Heating Apparatus for Coating Vapor Generation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing heating apparatuses for coating steel sheets using the vacuum evaporation method face issues with equipment erosion and temperature decrease due to liquid-phase coating materials, and clogging of supply tubes, which affect the quality and productivity of the coating process.

Innovation Solution

A heating apparatus that employs a liquid-phase supply method where a solid-phase coating material is heated and phase-changed to liquid in a nozzle unit and then discharged to a heating unit, generating coating vapor with minimal temperature loss and preventing clogging by preheating the coating material and using a nozzle unit with shock-absorbing and supply tube blocking mechanisms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a liquid-phase coating material is supplied directly to the heating unit, then the coating vapor generation speed increases, but equipment erosion occurs due to the temperature or chemical properties of the liquid-phase coating material

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoating vapor generation speedVSAvoidequipment erosion
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a preheating unit that heats the solid-phase coating material before it reaches the heating unit. This preliminary heating action prevents the coating material from clogging the supply tube and ensures smooth transition to liquid phase, thereby eliminating equipment erosion while maintaining continuous coating vapor generation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a melting unit as an intermediary component between the supply tube and the heating unit. The melting unit receives solid-phase coating material, melts it into liquid phase, and then supplies it to the heating unit. This intermediary step prevents direct contact of corrosive liquid-phase material with the supply tube, eliminating erosion while maintaining productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a solid-phase coating material is supplied directly to the heating unit, then equipment erosion is prevented, but the temperature of coating vapor generated inside the electromagnetic coil decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveequipment erosionVSAvoidcoating vapor temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The preheating unit performs preliminary heating on the solid-phase coating material before it enters the electromagnetic coil. This preliminary action ensures that the coating material is already at an optimal temperature for melting, thereby preventing temperature decrease of the coating vapor generated in the electromagnetic coil while still using solid-phase supply to avoid erosion

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a solid-phase coating material is supplied to the heating unit, then equipment erosion is prevented, but clogging of the coating material supply tube occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveequipment erosionVSAvoidsupply tube clogging
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The preheating unit performs preliminary heating on the solid-phase coating material before it enters the supply tube and melting unit. This preliminary heating prevents the coating material from solidifying and clogging the supply tube during transport, ensuring continuous and reliable supply while maintaining the benefits of solid-phase feeding

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The melting unit acts as an intermediary that receives preheated solid-phase coating material, completes the melting process, and supplies liquid-phase material to the heating unit. This intermediary function ensures that the supply tube only handles solid-phase material (preventing clogging) while the melting unit handles the phase transition in a controlled manner

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

The solution enables stable and efficient generation of coating vapor, preventing equipment erosion and clogging, resulting in high-quality and productive coating of rapidly moving steel sheets.

Implementation Method 1

a heating unit configured to heat a supplied coating material so as to generate coating vapor to be deposited on an coating target object

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 2

a nozzle unit disposed inside the heating unit to receive the coating material supplied in solid phase, wherein the solid-phase coating material is heated and phase-changed to liquid in the nozzle unit

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhase change from solid to liquid: Melting

Implementation Method 3

a coating material is surrounded by an electromagnetic coil, and a high-frequency AC current is applied from a high-frequency power supply to the electromagnetic coil to generate an AC electromagnetic field. Then, the coating material is levitated and heated by the AC electromagnetic field

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic heating: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 4

a substrate such as a steel sheet may be coated in a vacuum with a coating material such as metal vapor while the substrate is continuously fed

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhysical vapor deposition: Physical Vapour Deposition

Data Source

PatentEP3085808B1Heating apparatus and coating machine having same
Publication Date: 2019.03.20 POHANG IRON & STEEL CO LTD
  • EP3085808B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3085808B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3085808B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided are a heating apparatus for generating coating steam (gas) for deposition coating of a continuously moving base material (steel plate), and a coating machine having the heating apparatus. According to the present invention, a liquid-state supply scheme is adopted, and a supplied solid-state coating substance is contained inside a nozzle means and then heated such that a liquid-state coating substance is supplied to a heating unit; accordingly, smooth and stable generation of coating steam is made possible, preheating and supply of a solid-state coating substance is additionally implemented, and clogging of a supply tube is prevented, thereby ultimately improving the coating quality of a fast moving steel plate or the workability.