Air Knife Nozzle Lip Bending for Coating Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air knives used in plating processes face challenges in maintaining uniform coating weights due to bending of steel plates in the width direction, leading to inefficiencies and maintenance issues with large and complex driving devices.
Innovation Solution
An air knife design featuring a nozzle body with diagonally extended nozzle lips and a moment generating unit, such as an actuator system, that allows the nozzle lips to be bent in the width direction of the steel plate, adjusting the gap between nozzle lips to control the amount of discharged air and ensure uniform coating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a gap profile control device with electric motor and ball screw device is used to adjust the air knife gap, then the coating weight uniformity is improved, but the device complexity and size increase excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex electric motor and ball screw device from the air knife gap control system. Instead, it uses a simple flexible belt mechanism that can be easily adjusted manually, thereby maintaining coating uniformity while dramatically reducing device complexity and size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the complex electromechanical system (electric motor + ball screw) with a simpler mechanical adjustment system using a flexible belt. This substitution maintains the functional capability of gap adjustment while eliminating the excessive complexity and size of the original system.
2Manufacturing precision
If a gap profile control device with displacement devices is used to transform nozzle lips, then the coating weight uniformity is improved, but the operations are interrupted and maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the displacement devices that interrupt operations and complicate maintenance. It replaces them with a continuous flexible belt system that allows uninterrupted operation and easy manual adjustment, thereby maintaining coating precision while improving operational ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible belt (thin film structure) to transform and position the nozzle lips. This flexible mechanism allows continuous operation without interruption and enables easy adjustment and maintenance, while still achieving the required coating weight uniformity.
3Manufacturing precision
If the air knife gap is adjusted to compensate for steel plate bending, then the coating weight uniformity is improved, but the device size and peripheral equipment interference increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the large peripheral equipment previously needed for gap adjustment. It uses a compact flexible belt system integrated directly into the air knife structure, thereby achieving coating uniformity compensation for plate bending while minimizing device size and peripheral interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the gap adjustment mechanism directly into the air knife body using a flexible belt system. This integration eliminates the need for separate peripheral equipment and reduces the overall device size, while maintaining the capability to compensate for steel plate bending to ensure coating uniformity.
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
This design allows for precise adjustment of air pressure to achieve uniform coating weights, minimizes interference with peripheral equipment, and simplifies maintenance by optimizing the air discharge based on the steel plate's bending, thereby improving the plating process efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
at least one moment generating unit provided on a side of the nozzle lip and generating a rotational moment, in order to allow the nozzle lip to be bent in a width direction of the steel plate
Implementation Method 2
the molten plating solution present on the steel plates may be passed through an air knife discharging high-pressure air, thereby controlling a coating weight of the molten plating solution present on the surfaces of the steel plates
Data Source
AI summary
An air knife includes: a nozzle main body provided so as to inject gas in response to the width of the steel plate; a nozzle lip installed on at least one of the upper section and the lower section of an outlet of the nozzle main body and extending inclinedly so that the injection cross-sectional area of the gas becomes narrow; and at least one moment generation unit, provided at one side of the nozzle lip, for generating a rotation moment so that the nozzle lip is curved in the width direction of the steel plate and a gap between other nozzle lips varies.