CN111974571A - Paint spraying flow control system - Google Patents

Paint spraying flow control system Download PDF

Info

Publication number
CN111974571A
CN111974571A CN201910440692.4A CN201910440692A CN111974571A CN 111974571 A CN111974571 A CN 111974571A CN 201910440692 A CN201910440692 A CN 201910440692A CN 111974571 A CN111974571 A CN 111974571A
Authority
CN
China
Prior art keywords
hydraulic pump
paint
control system
pressure
flow control
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
CN201910440692.4A
Other languages
Chinese (zh)
Inventor
吴峰
李锦树
陈洁龙
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Shenzhen CIMC Intelligent Technology Co Ltd
Guangdong CIMC Intelligent Technology Co Ltd
Original Assignee
China International Marine Containers Group Co Ltd
Shenzhen CIMC Intelligent Technology Co Ltd
Dongguan CIMC Intelligent Technology Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by China International Marine Containers Group Co Ltd, Shenzhen CIMC Intelligent Technology Co Ltd, Dongguan CIMC Intelligent Technology Co Ltd filed Critical China International Marine Containers Group Co Ltd
Priority to CN201910440692.4A priority Critical patent/CN111974571A/en
Publication of CN111974571A publication Critical patent/CN111974571A/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05BSPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B12/00Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area
    • B05B12/004Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area comprising sensors for monitoring the delivery, e.g. by displaying the sensed value or generating an alarm
    • B05B12/006Pressure or flow rate sensors

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Spray Control Apparatus (AREA)

Abstract

The invention provides a paint spraying flow control system. The paint spraying flow control system includes a hydraulic pump disposed on a paint passage and controlling a flow rate of paint according to a pressure of hydraulic oil flowing into the hydraulic pump, a pressure reducing valve fluidly connected to the hydraulic pump for controlling the pressure of the hydraulic oil flowing into the hydraulic pump, a flow meter disposed downstream of the hydraulic pump for detecting a flow rate and a passing quality of the paint discharged from the hydraulic pump, and a controller respectively connected to the flow meter and the pressure reducing valve for receiving the flow rate of the paint fed back from the flow meter and capable of controlling the pressure reducing valve according to the flow rate. According to the paint spraying flow control system provided by the invention, the pressure of paint can be remotely adjusted in real time, the flow rate of the paint can be accurately controlled, the material of the paint is saved, defective products are reduced, the quality risk is reduced, the pipeline blockage, the nozzle aging and the abnormal conditions of each device can be monitored and alarmed, and the fault can be found in time.

Description

Paint spraying flow control system
Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to the field of painting equipment and more particularly to a paint spray flow control system for a container.
Background
As shown in fig. 1, the conventional paint spraying system includes a hydraulic pump 1 and a manual pressure reducing valve 2, hydraulic oil may flow into the manual pressure reducing valve 2, and the manual pressure reducing valve 2 may regulate the pressure of the hydraulic oil. The hydraulic oil with the regulated pressure enters the hydraulic pump 1 to drive paint, and the paint flows into the hydraulic pump 1 and flows out after being pressurized. The existing paint spraying system calculates target pressure through target flow velocity, then displays pressure by installing a mechanical pressure gauge 3 at the output rear end of a manual pressure reducing valve 2, and calculates flow velocity by observing the pressure displayed by the mechanical pressure gauge 3, thereby causing great difficulty in adjusting the pressure of paint, large calculated flow velocity and untimely control.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a paint spray flow control system that at least partially addresses the above-mentioned problems.
Disclosure of Invention
To at least partially solve the above problems, the present invention provides a paint spray flow control system comprising:
a hydraulic pump provided on a paint passage and controlling a flow rate of paint according to a pressure of hydraulic oil flowing into the hydraulic pump;
a pressure reducing valve fluidly connected to the hydraulic pump for controlling a pressure of the hydraulic oil flowing into the hydraulic pump;
A flow meter disposed downstream of the hydraulic pump for detecting a flow rate of the coating material discharged from the hydraulic pump; and
a controller connected to the flow meter and the pressure reducing valve, respectively, to receive the flow rate of the coating fed back by the flow meter and to be able to control the pressure reducing valve according to the flow rate.
According to the paint spraying flow control system provided by the invention, the pressure of paint can be remotely adjusted in real time, the real-time performance is improved, the labor intensity is reduced, the flow rate of the paint can be accurately controlled, the material of the paint is saved, defective products are reduced, the quality risk is reduced, the pipeline blockage, the nozzle aging and the abnormal conditions of each device can be monitored and alarmed, and the fault can be found in time.
Optionally, the hydraulic control system further comprises a pressure sensor arranged between the pressure reducing valve and the hydraulic pump for measuring a pressure value of the hydraulic oil output by the pressure reducing valve and feeding back the detected pressure value to the controller.
Optionally, the controller further comprises a pressure sensor arranged downstream of the hydraulic pump for measuring a pressure value of the coating output by the hydraulic pump and feeding back the detected pressure value to the controller.
Optionally, the controller determines the operation conditions of each device of the paint spraying flow control system according to a proportional relation K1 between a pressure value P detected by the pressure sensor and the flow rate V detected by the flow meter.
Optionally, the paint spray flow control system further comprises:
a spray coating device in fluid communication with the hydraulic pump for receiving the coating material discharged by the hydraulic pump;
a hydraulic oil feed device in fluid communication with the hydraulic pump for delivering hydraulic oil into the hydraulic pump; and
a coating material feed device in fluid communication with the hydraulic pump for delivering the coating material into the hydraulic pump.
Optionally, the paint spray flow control system further comprises a hydraulic oil return device in fluid communication with the hydraulic pump for discharging the hydraulic oil from the hydraulic pump.
Optionally, the flow meter is a coriolis mass flow meter.
Optionally, the coating is a water-borne paint.
Optionally, the hydraulic pump is a piston hydraulic pump.
Optionally, the pressure reducing valve is an electrically controlled pressure reducing valve.
Drawings
The following drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a prior art paint spray system; and
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a paint spray flow control system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Description of reference numerals:
1. 11: the hydraulic pump 2: manual pressure reducing valve
3: a mechanical pressure gauge 12: pressure reducing valve
13: the pressure sensor 14: controller
15: flow meter
Detailed Description
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without one or more of these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in order to avoid obscuring the invention.
The invention provides a paint spraying flow control system, which can effectively and timely adjust the flow speed of sprayed paint. Specifically, as shown in fig. 2, the paint spray flow control system includes a hydraulic pump 11, and the hydraulic pump 11 is provided on a paint passage and controls the flow rate of paint according to the pressure of hydraulic oil flowing into the hydraulic pump. Optionally, the paint spray flow control system may further include a spray device (not shown), a hydraulic oil feed device (not shown), and a paint feed device (not shown). The spraying equipment and the hydraulic pump 11 can be in fluid communication through a pipeline, the hydraulic pump 11 and the hydraulic oil feeding equipment can be in fluid communication through a pipeline, and the coating material feeding equipment and the hydraulic pump 11 can be in fluid communication through a pipeline.
The hydraulic pump 11 may be a piston hydraulic pump so as to stably discharge the dope. The hydraulic power source provides hydraulic oil, such as a hydraulic oil feeding device, which may be in fluid communication with the hydraulic pump 11 for feeding hydraulic oil into the hydraulic pump 11. The hydraulic pump 11 may comprise two inlets, one of the two inlets of the hydraulic pump 11 may be in fluid communication with an outlet of the hydraulic oil feeding device.
The paint feed device is in fluid communication with the hydraulic pump 11 for delivering paint into the hydraulic pump 11. The coating stored by the coating feeding equipment can be paint or water-based paint, so that the coating feeding equipment is suitable for various conditions. The other of the two inlets of the hydraulic pump 11 may be in fluid communication with the outlet of the paint delivery apparatus. The hydraulic oil enters the hydraulic pump 11 to work, and the coating can flow into the hydraulic pump 11 and flow out after being pressurized.
The hydraulic pump 11 may include an outlet, the outlet of the hydraulic pump 11 being in fluid communication with an inlet of the spray coating device such that the spray coating device is in fluid communication with the hydraulic pump 11 such that the spray coating device is operable to receive the coating material discharged by the hydraulic pump 11. The coating material flows into the hydraulic pump 11, and after being pressurized by the hydraulic pump 11, the coating material can be output to the spraying equipment. The spray equipment may include a spray gun, such as an electrostatic spray gun, which provides high coating delivery efficiency and atomization quality, and is very easy to spray multiple surfaces.
In order to make the coating application uniform, the coating application flow control system comprises a pressure reducing valve 12, the pressure reducing valve 12 being fluidly connected to the hydraulic pump 11 for controlling the pressure of the hydraulic oil flowing into the hydraulic pump 11. Preferably, a pressure reducing valve 12 is arranged between the hydraulic oil feeding device and the hydraulic pump 11, and an inlet of the pressure reducing valve 12 may be in fluid communication with an outlet of the hydraulic oil feeding device, so that the hydraulic oil output from the hydraulic oil feeding device enters the pressure reducing valve 12. The pressure reducing valve 12 can adjust the pressure of the hydraulic oil output from the hydraulic oil feeding device to a predetermined pressure. The outlet of the pressure reducing valve 12 may be in fluid communication with the inlet of the hydraulic pump 11, which may operate hydraulic oil adjusted to a predetermined pressure into the hydraulic pump 11, thereby adjusting the pressure of the paint in the hydraulic pump 11, and thus adjusting the flow rate of the paint.
Preferably, in order to enable the pressure reducing valve 12 to effectively control the pressure of the hydraulic oil, the pressure reducing valve 12 may be a proportional pressure reducing valve, so that the pressure of the hydraulic oil can be uniformly reduced, improving safety.
To accurately control the pressure relief valve 12, the coating material spray flow control system also includes a controller 14, the controller 14 being capable of controlling the pressure relief valve 12. The Controller 14 may be a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), and may be controlled and adjusted by a single chip module, and an operator may remotely control the Controller by a computer. Preferably, the pressure reducing valve 12 may be an electrically controlled pressure reducing valve, and the pressure reducing valve 12 may be electrically connected to the controller 14, so that when the pressure reducing valve 12 is adjusted, the pressure reducing valve 12 may be remotely adjusted in real time, the adjustment is simple, manual adjustment on site is not needed, the real-time performance is improved, and the workload is reduced. The pressure reducing valve 12 may also be an electric piston type pressure reducing valve or an electric diaphragm type pressure reducing valve, thereby ensuring the pressure stability of the hydraulic oil.
Further, the paint spray flow control system may further include a flow meter 15, the flow meter 15 being disposed downstream of the hydraulic pump 11 for detecting a flow rate of the paint discharged from the hydraulic pump. In the present embodiment, "downstream" refers to "downstream" of the hydraulic pump on the dope passage. Preferably, the flow meter 15 is arranged between the hydraulic pump 11 and the painting equipment, so that the flow meter 15 can detect the actual flow rate of the paint output by the hydraulic pump 11. The controller 14 is connected to the flow meter 15 and the pressure reducing valve 12, respectively, and the flow meter 15 may be electrically connected to the controller 14, so that the flow meter 15 may feed back the detected flow rate of the paint to the controller 14, thereby enabling precise control of the flow rate of the paint. The controller 14 can receive the flow rate of the dope fed back by the flow meter 15 and can control the pressure reducing valve 12 according to the flow rate. The controller 14 can adjust the pressure of the coating in time by controlling the pressure of the pressure reducing valve 12 according to the comparison between the detected actual flow rate of the coating and the target flow rate, so as to adjust the flow rate of the coating, so that the flow rate of the coating reaches a set constant flow rate, and the coating is uniformly sprayed.
Alternatively, since the paint is easily attached to the pipe wall, in order to prevent the flow meter 15 from being clogged, the flow meter 15 may be a coriolis mass flow meter to avoid that the measurement error becomes large due to the long-term use of the flow meter 15.
Further, since the flow rate of the paint is related to the pressure of the paint, the degree of pipe clearance, the viscosity of the paint, and the like, the paint spray flow control system may further include a pressure sensor 13, and the pressure sensor 13 is disposed between the pressure reducing valve 12 and the hydraulic pump 11 for measuring the pressure value of the hydraulic oil output from the pressure reducing valve 12 and feeding back the detected pressure value to the controller 14. In this way, whether the pressure value of the hydraulic oil adjusted by the pressure reducing valve 12 and the target pressure value are correct or not can be detected, so that the abnormal condition of the work can be found in time.
In an embodiment not shown, a pressure sensor may also be arranged downstream of the hydraulic pump for measuring a pressure value of the coating output by the hydraulic pump and feeding back the detected pressure value to the controller. Therefore, whether the pressure value and the target pressure value of the coating discharged by the hydraulic pump are correct or not can be detected, and the abnormal condition of work can be found in time.
The controller 14 can determine the operation of each device of the paint spraying flow control system according to the proportional relation K1 between the pressure value P detected by the pressure sensor and the flow rate V detected by the flow meter 15. The pressure value detected by the pressure sensor can be the pressure value of the detected hydraulic oil or the pressure value of the detected paint, so that the flow speed of the paint can be accurately controlled. For example, the wear condition of the nozzle of the spraying equipment and the smooth condition of each pipeline of the coating material spraying flow control system can be judged, and whether each equipment has an abnormal condition in the working process or not can be discovered.
To improve the efficiency of the hydraulic oil usage, the paint spray flow control system further includes a hydraulic oil return device (not shown) in fluid communication with the hydraulic pump 11, such as in fluid communication with the hydraulic pump 11 via a conduit, for discharging hydraulic oil from the hydraulic pump 11.
According to the paint spraying flow control system provided by the invention, the pressure of paint can be remotely adjusted in real time, the real-time performance is improved, the labor intensity is reduced, the flow rate of the paint can be accurately controlled, the material of the paint is saved, defective products are reduced, the quality risk is reduced, the pipeline blockage, the nozzle aging and the abnormal conditions of each device can be monitored and alarmed, and the fault can be found in time.
The present invention has been illustrated by the above embodiments, but it should be understood that the above embodiments are for illustrative and descriptive purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention to the scope of the described embodiments. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many variations and modifications may be made to the teachings of the invention, which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims (10)

1. A paint spray flow control system, comprising:
a hydraulic pump provided on a paint passage and controlling a flow rate of paint according to a pressure of hydraulic oil flowing into the hydraulic pump;
a pressure reducing valve fluidly connected to the hydraulic pump for controlling a pressure of the hydraulic oil flowing into the hydraulic pump;
a flow meter disposed downstream of the hydraulic pump for detecting a flow rate of the coating material discharged from the hydraulic pump; and
a controller connected to the flow meter and the pressure reducing valve, respectively, to receive the flow rate of the coating fed back by the flow meter and to be able to control the pressure reducing valve according to the flow rate.
2. The paint spray flow control system of claim 1 further comprising a pressure sensor disposed between the pressure reducing valve and the hydraulic pump for measuring a pressure value of the hydraulic oil output by the pressure reducing valve and feeding back the detected pressure value to the controller.
3. The paint spray flow control system of claim 1 further comprising a pressure sensor disposed downstream of the hydraulic pump for measuring a pressure value of the paint output by the hydraulic pump and feeding back the detected pressure value to the controller.
4. The paint spray flow control system of claim 2 or 3 wherein the controller determines the operation of each device of the paint spray flow control system based on the proportional relationship K1 between the pressure value P detected by the pressure sensor and the flow rate V detected by the flow meter.
5. The paint spray flow control system of claim 1 further comprising:
a spray coating device in fluid communication with the hydraulic pump for receiving the coating material discharged by the hydraulic pump;
a hydraulic oil feed device in fluid communication with the hydraulic pump for delivering hydraulic oil into the hydraulic pump; and
a coating material feed device in fluid communication with the hydraulic pump for delivering the coating material into the hydraulic pump.
6. The paint spray flow control system of claim 1 further comprising a hydraulic oil return device in fluid communication with the hydraulic pump for discharging the hydraulic oil from the hydraulic pump.
7. The paint spray flow control system of claim 1 wherein the flow meter is a coriolis mass flow meter.
8. The coating spray flow control system of claim 1 wherein the coating is a water-based paint.
9. The paint spray flow control system of claim 1 wherein the hydraulic pump is a piston hydraulic pump.
10. The paint spray flow control system of claim 1 wherein the pressure relief valve is an electrically controlled pressure relief valve.
CN201910440692.4A 2019-05-24 2019-05-24 Paint spraying flow control system Pending CN111974571A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN201910440692.4A CN111974571A (en) 2019-05-24 2019-05-24 Paint spraying flow control system

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN201910440692.4A CN111974571A (en) 2019-05-24 2019-05-24 Paint spraying flow control system

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CN111974571A true CN111974571A (en) 2020-11-24

Family

ID=73437504

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CN201910440692.4A Pending CN111974571A (en) 2019-05-24 2019-05-24 Paint spraying flow control system

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CN (1) CN111974571A (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN114131619A (en) * 2022-01-07 2022-03-04 江苏科技大学 Dynamic supplementary spraying control system and method for spraying robot and breakpoint reply control system and method

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH1176887A (en) * 1997-09-03 1999-03-23 Tokico Ltd Robot device for coating
US20050056713A1 (en) * 2003-07-31 2005-03-17 Tisone Thomas C. Methods and systems for dispensing sub-microfluidic drops
KR101004969B1 (en) * 2010-04-16 2011-01-04 듀라케미 (주) Apparatus of stabilizing for injection pressure and the stabilizing method
BRPI0905330A2 (en) * 2009-12-18 2011-08-09 Jacto Maquinas Agricolas flow control system for agricultural spray nozzles
CN210729917U (en) * 2019-05-24 2020-06-12 深圳中集智能科技有限公司 Paint spraying flow control system

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH1176887A (en) * 1997-09-03 1999-03-23 Tokico Ltd Robot device for coating
US20050056713A1 (en) * 2003-07-31 2005-03-17 Tisone Thomas C. Methods and systems for dispensing sub-microfluidic drops
BRPI0905330A2 (en) * 2009-12-18 2011-08-09 Jacto Maquinas Agricolas flow control system for agricultural spray nozzles
KR101004969B1 (en) * 2010-04-16 2011-01-04 듀라케미 (주) Apparatus of stabilizing for injection pressure and the stabilizing method
CN210729917U (en) * 2019-05-24 2020-06-12 深圳中集智能科技有限公司 Paint spraying flow control system

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN114131619A (en) * 2022-01-07 2022-03-04 江苏科技大学 Dynamic supplementary spraying control system and method for spraying robot and breakpoint reply control system and method
CN114131619B (en) * 2022-01-07 2023-09-22 江苏科技大学 Dynamic spray compensating control system and method for spraying robot and breakpoint reply control system and method

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US5131350A (en) Electrostatic powder coating device
EP1658145B1 (en) Control and system for dispensing fluid material
US5246026A (en) Fluid measuring, dilution and delivery system
US11492786B2 (en) Method for fluid pressure control in a closed system
CN208679635U (en) A kind of screw pump quantifies robot glue stations
CN210729917U (en) Paint spraying flow control system
CN105170366A (en) Fluid closed loop flow control system
CN102632003A (en) Dual-flow-meter type digital spraying system for robot
US7293720B2 (en) Fluid balanced paint system
CN111974571A (en) Paint spraying flow control system
KR20170003942A (en) Method for flow control calibration of high-transient systems
US6223645B1 (en) Compressed air flow rate controller for paint sprayer system
CN112218727B (en) Flow balance in a coating circulation system
CN107890786A (en) A kind of more liquid on-line high accuracy hybrid systems
CN111589612B (en) Paint spraying control system
CN211726238U (en) Non-contact fluid conveying and flow monitoring closed-loop control device
CA2923620C (en) Fluid pressure regulation system for fluid-dispensing systems
CN111013852B (en) Non-contact fluid conveying and flow monitoring closed-loop control device
CN106696111A (en) Flow online automatic regulating system and method for silicone adhesive continuous production
CN110560335A (en) Online mixing and feeding system
CN218957083U (en) Water spray control device in vertical mill
CN106861976A (en) The electrostatic oiler oil supply system of monitor in real time flow
KR102571174B1 (en) System for spraying with constant quantity of paint
CN105485680B (en) Burner and its control method and bituminous mixing plant
WO2003021368A1 (en) Method of dispensing adhesive and sealant

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PB01 Publication
PB01 Publication
SE01 Entry into force of request for substantive examination
SE01 Entry into force of request for substantive examination
CB02 Change of applicant information
CB02 Change of applicant information

Address after: 518063 Shenzhen national engineering laboratory building b1001-b1004, No. 20, Gaoxin South seventh Road, high tech Zone community, Yuehai street, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong

Applicant after: SHENZHEN CIMC SECURITY AND SMART TECHNOLOGY Co.,Ltd.

Applicant after: Guangdong CIMC Intelligent Technology Co.,Ltd.

Applicant after: CHINA INTERNATIONAL MARINE CONTAINERS (GROUP) Ltd.

Address before: Room 102, block a, phase II, science and technology building, 1057 Nanhai Avenue, Shekou, Nanshan District, Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province

Applicant before: SHENZHEN CIMC SECURITY AND SMART TECHNOLOGY Co.,Ltd.

Applicant before: DONGGUAN CIMC INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY Co.,Ltd.

Applicant before: CHINA INTERNATIONAL MARINE CONTAINERS (GROUP) Ltd.

TA01 Transfer of patent application right
TA01 Transfer of patent application right

Effective date of registration: 20230515

Address after: 518063 Shenzhen national engineering laboratory building b1001-b1004, No. 20, Gaoxin South seventh Road, high tech Zone community, Yuehai street, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong

Applicant after: SHENZHEN CIMC SECURITY AND SMART TECHNOLOGY Co.,Ltd.

Applicant after: Guangdong CIMC Intelligent Technology Co.,Ltd.

Address before: 518063 Shenzhen national engineering laboratory building b1001-b1004, No. 20, Gaoxin South seventh Road, high tech Zone community, Yuehai street, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong

Applicant before: SHENZHEN CIMC SECURITY AND SMART TECHNOLOGY Co.,Ltd.

Applicant before: Guangdong CIMC Intelligent Technology Co.,Ltd.

Applicant before: CHINA INTERNATIONAL MARINE CONTAINERS (GROUP) Ltd.