Method, a device and a system for metering of powder

A powder metering device for powder material provided from a powder material source, the device being arranged to be charged with a batch of powder material from said source in a charging configuration and to discharge said batch in a discharging configuration, the device comprising:

• a metering piston space arranged to be connected with said powder material source in the charging configuration via a first channel of a fixed metering channel hub, the volume of the metering piston space between a metering piston and a peripheral surface of the fixed metering channel hub being controllable by controlling the piston position in said metering piston space, the metering piston space being rotatable around the metering channel hub, the volume of the metering piston space being arranged to be enclosed when leaving the charging configuration, the piston metering space being arranged to be connected to a discharge opening via a second channel of the metering channel hub in the discharge configuration, the powder material of said enclosed volume being intended to be discharged through said opening, the metering piston space being situated below said first channel in the charging configuration to provide filling of said space with powder material from the powder material source by action of gravity and the metering piston space being situated above the second channel in the discharge configuration to provide discharging of the powder material from the metering piston space through the second channel and said opening.

A system for metering and processing powder material, the system comprising:

• a metering device comprising a metering piston space arranged to be connected with said powder material source in the charging configuration via a first channel of a fixed metering channel hub, the volume of the metering piston space between a metering piston and a peripheral surface of the fixed metering channel hub being controllable by controlling the piston position in said metering piston space, the metering piston space being rotatable around the metering channel hub, the volume of the metering piston space being arranged to be enclosed when leaving the charging configuration, the piston metering space being arranged to be connected to a discharge opening via a second channel of the metering channel hub in the discharge configuration, the powder material of said enclosed volume being intended to be discharged through said opening, the metering piston space being situated below said first channel in the charging configuration to provide filling of said space with powder material from the powder material source by action of gravity and the metering piston space being situated above the second channel in the discharge configuration to provide discharging of the powder material from the metering piston space through the second channel and said opening;
• a batch processor configured to batch wise process powder material metered by said device;
• and
• means for determining the result of the processing, comparing the result with a desired result and for controlling the metering piston position in the metering space, if necessary, in order to obtain the desired result in at least one following processing step.