Controlling cyclone efficiency with vacuum interface

摘要

Powder overspray that is extracted from a spray booth is recovered back to a powder supply that is used to supply powder to the spray guns (20) inside th e spray booth. The powder overspray extracted from the booth is separated (42) from the high flow air stream by a separator such as a cyclone (42) separato r. The powder falls into a transfer pan (314) and a vacuum is used to convey th e powder from the transfer pan (314) to a vacuum receiver (320). The powder is then discharged to the feed hopper (310) in the feed center (46). The use of a vacuum to convey powder from the cyclone (42) to the feed center in effect permits substantially all of the powder overspray to be recovered from the spray booth directly to the feed hopper (310) with minimal dwell or residenc e time within the cyclone or vacuum receiver (320) subsystems during a sprayin g operation. The receiver (320) can be rotated for easy cleaning, and the vacu um line cleaned by one or more cleaning elements drawn through the vacuum line.