Integrated fluidjet system for stripping, prepping and coating a part

{
  "publication_number": "US10272468B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Integrated fluidjet system for stripping, prepping and coating a part",
  "abstract": "An integrated liquidjet system capable of stripping, prepping and coating a part includes a cell defining an enclosure, a jig for holding the part inside the cell, an ultrasonic nozzle having an ultrasonic transducer for generating a pulsed liquidjet, a coating particle source for supplying coating particles to the nozzle, a pressurized liquid source for supplying the nozzle with a pressurized liquid to enable the nozzle to generate the pulsed liquidjet to sequentially strip, prep and coat the part, a high-voltage electrode and a ground electrode inside the nozzle for charging the coating particles, and a human-machine interface external to the cell for receiving user commands and for controlling the pulsed liquidjet exiting from the nozzle in response to the user commands.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method of stripping, prepping and coating a part, the method comprising: holding the part inside a cell that defines an electrically shielded enclosure, the cell having a door to fully enclose the cell; generating a pulsed liquidjet using an ultrasonic nozzle disposed inside the cell; supplying coating particles to the nozzle; supplying the nozzle with a pressurized liquid to enable the nozzle to generate the pulsed liquidjet to sequentially strip, prep and coat the part; charging the coating particles using a high-voltage electrode and a ground electrode inside the nozzle; stripping the part by controlling the pulsed liquidjet; prepping the part by controlling the pulsed liquidjet; and coating the part by controlling the pulsed liquidjet.",
    "2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising optically inspecting the part to determine when stripping is complete and then automatically switching to prepping.",
    "3. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising detecting when prepping is complete and then automatically switching to coating.",
    "4. The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising detecting when coating is complete."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates generally to fluidjets and, in particular, to techniques for stripping, prepping and coating a part using a pulsed or continuous fluidjet.\n\nConventionally, coating a part is a two-stage or three-stage process, depending on whether the part to be coated is new or was already in service. If the part is new, in the first stage, the surface to be coated is prepped using grit blasting. In the second stage, following prepping, the coating is applied to the surface. If the part was already in service, then the three-stage process consists of stripping the existing coating, followed by prepping, then applying the new coating. Many different coating and plating technologies are known. What follows is an overview of some of the main technologies currently in use today. Chrome Plating Chrome plate has been the mainstay for applications with intense stress, such as the landing gear on aircraft. Other applications include extreme wear conditions, like the hydraulic shafts on heavy earth moving vehicles. It offers the following properties: (i) Hardness: At 65 to 70-Rc (850-1000-Hv), hard chrome plate is harder than most industrial abrasives. Combined with inherent toughness, it can withstand high stress contact. (ii) Substrate adhesion: With adhesion greater than 10-kpsi, hard chronic coatings can endure large stresses without detaching from the substrate. (iii) Chrome can be applied on a wide variety of substrates. (iv) Chrome responsive finish: responds well to grinding and polishing.",
  "cpc": [
    "C25D 5/08",
    "B05B 1/08",
    "B05B 1/083",
    "B05B 12/08",
    "B05B 13/0431",
    "B05B 14/40",
    "B05B 16/00",
    "B05B 16/20",
    "B05B 16/40",
    "B05B 17/06",
    "B05B 17/0607",
    "B05B 17/0653",
    "B05B 5/001",
    "B05B 5/006",
    "B05B 5/032",
    "B05B 5/035",
    "B05B 5/08",
    "B05B 5/082",
    "B05B 5/10",
    "B05B 5/16",
    "B05C 15/00",
    "B05C 19/00",
    "B05D 1/12",
    "B05D 3/12",
    "B08B 2203/0288",
    "B08B 3/024",
    "B24C 3/12",
    "B24C 5/005",
    "B24C 7/00",
    "B25J 11/0075",
    "B25J 21/00",
    "C23C 18/1806",
    "C23C 24/04",
    "C25D 13/02",
    "C25D 13/20",
    "C25D 13/22",
    "C25D 15/00",
    "C25D 21/12",
    "C25D 5/006",
    "C25D 5/007",
    "C25D 5/34",
    "C25D 5/50"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B05B 1/08",
    "B05B 12/08",
    "B05B 13/04",
    "B05B 14/40",
    "B05B 16/00",
    "B05B 16/20",
    "B05B 16/40",
    "B05B 17/06",
    "B05B 5/00",
    "B05B 5/03",
    "B05B 5/035",
    "B05B 5/08",
    "B05B 5/10",
    "B05B 5/16",
    "B05C 15/00",
    "B05C 19/00",
    "B05D 1/12",
    "B05D 3/12",
    "B08B 3/02",
    "B24C 3/12",
    "B24C 5/00",
    "B24C 7/00",
    "B25J 11/00",
    "B25J 21/00",
    "C23C 18/18",
    "C23C 24/04",
    "C25D 15/00",
    "C25D 21/12",
    "C25D 5/00",
    "C25D 5/08",
    "C25D 5/34",
    "C25D 5/50"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "VLN ADVANCED TECH INC"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "VIJAY MOHAN M",
    "XU MEISHENG M",
    "PANARELLA EMILIO",
    "YAN WENZHUO",
    "TIEU ANDREW HUNG",
    "DANIELS BRUCE R"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-10-23",
  "publication_date": "2019-04-30",
  "grant_date": "2019-04-30",
  "priority_date": "2013-11-08",
  "application_number": "US-201715790203-A",
  "family_id": "51868881",
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    "GB1103190A",
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  ]
}