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Mystery device

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duffy

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A few years ago I picked up this curious electromechanical gadget at American Science and Surplus. They didn't know what it was, or where it came from.

whatsit.jpg

There are no markings on it, other than the labels from the company that made the stepper motors. It has 3 steppers in an x, y and z gantry configuration with limit switch optos. Each of the 3 lead screws has a different pitch. Together they move a "nozzle" assembly.

whatsit3.jpg

The white part is ceramic. There is a barbed fitting for gas or fluid to this. There is also a barbed fitting to that part underneath it that resembles a showerhead. These two heads are in a fixed relation with a half-inch gap between them.


I've had this thing sitting around my office for a while, getting a lot of comments and theories as to what it might be. Maybe someone here knows?
 
These are very common. They are known as a "Conversation Piece" universally. :)

While yes, I am clueless it is really pretty cool as to some great parts. Motors and lead screws and all. Looking at it you can figure originally it was expensive to make.

Ron
 
Hi duffy. I brought it up in the chat to see what people thought of it. Eric Gibbs said it could be some sort of ultrasonic welder. After a quick google search, I can see the similarities. Maybe a little reading on the subject wouldn't be a bad idea.... :D

Der Strom
 
Dunno what it is, but looks as though you could convert it into a fantastic drinks dispensing machine!
 
Eric Gibbs said it could be some sort of ultrasonic welder. ...
Maybe a little reading on the subject wouldn't be a bad idea....

Somebody's pulling somebody's leg - Eric probably remembers I worked with ultrasonic welders at Mead Fluid Dynamics in Chicago a few years back, where we developed the "Isonic" valve. This was a line of relatively inexpensive plastic pneumatic valves that were ultrasonically welded together. Those welders gave us the fits and I was probably on here complaining a lot. There's certainly nothing about this gadget that looks ultrasonic weldery.


alec_t said:
Dunno what it is, but looks as though you could convert it into a fantastic drinks dispensing machine!
Ok, now here's the most sensible suggestion I've heard in a long time.
 
Somebody's pulling somebody's leg - Eric probably remembers I worked with ultrasonic welders at Mead Fluid Dynamics in Chicago a few years back, where we developed the "Isonic" valve. This was a line of relatively inexpensive plastic pneumatic valves that were ultrasonically welded together. Those welders gave us the fits and I was probably on here complaining a lot. There's certainly nothing about this gadget that looks ultrasonic weldery.

Ah, a joke that sailed right over my head. Thanks a lot, Eric :p:D
 
can you see whats inside the ceramic head? it looks like a custom made job, specifically made to do 1 particular task on 1 particular job/part. Looking at that head i would say its either ultrasonic or gets very hot.

The barbed fitting may be for a supply of inert gas like argon, to keep out impurities.
 
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Hi,

The three axis xyz movement and solid construction tells me they wanted fairly precise and accurate placement of the head in three dimensions, but only need this within a small range or movement.
The two fittings tells me they pump in air, gas, or liquid, or pump in one side and vacuum out the other side, or vacuum out both sides.

The head does not resemble an ultrasonic welder head.

Doesnt appear to be a burner (torch) unless it was never used yet, but we cant see part of it that well to be sure.

Could also be a piece of test equipment made for testing something specialized, or even for testing just a sample of something.
 
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can you see whats inside the ceramic head?
... gets very hot.
Yes, I think this thing is the key to figuring it out. Ceramic is difficult to work with, they wouldn't have built this ceramic head if they didn't have to.

cer noz.jpg

It seems to show some evidence of heating. Could flames have been shooting out of it into that showerhead thing? Or is that backwards, could the showerhead thing be some sort of ring burner, and the ceramic part was an exhaust?

shwrhd.jpg

I know somebody, somewhere, could just take one look at this thing and go "Oh, yeah - that's an old D27 bunkelzanker with an articulated fram nozzle." (or whatever)
 
where does the hole in the nozzle goto? looking at that i would say the bottom plate is some sort of burner, but unless that ceramic part has been cleaned its very clean burning fuel.
 
where does the hole in the nozzle goto? looking at that i would say the bottom plate is some sort of burner, but unless that ceramic part has been cleaned its very clean burning fuel.

What's really throwing me off is that it all moves in three dimensions. Why would a burner need to move around like that??
 
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Hi duffy,
I have got it,!

"Oh, yeah - that's an old D27 bunkelzanker with an articulated fram nozzle." (or whatever) :rolleyes:

E
 
where does the hole in the nozzle goto?
It connects to that hose barb. The ceramic has not been cleaned. I can't tell if the discoloration is from combustion or something else. There is no smell to give a clue.

I have got it,!
"Oh, yeah - that's an old D27 bunkelzanker with an articulated fram nozzle." (or whatever)

Big fat help YOU are.

DerStrom8 said:
What's really throwing me off is that it all moves in three dimensions. Why would a burner need to move around like that??

Curly fries?
 
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I'm pretty stumped for now, but if the 'shower-head' were used as a burner or heater, would the 'jets' not be required to be much smaller in diameter?

The roughly 1/2" gap suggests working with a relatively thin substance, given a requirement to adjust the Z-axis.

Do you agree that vacuum can be pretty much ruled out for the top side, given bare ceramic is relatively porous compared to a glazed finish?

How about vacuum for the lower fixture... if so, any substance worked upon would have to be self-sealing?

The fact that both fixtures have hose-barbs suggests some form of medium is required, but what.....IDK!

Are there any signs of abrasive wear on the jets of the lower fixture?

What is the amount of travel on the X and Y axes?

Just thinking out loud and throwing some questions about....

Regards.
 
well its got me beat
But I have learnt one thing out of all this discussion...
I never knew about ultrasonic welding, did a little google research, thanks DerStrom :) ... learn something new every day

Dave
 
I never knew about ultrasonic welding, did a little google research, thanks DerStrom :) ... learn something new every day

Dave

Heh heh, don't thank me--Thank eric for throwing that joke at me :D hahaha
 
I'm pretty stumped for now, but if the 'shower-head' were used as a burner or heater, would the 'jets' not be required to be much smaller in diameter?

Oh - good angle! There's different size holes for natural gas, propane, etc. I remember because we needed to have a stove re-jetted one time. These holes are Φ.072", which is crazy-huge. So maybe not a burner.

Do you agree that vacuum can be pretty much ruled out for the top side, given bare ceramic is relatively porous compared to a glazed finish?

It is unglazed. I added an air line, stuck my finger in the hole and sucked on the hose (in b4 gay jokes) and it holds. So, I wouldn't say a vacuum was ruled out.

How about vacuum for the lower fixture... if so, any substance worked upon would have to be self-sealing?

Maybe, or maybe it blows air out like a table-hockey machine and "floats" a ribbon of something running over it at high speed?

Are there any signs of abrasive wear on the jets of the lower fixture?

No, and no signs of discoloration from heat.

What is the amount of travel on the X and Y axes?
x = 1.75"
y = 1.35"
z = .95"
 
I would go with a vacuum on the bottom. Its odd the the top and bottom peaces don't move together closing the gap. I think the bottom one is just thare to catch what ever comes out of the top.
 
So maybe it's spraying something, like a coating, and the bottom part just vacuums up the excess. But then why go to the trouble to make the top part out of ceramic? Why not just use more brass?

Also, keep in mind I have no idea how it was really intended to be mounted. For all I know, I'm showing it upside-down or sideways.
 
What's really throwing me off is that it all moves in three dimensions. Why would a burner need to move around like that??

Picture a single moving conveyor stopping at fix points (stations) the unit then moves down to whatever is on the conveyor and then moves back to get out of the way. It's possible that it could have been designed to actually work with a moving conveyor as well to keep the flame (I think that's a given at this point) on the target while the conveyor moved.

Feel like taking that ceramic mount off and snooping around inside to see how it's constructed? What about the brass port, I don't see bolts on that but it looks like it may be threaded? Just use something like a small pipe wrench on the brass cap and see if you can get it to turn. Construction of the insides of those two components are key to understanding what to might have done.

My best guess is that the circular lower lower portion with the holes was fed natural gas, I'm guessing those holes are aimed at an angle not straight up, it looks like something that had a focal, point. IF the target were small the upper portion looks like it would be a vacuum intake to suck in exhaust gas AND AMBIENT AIR. By the time the ambient and exhaust gas mixed in that ceramic module the temperature was low enough to keep the bulk of the unit from heating up. This thing was definitely built like a tank.

Think of it as a pulse heater for a very small target, like maybe 1/4 inch max.
 
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