Knife Geometry and Blade Material Selection
topic
Knife blade geometry including tip profile from sharp to rounded, bevel angle from 15 to 60 degrees, and blade thickness from 3 to 12 millimetres determines the coating compound flow pattern at the knife gap, with sharp-edged blades providing more uniform thick coating at high viscosity and rounded blades better levelling thin coatings of lower viscosity, with high-chromium tool steel and tungsten carbide blade materials providing wear resistance for abrasive compound applications.
Role
Determines the coating uniformity and coating weight range achievable with each knife geometry through the fluid dynamics of compound flow in the knife gap that are governed by blade tip geometry and compound viscosity, with knife geometry selection being the primary engineering design decision for each coating application that must balance coating weight accuracy, surface appearance, and compound penetration depth requirements.