The coating process holds a vital position in modern manufacturing and is extensively applied across various fields such as electronics, automotive, optical films, and lithium battery production. With the advancement of smart manufacturing, the requirements for coating accuracy and consistency continue to rise. Even minor deviations in flow control can lead to product defects, material waste, or even scrapping entire batches.

How to precisely control the flow rate of coating liquids and ensure stable fluid delivery to improve production stability has become a major challenge in coating technology.

XY-TEK CPD series non-invasive ultrasonic flow sensors, characterized by high accuracy, real-time feedback, and contact-free measurement, have become a key technology for optimizing coating fluid management.

Flow Rate Measurement Challenges during Coating

In coating processes, the liquid flow delivered directly affects coating accuracy, uniformity, and production efficiency.

Inadequate Delivery Accuracy Causing Uneven Coating

In processes such as roll coating, spraying, or dispensing, the flow rate of coating liquid directly determines the thickness and uniformity of the film. Fluctuations in liquid supply induce uneven film thickness or local coating omissions, compromising product quality.

In multilayer composite coatings, insufficient or excessive application of any layer may cause film peeling, cracking, or poor adhesion.

For example, in TFT LCD manufacturing, precise control of the flow rates for various conductive and protective layers is critical—otherwise, deviations in resistance values can impact display performance.

Blockage or Contamination

Air bubbles or impurities in coating liquid may clog delivery tubing, disrupting production continuity. Traditional contact flowmeters may contaminate the coating liquid due to direct contact, negatively affecting coating quality.

Material Waste and Increased Costs

Uncontrolled flow or insufficient supply can cause material waste. For instance, in OLED production, unstable spraying flow leads to uneven screen brightness or color distortion, sometimes resulting in scrapped batches and increased production costs.

Lack of Real-Time Feedback and Closed-Loop Control

Failure to provide real-time flow data feedback may cause delayed adjustments of coating parameters. For example:

· Insufficient real-time monitoring: Flow fluctuations are not detected promptly, causing coating defects.

· Absence of closed-loop control: Without timely flow data feedback, automatic flow adjustments become impossible, reducing production efficiency and product quality.

To address these challenges, coating processes impose higher requirements on flow monitoring equipment.

Role and Advantages of Non-Contact Ultrasonic Flow Sensors Functions of CPD series Ultrasonic Flow Sensors

· Real-time flow monitoring: Continuously track coating liquid flow, ensuring process stability.

· Defect detection: Detect flow abnormalities to identify coating defects such as pipeline blockage or entrained air bubbles.

· Flow control: Integrate with control systems to automatically adjust flow rate, maintaining consistent coating thickness.

CPD series Ultrasonic Flow Sensor Advantages

· High accuracy: Satisfies the high-precision demands of coating processes.

· Non-invasive measurement: Minimizes material contamination and equipment wear.

· Fast dynamic response: Rapidly captures flow changes, suitable for high-speed coating processes to ensure precise real-time monitoring.

· Stable measurement: Unaffected by fluid conductivity or pressure variations.

· Real-time monitoring and feedback: When combined with intelligent control systems, CPD series ultrasonic flow sensors form closed-loop control to enhance production efficiency and stability.

· Easy installation and maintenance: Clamp-on installation and low maintenance costs.

Applications of Ultrasonic Flow Sensors in Various Coating Processes Lithium Battery Electrode Coating

In lithium battery manufacturing, the coating thickness of cathode and anode slurries directly influences battery performance and safety. Ultrasonic flow sensors monitor slurry flow rates in real-time—for cathode materials such as lithium cobalt oxide and lithium iron phosphate, and anode materials such as graphite and lithium titanate—to ensure uniform coating thickness. Feedback of flow data to smart control systems enables automatic adjustments, preventing over- or under-coating and enhancing energy density and cycle life.

Optical Film Coating

Optical films demand high uniformity to ensure optical performance. Ultrasonic flow sensors monitor flows of anti-reflective coatings, hard coatings, and optical adhesives (OCA) to maintain even distribution. For example, in anti-reflective film coating, precise flow monitoring avoids thickness variations that could degrade reflectivity.

Automotive Component Coating

Coating processes are widely used for car body sealing and engine sealing in automotive manufacturing. Ultrasonic flow sensors monitor the flow of sealants like polyurethane in real-time, ensuring continuous and uniform application. In car body sealing, flow data feedback enables uniform coating, improving waterproofing and corrosion resistance.

Electronic Component Dispensing

In the assembly of electronic parts, dispensing machines need exact control of micro-amount adhesive flow. Ultrasonic flow sensors monitor adhesive to flow in real-time to avoid under-dispensing or over.

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