CN112299040A

CN112299040A - Powder conveying device and method and additive manufacturing equipment

Info

Publication number: CN112299040A
Application number: CN202011123581.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 袁加蒙; 吴志玮; 蔡国双
Original assignee: Nanjing Huirui Photoelectric Technology Co ltd
Current assignee: Nanjing Huirui Photoelectric Technology Co ltd; China Yangtze Power Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-10-20
Filing date: 2020-10-20
Publication date: 2021-02-02

Abstract

The invention provides a powder conveying device and method and additive manufacturing equipment, relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing, and aims to solve the problem that the quality of parts is reduced due to the fact that air influences powder in the powder adding process of an existing powder adding assembly. The powder conveying device comprises a powder adding assembly, a powder feeding assembly and a pressure balancing assembly, wherein the powder adding assembly is used for containing powder. When the powder conveying device is in a non-working state, the powder feeding assembly, the powder conveying assembly and the pressure balancing assembly are mutually independent. The powder adding component is in a closed state when containing powder. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, the powder adding assembly is communicated with the powder feeding assembly, and the pressure balancing assembly is respectively communicated with the powder adding assembly and the powder feeding assembly and used for balancing the internal pressure of the powder adding assembly and the powder feeding assembly. The invention also provides a powder conveying method applied to the powder conveying device and additive manufacturing equipment comprising the powder conveying device.

Description

Powder conveying device and method and additive manufacturing equipment

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing, in particular to a powder conveying device and method and additive manufacturing equipment.

Background

In an additive manufacturing process (e.g., laser printing or laser cladding), a powder delivery device is required to provide powder to an additive manufacturing apparatus. The powder delivery device generally includes a powder feeding assembly for continuously providing powder to the powder feeding assembly and a powder feeding assembly for providing powder to the additive manufacturing apparatus.

The powder feeding assembly and the powder feeding assembly of the powder conveying device provided by the prior art are detachably or fixedly connected together, and when the powder feeding assembly needs to be fed with powder on line by the powder feeding assembly, a powder feeding opening of the powder feeding assembly needs to be opened. At this moment, the powder in the powder adding assembly can contact with the atmosphere, and the flow of the air entering the powder adding assembly through the powder adding port can influence the powder feeding of the powder feeding assembly communicated with the powder adding assembly. Based on this, the quality of the finally formed part is affected.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a powder conveying device and method and additive manufacturing equipment, which are used for avoiding influence of air on powder in a powder adding process and improving the printing quality of parts.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a powder conveying device. The powder conveying device comprises a powder adding assembly, a powder feeding assembly and a pressure balancing assembly, wherein the powder adding assembly is used for containing powder. When the powder conveying device is in a non-working state, the powder feeding assembly, the powder conveying assembly and the pressure balancing assembly are mutually independent. The powder adding component is in a closed state when containing powder. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, the powder adding assembly is communicated with the powder feeding assembly, and the pressure balancing assembly is respectively communicated with the powder adding assembly and the powder feeding assembly and used for balancing the internal pressure of the powder adding assembly and the powder feeding assembly.

Compared with the prior art, in the powder conveying device provided by the invention, when the powder conveying device is in a non-working state, the powder adding assembly, the powder feeding assembly and the pressure balancing assembly are mutually independent. In the actual use process, only need with each part assembly together can, simple and convenient. Further, after the powder feeding assembly finishes feeding powder into the powder feeding assembly, the powder feeding assembly can be detached from the powder feeding assembly, and the whole weight of the additive manufacturing equipment can be reduced. Before the operation, the powder feeding assembly containing the powder is in a closed state and is not communicated with the atmosphere, so that the constancy of the air pressure in the powder feeding assembly and the stability of the gas environment are ensured. And when powder conveyor is in operating condition, add whitewashed subassembly and send whitewashed subassembly intercommunication, pressure balance subassembly respectively with add whitewashed subassembly and send whitewashed subassembly intercommunication. In this case, it is ensured that the powder in the powder feeding assembly does not contact the atmosphere and the powder feeding amount is not affected by the airflow generated by the air flow in the process of feeding the powder to the powder feeding assembly by the powder feeding assembly, so that the stability of the powder feeding amount is ensured, the powder flow at the laser nozzle is stably output, and the quality of the finally formed part is improved.

In one possible implementation, the powder feeding assembly includes a powder feeding barrel having opposing inlet and outlet ports, a first sealing cap removably disposed at the inlet port, and a first connecting valve disposed at the outlet port. When the powder conveying device is in a non-working state, the first connecting valve is closed, and the powder adding cylinder is disconnected with the powder feeding assembly. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, the first connecting valve is opened, and the powder adding cylinder is communicated with the powder feeding assembly.

In a possible implementation mode, a first through hole communicated with the powder adding barrel is formed through the first sealing cover. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, the pressure balance assembly is respectively communicated with the first through hole and the powder feeding assembly.

In one possible implementation manner, the powder adding cylinder comprises a first powder adding cylinder and a second powder adding cylinder communicated with the first powder adding cylinder. The first sealing cover is arranged at one end, far away from the second powder adding cylinder, of the first powder adding cylinder, and the first connecting valve is arranged at one end, far away from the first powder adding cylinder, of the second powder adding cylinder. The second powder adding cylinder is in a funnel shape. The periphery of the first powder adding barrel is provided with a pull rod. The powder adding cylinder is a transparent powder adding cylinder. The powder adding cylinder is provided with scale marks on the cylinder wall.

In one possible implementation, the powder feed assembly includes a powder feed barrel having an inlet and an outlet, a second sealing cover disposed at the inlet, and a second connection valve disposed on the second sealing cover and in communication with the powder feed barrel. When the powder conveying device is in a non-working state, the second connecting valve is closed, and the powder feeding cylinder is disconnected with the powder adding assembly. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, the second connecting valve is opened, and the powder feeding cylinder is communicated with the powder adding assembly.

In a possible implementation manner, a second through hole communicated with the powder feeding barrel is formed through the second sealing cover. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, the pressure balancing component is respectively communicated with the powder adding component and the second through hole.

In one possible implementation, the pressure balancing assembly includes a conduit having opposing first and second ends, a first fitting disposed at the first end, and a second fitting disposed at the second end. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, the pipeline is communicated with the powder adding assembly through the first connector, and the pipeline is communicated with the powder feeding assembly through the second connector.

The invention also provides a powder conveying method which is applied to the powder conveying device in the technical scheme. The powder conveying method comprises the following steps: a powder feeding assembly is provided, which is in a closed state when powder is contained. A powder feed assembly is provided. Under the condition that the powder feeding assembly needs to add powder, the pressure balancing assembly is communicated with the powder adding assembly and the powder feeding assembly so as to balance the internal pressure of the powder adding assembly and the powder feeding assembly. And under the condition of balancing the internal pressure of the powder feeding assembly and the powder feeding assembly, the powder feeding assembly feeds powder into the powder feeding assembly.

Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the powder conveying method provided by the invention are the same as those of the powder conveying device in the technical scheme, and the details are not repeated here.

In one possible implementation, the powder feeding assembly, which is in a closed state and contains the powder, is filled with an inert gas.

The invention also provides additive manufacturing equipment which comprises the powder conveying device in the technical scheme.

Compared with the prior art, the additive manufacturing equipment provided by the invention has the same beneficial effects as the powder conveying device in the technical scheme, and the details are not repeated here.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the invention and not to limit the invention. In the drawings:

fig. 1 is a schematic view showing the overall structure of a powder conveying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic structural view of a powdering assembly and a stand according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic structural view of a powdering module and a pressure equalizing module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a powdering assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged schematic view at I in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view showing a part of the structure of a powder feeding assembly in the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a schematic diagram of a portion of a pressure balancing assembly in an embodiment of the present invention;

reference numerals:

1, a powder adding component, 10, 100, 101, 11, a first sealing cover, 110, a handle, 113, a quick connector, 12, a first connecting valve, 120, a first three-part adapter, 121, a three-part double self-locking female head, 13, a pull rod, 14, a powder adding cylinder top, 15, a sealing ring and 16, wherein the powder adding component is a powder adding assembly, the powder adding cylinder is a first powder adding cylinder, the first powder adding cylinder is a second powder adding cylinder, the first sealing cover is a first sealing cover, the handle is a handle, the quick connector is a 113, the; 2, a powder feeding assembly, 20, a powder feeding cylinder, 21, a second sealing cover, 22, a second connecting valve, 220, 221, a second three-part adapter, 23, and 24, wherein the two-part self-locking male head is respectively arranged at the two ends of the powder feeding assembly; 3 is a pressure balance component, 30 is a pipeline, 31 is a second joint, 310 is a one-to-two self-locking female joint, 311 is a quick-insert elbow; 4 is a bracket.

Detailed Description

In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and advantageous effects to be solved by the present invention more clearly apparent, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "secured to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or be indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or be indirectly connected to the other element.

Furthermore, the terms "first", "second" and "first" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means two or more unless specifically defined otherwise. The meaning of "a number" is one or more unless specifically limited otherwise.

In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on those shown in the drawings, and are only for convenience of description and simplicity of description, but do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed in a specific orientation, and be operated, and thus, should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, e.g., as meaning either a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral connection; can be mechanically or electrically connected; either directly or indirectly through intervening media, either internally or in any other relationship. The specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.

In order to solve the above technical problem, an embodiment of the present invention provides a powder conveying device. The powder conveying device is used for printing parts in the laser cladding process. It should be understood that the apparatus is not limited to laser cladding processes. The following description is given by way of example, and it is to be understood that the following description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive.

Referring to fig. 1, the powder conveying apparatus includes: the powder feeding device comprises a powder adding assembly 1, a powder feeding assembly 2 and a pressure balancing assembly 3, wherein the powder adding assembly 1 is used for containing powder. When the powder conveying device is in a non-working state, the powder adding assembly 1, the powder feeding assembly 2 and the pressure balancing assembly 3 are mutually independent. Wherein the powder feeding assembly 1 is in a closed state when containing powder. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, the powder adding assembly 1 is communicated with the powder feeding assembly 2, and the pressure balancing assembly 3 is respectively communicated with the powder adding assembly 1 and the powder feeding assembly 2 and used for balancing the internal pressure of the powder adding assembly 1 and the powder feeding assembly 2.

Referring to fig. 2, when the powder conveying device is in a non-working state, because the powder feeding assembly 1, the powder feeding assembly and the pressure balancing assembly are independent of each other, the powder feeding assembly 1 can be independently placed on the bracket 4, and the powder feeding assembly 1 is prevented from being in contact with other parts and colliding, so that unnecessary damage is avoided. Meanwhile, powder is conveniently added into the powder adding assembly 1, the manual balance of the powder adding assembly 1 is saved, and the labor is saved.

Referring to fig. 1, with the powder conveying device provided by the embodiment of the invention, when the powder conveying device is in a non-working state, the powder feeding assembly 1, the powder feeding assembly 2 and the pressure balancing assembly 3 are independent of each other. In the actual use process, only need with each part assembly together can, simple and convenient. Further, after the powder feeding assembly 1 finishes feeding powder into the powder feeding assembly 2, the powder feeding assembly 1 can be detached from the powder feeding assembly 2, and the overall weight of the additive manufacturing equipment can be reduced. Before the operation, the powder feeding assembly 1 containing the powder is in a closed state and is not communicated with the atmosphere, so that the constancy of the air pressure in the powder feeding assembly 1 and the stability of the gas environment are ensured. And when powder conveyor is in operating condition, add whitewashed subassembly 1 and send whitewashed subassembly 2 intercommunication, pressure balance subassembly 3 communicates with adding whitewashed subassembly 1 and sending whitewashed subassembly 2 respectively. In this case, it is ensured that the powder in the powder feeding unit 1 does not come into contact with the atmosphere and the powder feeding amount is not affected by the airflow generated by the air flow in the process of feeding the powder from the powder feeding unit 1 to the powder feeding unit 2, and the stability of the powder feeding amount is ensured, so that the powder flow at the laser nozzle is stably output, and the quality of the finally formed part is improved.

As a possible implementation, referring to fig. 3 and 4, the powder feeding assembly may include a powder feeding cylinder 10 having an inlet and an outlet opposite to each other, a first sealing cover 11 detachably disposed at the inlet, and a first connection valve 12 disposed at the outlet. When the powder conveying device is in a non-working state, the first connecting valve 12 is closed, and the powder adding cylinder 10 is disconnected from the powder feeding assembly. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, the first connecting valve 12 is opened, and the powder adding cylinder 10 is communicated with the powder feeding assembly.

Illustratively, referring to fig. 3 and 4, since the powder feeding assembly includes a powder feeding cylinder 10 having an inlet and an outlet opposite to each other, a first sealing cover 11 is provided at the inlet of the powder feeding cylinder 10, and a first connection valve 12 is provided at the outlet. When the first sealing cover 11 is sealed at the inlet of the powder adding cylinder 10 and the first connecting valve 12 is closed, the powder adding cylinder 10 is in a closed state relative to the outside, powder in the powder adding assembly cannot contact with the atmosphere at the moment, the stability of air pressure in the powder adding assembly is ensured, meanwhile, the gas environment in the powder adding assembly cannot be changed, and the actual working requirements are met. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, the first connecting valve 12 is opened, the powder adding cylinder 10 is communicated with the powder feeding assembly at the moment, and the powder adding cylinder 10 can feed powder into the powder feeding assembly through the first connecting valve 12. And because the first sealing cover 11 is sealed at the inlet of the powder adding cylinder 10, the powder in the powder adding cylinder 10 is not contacted with the atmosphere at the moment, so the powder feeding amount of the powder adding cylinder 10 is not influenced by the airflow generated by the air flow, and the stability of the powder feeding amount is ensured. Further, the powder flow at the laser nozzle is stably output, so that the quality of the finally formed part is improved.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the connection mode of the first sealing cover 11 and the powder adding cylinder 10 may be a clamping mode, a screwing mode or a mortise-and-tenon connection mode, as long as the powder adding cylinder 10 can be sealed through the first sealing cover 11. The first sealing cover 11 may be a sealing cover with a handle 110, which is convenient for a worker to open or screw (clamp) the first sealing cover 11, and is time-saving and labor-saving. It should be understood that the material, shape, structure, etc. of the first sealing cover 11 described above are not specifically described here as long as the actual working requirements can be satisfied.

Referring to fig. 1 and 4, the first connecting valve 12 may include a first three-way adapter 120 and a three-way double self-locking female head 121. When the powder conveying device is in a non-working state, the three-part double-self-locking female head 121 is closed, and the powder feeding cylinder 20 is disconnected from the powder adding assembly 1. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, the three-part double-self-locking female head 121 is opened, and the powder feeding cylinder 20 is communicated with the powder adding assembly 1. Illustratively, the first three-way adapter 120 is connected to the outlet of the second powder feeding cylinder 101, and then the three-way double self-locking female head 121 is connected to the first three-way adapter 120, thereby forming the first connecting valve 12 for communicating with the powder feeding assembly. It should be understood that the first connecting valve 12 may be any other component as long as it can be used for connecting the powder adding cylinder and the powder feeding assembly. In order to ensure the tightness of the connection between the three-third double self-locking female head 121 and the first three-third adapter 120, the powder cannot be exposed from the interface between the three-third double self-locking female head 121 and the first three-third adapter 120 in the powder feeding process, and a raw adhesive tape can be wrapped at the interface.

As a possible implementation manner, referring to fig. 3, a first through hole (not shown in the figure) communicating with the powder adding cylinder 10 may be formed through the first sealing cover 11. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, the pressure balance assembly is respectively communicated with the first through hole and the powder feeding assembly.

Illustratively, referring to fig. 3, a first through hole communicated with the powder feeding cylinder 10 is formed through the first sealing cover 11, and when the powder conveying device is in an operating state, one end of the pressure balancing assembly is communicated with the first through hole, and the other end of the pressure balancing assembly is communicated with the powder feeding assembly. Because first through-hole runs through first sealed lid 11, first sealed lid 11 again with add the chucking of powder section of thick bamboo, so the pressure balance subassembly can be through first through-hole with adding powder section of thick bamboo and send the powder subassembly intercommunication, the balanced internal pressure who adds the powder section of thick bamboo and send the powder subassembly.

In an example, referring to fig. 3, 4 and 5, a third through hole may be formed on a surface of the first sealing cover 11 facing the powder adding cylinder 10 (i.e. a surface of the first sealing cover 11 facing the powder adding cylinder 10 when the first sealing cover 11 is tightly sealed with the powder adding cylinder 10) (note that the third through hole does not penetrate through the first sealing cover 11). And then a fourth through hole which can be communicated with the third through hole is arranged on the side surface of the first sealing cover 11 (note that the fourth through hole does not penetrate through the first sealing cover 11). Since the third through hole (not shown) and the fourth through hole (not shown) communicate with each other and the third through hole communicates with the powder feed cylinder 10, the fourth through hole can communicate with the outside atmosphere. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, one end of the pressure balancing component can be communicated with the fourth through hole, and the other end of the pressure balancing component is communicated with the powder feeding component. Because the fourth through hole is communicated with the third through hole, and the third through hole is communicated with the powder adding cylinder 10, the pressure balancing component can communicate the powder adding cylinder 10 with the powder feeding component through the fourth through hole, and balance the internal pressure of the powder adding cylinder 10 and the powder feeding component. It should be understood that the above-mentioned manner of communicating the pressure balancing assembly with the powder adding cylinder 10 and the powder feeding assembly respectively is various and not limited to the above description. Of course, a connecting member for connecting other components may be provided at the first through hole or the fourth through hole. For example, the connector may be a quick-connect coupling 113.

As a possible implementation manner, referring to fig. 3 and 4, the powder adding cylinder 10 may include a first powder adding cylinder 100 and a second powder adding cylinder 101 communicated with the first powder adding cylinder 100. The first sealing cover 11 is arranged at one end of the first powder adding cylinder 100 far away from the second powder adding cylinder 101. The first connecting valve 12 is disposed at one end of the second powder adding cylinder 101 away from the first powder adding cylinder 100. The second powder adding cylinder 101 is funnel-shaped, and a pull rod 13 is arranged on the periphery of the first powder adding cylinder 100. The powder adding cylinder 10 is a transparent powder adding cylinder. The powder adding cylinder 10 has a cylinder wall on which scale marks are arranged.

Illustratively, referring to fig. 3 and 4, the powder adding cylinder 10 further comprises a powder adding cylinder top 14 arranged between the first sealing cover 11 and the first powder adding cylinder 100. In practical use, since the first sealing cover 11 has a thread matching with the powdering cylinder top 14, the first sealing cover 11 can be screwed with the powdering cylinder top 14 through the thread. The first powder adding cylinder 100 is positioned between the powder adding cylinder top 14 and the second powder adding cylinder 101, and a sealing ring 15 is arranged at an interface for sealing the first powder adding cylinder 100 and the second powder adding cylinder 101. A pull rod 13 is arranged at the periphery of the first powder adding cylinder 100, and further, the pull rod 13 is positioned between the powder adding cylinder top 14 and the second powder adding cylinder 101 and is perpendicular to the second powder adding cylinder 101. The pull rod 13 can further ensure the stability and safety of the first powder adding cylinder 100. It should be understood that, since the pull rod 13 is threaded, the pull rod 13 can be fixed on the second powder adding cylinder 101 through a hexagonal nut 16, and the pull rod 13 can be fixed on the powder adding cylinder top 14 in the same manner.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the second powder adding cylinder 101 may have a funnel shape, in which the top (the end with the larger diameter) of the funnel-shaped second powder adding cylinder 101 is connected to the first powder adding cylinder 100, and the bottom (the end with the smaller diameter) of the funnel-shaped second powder adding cylinder 101 is provided with the first connecting valve 12. Because the second powder adding cylinder 101 is in a funnel shape, the flow velocity and flow of powder can be ensured to be continuously stable in the process of feeding powder to the powder feeding assembly, the sudden increase or decrease of the powder feeding amount is avoided, the powder flow at the laser nozzle is stably output, and the quality of the finally formed part is improved.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the first powder adding cylinder 100 and the second powder adding cylinder 101 may both be transparent powder adding cylinders, and at this time, the remaining amounts of the powder in the first powder adding cylinder 100 and the second powder adding cylinder 101, whether the powder feeding process is smooth, and whether the powder blocking condition occurs can be observed in real time, so as to add the powder or process the powder in time. Furthermore, the powder adding cylinder 10 has a cylinder wall provided with scale marks. For example, the scale marks may be arranged on the wall of the first powder feeding cylinder 100, so that the content of the powder in the first powder feeding cylinder 100 can be accurately known, the content of the powder is not more than the set maximum limit, a certain space is reserved for the adjustment of the gas and the gas pressure in the first powder feeding cylinder 100 in the later period, the smooth operation of the powder feeding process is ensured, and meanwhile, the gas environment where the powder is located is ensured to meet the working requirement.

As a possible implementation, referring to fig. 1 and 6, the powder feeding assembly 2 may include a powder feeding cylinder 20 having an inlet and an outlet, a second sealing cover 21 disposed at the inlet, and a second connection valve 22 disposed on the second sealing cover 21 and communicating with the powder feeding cylinder 20. When the powder conveying device is in a non-working state, the second connecting valve 22 is closed, and the powder feeding cylinder 20 is disconnected from the powder adding assembly 1. When the powder conveying device is in an operating state, the second connecting valve 22 is opened, and the powder feeding cylinder 20 is communicated with the powder adding assembly 1.

Illustratively, referring to fig. 1 and 6, since the powder feeding assembly 2 may include a powder feeding cylinder 20 having an inlet and an outlet, a second sealing cover 21 disposed at the inlet, and a second connection valve 22 disposed on the second sealing cover 21 and communicating with the powder feeding cylinder 20. When the powder conveying device is in a non-working state, the second sealing cover 21 is sealed at the inlet of the powder feeding cylinder 20, the second connecting valve 22 is closed, the powder feeding cylinder 20 is disconnected from the powder adding assembly 1, and the powder feeding cylinder 20 is in a sealing state. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, the second connecting valve 22 is opened, the powder feeding cylinder 20 is communicated with the powder adding assembly 1, and at the moment, the powder adding assembly 1 can feed powder into the powder feeding cylinder 20 through the second connecting valve 22. Because the powder adding assembly 1 is in a closed state in the working state, the powder in the powder feeding cylinder 20 can be ensured not to contact with the atmosphere, and the stability of the powder feeding amount is ensured.

Referring to fig. 1 and 6, the second sealing cover 21 may also be used to seal the powder feeding cylinder 20 by means of snap, screw, or mortise and tenon connection. The second sealing cover 21 may be a metal second sealing cover 21, or other materials. It should be understood that the shape, structure, etc. of the second sealing cover 21 described above are not specifically described here as long as the practical working requirements can be satisfied.

Referring to fig. 1, 4 and 6, the second connecting valve 22 may be a part that is matched with the first connecting valve 12. For example, when the first connection valve 12 is composed of the first three-way adapter 120 and the three-way double self-locking female head 121, the second connection valve 22 may include a three-way double self-locking male head 220 matched with the three-way double self-locking female head 121, and a second three-way adapter 221 connected with the three-way double self-locking male head 220 and disposed on the second sealing cover 21.

Referring to fig. 1, 4 and 6, when the powder conveying device is in a non-working state, the trisection double self-locking male head 220 is closed, and the powder feeding cylinder 20 is disconnected from the powder adding assembly 1. Namely, when the three-part double self-locking male head 220 is not connected with the corresponding three-part double self-locking female head 121, the three-part double self-locking male head 220 is in a closed state.

Referring to fig. 1, 4 and 6, when the powder conveying device is in a working state, the trisection double-self-locking male head 220 is opened, and the powder feeding cylinder 20 is communicated with the powder adding assembly 1. Namely, after first three minutes adapter 120 is connected with the exit of second powder adding cylinder 101, the female head 121 of the two auto-locks of three minutes is connected with first three minutes adapter 120, and then the male head 220 of the two auto-locks of three minutes is connected with the female head 121 of the two auto-locks of three minutes, and the male head 220 of the two auto-locks of three minutes is connected with second three minutes adapter 221 after, so far make send whitewashed subassembly 2 and add whitewashed subassembly 1 and pass through first connecting valve 12 and second connecting valve 22 intercommunication. In order to ensure the connection tightness between the three-third double self-locking male head 220 and the second three-third adapter 221, the powder cannot be exposed from the interface between the three-third double self-locking male head 220 and the second three-third adapter 221 in the powder feeding process, and a raw adhesive tape can be wrapped on the interface. Similarly, in order to ensure the tightness of being connected between the three-third double self-locking female head 121 and the first three-third adapter 120, the powder cannot be exposed from the interface between the three-third double self-locking female head 121 and the first three-third adapter 120 in the powder feeding process, and a raw adhesive tape can be wrapped at the interface.

As a possible implementation, referring to fig. 1 and 6, a second through hole (not shown) communicating with the powder feeding cylinder 20 is opened through the second sealing cover 21. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, the pressure balancing component 3 is respectively communicated with the powder adding component 1 and the second through hole.

Illustratively, referring to fig. 1 and 6, a second through hole communicated with the powder feeding cylinder 20 is formed through the second sealing cover 21, and when the powder conveying device is in an operating state, one end of the pressure balancing assembly 3 is communicated with the first through hole, and the other end is communicated with the second through hole. As the first through hole penetrates through the first sealing cover 11, the first sealing cover 11 is tightly clamped with the powder feeding barrel, the second through hole penetrates through the second sealing cover 21, and the second sealing cover 21 is tightly clamped with the powder feeding barrel 20. The pressure balancing assembly 3 can be respectively communicated with the powder adding cylinder and the powder feeding cylinder 20 at this time, and the internal pressure of the powder adding cylinder and the powder feeding cylinder 20 can be balanced.

In one example, referring to fig. 1 and 6, a fifth through hole may be formed in a surface of the second sealing cap 21 facing the powder feeding cylinder 20 (i.e., a surface of the second sealing cap 21 facing the powder feeding cylinder 20 when the second sealing cap 21 tightly seals with the powder feeding cylinder 20) (note that the fifth through hole does not pass through the second sealing cap 21). And then a sixth through hole which can communicate with the fifth through hole is formed in the side surface of the second seal cover 21 (note that the second seal cover 21 is not penetrated by the sixth through hole). Since the fifth through hole (not shown in the figure) and the sixth through hole (not shown in the figure) communicate with each other, and the fifth through hole communicates with the powder feed cylinder 20, the sixth through hole communicates with the outside atmosphere. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, one end of the pressure balance component 3 can be communicated with the sixth through hole, and the other end of the pressure balance component is communicated with the powder adding component 1. Since the sixth through hole is communicated with the fifth through hole, and the fifth through hole is communicated with the powder feeding cylinder 20, the pressure balancing assembly 3 can communicate the powder feeding cylinder 20 with the powder adding assembly 1 through the sixth through hole, so as to balance the internal pressure of the powder feeding cylinder 20 and the powder adding assembly 1. It should be understood that the above-mentioned ways of communicating the pressure balancing assembly 3 with the powder feeding cylinder 20 and the powder adding assembly 1 respectively are various and not limited to the above description.

It is to be understood that, referring to fig. 1 and 6, a connector for connecting other components may be provided at the second through hole or the sixth through hole. For example, the connector may include a one-to-one adapter 23 and a one-to-two self-locking male 24. Wherein, a adapter 23 sets up in second sealed lid 21, and one minute double auto-lock male head 24 is connected with an adapter 23. In order to ensure the connection tightness between the one-to-two self-locking male head 24 and the one-to-two adapter 23, gas cannot leak from the interface between the one-to-two self-locking male head 24 and the one-to-two adapter 23, and a raw adhesive tape can be wrapped on the interface. And when the one-to-two self-locking male head 24 is not connected with the corresponding one-to-two self-locking female head, the one-to-two self-locking male head 24 is in a closed state.

As a possible implementation, referring to fig. 1 and 7, the pressure balancing assembly 3 comprises a pipe 30 having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, a first joint provided at the first end, and a second joint 31 provided at the second end. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, the pipeline 30 is communicated with the powder adding assembly 1 through the first connector, and the pipeline 30 is communicated with the powder feeding assembly 2 through the second connector 31.

Illustratively, referring to fig. 1 and 7, a first fitting is provided at a first end of the conduit 30 and a second fitting 31 is provided at a second end. When the powder conveying device is in a working state, the pipeline 30 is connected with the first through hole or the fourth through hole of the powder adding assembly 1 through the first joint, and the pipeline 30 is communicated with the second through hole or the sixth through hole of the powder feeding assembly 2 through the second joint 31.

Referring to fig. 5 and 7, if the first through hole or the fourth through hole is not provided with a connecting member for connecting other components (i.e. the quick-connect plug 113 is not provided), the first connector may be the quick-connect plug 113, and the size of the quick-connect plug 113 is matched with the size of the first through hole or the fourth through hole, so that the pipeline 30 is connected with the powder adding assembly, and meanwhile, the sealing performance between the pipeline 30 and the powder adding assembly is ensured. For example, in the embodiment of the present invention, the quick connector 113 is disposed at the fourth through hole in advance, and at this time, the pipeline 30 may be directly connected to the quick connector 113, and further communicated with the powder feeding assembly. Of course, the manner in which the conduit 30 communicates with the powdering assembly is various and is not limited to the above description.

Referring to fig. 6 and 7, the second connector 31 may be a part that matches with the connectors (a one-to-one adapter 23 and a one-to-two self-locking male connector 24) previously disposed at the second through hole or the sixth through hole, for example, the second connector 31 may be a one-to-two self-locking female connector 310 and a quick-insertion elbow 311. Wherein, the quick-insert elbow 311 is arranged at the second end of the pipeline 30, and the one-to-two self-locking female head 310 is connected with the quick-insert elbow 311. In order to ensure the tightness of the connection between the one-in-two self-locking female head 310 and the quick-insertion elbow 311, gas cannot leak from the interface between the one-in-two self-locking female head 310 and the quick-insertion elbow 311, and the interface can be wrapped with raw adhesive tape.

Referring to fig. 7, the pipe 30 may be a rubber pipe or a polycarbonate pipe (PC pipe), and the pipe 30 may be a transparent pipe.

The embodiment of the invention also provides a powder conveying method, which is applied to the powder conveying device in the technical scheme. Referring to fig. 1 to 7, the powder conveying method includes:

step 1: referring to fig. 2, 3 and 4, a powder feeding assembly 1 is provided, the powder feeding assembly 1 being in a closed state when containing powder.

For example, referring to fig. 2, 3 and 4, the first sealing lid 11 of the first powder adding cylinder 100 is opened, and a hopper or other tool is used to add powder (e.g., metal powder) into the first powder adding cylinder 100. Because the first powder adding cylinder 100 is a transparent powder adding cylinder with scale marks, the amount of the added powder can be monitored in real time in the powder adding process, and the powder is prevented from exceeding the highest position of the scale marks. After the powder is added, the first sealing cover 11 is screwed on the first powder adding cylinder 100. Before the powder feeding assembly 1 containing the powder is not operated, the powder feeding assembly 1 containing the powder can be placed on the bracket 4, and then the gas environment in the powder feeding assembly 1 is adjusted through the third through hole and the fourth through hole which are positioned on the first sealing cover 11. For example, the powder adding assembly 1 is vacuumized, and then inert gas (e.g., argon gas) is filled into the powder adding assembly 1, so that the powder adding process of the powder adding assembly 1 is completed, and the powder adding assembly 1 is in a sealed state after the powder adding is completed. It should be understood that the first powder adding cylinder 100 may be under an inert gas environment or under an atmospheric environment during the process of adding the powder into the first powder adding cylinder 100.

Step 2: referring to fig. 1, a powder feed assembly 2 is provided.

Illustratively, referring to fig. 1, a powder feed assembly 2 is provided that is adapted to mate with a powder feeding assembly 1, and prior to powder feeding, the powder feed assembly 2 may be pre-loaded with powder for use in providing powder to an additive manufacturing apparatus (e.g., a laser cladding apparatus). Of course, the powder feeding assembly 2 does not need to contain powder in advance, and the powder feeding assembly 2 is used for feeding powder to manufacture parts because the later powder feeding assembly 1 is communicated with the powder feeding assembly 2.

And step 3: referring to fig. 1 to 7, in the case where the powder feeding assembly 2 requires powder addition, the pressure balancing assembly 3 communicates the powder adding assembly 1 and the powder feeding assembly 2 to balance the internal pressures of the powder adding assembly 1 and the powder feeding assembly 2.

Illustratively, referring to fig. 1-7, the powder feeding assembly 1 is activated to feed powder to the powder feeding assembly 2 when the amount of powder contained in the powder feeding assembly 2 exceeds a preset minimum value. Since the protection caps (such as rubber sleeves or films) are sleeved on the one-third double self-locking male head 220 and the one-third double self-locking male head 24 on the second sealing cover 21 of the powder feeding assembly 2 when the powder is not added, the protection caps on the one-third double self-locking male head 220 and the one-third double self-locking male head 24 need to be removed first in the powder adding process. Then, the first end of the transparent PC tube is connected to the quick connector 113 located at the fourth through hole of the first sealing cover 11. The second end of the transparent PC tube (at this time, the second end is provided with a quick-insert elbow 311 and a one-in-two self-locking female head 310) is connected to the one-in-two self-locking male head 24 positioned at the sixth through hole of the second sealing cover 21. At this time, the gas paths of the powder adding assembly 1 and the powder feeding assembly 2 are communicated by using a transparent PC pipe, so that the internal pressure of the powder adding assembly 1 and the powder feeding assembly 2 can be balanced.

And 4, step 4: referring to fig. 1 to 7, the powder feeding assembly 1 feeds powder into the powder feeding assembly 2 while balancing the internal pressures of the powder feeding assembly 1 and the powder feeding assembly 2.

For example, referring to fig. 1 to 7, under the condition of balancing the internal pressure of the powder feeding assembly 1 and the powder feeding assembly 2, the three-part double self-locking female head 121 on the powder feeding assembly 1 is aligned and connected with the three-part double self-locking male head 220 on the powder feeding assembly 2, and at the moment, the powder path is opened. Because the air path is opened first, the powder can flow into the powder feeding component 2 from the powder adding component 1 without obstruction under the action of gravity.

Referring to fig. 1 to 7, after the powder is added, the gas path needs to be disconnected first, that is, the one-to-two self-locking female head 310 and the one-to-two self-locking male head 24 are disconnected first, and no gas is introduced into the powder adding assembly 1. Then, the powder path is cut off, namely the three-part double self-locking female head 121 and the three-part double self-locking male head 220 are cut off, and at the moment, the powder adding assembly 1 stops adding powder into the powder feeding assembly 2. When the powder feeding assembly 1 does not work, the powder feeding assembly 1 can be placed on the support 4, unnecessary loss caused by the fact that the powder feeding assembly 1 is toppled or collides with other parts is avoided, meanwhile, the weight of the powder feeding assembly 2 and the whole material increase manufacturing equipment is reduced, and the powder feeding assembly is more suitable for mobile cladding and field cladding. Then, the powder attached to the three-part double self-locking male head 220 of the powder feeding assembly 2 is cleaned (for example, the powder can be cleaned by a brush), and then the three-part double self-locking male head 220 is protected and sealed by a protective cap such as a rubber sleeve or a film. The powder feeding process from the powder feeding assembly 1 to the powder feeding assembly 2 is finished.

Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the powder conveying method provided by the embodiment of the invention are the same as those of the powder conveying device in the technical scheme, and the details are not repeated here.

As a possible implementation, referring to fig. 1 to 7, the powder feeding assembly 1 which is in a sealed state and contains powder is filled with inert gas.

Illustratively, when the powder adding assembly 1 which is in a closed state and contains powder is filled with inert gas, the quality of the part formed in the later period can be ensured to be better, and the precision of the part is higher.

The embodiment of the invention also provides additive manufacturing equipment which comprises the powder conveying device in the technical scheme.

Compared with the prior art, the additive manufacturing equipment provided by the embodiment of the invention has the same beneficial effects as the powder conveying device in the technical scheme, and the details are not repeated here.

In the foregoing description of embodiments, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

The above description is only for the specific embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of the changes or substitutions within the technical scope of the present invention, and all the changes or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. The powder conveying device is characterized by comprising a powder adding component, a powder feeding component and a pressure balancing component, wherein the powder adding component is used for containing powder;

the powder conveying device is in a non-working state, and the powder feeding assembly, the powder conveying assembly and the pressure balancing assembly are mutually independent; the powder adding assembly is in a closed state when containing powder;

the powder conveying device is in a working state, and the powder adding assembly is communicated with the powder feeding assembly; the pressure balancing component is respectively communicated with the powder adding component and the powder feeding component and is used for balancing the internal pressure of the powder adding component and the powder feeding component.

2. The powder delivery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the powder feeding assembly comprises a powder feeding cartridge having opposing inlet and outlet ports, a first sealing cap removably disposed at the inlet port, and a first connecting valve disposed at the outlet port;

the powder conveying device is in a non-working state, the first connecting valve is closed, and the powder adding cylinder is disconnected with the powder feeding assembly;

the powder conveying device is in a working state, the first connecting valve is opened, and the powder adding cylinder is communicated with the powder feeding assembly.

3. The powder conveying device according to claim 2, wherein a first through hole communicating with the powder feeding cylinder is formed through the first sealing cover;

the powder conveying device is in a working state, and the pressure balance assembly is communicated with the first through hole and the powder feeding assembly respectively.

4. The powder delivery apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the powder adding cylinder includes a first powder adding cylinder, and a second powder adding cylinder communicating with the first powder adding cylinder; the first sealing cover is arranged at one end of the first powder adding cylinder, which is far away from the second powder adding cylinder; the first connecting valve is arranged at one end of the second powder adding cylinder, which is far away from the first powder adding cylinder; the second powder adding cylinder is in a funnel shape; a pull rod is arranged at the periphery of the first powder adding cylinder;

and/or the presence of a gas in the gas,

the powder adding cylinder is a transparent powder adding cylinder;

and/or the presence of a gas in the gas,

and the wall of the powder adding cylinder is provided with scale marks.

5. The powder delivery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the powder feed assembly comprises a powder feed barrel having an inlet and an outlet, a second sealing cap disposed at the inlet, and a second connecting valve disposed on the second sealing cap and in communication with the powder feed barrel;

the powder conveying device is in a non-working state, the second connecting valve is closed, and the powder conveying cylinder is disconnected from the powder adding assembly;

the powder conveying device is in a working state, the second connecting valve is opened, and the powder conveying cylinder is communicated with the powder adding assembly.

6. The powder conveying device according to claim 5, wherein a second through hole communicating with the powder feed cylinder is opened through the second sealing cover;

the powder conveying device is in a working state, and the pressure balance assembly is respectively communicated with the powder adding assembly and the second through hole.

7. The powder delivery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure balancing assembly comprises a conduit having opposing first and second ends, a first fitting disposed at the first end, and a second fitting disposed at the second end;

the powder conveying device is in a working state, the pipeline is communicated with the powder adding assembly through a first connector, and the pipeline is communicated with the powder feeding assembly through a second connector.

8. A powder conveying method applied to the powder conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7; the powder conveying method comprises the following steps:

providing a powder adding assembly, wherein the powder adding assembly is in a closed state when containing powder;

providing a powder feeding assembly;

under the condition that the powder feeding assembly needs to add powder, the pressure balancing assembly is communicated with the powder adding assembly and the powder feeding assembly so as to balance the internal pressure of the powder adding assembly and the powder feeding assembly;

the powder feeding assembly feeds powder into the powder feeding assembly while balancing the internal pressures of the powder feeding assembly and the powder feeding assembly.

9. The powder conveying method according to claim 8, wherein the powdering assembly in a sealed state and containing the powder is filled with an inert gas.

10. An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising a powder delivery device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.