Tekna

Powder feeders are among the most important pieces of equipment in a number of industrial applications involving powder conveyance, such as thermal spraying and advanced materials processing. As different powders have very distinct sizes, shapes, and other physical and mechanical properties, it is nearly impossible to convey each type in a continuous manner using a single feeder model. For this reason, different equipment is needed for each type of powder. For instance, the powder feed rates for the processes of thermal spraying or powder treatment can be relatively large, while the feed rates for nanometric powder synthesis are small, since it needs to be carefully controlled in order to ensure the full evaporation of the powders injected into the heat source. Tekna has developed a unique expertise in this field. The general design rule is to make sure that the powders can be fed continuously and uniformly at the desired feed rates. Particular attention has been given to minimizing pulsations and agglomerations. On-line monitoring and control of the powder feeding is also taken into consideration to facilitate the operations.

The powder feeder models developed by Tekna include disk feeders, fluidized-bed feeders, and suspension feeders.

The PF-400 is the latest model of powder feeders developed by Tekna Plasma Systems Inc. It is designed for batch operation to feed various types of powders and to handle the most difficult flowing fine powders. This new design incorporates a number of important features:

a powder weighing system, which allows the user to measure the amount of powder left in the feeder
a canister tilting arrangement that allows the easy removal of powder from the canister
a fluidization mechanism that facilitates the flow of the powder in the canister
an adjustable vibration system that ensures continuous feeding of the less-flowing fine powders
a vacuum port to connect to a vacuum pump for degassing of the powders in the canister

The above graph shows that there is a linear relationship between the motor speed of the feeder and the rate of feed, so an easy control of the feeding rate can be achieved.

The PFV-100 is the latest model Tekna’s vibrating feeders. It is designed to feed various types of powder by the means of vibration bowl who assure a constant flow into injection or dispersion probe. The PFV-101 incorporates two principal features:

The suspension feeder, developed by Tekna, was designed to feed powder in suspension in a liquid. This new design features a heating device and a magnetically coupled stirrer in order to maintain the solid in suspension during the operation. The unit is also equipped with a built-in weighing system, which allows the user to know the amount of suspension liquid left in the feeder’s Pyrex recipient.