Electrostatic Particle Recovery for Digital Viscous Jet Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current printing technologies face challenges in uniformly depositing and recovering shiny, electrically charged particles on substrates without generating polluting dispersion and in efficiently integrating particle recovery systems within digital viscous material jet machines.
Innovation Solution
The development of an electrostatic device with rotating cylinders and conductive surfaces that create alternating electric polarities to recover and reuse particles, ensuring uniform deposition and minimizing particle dispersion, integrated within a digital viscous material jet machine setup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If air flow is used to recover excess flakes or powder particles, then particle recovery is achieved, but polluting dispersion is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the pneumatic recovery system (air flow) with an electrostatic recovery system. Electrons are emitted to charge the flakes or powder particles, and electric fields are used to attract and collect the charged particles on collector surfaces, eliminating the need for air flow and thus preventing polluting dispersion
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of the particles by charging them with electrons. This parameter change (from neutral to charged) enables recovery through electrostatic attraction rather than pneumatic transport, fundamentally altering the recovery mechanism to avoid pollution
2Productivity
If conventional sprinkling and air flow recovery is used, then particle deposition is achieved, but the recovery system is difficult to clean
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the particles from the air flow and deposits them directly onto collector surfaces through electrostatic attraction. The collectors are designed with smooth surfaces that allow easy removal of deposited particles, and the system includes mechanisms to periodically clean the collectors by removing accumulated particles without disassembling the entire system
Solution Approach 2:
The electrostatic recovery system allows particles to be automatically collected and concentrated on specific surfaces, making the recovery process self-organizing. The charged particles naturally migrate to the collectors, reducing the need for complex mechanical recovery mechanisms that would be difficult to clean
3Manufacturing precision
If alternating electrostatic fields are applied to improve particle distribution, then printing resolution is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the electrostatic field generation into separate functional components: electron emission sources, field generation electrodes, and particle collection surfaces. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component and simplifies the overall control system compared to complex alternating field generation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic electron emission and field activation cycles to achieve uniform particle distribution. By controlling the timing and duration of electron emission pulses, the system achieves consistent particle charging and deposition patterns without requiring complex continuous field modulation
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 solution allows for the efficient recovery and reuse of particles without air flow dispersion, improving the uniformity of particle deposition and reducing environmental pollution, while enhancing the operational efficiency of digital printing machines.
Implementation Method 1
two adjacent conductive surfaces of the same cylinder being supplied with variable electric potentials create at the level of at least one zone of the substrate and/or flakes deposited on said area of the substrate alternating electrical polarities
Implementation Method 2
the electric field existing between two facing conductive surfaces is between 1 and 10,000 kV/m, and preferably between 20 and 2,000 kV/m
Data Source
AI summary
The system has electrostatic devices (20, 21) placed opposite and on both sides of a substrate (3) covered with spangles (5), where devices contain electricity conducting surfaces. A charge device ensures generation of a variable electric potential on each surface, so that the surfaces on both sides of the substrate alternatively create electric polarity of a zone (Z) of the substrate and/or of the spangles on the zone. A cleaning device cleans one of the surfaces in displacement with respect to the electrostatic device. A recovery tank recovers the spangles sensitive to electric fields. The cleaning device is a movable scraper. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a method for recovery of spangles, sensitive to electric fields, deposited uniformly on a substrate (2) a viscous material jet numerical machine for installation of a viscous material pattern on a face of a substrate.