EP3983204A1

EP3983204A1 - Production line and 3d-printing device

Info

Publication number: EP3983204A1
Application number: EP20735071.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Stefan Beetz; Clemens LIEBERWIRTH; Vincent Morrison
Original assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile SE and Co KG; AIM3D GmbH
Current assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile SE and Co KG; AIM3D GmbH
Priority date: 2019-06-11
Filing date: 2020-06-10
Publication date: 2022-04-20
Also published as: WO2020249613A1; US20220242045A1; DE102019208440A1; US11981083B2

Abstract

The proposed solution relates, in particular, to a production line (F) comprising - at least one 3D-printing device (1a-1h) for building a three-dimensional workpiece in layers, and - at least two different processing stations (4-8, 9a-9b) for further processing the workpiece built using the at least one 3D-printing device (1a-1h). The production line (F) comprises two production sections (30, 31) interconnected via a bifurcation (3), to which production sections a workpiece built using the at least one 3D-printing device (1a-1h) can be selectively, automatically transferred via a work transfer device of the production line (F), and of which a first production section (30) has at least one first processing station (4-7, 9a-9b) of the at least two different processing stations (4-8, 9a-9b), and a second production section (31) has at least one second processing station (8) of the two different processing stations (4-8, 9a-9b).

Description

Production line and 3D printing device

description

The proposed solution relates to a production line with at least one 3D printing device and a 3D printing device.

In 3D printing, three-dimensional workpieces are usually built up in layers from one or more materials. The materials used here are, for example, plastics, resins, ceramics and / or metals. For example, the so-called melt layer process or strand deposition process (Fused Deposition Modeling, FDM for short) is known in this context. Here, a workpiece is built up in layers from a meltable plastic and / or with a metal and / or ceramic powder.

For the layer-by-layer production of the respective workpiece, at least one printing nozzle of a 3D printing device, e.g. in the form of a so-called 3D printer, printing material is applied to a printing plate. The respective workpiece is built up in layers with the aid of a computer through the printing material emerging at the pressure nozzle. In this context, for example, a corresponding 3D printing device is known from WO 2018/039261 A1.

Previously known 3-D printing devices are usually set up and provided for the manual removal of a layered, three-dimensional workpiece. This typically involves printing a printing plate with the printed on it The workpiece is removed from an interior of the 3-D printing device by an operator, if necessary using lifting tools. The workpiece is often also fed to a subsequent process, for example a sintering process. For this purpose, the operator supplies the printed workpiece to a corresponding further processing station, for example a sintering furnace.

The processing processes that have hitherto been customary in practice, including a 3D printing device, thus frequently frequently require manual intervention by an operator and are only suitable for industrial production to a limited extent.

Against this background, the problem arises for the proposed solution to provide an improvement in this respect and in particular to achieve at least partial automation in the production of three-dimensionally printed workpieces.

This object is achieved both with a production line according to claim 1 and with a 3D printing device according to claim 13.

In particular, a production line with at least one 3D printing device for building up a three-dimensional workpiece in layers and at least two different processing stations for further processing of the workpiece built with the at least one 3D printing device is proposed. The production line here comprises two production lines connected to one another via a fork, to which a workpiece constructed with the at least one 3D printing device can optionally be automatically fed via a conveying direction of the production line. A first production line here has at least one first processing station, while a second production line has at least one second processing station.

The proposed production line thus provides that a three-dimensional workpiece printed with the aid of the 3D printing device can be selectively and automatically fed to at least two different subsequent processes. For example, depending on a stored production scenario selected by the user and the associated computer program sequence, a first type of workpiece produced with the 3-D printing device can be supplied to the first production line. For a subsequently printed workpiece of a second type it can again be provided that this workpiece is at the fork of the other, second production line is fed. In this way, different types of workpieces can be printed three-dimensionally in an automated manner and thus also in higher numbers using a 3D printing device and fed to subsequent machining processes.

In this context, it can be provided, for example, that a workpiece constructed with the at least one 3D printing device can be electronically controlled via the fork and control electronics of the production line to be fed to either the first production line or the second production line for further processing. The control electronics consequently control the conveying device, which includes, for example, a conveyor belt, a pallet system and / or an industrial robot, in such a way that at the fork - depending on the printed workpiece - the workpiece is automatically fed to one or the other production line for further processing and passes through at least one processing station provided here.

In one embodiment variant, at least one processing station of the two production lines, i. at least one first and / or one second processing station of the two production lines is set up and provided for sintering a workpiece constructed with the at least one 3D printing device. For example, a production line in this context has a debinding station, a sintering station and a cooling line for the further processing of a three-dimensionally printed workpiece.

In order to facilitate the automated production of a component to be sintered, the production line can for example comprise a changing device which is set up to place a workpiece built with the at least one 3D printing device on a sintering carriage, with which the workpiece is handled for further processing. This includes, in particular, that the sintering carriage, together with the three-dimensionally printed workpiece located thereon, can be fed to a processing station that is set up and provided for sintering. By placing it on a sintering trolley, the printed workpiece can be more easily automated within the production line and fed to the sintering process that follows the actual 3D printing via a motor-driven conveyor device.

In a further development, for further automation and handling, it is provided, for example, that the workpiece is placed on a background plate in the 3D printing device is printed and this background plate is then automatically placed on a sintering carriage together with the workpiece located thereon on the sintering carriage. A corresponding (printing) platform on the 3D printing device can then be automatically equipped with a new background plate so that further workpieces can be continuously printed and automatically conveyed further.

In particular, the changing device can be set up to convey a printing platform of the at least one 3D printing device on which the workpiece is built back to the at least one 3D printing device. With the help of the changing device, for example, a printing platform with a printing plate and in particular a background plate can be conveyed back for reuse on the 3D printing device after the three-dimensionally printed workpiece previously located thereon has been removed therefrom.

In this connection, it can also be provided, for example, that the production line has a cleaning station for cleaning a printing platform or at least one base plate, in particular a background plate for the printing platform. If the printed workpiece is removed from the printing platform and possibly in particular a background plate of this printing platform, the printing platform is automatically fed to the cleaning station and from there it is conveyed back to the 3D printing device. For this purpose, the changing device can comprise, for example, one or more conveyor belts and / or at least one industrial robot.

In one embodiment variant, the first production line and the second production line lead into a common removal area at which a finished workpiece, that is, a workpiece that carries out the respective processing process (e ) has gone through, is removable. Since the first and second production lines open into a common removal area, finished workpieces can always be removed from one and the same removal area of the production line, regardless of whether the respective workpiece was further processed via the first production line or the second production line. In this way, in particular, the removal of the finished workpieces can be simplified and the production line can be made comparatively compact. The at least one 3D printing device used in the production line can be adapted on the software side in one embodiment variant in order to print different workpieces. A three-dimensionally printed workpiece can therefore not only be processed in different ways over the different production lines. Rather, in this embodiment variant, a further variability is already achieved via the 3D printing device, in that only a new configuration only needs to be stored in the 3D printing device in order to print a different workpiece. Depending on the workpiece, the feed to the different production lines (and thus, for example, different post-processing steps) can then be set via the control electronics and the conveyor device of the production line.

To further increase flexibility and increase productivity, in one embodiment the at least one 3D printing device is designed on a first side with a workpiece removal area and on a second side with a workpiece output. At the workpiece removal area, a workpiece built with the at least one 3D printing device can be removed, while at the workpiece output on another side of the 3D printing device, a workpiece built with the at least one 3D printing device can be removed via the

Conveyor of the production line of the fork can be fed. A corresponding 3D printing device thus has accesses provided for different purposes on different sides. For example, a first, via the

Workpiece removal area provided access on a front side of the 3D printing device and a second access provided via the workpiece output on a rear or longitudinal side of the 3D printing device.

For example, the workpiece removal area on the first side enables manual removal of a workpiece and manual setup of the 3D printing device. While 3D printing devices previously known on the market only provide a single access to a printing space of the 3D printing device and thus, for example, a printing platform on which the workpiece is to be printed, the embodiment variant proposed here provides that the printing space of at least two different Pages is accessible. Manual removal of a workpiece and the setup of the 3D printing device by an operator are therefore still possible via the workpiece removal area, as was previously the case. At least one second access to the printing space, for example on the rear side or on the side, is also available via the additionally provided workpiece output, which is for automated conveyance of a three-dimensionally printed one Workpiece is provided for further processing in the production line. In principle, more than two areas can also be provided for the removal or delivery of the workpiece. For example, removal of a workpiece from four different sides and / or removal from above can be made possible.

In one embodiment, at least two 3D printing devices are provided, with a workpiece constructed with the respective 3D printing device then being able to be fed to the fork and optionally to the first or second production line via the conveyor device of the production line. In at least two 3D printing devices, workpieces that are identical in construction, but also that are different and, in particular, that are constructed with different printing materials can then be printed in parallel, which can then be automatically fed to the different production lines for further processing.

In an embodiment variant with at least two 3D printing devices, it can also be provided that the 3D printing devices each have a workpiece removal area and a workpiece output, so that at least two different accesses to a printing space of the respective 3D printing device are ultimately available on each 3D printing device. In this context, it can be provided that the at least two 3D printing devices are set up to be able to set up and / or test the production of a workpiece manually via the workpiece removal area of a first side of one of the at least two 3D printing devices, while the workpiece is being output on a second side Another of the at least two 3D printing devices is automatically fed a workpiece to the fork and optionally to the first or second production line via the conveyor device. Automated (further) production can thus be carried out on one or more of the 3D printing devices, while conversion and / or testing takes place on at least one of the 3D printing devices via the workpiece removal area.

In the case of a corresponding production line having two accesses for a manual and automated workpiece removal, control electronics are then provided, for example, which enable the user to set the type of use of one or more of the 3D printing devices on the production line. For example, it is electronically adjustable in such a way that only one of the 3D printing devices is operated manually, for example for a prototype production, while one or more other 3D printing devices are on the same production line Computer-aided (further) manufacture of workpieces that can be automatically removed and transported further via the respective other access with the aid of the conveying device on a possibly existing changing device.

In one embodiment variant, a material feed is provided via which at least two 3D printing devices on the production line are automatically supplied with printing material. In such an embodiment variant, it is therefore not absolutely necessary for an operator to refill existing printing material reservoirs or funnels on a 3D printing device. Rather, several 3D printing devices are automated here, for example with the help of fill level signals from corresponding fill level sensors, supplied with the intended printing material from a central material supply. It can also be provided here that the 3D printing devices can be supplied with different printing materials via the central material supply.

Another aspect of the proposed solution relates to a 3D printing device for building up a three-dimensional workpiece in layers. Here it is proposed that the 3D printing device not only on a first side, e.g. a front side, has a workpiece removal area from which a workpiece built with the 3D printing device can be removed manually. Rather, a proposed 3D printing device has a workpiece output on a second side of the 3D printing device, for example a rear or longitudinal side, from which a workpiece built with the 3D printing device can be automatically removed via a conveyor.

A proposed 3D printing device thus provides at least two different accesses to a printing space of the 3-D printing device on two sides, at least one access being set up and provided for automated workpiece removal, for example with the aid of a gripping reporter and / or a conveyor belt. A workpiece removal area that is still present for manual workpiece removal ensures that the 3D printing device, for example in the form of a 3D printer, can also be operated independently of a conveying device for the automated removal of a workpiece. The 3D printing device can thus be used flexibly and can be used in particular in an embodiment variant of a proposed production line. The attached figures exemplify possible variants of the proposed solution.

Here show:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a proposed production line with a plurality of 3D printing devices for three-dimensional printing of workpieces which can be further processed on the production line in an automated manner via two different production lines on the production line;

FIG. 2 shows the production line of FIG. 1 in plan view;

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a further variant embodiment of a proposed production line;

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a further variant embodiment of a proposed production line.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show different views of a production line F which, among other things, has a printer arrangement D comprising a plurality of 3D printing devices in the form of 3D printers 1a to 1h. The 3D printers 1a to 1 h are arranged in pairs opposite one another in a row, so that a conveyor line of a conveyor of the production line F runs between them, via which workpieces printed by the 3D printers 1a to 1 h are automatically transported away and fed to further processing can be. The 3D printers 1 a to 1 h are supplied with printing material via a central material supply 2. For this purpose, the material supply 2 has several supply lines to the 3D printers 1a to 1h.

Each 3D printer 1a to 1h of the printing arrangement D of the production line F is set up and provided for building up a three-dimensional workpiece in layers, for example by way of the strand depositing process. In the present case, each of the 3D printers 1a-1h has two accesses to a printing space inside the respective 3D printer 1a to 1h. A first front access is provided on a front 10 with a workpiece removal area. A second access is provided on the rear, ie on a rear 11 facing an opposite 3D printer. The The backs 11 face the conveyor line of the conveyor device of the production line F, so that three-dimensionally printed workpieces can be automatically transported away via the backs 11 of the 3D printer 1a to 1h.

Each of the 3D printers 1a to 1h remains accessible to an operator via the front sides 10 of the individual 3D printers 1a to 1h, for example to carry out a conversion and / or testing on a printing plate 100 of a platform unit of the respective 3D printer 1a to 1h without having to interrupt the production of workpieces using the other 3D printers.

The production line F has two production lines 30 and 31, which are connected to one another at a fork 3, so that workpieces coming from the printer arrangement D can either be fed to one production line 30 along one conveying direction R1 or the other production line 31 along another conveying direction R2 . The production line F and a conveying direction also integrated in the production lines 30 and 31, for example with at least one conveyor belt and / or industrial robot, can be controlled automatically via control electronics in such a way that, depending on the workpiece produced on the printer arrangement D, the workpiece can be processed further the appropriate production line 30 or 31 is automatically fed.

The one (first) production line 30 is equipped with three processing stations 4, 5 and 6, for example, via several interconnected sections 30a, 30b and 30c. A first processing station is formed here by a debinding station 4, a second processing station by a sintering station and a third processing station by a cooling section 6. Via the one production line 30, a three-dimensionally printed workpiece coming from the printer arrangement D can thus be automatically fed to a sintering process, at the end of which the finished workpiece can be removed from the production line F at a removal area E.

Those workpieces that were further processed via the other (second) production line 31 also arrive at the removal area E. The production line 31 is significantly shorter than the production line 30 having the sintering station 5. The other (second) production line 31 in the exemplary embodiment shown only has one post-processing station 8, for example for drying a workpiece. Alternatively or additionally, the post-processing station For example, for cleaning parts used for transport and / or parts used during previously performed machining processes, for mechanical reworking on the green compact or plastic component (e.g. by a robot), for removing support material, for surface blasting and / or surface sealing.

In particular with a view to the sintering station 5 present on the first production line 30, provision can be made, for example, that a workpiece removed from a 3D printer 1a to 1 h on its rear side 11 - possibly together with a removed background plate - is placed on a sintering carriage via a changing device becomes. The workpiece then runs through the individual processing stations 4, 5 and 6 of the first production line 30 on this sintering carriage.

In this context, provision can also be made for a background plate to be fed to a cleaning station after the workpiece has been removed from the removal area E and then automatically reinserted via the changing device on a 3D printer 1a to 1h, in particular on its respective printing plate 100. Accordingly, it can be provided, for example, that a three-dimensionally printed workpiece is automatically removed from a rear side 11 and fed to the respective production line 30 or 31 via the fork 3. A new background plate is then immediately transported to the respective 3D printer 1a to 1h via the changing device, so that a new workpiece can be printed on it again. This enables continuous and industrial production of complex, additively manufactured workpieces.

In the variant of FIGS. 1 and 2, the production line F also provides a processing station in the form of an oven 7. This furnace 7 is enclosed by the sections 30a, 30b and 30c of the first production line 30 and the other production line 31 and is thus located in an inner area of the production line F. This furnace 7 is therefore for an operator in combination with all production lines 30 and 31 can be used, for example, to manually feed a workpiece to the furnace 7 if necessary. Of course, with a view to automated production, it is conceivable that a gripping robot is provided in the enclosed area with the furnace 7, via which a workpiece is fed to the furnace 7 if necessary and then fed back to one of the production lines 30, 31 or directly is transported to the removal area E. Figures 3 and 4 show two further design variants of a proposed production line F, each in plan view. In both variants of FIGS. 3 and 4, only one 3D printer 1 a is provided at the beginning of the respective production line F as an example. Analogous to the embodiment variant of FIGS. 1 and 2, however, a printing arrangement D with at least two 3D printers can also be provided here.

In the variant of FIG. 3, the two production lines 30 and 31 connected to one another via a fork 3 with the different processing stations 4 to 6 and 8 are followed by a common production line section 32 with one or (as shown) several post-processing stations 9a to 9c. Regardless of whether a workpiece coming from a 3D printer 1a has been processed further via one production line 30 or the other production line 31, the processed workpiece subsequently arrives at the production line section 32 having the removal area E. In this production line section, the workpiece can then optionally one or more of the post-processing stations 9a, 9b and / or 9c for a predetermined post-processing step.

In the embodiment variant of FIG. 4, a first production line 30 is designed as a circular line or roundabout. After passing through the first production line 30, a workpiece thus arrives at a fork 3 and can then be fed to a second production line 31 with the post-processing station 8. Depending on the workpiece to be produced, the first production line 30 can thus be run through, on which the workpiece is further processed at one or more of the processing stations 4 to 6 and 9a to 9c arranged thereon. The workpiece then reaches the second production line 31 via the fork 3, where the workpiece can then optionally be further processed at the post-processing station 8. Alternatively, a workpiece originating from the 3D printer 1a (or another 3D printer of a printing arrangement D) can be fed past the first production line 30 only to the second production line 31.

In the case of a circular route in FIG. 4, a processing sequence can also be electronically controlled and therefore automated in such a way that the workpiece is subjected to a processing process along a conveying direction along the circular route only at one or only part of the processing stations 4 to 6 and 9a to 9c and then via the second production line 31 at the removal area E for Is provided. It can also be provided that a workpiece is guided at least twice along the conveying direction over the first production line 30 in order to use at least one different processing station in a second pass than in a first pass.

List of reference symbols

1a -1h 3D printer

100 printing plate

10 Front with workpiece removal area

11 Back with workpiece output

2 material feed

3 fork

30 1st production line with conveyor belt

30a, 30b, 30c section

31 2. Production line with conveyor belt

32 production line section

4 delivery station

5 sintering station

6 From the cool stretch

7 oven

8 post-processing station

9a, 9b, 9c post-processing station

D Printer layout

E removal area

F production line

R1, R2 direction

Claims

Expectations

1. Production line, with

- At least one 3D printing device (1a-1h) for building up a three-dimensional workpiece in layers and

- At least two different processing stations (4-8, 9a-9c) for further processing of the workpiece built with the at least one 3D printing device (1a-1h), characterized in that the production line (F) has two together via a fork (3) connected production lines (30, 31), to which optionally a workpiece built with the at least one 3D printing device (1a-1h) can be automatically fed via a conveyor of the production line (F) and of which a first production line (30) has at least a first Processing station (4-7, 9a-9b) of the at least two different processing stations (4-8, 9a-9b) and a second production line (31) at least one second processing station (8) of the two different processing stations (4-8, 9a-9b ) exhibit.

2. Production line according to claim 1, characterized in that via the fork (3) and control electronics of the production line (F) a workpiece built with the at least one 3D printing device (1a-1h) is electronically controlled from either the first production line (30) or can be fed to the second production line (31) for further processing.

3. Production line according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the first processing station (5) and / or the second processing station is set up and provided for sintering a workpiece built with the at least one 3D printing device (1 a-1 h) .

4. Production line according to claim 3, characterized in that the production line (F) comprises a changing device which is set up to place a workpiece built with the at least one 3D printing device (1a-1h) on a sintering carriage, with which the workpiece can be further Processing of the processing station (5) set up and provided for sintering can be supplied.

5. Production line according to claim 4, characterized in that the changing device is further set up, a printing platform of the at least one 3D printing device (1 a-1 h), on which the workpiece is built, back to the at least one 3D printing device (1a -1h).

6. Production line according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first production line (30) and the second production line (31) open into a common removal area (E) from which a finished workpiece can be removed.

7. Production line according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one 3D printing device (1a-1h) can be adapted on the software side in order to print different workpieces.

8. Production line according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one 3D printing device (1a-1h) has a workpiece removal area on a first side (10), in which a workpiece with the at least one 3D printing device (1a-1h ) assembled workpiece can be removed, and on a second side (11) has a workpiece output from which a workpiece constructed with the at least one 3D printing device (1a-1h) can be fed to the fork (3) via the conveyor device.

9. Production line according to claim 8, characterized in that manual removal of a workpiece and arming of the 3D printing device (1a-1h) is made possible via the workpiece removal area of the first side.

10. Production line according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least two 3D printing devices (1a-1h) are provided and one with the respective 3D printing device (1a-1h) is built up via the conveyor of the production line (F) Workpiece of the fork (3) and optionally the first or second production line (30, 31) can be fed.

11. Production line according to claim 8 or 9 and claim 10, characterized in that the at least two 3D printing devices (1a-1h) each have a workpiece removal area and a workpiece output and are set up, over the workpiece removal area on the first side (10) one of the at least two 3D printing devices (1a-1h) to be able to set up and / or test the production of a workpiece manually, while the Workpiece output on the second side (11) of another of the at least two 3D printing devices (1a-1h) a workpiece is automatically fed to the fork (3) and optionally to the first or second production line (30, 31) via the conveyor.

12. Production line according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the at least two 3D printing devices (1a-1h) can be automatically supplied with printing material via a material supply (2).

13. 3D printing device for building up a three-dimensional layer by layer

Workpiece, the 3D printing device (1a-1h) having a workpiece removal area on a first side (10) from which a workpiece constructed with the 3D printing device (1a-1h) can be manually removed, characterized in that on a second On the side (11) of the 3D printing device (1a-1h), a workpiece output is additionally provided, from which a workpiece built with the 3D printing device (1a-1h) can be automatically removed via a conveyor device.