Rotatable Vapor Deposition Nozzle for Uniform Strip Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vapor deposition methods struggle to achieve homogeneous layer thickness distribution across the transverse direction of planar objects, particularly in large-area coating applications like strip metal, where maintaining uniformity and efficiency is challenging.
Innovation Solution
A coating plant with a rotatably mounted nozzle that adjusts the orientation of the nozzle outlet relative to the surface, allowing for targeted material deposition, combined with a flexible nozzle design that can be eccentrically positioned and closed partially to accommodate varying strip widths, ensuring uniform coating across the entire surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a fixed nozzle design is used for vapor deposition, then the device structure is simple, but the coating uniformity across different strip widths cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle is designed to be rotatable around its axis, transforming it from a static component to a dynamic one. This rotation capability allows the nozzle outlet orientation to be adjusted according to different strip widths, ensuring that the coating material is distributed uniformly across the entire width of the planar object regardless of its dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable nozzle design enables a single nozzle structure to serve multiple functions: it can accommodate different strip widths by rotating to appropriate angles, and it can optimize material distribution patterns. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for multiple fixed nozzles for different product specifications.
2Productivity
If the nozzle outlet is always open for large-area coating, then the productivity is high, but material waste and contamination increase
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle incorporates a selectively closable outlet mechanism that can close specific portions of the outlet aperture. This allows the coating process to adapt to different strip widths by closing unnecessary outlet regions, ensuring that material is deposited only where needed on the planar object, thereby reducing material waste and contamination while maintaining high coating speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The outlet aperture transitions from a static open state to a dynamically controllable state, allowing real-time adjustment of the effective opening size and position. This dynamic control enables precise matching of material flow to the actual coating requirements, preventing excessive material deposition and waste.
3Manufacturing precision
If the nozzle orientation is fixed perpendicular to the strip, then the device operation is simple, but the coating uniformity across varying strip widths deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle is equipped with a rotation mechanism that allows it to change its orientation angle relative to the strip direction. Instead of requiring complex multi-axis adjustments, the simple rotational degree of freedom enables operators to optimize the nozzle orientation for different strip widths, achieving uniform coating while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle orientation angle is changed as a controllable parameter to adapt to different coating requirements. By varying this single parameter (rotation angle), the system achieves optimal coating uniformity for different strip widths without complicating the overall operation, as the rotation can be easily controlled and adjusted.
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 ensures high efficiency and uniformity of coating thickness across the transverse direction of planar objects, minimizing material waste and reducing contamination within the vacuum chamber, while maintaining economic viability.
Implementation Method 1
the starting material is brought into the gas phase by evaporating it in an evaporation portion of a device for vapor deposition of the material
Implementation Method 2
The movement of the particles present in the gas phase is at least substantially, preferably completely, brought about by the pressure difference between the evaporation portion and the space, for example a vacuum chamber
Implementation Method 3
Vapor deposition is based on the principle of coating a surface of the planar object by means of depositing material present in the gas phase
Data Source
AI summary
A coating plant for coating a planar object, for example a strip conveyed using transport rollers, is disclosed. The coating plant includes a vacuum chamber and a device for vapor deposition of a material. The device for vapor deposition includes an evaporation portion and a nozzle portion, wherein the nozzle portion includes a nozzle having a nozzle outlet. The nozzle outlet can have an extension. The nozzle is rotatably mounted.