Adjustable Slit Die Lip Blocks for Sub-Micron Coating Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional slit dies fail to achieve sub-micron accuracy in lip gap formation, leading to inadequate coating thickness uniformity and increased waste of coating liquid, particularly in large substrate applications for displays like color liquid crystal and plasma displays.
Innovation Solution
A slit die design featuring adjustable block elements and positioning systems allows for precise adjustment of the lip gap width, enabling sub-micron accuracy without special assembly adjustments, ensuring uniform coating thickness across large substrates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional slit dies are used with standard assembly methods, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision (lip gap accuracy) deteriorates to above sub-micron level
Solution Approach 1:
The lip is divided into multiple blocks (first block and second block) that can be independently positioned and adjusted relative to each other. This segmentation allows precise control of the lip gap width by adjusting the position of individual blocks, achieving sub-micron accuracy while maintaining manageable assembly complexity through modular construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The slit die incorporates adjustable and repositionable blocks that can be dynamically adjusted during assembly to achieve the desired lip gap width. The blocks can be moved to different positions and fixed, allowing for flexible adjustment without requiring complex pre-assembled structures, thus achieving high precision without excessive device complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If slit dies are used for large substrate coating, then coating area is increased, but coating thickness uniformity deteriorates due to lip gap variation
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple blocks are positioned at different locations along the lip to independently control the lip gap width at each position. This local quality approach ensures that the lip gap remains uniform across the entire coating area, preventing variation in coating thickness while accommodating large substrate dimensions through distributed control points.
3Loss of substance
If conventional slit dies are used, then device simplicity is maintained, but coating liquid waste increases due to inadequate coating thickness control
Solution Approach 1:
The lip gap width is precisely adjusted and fixed during the assembly process before coating operation begins. By performing the adjustment action in advance during assembly, the system achieves accurate coating thickness control without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms during operation, thereby reducing coating liquid waste while maintaining relative device simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A slit die has a combined, opposing pair of lips. Between the lips, the die has a lip gap and a coating liquid discharge opening formed at the lower end of the lip gap. At least one of the lips is constituted of two blocks that are vertically layered over each other and relatively movable in the direction perpendicular to the length direction of the discharge opening. The slit die further has a block-engaging element for engaging the blocks together in such a way that relative positions of the blocks are adjustable, a block-fastening element for fastening the blocks together after their relative positions are adjusted, a positioning element attached to outer surfaces of the blocks, on the side opposite the discharge opening side, and defining the positions to which the blocks are relatively moved, and a fixing element for fixing the positioning element to the blocks.