Integrated Fluidjet System for Stripping, Prepping and Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current coating technologies face challenges such as toxic emissions, health hazards, high intrinsic stress, fatigue issues, and inefficiencies in stripping and grinding processes, particularly with chrome plating and thermal spray methods, which require multiple stages and generate hazardous waste.
Innovation Solution
A novel integrated system and method for stripping, prepping, and coating using a pulsed or continuous fluidjet with electrically charged coating particles, where the same particles used for prepping are also used for coating, forming both mechanical and electronic bonds with the surface, combining fluidjet technology with electrostatic charging to enhance adhesion and reduce processing steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If chrome plating is used to provide hard, wear-resistant coating, then coating hardness and wear resistance are improved, but toxic emissions and health hazards increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrochemical chrome plating with a mechanical cold spray process where metal particles are accelerated to high velocity and deposited onto the substrate through kinetic energy impact, eliminating toxic chromic acid emissions while achieving comparable or superior coating hardness and wear resistance
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental deposition mechanism from electrochemical reduction to kinetic impact deposition, using particle velocity (Mach 1.5-3.0) and impact pressure as controlling parameters instead of electrical current and chemical concentration, thereby eliminating toxic emissions while maintaining coating performance
2Ease of manufacture
If thermal spray coating is used to apply coating material, then coating application is achieved, but high intrinsic stress and fatigue issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses lower particle velocities (Mach 1.5-3.0) compared to conventional thermal spray, preventing excessive heat generation and metallurgical damage to the substrate, thereby reducing intrinsic stress and improving fatigue resistance while maintaining adequate coating adhesion and application capability
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple stages (stripping, prepping, coating) are used to coat a part, then complete surface treatment is achieved, but processing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines stripping, prepping, and coating operations into a single integrated cold spray process where the same high-velocity particle jet performs all three functions sequentially on the substrate surface, eliminating the need for separate processing stages and significantly reducing total processing time
Solution Approach 2:
The cold spray particle jet serves multiple functions simultaneously: it strips existing coatings through mechanical impact, preps the surface by creating anchoring profiles, and deposits new coating material, making the process universally applicable to all three treatment stages without requiring equipment changes
4Manufacturing precision
If conventional grit blasting is used for surface prepping, then surface roughness is achieved, but foreign abrasive particles remain on the surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses coating particles that are compositionally identical to the intended coating material for both the prepping and coating stages, ensuring that no foreign abrasive particles remain on the substrate after prepping, as all particles are of the same material and will be incorporated into the final coating layer
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 approach reduces processing time and costs, minimizes hazardous waste, and achieves strong adhesion without foreign abrasive particles, offering a more efficient and environmentally friendly three-stage technique for coating surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
entraining particles into a fluid stream to produce a particle-entrained fluid stream
Implementation Method 2
electrically charging the surface to be coated after the surface has been prepped to the prescribed surface roughness and for generating an electric field to electrically charge particles
Implementation Method 3
The particles are charged to a polarity opposite to that of the charged surface
Implementation Method 4
directing a charged-particle-entrained fluid stream at high speed at the charged surface to thereby coat the surface with electrically charged particles
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated liquidjet system capable of stripping, prepping and coating a part includes a cell defining an enclosure, a jig for holding the part inside the cell, an ultrasonic nozzle having an ultrasonic transducer for generating a pulsed liquidjet, a coating particle source for supplying coating particles to the nozzle, a pressurized liquid source for supplying the nozzle with a pressurized liquid to enable the nozzle to generate the pulsed liquidjet to sequentially strip, prep and coat the part, a high-voltage electrode and a ground electrode inside the nozzle for charging the coating particles, and a human-machine interface external to the cell for receiving user commands and for controlling the pulsed liquidjet exiting from the nozzle in response to the user commands.