Design and application of automated powder filling system for molybdenum billets

To address the issues of low efficiency, poor uniformity, and severe pollution associated with manual powder filling before pressing molybdenum billets, the automated powder filling system for molybdenum billets was designed and developed. Based on the functional analysis and the asymmetry principle in Teoriya Resheniya Izobreatatelskikh Zadatch (TRIZ) theory, the mobile hopper with eccentric conical bottom was optimized to significantly improve the fluidity and filling uniformity of the molybdenum powders. The results demonstrate that the automated powder filling system can automatically fill 100~250 kg molybdenum powders within 1.5~2.0 min, achieving high filling uniformity. The system incorporates the self-cleaning and dust removal functions, effectively preventing the material cross-contamination and dust overflow. The dimensional deviations of the pressed and sintered molybdenum billets meet the requirements for the subsequent rolling processes (length≤30 mm, width≤9 mm, thickness≤5 mm). The automated powder filling system for molybdenum billets significantly enhances the production efficiency, reduces the pollution and labor intensity, providing a reliable technical solution for the automated production of molybdenum billets.