Abrasive Nozzle Assembly With Concentric Lighting and Remote Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing abrasive blasting systems face inefficiencies due to shadowing effects during workpiece illumination and inadequate control over blasting agent flow, leading to reduced operational efficiency and quality.
Innovation Solution
A blasting agent nozzle device with a circumferentially arranged lighting unit and a remote metering system, allowing independent control of the blasting agent flow and air flow, featuring a concentric lighting setup and a mechanical or electrical metering valve with display and zero position sensor, ensuring consistent illumination and precise abrasive dosing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a lighting unit is mounted laterally on the handle of the abrasive nozzle, then the workpiece area can be illuminated, but shadowing occurs due to the positioning of the abrasive nozzle relative to the lighting unit
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting unit is segmented into multiple individual light sources (typically 3-5 LEDs) arranged circumferentially around the nozzle axis. Each light source independently illuminates a sector of the workpiece, and their combined effect provides uniform 360-degree illumination without shadows, eliminating the shadowing problem of lateral mounting while maintaining illumination intensity.
2Manufacturing precision
If the abrasive nozzle and lighting unit are repeatedly aligned to ensure accurate work, then illumination accuracy is maintained, but process interruptions occur reducing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting unit is merged with the abrasive nozzle into a single integrated assembly where the light sources are circumferentially mounted on the nozzle body itself. This integration ensures that the lighting unit and nozzle move as one unit, maintaining constant alignment between the light sources and the blasting direction, thereby eliminating the need for repeated alignment operations and preventing process interruptions.
3Ease of operation
If the blasting media flow is controlled remotely from the media container, then dosing can be adjusted, but an unnecessarily large amount of blasting media is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The conventional mechanical dosing valve system is replaced with an electronically controlled dosing mechanism featuring a motor-driven valve and microprocessor control. This electronic system precisely regulates blasting media flow based on actual consumption needs, replacing the粗放式 mechanical dosing that caused excessive media consumption with precision electronic control that delivers the exact amount of media required.
4Reliability
If the sandblaster has too much or too little blasting media available at the nozzle outlet, then manual adjustment is required, but valuable working time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
A feedback control system is implemented with sensors that continuously monitor the blasting media flow rate and pressure at the nozzle outlet. The control electronics receive real-time data from these sensors and automatically adjust the motor-driven dosing valve to maintain optimal media availability, eliminating the need for manual adjustments and preventing work interruptions caused by incorrect media dosing.
5Device complexity
If the blasting media flow and air flow are controlled together, then system simplicity is maintained, but independent control of blasting agent flow is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is designed with dynamic independence, featuring separate control circuits for blasting media flow and air flow. The blasting media dosing valve is controlled by one independent circuit while the air flow is controlled by another independent circuit, allowing each flow to be adjusted and optimized independently based on specific application requirements, thereby providing adaptability without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides shadow-free illumination and precise control over the blasting agent flow, enhancing operational efficiency and quality by allowing continuous recognition of workpiece areas and minimizing interruptions and abrasive wastage.
Implementation Method 1
the lighting unit has a plurality of evenly distributed illuminating means on a circumferential line concentric with the blasting agent nozzle
Implementation Method 2
surface treatment using an abrasive blasting media
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to an abrasive nozzle device with a lighting unit for targeted, shadow-free illumination of a workpiece during surface treatment using an abrasive blasting medium. The abrasive nozzle device comprises an abrasive nozzle (1), a remote abrasive metering system including an abrasive metering valve (15) with an electrical and/or mechanical drive and evaluation and control electronics (12) connected thereto, and a lighting unit, wherein the lighting unit has several uniformly distributed light sources (6.1) arranged on a circumferential line concentric to the abrasive nozzle (1), which are designed as directed, cone-shaped light sources, the respective emission direction of which is aligned parallel to the abrasive nozzle (1).