Spray Wall Laser Perforation for Uniform Hole Arrays

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for manufacturing spray walls with precise and uniform holes for fluid dispensing in perfumery, cosmetics, and pharmacy applications lack precision and speed, resulting in suboptimal spray patterns with limited control over hole formation techniques.

Innovation Solution

A laser-based manufacturing process that shapes a laser beam into a network of partial beams to pierce a membrane, allowing for precise control over hole formation with varying masks and configurations to achieve uniform and efficient hole creation, enabling the production of spray walls with parallel, inclined, or divergent holes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional drilling or laser methods are used to create holes in spray walls, then the manufacturing process can be completed, but the precision and uniformity of hole formation are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehole precisionVSAvoidmanufacturing speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The laser beam is segmented into multiple partial beams that simultaneously create multiple holes in parallel, achieving both high precision through controlled beam distribution and high productivity through parallel processing of multiple holes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The mechanical drilling process is replaced with a laser-based optical system that uses shaped laser beams to ablate material and create holes, eliminating mechanical contact and achieving superior precision and speed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If the laser beam is shaped into a network of partial beams to create multiple holes simultaneously, then manufacturing speed increases, but the precision and uniformity of hole formation may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing speedVSAvoidhole uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Each partial laser beam is independently optimized to create holes with identical characteristics, ensuring local uniformity across all holes while maintaining high productivity through parallel processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The laser beam parameters (intensity distribution, focal point, pulse duration) are precisely controlled and adjusted to ensure that each partial beam creates holes with uniform dimensions and quality, even when processing multiple holes simultaneously

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If a single laser source is used to pierce all holes consecutively, then the system complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidmanufacturing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The laser beam is divided into multiple partial beams that operate in parallel to create multiple holes simultaneously, maintaining a simple single-laser-source system while dramatically reducing manufacturing time through parallel processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple hole-creation operations are merged into a single simultaneous action by shaping one laser beam into multiple partial beams, achieving the effect of multiple lasers with a single laser source

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

This method ensures high precision and speed in creating spray walls with uniform holes, enhancing the homogeneity of droplet size and spray pattern, thereby improving fluid dispensing efficiency in perfumery, cosmetics, and pharmacy applications.

Implementation Method 1

allowing the network of partial laser beams to impact the membrane to pierce a network of holes in it

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLaser ablation: Laser Ablation

Data Source

PatentEP3993944B1Verfahren zur herstellung einer sprühwand
Publication Date: 2024.09.04 APTAR FRANCE SAS
  • EP3993944B1 patent drawingFigure 1~5b
  • EP3993944B1 patent drawingFigure 6a~7b

AI summary

Process for manufacturing a spray partition pierced with a network of holes through which a fluid product passes under pressure so as to be broken into fine droplets, the process comprising the following steps: a) providing a laser source (S) able to produce a laser beam (F), b) forming the laser beam (F) into an array of parallel partial laser beams (Fp), c) directing the array of parallel partial laser beams (Fp) so as to strike a membrane (P0), d) letting the array of parallel partial laser beams (Fp) strike the membrane (P0) with a view to piercing therein a network of holes (O1), so as to obtain a spray partition pierced with a network of holes, characterised in that the entirety of the holes of the spray partition are pierced, consecutively, by a plurality of arrays of partial laser beams.