Dramatic increase in life expectancy of nozzles leads to reduced down time of equipment
There is a temperature gradient of 800℃ between the inside and outside of the device due to the cooling water that flowed on the outer circumference of the device. Therefore a nozzle with excellent thermal properties is required.
Another requirement was a material with high wear-resistance, since a large amount of high-temperature powder passed through the nozzle at a high speed.
In the past, a nozzle made of metal (SKD material) was used in order to ensure thermal shock resistance.
Powder passed through the inside of the nozzle at a high temperature and a high speed causing it to degrade rapidly. The result was a need to replace the nozzle after only 5 hours.
Productivity was compromised, as the part replacement had to be done after the temperature of the device was lowered, resulting in longer down time and lower operation rate.
Conditions
・Withstands temperature gradient of 800℃
・High abrasion-resistance characteristics
・Less frequent down time for replacement
By changing the material of the nozzle from conventional metal to silicon nitride (SN), wear on the inner wall was reduced significantly.
While the metal nozzle had to be replaced every 5 hours due to wear, Kyocera’s silicon nitride (SN) nozzle with excellent “thermal shock resistance” and “wear-resistance” has achieved continuous use for 80 hours.
Significant reduction of nozzle replacement not only improved the productivity, but also suppressed the deformation of the injection port, which resulted in an improvement in the spray quality.
*Material property can change depending on operating conditions.