A hopper assembly includes a hopper configured to contain a feedstock material. A vibration imparting device is arranged inside the hopper and a vibration source coupled to the vibration imparting device. Embodiments of the instant invention are believed to provide various improvements in feeding uniformity by providing various hopper configurations that ensure a more consistently uniform filling of the metering device for a variety of difficult-to-feed materials and not-so-difficult-to-feed materials. One, more or all of these embodiments are also believed to improve accuracy and add precision to control, and, in addition, offer more simplified hopper constructionwhich is less costly to manufacture and maintain.

A powder trickier is provided. The trickier includes a hopper for containing powder in bulk. A dispensing tube has a portion thereof in flow communication with the hopper. A vibrator is associated with the dispensing tube to induce powder flow from the hopper into and through the tube for dispensing powder from a tube outlet.

A powder coating apparatus for attaching powder to a film includes a forwarding roll which forwards the film; a take-up roll which is arranged on the downstream side of a conveyance direction of the film with respect to the forwarding roll and which takes up the film; a film-forming nozzle which is arranged between the forwarding roll and the take-up roll in the conveyance direction so as to be opposed to the film and which jets the powder; a first casing or a second casing which accommodates the forwarding roll and the take-up roll; an apparatus casing which accommodates the film-forming nozzle, the first casing, and the second casing; and a pressure adjustment unit configured to set an internal pressure of the first casing and the second casing to be higher than an internal pressure of the apparatus casing.

A feed center for powder coating material includes a hopper, an extraction duct, and a control valve. The hopper is in fluid communication with a fluidizing pressure source. The extraction duct is in fluid communication with at least one suction source. The control valve connects the extraction duct with an extraction port of the hopper. The control valve is operable between a first position for applying suction from the at least one suction source to the hopper, and a second position providing an exterior opening in at least one of the control valve and the first extraction duct for exhausting pressurized fluid from the hopper and/or collecting at least some of the air and powder that is exhausted from the powder.

Powder fluidizing apparatus includes a unitary pressure vessel having a powder compartment and a transfer compartment, a lid on a first open end of the powder compartment and a base on a second end of the unitary pressure vessel, the second end sealing an open end of the transfer compartment. A plate separates the powder compartment from the transfer compartment, the plate being located between the lid and the base. A coupling collar secures a sieve disk packet in an opening in the plate. A tube extends from the transfer compartment to the powder compartment, the tube extending to a location near the lid of the unitary pressure vessel. When the transfer compartment is pressurized with a carrier gas, pressure in the transfer compartment and pressure in the powder compartment are equalized by the tube. The unitary pressure vessel is configured to contain the carrier gas in both the powder compartment and the transfer compartment and simultaneously perform as a reservoir for holding a quantity of powder in the powder compartment;

A powder layer composite includes a base and a powder layer having a thickness of 100 ?m or less and disposed on the base. An average of a total value of a number of powder aggregates having a long diameter of 500 ?m or greater and a number of pinholes having a long diameter of 500 ?m or greater, in any of a plurality of different regions of 20 mm?20 mm on a surface of the powder layer, is 0.2 pieces/cm.sup.2 or less.

Powder feed rate control system that includes a hopper adapted to contain a powder and to maintain a hopper pressure. A carrier conduit delivers a carrier gas flow and having an orifice. The carrier gas flow conveys powder entering through the orifice at a powder feed rate. A differential pressure transducer includes a first pressure input associated with the hopper pressure and a second pressure input associated with the carrier gas flow downstream of the hopper. The differential pressure transducer (PT) outputs a signal related to a differential pressure between the first pressure input and the second pressure input. An electro pneumatic regulator (EP) is adapted to communicate with a control and receiving the signal related to the differential pressure.

The present invention provides a vibrating sieving apparatus and a real time powder sieving system. The apparatus includes a powder pump assembly connected to a vibrating device through a powder suction tube wherein the vibrating device (120) is configured for real time sieving of powder just before spraying. The apparatus further includes a housing (130) connected to the vibrating device (120) wherein the housing (130) includes a sieve section (140) and an anti blinding section (135).

A feeding unit for a powdering station of powder coating product including a fluidized coating product reservoir, a support for receiving a coating product container, a pump for feeding the reservoir from the container and a casing, which defines an internal volume for receiving the reservoir and which is provided with an opening for access to the internal volume. The support is movable in rotation or circular translation about at least one axis of rotation, in both directions, between a first loading/unloading position, in which the support projects outside the internal volume of the casing, through the access opening, and a second coating product transfer position, wherein the support and a container in place on the support are included in this internal volume.

A reactive hopper assembly for feeding a low pressure cold spray applicator for applying powder coatings is disclosed. A powder feed cartridge provides powder feed to a reaction chamber. An impeller housing is interconnected with the reaction chamber for receiving powder feed from the reaction chamber for metering powder feed received from the reaction chamber. A hopper vessel receives metered powder feed from the impeller housing for providing powder to the low pressure cold spray applicator. The reaction chamber is fluidly connected to a source of a reactive gas for chemically modifying the powder feed for in situ reducing surface oxidation of the powder feed.