Optical Coating Cartridges for Fast Material Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coating systems struggle to quickly switch between different coating materials and curing methods, leading to inefficiencies in manufacturing optical articles due to the need for purging and cleaning of reservoirs and apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
A coating system with replaceable cartridges, a recirculation loop, and pumps for aspirating and delivering coating material, along with multiple coating apparatuses and stations for atomizing, spin coating, and independent curing, allowing for quick material changes and efficient processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single coating material reservoir and coating apparatus are used, then the system is simple to operate and maintain, but it cannot quickly switch between different coating materials for different substrates and products
Solution Approach 1:
The coating system is divided into multiple independent cartridges, each containing a different coating material. Each cartridge is a self-contained unit with its own reservoir and coating apparatus, allowing individual replacement without affecting other materials. This segmentation enables quick switching between coating materials while maintaining overall system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridges are designed with a universal interface that allows them to be used across different coating systems and applications. The standardized cartridge design with universal coupling mechanisms enables the same cartridge format to serve multiple purposes and work with various coating apparatuses, enhancing system versatility without increasing complexity.
2Productivity
If the coating material reservoir and coating apparatus are purged and cleaned to accommodate material changes, then contamination is prevented, but production time is lost and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The coating material is extracted into separate, disposable cartridges that can be quickly removed and replaced. By taking the coating material out of a shared reservoir system and placing it in individual cartridges, the system eliminates the need for purging and cleaning operations between material changes, as each cartridge is self-contained and can be swapped in seconds.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridges are designed as disposable, single-use components that are discarded after use rather than cleaned and reused. This approach trades the cost of disposable cartridges for the significant time savings eliminated by removing purging and cleaning steps from the production process, thereby improving overall productivity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple coating materials are stored in separate reservoirs, then material switching is enabled, but the system complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple coating materials are stored in a compact, nested arrangement where cartridges can be stacked or arranged in a space-efficient manner within the coating system. The cartridges are designed to nest within each other or fit into compact storage positions, minimizing the overall volume required to store multiple coating materials while maintaining quick access capability.
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
Enables rapid switching between coating materials and curing methods, reducing waste and increasing production efficiency in both small and large-scale optical article manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
a first pump in fluid communication with the recirculation loop
Implementation Method 2
a second pump in fluid communication with the recirculation loop... operable to aspirate the select amount of the coating material from the recirculation loop and deliver the select amount of the coating material
Implementation Method 3
at least one coating apparatus operable to coat at least a portion of the optical article with a select amount of the coating material
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5A~5B
AI summary
A coating system for coating an optical article includes at least one replaceable cartridge having a reservoir configured for containing a volume of a coating material, a recirculation loop in fluid communication with the reservoir, and a first pump and a second pump in fluid communication with the recirculation loop. The coating system further includes at least one coating apparatus operable to coat at least a portion of the optical article with a select amount of the coating material from an engaged at least one replaceable cartridge. The second pump of each of the engaged at least one replaceable cartridge is operable to aspirate the select amount of the coating material from the recirculation loop and deliver the select amount of the coating material to the at least one coating apparatus.