Non-contact laser fuse additive manufacturing device with external ultrasonic field

Abstract

The invention discloses a non-contact laser fuse additive manufacturing device with an external ultrasonic field. The non-contact laser fuse additive manufacturing device comprises a laser fuse additive manufacturing system and an ultrasonic field auxiliary system. The laser fuse wire additive manufacturing system is a main body part of the device, is used for achieving the fusion forming process of alloy wires and comprises a wire feeding module, a laser module and an XYZ three-axis moving platform. The ultrasonic field auxiliary system is connected with the laser fuse wire additive manufacturing system through the system connecting piece, and ultrasonic waves are applied to the molten pool through air so that ultrasonic stirring of the alloy molten pool can be achieved. According to the method, the ultrasonic field is applied to the laser fuse wire additive manufacturing process, so that refining of alloy grains is achieved, generation of air holes and cracks is effectively restrained, and the alloy structure and the performance of a formed part are effectively regulated and controlled.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a non-contact laser fuse additive manufacturing device with an external ultrasonic field, belonging to the technical field of laser fuse additive manufacturing. Background Art

[0002] Laser fuse additive manufacturing (LFAM) enables the direct near-net-net shaping of large, complex, high-performance metal components. Compared to traditional subtractive manufacturing techniques, LFAM offers significant advantages, including high material utilization, rapid deposition rates, low cost, and minimal pollution. It is a transformative, green, and low-carbon manufacturing technology.

[0003] However, due to the characteristics of high temperature, high energy and high cooling rate in the additive manufacturing process, the dynamic behavior and heat transfer process of the molten pool become complicated, and the difficulty of controlling the microstructure and defects increases. Defects such as pores, unfused holes and cracks will inevitably occur, affecting the final performance of the formed parts.

[0004] In the solidification process of liquid alloy in additive manufacturing, the ultrasonic field is an external field that can effectively regulate the microstructure of alloy formed parts. Applying it in the laser fuse additive manufacturing process can effectively disperse the metal components under the action of the high-energy ultrasonic field, promote the grain refinement of the formed parts, effectively inhibit the generation of pores and cracks, and improve the mechanical properties of the workpiece. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to address the problems that defects are prone to occur in the additive manufacturing process and the final performance of the formed parts is difficult to control. The present invention provides a non-contact laser fuse additive manufacturing device with an external ultrasonic field. The ultrasonic wave is transmitted to the alloy molten pool through the air by an introduction rod, and the ultrasonic field is then applied to the laser fuse additive manufacturing process to realize ultrasonic stirring of the molten pool, thereby achieving alloy grain refinement, effectively suppressing the generation of pores and cracks, and realizing effective control of the alloy structure and the performance of the formed parts.

[0006] To achieve the purpose of the present invention, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: A non-contact laser-fused additive manufacturing (LAM) device with an external ultrasonic field is characterized by comprising a LFM system and an ultrasonic field-assisted system. The LFM system is the main device system, used to perform the melting and forming process of the alloy wire; the ultrasonic field-assisted system is connected to the LFM system via a system connector to ultrasonically stir the alloy molten pool, thereby refining the alloy grains.

[0007] Furthermore, the laser fuse additive manufacturing system includes a wire feeding module, a laser module, and an XYZ three-axis mobile platform. The wire feeding module is fixedly connected to the laser module to control the feeding process of the alloy wire; the laser module is used to generate a high-energy laser beam to achieve the melting process of the alloy wire; and the XYZ three-axis mobile platform is used to move the laser module during the laser fuse additive manufacturing process. The laser module is fixedly connected to the XYZ three-axis moving platform via a laser system adapter, a laser system support, and a system connector in sequence.

[0008] Furthermore, the laser can generate continuous laser light with a maximum power of 1000 W and a wavelength of 1064 nm. This high-energy laser beam melts the alloy wire fed by the wire feeder, forming a molten alloy pool beneath the laser. The laser uses an oscillating laser welding head, which can achieve an O-shaped oscillation with a swing rate of 3000 r / min. The laser aperture diameter can be adjusted within a range of 1.5 mm to 3.0 mm.

[0009] Furthermore, the wire output part of the wire feeding module is fixed by bolts under the laser welding head of the laser module through the wire output mounting part, the wire output adapter part, and the wire output connecting part in sequence; the wire feeding module is driven by the built-in motor of the laser module and rotates around the central axis of the laser welding head of the laser module as the movement trajectory of the alloy wire changes.

[0010] Furthermore, the XYZ three-axis moving platform includes three sets of linear module mechanisms that are perpendicular to each other, respectively used to realize the movement of the laser module in the X, Y, and Z directions.

[0011] Furthermore, the ultrasonic field auxiliary system includes a transducer, a variable amplitude rod, an introduction rod, a transducer left support, a transducer right support, a variable amplitude rod front fixing part, a variable amplitude rod fixing part, an ultrasonic system fixing part and an ultrasonic system support part; the variable amplitude rod is used to connect and fix the transducer and the introduction rod; the transducer, variable amplitude rod and introduction rod are coaxially arranged from top to bottom, and are connected and fixed by screws in pairs, thereby forming an ultrasonic generating system; after the transducer passes through a group of left and right symmetrical transducer left support parts and transducer right support parts, the transducer left support part and the transducer right support part are fixedly connected to the ultrasonic system fixing part; after the variable amplitude rod is fixed to the variable amplitude rod fixing part through the variable amplitude rod front fixing part, the variable amplitude rod fixing part is fixedly connected to the ultrasonic system fixing part; the ultrasonic system fixing part is fixedly connected to the system connecting part through the upper and lower ultrasonic system support parts, thereby realizing the fixed connection between the ultrasonic field auxiliary system and the laser fuse additive manufacturing system.

[0012] Furthermore, the transducer converts high-frequency electrical energy into mechanical vibration; the amplitude transformer amplifies the amplitude of the transducer and transmits it to the introduction rod; the introduction rod is suspended obliquely above the alloy molten pool and applies ultrasound to the molten pool through air, so as to ultimately conduct the ultrasound into the alloy molten pool.

[0013] Furthermore, the ultrasonic system fixing part is provided with a straight slot with a length of 60 mm at the connection with the ultrasonic system support part, which can enable the ultrasonic generating system to move linearly 60 mm along the slot direction; the system connecting part is provided with an arc slot with a central angle of 25° at the connection with the ultrasonic system support part, which can enable the ultrasonic generating system to rotate slightly around the center of the arc within a range of 25°.

[0014] The above-mentioned technical solution of the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects: 1. The device of the present invention integrates auxiliary wire feeding, laser additive manufacturing, XYZ three-axis movement and ultrasonic field auxiliary functions, and applies the ultrasonic field to the laser fuse additive manufacturing process to realize ultrasonic stirring of the alloy molten pool, thereby refining the alloy grains, effectively suppressing the generation of pores and cracks, and realizing effective regulation of the alloy structure and performance of the formed parts; 2. The laser module uses a swingable laser welding head, which can realize swinging O-shaped light output, further improving the welding quality, and the laser aperture diameter is adjustable and can be applied to different wire diameters; 3. The ultrasonic system fixing part is provided with a straight slot with a length of 60 mm, and the system connecting part is provided with an arc slot with a central angle of 25°, which realizes the movement of the ultrasonic generating system on a 60 mm straight line and rotation within a range of 25°; 4. The ultrasonic field auxiliary system and the laser module are arranged on the system connecting part, realizing the synchronous movement of the laser module and the ultrasonic generating system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The accompanying drawings are only for purposes of illustrating particular embodiments and are not to be considered limiting of the present invention. Like reference symbols denote like components throughout the drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the laser fuse additive manufacturing system of the present invention; Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the laser module and wire feeding module of the present invention; Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the ultrasonic generating system of the present invention; Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the ultrasonic field assisted system of the present invention.

[0017] Among them: 1. Laser fused filament additive manufacturing system; 2. Ultrasonic field auxiliary system; 3. System connecting plate; 4. Wire feeding module; 5. Laser module; 6. XYZ three-axis moving platform; 7. Laser system adapter; 8. Laser system support; 9. Wire outlet mounting; 10. Wire outlet adapter; 11. Wire outlet connector; 12. Transducer; 13. Amplitude transformer; 14. Introducing rod; 15. Transducer left support; 16. Transducer right support; 17. Amplitude transformer front fixing; 18. Amplitude transformer fixing; 19. Ultrasonic system fixing; 20. Ultrasonic system support. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] In order to deepen the understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are only used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 1-5 A specific embodiment of a non-contact laser fuse additive manufacturing apparatus with an applied ultrasonic field is shown, comprising a laser fuse additive manufacturing system 1 and an ultrasonic field-assisted system 2. The ultrasonic field-assisted system 2 is fixedly connected to the laser fuse additive manufacturing system 1 via a system connector 3. The ultrasonic field-assisted system 2 and a laser module 5 are both connected to the system connector 3, enabling synchronized movement of the laser module 5 and the ultrasonic generating system.

[0020] like Figure 2 、 3 As shown, in the laser fuse additive manufacturing system, the wire feed module 4's wire delivery mechanism is bolted to the underside of the laser welding head of the laser module 5 via the wire delivery mount 9, the wire delivery adapter 10, and the wire delivery connector 11. The laser module 5 is bolted to the linear module mechanism controlling Z-direction movement within the XYZ three-axis mobile platform 6 via the laser system adapter 7, the laser system support 8, and the system connector 3. The three sets of linear modules controlling X, Y, and Z directions within the XYZ three-axis mobile platform 6 are bolted together in pairs. The wire feed module 4, the laser module 5, and the XYZ three-axis mobile platform 6 operate in coordination to ultimately achieve additive manufacturing of alloy workpieces.

[0021] like Figure 4 、 5As shown, in the ultrasonic field-assisted system, the transducer 12, horn 13, and guide rod 14 together constitute the ultrasonic generating system. The transducer 12 is bolted to the ultrasonic system mounting bracket 19 via the left and right transducer supports 15 and 16. The upper and lower ends of the horn 13 are respectively fixed to the transducer 12 and guide rod 14 via screws. Simultaneously, the horn 13 is fixed to the ultrasonic system mounting bracket 19 via the front horn mounting bracket 17 and the horn mounting bracket 18. The entire ultrasonic generating system is stably secured to the ultrasonic system mounting bracket 19 by a symmetrical set of transducer supports and a set of horn mounting brackets. In addition, the ultrasonic system fixing part 19 is fixedly connected to the system connecting part 3 through the upper and lower ultrasonic system supporting parts 20, wherein the ultrasonic system fixing part 19 is provided with a straight slot with a length of 60 mm, and the system connecting part 3 is provided with a circular arc slot with a central angle of 25°, thereby realizing the movement of the ultrasonic generating system on a 60 mm straight line and the rotation within a range of 25°, ensuring that the ultrasonic field can effectively act on the alloy molten pool.

[0022] The specific working process and principle of this embodiment are as follows: First, place the polished alloy substrate stably on the laser processing platform; turn on the device power, control the XYZ three-axis moving platform 6 to move the laser module 5 to a suitable position above the substrate; Secondly, the alloy wire is fed to a position 3-5 mm below the laser welding head of the laser module 5 through the wire feeding module 4. The relative position of the ultrasonic generating system and the alloy substrate is adjusted by adjusting the bolts and nuts between the ultrasonic system fixing part 19 and the system fixing part 3 so that the guide rod 14 is directly opposite the alloy molten pool. Then, a protective gas is introduced and the laser is turned on, so that a high-energy laser beam acts on the metal wire and the alloy substrate. The high-energy laser beam is used to melt the metal wire according to the set laser scanning path, and a molten pool is formed on the alloy substrate. At the same time, the ultrasonic generating system is turned on, so that the ultrasonic field is transmitted through the air through the introduction rod to the alloy molten pool, achieving ultrasonic stirring of the alloy molten pool, refining the alloy grains, achieving the purpose of suppressing the generation of pores and cracks, and realizing effective regulation of the alloy structure and the performance of the formed part. Finally, after completing an ultrasonic field-assisted alloy melting additive manufacturing process, the laser module 5 is enabled and the laser module 5 is controlled by the XYZ three-axis moving platform 6 to return to the additive manufacturing starting position. At the same time, the ultrasonic generator is turned off.

[0023] The above specific implementation methods are only for illustrating the technical concept and structural features of the present invention, and the purpose is to enable relevant persons familiar with this technology to implement them accordingly. However, the above content does not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit of the present invention should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A non-contact laser fuse additive manufacturing device with an external ultrasonic field, characterized in that: The device comprises a laser fused wire additive manufacturing system (1) and an ultrasonic field auxiliary system (2); the laser fused wire additive manufacturing system (1) is used to realize the melting and forming process of the alloy wire, and the ultrasonic field auxiliary system (2) is connected to the laser fused wire additive manufacturing system (1) via a system connector (3) to realize ultrasonic stirring of the alloy molten pool.

2. The non-contact laser fuse additive manufacturing device with an external ultrasonic field according to claim 1, characterized in that: The laser fused wire additive manufacturing system (1) comprises a wire feeding module (4), a laser module (5) and an XYZ three-axis moving platform (6); the wire feeding module (4) is fixedly connected to the laser module (5) to realize the control of the alloy wire feeding process; the laser module (5) is used to generate a high-energy laser beam to realize the melting process of the alloy wire; the XYZ three-axis moving platform (6) is used to realize the movement of the laser module (5) during the laser fused wire additive manufacturing process; The laser module (5) is fixedly connected to the XYZ three-axis moving platform (6) via the laser system adapter (7), the laser system support (8), and the system connector (3) in sequence.

3. The non-contact laser fuse additive manufacturing device with an external ultrasonic field according to claim 2, characterized in that: The laser module (5) generates a continuous laser with a maximum power of 1000 W and a constant wavelength of 1064 nm. The high-energy beam laser can melt the alloy wire fed by the wire feeding mechanism, and form an alloy molten pool under the laser. The laser module (5) has a built-in swingable laser welding head to achieve a swinging O-shaped light output with a swing rate of 3000 r / min. The aperture diameter of the laser generated by the laser module (5) is adjustable within the range of 1.5 mm to 3.0 mm.

4. The non-contact laser fuse additive manufacturing device with an external ultrasonic field according to claim 2, characterized in that: The wire-outlet portion of the wire-feeding module (4) is fixedly arranged below the laser welding head of the laser module (5) via a wire-outlet mounting member (9), a wire-outlet adapter member (10), and a wire-outlet connector member (11) by bolts in sequence; the wire-feeding module (4) is driven by a motor built into the laser module (5) and rotates around the central axis of the laser welding head of the laser module (5) as the movement trajectory of the alloy wire changes.

5. The non-contact laser fuse additive manufacturing device with an external ultrasonic field according to claim 2, characterized in that: The XYZ three-axis moving platform (6) comprises three sets of linear module mechanisms that are perpendicular to each other in pairs, and are used to realize the movement of the laser module in the three directions of X, Y and Z respectively.

6. The non-contact laser fuse additive manufacturing device with an external ultrasonic field according to claim 2, characterized in that: The ultrasonic field auxiliary system (2) comprises a transducer (12), an horn (13), an introduction rod (14), a transducer left support (15), a transducer right support (16), a horn front fixing member (17), a horn fixing member (18), an ultrasonic system fixing member (19) and an ultrasonic system support member (20); the horn (13) is used to connect and fix the transducer (12) and the introduction rod (14); the transducer (12), the horn (13) and the introduction rod (14) are coaxially arranged from top to bottom, and are connected and fixed by screws, together forming an ultrasonic generator. The transducer (12) passes through a group of left and right symmetrical transducer support members (15) and transducer right support members (16), and then the left and right transducer support members (15) and transducer right support members (16) are fixedly connected to the ultrasonic system fixing member (19); the horn (13) is fixed to the horn front fixing member (17) and the horn fixing member (18), and then the horn fixing member (18) is fixedly connected to the ultrasonic system fixing member (19); the ultrasonic system fixing member (19) is fixedly connected to the system connecting member (3) via the upper and lower ultrasonic system supporting members (20).

7. The non-contact laser fuse additive manufacturing device with an external ultrasonic field according to claim 6, characterized in that: The transducer (12) converts high-frequency electrical energy into mechanical vibration; the amplitude transformer (13) amplifies the amplitude of the transducer (12) and transmits it to the introduction rod (14); the introduction rod (14) is suspended obliquely above the alloy molten pool and applies ultrasound to the molten pool through air, so as to finally transmit the ultrasound to the alloy molten pool.

8. The non-contact laser fuse additive manufacturing device with an external ultrasonic field according to claim 6, characterized in that: The ultrasonic system fixing part (19) is provided with a straight slot with a length of 60 mm at the connection with the ultrasonic system supporting part (20), so that the ultrasonic generating system can move linearly by 60 mm along the slot direction; the system connecting part (3) is provided with an arc slot with a central angle of 25° at the connection with the ultrasonic system supporting part (20), so that the ultrasonic generating system can rotate around the center of the arc within a range of 25°.

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