A feed center for powder coating material includes a hopper, an extraction duct, and a control valve. The hopper is in fluid communication with a fluidizing pressure source. The extraction duct is in fluid communication with at least one suction source. The control valve connects the extraction duct with an extraction port of the hopper. The control valve is operable between a first position for applying suction from the at least one suction source to the hopper, and a second position providing an exterior opening in at least one of the control valve and the first extraction duct for exhausting pressurized fluid from the hopper and/or collecting at least some of the air and powder that is exhausted from the powder.

A powdering system, having a working configuration and a cleaning configuration and including a powder reservoir, including a supply chamber receiving powder; a sprayer, including a powder applicator, and a cleaning inlet, fluidly connected to the supply chamber such that, in the cleaning configuration, a cleaning air supply source can be connected to the cleaning inlet so as to circulate cleaning air in the supply chamber, wherein the powder reservoir includes a discharge opening, arranged through a wall of the supply chamber and opening into the supply chamber, and a movable plug, which is movable between a closing position, in the working configuration, and an open position, in the cleaning configuration, such that the circulation of cleaning air causes residual powder to be discharged through the discharge opening.

Disclosed herein is a powder container for supplying coating powder to a powder coating station. The powder container includes a powder compartment for coating powder, the powder compartment being delimited by side walls, one of which is provided with an outlet port via which the powder compartment is or can be fluidically connected to an inlet of a powder deposition system. The effective flow cross-section of the fluid connection between the outlet port and the inlet of the powder deposition system can be variably adjusted.

A feed center for powder coating material includes a hopper, an extraction duct, and a control valve. The hopper is in fluid communication with a fluidizing pressure source. The extraction duct is in fluid communication with at least one suction source. The control valve connects the extraction duct with an extraction port of the hopper. The control valve is operable between a first position for applying suction from the at least one suction source to the hopper, and a second position providing an exterior opening in at least one of the control valve and the first extraction duct for exhausting pressurized fluid from the hopper and/or collecting at least some of the air and powder that is exhausted from the powder.

Apparatus and methods are disclosed which apply inorganic particles to a plugged honeycomb body comprising porous walls, an inlet end and an outlet end. The apparatus comprises a particle counter and the method comprises counting a selected portion of the inorganic particles from a first sampling port upstream from the plugged honeycomb body and a second sampling port downstream from the plugged honeycomb body. The selected portion of the inorganic particles are in a preselected inorganic particle size range. Filtration efficiency can be determined while inorganic particles are being deposited, for example to increase filtration efficiency.

A conveying device is provided for the conveying of coating powder and includes a powder reservoir container that includes, on the bottom, a powder outlet channel. The powder outlet channel is connected to a first powder conveyor for conveying powder out of the powder reservoir container back to a powder storage container. Moreover, a second powder conveyor is provided for conveying powder out of the powder reservoir container to a powder applicator.

A powder conveying device for the conveying of coating powder to a powder applicator includes a working container that is designed and operable appropriately such that it can be pressurized. The working container further includes a powder inlet and a powder outlet, whereby the powder outlet is connected to a powder outlet valve. In addition, a powder conduit is provided that is connected, on the inlet side, to the powder outlet valve and includes, on the inlet side, an inlet for transport air. The powder conduit can be connected, on the outlet side, to a powder applicator. Moreover, a control is provided that is designed and operable appropriately such that it controls the amount of powder to be conveyed by repeatedly opening and closing the powder outlet valve.

A feed center for powder coating material includes a hopper, an extraction duct, and a control valve. The hopper is in fluid communication with a fluidizing pressure source. The extraction duct is in fluid communication with at least one suction source. The control valve connects the extraction duct with an extraction port of the hopper. The control valve is operable between a first position for applying suction from the at least one suction source to the hopper, and a second position providing an exterior opening in at least one of the control valve and the first extraction duct for exhausting pressurized fluid from the hopper and/or collecting at least some of the air and powder that is exhausted from the powder.

A painting booth may include: a painting chamber and/or an overspray removal unit. Paint may be sprayed in the painting chamber. The painting chamber may be crossed by an air flow for evacuation of overspray from the painting chamber. When exiting the chamber, the air flow may pass through the overspray removal unit in order to remove the overspray from the air flow. The overspray removal unit may include an incoherent mass of cleaning elements kept in a stirred condition, through which the air flow containing the overspray passes so as to release the overspray onto the cleaning elements. A method for removing overspray from air flow exiting a painting booth may include: passing the air flow through an incoherent mass of cleaning elements which are kept in a stirred condition, so as to release the overspray onto the cleaning elements of the incoherent mass.

A pigmented pulverulent composition based on polyamide for coating substrates, including: (a) 40% to 99% by weight of at least one polyamide, (b) 1% to 30% by weight of at least one pigment, and (c) 0% to 30% by weight of at least one additive, wherein the polyamide has an inherent viscosity, as measured using an Ubbelohde tube at 20? C. on a 0.5% by weight solution in m-cresol according to standard ISO 307 but with a measuring temperature of 20? C. rather than 25? C., of more than 0.7 (g/100 g)?1, and wherein the composition has a volume-median diameter Dv50, as measured according to standard ISO 9276parts 1 to 6, of 10 to 200 ?m. A process for manufacturing the composition, the use thereof for coating ametallicsubstrate, and an object comprising a metallic substrate coated with a coating obtained with the pigmented pulverulent composition based on polyamide.