A Method for Micro Powder Dispensing by Using DC Motor with a 2-Axis Vibration

A comprehensive understanding of powder flow is essential, particularly in the synthesis of additives in the solid free-forming process and dosage dispensing in pharmaceutical industries. The vibration method is the most widely used for inducing powder flow. In this method, a hopper containing powder is vibrated by a piezoelectric system to allow powder flow. However, there are several drawbacks in this method, particularly in the degree of consistency of the resulting flow. This occurs because the vibration characteristics created have a single axis direction, resulting in which can lead to powder compaction. To resolve this problem, this research is conducted to determine the flow properties of titanium powder dispensed by 2-axis vibration. The titanium (Ti) powder having a size of less than 74 μm in the powder hopper was vibrated for 15 min by a DC motor and the weight of the dispensed powder was measured to evaluate the consistency of the resulting powder flow. The result shows that the powder flow generated by the DC motor was consistent during the period of dispensing. However, the powder flow rate dropped up to 8.6% during 5-10 min of dispensing at a speed of 1800 rpm. In conclusion, the 2-axis vibration by using a DC motor could prevent the powder compacting phenomenon and ensure a consistent flow of micro-sized powders during the dispensing process.