Shot Blasting Mix for Smoothing Metal Laminated Surfaces

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for smoothing the surface of metal laminated articles, such as those manufactured by melting metal powder, require long treatment times due to high surface roughness from both lamination marks and melt-coagulation, which are not efficiently addressed by current blasting techniques.

Innovation Solution

A surface treatment method using a combination of shot media with different granularities and Vickers hardness, where larger shot media remove lamination marks and smaller shot media address melt-coagulation marks, enhancing the efficiency of surface smoothing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If blasting is performed using conventional shot media to smooth the surface of metal laminated articles, then surface roughness is reduced, but treatment time becomes excessively long

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface roughnessVSAvoidtreatment time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The shot media is segmented into multiple granularity classes (first shot media with larger granularity, second shot media with intermediate granularity, and third shot media with smaller granularity). This segmentation allows each class to target specific roughness features: larger particles remove prominent lamination marks efficiently, while smaller particles address finer melt-coagulation roughness, achieving comprehensive surface smoothing in a single blended blasting operation rather than requiring multiple sequential treatments with single-granularity media

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the granularity parameter distribution of the shot media by using a blended mixture of three distinct granularity classes instead of conventional single-granularity media. This parameter change enables simultaneous effective interaction with different scales of surface roughness features, reducing the total treatment time while achieving the target surface roughness level that would otherwise require prolonged treatment with uniform-sized particles

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of manufacture

If blasting is performed using single-granularity shot media, then the process is simple, but both lamination marks and melt-coagulation roughness cannot be efficiently removed simultaneously

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocess simplicityVSAvoidsurface smoothing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The shot media is formulated as a composite material system comprising three different granularity classes blended together in specific proportions. This composite approach combines the advantages of each granularity class: larger particles provide aggressive material removal for lamination marks, intermediate particles address mid-range roughness, and smaller particles smooth fine melt-coagulation features. The composite shot media maintains process simplicity by being applied as a single blended mixture rather than requiring complex multi-stage processes with different media types

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 reduces surface roughness by efficiently removing both types of marks, achieving smoother surfaces with fewer passes compared to using single-granularity shot media.

Implementation Method 1

blasting a surface of the metal laminated article using shot media. The surface of the laminated article has a shape in which roughness attributable to lamination marks and roughness attributable to melt-coagulation are present together. The blasting includes removing the roughness attributable to lamination marks and the roughness attributable to melt-coagulation.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAbrasion: Abrasion

Implementation Method 2

The shot media are shot media including first shot media of first granularity with a grit shape and second shot media of second granularity with a grit shape. In the blasting step, the roughness attributable to lamination marks, which is greater than the roughness attributable to melt-coagulation, is removed by the first shot media, and the roughness attributable to melt-coagulation and treatment marks by the first shot media are removed by the second shot media.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectImpact Force: Impact Force

Data Source

PatentEP4056315B1Surface treatment method
Publication Date: 2026.02.11 SINTOKOGIO LTD
  • EP4056315B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4056315B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4056315B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

A surface treatment method includes: preparing a metal laminated article; and blasting a surface of the metal laminated article using shot media, the shot media include first shot media of first granularity with a grit shape and second shot media of second granularity with a grit shape, and the first granularity is greater than the second granularity.