Coating Unit Dosing for Catalyst Substrate Precision
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for coating the inner surfaces of catalysts with low cross-section channels are inefficient due to inaccurate dosing of coating medium, leading to high cycle times and low accuracy, as conventional pumps and dosing units struggle to provide the required precision and speed for applying catalytic materials within these channels.
Innovation Solution
A two-step coating process involving prefilling and filling, where a pump prefills the coating unit up to a reference level, and a dosing unit accurately measures and applies the coating medium once the level is reached, using a level sensor to ensure precise application and reducing cycle time by optimizing the dosing unit's flow rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a dosing unit is used to accurately dispense a predetermined amount of coating medium, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to slow flow rate
Solution Approach 1:
The filling process is divided into two segments: a prefilling phase using a pump for rapid bulk filling, and a dosing phase using a dosing unit for precise final dosing. This segmentation allows each component to operate in its optimal performance range, resolving the contradiction between speed and precision
Solution Approach 2:
The pump performs preliminary action by prefilling the coating unit with the majority of the required coating medium volume before the dosing unit completes the precise dosing. This preliminary bulk filling reduces the workload and time required for the precision dosing phase
2Productivity
If a pump is used to fill the coating unit quickly, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to inability to accurately dispense small volumes
Solution Approach 1:
The filling operation is segmented into two distinct phases with different filling rates: rapid prefilling followed by slow precision dosing. This allows the system to achieve both high overall productivity and high dosing accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The dosing unit acts as an intermediary between the pump and the coating unit, receiving bulk material from the pump and precisely metering it into the final destination. This intermediary component enables precise control over the final dosing volume
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for performing a coating process of a work- piece (4), comprising the steps of: -providing the workpiece (4) in a coating unit (2); -prefilling (S2) the coating unit (2) with a coating medium using a pump (6); -filling (S3) the coating unit (2) with the coating medium by a dosing unit (5), wherein a predetermined amount of coating medium is applied to the coating unit (2) by the dosing unit (5) as soon the coating medium level has reached a given reference level (R).