CN117300171A - Additive manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Additive manufacturing equipment Download PDF

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Publication number
CN117300171A
CN117300171A CN202311331817.2A CN202311331817A CN117300171A CN 117300171 A CN117300171 A CN 117300171A CN 202311331817 A CN202311331817 A CN 202311331817A CN 117300171 A CN117300171 A CN 117300171A
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CN
China
Prior art keywords
additive manufacturing
cylinder
powder
forming
manufacturing apparatus
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Pending
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CN202311331817.2A
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Chinese (zh)
Inventor
请求不公布姓名
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Shi Shuoqing
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Shi Shuoqing
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Publication date
Application filed by Shi Shuoqing filed Critical Shi Shuoqing
Priority to CN202311331817.2A priority Critical patent/CN117300171A/en
Publication of CN117300171A publication Critical patent/CN117300171A/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P10/00—Technologies related to metal processing
    • Y02P10/25—Process efficiency

Abstract

The invention relates to additive manufacturing equipment which is provided with a cylinder body, a driving device, a forming bin and a powder spreading device, wherein the cylinder body is provided with a supporting platform which is hermetically arranged with the cylinder body; the first part of the component transfer structure is arranged on the cylinder body and is matched with the second part of the component transfer structure arranged on the additive manufacturing equipment, so that the cylinder body can be quickly transferred in the additive manufacturing equipment, the post-treatment of the forming platform can be quickly performed after the additive manufacturing is finished, the cylinder body can be quickly replaced, the time required for maintenance is greatly reduced, and the potential risk in the maintenance process is reduced.

Description

Additive manufacturing equipment
Technical Field
The invention relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing, in particular to additive manufacturing equipment.
Background
Additive manufacturing technology, also known as 3D printing technology, has become one of the important innovations in the manufacturing field, the core of which is the fabrication of complex components by stacking materials layer by layer. Unlike conventional cutting or casting processes, in additive manufacturing, the object no longer needs to cut or remove excess material from the bulk raw material. Instead, the materials are precisely stacked in a layer-by-layer fashion to build the desired shape from the digitized model. The layer-by-layer manufacturing method reduces waste and brings unprecedented degree of freedom to manufacture, so that the method is widely applied to various industries including aerospace, medical care, automobile manufacturing, construction, education and the like.
In additive manufacturing processes, material handling units such as powder cylinders, forming cylinders, etc. are key components for storing and handling build materials. Typically, the build material is stored in powder form in a powder cylinder and is precisely moved and distributed over the forming cylinder by a drive to build the component.
At present, forming cylinders, powder cylinders and other cylinders are usually fixedly installed in additive manufacturing equipment.
In which, because the powder cylinder is not removable, the operator is often required to perform cumbersome cleaning work within the powder cylinder to ensure that no residual build material interferes with the next manufacturing process (e.g., when using a different build material). This increases not only the production time but also the complexity of the operation.
Wherein in the forming cylinder, the forming platform (substrate) is detachable, but before the substrate and parts thereon are removed, a tedious powder cleaning work is usually required, and the cleaning process must be completed in the forming bin, which not only reduces the efficiency of the whole 3D printing, but also causes pollution and potential damage risk to various precision sensors and components in the forming bin. In addition, cleaning also increases the time cost of the manufacturing process, limiting the production speed of additive manufacturing techniques, especially when multiple parts are required to be continuously produced. Thus, this disadvantage of the prior art has placed a constraint on achieving an efficient additive manufacturing process.
Disclosure of Invention
In order to achieve rapid transfer of cylinders in an additive manufacturing apparatus, one aspect of the present invention provides an additive manufacturing apparatus comprising: the cylinder body comprises a supporting platform which is arranged in a sealing way with the cylinder body, and a cavity formed by the supporting platform and the cylinder body is used for accommodating a component and/or forming powder building materials of the component; the driving device is used for driving the supporting platform to move up and down along the side wall of the cylinder body; a forming bin for creating an enclosed space for the additive manufacturing process, the enclosed space comprising a portion of the space between the powder build material and the optical path system; the powder paving device is used for uniformly paving the powder building materials on a forming platform in the additive manufacturing stage, and the forming platform is arranged on the supporting platform; the bottom of the supporting platform is provided with a quick-release assembly connected with the driving device so that the driving device can be quickly connected or separated from the supporting platform; the cylinder body is provided with a first part of the component transferring structure, so that the first part of the component transferring structure is matched with a second part of the component transferring structure arranged on the additive manufacturing equipment, and the cylinder body is quickly transferred in the additive manufacturing equipment.
Preferably, the cylinder body is a forming cylinder; the driving device drives the supporting platform to move from top to bottom in the additive manufacturing process so as to uniformly lay the powder building material on the forming platform for the powder laying device.
Preferably, the cylinder body is a powder cylinder; the driving device drives the supporting platform to move from bottom to top along the side wall of the cylinder body in the additive manufacturing process so as to provide the direction movement of the powder building material of the component to the other end for the powder paving device.
Preferably, at least in the additive manufacturing stage, one end of the driving device is in locking connection with the supporting platform so as to facilitate the supporting platform to move up and down along the side wall of the cylinder under the action of the driving device; at least in the completion of the component forming stage, the driving device is separated from the supporting platform, and one end of the driving device is moved from the cylinder.
Preferably, the cylinder body is provided with a base; the drive means comprise a second drive unit for supporting the base, at least during the additive manufacturing phase, for firmly supporting the cylinder on the frame of the additive manufacturing apparatus.
Preferably, a first portion of the assembly transfer structure is disposed on the cylinder and a second portion is disposed on the frame, the first portion moving downwardly into contact with the second portion to complete the interengagement at least after the completion of component formation and removal of the support by the second drive unit.
Preferably, the cylinder body is matched with a transfer device through an assembly transfer structure to complete quick disassembly and/or transfer in the additive manufacturing equipment; wherein the path of transfer is to transfer the cylinder from a location onto the additive manufacturing apparatus and/or from the additive manufacturing apparatus to a location.
Preferably, the first part of the assembly transfer structure is a slider and the second part is a rail.
Preferably, in order to overcome the adhesion or agglomeration phenomenon of the powder during the powder spreading, the powder spreading effect is improved, and the powder building material is adhered to the surface of the powder spreading device during the powder spreading.
Preferably, the powder building material adhered to the surface of the powder paving device is formed by pre-adhesion treatment before powder paving on a forming platform.
Preferably, the layer thickness of the powder building material adhered to the surface of the powder paving device is 10-80 μm.
Preferably, the powder paving device is a roller, and the roller uniformly lays the powder building material in the powder cylinder on the forming platform in the moving process.
Preferably, the roller surface has a concave-convex structure so as to adhere the powder building material on the roller surface.
Preferably, the surface of the powder spreading device is subjected to a material coating treatment before the pre-adhesion treatment.
Preferably, an electrostatic generating device is provided inside the powder paving device for forming static electricity on the surface of the powder paving device to adsorb the powder building material.
Preferably, a heating device is arranged in the powder spreading device and is used for preheating the surface of the powder spreading device before the pre-adhesion treatment.
Preferably, in order to reduce the gas washing time and improve the utilization rate of the equipment, the additive manufacturing equipment further comprises a gas washing device for performing gas washing operation on the forming bin in a gas washing stage; the volume of the forming bin is variable, and the forming bin at least has a first volume corresponding to an additive manufacturing stage and a second volume corresponding to a gas washing stage, wherein the first volume is larger than the second volume.
Preferably, the forming bin comprises a first wall portion and a second wall portion which are arranged oppositely, and the first wall portion and the second wall portion can move relatively to change the volume of the forming bin.
Preferably, the first wall portion and the second wall portion are a top wall and a bottom wall of the molding bin, or a side wall of the molding bin.
Preferably, the first wall portion and the second wall portion are respectively disposed in parallel on the inner sides of the top wall and the bottom wall of the molding bin, or on the inner sides of the side walls of the molding bin.
Preferably, the device further comprises a retractable device, at least at the inside of the forming bin during a gas washing stage, the volume of the retractable device has a contracted state and an amplified state, during the additive manufacturing stage, the volume of the retractable device is in the contracted state, and during the gas washing stage, the volume of the retractable device is in the amplified state.
Preferably, the retractable device is a flexible inflatable device.
Preferably, the retractable device is a telescopic organ folding assembly.
Preferably, the retractable device is arranged as an inner layer and an outer layer, the material strength of the retractable device at the outer layer at least ensures that the retractable device at the inner layer is airtight and does not deform when the vacuum degree in the forming bin changes.
Preferably, the device also comprises a vacuumizing device for vacuumizing the inside of the forming bin in the gas washing stage; and/or an inert gas filling device, which is used for filling inert gas into the forming bin in the gas washing stage; wherein, when the gas washing device comprises a vacuum pumping device and an inert gas charging device, the vacuum pumping device and the inert gas charging device are synchronously carried out.
Drawings
In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following description will briefly explain the drawings used in the embodiments or the description of the prior art, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only embodiments of the present invention, and other drawings can be obtained according to the provided drawings without inventive effort for a person skilled in the art.
FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic views showing an installation state of a forming cylinder in an additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a disassembled state of a forming cylinder in an additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic views showing an installation state of a forming cylinder in an additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the structure of a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing an installation state of a powder cylinder in an additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 8 and 9 are schematic diagrams showing the application of the powder paving device according to an embodiment of the present invention to additive manufacturing equipment;
FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing the function of the electrostatic generator in the roller according to an embodiment of the present invention;
part (a) of fig. 11 to 13 shows a schematic structural view of the forming bin in an embodiment of the invention at an additive manufacturing stage, and part (b) of fig. 11 to 13 shows a schematic structural view of the forming bin in an embodiment of the invention at a purge stage;
FIG. 14 illustrates a schematic of the use of a molding cartridge in an additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
part (a) of fig. 15 shows a schematic view of the state of the inflatable device in an additive manufacturing stage according to an embodiment of the present invention, and part (b) shows a schematic view of the state of the inflatable device in a gas washing stage according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Part (a) of fig. 16 shows a schematic view of the state of the organ folding element in the additive manufacturing stage according to an embodiment of the invention, and part (b) shows a schematic view of the state of the organ folding element in the gas washing stage according to an embodiment of the invention.
Detailed Description
Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like or similar reference numerals refer to like or similar elements or elements having like or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the drawings are illustrative and intended to explain the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the invention.
A first aspect of the invention provides a forming cylinder in an additive manufacturing apparatus.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the forming cylinder presents the structure shown in fig. 1. The forming cylinder 10 is composed of a cylinder body 11 and a support platform 13 b. The driving device 12 may be connected to or separated from the supporting platform 13b, specifically, the driving device 12 may include a driver (not shown) and a ball screw, the ball screw may move along the vertical direction of the cylinder 11 under the action of the driver, a quick-release assembly, such as a zero point positioner, is mounted on the top end of the ball screw or on the bottom of the supporting platform 13b, and the ball screw may be precisely connected to or separated from the supporting platform 13b through the zero point positioner. The top and bottom ends of the cylinder 11 are provided in an open shape, and a support platform 13b is provided in the cylinder 11 for carrying a powder build material 30 to form a powder bed in the cylinder 11 and is built up by a high energy beam from above into the layer by layer build member 31, the types of the powder build material 30 including, but not limited to, metal powder, nylon powder, polymer powder, biomaterial powder, ceramic powder, mixed powder, and the like.
In some embodiments, a forming substrate 13a may be mounted on top of the support platform 13b, the forming substrate 13b being adapted to carry the powder build material 30 to form a powder bed within the cylinder 11 and being built up layer by a high energy beam from above 31, both configurations of the support platform being described in detail below. In summary, in some engineering applications, the individual support platform 13b or the platform mechanism for carrying the printing member and/or powder formed by adding the forming substrate 13a to the support platform 13b may be collectively referred to as the forming platform 13. The drive device 12 is capable of driving the modeling platform 13 to move in the Z-axis direction to cause the powder build material 30 above the modeling platform 13 to move synchronously in the Z-axis direction. For example: in the additive manufacturing process, each time the build of one layer of the component 31 is completed, the drive means 12 controls the forming table 13 to descend by a precise distance, typically a layer thickness distance, to begin building the next layer of the component 31, and the repetition of this process progressively builds the desired component 31.
Referring to fig. 1, fig. 1 shows that the molding stage 13 is configured by arranging and combining a molding substrate 13a and a supporting stage 13b, the molding substrate 13a is located above the supporting stage 13b for carrying the powder building material 30 to manufacture the member 31, and the supporting stage 13b can move up and down along the inner wall of the cylinder 11 under the action of the driving device 12, whereby the size requirement of the molding substrate 13a is lost, which may be smaller than the width of the supporting stage 13b in the X direction. The combination of the molding substrate 13a and the support platform 13b may be such that the molding substrate 13a is placed directly above the support platform 13b, but it is preferable that the molding substrate 13a is detachably mounted above the support platform 13b by a fixing member (e.g., a bolt). In alternative combinations, the forming substrate 13a and the support platform 13b may be designed as an integral formation. The support platform 13b and the forming substrate 13a are designed separately, so that the device is very suitable for taking out parts after forming.
In 3D printing, after the part printing is completed, it is often necessary to remove the part together with a supporting base (which may also be referred to as a molding substrate 13 a) at the bottom thereof, and then separate the molding substrate 13a from the part by dicing. If the forming substrate 13a and the supporting platform 13b are arranged into an integral structure, the supporting platform 13b needs to be taken out together due to frequent taking out of forming parts, and the supporting platform 13b often has a better sealing effect with the cylinder 11, so that the forming bin at the top of the forming bin is prevented from being isolated from outside air, and the stability of the air in the forming bin is ensured. Such frequent removal of the support platform necessarily results in the problem of the forming cylinder not being tightly closed, resulting in unstable atmosphere in the forming bin to affect the forming quality of the member.
Furthermore, the cylinder block 11 of the present embodiment has a component transfer structure designed to enable the forming cylinder 10 to be quickly installed or removed in the additive manufacturing apparatus, and its application is applicable to, for example, when maintenance, cleaning or replacement of build materials is required, the component transfer structure can be quickly separated, so that the forming cylinder 10 can be easily removed from the additive manufacturing apparatus, which greatly reduces maintenance time and reduces risks during maintenance, such as waste of powder material and potential damage to the apparatus.
The assembly transfer structure is provided in two parts, a first part 14a being provided on the cylinder 11 and a second part 14b being provided in the additive manufacturing apparatus, preferably on a frame 32 of the additive manufacturing apparatus, the frame 32 being a solid platform of a certain thickness, which may be the bottom of the forming bin, i.e. the forming cylinder 10 is detachably mounted at the bottom of the forming bin, it being understood that the upper surface of the frame 32 is the working surface for the additive manufacturing. In the example of fig. 1, the first portions 14a are symmetrically disposed on both sides of the cylinder 11 near the top end of the cylinder 11.
The component transfer structure has a plurality of alternative configurations, such as a rail configuration in one configuration. In addition, the assembly transfer structure can take other forms, including but not limited to a snap-lock structure, a snap-ring structure, a threaded structure, a magnetic attraction structure, etc., each of which has unique advantages and applicability and can be selected according to specific circumstances. In the form of a rail structure, the first portion 14a is embodied as a slider, the second portion 14b is embodied as a rail, and the slider formed by the first portion 14a can easily slide on the rail formed by the second portion 14 b. In some embodiments, the first portion 14a may also be embodied as a pulley block of a plurality of pulleys and the second portion 14b may be a rail along which the pulleys may be slidingly displaced to carry the forming cylinder 10 from the additive manufacturing apparatus to a particular location.
The forming cylinder 10 of the present invention will be described in detail below by taking a specific form of a rail structure as an example of a component transfer structure, and the component transfer structure described below defaults to a rail structure composed of a slider and a rail without particular mention, but this does not represent a limitation on the form of the component transfer structure.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the forming cylinder assumes the configuration or installation shown in fig. 2. A base 33 is arranged below the cylinder 11, and the base 33 can firmly support the cylinder 11 on the frame 32 in the additive manufacturing stage and maintain a certain acting force so as to ensure the sealing effect between the cylinder and the frame. Specifically, referring to fig. 6, in some embodiments, the top of the cylinder 11 may include a flange 34, where the flange 34 may be sealed around the opening reserved for the frame 32 by the upward force of the cylinder 11, so that the cylinder 11 may be integrally connected to the frame 32. It will be appreciated that when the cylinder 11 is mounted on the frame 32, the frame 32 itself does not provide a fixing action for the cylinder 11, but rather a supporting fixing is achieved by the underlying base 33, and the first and second parts 14a, 14b of the assembly transfer structure are not joined to act in a staggered condition. The support of the cylinder 11 by the base 33 may be accomplished by one or more hydraulic means, for example, 4 hydraulic means (not shown) are installed on the base, which may provide a certain supporting force to the cylinder 11 upward, and the magnitude of the supporting force may be monitored in real time by a pressure sensor, when the cylinder 11 needs to be separated from the frame 32, the hydraulic means is depressurized, the supporting arm is retracted, the cylinder 11 is slowly moved downward to be separated from the frame 32, and when the separation is a certain distance, the first portion 14a and the second portion 14b may be contacted to complete the engagement.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the forming cylinder 10 assumes the disassembled state shown in fig. 3. During the disassembly of the cylinder 11, the driving device 12 drives the forming platform 13 to descend in the cylinder 11 by a certain height, at least to ensure that the top layer of the lowered powder bed/member 31 is lower than the top end of the cylinder 11, so as to avoid the powder building material 30 retained in the cylinder 11 from overflowing from the cylinder 11 during the movement. The driving device 12 then controls itself to descend in the Z-axis direction to retract and disengage from the cylinder 11, and it is understood that the driving device 12 has a lifting portion and a driving portion that controls the lifting of the lifting portion, and that the lifting of the driving device 12 (movement in the Z-axis direction) described means the action of the lifting portion, and it can be seen that only the lifting portion is drawn as a schematic representation of the driving device 12 in the drawings. Then the hydraulic device on the base 33 is retracted, and as the frame 32 does not provide a fixing effect on the cylinder 11, the cylinder 11 is also moved in the direction of the base 33 (i.e. moved downwards in the schematic drawing) while the hydraulic device is retracted, so as to gradually disengage from the frame 32 and move below the frame 32 until the first portion 14a contacts with the second portion 14b, and is especially embedded into the second portion 14b, so far the first portion 14a can slide on the second portion 14b in the Y direction, i.e. the cylinder 11 can slide on the second portion 14b in the Y direction under the action of the first portion 14a, so far the conversion of the support is completed, i.e. the support by the base 33 is transferred to the support by the second portion 14b, at this time the cylinder 11 is in a separated state from the base 33, and the cylinder 11 can slide out of the additive manufacturing apparatus along the Y axis along the track direction of the second portion 14b, so as to complete the disassembly process.
Similar to the driving device 12, the hydraulic device on the base 33 has a lift lever 332 and a base (which may also be referred to as a driver) 331 (see fig. 3) that drives the lift lever 332 to lift in the Z-axis direction.
In some embodiments, the base 33 may be controlled by the driving device 12, for example, the telescopic part of the driving device 12 is configured as a ball screw, and the base 33 is mounted on the ball screw to perform linear movement under the rotation action of the ball screw, so as to realize the supporting action on the cylinder.
During installation of the cylinder 11, the cylinder 11 is slid onto the second portion 14b of the assembly transfer structure (via the first portion 14 a) so that the cylinder 11 is directed against the target installation location on the frame 32, during which the cylinder 11 is slid slightly until it is aligned directly below the target location. Once the cylinder 11 is located directly below the target installation position, the raising process of the base 33 is started, and the base 33 serves as a supporting platform to raise the cylinder 11 up to the target installation position by the lifting motion, i.e., to be installed on the frame 32. After the cylinder 11 is successfully installed at the target position, the driving device 12 moves upward in the Z-axis direction to extend into the interior of the cylinder 11, and its end portion is in close contact with the support platform 13b, ensuring stable connection between the support platform 13b and the cylinder 11, while also helping to maintain the horizontal and vertical positions of the support platform 13 b; by the action of the driving means 12, the support platform 13b is able to perform a precise up-and-down movement within the cylinder 11 during additive manufacturing in order to build the component 31 layer by layer.
In order to ensure that the driving device 12 can effectively drive the lifting movement of the forming platform 13, in an embodiment of the present invention, the end of the driving device 12 adopts a detachable connection structure with the supporting platform 13b to achieve tight connection and maintain the stability thereof. For example, one possible connection structure is a magnetic connection in which contact between the distal end (tip) of the driving device 12 and the support platform 13b generates a magnetic force so as to firmly connect them together, which magnetic connection has detachability in that the driving device 12 and the support platform 13b can be separated by canceling the magnetic force when necessary. In addition, other possible securing structures are contemplated in place of or in addition to the magnetically attractable connection, which may include threaded structures, snap-lock structures, snap-ring structures, and the like. Each structure has its unique advantages and applicability, which can be chosen according to the actual requirements, whatever the way in which it is connected, they are intended to ensure a firm connection between the support platform 13b and the cylinder 11, so as to support accurate additive manufacturing operations.
In an embodiment of the invention, the assembly transfer structure of the cylinder 11 cooperates with a transfer device (not shown in the figures) to achieve quick disassembly and/or transfer in the additive manufacturing apparatus.
The transfer device is an automated device (e.g., an AGV cart) that typically has autonomous navigation and handling capabilities that can carry and move the forming cylinders 10 from one location to another, such as from a storage area to an additive manufacturing facility, or from an additive manufacturing facility to a storage area. The provision of the transfer device may also take into account different ways, for example the transfer device may be provided with the same structure as the second part 14b, such as a slide rail, so that the forming cylinder 10 can be slid directly from the transfer device onto the second part 14 b. Furthermore, the transfer device may be equipped with clamping means capable of clamping the forming cylinder 10 and placing it on the second portion 14b to ensure a safe and reliable transfer process.
It should be particularly clear that the mounting, dismounting and transferring of the cylinder 11 described hereinbefore does not only relate to these operations of the cylinder 11 itself, but includes other components associated therewith. For example, during disassembly or transfer, these operations are not limited to the installation or movement of the cylinder 11, but also include a series of associated steps, such as for the forming table 13 already installed in the cylinder 11, the component 31 of the completed manufacturing process above the forming table 13, and the treatment of the powder build material 30 retained in the cylinder 11. While these operations also cover the provision of the forming table 13 during the installation phase, it is also possible to consider the installation of the cylinder 11 alone and then install the forming table 13 (in particular the forming base 13 a) into the cylinder 11. It should be clear that during the installation, removal and transfer described above, the operation of the driving means 12 is eliminated, i.e. the driving means 12 are retracted during the disengagement of the forming table 13 from the cylinder 11, without participating in the above-described installation, removal and transfer.
In an embodiment of the invention, the base 33 is provided as part of an additive manufacturing apparatus, wherein the first part 14a of the component transfer structure is provided at or near the bottom of the cylinder 11 and the second part 14b is provided on the base 33.
In the example given in fig. 4, the first portion 14a of the assembly transfer structure is provided at the bottom of the cylinder 11 and the second portion 14b is provided at the top of the base 33. This arrangement allows the cylinder 11 to be integrated into the base 33 by sliding down so that it is in the desired position of the additive manufacturing apparatus. Specifically, when the cylinder 11 is to be mounted, it is slid to the top of the base 33, brought into contact with the second portion 14b, and then driven to the target mounting position by the upward driving of the base 33 to be mounted on the frame 32; when the cylinder 11 needs to be detached or transferred, the base 33 moves away from the cylinder 11 on the premise that the lifting device 12 is completely retracted and disengaged from the cylinder 11, so that the cylinder 11 is disengaged from the frame 32 and can then slide out of the second portion 14b at the top end of the base 33.
In the example given in fig. 5, the first portion 14a of the assembly transfer structure is disposed adjacent the bottom of the cylinder 11, in particular, at a position near the bottom of the outer side wall of the cylinder 11, and the second portion 14b is disposed on the side of the base 33, i.e., on the side of the lifting rod 332 depicted in fig. 3. This arrangement allows the cylinder 11 to slide sideways into the base 33 and then interface with the second portion 14 b. Specifically, when the cylinder 11 is to be mounted, it is slid to one side of the base 33 (in particular, the lifter 332 shown in fig. 3) to be in contact with the second portion 14b, while the lifter 332 is in a retracted state, is positioned at the height of the second portion 14b in the Z-axis direction, and then is brought into contact with the bottom of the cylinder 11 by the upward driving of the lifter 332, and is brought to a target mounting position to be mounted on the frame 32; when the cylinder 11 needs to be disassembled or transferred, on the premise that the lifting device 12 is retracted and disengaged from the cylinder 11, the base 33 moves away from the cylinder 11 (the lifting rod 332 is retracted) so as to separate the cylinder 11 from the frame 32 and gradually lower to be in contact with the second portion 14b, so that the first portion 14a can slide on the second portion 14b along the Y direction, that is, the cylinder 11 can slide on the second portion 14b along the Y direction under the action of the first portion 14a, and the cylinder 11 can slide out of the additive manufacturing equipment along the second portion 14b, thereby completing the disassembly of the cylinder 11.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the frame presents the structure shown in fig. 6. The frame 32 is provided with a flange structure 34, and the cylinder 11 is mounted on the frame 32 through the flange structure 34. In particular, the flange structure 34 is made of a strong material, such as metal or a synthetic material, which can be designed with a structure adapted to the cylinder 11, in order to ensure an effective tightness. Around the connection point of the cylinder 11 to the frame 32, a sealing gasket or ring is typically provided to ensure that no material (powder build material 30) or gas (e.g. inert gas filling the forming chamber) leaks during operation.
Although the forming cylinder 10 shown in fig. 1 to 5 has the component transferring structure shown as a guide rail structure formed by a slider and a guide rail, it should be understood that the specific forms of the component transferring structure including a latch structure, a buckle structure, a screw structure, a magnetic attraction structure and the like are all within the scope of the present invention. Thus, various embodiments of the present invention may provide flexible options to meet the needs of different users, depending on the needs and specifics of the application.
For example, for some applications, a snap-lock construction may be a more suitable option because it may provide additional security against accidental disassembly or loosening. In this case, the first portion 14a may be designed as a latch, while the second portion 14b may have a corresponding latch interface to ensure a secure connection during assembly. The clasp structure may then be suitable for applications requiring frequent disassembly and assembly, as the clasp structure may be quickly connected and released, improving the convenience of operation. The thread structure may provide a strong fixation force, which may be a desirable choice for applications requiring a stronger structural stability. The magnetically attractable structure may then be used in applications where reduced mechanical contact during disassembly is desired, which may reduce wear and maintenance requirements. By introducing a magnetic element between the first portion 14a and the second portion 14b, a magnetic attraction effect is achieved, causing them to generate magnetic force when in contact and to vanish when in contact, thus achieving quick disassembly and assembly.
In summary, various embodiments of the present invention provide a user with a variety of alternative component transfer configurations to accommodate different application scenarios and requirements, thereby providing greater flexibility. Whichever component transfer configuration is selected, rapid installation, removal and maintenance can be achieved in the additive manufacturing apparatus, thereby improving the efficiency and operability of the apparatus.
In alternative applications of these component transfer structures, some embodiments of the invention are optional. For example, when the frame 32 is screwed with the cylinder 11, the screw structure can reliably fix the cylinder 11 firmly to the frame 32, in which case the base 33 becomes an optional component, since the screw structure itself provides sufficient structural stability, in which case the base 33 may not be needed.
The assembly transfer structure provided by the invention endows the forming cylinder with the capability of quick installation and disassembly in the additive manufacturing equipment, is convenient for quickly carrying out post-treatment on the forming platform after the additive manufacturing is finished, and quickly replaces the forming cylinder, thereby greatly reducing the time required for maintenance and simultaneously reducing the potential risk in the maintenance process. It is particularly important to emphasize that this design reduces the waste of powder material, helping to prevent potential damage to the equipment, and thus significantly improving production efficiency.
A second aspect of the invention provides a powder cylinder in an additive manufacturing apparatus.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the powder cylinder takes on the structure shown in fig. 7. The powder cylinder 20 is composed of a cylinder body 21 and a supporting platform 24. The driving device 22 may be connected to or separated from the supporting platform 24, specifically, the driving device 12 may include a driver (not shown) and a ball screw, where the ball screw may move along the vertical direction of the cylinder 21 under the action of the driver, and a quick-dismantling component, such as a zero point positioner, is mounted on the top end of the ball screw or on the bottom of the supporting platform 24, and the ball screw may be precisely connected to or separated from the supporting platform 24 through the zero point positioner. The storage chamber 25 is a part of the space of the cylinder 21, i.e. the space above the support platform 24, for storing the powder build material 30 to be processed. The supporting platform 24 is arranged at the bottom of the storage cavity 25 and can move up and down along the inner wall of the storage cavity 25, and the upper part of the supporting platform 24 is used for bearing the powder building material 30 in the storage cavity 25 and also acts as a piston and can move up and down along the inner wall of the cylinder body 21 under the action of the driving device 22.
It will be appreciated that the source of the powder build material 30 within the cylinder 11 depicted in fig. 1-5 is the powder build material 30 within the cylinder 21, typically by a powder spreading device to deliver the powder build material 30 that overflows from above the cylinder 21 onto the forming table 13 of the cylinder 11 for uniform spreading, to be sintered/melted by the high energy beam to build up the component 31. For example: in the additive manufacturing process, each time the build of one layer of building material 31 is completed, the driving device 12 controls the build platform 13 to descend by a precise distance, typically a layer thickness distance, and then the driving device 22 drives the powder build material 30 in the storage cavity 25 up by a layer thickness, and the powder spreading device conveys and uniformly spreads the powder build material 30 overflowing from above the storage cavity 25 over the build platform 13 to start building the next layer of building material 31, and repetition of this process gradually builds up the desired building material 31.
In addition, the present embodiment also has a component transfer structure, which is designed to enable the powder cylinder 20 to be quickly installed or removed in the additive manufacturing apparatus, and which is applicable to applications where the component transfer structure can be quickly separated, for example, when maintenance, cleaning or replacement of build materials is required, so that the powder cylinder 20 can be easily removed from the additive manufacturing apparatus, which greatly reduces maintenance time and reduces risks during maintenance, such as waste of powder material and potential damage to the apparatus.
The assembly transfer structure is provided in two parts, a first part 14a being provided on the cylinder 11 and a second part 14b being provided in the additive manufacturing apparatus, preferably on the frame 32 of the additive manufacturing apparatus.
It should be appreciated that the assembly transfer structure employed in powder cylinder 20 is the same as the assembly transfer structure employed in forming cylinder 10 shown in fig. 1-5, enabling quick installation, removal, or replacement of powder cylinder 20 in an additive manufacturing apparatus. It also has various alternative forms, such as a guide rail structure formed by a slide block and a guide rail, a lock catch structure, a buckle structure, a thread structure, a magnetic attraction structure, etc. It will be appreciated that powder cylinder 20 has the same construction and implementation as in fig. 1-6 and will not be described again here.
A third aspect of the invention provides a powder spreading device for use in additive manufacturing apparatus (i.e. in powder cylinders and forming cylinders) for conveying and uniformly spreading powder build material spilled from the powder cylinders onto the forming cylinders, and in particular onto the forming platforms of the forming cylinders. The paving device can be in a rolling structure mode in practical application, namely a rolling component such as a roller or a drum, or can be in a plane moving mode such as a scraper, wherein the paving device in the rolling structure mode has a better powder paving effect on paving superfine metal powder.
When laying powder using ultrafine metal powder (one of the powder building materials), the powder is very severely adhered or agglomerated due to the poor flowability of the ultrafine metal powder and even due to microscopic forces between the powders. Such adhesion or agglomeration makes the powder spreading very poor and it is difficult to spread the powder.
The inventors have conducted intensive studies and experiments to overcome this problem, and found that a unique phenomenon can be exhibited for the powder spreading if the existing metal powder is adhered to the roller, since a thin layer of the metal powder is adhered to the roller, and when the powder is spread, the powder to be spread is in contact with the powder already adhered to the roller, not in direct contact with the material surface of the roller, in which case the existing metal powder serves as a barrier preventing direct adhesion and agglomeration between the new powder and the roller surface, and this barrier effect greatly improves the powder spreading effect.
Therefore, when a thin layer of metal powder is attached to the roller, the powder spreading device can more effectively and uniformly distribute the powder on the forming platform when performing powder spreading operation, and the powder spreading device is not interfered by adhesion problems. This discovery makes the powder laying process more efficient and viable when using construction materials such as ultra-fine metal powder that are difficult to handle, which improves the quality and uniformity of the powder laying.
The powder spreading device of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to a roller as a specific embodiment.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the roller exhibits the course of motion shown in fig. 8. The rollers 41 are arranged in the forming bin 43 of the additive manufacturing apparatus 40, in particular above the powder cylinder 20 and the forming cylinder 10, i.e. at the bottom of the forming bin 43, i.e. above the frame 32. When the powder building material (i.e. powder) 30 to be laid is formed above the storage chamber 25, the roller 41 moves from the left side to the right side of the forming bin 43, and moves the powder to be laid rightward while passing above the powder cylinder 20 until it is conveyed and laid above the forming platform 13. Powder adhesion on roller 41 is achieved, for example, by rolling motion as it passes over powder cylinder 20. During the powder laying process, the roller first passes through the area of the powder cylinder 20, and when passing through this area, the roller 41 not only takes away at least one adhesion layer of the metal powder, but also pushes the excessive metal powder to continue to move towards the forming platform 13, thereby ensuring that the powder is uniformly laid on the forming platform 13.
In order to achieve roller pre-bond powder, at least the following means may be employed:
1) The surface of the roller 41 is subjected to a special material coating process to form a special coating layer. For example, the surface of the roller 41 is subjected to a material coating treatment, specifically, before the pre-adhesion treatment. In the studies, the inventors found that the effect of applying a parylene coating material to the surface of the roller 41 is very remarkable, and that this coating material can achieve an adhesion of the powder to the surface of the roller 41, typically up to an adhesion thickness of 10-80 μm, preferably 10-50 μm. When powder paving is performed using such powder-adhered roller 41, a very excellent ultrafine metal powder paving effect can be obtained.
2) Inside the roller 41, an electrostatic generating device 411 (see fig. 10) is installed. The electrostatic generator 411 can generate electrostatic action on the surface of the roller 41, so that powder is adsorbed on the surface of the roller 41, and the electrostatic action can effectively adsorb the powder and help to disperse the powder in the laying process, thereby improving the uniformity of laying the powder.
3) A heating device (not shown in the drawings) is installed inside the roller 41 for preheating the surface of the roller 41 before the pre-adhesion treatment, providing more advantageous conditions for pre-adhesion of the powder. The heating means heats the surface of the roller 41 to a temperature which is typically set to a temperature effective to improve the adhesion properties between the powder and the surface of the roller 41, once the surface of the roller 41 has been preheated to a suitable temperature, the powder to be laid comes into contact with the roller 41, and the contact between the powder and the roller 41 will cause the powder to adhere more easily to the surface of the roller 41, since the surface of the roller 41 has been preheated. This preheating helps to reduce the adhesion or agglomeration of the powder and improves the adhesion between the powder and the roller 41, thereby achieving a better powder spreading effect during the powder spreading process.
4) Micro-textures are created on the surface of roller 41 to increase the adhesion of the powder. Such micro-texturing may increase the surface area, increase the contact points between the powder and the surface of the roller 41, and thus enhance the adhesion of the powder, and may be accomplished by physical or chemical means, such as using laser etching or etching techniques to create a fine texture on the surface of the roller 41. In some engineering applications, the micro-texture may be a rugged microstructure on the surface of the roller, that is, by providing a rugged microstructure on the surface of the roller 41, the adhesion of the roller 41 to superfine powder may be greatly increased, and it should be noted that the distance between the highest point and the lowest point of the rugged structure on the surface of the roller 41 is related to the particle size of the powder.
In practice, the pre-bonding powder of the roller 41 may be combined in several ways to ensure the best powder spreading effect and performance. For example, in some cases, the surface of the roller 41 may be first coated with a special material to form a coating with good adhesion, and the electrostatic generator 411 is installed inside the roller 41 to enhance the adsorption effect of the powder, and this combination can effectively improve the adhesion and ensure uniform dispersion of the powder during the laying process. For example, in some cases, a heating device and micro-texturing may be used simultaneously to increase the adhesion of the surface of the roller 41, preheating the surface of the roller 41 may provide better adhesion at the initial stage, and micro-texturing may increase the contact points and improve the adhesion of the powder.
The roller 41 rotates during the powder laying process, and in some embodiments of the present invention, the linear speed of rotation of the roller 41 is preferably the same as the linear speed of movement of the wall of the housing on which the roller 41 is mounted relative to the forming table 13, so that the roller 41 and the forming table 13 are prevented from sliding relative to each other. Specifically, since the surface of the roller 41 is in contact with the powder and pre-adhered, the rotational speed matched to the moving speed of the molding table 13 ensures the cooperative movement of the powder between the roller 41 and the molding table 13, which results in minimizing the relative sliding between the powder and the roller 41, thereby improving the adhesion of the powder. In addition, the matching rotation speed of the roller 41 helps to ensure that the powder is uniformly spread on the surface of the forming platform 13, and the powder is conveyed and dispersed in a manner matched with the moving speed of the forming platform 13 under the driving of the roller 41, so that uneven powder spreading and accumulation are avoided.
It should be understood that the powder spreading device of the present invention is applied to additive manufacturing equipment, particularly when acting above a powder cylinder and a forming cylinder, and the specific structure of the powder cylinder and the forming cylinder is not limited, and may be applied to a conventional powder cylinder and a forming cylinder as described in fig. 8, and may also be applied to a forming cylinder with a component transferring structure as described in fig. 1-5 and/or a powder cylinder 20 as described in fig. 7, for example, in the additive manufacturing equipment 400 shown in fig. 9, so that the forming cylinder 10 as described in fig. 1-5 and the powder cylinder 20 as described in fig. 7 are covered, and of course, the specific covering is not limited to that shown in the drawings, but should be interpreted and defined according to the foregoing description of the foregoing drawings. More specifically, the powder spreading device of the invention is applied to the forming cylinder of the additive manufacturing equipment provided by the first aspect of the invention and the powder cylinder of the additive manufacturing equipment provided by the second aspect of the invention. That is, in an additive manufacturing apparatus 40 (see fig. 9) provided by the present invention, the molding cylinder 10 provided by the first aspect of the present invention, the powder cylinder 20 provided by the second aspect of the present invention, and the powder spreading device provided by the third aspect of the present invention, which are described above, are included. In addition, in the additive manufacturing apparatus 40 shown in fig. 8, 9, a high-energy beam emitting device 42 for selectively generating a high-energy beam (e.g., a laser beam) to act on the powder surface on the molding stage 13, sintering/melting it to build the member layer by layer is also included.
A fourth aspect of the invention provides a forming bin for use in an additive manufacturing apparatus.
The forming bin, which is the working bin for additive manufacturing, is located above the powder cylinder as it needs to contain the build material, typically powdered metal material, required in the forming process, which is processed and treated in the forming bin to build the component. The forming bin is also located above the forming cylinder because the forming cylinder is where the final building element is located, during additive manufacturing, powder material is transported from the forming bin to the forming platform of the forming cylinder and then stacked layer by high energy beam sintering or melting techniques, etc., to build the desired object gradually.
Reference herein to a "forming bin" is a closed space in an additive manufacturing apparatus, typically comprising a forming platform, an optical path system, and surrounding sheet metal structures, the primary function of the forming bin being to provide a controlled environment during the additive manufacturing process to ensure successful construction of the components, the closure of the forming bin helping to prevent external impurities from entering the manufacturing process, while also helping to maintain the desired atmosphere and temperature conditions.
It should be noted that the definition of the forming bin generally does not include space within the forming cylinder. In actual additive manufacturing, in order to ensure that the gas atmosphere in the molding bin meets the prescribed requirements, a plurality of repeated gas washing operations are generally required by using a gas washing device. The air purging process is, for example, to fill inert gas (such as argon) into the forming bin so that the forming bin is in inert gas atmosphere, or to extract gas in the forming bin by the vacuumizing device so as to remove air in the forming bin.
During the purge process, the equipment is often in a shutdown state, waiting for various elements to be controlled to reach the desired level before continuing the printing or additive manufacturing job, which results in low utilization of the equipment. The duration of the purge phase is generally considered to be unavoidable because the gas atmosphere within the forming chamber is critical to the quality of the final component, and therefore shortening the purge time may compromise the quality of the component, which is undesirable.
However, the inventors' studies have shown that the duration of the purge phase is closely related to the volume of the forming chamber, in short, the greater the volume of the forming chamber, the longer the purge phase, while a smaller volume forming chamber requires a shorter purge time. Conventional techniques often employ fixed volume forming bins, which limit the possibility of shortening the purge time. However, it is possible to reduce the time of the scrubbing stage by changing the volume of the forming chamber, while maintaining the scrubbing quality.
The present invention thus provides a forming cartridge with a variable volume, the volume of which is adjustable between an additive manufacturing stage and a purging stage, such flexible adjustment allowing a desired gas atmosphere to be reached more quickly in the purging stage, thereby improving the utilization of the apparatus without sacrificing the quality of the components.
Specifically, the forming bin of the invention at least has a first volume corresponding to an additive manufacturing stage and a second volume corresponding to a gas washing stage, and the first volume is larger than the second volume, so that containers of the forming bin can be adjusted in different stages. The first volume corresponding to the additive manufacturing stage refers to the volume of the molding bin being the first volume in the additive manufacturing stage (or 3D printing stage). The second volume corresponding to the gas washing stage refers to the volume of the molding bin being the second volume in the gas washing stage (i.e. before 3D printing or between two 3D prints). Because the second volume is smaller than the first volume, the forming bin with small volume is adopted for gas washing in the gas washing stage, and the large volume of the forming bin is restored for material increase manufacturing in the material increase manufacturing stage, so that the gas washing time can be shortened, and the equipment utilization rate is improved.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the forming cartridge exhibits the configuration shown in FIGS. 11-12. The forming bin 43 includes a first wall portion 431a and a second wall portion 431b disposed opposite to each other, and the first wall portion 431a and the second wall portion 431b are movable relative to each other to change the volume of the forming bin.
In the example of fig. 11, the first wall portion 431a and the second wall portion 431b are side walls of the molding bin 43, and in addition, the molding bin 41 further includes a third wall portion 431c and a fourth wall portion 431d that are relatively fixedly disposed, and the third wall portion 431c and the fourth wall portion 431d are a top wall and a bottom wall of the molding bin 43, respectively.
In the example of fig. 12, the first wall portion 431a and the second wall portion 431b are a top wall and a bottom wall of the molding bin 43, respectively, and the molding bin 41 further includes a third wall portion 431c and a fourth wall portion 431d that are fixedly disposed with respect to each other, and the third wall portion 431c and the fourth wall portion 431d are side walls of the molding bin 43.
Specifically, during the additive manufacturing stage, a larger molding bin 43 volume is required to accommodate the built components. At this time, the first wall portion 431a and the second wall portion 431b are relatively moved (or in an original maximized state) to expand the volume of the molding bin 43. Within the larger volume of the forming bin 43, an additive manufacturing process is performed, including powder laying, laser scanning, or other processing steps, to build the component layer-by-layer. Because of the larger volume, more powder material can be accommodated, supporting the manufacture of larger sizes or more components. After one additive manufacturing pass, the forming bin 43 needs to be purged to prepare for the next pass. At this stage, the first wall portion 431a and the second wall portion 431b are relatively moved to reduce the volume of the molding bin. The purging operation with the purging device generally involves the removal of air from the forming chamber 43 to ensure that the gas content in the forming chamber is within a controlled range, involving for example the filling of inert gas or the use of a vacuum to achieve the desired gas atmosphere, with relatively short time due to the small volume. After the purging operation is completed, the positions of the first wall portion 431a and the second wall portion 431b are again adjusted to restore the larger volume of the forming bin 43 to provide conditions for the apparatus to be ready for the next round of additive manufacturing stage.
In some embodiments, the relative movement of the first wall portion 431a and the second wall portion 431b is achieved, for example, using a sliding rail structure to move over the third wall portion 431c and the fourth wall portion 431 d.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the forming bin assumes the configuration shown in fig. 13. In this embodiment, the first wall portion 431a and the second wall portion 431b are separate components that are disposed inside the side wall of the forming bin 43, parallel to the direction of the side wall. In the purge stage, the first wall 431a and the second wall 431b are moved relative to each other to change the volume of the forming chamber 43, which allows for a high degree of flexibility in sizing the forming chamber 43 without sacrificing performance. In actual operation, when the volume of the forming bin 43 needs to be reduced, the first wall portion 431a and the second wall portion 431b may relatively move toward the center, gradually away from the side wall of the forming bin 4, and the side wall of the forming bin 43 remains in a fixed state.
It should be noted that although in the example of fig. 13, the movement of the first wall portion 431a and the second wall portion 431b relative to the side wall is described, in an alternative embodiment, the first wall portion 431a and the second wall portion 431b may be disposed in parallel on the inner sides of the top wall and the bottom wall of the forming chamber 43, respectively, so that the top wall and the bottom wall of the forming chamber 43 remain fixed during the scrubbing stage, and the first wall portion 431a and the second wall portion 431b move relative to the top wall and the bottom wall, respectively, so that volume adjustment can be achieved.
In fig. 11-13, (a) illustrates the positions of the first wall portion 431a and the second wall portion 431b in the forming chamber 43 during the additive manufacturing stage, and (b) illustrates the positions of the first wall portion 431a and the second wall portion 431b in the forming chamber 43 during the purging stage, it can be seen that the forming chamber 43 has a volume V1 during the additive manufacturing stage that is greater than a volume V2 during the purging stage.
In some embodiments, the relative movement of the first wall portion 12 and the second wall portion 14 may be under the control of a movable device. The movable device can be realized by a sliding rail, a gear rack and the like.
It should be appreciated that the described relative movement of the first and second wall portions 431a, 431b includes both the first and second wall portions 431a, 431b being in a moving state, or only one of them being moved while the other remains stationary.
In some embodiments, the forming cartridge 43 includes a retractable device for enabling the volume of the forming cartridge 43 to be variable. The volume of the retractable device is in a contracted state and an amplified state at least in the gas washing stage, wherein in the additive manufacturing stage, the volume of the retractable device is in the contracted state, and in the gas washing stage, the volume of the retractable device is in the amplified state. That is, in the gas washing stage, the volume of the retractable device is in an enlarged state, so that a larger space of the forming bin is occupied, and the space of the forming bin, which needs gas washing, is reduced. In the additive manufacturing stage, the retractable device is restored to a retracted state, so that the forming bin can process components with larger volume.
The retractable device has a number of possible configurations, for example in the example given in fig. 15, the retractable device is a flexible inflatable device 51, which can freely adjust its own dimensions as required, so as to achieve a variation of the volume of the forming chamber 43. The design of the inflatable device 51 is somewhat balloon-like, but differs in terms of construction and material, the main purpose of the inflatable device 51 being to adjust the volume of the forming cartridge during the different working phases to meet specific requirements.
In particular, the outer surface of the inflatable means 51 is made of a rigid material ensuring that it is able to maintain shape and stability in the inflated condition and impermeable to air, so as to avoid infiltration of external air inside the forming chamber. As shown in fig. 15 (b), during the purge phase of the additive manufacturing apparatus, the inflatable device 51 is inflated to expand it to an enlarged state. At this time, it occupies a part of the space inside the forming chamber 43, thereby reducing the effective space for the gas washing in the forming chamber 43, contributing to more concentrated treatment of the atmosphere during the gas washing, improving the gas washing efficiency, and reducing the time required for the gas washing. As in fig. 15 (a), and at the additive manufacturing stage, when the apparatus is required to process a component, the inflatable device 51 is deflated and returns to the contracted state, at which point it releases more interior space, allowing the forming chamber 43 to print and manufacture a component in a larger volume.
As shown in fig. 15, in some implementations, the wall of the molding cartridge 43 is provided with an air flow channel 52 in fluid communication with the inflatable device, such that inflation and deflation of the flexible inflatable device 51 is achieved through the air flow channel 52. It will be appreciated that the gas filling of the expansion device 51 may be achieved through the air flow passage 52 using an air compressor, and that the gas filling of the expansion device 52 is achieved through the air flow passage 52 using an evacuation device.
Illustratively, the air flow channel 52 may be hermetically connected to the sidewall of the forming chamber 43, and the air flow channel 52 may be opened and closed by a valve. The outside of the air flow passage 52 may be connected to a gas charging device (not shown). The end of the air flow channel 52 on the side of the forming chamber may be connected to the flexible inflatable means 51, which flexible inflatable means 51 is inflatable when inflated (note that the air in the inflatable means 51 is isolated from the space in the forming chamber 43). After the printing is completed, the inflatable device 51 can be inflated when the air is filled, so that the inflatable device occupies a physical space in the forming bin 43, the physical space can compress the space of the forming bin 43, the air is flushed at the moment, the air flushing time can be greatly reduced, after the air flushing is completed, the valve is opened, and the inflatable device 51 is contracted, so that the actual space of the forming bin 43 is restored.
In some embodiments, the inflatable device 51 has a maximum inflation limit. This maximum expansion limit ensures that the inflatable device 51 does not expand indefinitely due to the vacuum within the forming chamber 43, causing contamination or impact on other components within the forming chamber 43 when the purging process is a vacuum process. In particular, when the additive manufacturing apparatus performs a purge operation, it is generally necessary to vacuum the inside of the forming chamber 43 to ensure that the atmosphere inside is satisfactory. During this process, the inflatable device 51 may be in an enlarged state to occupy a portion of the space inside the forming cartridge 43. However, if the inflatable device 51 does not have a maximum inflation limit, it may continue to inflate, resulting in an affected vacuum within the forming chamber 43, which may cause a series of problems, such as affecting component quality, safety during manufacturing, and equipment life. Thus, the presence of a maximum expansion limit ensures that the behavior of the inflatable device 51 during the flushing process is tightly controlled. When the maximum expansion limit is reached, the device does not expand further, thereby preventing the vacuum inside the forming chamber 43 from being negatively affected. This helps to ensure stability of the purge process and atmosphere control within the forming bin 43 while reducing potential risks and the likelihood of equipment failure.
As one possible form of the retractable device, for example, in the example given in fig. 16, the retractable device is a retractable organ folding element 53.
The telescopic organ folding element 53 is preferably composed of a series of foldable panels, which are linked to each other by means of connecting elements. At the beginning of the scrubbing process, this telescopic assembly is in a contracted state, taking up less space, without affecting the internal volume of the forming chamber 43. However, when a scrubbing operation is required, this telescopic assembly can be easily deployed, taking up more space and filling a portion of the space of the forming chamber 43.
In some embodiments, the telescoping organ folding element 53 is drawn by a movable device to move inside the forming chamber 43, thereby achieving a seamless transition between the additive manufacturing and the gas washing phases. In particular, the movable device can control the position of the organ folding element 53 during the different working phases. During additive manufacturing, the movable device may cause the organ folding element 53 to be pressed against one side of the forming chamber 43 (as shown in fig. 16 (a)). At this point, the organ folding element 53 does not occupy the main space of the forming chamber 43, leaving enough space for the manufacture of the component. Once the additive manufacturing is complete and a purge operation is required, the movable device can easily pull the organ folding element 53 so that it unfolds and occupies a substantial portion of the entire forming chamber 43 (as shown in fig. 16 (b)). This arrangement optimizes the space utilization of the forming chamber 43 and significantly reduces the volume of air to be treated within the forming chamber 43, thereby enabling a more rapid and efficient air-washing operation, and thereby greatly reducing the air-washing time.
In some embodiments, to ensure quality and controllability of the scrubbing operation, the telescoping organ folding module 53 is made of a gas impermeable material, which can effectively isolate the inside and outside of the module, ensuring that the scrubbing operation is not disturbed by the external environment. In addition, the inside of the accordion folding assembly 53 is connected to the outside through a valve 54 to maintain the same air pressure inside and outside so that it can be maintained in an unfolded state during the movement.
In the event that a vacuum is required during the scrubbing process, the gusset-fold assembly 53 is designed with a degree of strength to ensure that the material of the gusset-fold assembly 53 is not damaged or deformed under the vacuum conditions within the forming chamber 43. This design ensures that the organ folding element 53 performs its function reliably at all stages, both improving the air-flushing efficiency of the forming chamber 43 and maintaining the air quality and the atmosphere inside the forming chamber 43.
In some embodiments, in order to cope with the variation of the vacuum degree in the forming bin 43 in the gas washing process, the retractable device may be provided with an inner layer and an outer layer, the material of the retractable device at the outer layer has sufficient strength and pressure resistance, at least to ensure that the retractable device at the inner layer is not deformed or damaged in response to the variation of the vacuum degree in the forming bin, the material of the retractable device at the inner layer is an airtight material, and the airtight material of the inner layer may have a flexible characteristic, and when the interior of the retractable device is filled with gas connected with the outside, so that the retractable device occupies the space in the forming bin 43, the material of the inner layer maintains the design form under the action of the material of the outer layer. It should be appreciated that in the design of the retractable device as a bi-layer material, whether the outer layer material of the retractable device is breathable or not is an alternative.
One application of a molding cartridge in an additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown with reference to fig. 14. In this embodiment, there are also provided a vacuum-pumping device 45 for evacuating the inside of the molding chamber 43 during the purge stage and an inert gas-filling device 46 for filling the inside of the molding chamber 43 with an inert gas during the purge stage. It should be appreciated that in some practical engineering applications, the evacuation device 45 and the inert gas filling 46 may be referred to as the purge device 44, either alone or in combination.
In some embodiments, in order to maintain the pressure in the forming chamber 43 at the safe threshold, the vacuum device 45 may be used to remove air in the forming chamber 43 during the air washing process, and the inert gas filling device 46 may be used to introduce inert gas into the forming chamber 43. This approach may increase the effectiveness of the purge while also ensuring that a certain air pressure is maintained within the forming chamber 43, preventing excessive or low pressure within the forming chamber 43 from damaging the forming chamber 43, including but not limited to excessive low pressure within the forming chamber, and excessive pressure applied by the external atmospheric pressure to the forming chamber 43 structure causing deformation of the forming chamber 43 closure structure.
In addition to the flexible inflatable device 51 shown in fig. 15 and the telescoping organ folding module 53 shown in fig. 16, there are other possible retractable device configurations, some of which are examples of potential configurations that follow.
Spring type device
The retractable device may contain a spring to allow for automatic expansion and contraction (the exterior of the spring has a wrapped impermeable material). The spring can expand the device when pressure or tension is applied and automatically return to its original shape when released.
Nested device
The device may be made up of multiple nested components that can be separated and deployed to increase bulk when inflation is desired.
Magnetic device
The expansion and contraction of the retractable device are controlled by magnetic materials or magnetic force, and the external magnetic field can influence the arrangement of the internal materials, so that the volume of the device is changed.
It should be understood that the forming bin 43 of the present invention is used in additive manufacturing equipment, and particularly above the powder cylinder and forming cylinder, and is not limited in its specific configuration, and may be used only with conventional powder cylinders and forming cylinders, and may also be used with forming cylinders and powder cylinders 20 having component transfer structures as depicted in fig. 14, although specific coverage is not limited to that shown in the drawings, but should be interpreted and defined in accordance with the foregoing description of the drawings.
More specifically, the molding bin 43 of the present invention is applied to the molding cylinder of the additive manufacturing apparatus provided in the first aspect of the present invention described above, and the powder cylinder of the additive manufacturing apparatus provided in the second aspect of the present invention, and the powder spreading device provided in the third aspect of the present invention (this may also be described as applying the powder spreading device to the molding cylinder 43 provided in the fourth aspect of the present invention). That is, in an additive manufacturing apparatus 40 (see fig. 14) provided by the present invention, the molding cylinder 10 provided by the first aspect of the present invention, the powder cylinder 20 provided by the second aspect of the present invention, the powder spreading device provided by the third aspect of the present invention, and the molding bin 43 provided by the fourth aspect of the present invention, which are described above, are included. In addition, in the additive manufacturing apparatus 40 shown in fig. 14, a high-energy beam emitting device 42, a gas washing device 43, a vacuum pumping device 45, and an inert gas charging device 46 are also included.
In the description of the present specification, a description referring to terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples," etc., means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms are not necessarily directed to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. Furthermore, the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples may be combined and combined by those skilled in the art without contradiction.
While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it will be understood that the above embodiments are illustrative and not to be construed as limiting the invention, and that variations, modifications, alternatives and variations may be made to the above embodiments by one of ordinary skill in the art within the scope of the invention.
List of reference numerals
10. Forming cylinder
13. Forming platform
13a shaped substrate
First part of 14a Assembly transfer Structure
Second part of 14b Assembly transfer Structure
30. Powder build material
31. Component part
32. Rack
33. Base seat
331. Seat body
332. Lifting rod
34. Flange structure
20. Powder jar
25. Storage cavity
40. Additive manufacturing equipment
41. Roller wheel
411. Electrostatic generator
42. High energy beam emitting device
43. Forming bin
44. Gas washing device
45. Vacuumizing device
46. Inert gas charging device
51. Expandable device
52. Air flow passage
53. Organ folding assembly
54. Valve
11. 21 cylinder body
12. 22 drive device
13b, 24 support platform
431a-431 d.

Claims (17)

1. An additive manufacturing apparatus, comprising:
the cylinder body comprises a supporting platform which is arranged in a sealing way with the cylinder body, and a cavity formed by the supporting platform and the cylinder body is used for accommodating a component and/or forming powder building materials of the component;
the driving device is used for driving the supporting platform to move up and down along the side wall of the cylinder body;
high energy beam generating means for melting a portion of the powder build material to form the component;
the molding bin is used for constructing a closed space for the high-energy beam generating device to melt the powder component materials;
The powder paving device is used for uniformly paving the powder building materials on a forming platform in the additive manufacturing stage, and the forming platform is arranged on the supporting platform;
the bottom of the supporting platform is provided with a quick-release assembly connected with the driving device so that the driving device can be quickly connected or separated from the supporting platform;
the cylinder body is provided with a first part of the component transferring structure, so that the first part of the component transferring structure is matched with a second part of the component transferring structure arranged on the additive manufacturing equipment, and the cylinder body is quickly transferred in the additive manufacturing equipment.
2. Additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cylinder is a forming cylinder;
the driving device drives the supporting platform to move from top to bottom in the additive manufacturing process so as to uniformly lay the powder building material on the forming platform for the powder laying device.
3. Additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cylinder is a powder cylinder;
the driving device drives the supporting platform to move from bottom to top along the side wall of the cylinder body in the additive manufacturing process so as to provide the direction movement of the powder building material of the component to the other end for the powder paving device.
4. An additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein at least during an additive manufacturing stage one end of the drive means is in locking connection with the support platform so as to facilitate the up and down movement of the support platform along the cylinder side wall under the action of the drive means; at least in the completion of the component forming stage, the driving device is separated from the supporting platform, and one end of the driving device is moved from the cylinder.
5. Additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cylinder is provided with a base;
the drive means comprise a second drive unit for supporting the base, at least during the additive manufacturing phase, for firmly supporting the cylinder on the frame of the additive manufacturing apparatus.
6. An additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a first portion of the assembly transfer structure is disposed on the cylinder and a second portion is disposed on the frame, the first portion moving downwardly into contact with the second portion to complete the inter-fit at least after completion of component formation and removal of support by the second drive unit.
7. Additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cylinder is fast disassembled and/or transferred in the additive manufacturing apparatus by cooperation of an assembly transfer structure with a transfer device;
wherein the path of transfer is to transfer the cylinder from a location onto the additive manufacturing apparatus and/or from the additive manufacturing apparatus to a location.
8. Additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first part of the component transfer structure is a slider and the second part is a rail.
9. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
the gas washing device is used for carrying out gas washing operation on the forming bin in a gas washing stage;
the molding bin is provided with a first volume corresponding to the additive manufacturing stage and a second volume corresponding to the gas washing stage, and the first volume is larger than the second volume.
10. An additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the forming bin comprises oppositely disposed first and second wall portions that are relatively movable to change the volume of the forming bin.
11. An additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first and second wall portions are top and bottom walls of the forming bin, or side walls of the forming bin.
12. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:
the volume of the retractable device is in a contracted state and an amplified state at least in the gas washing stage, and in the additive manufacturing stage, the volume of the retractable device is in a contracted state and in the gas washing stage, the volume of the retractable device is in an amplified state.
13. Additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the retractable device is a flexible inflatable device.
14. Additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the retractable device is a telescopic organ folding assembly.
15. An additive manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the retractable means is provided as an inner and outer bilayer, the material strength of the retractable means in the outer layer being at least such that it does not deform in response to changes in vacuum in the forming bin, the material of the retractable means in the inner layer being an air impermeable material.
16. Additive manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the gas washing device comprises:
the vacuumizing device is used for vacuumizing the inside of the forming bin in the gas washing stage; and/or
The inert gas filling device is used for filling inert gas into the forming bin in the gas washing stage;
wherein, when the gas washing device comprises a vacuum pumping device and an inert gas charging device, the vacuum pumping device and the inert gas charging device are synchronously carried out.
17. Additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the powder spreading device is a roller which evenly spreads the powder build material in the powder cylinder onto the forming table during movement.
CN202311331817.2A 2023-10-16 2023-10-16 Additive manufacturing equipment Pending CN117300171A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN202311331817.2A CN117300171A (en) 2023-10-16 2023-10-16 Additive manufacturing equipment

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN202311331817.2A CN117300171A (en) 2023-10-16 2023-10-16 Additive manufacturing equipment

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CN117300171A true CN117300171A (en) 2023-12-29

Family

ID=89280935

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CN202311331817.2A Pending CN117300171A (en) 2023-10-16 2023-10-16 Additive manufacturing equipment

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CN (1) CN117300171A (en)

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