KR20230084966A - Composite powder additive manufacturing system and composite powder additive manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an additive manufacturing system for composite powder and an additive manufacturing method for composite powder, capable of minimizing degradation of performance of high-hardness powder by minimizing influence of laser molding in three-dimensional metal printing using a laser beam. The additive manufacturing system for composite powder includes: a body formed as a frame structure having a worktable on the upper surface; a printing module installed on the worktable to move in at least one or more directions among a width direction, a length direction, and a height direction of the body and radiating a laser beam toward the worktable; a material supply module installed on one side of the worktable and accommodating composite powder in which first powder and second powder with different density and a different particle size are mixed; a molding module installed on the other side of the worktable to be arranged in a row to be parallel with the material supply module and molding the composite powder to form a solid article by selectively sintering the composite powder supplied from the material supply module by the laser beam radiated from the printing module; a layer separation module separating a layer of the first powder and the second powder into a first layer and a second layer by applying vibration to the composite powder accommodated in the molding module or the material supply module; and a control unit individually controlling the printing module, the material supply module, the molding module, and the layer separation module by being electrically connected to the printing module, the material supply module, the molding module, and the layer separation module.

Description

Composite powder additive manufacturing system and composite powder additive manufacturing method

The present invention relates to a composite powder additive manufacturing system and a composite powder additive manufacturing method, which can minimize the performance degradation of high-hardness powder due to heat by minimizing the effect of laser molding in metal 3D printing using a laser beam. It relates to a system and a composite powder additive manufacturing method.

3D printing technology refers to additive manufacturing technology that creates items as if they were printed in a 3D space based on 3D solid drawings. In the early stage of development, it was limited to plastic materials and used for limited purposes, but the range has been expanded to nylon and metal, and it is being applied to all industrial fields to the extent that cell phone cases and automobile parts can be printed.

Most industrial metal 3D printers follow the selective laser sintering (SLS) method, which forms a three-dimensional object by applying metal powder and melting only the desired part with a laser. This selective laser sintering method is a method in which a large amount of small particle-type powder material is thinly coated on a work table to form a powder layer, melted with a high-heat laser, and laminated to form a shape. It has the advantage of being applied not only to manufacturing of products, but also to products requiring high precision such as human body customized medical parts, aircraft parts, and military parts, which are high value-added industrial products. In the selective laser sintering (SLS) additive manufacturing technology, various materials such as metal powder and polymer powder are used as additive materials. The use of composite powders mixed with is also increasing.

However, in the selective laser sintering (SLS)-type composite powder additive manufacturing system and composite powder additive manufacturing method using such a conventional composite powder, when the composite powder is selectively sintered using a laser beam, the cemented carbide located on the upper surface of the composite powder When the laser beam is directly irradiated to the powder, there is a problem that deterioration occurs in the cemented carbide powder. Accordingly, there is a problem in that the quality of a three-dimensional object molded from the composite powder is also deteriorated, such as a decrease in overall strength due to a decrease in chemical and physical properties.

The present invention is to solve various problems, including the above problems, by layer separation so that the cemented carbide powder contained in the composite powder is located in the lower layer of the composite powder before the molding step by the laser beam, the cemented carbide powder It is an object of the present invention to provide a composite powder additive manufacturing system and a composite powder additive manufacturing method capable of preventing deterioration caused by direct exposure to a laser beam. However, these tasks are illustrative, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereby.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a composite powder additive manufacturing system is provided. The composite powder additive manufacturing system includes a body formed of a frame structure on which a work table is formed; a printing module installed on the work table to be movable in at least one of the width direction, length direction, and height direction of the body, and irradiating a laser beam toward the work table; a material supply module installed on one side of the work table and accommodating composite powder in which a first powder and a second powder having different densities and particle sizes are mixed; It is installed on the other side of the work table so that it can be arranged in a line parallel to the material supply module, and the composite powder supplied from the material supply module is selectively sintered by the laser beam irradiated from the printing module to form a three-dimensional object. A molding module molded with; a layer separation module for separating the first and second powders into first and second layers by applying vibration to the composite powder accommodated in the material supply module or the shaping module; and a control unit that is electrically connected to the printing module, the material supply module, the shaping module, and the layer separation module and controls them, respectively.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the material supply module may include a material supply chamber in which an accommodation space is formed so that the composite powder to be supplied to the molding module may be accommodated therein; a material supply stage provided inside the material supply chamber so as to be able to ascend and descend, and protrudingly push up the composite powder by an amount of the composite powder to be supplied to the molding module to an upper end of the material supply chamber; a material supply unit supplying the composite powder to the material supply chamber; and the composite powder protruding to the upper end of the material supply chamber is formed by the material supply stage so that the composite powder protruding to the upper end of the material supply chamber can be applied to the molding module in a layer form. It may include; a material feeding unit that applies by pushing in the direction of the module.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the molding module is arranged in a line parallel to the material supply chamber, and the composite powder supplied by the material feeding unit is accommodated so that the three-dimensional object can be molded. a molding chamber in which a space is formed; and the composite powder is applied in a layer form by the material feeding unit on an upper surface of the molding chamber and is provided in a layer form by the laser beam irradiated from the printing module. It may include; a shaping stage in which the three-dimensional object is formed by stacking a plurality of layers by selectively sintering the powder.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit applies a control signal to the material supply module so that the composite powder can be supplied in an amount to be applied as one layer on the molding stage to the material supply chamber. By doing so, the material supply unit can be driven.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the layer separation module applies vibration to at least one of the material supply chamber and the material supply stage so that the composite powder accommodated in the material supply chamber is formed into the first powder. It may include; a first vibrating unit for layer-separating the first layer and the second layer formed of the second powder.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit applies vibration to the composite powder accommodated in the material supply chamber so that the first layer formed of the first powder having a relatively low density and large particles is formed on the upper side. A control signal may be applied to the first vibrating part so that the second layer formed of the second powder having a relatively high density and a small particle size may be separated from the second layer formed on the lower side.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit raises the material supply stage by the height of the first layer, and then, with the material feeding unit, the first layer protruding from the upper end of the material supply chamber is placed in the molding module. After the material supply stage is raised by the height of the second layer, the second layer protruding from the upper end of the material supply chamber is pushed in the direction of the modeling module by the material feeding unit. Layer separation occurs in the material supply chamber by applying a control signal to the material supply module to drive the material supply stage and the material feeding unit so that the first layer applied to the molding stage can be applied by pushing the material to the molding stage. The layer of composite powder composed of the first layer formed on the upper side and the second layer formed on the lower side is formed on the molding stage, the layer of composite powder composed of the second layer formed on the upper side and the first layer formed on the lower side. can be formed into

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the layer separation module applies vibration to at least one of the shaping chamber and the shaping stage so that the composite powder accommodated in the shaping chamber is formed of the first powder. It may include; a layer and a second vibrating unit that separates the layer into the second layer formed of the second powder.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit applies vibration to the composite powder accommodated in the molding chamber so that the first layer formed of the first powder having a relatively low density and large particles is placed on the upper side. A control signal may be applied to the second vibrating part so that the second layer formed of the second powder having a relatively high density and a small particle size may be separated from the second layer formed on the lower side.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the layer separation module is installed above the material supply chamber or the molding chamber, and separates the composite powder through color or shape characteristics using a vision system. It may further include an inspection unit configured to detect a layer separation state of the first powder and the second powder.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit applies a control signal to the first vibration unit or the second vibration unit to control the composite powder accommodated in the material supply chamber or the composite powder accommodated in the molding chamber. When vibration is applied, the layer separation state of the first powder and the second powder is sensed in real time through the inspection unit, and complete layer separation of the composite powder occurs according to the layer separation state of the composite powder, At least one of a vibration frequency, a vibration intensity, and a vibration time may be adjusted in real time by feedback-controlling the first vibration unit or the second vibration unit.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a composite powder additive manufacturing method is provided. The composite powder additive manufacturing method may include a composite powder supply step of supplying the composite powder to the material supply module; a first layer separation step of applying vibration to the composite powder accommodated in the material supply module to separate the composite powder into the first layer formed of the first powder and the second layer formed of the second powder; a composite powder application step of applying the composite powder, which has been layer-separated into the first layer and the second layer, on a molding stage of the molding module; and a shaping step of shaping the three-dimensional object by irradiating the laser beam to the composite powder applied on the shaping stage of the shaping module with the printing module to selectively sinter the composite powder applied in the form of a layer. can include

According to another embodiment of the present invention, in the composite powder supply step, the composite powder may be supplied to the material supply module in an amount to be applied as one layer on the molding stage.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, in the first layer separation step, the composite powder is formed of the first powder having a relatively low density and large particles in the material supply chamber of the material supply module. Layer separation may occur such that a first layer is formed on the upper side and the second layer formed of the second powder having a relatively high density and small particles is formed on the lower side.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, in the composite powder application step, after raising the material supply stage of the material supply module by the height of the first layer, the first protruding to the top of the material supply chamber as a material feeding part A layer is pushed in the direction of the molding module to be applied on the molding stage, and after raising the material supply stage by the height of the second layer, the second layer protrudes to the upper end of the material supply chamber with the material feeding part. is applied on the first layer applied to the molding stage by pushing in the direction of the molding module, and layer separation occurs in the material supply chamber to form the composite composed of the first layer formed on the upper side and the second layer formed on the lower side. A layer of powder may be formed as a layer of the composite powder composed of the second layer formed on the upper side and the first layer formed on the lower side on the molding stage.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a composite powder additive manufacturing method is provided. The composite powder additive manufacturing method may include a composite powder supply step of supplying the composite powder to the material supply module; a composite powder coating step of applying the composite powder accommodated in the material supply module onto a shaping stage of the shaping module; Vibration is applied to the composite powder applied on the molding stage of the molding module to separate the composite powder into the first layer formed of the first powder and the second layer formed of the second powder. 2nd floor separation step; and a shaping step of shaping the three-dimensional object by irradiating the laser beam with the printing module to the composite powder layer-separated on the shaping stage of the shaping module, and selectively sintering the composite powder applied in a layered form; can include

According to another embodiment of the present invention, in the second layer separation step, the composite powder is formed of the first powder having a relatively low density and large particles in the molding chamber of the molding module. Layer separation may occur such that the first layer is formed on the upper side and the second layer formed of the second powder having relatively high density and small particles is formed on the lower side.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the first layer separation step and the second layer separation step may include a vibration application step of applying vibration to the composite powder; An image collection step of collecting an upper layer image of the composite powder in which layer separation occurs through an inspection unit installed above the material supply chamber or the molding chamber and using a vision system; and a powder ratio evaluation step of evaluating the ratio of the first powder and the second powder in the upper layer of the composite powder through classification of color or shape characteristics in the image.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, in the powder ratio evaluation step, when it is determined that the ratio of the first powder in the upper layer of the composite powder reaches the target density, the steps up to the molding step are performed, and the After the molding step, a first evaluation step of evaluating the powder ratio of the three-dimensional object on which the molding is completed; and a second evaluation step of evaluating physical properties of the three-dimensional object.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, in the powder ratio evaluation step, when it is determined that the ratio of the first powder in the upper layer of the composite powder is less than the target density, the target density and the first evaluation step And a vibration condition adjusting step of resetting at least one of vibration frequency, vibration intensity, and vibration time using a manufacturing data-based deep learning model derived by deep learning the correlation between each evaluation result of the second evaluation step. Execute, and may be re-executed from the vibration application step.

According to one embodiment of the present invention made as described above, vibration is applied to the composite powder accommodated in the material supply module or the molding module to induce layer separation in the composite powder by the Brazil nut effect. , Prior to the molding step by the laser beam, the cemented carbide powder included in the composite powder is layer-separated so that it is located in the lower layer of the composite powder, and the carbide powder is directly exposed to the laser beam in the molding step, resulting in degradation of performance due to deterioration that can be prevented

Accordingly, it is possible to implement a composite powder additive manufacturing system and a composite powder additive manufacturing method capable of forming high-strength three-dimensional objects with high quality by preventing degradation of chemical and physical properties of a three-dimensional object molded from the composite powder. Of course, the scope of the present invention is not limited by these effects.

1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a composite powder additive manufacturing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a process flow chart sequentially illustrating a composite powder additive manufacturing method using the composite powder additive manufacturing system of FIG. 1 .
FIG. 3 is a process flow chart showing a first layer separation step of the multilayer composite powder manufacturing method of FIG. 2 in more detail.
4 to 8 are cross-sectional views schematically showing each process of the composite powder additive manufacturing method of FIG. 2 .
9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a composite powder additive manufacturing system according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a process flow chart sequentially illustrating a composite powder additive manufacturing method using the composite powder additive manufacturing system of FIG. 9 .
FIG. 11 is a process flow chart showing a second layer separation step of the multilayer composite powder manufacturing method of FIG. 10 in more detail.
12 to 15 are cross-sectional views schematically illustrating each process of the composite powder additive manufacturing method of FIG. 10 .

Hereinafter, several preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The embodiments of the present invention are provided to more completely explain the present invention to those skilled in the art, and the following examples may be modified in many different forms, and the scope of the present invention is as follows It is not limited to the examples. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the spirit of the invention to those skilled in the art. In addition, the thickness or size of each layer in the drawings is exaggerated for convenience and clarity of explanation.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to drawings schematically showing ideal embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings, variations of the depicted shape may be expected, depending on, for example, manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances. Therefore, embodiments of the inventive concept should not be construed as being limited to the specific shape of the region shown in this specification, but should include, for example, a change in shape caused by manufacturing.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a composite powder additive manufacturing system 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, the composite powder additive manufacturing system 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention largely includes a body 100, a printing module 200, a material supply module 300, and , It includes a molding module 400 and a layer separation module 500, and may include a control unit 600 that is electrically connected to each of them and applies a control signal capable of being controlled.

As shown in FIG. 1, the body 100 has a work table 110 formed on its upper surface, a printing module 200, a material supply module 300, a shaping module 400, and a layer separation module. 500 and the control unit 600 may be a kind of frame structure that can be installed and supported. For example, the body 100 may be an integral injection structure, a casting, or a frame structure formed by welding or connecting various shapes of plate materials, wire rods, pipe materials, vertical members, horizontal members, and inclined members to each other.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printing module 200 is installed to be movable in at least one of the width direction, length direction, and height direction of the body 100 on the work table 110 of the body 100. Thus, the laser beam (B) can be irradiated toward the work table (110).

More specifically, the printing module 200 is provided with a printing head 210 that can move in three axes, X, Y, and Z, on the work table 110 of the body 100, thereby providing a selective laser In the sintering method, a laser beam (B) is irradiated to the composite powder (P) layer applied on the molding stage 420 of the molding module 400 to be described later, so that the composite powder (P) layer can be selectively sintered. .

For example, the printing module 200 receives the laser beam B generated from the laser light emitting unit 230 through the optical lens 220 and condenses the laser beam B while the printing head 210, which is a kind of scan mirror, moves. ) to the composite powder (P) layer, by selectively sintering the composite powder (P) layer, the three-dimensional object (1) can be laminated layer by layer and molded.

As shown in FIG. 1, the material supply module 300 is installed on one side of the work table 110 and supplies composite powder P in which first and second powders having different densities and particle sizes are mixed. Acceptable. In addition, the shaping module 400 is installed on the other side of the work table 110 so that it can be arranged in a row parallel to the material supply module 300, by the laser beam B irradiated from the printing module 200. The composite powder (P) supplied from the material supply module 300 may be selectively sintered to be molded into a three-dimensional object (1).

More specifically, the material supply module 300 includes a material supply chamber 310 in which an accommodation space is formed so that the composite powder P to be supplied to the shaping module 400 can be accommodated therein, and the material supply chamber ( 310), the material supply stage is provided to be able to move up and down, and pushes the composite powder P by the amount of the composite powder P to be supplied to the molding module 400 to the top of the material supply chamber 310 so as to protrude therefrom. 320, the material supply unit 330 for supplying the composite powder P to the material supply chamber 310, and the composite powder P protruding to the top of the material supply chamber 310 by the material supply stage 320 A material feeding unit 340 that pushes and applies the composite powder P protruding from the top of the material supply chamber 310 in the direction of the shaping module 400 so that it can be applied to the shaping module 400 in a layer form. ) may be included.

In addition, the shaping module 400 is arranged side by side with the material supply chamber 310, and the composite powder P supplied by the material feeding unit 340 is accommodated so that the three-dimensional object 1 can be molded. The molding chamber 410, in which the molding space is formed, is provided so as to be able to move up and down inside the molding chamber 410, and the composite powder P is applied in a layer form by the material feeding unit 340 on the upper surface, By selectively sintering the composite powder P applied in a layer form by the laser beam B irradiated from the printing module 200, the three-dimensional object 1 is laminated into a plurality of layers to form a molding stage 420. can include

For example, when the material supply unit 330 of the material supply module 300 moves upward of the material supply chamber 310 and drops a predetermined amount of the composite powder P, the composite powder P is transferred to the material supply stage 320. can be layered on top.

Although not shown, the material supply stage 320 may be moved up and down by a drive unit installed below the material supply chamber 310, and applied to the shaping stage 420 of the shaping module 400 by driving it up. When the amount of composite powder P is pushed up to protrude to the top of the material supply chamber 310, the material feeding unit 340 formed in the form of a blade protrudes to the top of the material supply chamber 310. The powder P may be evenly applied on the shaping stage 420 by pushing it toward the shaping module 400 .

Here, the material feeding unit 340 is formed in the form of a blade as an example, but is not necessarily limited to FIG. 1 , and in the process of evenly applying the composite powder P on the molding stage 420, the composite powder P It may be formed in the form of a roller so that the layer can be easily pressed.

In addition, although not shown, a powder collection hole is formed at the opposite end of the material supply module 300 of the molding chamber 410 of the material supply module 300, and is placed on the molding stage 420 by the material feeding unit 340. The composite powder P, which remains after being applied and pushed to the end of the material supply module 300, may be collected and recovered.

The driving of the material supply module 300 may be controlled by a control signal from the control unit 600, and according to the driving of the material supply module 300, the shaping stage 420 of the shaping module 400 ), the composite powder P may be evenly applied in the form of a layer.

In this way, when the composite powder P is evenly applied in the form of a layer on the shaping stage 420, the printing head 210 of the printing module 200 moves above the shaping stage 420 while generating the laser beam B By irradiating and selectively sintering the composite powder P, one layer of the three-dimensional object 1 can be laminated.

Thereafter, the shaping stage 420 descends by the thickness of the next layer for stacking of the next layer, and the above-described steps are repeatedly performed, thereby forming the three-dimensional object 1 by stacking a plurality of layers.

In the above-described molding process, the layer separation module 500 applies vibration to the composite powder P accommodated in the material supply module 300 to obtain the first powder and the second powder constituting the composite powder P. may be layer-separated into a first layer (L1) and a second layer (L2).

More specifically, the layer separation module 500 applies vibration to at least one of the material supply chamber 310 and the material supply stage 320 to remove the composite powder P accommodated in the material supply chamber 310. It may include a first vibrating unit 510 that separates the first layer L1 formed of the first powder and the second layer L2 formed of the second powder.

For example, the first powder constituting the composite powder P may be a powder having a relatively low density and a large particle size, and the second powder may be a powder having a relatively high density and a small particle size. More specifically, the first powder may be a diamond powder having a density of 3.51 g/cm ³ , and the second powder may be a stainless steel (STS 316L) powder having a density of 8.0 g/cm ³ .

In this case, on the molding stage 420, in the composite powder P, the first layer L1 made of the first powder is located below the second layer L2 made of the second powder, and the diamond powder It may be desirable to prevent direct exposure of the first powder to the laser beam (B).

Accordingly, first, the control unit 600 applies a control signal to the material supply module 300 to drive the material supply unit 330 to supply the composite powder P to the material supply chamber 310 on the molding stage 420. ), and then, by applying a control signal to the first vibration unit 510 to apply vibration to the composite powder P accommodated in the material supply chamber 310, The first layer L1 formed of the first powder having a relatively low density and large particles is formed on the upper side, and the second layer formed of the second powder having a relatively high density and small particles ( Layer separation may be performed so that L2) is formed on the lower side.

This layer separation phenomenon is a Brazil nut effect in which, when two powders having good fluidity and different densities and sizes are mixed, the powder having a low density and a large particle size moves upward even by a small vibration. ) can be caused by

At this time, the layer separation module 500 is installed above the material supply chamber 310, and through the color or shape characteristic classification using a vision system, the first powder constituting the composite powder P And by including an inspection unit 530 for detecting the layer separation state of the second powder, the control unit 600 applies a control signal to the first vibration unit 510, and the composite powder accommodated in the material supply chamber 310 When vibration is applied to (P), the layer separation state of the first powder and the second powder is detected in real time through the inspection unit 530, and the composite powder (P) is measured according to the layer separation state of the composite powder (P). At least one of the vibration frequency, vibration intensity, and vibration time may be adjusted in real time by feedback controlling the first vibration unit 510 so that complete layer separation of the layer may occur.

For example, when a color filter is applied to the vision system camera of the inspection unit 530, the first powder, which is diamond powder, and the second powder, which is stainless steel powder, can be distinguished by a difference in color. According to this principle, when the layers of the composite powder P are separated, the first powder and the second powder of the upper layer of the composite powder P are distinguished through the inspection unit 530 and the ratio is evaluated, thereby forming a layer of the composite powder P. Separation can be detected.

Next, the control unit 600 applies a control signal to the material supply module 300 to drive the material supply stage 320 and the material feeding unit 340 to move the material supply stage 320 to the first layer (L1). After raising it by the height of , the material feeding unit 340 pushes the first layer L1 protruding to the top of the material supply chamber 310 in the direction of the shaping module 400 and applies it on the shaping stage 420. After raising the material supply stage 320 by the height of the second layer L2, the second layer L2 protruding from the top of the material supply chamber 310 to the material feeding unit 340 is placed in the molding module. It can be applied on the first layer (L1) applied to the molding stage (420) by pushing in the direction (400).

Therefore, layer separation occurs in the material supply chamber 310, and the layer of the composite powder P composed of the first layer L1 formed on the upper side and the second layer L2 formed on the lower side is formed in the material supply module 300. The first layer (L1) and the second layer (L2) of the composite powder (P) are sequentially applied twice to the shaping module 400 by driving, and finally, the shaping stage 420 of the shaping module 400 ) may be formed as a layer of a composite powder P composed of a second layer L2 formed on the upper side and a first layer L1 formed on the lower side.

Therefore, on the shaping stage 420 of the shaping module 400, among the layers of the composite powder P, the first layer L1 made of the first powder, which is diamond powder, is made of the second powder, which is stainless powder. Located on the lower side of the layer (L2), in the process of forming the three-dimensional object (1), it is possible to prevent degradation of diamond powder, which is a cemented carbide powder, by being directly exposed to the laser beam (B).

Hereinafter, a composite powder additive manufacturing method capable of modeling a three-dimensional object 1 using the composite powder P using the above-described composite powder additive manufacturing system 1000 will be described in detail.

FIG. 2 is a process flow chart sequentially showing a composite powder additive manufacturing method using the composite powder additive manufacturing system 1000 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a first layer separation step (S210) of the composite powder additive manufacturing method of FIG. It is a process flow chart showing more specifically. And, FIGS. 4 to 8 are cross-sectional views schematically showing each process of the multilayer composite powder manufacturing method of FIG. 2 .

First, referring to FIG. 2, the composite powder additive manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a composite powder supply step (S100), a first layer separation step (S210), a composite powder application step (S300), and molding Steps (S400) may be performed in order.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 , in the composite powder supply step ( S100 ), the composite powder P may be supplied to the material supply module 300 . In this case, the amount of the composite powder P supplied to the material supply module 300 in the composite powder supply step (S100) may be supplied as much as an amount to be applied as one layer on the molding stage 420.

Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, in the first layer separation step (S210), vibration is applied to the composite powder P accommodated in the material supply module 300 to separate the composite powder P into the first layer separation step S210. The layers may be separated into a first layer L1 formed of one powder and a second layer L2 formed of the second powder.

For example, in the first layer separation step (S210), the composite powder P is converted into the first powder, which is a powder having a relatively low density and large particles, in the material supply chamber 310 of the material supply module 300. Layer separation may occur such that the formed first layer L1 is formed on the upper side and the second layer L2 formed of the second powder having relatively high density and small particles is formed on the lower side.

If the process of the first layer separation step (S210) is described in more detail, as shown in the process flow chart of FIG. 3, first, in the vibration application step (S211), vibration is applied to the composite powder (P). can do. At this time, through the image collection step (S212), the upper layer image of the composite powder (P) in which the layer separation occurs may be collected through the inspection unit 530 using the vision system installed above the material supply chamber 310.

Subsequently, through the powder ratio evaluation step (S213), the first powder and the second powder of the upper layer of the composite powder (P) are determined through the color or shape characteristic classification in the image collected in the image collection step (S212). ratio can be evaluated.

At this time, in the powder ratio evaluation step (S213), when it is determined that the ratio of the first powder of the upper layer of the composite powder (P) has reached the target density, a composite powder application step (S300) and a molding step (S400) to be described later After executing the steps up to, and after the molding step (S400), the first evaluation step of evaluating the powder ratio of the three-dimensional object (1) for which the molding is completed (S500) and the second evaluation step of evaluating the physical properties of the three-dimensional object (1) By executing (S600), the quality of the three-dimensional sculpture 1 can be verified.

However, when it is determined in the powder ratio evaluation step (S213) that the ratio of the first powder in the upper layer of the composite powder P is less than the target density, the layer separation of the composite powder P can be completely achieved, Vibration frequency, vibration intensity and vibration time using a manufacturing data-based deep learning model derived by deep learning the correlation between the target density and each evaluation result of the first evaluation step (S500) and the second evaluation step (S600) The vibration condition adjusting step (S700) for resetting at least one of the above may be executed, and the vibration application step (S211) may be repeatedly re-executed. This repeating loop may be repeated until the layer separation of the composite powder P occurs completely and the ratio of the first powder in the upper layer of the composite powder P reaches a target density.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 2, FIGS. 6 and 7, in the composite powder coating step (S300), the composite powder P, which has been layer-separated into the first layer L1 and the second layer L2, It may be applied on the shaping stage 420 of the shaping module 400 .

More specifically, in the composite powder application step (S300), first, as shown in Figure 6, after raising the material supply stage 320 of the material supply module 300 by the height of the first layer (L1), The material feeding unit 340 pushes the first layer L1 protruding to the top of the material supply chamber 310 in the direction of the shaping module 400 to apply it on the shaping stage 420, and then, as shown in FIG. As described above, after raising the material supply stage 320 by the height of the second layer L2, the material feeding unit 340 forms the second layer L2 protruding to the top of the material supply chamber 310. It can be applied on the first layer (L1) applied to the shaping stage 420 by pushing in the direction of the module 400 .

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 8 , layer separation occurs in the material supply chamber 310 to form a layer of composite powder P composed of a first layer L1 formed on the upper side and a second layer L2 formed on the lower side. Through the composite powder application step (S300), a layer of composite powder P consisting of a second layer L2 formed on the upper side and a first layer L1 formed on the lower side may be formed on the molding stage 420. there is.

Then, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 8 , through the shaping step (S400), the printing module 200 uses the laser to the composite powder P applied on the shaping stage 420 of the shaping module 400. By irradiating the beam (B), it is possible to shape any one cross section of the three-dimensional object (1) by selectively sintering the composite powder (P) applied in the form of a layer.

The above-described process may be repeatedly executed until the modeling of all cross sections of the three-dimensional object 1 is completed.

Therefore, according to the composite powder additive manufacturing system 1000 and the composite powder additive manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention, by applying vibration to the composite powder P accommodated in the material supply module 300, the Brazilian peanut effect ( By inducing layer separation in the composite powder (P) by the Brazil nut effect, the cemented carbide powder included in the composite powder (P) before the molding step (S400) by the laser beam (B) is the composite powder (P) It is possible to prevent degradation of performance due to deterioration due to direct exposure of the cemented carbide powder to the laser beam (B) in the molding step (S400) by separating the layers so as to be located in the lower layer.

Therefore, chemical and physical properties of the three-dimensional object 1 molded from the composite powder P may also be prevented from deteriorating, so that the high-strength three-dimensional object 1 may be formed with high quality.

9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a composite powder additive manufacturing system 2000 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

First, as shown in FIG. 9 , the composite powder additive manufacturing system 2000 according to another embodiment of the present invention largely includes a body 100, a printing module 200, a material supply module 300, and , It includes a molding module 400 and a layer separation module 500, and may include a control unit 600 that is electrically connected to each of them and applies a control signal capable of being controlled.

Here, the configuration of the body 100, the printing module 200, the material supply module 300, the shaping module 400, and the control unit 600, except for the layer separation module 500, is shown in the above-described FIG. 1 may have the same configuration and role as the components of the composite powder additive manufacturing system 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, detailed description is omitted.

In the layer separation module 500 of the composite powder additive manufacturing system 2000 according to another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 9, the composite powder applied from the material supply module 300 and accommodated in the molding module 400 ( By applying vibration to P), the first powder and the second powder constituting the composite powder P may be layer-separated into a first layer L1 and a second layer L2.

More specifically, the layer separation module 500 applies vibration to at least one of the shaping chamber 410 and the shaping stage 420 to convert the composite powder P accommodated in the shaping chamber 410 to the first powder It may include a second vibrating unit 520 for layer separation into a first layer L1 formed of the second powder and a second layer L2 formed of the second powder.

For example, the first powder constituting the composite powder P may be a powder having a relatively low density and a large particle size, and the second powder may be a powder having a relatively high density and a small particle size. More specifically, the first powder may be stainless steel powder, and the second powder may be tungsten carbide (WC) powder.

In this case, on the molding stage 420, the second layer L2 made of the second powder in the composite powder P is located below the first layer L1 made of the first powder, and tungsten carbide It may be desirable to prevent the second powder, which is the (WC) powder, from being directly exposed to the laser beam (B).

Accordingly, the control unit 600 applies a control signal to the layer separation module 500 to drive the second vibration unit 520 to apply vibration to the composite powder P accommodated in the molding chamber 410, A first layer (L1) formed of the first powder having a relatively low density and large particles is formed on the upper side, and a second layer (L2) formed of a second powder having a relatively high density and small particles is formed on the upper side. Layer separation may be performed so as to be formed on the lower side.

This layer separation phenomenon is a Brazil nut effect in which, when two powders having good fluidity and different densities and sizes are mixed, the powder having a low density and a large particle size moves upward even by a small vibration. ) can be caused by

At this time, the layer separation module 500 is installed above the molding chamber 410, and through the classification of color or shape characteristics using a vision system, the first powder and By including the inspecting unit 530 for detecting the layer separation state of the second powder, the control unit 600 applies a control signal to the second vibrating unit 520, and the composite powder P accommodated in the molding chamber 410 When vibration is applied to ), the layer separation state of the first powder and the second powder is detected in real time through the inspection unit 530, and the complete layer separation state of the composite powder (P) is determined. In order to separate the layers, at least one of the vibration frequency, vibration intensity, and vibration time may be adjusted in real time by feedback controlling the second vibration unit 520 .

For example, by using the vision system camera of the inspection unit 530, a difference in particle size or shape between the first powder, which is stainless steel powder, and the second powder, which is tungsten carbide (WC) powder, may be distinguished. According to this principle, when the layers of the composite powder P are separated, the first powder and the second powder of the upper layer of the composite powder P are distinguished through the inspection unit 530 and the ratio is evaluated, thereby forming a layer of the composite powder P. Separation can be detected.

Therefore, the composite powder P supplied from the material supply module 300 and applied on the shaping stage 420 of the shaping module 400 is layer-separated within the shaping module 400, and finally the shaping module 400 ) may be formed as a layer of composite powder P including a first layer L1 formed on the upper side and a second layer L2 formed on the lower side on the molding stage 420 of ).

Therefore, on the shaping stage 420 of the shaping module 400, the second layer L2 composed of the second powder, which is tungsten carbide (WC) powder, among the layers of the composite powder P, is the first powder, which is stainless powder. It is located on the lower side of the first layer (L1) made of, and tungsten carbide (WC) powder, which is a cemented carbide powder, is directly exposed to the laser beam (B) in the process of forming the three-dimensional object (1). .

Hereinafter, a composite powder additive manufacturing method capable of modeling a three-dimensional object 1 using the composite powder P using the above-described composite powder additive manufacturing system 2000 will be described in detail.

10 is a process flow chart sequentially showing a composite powder additive manufacturing method using the composite powder additive manufacturing system 2000 of FIG. 9, and FIG. 11 is a second layer separation step of the composite powder additive manufacturing method of FIG. 10 in more detail. It is a process flow chart showing. And, FIGS. 12 to 15 are cross-sectional views schematically showing each process of the composite powder additive manufacturing method of FIG. 10 .

First, referring to FIG. 10, the composite powder additive manufacturing method according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a composite powder supply step (S100), a composite powder application step (S300), a second layer separation step (S220), and The modeling step (S400) may be performed in order.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12 , in the composite powder supply step ( S100 ), the composite powder P may be supplied to the material supply module 300 . At this time, the amount of the composite powder (P) supplied to the material supply module 300 in the composite powder supply step (S100) may be supplied by an amount to be applied as one layer on the molding stage 420, but the composite powder (P Since layer separation of ) is performed in the shaping module 400 rather than the material supply module 300, the amount of the composite powder P supplied to the material supply module 300 is reduced to a plurality of layers on the shaping stage 420. It may be supplied in an amount sufficient to the amount to be applied.

Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 13 , in the composite powder application step (S300), the composite powder P accommodated in the material supply module 300 is applied on the shaping stage 420 of the shaping module 400. can do.

Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 14 , in the second layer separation step (S220), vibration is applied to the composite powder P applied on the molding stage 420 of the molding module 400 to form a composite material. The powder P may be layer-separated into a first layer L1 formed of the first powder and a second layer L2 formed of the second powder.

For example, in the second layer separation step (S220), the composite powder P is formed of the first powder, which is a powder having a relatively low density and large particles, in the molding chamber 410 of the molding module 400. Layer separation may occur such that the first layer L1 is formed on the upper side and the second layer L2 formed of second powder having relatively high density and small particles is formed on the lower side.

If the process of the second layer separation step (S220) is described in more detail, as shown in the process flow chart of FIG. 11, first, in the vibration application step (S221), vibration is applied to the composite powder (P). can do. At this time, through the image collection step ( S222 ), an upper layer image of the composite powder (P) in which layer separation occurs may be collected through the inspection unit 530 using the vision system installed above the molding chamber 410 .

Then, through the powder ratio evaluation step (S223), the first powder and the second powder of the upper layer of the composite powder (P) are determined through the color or shape characteristic classification in the image collected in the image collection step (S222). ratio can be evaluated.

At this time, in the powder ratio evaluation step (S223), when it is determined that the ratio of the first powder in the upper layer of the composite powder (P) has reached the target density, the steps up to the molding step (S400) to be described later are executed, and the molding After step (S400), the first evaluation step (S500) of evaluating the powder ratio of the three-dimensional object (1) and the second evaluation step (S600) of evaluating the physical properties of the three-dimensional object (1) are executed to obtain a three-dimensional object The quality of (1) can be verified.

However, when it is determined in the powder ratio evaluation step (S223) that the ratio of the first powder in the upper layer of the composite powder P is less than the target density, the layer separation of the composite powder P can be completely achieved, Vibration frequency, vibration intensity and vibration time using a manufacturing data-based deep learning model derived by deep learning the correlation between the target density and each evaluation result of the first evaluation step (S500) and the second evaluation step (S600) The vibration condition adjusting step (S700) for resetting at least one of the above may be executed, and the vibration application step (S221) may be repeatedly re-executed. This repeating loop may be repeated until the layer separation of the composite powder P occurs completely and the ratio of the first powder in the upper layer of the composite powder P reaches a target density.

Then, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 15 , through the shaping step (S400), the layer-separated composite powder P on the shaping stage 420 of the shaping module 400 is transferred to the laser beam by the printing module 200. By irradiating the beam (B), it is possible to shape any one cross section of the three-dimensional object (1) by selectively sintering the composite powder (P) applied in the form of a layer.

The above-described process may be repeatedly executed until the modeling of all cross sections of the three-dimensional object 1 is completed.

Therefore, according to the composite powder additive manufacturing system 2000 and the composite powder additive manufacturing method according to another embodiment of the present invention, by applying vibration to the composite powder P accommodated in the molding module 400, the Brazilian peanut effect (Brazil By inducing layer separation to occur in the composite powder (P) by the nut effect, the cemented carbide powder included in the composite powder (P) before the molding step (S400) by the laser beam (B) of the composite powder (P) By separating the layer to be located in the lower layer, it is possible to prevent performance degradation due to deterioration due to direct exposure of the cemented carbide powder to the laser beam (B) in the molding step (S400).

Therefore, chemical and physical properties of the three-dimensional object 1 molded from the composite powder P may also be prevented from deteriorating, so that the high-strength three-dimensional object 1 may be formed with high quality.

In the embodiments of the composite powder additive manufacturing systems 100 and 200 described above, the first vibration unit 510 for applying vibration to the small supply module 300 of the layer separation module 500 and the shaping module 400 Although the second vibrating unit 520 for applying vibration is described as being installed in the separate composite powder additive manufacturing systems 100 and 200 as an example, the first vibrating unit 510 and the second vibrating unit 510 of the layer separation module 500 Of course, the vibration unit 520 may be installed in one composite powder additive manufacturing system and selectively driven according to the materials of the first powder and the second powder.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, this is merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

1: Three-dimensional sculpture
100: body
110: work table
200: printing module
210: printing head
220: optical lens
230: laser emitting unit
300: material supply module
310: material supply chamber
320: material supply stage
330: material supply unit
340: material feeding unit
400: modeling module
410: molding chamber
420: molding stage
500: layer separation module
510: first vibration unit
520: second vibration unit
530: inspection unit
600: control unit
B: laser beam
P: composite powder
L1: first layer
L2: second layer
1000, 2000: Composite Powder Additive Manufacturing Systems

Claims (20)

A body formed of a frame structure on which a work table is formed on an upper surface;
a printing module installed on the work table to be movable in at least one of the width direction, length direction, and height direction of the body, and irradiating a laser beam toward the work table;
a material supply module installed on one side of the work table and accommodating composite powder in which a first powder and a second powder having different densities and particle sizes are mixed;
It is installed on the other side of the work table so that it can be arranged in a line parallel to the material supply module, and the composite powder supplied from the material supply module is selectively sintered by the laser beam irradiated from the printing module to form a three-dimensional object. A molding module molded with;
a layer separation module for separating the first and second powders into first and second layers by applying vibration to the composite powder accommodated in the material supply module or the shaping module; and
a control unit electrically connected to the printing module, the material supply module, the shaping module, and the layer separation module, and controlling them respectively;
, Composite powder additive manufacturing system comprising a. According to claim 1,
The material supply module,
a material supply chamber in which an accommodation space is formed to accommodate the composite powder to be supplied to the molding module;
a material supply stage provided inside the material supply chamber so as to be able to ascend and descend, and protrudingly push up the composite powder by an amount of the composite powder to be supplied to the molding module to an upper end of the material supply chamber;
a material supply unit supplying the composite powder to the material supply chamber; and
The composite powder protruding to the upper end of the material supply chamber is applied to the shaping module in a layer form by the material supply stage, so that the composite powder protrudes to the shaping module. Material feeding unit for applying by pushing in the direction;
A composite powder additive manufacturing system comprising a fl. According to claim 2,
The modeling module,
a molding chamber disposed in parallel with the material supply chamber and having a molding space so that the composite powder supplied by the material feeding unit is accommodated and the three-dimensional object is molded; and
It is provided to be able to go up and down inside the molding chamber, and the composite powder is applied in a layer form by the material feeding unit on the upper surface, and the composite powder is applied in a layer form by the laser beam irradiated from the printing module. a molding stage in which the three-dimensional object is laminated into a plurality of layers by selectively sintering the three-dimensional object;
, Composite powder additive manufacturing system comprising a. According to claim 3,
The control unit,
A composite powder additive manufacturing system in which a control signal is applied to the material supply module to drive the material supply unit so that the composite powder can be supplied to the material supply chamber in an amount to be applied as one layer on the molding stage. . According to claim 3,
The layer separation module,
By applying vibration to at least one of the material supply chamber and the material supply stage, the composite powder accommodated in the material supply chamber is converted into the first layer formed of the first powder and the second layer formed of the second powder. A first vibrating unit for layer separation;
, Composite powder additive manufacturing system comprising a. According to claim 5,
The control unit,
By applying vibration to the composite powder accommodated in the material supply chamber, the first layer formed of the first powder having a relatively low density and large particles is formed on the upper side, and the powder having a relatively high density and small particles A control signal is applied to the first vibrating part so that the second layer formed of the second powder of phosphorus can cause layer separation formed on the lower side, the composite powder additive manufacturing system. According to claim 6,
The control unit,
After raising the material supply stage by the height of the first layer, the material feeding unit pushes the first layer protruding from the upper end of the material supply chamber in the direction of the molding module to apply the material onto the molding stage. After raising the material supply stage by the height of the second layer, the material feeding unit pushes the second layer protruding from the upper end of the material supply chamber toward the molding module, so that the first layer applied to the molding stage is formed. By applying a control signal to the material supply module to drive the material supply stage and the material feeding part, layer separation occurs in the material supply chamber so that the first layer formed on the upper side and the first layer formed on the lower side may be applied to the material supply chamber. The composite powder additive manufacturing system, wherein the composite powder layer composed of two layers is formed of the composite powder layer composed of the second layer formed on the upper side and the first layer formed on the lower side on the molding stage. According to claim 3,
The layer separation module,
By applying vibration to at least one of the shaping chamber and the shaping stage, the composite powder accommodated in the shaping chamber is layer-separated into the first layer formed of the first powder and the second layer formed of the second powder a second vibrating unit;
, Composite powder additive manufacturing system comprising a. According to claim 8,
The control unit,
By applying vibration to the composite powder accommodated in the molding chamber, the first layer formed of the first powder having a relatively low density and large particles is formed on the upper side, and the powder having a relatively high density and small particles A control signal is applied to the second vibrating unit so that layer separation in which the second layer formed of the second powder is formed on the lower side occurs, the composite powder additive manufacturing system. According to claim 5 or 8,
The layer separation module,
It is installed above the material supply chamber or the molding chamber, and the layer separation state of the first powder and the second powder constituting the composite powder is determined through color or shape characteristic classification using a vision system. Inspection unit to detect;
Further comprising a, composite powder additive manufacturing system. According to claim 10,
The control unit,
When a control signal is applied to the first vibration unit or the second vibration unit to apply vibration to the composite powder accommodated in the material supply chamber or the composite powder accommodated in the molding chamber, the first powder through the inspection unit And detecting the layer separation state of the second powder in real time, and feedback-controlling the first vibration unit or the second vibration unit so that complete layer separation of the composite powder can occur according to the layer separation state of the composite powder. A composite powder additive manufacturing system that adjusts at least one or more of vibration frequency, vibration intensity, and vibration time in real time. In the composite powder additive manufacturing method using the composite powder additive manufacturing system according to claim 1,
a composite powder supply step of supplying the composite powder to the material supply module;
a first layer separation step of applying vibration to the composite powder accommodated in the material supply module to separate the composite powder into the first layer formed of the first powder and the second layer formed of the second powder;
a composite powder application step of applying the composite powder, which has been layer-separated into the first layer and the second layer, on a molding stage of the molding module; and
a shaping step of irradiating the laser beam to the composite powder applied on the shaping stage of the shaping module with the printing module and selectively sintering the composite powder applied in a layer form to shape the three-dimensional object;
, Composite powder additive manufacturing method comprising a. According to claim 12,
In the step of supplying the composite powder,
The composite powder additive manufacturing method of supplying the composite powder to the material supply module in an amount to be applied as one layer on the molding stage. According to claim 12,
In the first layer separation step,
In the composite powder, in the material supply chamber of the material supply module, the first layer formed of the first powder having a relatively low density and large particles is formed on the upper side, and a relatively high density and small particles are formed. Layer separation occurs so that the second layer formed of the second powder, which is a powder, is formed on the lower side, the composite powder laminated manufacturing method. 15. The method of claim 14,
In the composite powder application step,
After raising the material supply stage of the material supply module by the height of the first layer, the material feeding unit pushes the first layer protruding from the upper end of the material supply chamber toward the shaping module and applies it on the shaping stage, After raising the material supply stage again by the height of the second layer, the material feeding unit pushes the second layer protruding from the upper end of the material supply chamber toward the molding module, so that the material applied to the molding stage It is applied on one layer, and layer separation occurs in the material supply chamber, so that the layer of the composite powder consisting of the first layer formed on the upper side and the second layer formed on the lower side is formed on the upper side on the molding stage. Composite powder additive manufacturing method to be formed as a layer of the composite powder consisting of a layer and the first layer formed on the lower side. In the composite powder additive manufacturing method using the composite powder additive manufacturing system according to claim 1,
a composite powder supply step of supplying the composite powder to the material supply module;
a composite powder coating step of applying the composite powder accommodated in the material supply module onto a shaping stage of the shaping module;
Vibration is applied to the composite powder applied on the molding stage of the molding module to separate the composite powder into the first layer formed of the first powder and the second layer formed of the second powder. 2nd floor separation step; and
a shaping step of irradiating the laser beam to the composite powder layer-separated on the shaping stage of the shaping module with the printing module, and selectively sintering the composite powder applied in a layer form to shape the three-dimensional object;
, Composite powder additive manufacturing method comprising a. 17. The method of claim 16,
In the second layer separation step,
The composite powder is a powder having a relatively high density and small particles, wherein the first layer formed of the first powder having a relatively low density and large particles is formed on the upper side in the molding chamber of the molding module. Layer separation occurs so that the second layer formed of the second powder is formed on the lower side, the composite powder additive manufacturing method. According to claim 14 or 17,
The first layer separation step and the second layer separation step,
a vibration application step of applying vibration to the composite powder;
An image collection step of collecting an upper layer image of the composite powder in which layer separation occurs through an inspection unit installed above the material supply chamber or the molding chamber and using a vision system; and
a powder ratio evaluation step of evaluating a ratio of the first powder and the second powder in the upper layer of the composite powder through color or shape characteristics in the image;
, Composite powder additive manufacturing method comprising a. According to claim 18,
In the powder ratio evaluation step,
When it is determined that the ratio of the first powder in the upper layer of the composite powder has reached the target density, the steps up to the molding step are executed;
After the molding step,
A first evaluation step of evaluating the powder ratio of the three-dimensional object on which the molding is completed; and
A second evaluation step of evaluating physical properties of the three-dimensional object;
Further comprising a, composite powder additive manufacturing method. According to claim 19,
In the powder ratio evaluation step,
When it is determined that the ratio of the first powder in the upper layer of the composite powder is less than the target density, the correlation between the target density and each evaluation result of the first evaluation step and the second evaluation step is deep-learned Executing a vibration condition adjusting step of resetting at least one of vibration frequency, vibration intensity, and vibration time using the derived manufacturing data-based deep learning model;
Composite powder additive manufacturing method, which is re-executed from the vibration application step.

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