump and a guide pipe connected between the liquid supply pump and the liquid delivery pipe (32). The liquid supply pump is used to pump the spraying liquid in the storage tank (31) into the guide pipe and then introduce it into the liquid delivery pipe (32) through the guide pipe; or, the liquid supply assembly includes a pressurizing component, which is used to pressurize the spraying liquid in the storage tank (31) into the liquid delivery pipe (32). The liquid delivery pipe (32) is provided with a flow control component (33) for controlling the liquid delivery rate.

9. The coating preparation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The gas supply module includes an air compressor (41) connected to the gas inlet (11) via a gas delivery pipe (42). The gas delivery pipe (42) is equipped with a pressure regulating valve (43). The minimum gas pressure of the air compressor (41) is not lower than 0.6 MPa.

10. A method for preparing a coating, characterized in that, The coating preparation method is carried out using the coating preparation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and includes the following steps: placing the workpiece on a heating table (51) and adjusting the atomizing nozzle (100) to a preset position by a driving mechanism; simultaneously turning on the liquid supply module and the gas supply module, so that the liquid supply module delivers the spraying liquid to the atomizing chamber according to a first preset flow rate, and the gas supply module delivers high-pressure gas to the atomizing chamber according to a second preset flow rate; heating the workpiece to a preset temperature by the heating table (51), so that the dispersant in the spraying liquid sprayed from the atomizing nozzle (100) onto the surface of the workpiece can be rapidly vaporized, and the dispersed substance therein forms a coating on the surface of the workpiece.

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