阅读说明：本技术 涂覆带材 (coated strip ) 是由 W·J·布顿 于 2018-04-11 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于制造连续陶瓷带材的方法包括将陶瓷原料加热到熔融状态以及将原料的熔融液滴喷洒到沉积表面上的步骤。所述方法还包括：通过聚集液滴,并且该液滴固化并彼此直接结合而在沉积表面上形成陶瓷涂层。沉积表面相对于陶瓷涂层是不粘的,使得涂层可以作为连续陶瓷带材从沉积表面剥离而不断裂。另外,在实施方式中,通过使沉积表面经过弯曲边缘,化学剥落或溶解沉积表面,或燃烧沉积表面来移除沉积表面。(A method for manufacturing a continuous ceramic strip includes the steps of heating a ceramic feedstock to a molten state and spraying molten droplets of the feedstock onto a deposition surface. The method further comprises the following steps: the ceramic coating is formed on the deposition surface by collecting droplets, and the droplets solidify and directly bond to each other. The deposition surface is non-tacky relative to the ceramic coating so that the coating can be peeled from the deposition surface as a continuous ceramic strip without breaking. Additionally, in embodiments, the deposition surface is removed by passing the deposition surface over a curved edge, chemically stripping or dissolving the deposition surface, or burning the deposition surface.)

1. A method for manufacturing a strip material, the method comprising:

Heating raw materials of inorganic materials to a molten state;

Spraying molten droplets of the feedstock from a spray head onto a deposition surface;

moving the showerhead and the deposition surface relative to each other to cause spraying to occur along a line of the deposition surface;

collecting droplets on the deposition surface, wherein the droplets solidify and directly bond to each other to form a coating along the line; and

The coating is removed from the deposition surface as a continuous strip,

wherein the deposition surface is non-tacky with respect to the inorganic material to peel the continuous ribbon from the deposition surface during the removing step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating heats the feedstock to a temperature greater than 250 ℃ and the deposition surface comprises a thermoplastic polymer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the deposition surface comprises a fluoropolymer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedstock comprises a ceramic in powder form or in suspension.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein spraying is such that when the coating is formed, the molten droplets splash or flatten to have a thickness less than twice their lateral dimension, thereby forming a sheet.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the thickness of the coating on the deposition surface is 20 μm to 250 μm and the thickness comprises a stack of overlapping sheets.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein after said removing, the coating has a lower thermal conductivity and/or a lower electrical conductivity than the bulk feedstock.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the continuous strip material has a length greater than 10m, the method further comprising winding the strip material on a spool.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the continuous strip is manufactured at a rate of greater than 10m length per minute.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising: combining particles or droplets from a plurality of spray heads to provide a wide coating having a width of at least 25mm, the width being orthogonal to both the length and thickness of the wide coating.

11. A method for manufacturing a strip material, the method comprising:

Spraying molten droplets of the feedstock from a spray head onto a deposition surface, wherein the deposition surface comprises a polymer;

Forming a ceramic coating on the deposition surface by collecting droplets, wherein, in forming the ceramic coating, the spraying causes the molten droplets to splash or flatten to have a thickness less than twice their lateral dimension, thereby forming platelets, wherein the platelets are directly bonded to each other, and the coating comprises at least some voids between and/or around at least some of the platelets, and

removing the coating from the deposition surface to form a continuous ribbon, wherein the ribbon has a length of at least 10mm, a thickness of 20 to 250 μm, and the thickness comprises a stacked, overlapping sheet microstructure, and the sheets are oriented with their lateral dimension orthogonal to the thickness of the ribbon.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the tape material is more specifically a long tape material having a length of more than 10m, the method further comprising winding the tape material on a reel.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the forming is performed at a rate greater than 10m coating length per minute.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising: the tablets from the different spray heads are combined so that the width of the coating is at least 25 mm.

15. A tape, comprising:

Inorganic materials having a melting temperature above 250 ℃ at one standard atmosphere;

An overlapping flap microstructure having a thickness less than twice its lateral dimension, wherein the flaps are directly bonded to each other but include at least some voids between at least some of the flaps;

A length of at least 10 mm; a thickness orthogonal to the length of at least 20 μm and no more than 5 mm; and a width orthogonal to both the length and the thickness of at least 2 mm.

16. A strip material according to claim 15, wherein the strip material is a thin strip material such that the thickness does not exceed 250 μm.

17. A tape according to claim 16, wherein the tape has a length of at least 10 m.

18. A strip of material as claimed in claim 17 wherein the long strip of material is wound on a spool.

19. A strip of claim 15, wherein the sheet is ceramic.

20. A tape according to claim 15, wherein the tape has a lower thermal conductivity and/or a lower electrical conductivity than the bulk inorganic material.

21. an assembly comprising the tape of any of claims 15-20 bonded to a polymeric support comprising a fluoropolymer surface in contact with the tape.

22. A sheet material, comprising:

Layers of an inorganic material having a melting temperature above 250 ℃ at standard atmospheric pressure, wherein each layer has a thickness of at least 20 μm and no more than 5mm, wherein each layer has an overlapping platelet microstructure, the platelets having a thickness less than twice their lateral dimension, wherein the platelets are directly bonded to each other but include at least some voids between at least some of the platelets; and

an interface between layers, wherein each layer is bonded to an adjacent layer.

23. the sheet material of claim 22 wherein the layers are compositionally different materials from one another.

24. An assembly comprising the sheet of claim 22 bonded to a polymeric carrier.

25. A method for manufacturing a strip material, the method comprising:

heating raw materials of inorganic materials to a molten state;

Spraying molten droplets of the feedstock from a spray head onto a deposition surface;

Moving the showerhead and the deposition surface relative to each other to cause spraying to occur along a portion of the deposition surface;

Collecting the droplets on a deposition surface, wherein the droplets solidify and directly combine with each other to form a coating along the portion of the deposition surface; and

the coating is removed from the deposition surface as a continuous strip.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the deposition substrate comprises paper, polymer, ceramic, glass, or metal.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the deposition substrate comprises stainless steel, copper, brass, or platinum.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein removing the coating from the deposition surface further comprises stripping the deposition surface from the coating.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein removing the coating from the deposition surface further comprises combusting the deposition surface from the coating.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein removing the coating from the deposition surface further comprises dissolving or chemically spalling the deposition surface from the coating.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the deposition surface is a continuous belt and the step of moving the showerhead and the deposition surface relative to each other further comprises driving the continuous belt through a pulley system.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of removing the coating from the deposition surface further comprises passing the continuous ribbon over an edge to release the coating from the continuous ribbon.

33. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of sintering the continuous strip.

34. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of dividing the continuous ribbon.

35. the method of claim 25, wherein the step of moving the showerhead and the deposition surface relative to each other further comprises supplying a continuous strip of the deposition surface from a feed roll.

background

Coatings are typically applied to articles to bond and integrate the coating with the article to provide additional attributes to the article, such as surface hardness, increased surface gloss, air-tightness, aesthetic features, and the like. Several techniques have been developed to improve the bonding and adhesion of the coating to the underlying material.

Disclosure of Invention

applicants have discovered a manufacturing method that utilizes a poorly bonded coating to form a strip by intentionally delaminating the coating from the deposition surface.

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a method of manufacturing a strip material, comprising the steps of: heating the raw materials to a molten state and spraying the molten particles or droplets of the raw materials onto the deposition surface. The method further comprises the following steps: the coating is formed on the deposition surface by agglomeration of particles or droplets. In some such embodiments, the particles or droplets are directly bonded to each other, but the coating includes at least some voids between and/or around at least some of the particles or droplets. In some such embodiments, the deposition surface is non-tacky to the coating such that the coating can be peeled (i.e., the removed layer) from the deposition surface as a continuous strip (e.g., a continuous strip having a length of at least 10 mm) without breaking.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the raw material comprises an inorganic material, such as a ceramic in powder form or in suspension. In some embodiments, the heating step heats the feedstock to a temperature greater than 250 ℃ while the deposition surface comprises a thermoplastic polymer, which may have a melting temperature less than the temperature of the heated feedstock. In some embodiments, the deposition surface comprises a fluoropolymer. In some embodiments, the coating is performed at a rate of greater than 10 meters of strip length per minute. According to an exemplary embodiment, the coating has a lower thermal conductivity and/or a lower electrical conductivity than the bulk (i.e. fully densified) feedstock after peeling off from the deposition surface, which may be due to a higher porosity and more voids, e.g. a thermal conductivity that is reduced by at least 2%, e.g. at least 5%, and/or an increased dielectric strength.

In some embodiments, the spraying step is such that when the coating is formed, the molten particles or droplets splash or flatten out on impact to have a thickness less than twice their lateral dimension, thereby forming a sheet (lamellase). In some such embodiments, the thickness of the coating on the deposition surface is 20 μm to 250 μm, and the thickness comprises a stack of overlapping sheets. In some embodiments, the coating is formed as a long strip of material having a length greater than 10m, and the method may further comprise winding the strip onto a spool. In some embodiments, the method further comprises the steps of: particles or droplets from different spray sources are combined to provide a wide coating, for example a coating having a width orthogonal to both length and thickness of at least 25 mm.

Other aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a method for manufacturing, comprising the steps of: heating a feedstock, wherein the feedstock comprises in particular a ceramic, such as alumina or zirconia, and spraying the heated feedstock particles or droplets onto a deposition surface. The deposition surface comprises in particular a fluoropolymer, such as polytetrafluoroethylene. The method further comprises the steps of: the coating is formed on the deposition surface by aggregating particles or droplets, wherein the particles or droplets are directly bound to each other, but the coating comprises at least some voids between and/or around at least some of the particles or droplets. According to an exemplary embodiment, the spraying causes the heated particles or droplets to splash or flatten, thereby forming flakes. The method may further comprise the steps of: the coating is removed from the deposition surface to form a continuous strip. In some such embodiments, the continuous ribbon has a length of at least 10mm and a thickness of 20 μm to 250 μm. According to some such embodiments, the thickness comprises a stack of overlapping flaps formed by the droplets, wherein a lateral dimension of the overlapping flaps is generally orthogonal to a thickness of the ribbon.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the strip material is more specifically a long strip material having a length of more than 10m, and the method may further comprise winding the strip material on a reel. In some embodiments, the coating step is performed at a rate of greater than 10 meters of coating length per minute. In some embodiments, the method comprises: the heated particles or droplets from the different spray sources are combined to provide a wide coating, for example at least 25 mm.

Still other aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to a sheet and/or, more particularly, to a tape. The sheet comprises a microstructure of overlapping flaps. In some such embodiments, the flaps are directly bonded to each other, but include at least some voids between and/or around at least some of the flaps. In some such embodiments, the sheet is free-standing and/or separable from the deposition surface such that the sheet can be peeled from the deposition surface without breaking as a continuous sheet having a length of at least 10 mm. According to an exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the sheet is orthogonal to the length, and the thickness is at least 20 μm up to 3mm, up to 5mm or more, depending on whether the sheet includes multiple layers (e.g., see generally sheet 520 of fig. 5).

In some embodiments, the sheet is a thin sheet such that the thickness does not exceed 250 μm. In some embodiments, the sheet is more specifically a long tape having a length of at least 10 m. The long strip may be wound on a reel. In some embodiments, the platelet is a ceramic, such as alumina. The sheet and/or tape may have a lower thermal conductivity and/or lower electrical conductivity than the bulk inorganic material.

The sheet and/or tape may be formed from adjacent layers with an interface between the adjacent layers. The layers may be of different materials. The sheet and/or tape may be free-standing and may be bonded to a deposition surface in the form of a support (e.g., a polymeric support).

Additional features and advantages will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from that description or recognized by practicing the embodiments as described in the written description and claims hereof, as well as the appended drawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the claims.

Drawings

the accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one or more embodiments and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the principles and operations of the embodiments. The disclosure, therefore, may be better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a manufacturing line according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective conceptual view of a portion or sheet of a ribbon according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a manufacturing line according to another exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a manufacturing line according to another exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a sheet according to another exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a side view schematic illustration of a manufacturing line according to another exemplary embodiment.

Detailed Description

Before reading the following detailed description and drawings that detail exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the technology of the present invention is not limited to the details or methodology set forth in the detailed description or illustrated in the drawings. For example, as will be understood by one of skill in the art, features and attributes associated with embodiments shown in one of the figures or described in the text relating to one of the embodiments may also be applicable to other embodiments shown in another of the figures or described elsewhere in the text.

Referring to FIG. 1, a manufacturing line 110 includes a spray head 112 that directs particles or droplets 114 (shown as a spray cone) of feedstock onto a deposition surface 116, such as by thermal spraying (e.g., plasma spraying) instruments and techniques. More specifically, according to an exemplary embodiment, the feedstock is heated and the particles or droplets 114 may be in a molten state prior to and/or during spraying. By focusing the particles or droplets 114, the method forms a coating 118 (e.g., layer, film) on the deposition surface 116.

in some such embodiments, the deposition surface 116 is non-tacky relative to the coating 118, such that the coating 118 can be peeled away from the deposition surface 116 without breaking (i.e., cracking and tearing in a width direction on the sheet 120 or strip) as a sheet and/or continuous strip, for example, as a sheet 120 having a length L of at least 10mm (e.g., at least 10cm, such as at least 1m, such as at least 10 m). In some embodiments, the deposition surface 116 specifically includes a polymer, for example a thermoplastic polymer, such as a fluoropolymer, such as polytetrafluoroethylene. Due to the high temperature of the droplets from the heating step, it may be a violation of the conventional practice to use the polymer as a deposition surface material. In other embodiments, different materials may be used with the deposition surface 116 to promote delamination of the coating 118, such as a polysiloxane or other polymer, or other materials, such as anodized aluminum. In contemplated embodiments, the deposition surface 116 may be flexible, such as a thin layer of polymeric material disclosed above (e.g., less than 1mm thick, such as less than 0.5mm thick), such as a polymeric carrier having a non-stick fluoropolymer on the surface. The flexibility of the deposition surface 116 may facilitate its removal, for example by peeling.

In some embodiments, the heating step heats the feedstock to a temperature greater than 250 ℃ while the deposition surface 116 comprises a thermoplastic polymer, the melting temperature of which may be substantially lower than the temperature of the heated feedstock. It may be a violation of a conventional combination of a high temperature spray (e.g., at least 300 ℃, such as at least 450 ℃, such as at least 600 ℃) of particles or droplets 114 and a lower melting temperature deposition substrate 116 (e.g., less than 600 ℃, such as less than 450 ℃, such as less than 300 ℃). However, the small particles or droplets 114 may not have sufficient thermal mass and/or temperature to melt or fuse most of the deposition surface 116.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the feedstock and corresponding particles or droplets 114 are or include an inorganic material, such as a ceramic in powder form or suspension. For example, the feedstock may be, may include, and/or may include primarily (in weight percent) alumina or zirconia, such as yttria stabilized zirconia, precursors thereof, and/or other ceramics. These materials can be difficult to flake by conventional methods such as slicing or by casting. In other contemplated embodiments, the starting material may be or may include other materials, such as glass, metal, ceramic, and/or polymer.

Applicants believe that the manufacturing methods disclosed herein are particularly effective for forming sheets 120 of material, such as thin strips of ceramic. In some contemplated embodiments, the step of forming coating 118 is performed at a rate that forms a length of coating 118 of greater than 5 meters per minute, such as at a rate that forms a length of coating 118 of greater than 10 meters per minute, such as at a rate that forms a length of coating 118 of greater than 12 meters per minute. For example, applicants estimate that 42mm wide ribbons 42 can be produced at 12-13 meters/minute using the techniques disclosed herein.

According to some exemplary embodiments, the particles or droplets 114 are a different material (i.e., composition) than the deposition surface 116. In some contemplated embodiments, however, multiple passes through the manufacturing line 110 or through the passages of multiple spray heads 120 in series may add layers of coating material and/or at least partially overlap each other, such as to increase the thickness of the coating 118 and corresponding sheet 120. For example, in some such embodiments, multiple channels or spray heads may be arranged side-by-side to increase the width of sheet 120, as shown in FIG. 3. In other contemplated embodiments, multiple channels or showerheads may be in series such that the layers overlap and stack with one another, such as for providing a multi-layer sheet (see generally sheet 520 as shown in FIG. 5).

Referring to fig. 2, according to one exemplary embodiment, the spraying step causes the heated and/or melted particles or droplets 114 to splash or flatten as the coating 118 is formed, thereby forming flakes 122 (i.e., a scale-like or plate-like structure). According to an exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the flap 122 is less than half, such as less than one quarter, such as less than one tenth, of its lateral dimension (e.g., length, width). According to an exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the coating 118 or sheet 120 includes a stack of overlapping flaps 122. In some such embodiments, the coating 188 has a thickness on the deposition surface 116 of 20 μm to 250 μm and/or the sheet 120 has a thickness T of 20 μm to 250 μm. The microstructure of the flaps may increase the flexibility of the respective sheet 120 relative to an isotropic structure and/or may inhibit crack propagation. The flakes can be observed by standard microscopic techniques, such as when observing an unpolished surface or cross-section of the sheet 120. However, the shape of the flap may not be as uniform as shown in fig. 2. In contemplated embodiments, the sheet 120 may be processed and/or shaped to remove the sheet or to have no sheet or no obvious sheet, for example, by post-deposition heating in an oven 314 (fig. 4).

In some embodiments, the coating 118 is applied along a line of deposition surface (swing), and the coating 118 forms a sheet 120, more specifically a long ribbon having a length L greater than 10m, of the sheet 120. In some embodiments, the length of the long tape is substantially longer than the width, e.g., the aspect ratio of the length L to the width W is at least 5:1, e.g., at least 10:1, e.g., at least 100: 1. The method of manufacturing may also include winding the long strip onto a spool (see, e.g., fig. 4, spool 312).

Referring to fig. 3, in some embodiments, the method further comprises the steps of: combining particles or droplets from different spray heads 212 to provide a wide coating. As shown in fig. 3, the spray heads 212 provide multiple spray cones of droplets or particles 214 that may overlap each other when the droplets or particles 214 are deposited on the deposition surface 216, for example in the case where the width W of the total coating 218 (orthogonal to both the length L and the thickness T) (see fig. 2) is at least 10mm, for example at least 25mm, for example at least 50 mm.

Referring to fig. 4, a material 318, such as the coating 218 having the deposition surface 216 or alternatively just the sheet 120, may be directed into the furnace 314 for additional processing. For example, the furnace may heat the material 318 to increase bonding between the particles 122, flatten the material 318, anneal the material 318, or for other reasons. However, applicants believe that one of the great advantages of the techniques disclosed herein is that the oven 314 and additional heating may not be necessary to obtain the sheet 120 — the initial heating, gathering, and bonding steps are sufficient.

with or without a furnace, the sheet 120 and/or the coating 218 on the deposition surface 216 (e.g., carrier) can be wound on a spool, such as spool 312, having a diameter of less than 3m, such as less than 1 m. The ability to wind the sheet 120 onto the spool 312 varies depending on the composition and/or thickness of the material. For example, applicants believe that an alumina strip having a thickness of less than 200 μm and having the microstructure described herein (i.e., a small scale structure of the material displayed by a microscope) can be wound onto the spool 312 without breaking.

Referring to fig. 5, multiple passes along the manufacturing line 110, or passages along a series of such manufacturing lines, may produce a sheet 520 or tape having multiple layers 522. In some embodiments, sheet 520 (or sheet 120) may be a thick sheet, as disclosed above, for example if sheet 520 contains multiple layers 522. In some such embodiments, the sheet 520 may be generally rigid compared to the deposition substrates (e.g., polymeric carrier 516) disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the sheet 520 or ribbon may be slit or divided, e.g., into discrete pieces that may be stacked. The discrete pieces may be separated from the respective deposition substrate and/or may be further processed in an oven (e.g., oven 314).

Although polymer deposition surfaces are primarily discussed herein, other deposition surfaces are also suitable for use with embodiments of the present invention. For example, other suitable materials for use as the deposition surfaces 116, 216, 516 include organic or inorganic materials, such as paper, wood, ceramic, glass, or metal (e.g., stainless steel, copper, platinum, brass, etc.). Additionally, while "tack free" or "tack free" embodiments have been previously discussed, "low tack" materials that are just sufficiently tacky to allow the droplets 114, 214 to adhere to the deposition surfaces 116, 216, 516 may also be used. Additionally, the deposition surface 116, 216, 516 may be roughened (e.g., by sandblasting) to increase adhesion during an initial stage of deposition while still facilitating relatively easy peeling of the deposition surface 116, 216, 516 from the coating 118, 218 or sheet 520. However, in other embodiments, techniques other than lift-off may be used to remove the deposition surfaces 116, 216, 516. For example, the paper and polymer deposition surfaces 116, 216, 516 may be burned off of the coating 118, 218 or sheet 520. Additionally, for any deposition surface 116, 216, 516, the coating 118, 218 or sheet 520 (embodiments discussed in more detail below) may be released from the deposition surface 116, 216, 516 by passing the deposition surface 116, 216, 516 through a bend. Still further, the deposition surfaces 116, 216, 516 may be dissolved or chemically stripped from the coating 118, 218 or the sheet 520.

Using any of the preceding embodiments, in some embodiments, the thickness of the coating 118, 218 or sheet 520 can be up to 300 μm. In still other embodiments, the coating 118, 218 or sheet 520 may have a thickness of up to 3mm, and in still other embodiments, the coating 118, 218 or sheet 520 may have a thickness of up to 5 mm. In certain embodiments, such as embodiments in which the coating 118, 218 or sheet 520 has a thickness greater than 100 μm, the coating 118, 218 or sheet 520 may be split without being wound onto a spool. In an embodiment, the length of the segmented coating 118, 218 or sheet 520 is at least 50 mm.

In a sheet 520 constructed from multiple layers 522, each layer may be a different material and/or have a different density. For example, each layer 522 may be a different material, such as a different ceramic material (e.g., alumina or zirconia). Also, for example, each layer 522 may have a different density. In one embodiment, the first porous layer 522 is deposited first, followed by deposition of a denser layer 522, in such an embodiment, the density of the first porous layer 522 is less than the density of the second layer 522. Such a layer structure may be useful in certain technologies, such as for batteries. Additionally, a first porous layer 522 may be deposited to increase the viscosity of the second denser layer 522. Subsequently, a further dense layer 522 may be applied, optionally dissolving the first porous layer 522.

As described above, the coating 118, 218 or sheet 520 may be subjected to further processing in an oven (e.g., oven 314). In the furnace 314, the coating 118, 218 or the sheet 520 may be sintered. In an embodiment, one effect of sintering is to increase the density of the coating 118, 218 or sheet 520. The continuous strip or segmented sections may be sintered.

Referring to fig. 6, another embodiment of a manufacturing line 610 is provided. As with the previous embodiment, the manufacturing line includes a spray head 612 that directs particles or droplets 614 (shown as a spray cone) of feedstock onto a deposition surface 616 to build a coating 618. However, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the deposition surface 616 is a continuous belt driven by a drive pulley 620. That is, droplets 614 are sprayed onto deposition surface 616 to form coating 618, and then the deposition surface is stripped from coating 618 at edge 622. Specifically, at edge 622, the abrupt change in orientation of deposition surface 616 is sufficient to cause deposition surface 616 to separate from coating 618. The redirection pulley 624 sets the angle at which the deposition surface 616 is separated from the coating 618. In an embodiment, the deposition surface 616 forms an angle α of about 0 ° (e.g., bending the deposition surface 616 back under the web) to less than 180 ° (e.g., depending on how far to the right of the edge 622 the redirecting pulley 624 is placed relative to the orientation of fig. 6). In other embodiments, angle α is 45 ° to 135 °, and in still other embodiments, angle α is 60 ° to 90 °. As can be seen in fig. 6, the deposition surface 616 is circulated by a drive pulley 620 for continuous deposition of droplets 614 to continuously form a coating 618.

As in the embodiments described above, the deposition surface 616 may be a polymer, such as a thermoplastic polymer, including a fluoropolymer (e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene). Additionally, in some embodiments, the deposition surface 616 may be paper or a metal strip or foil, such as stainless steel or copper. In some implementations, each of these materials for the deposition surface 616 may be surface roughened to improve the viscosity of the droplets 614 on the deposition surface 616.

In addition, as in the embodiments described above, the feedstock is formed into droplets 614 via the showerhead 612 at high temperatures (e.g., the feedstock may reach temperatures up to 10,000K), but the feedstock is "cooled" when it reaches the deposition surface 616. As mentioned above, the coating may be performed at a rate of 10 meters/minute. However, in some embodiments, the coating may be performed at a lower rate, such as 7 meters/minute, 5 meters/minute, or 3 meters/minute. As described above, the coating of the deposition surface 616 may be accomplished by multiple showerheads 614 arranged in parallel to cover a wider line, and/or by multiple showerheads 614 arranged in series to deposit more layers or materials.

As described above, the deposition surface 616 is separated from the coating 618 at the edge 622. In some embodiments, the coating has a thickness of at least 20 μm. In other embodiments, the coating has a thickness of at least 100 μm, and in still other embodiments, the coating has a thickness of at least 200 μm. In some embodiments, the thickness is at most 5 mm. In other embodiments, the coating has a thickness of at most 3mm, and in still other embodiments, the coating has a thickness of at most 300 μm. The coating 618 may be subjected to further processing, such as sintering in an oven 626, for example, to increase the density of the coating 618. Additionally, before, after, or without sintering, the continuous strip of coating 618 may be singulated to form singulated strips 628. The length of such segmented strips 628 may be up to about 10mm, up to about 25mm, up to about 50mm, or up to about 100 mm.

In another embodiment similar to that shown in fig. 6, the deposition surface 616 is not a continuous strip and the drive pulley 620 may be replaced with a feed roller. Thus, a continuous strip of material for deposition surface 616 is fed into fabrication line 610 for deposition of coating 618. In some embodiments, the deposition surface 616 may remain with the coating 618 during subsequent processing, such as sintering in a furnace 626 and/or during singulation. In other embodiments, upon reaching the edge 622, the coating 618 may separate from the deposition surface 616 by loosening via bending, or removing via burning or chemical peeling/dissolution. When removed via bending, the redirecting pulley 624 can be replaced with a take-up roller to take up the strip of deposition surface 616 as deposition surface 616 separates from coating 618. When removed via combustion or chemical stripping/dissolution, equipment may be placed behind the edge 622 to apply the desired flame or chemical to cause removal of the deposition surface 616. The separated coating 618 may then continue for further processing, such as sintering and/or singulation 628 in an oven 626.

The construction and arrangement of the various methods and products as shown in the various exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. Some elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be interchanged or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be changed or altered. The order or sequence of any process, logic algorithm, or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the technical scope of the present invention.