JP3590233B2 - Powder feeder - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a powder supply apparatus for accurately supplying a predetermined amount of powder at a predetermined timing.
[0002]
[Prior art]
There are various fields of application of powder supply devices that supply powder at a predetermined timing and at a predetermined speed. Here, a case where the powder supply device is used in a laser cladding processing apparatus is considered as an example of use of the powder supply device. . Now, a laser clad processing apparatus is used for the surface treatment of the valve seat part of a cylinder head, for example. An aluminum alloy is often used for the base metal of the cylinder head, but the aluminum alloy often does not sufficiently satisfy the conditions such as heat resistance and durability required for the valve seat portion. Thus, powder made of a copper-based material is supplied to the surface of the valve seat portion, and the powder is welded to the surface of the valve seat portion by irradiating the powder with a laser beam. This processing method is a so-called laser cladding processing method. For the same purpose, measures such as press-fitting a copper-based sintered alloy such as aluminum bronze into the valve seat have been taken, but according to the laser cladding processing method, the press-fitting allowance of the copper-based sintered alloy is not required, There is an advantage that the degree of freedom in designing the cylinder head is expanded. The present inventors have disclosed an example of an apparatus relating to a laser cladding processing method in JP-A-7-185866 and the like.
[0003]
Now, one of the factors that influence the quality of products obtained by the laser cladding method is how to accurately adjust the amount of powder supplied. For this reason, a powder supply apparatus as shown in FIG. 15 is used in the laser cladding processing apparatus. In this powder supply device, a hopper 3 and a quantitative supply device 4 are provided on a bracket 2 supported by a mass measuring device 1 such as a load cell. The hopper 3 and the quantitative feeder 4 are connected by a communication pipe 5. The hopper 3 temporarily stores powder. The fixed amount feeder 4 adjusts the flow rate of the powder carried from the hopper 3 through the communication pipe 5. Then, the powder weighed by the quantitative feeder 4 is supplied from the nozzle 6. In the mass measuring device 1, the total mass of the hopper 3, the quantitative feeder 4, the communication pipe 5, the nozzle 6 and the powder is measured, and the change in mass per unit time is grasped by a control device (not shown). Control of the quantitative feeder 4 is performed. By the way, the amount of mass reduction measured by the mass measuring device 1 at the time of powder supply is all equal to the mass of the powder supplied from the nozzle 6. Therefore, it is possible to accurately adjust the supply amount of powder by accurately grasping the current supply amount of powder and controlling the quantitative supply device 4 based on the current supply amount.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the powder supply apparatus has the following drawbacks. When used in the laser clad processing apparatus, the quantitative supply capability required for the powder supply apparatus is often around 1 g / sec. In order to make this value possible, the minimum detection unit required for the mass measuring apparatus 1 is about 1/50 to 1/100 g. However, the mass measuring apparatus 1 capable of detecting 1/50 to 1/100 g at present has a maximum measuring capacity of about 300 to 500 g. Therefore, taking into consideration the mass of the bracket 2, the quantitative measuring instrument 4, etc., the measuring ability of only the powder is limited to about 150 g. Therefore, when the powder supply rate is 1 g / sec, the continuous supply time is 150 sec. That is, the powder supply apparatus capable of controlling the supply amount with high accuracy has a continuous operation time limited by the measurement capability of the mass measurement apparatus.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to enable continuous operation while controlling the supply amount of the powder supply apparatus with high accuracy, and in various usage environments. It is to improve the usability of the powder supply device.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The means according to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a processing unit of one unit. Powder Sub hopper with a capacity greater than the required supply And metering device for measuring powder A powder supply means comprising: A mass measuring device for measuring the mass of the powder supply means; Over the whole process Powder A main hopper having a capacity greater than the required supply amount, and a powder path to the powder supply means in which powder replenishment means is provided in series downstream thereof, and the powder supply means The quantitative feeder of the powder supply means Based on powder holding amount Controlled by the mass measuring device While grasping the powder supply amount in the powder supply means from the mass decrease per unit time of the powder in the powder supply means, powder Is supplied only for the required supply in one unit of processing, Of the powder path The powder replenishing means is a powder holding amount of the powder supplying means. Control based on the mass measuring device Stored in the powder supply means powder While measuring the increase in mass of powder Supply means powder And a control means for controlling the holding amount to be equal to or more than the necessary supply amount in one unit of machining process.
[0007]
According to the present invention, in the control means, Measured by a mass measuring device that measures the mass of the powder supply means Accurately grasp the amount of powder supplied in the powder supply means from the mass decrease per unit time of the powder in the powder supply means, and thereby adjust the powder supply amount in the powder supply means with high accuracy. Can do. That is, grasp the powder holding amount of the powder supply means, operate the powder supply means according to the state, powder Is supplied with high accuracy by a required supply amount in a processing unit of one unit.
In addition, the powder can be replenished to the powder supply means via the main hopper and the powder replenishment means. While measuring the increase in the mass of the powder stored in the powder supply means with a mass measuring device, and grasping the powder holding amount in the powder supply means in the control means, By controlling the operation of the powder supply means downstream of the main hopper, the amount of powder supply is adjusted with high accuracy, powder Supply means powder The holding amount can be controlled to be more than the necessary supply amount in one unit processing step.
[0008]
By the way, it is preferable that the control means stops the powder supply means when the powder supply means is operated, and stops the operation of the powder supply means when the powder supply means is operated.
[0009]
According to this configuration, the decrease in the powder in the sub hopper due to the powder supply and the increase in the powder in the sub hopper due to the powder replenishment do not occur simultaneously. Therefore, it is possible to accurately grasp the mass decrease per unit time of the amount of powder in the sub hopper.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, the same or corresponding parts as those in the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.
[0011]
FIG. 1 shows a powder supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this powder supply apparatus, a powder path for replenishing powder is provided in a powder supply device 7 which is a powder supply means. In this powder path, an auxiliary valve 9 and a replenishing valve 10 as a powder replenishing means are connected in series to the lower part of the main hopper 8, and further connected to the sub hopper 12 of the powder feeder 7 by a sub hopper cover 11. It will be. The main hopper 8, the auxiliary valve 9, and the supply valve 10 are all fixed to the main frame 13. The powder feeder 7 is fixed to the main frame 13 via a position adjusting means 14 and adjusts the position in the X-axis direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) and Y-axis direction (direction orthogonal to the paper surface in FIG. 1). It can be performed. Further, the main frame 13 has a height adjusting means 15, and the position of the entire apparatus can be adjusted in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1). Thus, by providing the position adjusting means 14 and the height adjusting means 15 separately, even if the height adjusting means 15 is moved to change the powder supply height, the sub hopper cover 11 and the sub hopper 12 And the positional relationship between the two is constant, and the labor of adjustment work is reduced. The main hopper 8 is connected to a supply line 30 for supplying purge gas.
[0012]
Here, the powder feeder 7 will be described in detail. In the powder feeder, the sub hopper 12 and the quantitative feeder 4 are fixed to the bracket 2, and the bracket 2 is supported by the mass measuring device 1 such as a load cell. The mass measuring device 1 is supported by the position adjusting means 14. The sub hopper 12 and the quantitative feeder 4 are connected by a communication pipe 5. The sub hopper 12 has a powder capacity that is equal to or greater than the required supply amount in one unit of processing. The “required supply amount in one unit processing step” as used herein refers to, for example, the valve seat portion (a plurality of cylinder heads) of one cylinder head when the powder supply device is used in the laser cladding processing device as described above. This means the amount capable of supplying powder to all of the above. As a matter of course, the required supply amount in one unit of machining process varies depending on the configuration of the line where the apparatus is installed and the workpiece.
[0013]
The powder supplier 7 can supply the powder stored in the sub hopper 12 to the outside from the powder supply nozzle 16 while being metered by the quantitative feeder 4. The powder supply nozzle 16 is fixed to the cover of the powder supplier 7. In the mass measuring apparatus 1, the total mass of the sub hopper 12, the quantitative feeder 4, the communication pipe 5 and the powder P is measured. Then, a change in mass per unit time is calculated by a powder feeder controller described later. By the way, the mass decrease measured by the mass measuring device 1 at the time of powder supply is equal to the mass of the powder supplied from the nozzle 6. Therefore, it is possible to accurately grasp the current powder supply amount, and the powder supply amount is adjusted with high accuracy by controlling the quantitative supply device 4 based on the calculated powder supply amount. be able to.
[0014]
Next, the powder path will be described. The main hopper 8, which is a constituent element of the powder path, has a powder capacity that is greater than the required supply amount over the entire process. The auxiliary valve 9 is for stopping the supply of powder from the main hopper 8 to the powder feeder 7 when maintenance is performed, and can be manually opened and closed. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the replenishment valve 10 is provided with a valve body 19 at a position crossing the flow passage 18 provided in the main body 17. The valve body 19 is pivotally supported by a bearing 20. Further, a through hole 21 is formed in the valve body 19, and the replenishing valve 10 is opened by rotating the valve body 19 and aligning the through hole 21 and the flow passage 18 in a straight line. Furthermore, an actuator 22 (FIG. 1) is provided for driving the valve body 19 to rotate and opening and closing the supply valve 10. Therefore, the replenishment valve 10 is automatically opened and closed by controlling the actuator 22 with the equipment control device described later.
[0015]
Further, when the powder in the flow passage 18 enters the gap between the main body 17 and the valve body 19, the flow passage 18 and the bearing are prevented from being damaged by the powder. An escape groove 23 for powder is provided between 20 and 20. The escape groove 23 is provided in an annular shape so as to surround the valve body 19. Further, in order to collect the powder collected in the escape groove 23, a discharge passage 24 is provided in the escape groove 23.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 4, the sub hopper cover 11 includes a connecting portion 25 and a cover portion 26, and the opening portion 26 a of the cover portion 26 is blocked by the flange 25 a of the connecting portion 25. Further, the connecting portion 25 and the cover portion 26 are slidable with respect to each other. The sub hopper 12 is covered by the cover portion 26, thereby preventing foreign matter from entering the sub hopper 12. By the way, a predetermined gap α (2 mm) is formed between the end of the sub hopper 12 and the end surface of the cover portion 26. Further, the connecting portion 25 and the cover portion 26 can slide a predetermined amount β (3 mm). Therefore, by moving the position adjusting means 14, as shown in FIG. 5, even if a deviation between the central axis of the sub hopper 12 and the central axis of the flow passage 18 occurs, if the deviation is within the range of α + β, the cover This displacement can be automatically adjusted by the movement of the part 26.
[0017]
Now, the configuration of the control means of the powder supply apparatus is as shown in FIG. The control means includes a programmable controller, a microcomputer, a relay circuit, etc., and also includes an equipment control device 27 that controls the entire powder supply apparatus, and also includes a programmable controller, a microcomputer, a relay circuit, etc. And a powder feeder controller 28 for controlling. The facility control device 27 and the powder supplier control device 28 exchange various control signals described later. In addition, the actuator 22 that opens and closes the supply valve 10 including a solenoid valve, an air cylinder, and the like is directly controlled by the equipment control device 27. Further, the powder feeder controller 28 drives a quantitative feeder including a D / A converter, an oscillator, a servo amplifier and the like based on detection signals of the mass measuring device 1 including an A / D converter, a servo amplifier, a load cell and the like. A drive signal is output to the means 29. The servo amplifier can be replaced with a normal amplifier.
[0018]
Here, the operation procedure of the powder supply apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Of these figures, FIGS. 7 and 8 show processing procedures in the equipment control device 27 (FIG. 6). 9 to 12 show the processing procedure in the powder feeder controller 28 (FIG. 6). Furthermore, in the following description, the powder supply pattern from the powder supplier 7 is referred to as “vehicle type 1” or “vehicle type 2”. As shown in FIG. 13, the powder supply pattern here is (i) waiting time, (ii) time required to increase the supply amount, (iii) fixed supply time, and (iv) time required to decrease the supply amount. (V) It consists of a combination of supply amount at the time of quantitative supply, and each value can be set arbitrarily.
[0019]
First, based on FIG. 7, FIG. 8, the control step performed by the equipment control apparatus 27 is demonstrated.
(1) It is checked whether or not a replenishment request signal for replenishing powder to the sub hopper 12 is issued from the powder feeder controller 28 (see FIG. 6). When the replenishment request signal is not output, the process proceeds to step (7) described later.
(2) When the replenishment request signal is ON in step (1), it is determined whether or not the current position of the powder supply apparatus is at the original position where the powder can be replenished to the sub hopper 12.
(3) In step (2), when the device is not in the original position, the display is out of the original position and the operation for moving to the original position is performed.
(4) In step (2), when the apparatus is in the original position, the replenishing valve 10 is opened and the powder is supplied from the main hopper 8 to the sub hopper 12. Then, a replenishing signal is output to the powder feeder controller 28 (see FIG. 6).
(5) Check whether or not the replenishment request signal from the powder feeder controller 28 is continuously output.
(6) When it is confirmed in step (5) that the replenishment request signal is OFF, the replenishment valve 10 is closed to end the powder supply operation, and the process proceeds to step (7).
[0020]
(7) At this point in time, it is checked whether it is time to supply the vehicle type 1. When it is not the vehicle type 1 supply timing, the routine proceeds to step (13).
(8) In step (7), if it is the vehicle type 1 supply instruction timing, the vehicle type 1 supply instruction signal is output to the powder supplier control device 28 (see FIG. 6). 1 powder supply.
(9) Check whether an error signal (see FIG. 6 and step (22)) is output from the powder feeder controller 28.
(10) If an error signal is output from the powder feeder controller 28 in step (9), it is determined that an error has occurred and the operation is stopped.
(11) Check whether or not the vehicle type 1 supply signal from the powder supplier control device 28 is turned off (that is, whether or not the vehicle type 1 powder supply is completed).
(12) In step (11), when it is confirmed that the vehicle type 1 supply signal from the powder supplier controller 28 is OFF, the vehicle type 1 supply instruction signal is turned OFF, and the flow proceeds to step (13). And migrate.
[0021]
(13) At this point in time, it is checked whether or not it is time to supply the vehicle type 2. When it is not the vehicle type 2 supply timing, the routine proceeds to step (19).
(14) In step (13), if it is the vehicle type 2 supply instruction timing, the vehicle type 2 supply instruction signal is output to the powder supplier control device 28 (see FIG. 6). 2 powder supply.
(15) Check whether an error signal (see FIG. 6 and step (32)) is output from the powder feeder controller 28.
(16) If an error signal is output from the powder supplier control device 28 in step (15), it is determined as an error and the operation is stopped.
(17) Check whether the vehicle type 2 supply signal from the powder supply controller 28 is turned off (that is, whether the vehicle type 2 powder supply is completed).
(18) When it is confirmed in step (17) that the vehicle type 2 supply signal is OFF, the vehicle type 2 supply instruction signal is turned OFF and the process proceeds to step (19).
(19) Check whether processing is complete. If machining is not complete, return to step (7). If the processing is complete, the operation is terminated.
[0022]
Next, based on FIG. 9 to FIG. 12, the control steps executed by the quantitative feeder controller 28 will be described.
(20) Check whether or not the vehicle type 1 supply instruction signal described in the control step (8) of the equipment control device 27 has been issued. When the vehicle type 1 supply instruction signal is output, the routine proceeds to step (21). When the vehicle type 1 supply instruction signal is not issued, the routine proceeds to step (30).
(21) The mass of the powder feeder 7 at the time of the control step (8) of the equipment control device 27 is measured, and the powder holding amount of the sub hopper 12 is examined.
(22) In step (21), if it is determined that the powder holding amount of the sub hopper 12 is at the E level shown in FIG. 14 (the powder is empty), the vehicle type 1 supply instruction signal is turned OFF. Then, an error signal is output to the equipment control device 27 (see FIG. 6).
(23) When it is determined in step (21) that the amount of powder held by the sub hopper 12 exceeds the E level shown in FIG. 14, a drive signal is sent from the powder supply device 28 to the quantitative feeder driving means 29. Is output (see FIG. 6), and the powder of the vehicle type 1 is supplied.
(24) The vehicle type 1 in-supply signal is turned ON, and the signal is sent to the equipment control device 27 (see FIG. 6).
(25) The mass of the powder feeder 7 is measured during the powder supply of the vehicle type 1, and the powder holding amount of the sub hopper 12 is examined. Then, when it is confirmed that the powder holding amount of the sub hopper 12 is equal to or lower than the M level shown in FIG. 14 (a state having a holding amount necessary for at least one unit of the processing step), the process proceeds to step (26). .
(26) A replenishment request signal is output to the equipment control device 27 (see FIG. 6). This replenishment request signal is detected in the control step (1) of the equipment control device 27. Then, the equipment control device 27 opens the supply valve 10 and supplies powder from the main hopper 8 to the sub hopper 12. The replenishment request signal output once is continuously output until reaching step (42) described later.
(27) Check whether the powder supply work for model 1 has been completed. If not completed, the process returns to step (25).
(28) When the completion of the powder supply operation for vehicle type 1 is confirmed in step (27), the vehicle type 1 supply signal is turned OFF. The equipment control device 27 detects that the vehicle type 1 in-supply signal is OFF in the control step (11).
[0023]
(29) Here, it is checked whether or not all the powder supply processes have been completed. If not completed, return to step (20). If completed, the powder supply operation is terminated.
[0024]
(30) It is checked whether or not the vehicle type 2 supply instruction signal described in the control step (14) of the equipment control device 27 is issued. When the vehicle type 2 supply instruction signal is output, the routine proceeds to step (31). When the vehicle type 2 supply instruction signal is not issued, the routine proceeds to step (39).
(31) The mass of the powder feeder 7 at the time of the control step (14) of the equipment control device 27 is measured, and the powder holding amount of the sub hopper 12 is examined.
(32) If it is determined in step (31) that the powder holding amount of the sub hopper 12 is at the E level shown in FIG. 14, the vehicle type 2 supply instruction signal is turned off and an error signal is output to the equipment control device 27. (See FIG. 6).
(33) In step (31), if it is determined that the powder holding amount of the sub hopper 12 exceeds the E level shown in FIG. 14, the drive signal is sent from the powder supply device 28 to the quantitative feeder driving means 29. Is output (see FIG. 6), and the powder of the vehicle type 2 is supplied.
(34) The vehicle type 2 supplying signal is turned ON, and the signal is sent to the equipment control device 27 (see FIG. 6).
(35) The mass of the powder feeder 7 is measured while supplying the powder of the vehicle type 2, and the amount of powder held by the sub hopper 12 is examined. When it is confirmed that the powder holding amount of the sub hopper 12 is equal to or lower than the M level shown in FIG. 14, the routine proceeds to step (36).
(36) A replenishment request signal is output to the equipment control device 27 (see FIG. 6). This replenishment request signal is detected in the control step (1) of the equipment control device 27. Then, the equipment control device 27 opens the supply valve 10 and supplies powder from the main hopper 8 to the sub hopper 12. The replenishment request signal output once is continuously output until reaching step (42) described later.
(37) Check whether the powder supply work for model 2 has been completed. If not, the process returns to step (35).
(38) When the completion of the powder supply operation for vehicle type 2 is confirmed in step (37), the vehicle type 2 supply signal is turned OFF. The fact that the vehicle type 2 supply signal is OFF is detected by the equipment control device 27 in step (17). Then, the process proceeds to step (29), and it is checked whether or not all the powder supply processes have been completed.
[0025]
(39) Whether or not a replenishment signal is output in the control step (4) of the equipment control device 27 (that is, whether or not powder is being replenished from the main hopper 8 to the sub hopper 12) I see.
(40) When the output of the replenishment signal is confirmed in step (39), the mass of the powder feeder 7 is measured and the powder holding amount of the sub hopper 12 is examined.
(41) In step (40), replenishment is continued until it is confirmed that the powder holding amount of the sub hopper 12 is equal to or higher than the F level (replenishment completion level) shown in FIG.
(42) When it is confirmed in step (41) that the powder holding amount of the sub hopper 12 is equal to or higher than the F level shown in FIG. 14, the replenishment request signal output to the equipment control device 27 is turned OFF. . In the control step (5) of the equipment control device 27, it is confirmed that the replenishment request signal has been turned OFF. Then, the process proceeds to step (29), and it is checked whether or not all the powder supply processes have been completed.
[0026]
The powder supply apparatus operates according to the above processing procedure. In the above description, the case where there are two types of powder supply patterns, vehicle type 1 and vehicle type 2, has been described, but the number of supply patterns can be arbitrarily set.
[0027]
The effects obtained by the embodiment of the present invention having the above-described configuration are as follows. The powder supply apparatus according to the present embodiment uses a method of providing a powder path for replenishing powder without increasing the capacity of the sub hopper 12 in order to enable continuous operation. Since the sub hopper 12 only needs to have a capacity larger than the necessary supply amount in one unit processing step, the mass measuring device 1 for measuring the mass of the powder feeder 7 including the sub hopper 12 is highly accurate. (However, the maximum measurement capability is small). Therefore, it is possible to accurately grasp and control the fluid supply amount. Further, by supplementing the small capacity of the sub hopper 12 with powder replenishment from the main hopper 8, continuous operation is possible.
[0028]
Further, the powder supply apparatus according to the present embodiment checks whether or not the sub hopper 12 has a sufficient powder holding amount at the beginning of the operation procedure (step (1)). When the amount is insufficient, powder supply from the main hopper 8 to the sub hopper 12 is performed. Thereafter, the powder is supplied in a necessary supply pattern. Further, even if the powder in the sub hopper 12 is insufficient during the powder supply operation, the powder is appropriately replenished and the powder supply operation is resumed again, so that the powder breaks during the powder supply operation. Therefore, the powder can be reliably supplied.
[0029]
By the way, in this apparatus, the amount of powder in the sub hopper 12 is calculated by measuring the mass of the powder feeder 7 with the mass measuring device 1. Then, a method is used in which the supply amount is obtained from the decrease per unit time in the amount of powder in the sub hopper 12. Then, the current powder supply amount is fed back to control the quantitative supply device 4. Therefore, accurately grasping the mass decrease per unit time of the amount of powder in the sub hopper 12 is directly connected to maintaining the accuracy of the powder supply amount of the powder supplier 7.
[0030]
According to the above control procedure, the powder supply from the main hopper 8 to the sub hopper 12 is performed when the powder supply from the powder supplier 7 is not performed, and the powder supply from the powder supplier 7 is This is done when the powder supply from the hopper 8 to the sub hopper 12 is not performed. That is, the decrease in the powder in the sub hopper 12 due to the powder supply and the increase in the powder in the sub hopper 12 due to the powder replenishment do not occur simultaneously. Therefore, the mass decrease of the powder feeder 7 is always equal to the mass of the powder supplied from the nozzle 6, and the powder supply amount can be accurately obtained. Therefore, the powder supply amount can be controlled with high accuracy.
[0031]
Further, since the sub hopper 12 is covered by the sub hopper cover 11, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the sub hopper 12. The sub hopper cover 11 is made slightly larger than the sub hopper 12 and includes a connecting portion 25 and a cover portion 26. Therefore, even if a deviation between the center axis of the sub hopper 12 and the center axis of the flow passage 18 occurs, the cover portion 26 moves and the deviation can be automatically adjusted. Therefore, the labor for adjustment by the operator can be reduced.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
Since this invention was comprised in this way, it has the following effects. According to the powder supply device according to claim 1 of the present invention, the powder supply means uses the mass measurement device with high accuracy but small maximum measurement capability, and measures the supply amount of powder with high accuracy, by the powder supply means. Continuous operation is possible by appropriately supplying powder to the powder supply means. That is, continuous operation can be performed without sacrificing the supply accuracy of the powder. Therefore, the usability of the powder supply apparatus can be improved in various usage environments.
[0033]
According to the powder supply apparatus of the second aspect of the present invention, the powder supply from the main hopper to the sub hopper is performed when the powder supply means does not supply the powder. In addition, the powder supply by the powder supply means is performed when powder supply from the main hopper to the sub hopper is not performed. That is, the decrease in the powder in the sub hopper due to the powder supply and the increase in the powder in the sub hopper due to the powder replenishment do not occur simultaneously. Therefore, the control means of the powder supply device accurately grasps the powder supply amount in the powder supply means from the mass decrease per unit time of the powder in the powder supply means, and performs high-precision powder supply. It can be carried out.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a powder supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a replenishing valve of the powder supply apparatus shown in FIG.
3 shows a cross section of the replenishing valve shown in FIG. 2, wherein (a) shows a cross section taken along line AA in FIG. 2, and (b) shows a cross section taken along line BB in FIG. is there.
4 is a cross-sectional view showing a sub hopper cover of the powder supply apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
5A and 5B show a movement state of the sub hopper cover shown in FIG. 5, in which FIG. 5A shows an intermediate movement position, and FIG. 5B shows a maximum movement position.
6 is a block diagram of a control means used in the powder supply apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the equipment control apparatus shown in FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a flowchart following the processing procedure of the equipment control device shown in FIG. 7;
9 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the powder feeder controller shown in FIG. 6. FIG.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart following the processing procedure of the powder feeder control device shown in FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a flowchart following the processing procedure of the powder supplier control device shown in FIG. 9;
12 is a flowchart following the processing procedure of the powder feeder controller shown in FIG. 9. FIG.
13 is a graph showing a powder supply pattern in the powder supplier shown in FIG. 1; FIG.
14 is a schematic diagram showing a powder holding amount in a sub hopper of the powder supply apparatus shown in FIG.
FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional powder supply apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Mass measuring device
2 Bracket
4 metering feeder
5 communication pipe
7 Powder feeder
8 Main hopper
10 Supply valve
12 Sub hopper
16 Powder supply nozzle

Claims (2)

A powder supply means comprising a sub hopper having a capacity equal to or greater than the required supply amount of powder in a unit processing step, and a quantitative feeder for measuring the powder ;
A mass measuring device for measuring the mass of the powder supply means;
A main hopper having a capacity equal to or greater than the required supply amount of powder over the entire process, and a powder path to the powder supply means in which powder replenishing means is provided in series downstream thereof; and
And based-out control to the powder holding amount of the powder supply means quantity feeder of the powder feed means, the powder per unit of time of the powder supply in means which is measured by the mass measuring unit While grasping the powder supply amount in the powder supply means from the decrease in mass, the powder is supplied only by the required supply amount in the processing step of one unit,
The powder replenishing means of the powder path is controlled based on the amount of powder held by the powder supplying means, and an increase in the mass of the powder stored in the powder supplying means is measured by the mass measuring device. However, a powder supply apparatus comprising: a control means for controlling a powder holding amount of the powder supply means to be equal to or greater than a necessary supply amount in a processing unit of one unit. 2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the powder supply unit is stopped when the powder supply unit is operated, and the operation of the powder supply unit is stopped when the powder supply unit is operated. The powder supply apparatus according to 1.

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