Laser Cladding Powder Recirculation for Stable Flow Restart
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laser cladding processes waste powdered filler material and production time due to unstable powder flow during startup and interruptions for maintenance, leading to inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A laser cladding system with a powder flow switch that allows continuous powder flow collection and redirection during interruptions, ensuring stable powder flow resumption without interruption, using a powder distribution device with a feedback mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If powder flow is interrupted during process interruptions, then material waste is reduced, but production time is lost due to stabilization period required before resumption
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by maintaining powder flow during interruptions so that stable powder flow is already established and ready before the laser cladding process is resumed. This eliminates the stabilization period that would otherwise be required, allowing immediate resumption of production without time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuity of useful action by keeping the powder flow continuous and stable even when the laser cladding process is temporarily interrupted. The powder circulation system ensures that powder keeps flowing and stabilizing during interruptions, so the useful action of having ready-to-use stable powder flow continues without break.
2Loss of time
If powder flow is maintained during interruptions, then production time is saved, but powder consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies discarding and recovering by circulating powder through the feedback tube back to the powder feeder during interruptions. Instead of allowing powder to be wasted or left unused, the system recovers and reuses the powder continuously, minimizing net consumption while maintaining stable flow conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The feedback tube creates a feedback loop where powder flow status is monitored and adjusted. During interruptions, the system uses feedback control to maintain appropriate powder flow rates, ensuring that powder is not excessively consumed while still achieving the goal of having stable flow ready for immediate resumption.
3Reliability
If manual checks are performed during production, then process quality is maintained, but production continuity is broken causing material waste
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by automatically maintaining powder flow stability during interruptions caused by manual checks. The powder circulation and stabilization system operates autonomously during these periods, eliminating the need for manual intervention to maintain powder flow conditions, thereby reducing material waste while allowing necessary quality checks.
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
Saves powdered filler material and reduces production downtime by maintaining a stable powder flow, optimizing material usage and process efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a laser beam is focused on a surface of a substrate or a workpiece... to be melted by the laser beam, such that a melt pool is formed
Implementation Method 2
a powdered filler material is conveyed from a powder feeder to a laser head through a single hose, from which it is distributed and injected to a nozzle
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The invention refers to a laser cladding system comprising: a powder feeder adapted to generate a flow of powder, a laser head including a nozzle, and a powder distribution device fluidly communicated with the powder feeder. The system further comprises a powder flow switch and a feedback tube fluidly communicating the powder flow switch with the powder feeder. In a first position of the powder flow switch, the powder feeder, the powder distribution device and the nozzle of the laser head are fluidly communicated, and in a second position, the powder flow switch fluidly communicates a feeding tube with a feedback tube to feed back powder to the powder feeder. The invention also refers to a laser cladding process, in which powdered material is fed back to a powder feeder, while the laser cladding process is not applied to the workpiece.