Ceiling Gateway Door for Abrasive Blasting Contamination Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing machines for blasting abrasives face issues with abrasives adhering to and falling out of the door during opening and closing, leading to contamination and operational challenges, especially when using fine shots for shot peening.
Innovation Solution
A machine design with a gateway in the ceiling and a door that moves linearly up and down to contact and separate from the ceiling, combined with an auxiliary mechanism using cylinders to ensure reliable sealing under vacuum conditions, and a dome-shaped door to prevent abrasives from leaking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the door is disposed outside the sidewall and slides vertically to open and close, then the door can separate from the sealing material to allow work passage, but blasting materials adhere to the door surface and may slide into the sealing surface or fall out of the machine
Solution Approach 1:
The door is repositioned from the sidewall to the ceiling of the chamber, changing the opening direction from horizontal to vertical. This dimensional change allows the door to move upward away from the sealing material, preventing blasting materials from sliding into the sealing surface while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The door is extracted from the traditional sidewall position and relocated to the ceiling, separating the door function from the sealing surface interaction. This extraction eliminates the problem of blasting materials adhering to the door and contaminating the sealing area.
2Productivity
If the door is opened during the vacuum process, then work can be brought in and taken out, but differential pressure is applied to the door causing operational difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The door opening direction is changed to vertical movement along the ceiling, allowing the door to be opened against differential pressure more easily. The vertical orientation reduces the effective area subjected to pressure differential compared to horizontal opening, improving operability during vacuum processes.
3Ease of operation
If a swinging door is attached to the gateway rim, then the door can open and shut, but blasting materials that have adhered near the door may fall outside the chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The door movement is changed from horizontal swinging to vertical lifting motion. When the door opens vertically upward, any blasting materials that have adhered to the door surface are carried upward away from the chamber opening, preventing them from falling outside the chamber.
4Reliability
If multiple components are used for door opening and sealing mechanisms, then reliable sealing under vacuum can be achieved, but the device structure becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The vertically-moving table is designed to perform multiple functions: it positions the workpiece for processing and simultaneously drives the door open and closed. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed for door operation while maintaining reliable sealing through the auxiliary cylinders.
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 effectively prevents abrasives from falling outside and ensures reliable sealing, reducing contamination and operational issues, while simplifying the structure and saving energy by using a single driving source for both door and jig movement.
Implementation Method 1
The auxiliary cylinders 31 for pressing are disposed under the periphery of the door 19. The tips of piston rods 31a of the auxiliary cylinders press the periphery of the door 19 when the chamber 11 is in a vacuum state.
Data Source
AI summary
The object of the present invention is to provide a machine for blasting abrasives that has a simple structure and that solves the problem of abrasives falling when the door for the gateway for the work is opened or closed. The machine for blasting abrasives comprises a chamber 11 for processing, a nozzle 13 that is provided within the chamber 11 for shooting the abrasives (shots) S onto the work W, and a jig 15 for holding the work W at a position facing the nozzle 13. A gateway 17 with a door 19 is formed in the ceiling 11a of the chamber 11. The size of the gateway 17 enables the work W to protrude from the chamber 11 by means of the jig 15 at a position corresponding to the jig 15 that is linearly moving up and down. The door 19 is provided within the chamber 11 so as to seal the gateway by linearly moving up and down and so as to create a vacant plane on the gateway for passing the work by horizontally moving.