Alloy Wheel Coating With Inter-Coat Plasma Surface Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for coating cast alloy wheels are laborious, costly, environmentally harmful, and fail to provide the desired durability, particularly on the bright machined surface, leading to issues like chipping and corrosion.
Innovation Solution
A method involving plasma treatment to increase the energy state of the alloy wheel surface, followed by application of a silicon-based compound and subsequent polymeric coatings, enhancing adhesion and durability through crosslinking processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional liquid conversion coating is applied to alloy wheels, then corrosion resistance and paint adhesion are improved, but the process becomes laborious, costly, and environmentally harmful with significant water contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional liquid conversion coating process with plasma treatment. The plasma process uses ionized gas to chemically modify the wheel surface, eliminating the need for liquid chemicals and water-based cleaning. This substitution reduces environmental harm while maintaining corrosion resistance and paint adhesion properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the coating process from liquid to plasma (ionized gas). By altering the state of the coating medium and using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, the process achieves effective surface treatment with fewer steps and reduced environmental impact.
2Reliability
If multiple coating layers are applied to alloy wheels, then adhesion and durability are improved, but the processing time and labor increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple coating functions into a single plasma treatment process. The plasma process simultaneously prepares the surface, applies the conversion coating, and creates the necessary chemical bonds, eliminating the need for separate liquid coating applications and reducing overall processing time while maintaining durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The plasma treatment performs preliminary surface preparation and conversion coating application in advance, creating an optimized surface structure before final coating. This preliminary action reduces the need for subsequent processing steps and shortens total processing time.
3Strength
If the surface energy of the alloy wheel is increased through plasma treatment, then adhesion of coating layers is improved, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses plasma as an intermediary to transfer energy to the wheel surface. The plasma process acts as a mediator that increases surface energy and creates chemical bonding sites, facilitating better coating adhesion without requiring direct mechanical or chemical contact that would increase process complexity.
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 method significantly improves durability by reducing chipping and corrosion, achieving higher adhesion ratings and reducing the number of processing steps while minimizing hazardous chemical use.
Implementation Method 1
providing a plasma assembly for exposing an object ionized plasma. An energy state of the surface of the object is increased by the ionized plasma activating the surface of the object
Implementation Method 2
The raised energy state of surface of the object is lowered toward a ground state for allowing the silicon based compound to react with the surface onto which it is applied forming a new crosslinked compound
Data Source
AI summary
An alloy wheel is formed having a three dimensional configuration defining a face and recessed surfaces. The face of the wheel is machined providing a smooth surface at the face and defining an edge between the smooth surface of the face and the recessed surfaces. A nozzle element for projecting a plasma jet toward the wheel is provided. The plasma jet is projected toward the smooth surface of the face, the edge, and toward at least a portion of the recessed surfaces forming an alloy oxide at least on the face and the edge disposed between the face and the recessed surfaces. A first polymeric coating is applied over the face, the recessed surfaces and the edge disposed between the face and the recessed surfaces.