CN117464139A - Device for producing cladding sheets - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for producing a cladding sheet, comprising: a conveyor assembly configured to receive and transport a sheet metal by the apparatus; at least one hopper assembly configured to distribute a first layer of medium stored therein to a surface of the sheet metal; a plurality of wire feeder assemblies, each wire feeder assembly including a power head configured to have a multi-axis range of motion; and electronic control logic in communication with the conveyor assembly, the at least one hopper assembly, and the plurality of wire feeder assemblies; whereby said plurality of wire feeder assemblies melt said medium carried by said sheet metal for hardening treatment thereon. The invention enables the sheet metal to have a greater hardness, a greater resistance to impact and a longer wear life than known in the prior art.

Description

Device for producing cladding sheets

The present application is a divisional application of chinese patent application with application number 201980059669.9, entitled "cladding sheet and method" (based on international patent application with international application number PCT/US2019/051400, entering the national stage of china at 2021, 03, 11).

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a system and method for cladding sheet metal with weld metal, and more particularly to an improved apparatus and method for cladding sheet metal with a hot melt flux medium and various adjustable components controlled by a computer control system to enhance sheet performance metrics such as hardness and impact resistance.

Background

The coating of weld metal on sheet metal and other articles is well known in the art, particularly in industries such as agriculture, mining and commercial vehicles. Briefly, the process involves covering, enveloping or otherwise coating a metal substrate with another substance and then adhering the substance to the surface of the sheet material to impart certain desired properties to the surface. See, for example, U.S. patent No. 5,362,937 entitled "sheet cover" issued 11/8 in 1994 for a unique worldwide smooth sheet metal cover system and method, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, to the applicant's father Gene Kostecki of the subject application. One method of covering the sheet is to make the sheet into a cylinder and then put the cylinder into a machine to rotate the cylinder under an array of weld heads, while the sheet is rotating, gradually deposit a layer of weld material on the sheet until the entire surface of the cylindrical sheet is covered, and then cut and straighten the sheet to make a hard-faced sheet. This arrangement presents a problem in that it requires a lot of work to first form the sheet into a cylindrical shape and then straighten the sheet into a form for use in the manufacture of the product. There is also some difficulty in welding control because the plates are cylindrical when the welding material is applied with the weld joint. Welding in this way also has practical limitations on the dimensions of the sheet. Another problem with weld coverage is that, as the two weld joints pass through the same area, certain portions of the sheet material heat up much more than others, which makes the thickness of the weld metal coating uneven and the metallurgical structure of the underlying metal may change somewhat. Unfortunately, the development of computer controllers, programmable logic, and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) has greatly improved the manufacture of hardened metal components, reduced the variation between product batches, and increased high quality output. However, there remains a need for a system and method for applying weld metal to planar sheet materials to form a coating on the sheet material, and particular emphasis is placed on the planar nature of the sheet material as the flux medium cools after melting on the sheet material.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the problems and disadvantages of the prior art sheet materials and manufacturing methods, and an object of the present invention is to provide a metal fusion plate and manufacturing method that maintains the clad plate in a substantially planar configuration even during cooling.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a metal melt plate and method of manufacture that includes a drive roller that cooperates with an opening formed in the side of the metal substrate to drive the sheet material during cladding and maintain the sheet material in a planar configuration.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a metal melt plate and method of manufacture that includes an adjustable conveyor slide that can be configured as desired to accommodate convex curved feed rolls and a variety of plate thicknesses.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a metal fuse panel and method of manufacture that includes a variable spring-loaded grounding (ground-engaging) device having a tensioning foot configured to contact the metal sheet to provide direct grounding during cladding.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a metal fusion plate and method of manufacture configured to accommodate sheet metal up to 2.4384 meters by 3.096 meters during cladding.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a metal melt plate and method of manufacture comprising a first screen box or hopper connected to a raking device whereby the assembly is vertically adjustable to accommodate the thickness of the sheet material to be clad as required and the device maintains a uniform thickness of the first medium (such as metal powder) in preparation for fusion with the metal substrate.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a metal fusion plate and method of manufacture comprising a second screen box or hopper connected to a raking device (either the raking device described above or a stand alone device) whereby the assembly is vertically adjustable to accommodate the thickness of the sheet material to be clad as required and the device maintains a uniform thickness of the second medium (such as insulating powder) in preparation for fusion with the metal substrate.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a metal fuse plate and method of manufacture comprising a plurality of metal thermal fuse power heads spaced apart by about 101.6 mm, each power head further comprising a gear driven, individual filler metal loading unit that is liquid cooled or air cooled and provides current to the power head which provides voltage and current through an insulating element and continues to contact the metal substrate through metal powder to produce a metallurgical fusion bond. In a multi-axis motion mode designed to create the various fusion welding modes that may be required, each power head is individually controlled to match the forward/backward oscillation of the forward indexing motion of the metal base plate with a lateral "scissors" horizontal motion.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a metal melt plate and method of manufacture having one or more internally vertical apertured spray bars to cool the underlying cladding plate after the heat sealing process.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a metal melt plate and method of manufacture that is configured with liquid or air cooled thermal brackets and wash rolls of broken insulation elements for blanking wash and directing the clad plate into cooled deflection rolls to ensure that the finished sheet remains planar.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a metal melt plate and method of manufacture that utilizes submerged arc welding techniques.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a metal melt sheet and a method of manufacturing that reduce the coefficient of friction, increase the hardness fraction, and improve durability, especially in view of impact grade, while producing a same batch of sheet material with consistency.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and a more detailed description will be provided below.

Disclosure of Invention

The above and other objects are achieved by providing an apparatus configured to produce a cladding sheet and a method of manufacturing the same. The apparatus includes electronic control logic and sensors in communication with vertically adjustable conveyor members configured to accommodate convex cambered surface loading rollers and various sheet thicknesses as desired, the conveyor being responsible for maintaining the sheet metal in a planar orientation by cambered surface drive rollers in cooperation with openings formed in the sides of the metal substrate to drive the sheet metal during the cladding process. A variable spring-loaded grounding (ground-engaging) assembly with tensioning legs is configured to contact the sheet metal to provide direct grounding. The apparatus comprises two hoppers or bins: a first hopper connected to the raking device so that the assembly is vertically adjustable to accommodate the thickness of the sheet to be clad as required, and the device maintains a uniform thickness of the first medium (such as metal powder) when it is ready to fuse with the metal substrate; a second hopper connected to the raking device so that the assembly is vertically adjustable to accommodate the thickness of the sheet to be clad as required, and the device maintains a uniform thickness of a second medium (such as insulating powder) in preparation for fusion with the metal substrate. The device also comprises twenty-four (24) metal hot melting wire feeder units which are arranged at intervals of 101.6 mm and provided with power heads, each power head also comprises an independent filling metal feeding unit driven by a gear, the independent filling metal feeding unit is liquid cooled or air cooled, current is provided for the power heads, voltage and current are provided for the power heads through insulating elements, and the power heads continuously contact the metal substrate through metal powder to generate metallurgical fusion bonding. In a multi-axis motion mode designed to create the various welding modes that may be required, each power head is controlled individually, with every other power head configured to allow for lateral "scissors" horizontal motion in coordination with the forward/backward oscillation of the indexing motion of the metal substrate. The sheet metal is conveyed along the conveyor over, between and/or among a set of sensors that feed back data to the electronic control logic in real time, which in turn can modify the manufacturing process in real time to reduce variability between sheets. One or more internal vertical orifice bars are used to maintain the fused sheet material at an optimal temperature during or after bonding, increasing the likelihood of the fused sheet material becoming planar, remaining bead-free during hardening, reducing friction coefficient, increasing hardness, improving durability relative to the original metal substrate, and enabling sheet-by-sheet reproduction.

Drawings

FIG. 1 shows an elevated side view of an improved apparatus for manufacturing cladding sheets;

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 depicts an elevated side view of an adjustable conveyor component of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows an elevated perspective view of the ground engaging member of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5A illustrates an elevated perspective view of a drive member of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5B shows an enlarged view of a portion of the drive member of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 highlights an elevated side view of the first and second hopper sections of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 illustrates an enlarged side view of a cooling cartridge component of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 illustrates an elevated side view of a thermal head component of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 depicts an elevated side view of the bracket and scrub roller members of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 shows an elevated side view of the straightening roll part of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1; and

fig. 11 shows a schematic representation of a weld pattern that can be generated by the apparatus of fig. 1.

Detailed Description

For a better understanding of the invention and its operation, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, wherein FIGS. 1-10 illustrate a preferred sheet metal apparatus 10 comprising a conveyor assembly 11, support ground members 12, hopper assemblies 13 and 14, wire feeder assemblies 15 and straightener assemblies 16, which are combined in whole or in part to cover weld metal on a sheet metal 101 in the various modes illustrated in FIG. 11.

As shown in fig. 1-3, the conveyor assembly 11 preferably defines a plurality of legs 17, each of which can be moved vertically upward or downward for a particular operation, as may be desired. One embodiment of the conveyor 11 is further divided into a first or front portion 18, a second or rear conveying portion 19, and a third or intermediate frame portion 20 located between the first and second conveying portions, respectively. One or more cylindrical rollers 21 are preferably rotatably secured between the opposing frame members 22, 22' and are configured to support an embodiment of the metal substrate 101 into or out of the preferred apparatus 10 as shown by the direction of the arrows in fig. 2. In one embodiment, the frame members 22, 22' are spaced apart to accommodate up to a height thereon2.4384 metersMultiplied by6.096 metersA-36 steel sheet of (C). As previously described, the legs 17 are vertically movable to adapt the preferred feed rate, angle and thickness of the metal substrate 101 to the intermediate portion 20 of the conveyor assembly 11. Although not intended to limit the invention, one embodiment of the legs 17 includes a mounting bracket 23 attached to the power piston 24 that is sized, shaped, and otherwise configured to vertically adjust the height of the conveyor assembly associated therewith, such as pneumatically, hydraulically, or in other manners known in the art, to properly position the curvature of the sheet material during cladding. Although not illustrated, one or more sensors in communication with control logic 25 may determine a desired direction and configuration of one or more portions of conveyor 11 and electronically adjust accordingly.

As shown in fig. 1-2 and 4, the grounding assembly 12 in the preferred embodiment is adjacent to a first conveyor assembly portion 18 that may be considered the front of the sheet material apparatus 10. In one embodiment, the ground assembly 12 is defined by a plurality of biasing arms 26 in the nature of leaf springs, with ground shoes 27, 27' attached to opposite longitudinal ends of the respective arms 26. In the preferred embodiment, the grounding assembly 12 is vertically adjustable to accommodate various plate thicknesses by one or more pistons 28 mounted within a grounding frame 29. The sheet material and its thickness are two important variables in the cladding process, as will be described in further detail below. Since the thickness of the base plate 101 is determined, the piston 28 compresses or releases the biasing arms 26 to ensure that the ground shoes 27, 27' remain in frictional contact with the surface of the base plate 101 as they pass through the intermediate frame portion 20 of the device 10, wherein the ground shoes are preferably formed of an electrically "ground" material, such as copper.

Fig. 1-2, 5A and 5B illustrate a portion of an intermediate conveyor frame portion 20 between the ground engaging assembly 12 and the first hopper assembly 13. In addition to the conveyor rollers 21, one or more drive rollers 30 are provided. Preferably, the diameter (304.8 of the drive roller 30Millimeter (mm)) Is larger than the diameter (76.2Millimeter (mm)) And the drive rollers are vertically adjustable to accommodate and offset the thickness range defined by the base plate 101. In the preferred embodiment, the drive roller 30 defines an arc such that the diameter of the middle portion of the roller is greater than the diameter of the ends of the roller, thereby maintaining a consistent desired arc throughout the coating process. In the enlarged view of fig. 5B, at least one drive roller 30 includes a plurality of annularly disposed gear teeth 31 attached to a separate gear or integrally proximate to the terminal end of the drive roller(s) 30. In one embodiment defined as a 50.8 millimeter diameter, the desired size and shape of the gear teeth 31 engage within the openings 102 defined by the side edges of the base plate 101. In one embodiment, one or more sensors (not shown) monitor advancement of the substrate 101, which is a measurement determined in part by the thickness of the clad sheet, in communication with the drive roller 30 to advance the substrate 101 at a predetermined speed, such as 25.4 millimeters per second or less, more preferably at a speed of 5.08 millimeters per indexing event. It will be appreciated that indexing events measure the time it takes for the wire feeder assembly 15 to make one wire feed (as described in detail below), such as horizontal wire feeds, vertical wire feeds, loop wire feeds, and even interlocking wire feeds. By electronically controlling the advancement speed and fixedly engaging the base plate 101 through the gear teeth 31 and openings 102, the base plate 101 is better maintained in a planar configuration than in the prior art, resulting in an advanced cladding plate 101 as further described below. The present propulsion mechanism is preferred over prior art propulsion mechanisms because the present propulsion mechanism reduces compression, eliminates the need to drive the cladding sheet through rollers, and reduces or eliminates slippage caused in part by thermal expansion and/or contraction of the sheet during the cladding process.

Figures 1-2 and 6 show the first hopper 13 and the second hopper 14 in more detail. As the substrate 101 advances as described above, the upper surface of the substrate, which preferably has the nature of an open box 32 disposed between one or more rakes 33, passes under the first hopper assembly 13. In one embodiment, the rake 33 is defined as a screen member that is vertically adjustable to accommodate a wide range of thicknesses defined by the base plate 101. The rake 33 screens the top surface of the substrate horizontally as the substrate 101 receives a first layer of media (not shown) stored in the first hopper 13, wherein in a preferred embodiment the first layer of media is a metal powder composition such as chromium, iron, niobium, titanium, nickel, manganese, tungsten, boron, sulfur, carbon, phosphorus, copper, and combinations thereof. By raking the media surface horizontally as the substrate 101 moves in the horizontal direction, the media thickness is made uniform and has a planar shape to achieve the standard total thickness of the finished clad plate. Similarly, the second hopper assembly 14 is preferably defined as an open-top box 34 disposed between the rakes 35. Similar to rake 33, rake 35 is defined as a screen member that is vertically adjustable to accommodate the wider range of thicknesses defined by base plate 101, and the rake horizontally screens the top surface of base plate 101 as the base plate receives a second layer of medium (not shown) stored in second hopper 14, which in a preferred embodiment is an insulating powder composition such as silica (i.e., sand) (possibly also containing other materials such as lime, calcium fluoride, manganese oxides, and other compounds) to reduce or eliminate the amount of oxygen present during subsequent submerged arc welding. In one embodiment, the first hopper assembly 13 and the second hopper assembly 14 are movably mounted on an outer wall of the sheet material apparatus 10 to facilitate longitudinal and/or lateral displacement relative to the base plate 101 as the base plate moves horizontally through the apparatus 10. In a preferred embodiment, the displacement takes the form of a back and forth sliding and up and down movement to create a sheet and media thickness that maintains consistency of the media. Preferably, the rotary valve extends through the vertical length of one or both hopper assemblies 13, 14, which can control the blanking rate of the accessory medium. As the substrate 101 moves under the hopper assemblies 13 and 14, the substrate is preferably supported by the cambered surface driven support rollers which are vertically adjusted by the mechanical or control logic 25. The backup roll defines an arc to help maintain uniformity of the media thickness, particularly the first media thickness. In a preferred embodiment, the backup roll provides for uniform cambered surface loading prior to the metal hot melt process and any contemporaneous and/or subsequent cooling, as described in more detail below.

Fig. 1-2 and 7-8 illustrate various aspects of the wire feeder assembly 15 and the cooling cartridge 36 preferably vertically aligned with each other within the sheet material apparatus 10. In one embodiment, a plurality of wire feeders are disposed above the cooling drum 36, and in a preferred embodiment, the number of wire feeder assemblies 15 is twenty-four (24). Unlike the prior art which relies on a single control shaft to control all of the wire feeders, the preferred wire feeder assemblies 15 have individual motor clearances and the wire feeder assemblies are arranged vertically with a lateral distance of 101.6 mm or less between each wire feeder assembly 15. In one embodiment, each wire feeder assembly 15 defines a power head 37 configured to receive and utilize Direct Current (DC) flow sufficient to melt a metal medium carried by the substrate 101, and in a preferred embodiment, each power head 37 is configured such that each power head 37 is capable of handling at least 1000 amps (1 kiloamp) of current. In the embodiment of the sheet material apparatus 10, and in particular the control logic 25, all wire feeder assemblies 15 can be operated simultaneously, or a predetermined grouping can be operated sequentially, such as a group of four (4) wire feeder assemblies 15 being activated before the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth groups of four (4) wire feeder assemblies 15 are activated. Preferably, each assembly 15 is independently driven by a dedicated motor with a wire speed encoder to maintain the speed of the amps used and to signal the spool drive motor as the wire continues to be consumed. In a preferred embodiment, each wire feeder assembly 15 also includes a gear driven, independent filler metal loading unit that is liquid cooled or air cooled, capable of being supplied with voltage and current through an insulating medium and metal powder to effect metallurgical fusion bonding with the metal substrate 101, thereby forming in one embodiment chromium carbide that ultimately results from the fused and cooled powder mixture. In a preferred embodiment, each wire feeder assembly 15 is individually controlled by control logic 25, and every other wire feeder assembly in a set of twenty-four (24) wire feeder assemblies 15 is configured (i.e., size, shape, and direction) for lateral "scissor" movement as the base plate 101 advances beneath the wire feeder assembly. Such back and forth swinging and sideways movement in multiple axis rotation, in coordination with the horizontal movement of the substrate 101, can create a desirable welding pattern on the surface of the substrate 101 that was not achievable in the prior art (see fig. 11 for some non-limiting examples of patterns achievable with this device). As previously mentioned, the indexing measurement is responsible for the longitudinal advance of the substrate 101, largely dependent on the lateral, transverse or other movement of the wire feeder assembly described above. In one embodiment, each wire feeder assembly 15 requires approximately ten seconds to complete its intended welding mode based on, but not limited to, sheet thickness, wire type, and/or matrix media depth, among other variables. Embodiments of the apparatus 10 may even create a covered or interlocked welding pattern, fuse into the base plate 101, and cool to create a planar, bead-free, hardened sheet metal 110.

In order to produce the ideal hardened sheet material described above, the reaction must involve welding at extremely high temperatures, but the temperature must be checked, otherwise the material melts too much, cannot bond with the substrate 101, or may become too brittle and crack. Thus, preferably superior temperature control and measurement, including for example, the use of one or more carbon sensors (not shown), ensures that substantial fusion bonding events occur. In one embodiment, the temperature of the substrate 101 is controlled from below the substrate during the fusing process using the cooling cartridge 36. In the preferred embodiment, the cooling cartridge 36 is an open-bore cylindrical member having a diameter of 914.4 millimeters with one or more spray bars 38 that are internally vertical. One embodiment includes a plurality of diamond shaped holes formed in the surface of the cooling cartridge 36 to allow water to flow from substantially the entire length of the cooling cartridge and one or more spray bars 38 can distribute the water at the same angle or deflection. In one or more embodiments, the cooling cartridge 36 may be in a water bath when not in use, thereby facilitating the formation of a water-cooled surface during the coating process. As the melting process proceeds, one or more temperature sensors (not shown) monitor variables including, but not limited to, the temperature of the substrate and the temperature of the melted material. If the temperature is too high, the control logic 25 causes one or more spray bars 38 to spray air or water into the perforated cylinder to deliver to the bottom surface of the substrate 101, completely cool the substrate, and promote a strong metallurgical fusion bond, rather than directly spraying the water onto the bottom surface via strips, trays, etc., as in the prior art (see, for example, the Kostecki patent referenced above). This prevents the sheet from creasing or buckling at high temperatures, which may be addressed by the sheet apparatus 10. In certain embodiments, one or more spray bars 38 are in a fixed position relative to the cooling cartridge 36; in other embodiments, one or more spray bars 38 rotate or oscillate with the drum 36. The control logic 25 is also capable of controlling the rotational speed of the bowl 36 and the pressure of the discharged fluid, and in one embodiment, one or more of the spray bars 38 are configured with a variable pressure outlet. A plurality of sensors and infrared beams (not shown) monitor the velocity of the substrate 101 and the depth and smoothness of the media applied to the surface of the substrate 101, reporting these data to the control logic 25.

Examples of the cleaning roller 39, the heat roller 40, the straightener roller 41, and the take-out roller 42 constituting the third conveyor section 20 are shown in fig. 8, 9, and 10. In one embodiment, some or all of rollers 40, 41 and 42 have a diameter of 304.8 millimeters. When the substrate 101, which has just been subjected to a hardening process such as chromium carbide, is moved out of the power head 37, excess material may build up on the sheet material, which is undesirable or detrimental to the sheet material or sheet material arrangement 10. In one embodiment, one or more of the cleaning rollers 39 are defined as a slag-breaking wheel comprising a plurality of annular disks mounted on a central boss that move to the welding surface of the metal arc, thereby breaking apart slag from the surface. Before, after or after the slag breaking wheel, sucking out the slag by a vacuum suction device. The embodiments of the heat roller 40 may be provided separately from the cleaning roller 39 or may be positioned thereafter. Preferably, temperature modifying means are included in the hot roll 40, for example for tempering the temperature difference between the welding head 37 and the ambient air to prevent cracking, or for slowly cooling the new welded blank. In one repetition, the heated roll 40 is comprised of a liquid or air cooled roll, the roll being sized, shaped, etc. to allow the hardened sheet to pass therethrough. The straightener roll 41 may take a variety of forms, but one preferred embodiment comprises a plurality of rollers above and below the conveyor 11, at least the upper roller embodiment being biased in a downward direction (e.g., by tensioner members, hydraulic pressure, etc.) to apply pressure to the sheet to maintain the sheet in the most straight configuration possible. One or more sensors (not shown), such as infrared beam detection, may be used to confirm the planar nature of the sheet, and if a small, undesirable curvature is detected, these sensors will report to the control logic 25 and the pressure applied by the rollers 41 may change. For example, the positive/negative calibration of the pressure applied by straightener roll 41 may be modified by control logic 25 so that hardened finished sheet 110 may be maintained in a preferred orientation as it cools, producing a sheet of more consistent than in the prior art. When finished sheet 110 is removed from wash roll 39, hot roll 40, and straightener roll 41, the hardened sheet may need to be separated, split, or otherwise cut into smaller dimensions. Thus, embodiments of the sheet material apparatus 10 may include a cutting member, in a preferred embodiment of a plasma cutting torch (not shown), the plasma cutting torch is capable of cutting hardened sheet material to any size, shape, or repetition width and/or length determined by the control logic 25. Other functions may include etching the sheet material with identifying information (such as time, date, location, manufacturer, lot/batch number, etc.) to allow unprecedented consistency in the production of high-capacity hardened metal components.

Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing a hardened sheet metal material comprising the steps of providing the preferred sheet metal device 10 as described above. Preferably, one or more cylindrical rollers 21 are rotatably secured between the opposing frame members 22, 22' and are configured to support embodiments of the metal substrate 101 into or out of the preferred apparatus 10, in the preferred embodiment a 2.4384 m x 6.096 m a36 steel plate. One embodiment of the leg 17 includes a mounting bracket 23 attached to the power piston 24 that is sized, shaped, and otherwise configured to vertically adjust the height of the conveyor assembly 11 associated therewith via control logic 25. The grounding assembly 12 is defined by a plurality of biasing arms 26 in the nature of leaf springs, with grounding shoes 27, 27' attached to opposite longitudinal ends of the respective arms 26 to contact the substrate 101 to prevent shock risk. One or more openings 102 are formed in the base plate 101 to accommodate a plurality of annularly arranged gear teeth 31 attached to a separate gear or integrally proximate to the terminal end of the drive roller(s) 30 to advance the base plate 101 without slippage, preferably at a speed of 5.08 millimeters per second through the intermediate frame portion 20. The substrate 101 advances under the first of the two hoppers, and when the substrate 101 receives a first layer of medium stored in the first hopper 13, the top surface of the substrate has a horizontal screen, and in a preferred embodiment, the medium is a metal powder composition such as chromium or iron. The substrate 101 is then advanced under the second of the two hoppers, and the rake 35 is defined as a screen member that is vertically adjustable to accommodate the wider range of thicknesses of the substrate 101 and is able to screen the top surface of the substrate horizontally as the substrate 101 receives a second layer of medium stored in the second hopper 14, which in the preferred embodiment is an insulating powder composition such as silica. The substrate 101 moves along a plurality of preferably wire feeder assemblies 15, preferably with the wire feeder assemblies disposed vertically, with a lateral distance between each wire feeder assembly 15 of 101.6 millimeters or less. In one embodiment, each wire feeder assembly 15 defines a power head 37 configured to receive and utilize Direct Current (DC) flow sufficient to melt a metal medium carried by the substrate 101, and in a preferred embodiment, each power head 37 is configured such that each power head 37 is capable of handling at least 1000 amps (1 kiloamp) of current. The head 37 welds a predetermined pattern to the surface of the substrate 101, including but not limited to the pattern shown in fig. 11. During the fusion process, the temperature of the substrate 101 is controlled from below the substrate 101 using the cooling cylinder 36. In the preferred embodiment, the cooling cartridge 36 is an open-celled cylindrical member with one or more spray bars 38 that are internally vertical. As the melting process proceeds, one or more temperature sensors (not shown) monitor variables including, but not limited to, the temperature of the substrate and the temperature of the melted material. If the temperature is too high, the control logic 25 causes the one or more spray bars 38 to spray air or water into the cooling cartridge 36 to deliver to the bottom surface of the substrate 101, completely cool the substrate, and promote a strong metallurgical fusion bond. As the base plate 101 moves out of the power head 37, excess material may build up on the sheet material, which is undesirable or detrimental to the sheet material or sheet material arrangement 10, and the excess material may be removed by a slag wheel comprising a plurality of annular disks mounted on a central boss, which moves to the welding surface of the metal arc, thereby causing slag cracking of the surface. The heated roll 40 receives the hardened sheet and contains temperature modifying components, such as for reconciling the temperature difference between the weld head 37 and ambient air to prevent cracking, or for slowly cooling the new weld sheet, all of which are monitored by sensors in communication with the control logic 25. The straightener roll 41 may take a variety of forms, but the preferred embodiment comprises a plurality of sheets above and below the conveyor 11, at least the upper roll embodiment being biased in a downward direction (e.g., by tensioner members, hydraulic pressure, etc.), applying pressure to the sheets to maintain the sheets in the most straight configuration possible, which is also monitored by one or more sensors in communication with the control logic 25. The cutting member, in a preferred embodiment of a plasma cutting torch (not shown), is capable of cutting the hardened sheet material to any size, shape or repetition width and/or length as determined by the control logic 25, as desired. Other steps may include etching the sheet with identifying information (such as time, date, location, manufacturer, lot/batch number, etc.) to allow unprecedented consistency in the production of high-capacity hardened metal components.

The illustrations and examples provided herein are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the following claims.

Claims (18)

1. An apparatus for producing a cladding sheet, comprising:

a conveyor assembly configured to receive and transport a sheet metal by the apparatus;

at least one hopper assembly configured to distribute a first layer of medium stored therein to a surface of the sheet metal;

a plurality of wire feeder assemblies, each wire feeder assembly including a power head configured to have a multi-axis range of motion; and

electronic control logic in communication with the conveyor assembly, the at least one hopper assembly, and the plurality of wire feeder assemblies;

whereby said plurality of wire feeder assemblies melt said medium carried by said sheet metal for hardening treatment thereon.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conveyor assembly further comprises one or more cylindrical rollers rotatably secured between opposing frame members and configured to accommodate a 2.4384 meter by 6.096 meter sheet metal thereon.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conveyor assembly further comprises a plurality of legs, each leg comprising a mounting bracket attached to a power piston, each leg configured to vertically adjust the height of the conveyor assembly.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conveyor assembly includes at least one drive roller including a plurality of annularly disposed gear teeth attached to a separate gear or integrally formed proximate a terminal end of the at least one drive roller, such that the sheet metal defines a plurality of openings sized and shaped to receive the plurality of annularly disposed gear teeth to advance the sheet metal along the conveyor assembly.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one hopper assembly is defined as a first hopper assembly and a second hopper assembly, each hopper assembly comprising an open box disposed between one or more rakes.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first hopper assembly distributes metal powder and the second hopper assembly distributes silica.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wire feeder assemblies are disposed vertically, a lateral distance between each wire feeder assembly being 101.6 millimeters or less.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a total number of the plurality of wire feeder assemblies is twenty-four.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each wire feeder assembly is individually controlled by the electronic control logic, every other wire feeder assembly being configured to move laterally as the sheet metal advances below the wire feeder assembly.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic control logic predetermines wire feeder assembly groupings and sequentially runs the predetermined assembly groupings.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cooling drum positioned below the plurality of wire feeder assemblies.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cooling cartridge is defined as an open-bore cylindrical member with one or more spray bars therein that are vertical.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more spray bars are located in a fixed position relative to the cooling cartridge.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more spray bars rotate with the cooling cartridge.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cleaning roller configured to fracture and remove excess slag from the sheet metal and apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a heat roller that reconciles a temperature differential between the plurality of wire feeder assemblies and ambient air.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of straightener rolls configured to maintain the sheet metal in a most straight configuration possible.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of straightener rolls comprises at least one upper roll that is biased to a downward position.