Dual-beam laser additive manufacturing apparatus and method

Abstract

This invention discloses a dual-beam laser additive manufacturing apparatus and method, belonging to the field of additive manufacturing technology. The dual-beam laser additive manufacturing system includes an additive deposition head, a laser shaping module, a drive mechanism, a laser processing head, a substrate support structure, and a machine tool protective cover. The drive mechanism drives the forming substrate to move synchronously through the substrate support structure, achieving relative movement between the substrate and the additive deposition head. This invention's apparatus effectively reduces residual stress in the formed component during manufacturing by synergistically controlling the molten pool solidification process and temperature gradient using dual beams, thereby reducing the tendency for material cracking and significantly improving processing accuracy and forming efficiency. By adjusting process parameters, customized microstructure design can be achieved, thus producing components with specific properties. Through the combination and interactive deposition of different types of beams, this apparatus can adapt to the processing requirements of different materials and working conditions, effectively reducing the difficulty of implementing laser additive manufacturing processes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of additive manufacturing technology and relates to a dual-beam laser additive manufacturing device and method. Background Technology

[0002] The emergence of laser additive manufacturing technology has broken through the cost limitations of traditional manufacturing models for complex components. With its advantages of high precision, high density, ability to form complex structures, and personalized customization, it has become a core process for high-end manufacturing, personalized manufacturing, and the manufacturing of complex structures. However, problems such as excessively high temperature gradients and the difficulty in precisely controlling the solidification behavior of the molten pool during processing have hindered its further widespread application, resulting in processed materials that cannot fully meet the application requirements of parts demanding high precision and long lifespan. Strengthening the control of solidification defects and forming stress in components, and improving the forming accuracy of large-size components, to fully leverage the technological advantages of selective laser in achieving high-precision, rapid prototyping of complex parts, has become an important direction in current additive manufacturing process research.

[0003] This dual-beam metal additive manufacturing apparatus allows for independent adjustment of the relative position, operating state, and spot size of the two beams, overcoming the limitations of traditional single-beam processing which is constrained by fixed beam positions. This apparatus not only effectively reduces the temperature gradient and material forming stress during processing but also enables active control of the molten pool solidification behavior, thereby achieving customized microstructure design. While significantly improving the mechanical properties of components, it ensures processing precision and further enhances overall forming efficiency. Through the interchangeable adjustment mechanism of the relative positions of the two beams, this dual-beam metal additive manufacturing apparatus effectively reduces the temperature gradient in the processing area and enhances the control over the molten pool solidification process, resulting in a smoother forming process. This mechanism significantly suppresses defects such as component cracks, spatter, and spheroidization caused by excessive local temperature differences or molten pool instability. Furthermore, the apparatus's dual-beam spot shape can switch between various modes, including circular Gaussian beams, flat-top beams, ring beams, and dot-ring beams, to adapt to different processing conditions. The spot size is also adjustable, ranging from 0.5 mm to 5 mm. Smaller laser spot sizes are suitable for precision machining, which helps ensure forming accuracy; larger laser spot sizes are suitable for rapid forming of large-volume materials, thereby effectively improving processing efficiency. A related report is as follows: Patent CN202510592887 reports a multi-beam coaxial composite oscillating laser additive manufacturing device. It employs a multi-beam coaxial design, using a single oscillating Gaussian laser as the main axis, surrounded by multiple flat-top laser spots, which work together to form a molten pool on the substrate surface. The multi-beam oscillation and stirring cause orderly flow of the solid-liquid-gas three phases within the molten pool, effectively promoting gas escape, suppressing porosity and cracks, and significantly improving the density of the cladding layer. However, the complexity and cost of this system may limit its widespread application. Currently, it is mainly suitable for high wear-resistant and ablation-resistant scenarios (such as metallurgical crystallizers), and may be redundant for ordinary surface repair or low-cost applications.

[0004] Patent CN202511142636 reports a laser additive manufacturing device that employs a layered stacking and heterogeneous material integration strategy to complete the manufacturing process. It features a dual-laser collaborative processing system for processing the metal layers and an integrated in-situ observation system that analyzes the molten pool morphology and temperature field data using AI algorithms. By embedding metal layers as a reinforcing framework, this device significantly improves the mechanical properties of resin-based composite structures. However, its current application is primarily limited to combinations of a limited number of metals such as titanium alloys and stainless steel with commonly used thermoplastics like PLA and ABS, thus restricting the scalability of the material platform.

[0005] Patent CN202510813920 reports a high-precision photo-powder coupled laser additive manufacturing device. This device achieves high-precision laser additive manufacturing by combining "gas-powder separation and screw-feeding" with "coaxial multi-beam laser". By using a screw instead of gas as the final pushing force for the powder, the device fundamentally solves the problems of powder dispersion and splashing caused by unstable airflow in traditional gas delivery methods. The powder beam is concentrated and stable, and can be completely and uniformly melted by the coaxial ring laser beam, thereby significantly improving the contour accuracy and surface quality of the cladding layer or formed parts. However, the screw-feeding method used in this device may have higher requirements for powder flowability, particle shape, and particle size distribution. Powder that is too viscous or contains ultrafine particles may cause bridging or adhesion at the funnel or screw, affecting the stability of the conveying process.

[0006] Patent CN202511253772 discloses a laser additive manufacturing system that utilizes coherent laser interference and dynamic phase modulation to improve the temperature field and material fusion effect during the laser cladding process of wear-resistant materials. The dynamic interference field promotes interfacial metallurgical bonding, forming a transition layer that is difficult to achieve using traditional methods. This results in a stronger bond between the additive portion (especially hard particles such as silicon carbide) and the substrate, directly extending the service life of the wear-resistant parts. However, the phase modulation frequency parameter of the device has an optimal window; when the frequency exceeds 30Hz, the fusion-promoting effect disappears. This means that the process parameters have low tolerance for error and require precise control; otherwise, the desired effect cannot be achieved. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the numerous problems of existing metal laser additive manufacturing devices, such as limited applicability, inability to expand material range, high powder precision requirements, and low parameter tolerance, this invention proposes a dual-beam laser additive manufacturing device and method. Through the synergistic cooperation of different beams, this device achieves composite processing capabilities across multiple materials, scenarios, and processes. The employed dual-beam system can control the component temperature in real time during material deposition, thereby reducing the overall temperature gradient, minimizing internal stress, and enhancing control over porosity defects. Simultaneously, this dual-beam system can dynamically adjust based on real-time feedback from the molten pool temperature, enabling customized control of the microstructure and further improving the overall mechanical properties of the component.

[0008] The technical solution of the present invention: The present invention proposes a dual-beam laser additive manufacturing device, including an additive deposition head 12, a laser shaping module 9, a beam splitter 8, a beam combiner 10, a substrate support platform 3, a forming substrate 4, a substrate support rod 2, and a drive mechanism 1.

[0009] The laser shaping module 9 proposed in this invention can adjust the shape of the light spot by changing the lens. The laser shaping module 9 can also adjust the beam type of the dual beam, such as Gaussian beam or flat-top beam, by changing the lens.

[0010] The present invention proposes a dual-beam laser additive manufacturing apparatus, wherein the beam splitter 8 is used to deflect the optical fiber and split it into two beams, thereby achieving consistent parameters between the two beams and reducing the use of additional laser equipment.

[0011] The present invention proposes a dual-beam laser additive manufacturing apparatus, wherein the beam combiner 10 is used to make the two beams coaxial and form a coaxial focal spot on the forming surface.

[0012] The present invention proposes a dual-beam laser additive manufacturing apparatus, wherein when the additive deposition head 12 moves in the Y direction, the driving mechanism 1 drives the forming substrate 4 to move in the X and Z directions; when the additive deposition head 12 moves in the X direction, the driving mechanism 1 drives the forming substrate 4 to move in the Y and Z directions; when the additive deposition head 12 moves in the X and Y directions, the driving mechanism 1 drives the forming substrate 4 to move in the Z direction.

[0013] This invention proposes a dual-beam laser additive manufacturing apparatus, wherein the powder or filament 6 is a metal powder, metal filament, ceramic powder, metal-ceramic hybrid powder, intermetallic compound filament, or intermetallic compound powder. The forming component 5 is a metal component, ceramic component, metal / ceramic composite component, or intermetallic compound component.

[0014] A dual-beam metal additive manufacturing method is disclosed. The method utilizes the cooperation between two beams for processing. The steps of the method are as follows: Step 1, select a metal near-spherical powder with a suitable particle size, put it into a drying oven for drying, and at the same time, clean the substrate with alcohol and perform surface treatment on the prepared substrate using a laser cleaner to ensure that the substrate surface is flat, clean and free of foreign matter.

[0015] Step 2: Load the substrate onto the lifting platform, ensuring that the four sides of the substrate are parallel to the lifting platform, and put the processed powder into the powder feeder.

[0016] Step 3: To ensure the forming quality of the formed component, adjust the beam combiner so that the focal points of the two beams are precisely aligned on the substrate surface. The two beams are selected as Gaussian spot and flat-top beam respectively, so that the laser energy is more concentrated during printing.

[0017] Step 4: Import the pre-built slice model into the equipment and adjust the processing parameters as follows: laser power 1500W, powder feed rate 17.5g / min, scanning speed 5mm / s, spot diameter 3mm, overlap rate 50%, and layer thickness 0.4mm.

[0018] Step 5: Turn on the protective gas, start the equipment, and perform layer-by-layer forming processing according to the set parameters under the synergistic effect of the dual beams.

[0019] Step six: When the additive deposition head moves in the Y direction, the driving mechanism drives the forming substrate to move in the X and Z directions; when the additive deposition head moves in the X direction, the driving mechanism drives the forming substrate to move in the Y and Z directions; when the additive deposition head moves in the X and Y directions, the driving mechanism drives the forming substrate to move in the Z direction.

[0020] Step 7: After the processing is completed, use wire cutting to separate the workpiece from the substrate.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and effects: 1. Compared with the previously reported methods, the processing method adopted by the present invention truly realizes the reduction of temperature gradient during processing, which greatly reduces the occurrence of cracks in the components and reduces the forming stress of the components.

[0022] 2. Compared with previously reported methods, the processing method adopted in this invention enhances the control over the solidification of the molten pool, reduces molten pool splashing and spheroidization, and achieves customized microstructure, which greatly improves the performance of the components.

[0023] 3. Compared with the previously reported methods, the processing method adopted in this invention has an adjustable spot size. Small spot size can be used for fine processing to ensure processing accuracy, while large spot size can improve processing efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the dual-beam laser additive manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the dual-beam laser additive manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the dual-beam laser additive manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Figure 1 / 2 / 3 is a schematic diagram of the dual-beam laser additive manufacturing device of the present invention: 1 driving mechanism; 2 substrate support rod; 3 substrate support platform; 4 forming substrate; 5 forming component; 6 powder particles; 7 powder feeding pipe; 8 beam splitter; 9 laser shaping module; 10 beam combiner; 11 high-energy laser beam; 12 additive deposition head; 13 machine tool protective cover.

[0028] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and technical solutions: The present invention will be further described in conjunction with examples: The 18Ni300 component with a size of 10mm*10mm*10mm is manufactured by the following specific forming steps: high-quality near-spherical 18Ni300 powder with a particle size of 45-90μm is selected and placed in an electric heating forced-air drying oven and dried at 100℃ for 4 hours to remove moisture and impurities from the powder.

[0029] First, clean the surface of substrate 4 with alcohol, and then use a high-precision laser cleaner to clean the prepared substrate surface to remove oil, dust, oxide layer and other foreign matter from the substrate surface, ensuring that the substrate surface is flat, smooth and clean.

[0030] The substrate, which has undergone rigorous cleaning and leveling, is smoothly and accurately loaded onto a high-precision lifting platform. Using precision measuring and adjustment tools, the parallelism between the four sides of the substrate and the lifting platform is carefully adjusted to ensure that the flatness between the surface of the forming substrate 4 and the substrate support platform 3 is no greater than 0.01mm, thereby guaranteeing the dimensional and shape accuracy during the forming process.

[0031] High-quality 18Ni300 powder that has undergone drying is placed into the powder feeder, and the smoothness and uniformity of the powder feeding system are ensured to provide a stable and continuous powder supply for the printing process.

[0032] Adjust the beam combiner 10 and the focusing lens to control the size of the laser spot, so that the focal points of the two laser beams are precisely superimposed on the substrate surface, ensuring efficient utilization and precise transmission of laser energy.

[0033] By replacing the laser shaping lens 9, Gaussian light and flat-top light are selected as the spot shapes of the dual beams from various spot shapes such as circular Gaussian beam, flat-top beam, ring beam and dot ring beam, so that the laser energy is more concentrated during printing, improving energy utilization efficiency and forming quality.

[0034] Import the designed 3D slice model into the equipment, adjust the processing parameters: laser power 1500-2000 W, scanning speed 5mm / s, overlap rate 50%, powder feeding rate 17.5g / min.

[0035] Close the processing chamber door and open the protective gas valve.

[0036] The equipment is started, and during the forming process, the additive deposition head 12 moves relative to the forming substrate 4 along the Y direction, while the drive mechanism 1 drives the forming substrate 4 to move along the X and Z directions. The additive deposition head 12 moves in a straight line relative to the forming substrate 4, and multiple trajectories form a 10*10mm rectangle. After each layer of material is deposited, the drive mechanism 1 descends by 0.4mm to perform high-temperature overall preheating assisted direct laser deposition forming for the next layer. With the precise descent of the forming substrate 4 and the layer-by-layer scanning of the laser beam, the component gradually grows under the superimposed synergistic effect of the two beams.

[0037] After the final processing is completed, the forming substrate 4 and forming component 5 are removed. The laser, powder feeder and protective gas are turned off in sequence. A high-precision wire cutting device is used to accurately and completely separate the processed parts from the substrate.

[0038] The above-described embodiments are merely examples illustrating implementation methods of the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. The present invention proposes a dual-beam laser additive manufacturing apparatus and method, characterized in that, It includes an additive deposition head (12), a laser shaping module (9), a beam splitter (8), a beam combiner (10), a substrate support platform (3), a forming substrate (4), a substrate support rod (2), and a drive mechanism (1).

2. The dual beam laser additive manufacturing device of claim 1, wherein, The laser shaping module (9) can adjust the beam type of the dual beam by changing the lens, such as Gaussian beam, flat-top beam, etc.

3. The dual-beam laser additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 is characterized in that the beam splitter (8) is used to split the optical fiber into two beams after deflection, so as to achieve consistent parameters of the two beams and reduce the use of additional laser equipment.

4. The dual-beam laser additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the beam combiner (10) functions to make the two beams coaxial and form a coaxial focal spot on the forming surface.

5. A dual-beam laser additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the additive deposition head (12) moves in the Y direction, the driving mechanism (1) drives the forming substrate (4) to move in the X and Z directions; when the additive deposition head (12) moves in the X direction, the driving mechanism (1) drives the forming substrate (4) to move in the Y and Z directions; when the additive deposition head (12) moves in the X and Y directions, the driving mechanism (1) drives the forming substrate (4) to move in the Z direction.

6. A dual-beam laser additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the forming mechanism (5) is a metal component, a ceramic component, a metal / ceramic composite component or an intermetallic compound component; and the additive deposition head (12) is a laser deposition head.

7. A two-beam laser additive manufacturing method for additive manufacturing using the apparatus of claim 1, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Fix one end of the substrate support rod (2) to the drive mechanism (1) and fix the substrate support platform (3) to the other end of the substrate support rod (2); after grinding, cleaning and drying the shaped substrate (4), fix it to the substrate support platform (3); Step 2: Pour the processed powder into the powder feeder, turn on the powder feeding gas, test the powder coke and then turn off the powder; Step 3: Set the scanning path and additive manufacturing process parameters, adjust the dual beam focusing position to align it with the surface of the shaped substrate, and after the dual beam spot overlaps and the spot diameter is determined, realize the three-dimensional relative movement between the shaped substrate (4) and the additive deposition head (12) through the drive mechanism (1) to complete the forming preparation of components of different shapes.

8. A dual beam laser additive manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein, When the additive deposition head (12) moves in the Y direction, the driving mechanism (1) drives the forming substrate (4) to move in the X and Z directions; when the additive deposition head (12) moves in the X direction, the driving mechanism (1) drives the forming substrate (4) to move in the Y and Z directions; when the additive deposition head (12) moves in the X and Y directions, the driving mechanism (1) drives the forming substrate (4) to move in the Z direction.

9. A dual-beam laser additive manufacturing method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The raw material is a powder or wire, specifically a metal powder, a metal wire, a ceramic powder, a metal-ceramic mixed powder, an intermetallic compound wire, or an intermetallic compound powder.

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