Arc Evaporation Coating Device for Continuous High-Melting Point Material Deposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vapor deposition methods for continuous coating of large surfaces, such as steel band materials, face challenges with material feed issues and thermal management, leading to inefficiencies and the need for thicker, less desirable coatings, especially for high melting point materials like iron-magnesium-zinc alloys.
Innovation Solution
A device using an electric arc to melt and evaporate wire-shaped or band-shaped materials, which are then fed into a heated chamber with a gas jet, allowing for complete evaporation and in situ alloy formation, enabling continuous coating with controlled layer composition and structure, even for high melting point materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional PVD methods with crucibles and electron beam guns are used for continuous coating of high melting point materials, then coating of materials like titanium and zinc-magnesium alloys is achieved, but material feed problems occur due to accessibility issues for the electron beam and the need for hot channels with low losses
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the electron beam gun from the continuous coating system and replaces it with a simpler arc evaporation source. This removes the problematic electron beam accessibility issues and the need for complex hot channels, while maintaining the capability to coat high melting point materials through continuous wire feed into the arc source.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the electromagnetic electron beam system with a simpler arc discharge system. The arc evaporation source uses direct electrical current to melt and evaporate material from a continuously fed wire, eliminating the need for complex electron beam guidance and hot channel systems while achieving the same coating function.
2Productivity
If scatter coatings are used in conventional PVD systems, then coating deposition is achieved, but the coatings must be cleaned and recycled after a brief period, involving great complexity and lost time
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements true continuous coating by using a linear arc evaporation source that can operate indefinitely with continuous wire feed. Unlike scatter coatings that require periodic cleaning and recycling, the arc evaporation system maintains continuous deposition capability without interruption, eliminating the lost time for maintenance and recycling operations.
3Ease of operation
If electromagnetic levitation is used for vapor deposition of wire material, then material feed is achieved, but uniform layer deposition is not possible for high melting point metals and droplets are incorporated into the layer
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the evaporation process by using arc discharge instead of electromagnetic levitation. The arc source creates a concentrated vapor stream that deposits uniformly on the substrate, while the high temperature of the arc completely vaporizes the wire material, preventing droplet formation and ensuring layer uniformity for high melting point metals.
4Productivity
If flash vapor deposition is used with chopped metal wire pieces, then material feed problem is solved, but adequate evaporation rate cannot be attained due to solid phase feeding and need for temperatures significantly higher than evaporation temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The invention utilizes continuous phase transition from solid wire to vapor by maintaining continuous wire feed into the arc source. The arc temperature, while high, is maintained just above the evaporation point of the material, allowing efficient vaporization without the need for significantly higher temperatures required in flash vapor deposition of solid pieces. The continuous feed ensures steady-state evaporation at optimal temperature.
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 method achieves high coating rates with controlled layer formation, allowing for efficient and uniform deposition of anti-corrosion and anti-wear layers on large surfaces, overcoming previous limitations of material feed and thermal management, and enabling the use of materials that are difficult to alloy with other methods.
Implementation Method 1
A device using an electric arc to melt and evaporate wire-shaped or band-shaped materials
Implementation Method 2
which are then fed into a heated chamber with a gas jet, allowing for complete evaporation
Implementation Method 3
fed into a heated chamber with a gas jet, allowing for complete evaporation
Implementation Method 4
The gas jet tears the liquid material from the wire ends and accelerates it onto the surface to be coated
Data Source
AI summary
A device for forming coatings on surfaces of a component, band-shaped material, or tool, in which at least one wire-shaped or band-shaped material is used for forming the coating and that is/are connected to a direct electrical current source, wherein an electric arc is formed between wire-shaped materials or between one wire-shaped or band-shaped material and one anode or cathode, wherein wire-shaped or band-shaped material may be fed by means of a feed device; and melted and/or evaporated material of the wire-shaped or band-shaped material flows, by means of a gas jet of a gas or gas mixture, through an inlet into the interior of a chamber that can be heated to a temperature that is at least equal to the evaporation temperature of the at least one material used for the coating or of the material with the highest evaporation temperature, and the material(s) completely evaporates and exits through at least one opening present on the chamber and impinges on the surface to be coated of the component or tool for forming the coating.