Computational fluid dynamics model for thickness and uniformity prediction of coating layer in slot-die process

A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model to analyze the dynamics of ink at the outlet of a slot-die coater and wet coated layer thickness is presented in this paper. This model can be used to estimate the thickness deviation of the coated layer in the transverse direction, which cannot be obtained by using the conventional two-dimensional model. The internal geometry of the slot-die coater was statistically optimized by using the Box–Behnken design of experiment. Experimental results show that the thickness deviation is improved by 71% in the slot-die coater having an optimal internal geometry and inlet flow rate. The developed model is expected to be useful in obtaining the desired coating conditions and geometry of the slot-die coater without costly and time-consuming experiments.