Multi-station time coordinated binder jetting additive manufacturing apparatus and method of printing

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of multi-station timing coordination binder jetting additive manufacturing equipment and its printing method, in the multi-station timing coordination binder jetting additive manufacturing equipment, pedestal includes workbench and lamp holder, the top of workbench is equipped with standby position and multiple stations sequentially arranged along first direction;Forming cylinder is placed in station and can be lifted, the top surface of cylinder body is forming surface;Translation frame is slidably installed in workbench and can slide along first direction;Powder dispensing device is installed in translation frame, printing nozzle is slidably installed in translation frame along second direction, first direction and second direction are perpendicular to each other;Drying lamp is installed in lamp holder and is equipped above forming surface;Lifting drive, translation frame, powder dispensing device, printing nozzle and drying lamp are all connected with controller communication.The equipment can realize multi-station batch printing, can reduce the waiting time of printing nozzle, improve the utilization of printing nozzle, to improve the printing efficiency of equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of additive manufacturing technology, and in particular to a multi-station sequential co-adhesive jet additive manufacturing equipment and its printing method. Background Technology

[0002] Binder Jetting 3D Printing (BJ3DP) is an additive manufacturing technology that achieves layer-by-layer forming by spraying binder onto the surface of powder materials as needed. It has advantages such as high forming efficiency, wide range of applicable materials, and no need for support structures, and has been widely used in metal forming, casting sand mold manufacturing, and functional structural component preparation.

[0003] However, the existing equipment used in adhesive jet 3D printing typically involves multiple steps, including printing (powder application, powder spreading, and adhesive jetting), impregnation, and drying and curing. The time spent on the adhesive jetting process accounts for a relatively small percentage of the total printing time. As a result, the printhead spends most of its time in a waiting state during a printing cycle, leading to low printhead utilization and severely limiting the improvement of printing efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main objective of this invention is to propose a multi-station sequential collaborative binder jetting additive manufacturing equipment and its printing method, aiming to solve the problem of low nozzle utilization rate in the binder jetting 3D printing process, which makes it difficult to improve the printing efficiency of the equipment.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes a multi-station sequential collaborative binder spraying additive manufacturing equipment, comprising: The base frame includes a workbench and a lamp holder. The top of the workbench is provided with standby positions and multiple workstations arranged sequentially along a first direction. Multiple forming cylinders are placed at the workstations and are set up one-to-one with the workstations. Each forming cylinder includes a cylinder body and a lifting drive component installed at the bottom of the cylinder body for driving the cylinder body to rise and fall. The top surface of the cylinder body is the forming surface. A translation frame, which is slidably mounted on the worktable and is capable of sliding along the first direction; A powder dispensing device, which is mounted on the translation frame and used to lay a powder layer onto the forming surface; A printhead, which is slidably mounted on the translation frame along a second direction and is used to spray binder onto the powder layer, wherein the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other; Multiple drying lamps are installed on the lamp holder and positioned above the forming surface, with each drying lamp corresponding to a specific workstation. The controller, the lifting drive, the translation frame, the powder dispensing device, the print head, and the drying lamp are all communicatively connected to the controller.

[0006] In one embodiment, the multi-station sequential co-processing binder spraying additive manufacturing equipment further includes multiple powder collection bins, which are installed at the workstations and the cylinders pass through the powder collection bins. The powder collection bins and the cylinders are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence, and the powder collection bins are used to collect powder that has fallen outside the forming surface from the powder distribution device.

[0007] In one embodiment, the multi-station sequential collaborative adhesive jetting additive manufacturing equipment further includes a nozzle maintenance component. The nozzle maintenance component includes a liquid collection tank and a nozzle scraper. The top of the liquid collection tank has a liquid collection port. The nozzle scraper is installed in the liquid collection tank and located above the liquid collection port. The liquid collection tank is installed in the standby position. The bottom of the printing nozzle has a nozzle. The nozzle scraper is used to scrape the adhesive from the surface of the nozzle.

[0008] In one embodiment, the powder dispensing device includes a feeding assembly, which includes a powder storage bin, a feeding gear, and a rotary drive. The powder storage bin has a feeding port at its bottom. The feeding gear is installed at the feeding port and rotatably connected to the bin walls on both sides of the feeding port. The feeding gear is connected to the output shaft of the rotary drive, and the central axis of the feeding gear is parallel to the second direction. The feeding gear is used to block the feeding port.

[0009] In one embodiment, the material feeding assembly further includes a rotary joint, the powder feeding gear has an air chamber inside, one end of the powder feeding gear is connected to the rotary joint, the rotary joint is used to connect to an external air source, and the air chamber is connected to the rotary joint; The powder-falling gear is also provided with multiple air-blowing holes in its circumference, and the air-blowing holes are connected to the air chamber.

[0010] In one embodiment, the powder dispensing device further includes a spreading assembly, which includes a spreading frame, a patterned roller, and a circular roller. The spreading frame is mounted on the translation frame. The central axes of the patterned roller and the circular roller are both parallel to the second direction, and the patterned roller and the circular roller are rotatably mounted on the spreading frame. The circular roller, the patterned roller, and the dropping gear are spaced apart along the first direction.

[0011] In one embodiment, the multi-station sequential co-current adhesive jetting additive manufacturing equipment further includes a positioning component, which is mounted on the translation frame and communicatively connected to the controller. The positioning component is used to detect whether the powder dispensing device and the printing nozzle have reached the station to be printed.

[0012] The present invention also proposes a printing method applied to a multi-station sequential co-adhesive jetting additive manufacturing equipment as described in any of the above embodiments, comprising the following steps: The actual number of printing stations will be determined based on the type of product to be printed. ; The workstations that actually participate in printing are labeled as workstation 1, workstation 2, and so on, in order of distance from the standby position to the farthest position. Workstation; The control translation frame drives the powder dispensing device and the print head to move from the standby position to the first working position; Single-layer printing: The control translation frame drives the powder dispensing device and the print head to move along the first direction, sequentially at the first station, the second station, and so on. Printing is performed on the forming surface in the workstation to form a green blank. The formed green blank is impregnated while the translation frame moves along the first direction. After the impregnation process of any green blank is completed, the drying lamp corresponding to the green blank is turned on to carry out the drying and curing process. Rotation: Controls the translation frame, powder dispensing device, and printhead in the first... Preset time of stay at the workstation During the preset stay time Then, control each lifting drive component to drive its corresponding cylinder to descend to a preset height, and control the translation frame to drive the powder distribution device and printing nozzle from the first... The workstation moves to the first workstation, and when the translation frame returns to the first workstation, the green blank in the first workstation completes drying and curing; Repeat the single-layer printing step and the rotation step until the first... The final green body is printed on the forming surface in the workstation; The control translation frame drives the powder dispensing device and print head back to the standby position, and printing ends after all green bodies have dried and cured.

[0013] In one embodiment, the step of determining the actual number of printing stations based on the type of product to be printed is... The steps include the following: Select the printing process that corresponds to the type of product to be printed; Obtain the translation, powder drop-layout, and adhesive spraying times that match the printing process. immersion time Drying and curing time and the total number of online workstations, n; Calculate the theoretical number of workstations that can participate in printing. ; when At that time, determine the actual number of workstations involved in printing. ; when At that time, determine the actual number of workstations involved in printing. .

[0014] In one embodiment, prior to the step of selecting a printing process corresponding to the type of product to be printed, the following step is further included: Determine at least two printing strategies; Perform trial printing on the product to be printed, depending on the different printing strategies employed. Obtain the printing process corresponding to each printing strategy and preset each printing process in the controller.

[0015] The technical solution of this invention involves setting multiple workstations arranged sequentially along a first direction on a base frame, with multiple forming cylinders corresponding one-to-one with each workstation. Simultaneously, a powder dispensing device and a printing nozzle are mounted on a sliding frame that can slide along the first direction. This allows the printing nozzle to move sequentially between the multiple forming cylinders and reciprocate to perform the spraying task. After the printing nozzle completes the spraying of the current layer of binder on the forming surface of one workstation, it can move along the first direction to the next workstation for spraying without waiting for the layer to impregnate and dry. While the printing nozzle moves along the first direction and sprays binder at subsequent workstations, the current workstation automatically performs the impregnation and drying / curing process. This allows the printing of green blanks (including powder application, powder spreading, and spraying processes), impregnation, drying, and curing processes in multiple forming cylinders to be processed in parallel in time. This enables continuous operation of the printing nozzle or significantly reduces the idle waiting time of the printing nozzle, thereby effectively improving the utilization rate of the printing nozzle and ultimately improving the overall printing efficiency of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a structure of an embodiment of the multi-station sequential collaborative binder spraying additive manufacturing equipment provided by the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the front structure; Figure 3 for Figure 1 The flowchart provided in the document shows the process of a multi-station, time-sequential, collaborative adhesive jetting additive manufacturing equipment performing a printing job. Figure 4 for Figure 1 A partial structural diagram; Figure 5 for Figure 4 A structural diagram from another perspective; Figure 6 for Figure 5 The structural diagram of the blanking assembly provided in the document; Figure 7 for Figure 5 The structural diagram of the material laying component provided in the diagram; Figure 8 for Figure 6 Enlarged view of point A in the middle section; Figure 9 for Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the axial cross-sectional structure of the powder-falling gear provided in the diagram; Figure 10 This is a flowchart of a printing method in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 for Figure 10 The flowchart for step S1.

[0018] Explanation of icon numbers: 1. Workbench; 11. Standby position; 12. Workstation; 2. Forming cylinder; 21. Cylinder body; 211. Forming surface; 3. Translation frame; 4. Powder dispensing device; 41. Material feeding assembly; 411. Powder storage bin; 4111. Powder feeding port; 412. Powder feeding gear; 4121. Air chamber; 4122. Air blowing hole; 413. Rotary drive component; 414. Rotary joint; 42. Material spreading assembly; 421. Material spreading frame; 422. Patterned roller; 423. Circular roller; 5. Printer head; 6. Drying lamp; 7. Powder collection bin; 8. Nozzle maintenance components; 81. Liquid collection tank; 82. Nozzle scraper; X, the first direction; Y, the second direction.

[0019] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0022] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the use of "and / or" or "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. For example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0023] Binder Jetting 3D Printing (BJ3DP), as a typical additive manufacturing technology, achieves layer-by-layer forming by spraying binder onto the surface of powder materials as needed. It has advantages such as high forming efficiency, wide range of applicable materials, and no need for support structures, and has been widely used in metal forming, casting sand mold manufacturing, and functional structural component preparation.

[0024] However, current binder jetting 3D printing processes typically employ a "single-cylinder serial" working mode. This process includes multiple steps such as printing (powder application, powder spreading, and binder jetting), impregnation, and drying / curing. The "single-cylinder serial" process means that these steps are repeated sequentially within a single forming cylinder. The time spent by the printhead performing the jetting operation accounts for only a small portion of the entire forming cycle, while processes like powder spreading, impregnation, and drying are time-consuming. This results in the printhead being idle for most of the time, leading to low equipment utilization and severely hindering the improvement of overall printing efficiency.

[0025] To improve printing efficiency, existing technologies often focus on increasing printhead array width, multi-printhead parallel printing, increasing scanning speed, or improving the powder spreading mechanism. However, these methods often suffer from high system complexity, significantly increased costs, or negative impacts on print quality. Furthermore, due to inherent time limitations in physical processes such as powder spreading and drying, a single forming cylinder system cannot fundamentally and significantly reduce the "process waiting" bottleneck. In addition, some solutions shorten non-printing time by modularly replacing forming cylinders or introducing auxiliary stations, but these still primarily rely on single-station serial processing. Cylinder switching during printing still suffers from physical positioning redundancy and time discontinuities, failing to fundamentally address the uneven time distribution among printing processes and thus preventing seamless continuous operation at the printhead level.

[0026] In view of this, the present invention proposes a multi-station sequential collaborative binder jetting additive manufacturing equipment, which aims to solve the problem of low nozzle utilization rate in the binder jetting 3D printing process, which makes it difficult to improve the printing efficiency of the equipment.

[0027] Please see Figures 1 to 3 In one embodiment of the present invention, the multi-station sequential co-processing binder jetting additive manufacturing equipment includes a base frame, multiple forming cylinders 2, a translation frame 3, a powder dispensing device 4, a printing nozzle 5, multiple drying lamps 6, and a controller. The base frame includes a workbench 1 and a lamp holder. The top of the workbench 1 is provided with standby positions 11 and multiple work stations 12 arranged sequentially along the first direction X. A forming cylinder 2 is placed at each work station 12 and is set up one-to-one with each work station 12. The forming cylinder 2 includes a cylinder body 21 and a lifting drive component installed at the bottom of the cylinder body 21 for driving the cylinder body 21 to rise and fall. The top surface of the cylinder body 21 is the forming surface 211. A translation frame 3 is slidably installed on the workbench 1 and can slide along the first direction X. A powder dispensing device 4 is installed on the translation frame 3 and is used to lay a powder layer on the forming surface 211. A printing nozzle 5 is slidably installed on the translation frame 3 along the second direction Y and is used to spray adhesive onto the powder layer. The first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular to each other. A drying lamp 6 is installed on the lamp holder and is set above the forming surface 211. The drying lamp 6 is set up one-to-one with each work station 12. The lifting drive component, translation frame 3, powder dispensing device 4, printing nozzle 5 and drying lamp 6 are all communicatively connected to the controller.

[0028] Among them, the first direction X refers to Figure 1 The middle direction is from front to back, and the second direction Y refers to... Figure 1The translation frame 3 and the worktable are slidably connected by a slide rail and a groove, and automatic transmission is achieved using either a screw drive or a rack and pinion drive. Similarly, the print head 5 and the translation frame 3 are slidably connected by a slide rail and a groove, and automatic transmission is achieved using either a screw drive or a rack and pinion drive. This enables automatic movement of the print head 5 and the powder dispensing device 4 in the front-to-back direction, i.e., automatic movement of the print head 5 in the left-to-right direction, to achieve the purpose of sequential printing at multiple workstations 12. The print head 5 is a known technology and will not be described further here. The lifting drive uses one of a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or a linear motor.

[0029] The technical solution of this embodiment sets up multiple workstations 12 arranged sequentially along the first direction X on the base frame, and assigns multiple molding cylinders 2 to each workstation 12. At the same time, the powder dispensing device 4 and the printing nozzle 5 are installed on the translation frame 3 that can slide along the first direction X, so that the printing nozzle 5 can move sequentially between the multiple molding cylinders 2 and reciprocate to perform the spraying task. After the print head 5 completes the adhesive spraying of the current layer on the forming surface 211 of a station 12, it can move along the first direction X to the next station 12 for spraying without waiting for the layer to penetrate and dry. While the print head 5 moves along the first direction X and sprays adhesive on other stations 12, the current station 12 automatically performs the penetration and drying process. This allows the printing of green blanks (including powder application, powder spreading and spraying processes), penetration, drying and curing processes of multiple forming cylinders 2 to be processed in parallel in time. This enables the print head 5 to operate continuously or significantly reduces the idle waiting time of the print head 5, thereby effectively improving the utilization rate of the print head 5. Without increasing the number of print heads 5, the overall printing efficiency of the equipment can be improved.

[0030] Please see Figure 1 In one embodiment of the present invention, the multi-station sequential collaborative binder spraying additive manufacturing equipment further includes multiple powder collection bins 7. The powder collection bins 7 are installed at station 12, and the cylinder 21 passes through the powder collection bins 7. The powder collection bins 7 and cylinders 21 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. The powder collection bins 7 are used to collect powder scattered outside the forming surface 211 by the powder distribution device 4. By setting powder collection bins 7 corresponding to cylinders 21 at each station 12, this embodiment can effectively collect powder scattered outside the forming surface 211 (top surface of cylinder 21) by the powder distribution device 4 during the powder spreading process, thereby reducing powder waste and lowering production costs; at the same time, it avoids excess powder from accumulating on the worktable 1 or falling into the lifting drive, keeping the inside of the equipment clean, reducing mechanical failures caused by powder contamination, and improving the stability of equipment operation and printing quality.

[0031] Please see Figure 1In one embodiment of the present invention, the multi-station sequential collaborative adhesive jetting additive manufacturing equipment further includes a nozzle maintenance assembly 8. The nozzle maintenance assembly 8 includes a liquid collection tank 81 and a nozzle scraper 82. The top of the liquid collection tank 81 has a liquid collection port. The nozzle scraper 82 is installed in the liquid collection tank 81 and is located above the liquid collection port. The liquid collection tank 81 is installed in the standby position 11. The bottom of the printing nozzle 5 has a nozzle. The nozzle scraper 82 is used to scrape the adhesive on the surface of the nozzle. The extension direction of the scraper is the front-to-back direction, which is perpendicular to the left-to-right direction of the movement of the printing nozzle 5 relative to the translation frame 3. In this way, when the print head 5 moves in the standby position 11, the print head scraper 82 can scrape off the adhesive remaining on the surface of the nozzle at the bottom of the print head 5. At the same time, the scraped adhesive falls into the collection tank 81 through the collection port, thereby preventing nozzle blockage or contamination of the printed products in the work station 12 due to adhesive dripping. This ensures the spraying accuracy and reliability of the print head 5, reduces printing defects caused by untimely cleaning of the print head 5, and helps improve the quality of finished products.

[0032] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figures 4 to 6 The powder dispensing device 4 includes a feeding assembly 41, which includes a powder storage bin 411, a feeding gear 412, and a rotary drive 413. The powder storage bin 411 has a feeding port 4111 at its bottom. The feeding gear 412 is mounted on the feeding port 4111 and rotatably connected to the bin walls on both sides of the feeding port 4111. The feeding gear 412 is connected to the output shaft of the rotary drive 413, and its central axis is parallel to the second direction Y. The feeding gear 412 is used to block the feeding port 4111. When the translation frame 3 drives the feeding assembly 41 to move above the forming surface 211 of a cylinder 21, the powder feeding operation can begin. The rotary drive 413 drives the feeding gear 412 to rotate, allowing the powder that was originally blocked in the powder storage bin 411 to fall through the feeding port 4111. Specifically, the powder-discharging gear 412 has a ring of external teeth circumferentially. Powder can accumulate between adjacent external teeth inside the powder storage bin 411 due to gravity. When the powder-discharging gear 412 rotates, the external teeth, originally inside the powder storage bin 411, gradually rotate to below the discharge port, releasing the powder accumulated between adjacent external teeth onto the surface of the forming surface 211. In this embodiment, the rotary drive 413 includes either a servo motor or a stepper motor.

[0033] In this embodiment, the powder-feeding gear 412 blocks the powder-feeding port 4111 during non-powder-feeding stages. Only when powder is needed is the powder-feeding gear 412 rotated by the rotary drive 413 to allow the powder to fall along the powder-feeding port 4111. This achieves accurate control of the powder-feeding process, avoids accidental leakage of powder at non-powder-feeding positions (such as during movement or when not aligned with the molding surface 211), and reduces powder waste and equipment contamination. At the same time, the rotation of the powder-feeding gear 412 can uniformly carry out the powder in the powder storage bin 411, which helps to stabilize the amount of powder falling, improve the uniformity and repeatability of powder layer laying, and thus improve the molding quality of the multi-station sequential collaborative binder spraying additive manufacturing equipment.

[0034] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to... Figure 8 and Figure 9 The feeding assembly 41 also includes a rotary joint 414. An air chamber 4121 is formed inside the powder feeding gear 412. One end of the powder feeding gear 412 is connected to the rotary joint 414, which is used to connect to an external air source. The air chamber 4121 is connected to the rotary joint 414. Multiple air blowing holes 4122 are also formed circumferentially around the powder feeding gear 4122, and these holes are connected to the air chamber 4121. The air blowing holes 4122 are evenly arranged circumferentially along the powder feeding gear 412 and arranged in multiple rows axially. This arrangement allows compressed gas from an external air source to enter the air chamber 4121 through the rotary joint 414 and exit through the air blowing holes 4122, forming a fluidized bed effect on the surface of the powder feeding gear 412. This prevents poorly flowing powder from clogging the impeller and significantly improves the uniformity and consistency of quantitative powder feeding, thus solving the problem of inconsistent powder settling density in long-distance powder feeding at multiple stations 12.

[0035] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 7The powder dispensing device 4 also includes a spreading assembly 42, which includes a spreading frame 421, a patterned roller 422, and a round roller 423. The spreading frame 421 is mounted on the translation frame 3. The central axes of the patterned roller 422 and the round roller 423 are parallel to the second direction Y, and the patterned roller 422 and the round roller 423 are rotatably mounted on the spreading frame 421. The round roller 423, the patterned roller 422, and the dropping gear are spaced apart along the first direction X. With this configuration, when the translation frame 3 moves the powder distribution device 4 along the first direction X, the powder is first dropped onto the forming surface 211 by the dropping gear. Then, the powder layer is compacted and leveled sequentially by the patterned roller 422 and the circular roller 423. The patterned roller 422 initially compacts the powder to form a uniform thin layer, while the circular roller 423 further smooths the powder surface and compacts the powder layer, effectively improving the density uniformity and surface smoothness of the powder layer, reducing printing defects caused by uneven powder distribution, and thus improving the forming quality and interlayer bonding strength of the multi-station sequential adhesive jetting additive manufacturing equipment. In this embodiment, the patterned roller 422 is made of hard metal with a regular mesh pattern on its surface; the circular roller 423 is made of ceramic with a mirror-finished surface.

[0036] In one embodiment of the present invention, the multi-station sequential collaborative adhesive jetting additive manufacturing equipment further includes a positioning component. The positioning component is installed on the translation frame 3 and communicates with the controller. The positioning component is used to detect whether the powder dispensing device 4 and the printing nozzle 5 have reached the station 12 to be printed. Thus, by adding the positioning component installed on the translation frame 3 and communicating with the controller, the controller can know the exact position of the powder dispensing device 4 and the printing nozzle 5 relative to each station 12 in real time, thereby accurately controlling the moving distance and dwell time of the translation frame 3. This ensures that the powder dispensing device 4 performs powder dispensing only above the forming surface 211 of the corresponding cylinder 21, and at the same time ensures that the printing nozzle 5 starts jetting adhesive only after reaching the target station 12. This avoids problems such as powder misalignment, dry spraying of the printing nozzle 5, or adhesive splashing into the wrong area caused by inaccurate position detection or cumulative errors. This improves the positioning accuracy of the multi-station sequential collaborative adhesive jetting additive manufacturing equipment, thereby reducing the scrap rate.

[0037] The present invention also proposes a printing method, which is applied to the multi-station sequential co-adhesive jetting additive manufacturing equipment as described in any of the above embodiments, wherein the specific structure of the multi-station sequential co-adhesive jetting additive manufacturing equipment is as described in the above embodiments.

[0038] In this embodiment, please refer to Figure 10 The printing method includes the following steps: S1: Determine the actual number of printing stations n based on the type of product to be printed. r ; S2: According to the distance from the standby position 11 from near to far, the actual printing positions 12 are marked as the first position, the second position, and so on up to the nth position. r Workstation; S3: Control the translation frame 3 to drive the powder dispensing device 4 and the printing nozzle 5 to move from the standby position 11 to the first working position; S4: Single-layer printing: The control translation frame 3 drives the powder dispensing device 4 and the printing nozzle 5 to move along the first direction X, sequentially from the first station to the second station to the nth station. r Printing is performed on the forming surface 211 in the workstation to form a green blank. The formed green blank is impregnated while the translation frame 3 moves along the first direction X. After the impregnation process of any green blank is completed, the drying lamp 6 corresponding to the green blank is turned on to carry out the drying and curing process. S5: Rotation: Controls the translation frame 3, powder dispensing device 4, and printing nozzle 5 in the... Preset dwell time T at workstation 12 r During the preset stay time T r Then, control each lifting drive component to drive its corresponding cylinder 21 to descend to a preset height, and control the translation frame 3 to drive the powder distribution device 4 and the printing nozzle 5 from the nth... r The workstation moves to the first workstation, and when the translation frame 3 returns to the first workstation, the green blank in the first workstation completes drying and curing; S6: Repeat the single-layer printing and rotation steps until the nth time. r The final green body is printed on the forming surface 211 in the workstation; S7: Control the translation frame 3 to drive the powder distribution device 4 and the print head 5 back to the standby position 11, and end the printing after all the green blanks have been dried and cured.

[0039] The multi-station sequential collaborative adhesive jetting additive manufacturing equipment can perform various types of product printing operations, printing one type of product in batches at multiple stations 12 each time. During printing, different types of products require different printing processes. This printing process refers to the steps that can be configured in the controller, which controls the movement of the translation frame 3, powder distribution device 4, and printhead 5, as well as the opening and closing of the drying lamp 6. Specifically, the controller pre-stores printing files for various printing processes. Each printing file is read by the CPU or PLC and decrypted to form a corresponding set of printing process parameters. Each set of printing process parameters includes at least: the moving speed and path of the translation frame 3, the single powder dispensing amount and powder layer thickness of the powder distribution device 4, the jetting frequency and moving trajectory of the printhead 5, and the opening and closing sequence and irradiation duration of the drying lamp 6 corresponding to each station 12. When the multi-station sequential collaborative adhesive jetting additive manufacturing equipment needs to switch to producing another type of product, the operator selects the corresponding product type through input devices (such as keyboard and mouse). The controller automatically calls up the printing process parameter set that matches the product type and controls the translation frame 3, powder distribution device 4, printing nozzle 5 and drying lamp 6 to work together at each station 12 according to the parameter set. This allows for accurate batch printing of different product types without the need for manual adjustment of mechanical parts, improving the equipment's flexibility and adaptability to different products and increasing production changeover efficiency.

[0040] In a multi-station sequential collaborative adhesive jetting additive manufacturing equipment, there are multiple stations 12. However, the actual number of stations 12 required for batch printing of different types of products may vary. Therefore, after determining the printing process, the operator can manually select the actual number of stations participating in the printing or the controller can automatically calculate the actual number of stations 12 participating in the printing.

[0041] After determining the actual number of workstations involved in printing. Next, the controller sequentially numbers each station 12. It's important to note that the actual printing stations 12 must be adjacent; for example, there cannot be any empty stations 12 between the first and second stations, and the front and rear sides of the second station must be adjacent to the first and third stations. This reduces the time spent by the translation frame 3 moving between different stations 12, ensuring that the movement time between adjacent stations is less than two seconds, thus guaranteeing printing efficiency.

[0042] After the printhead 5 completes printhead maintenance in standby position 11, the translation frame 3 moves to the first work station to prepare for printing.

[0043] During the printing process, the printing proceeds sequentially from the first workstation to the nth workstation, following the pre-numbered workstation sequence 12. rPrinting at the workstation. During printing, powder is laid on the forming surface 211 by the feeding component 41 to complete the powder feeding process. As the translation frame 3 moves backward, the spreading component 42 flattens and compacts the powder to form a powder layer to complete the powder spreading process. Then, the printing nozzle 5 moves along the first direction X and the second direction Y to spray binder into the powder layer to complete the binder spraying process. The powder layer after the binder spraying forms a green blank. After the green blank in a certain workstation 12 is completed, the translation frame 3 drives the powder distribution device 4 and the printing nozzle 5 to move to the next workstation 12 for printing. At the same time, the green blank in the workstation 12 undergoes the binder impregnation process. The impregnation process refers to the process in which the binder automatically penetrates into the powder layer. During printing, a certain amount of time is usually reserved for the binder to fully penetrate into the powder layer to avoid affecting the strength of the product. After the time reserved for the impregnation process ends, the controller automatically turns on the drying lamp 6 corresponding to the workstation 12 to carry out the drying and curing process to accelerate the curing reaction of the binder and ensure that the interlayer bonding strength meets the process requirements.

[0044] Taking three printing stations as an example, after the printing nozzle 5 sprays the adhesive onto the forming surface 211 of the third station, the single-layer printing step of this round can be completed. Subsequently, the translation frame 3 needs to return to the first station for the next round of single-layer printing. If the green blank in the first station has not yet completed the drying and curing process, the translation frame 3 needs to wait in the third station for a preset time. Let the nth r The time interval between the completion of green printing at station 1 and the completion of green drying and curing at station 1 is 'a'. The translation frame 3 is moved by the nth... r If the time it takes for the workstation to return to the first workstation is b, then the translation frame 3 needs to be in the nth day. r Preset waiting time T at the workstation r =ab.

[0045] When the translation frame 3 returns to the first station, each cylinder 21 needs to be lowered to a preset height under the drive of the lifting drive component. This avoids the material dropping component 41 and the material spreading component 42 from scraping the already formed green blank, and provides working space for the next round of powder layer laying and compaction.

[0046] Please see Figure 3 Taking a typical printing process as an example, in a single-layer printing process, the total time for the translation frame 3 to move, dispense powder, spread powder, and spray adhesive is 30 seconds, the total time for impregnation is 30 seconds, and the total time for drying and curing is 60 seconds. Therefore, according to... Figure 3 The relationship between the time of the state changes indicated by the middle arrows, the first and second rounds of single-layer printing, and the turnaround steps between the first and second rounds of single-layer printing, and the printing process is as follows: From 0 to 30 seconds, the first station forms the first layer of green billet, the second station is idle, and the third station is idle; From 30 to 60 seconds, the first layer of green body at the first station is impregnated, the first layer of green body is formed at the second station, and the third station is idle. From 60 to 90 seconds, the first layer of green body at the first station is dried and cured, the first layer of green body at the second station is impregnated, and the first layer of green body is formed at the third station. From 90 to 120 seconds, the first layer of green blank at the first station is dried and cured, the first layer of green blank at the second station is dried and cured, the first layer of green blank at the third station is impregnated, the translation frame 3 waits at the third station for a preset time of 26 seconds (taking the translation frame 3 returning from the third station to the first station in 4 seconds as an example), and the translation frame 3 returns to the first station at 120 seconds. From 120 to 150 seconds, the second green body is formed at the first station, the green body at the second station is dried and cured, and the green body at the third station is dried and cured. From 150 to 180 seconds, the second layer of green body at the first station is impregnated, the second layer of green body is formed at the second station, and the first layer of green body at the third station is dried and cured. From 180 to 210 seconds, the second green body at the first station is dried and cured, the second green body at the second station is impregnated, and the second green body at the third station is formed.

[0047] This process is repeated for the third, fourth, and final printing rounds until the final green body is printed on the forming surface 211 in the third station. Then, the translation frame 3 drives the powder dispensing device 4 and the print head 5 back to the standby position 11 for print head 5 maintenance. After all the green bodies have dried and cured, the printing process ends.

[0048] Please see Figure 11 It should be noted that the actual number of printing stations is determined based on the type of product to be printed. The steps include the following: S14: Select the printing process that corresponds to the type of product to be printed; S15: Obtain the translation, powder drop-lay, and adhesive spraying times T that match the printing process. p Infiltration time T i Drying and curing time T d and the total number of online workstations, n; S16: Calculate the theoretical number of workstations n that can participate in printing according to Formula 1. a ; S17: Compare the theoretical number of workstations n that can participate in printing. a Given the total number of online workstations n, determine the actual number n of workstations involved in printing. r .

[0049] Formula 1: .

[0050] Step S17 specifically includes: When n a When the number of workstations is greater than n, determine the actual number of workstations involved in printing. r =n; When n a When n ≤ n, determine the actual number of workstations involved in printing, n. r =n a .

[0051] Prior to step S14, the following steps are also included: S11: Determine at least two printing strategies; S12: Perform a trial print on the product to be printed according to different printing strategies; S13: Obtain the printing process corresponding to each printing strategy and preset each printing process in the controller.

[0052] Specifically, before producing a product, at least two printing strategies are set, such as a quality strategy prioritizing print quality and a quantity strategy prioritizing the number of products produced per unit time. After determining the printing strategy, trial printing is conducted according to each strategy to adjust the translation speed of the translation frame 3, the amount of powder applied per print, the powder layer thickness, the preset impregnation time, and the preset drying and curing time, etc., ultimately forming a printing process corresponding to each printing strategy. The printing process is encoded into a printing file using machine language and stored in the controller's storage unit. The controller's processing unit can call these printing files and obtain the printing process parameter set at any time. This eliminates the need for repeated equipment debugging before each production run, allowing for rapid switching between quality-first and quantity-first priorities. It meets the quality requirements of high-precision products while maximizing equipment output efficiency during mass production, which is beneficial for improving the adaptability of multi-station sequential collaborative binder jetting additive manufacturing equipment to different production goals.

[0053] When printing officially begins, the operator selects the product type to be printed via the input device and chooses the corresponding printing strategy. The controller automatically retrieves the relevant print file and loads the set of printing process parameters corresponding to that product type and printing strategy. Then, the processing unit in the controller automatically obtains the translation, powder drop and spread, adhesive spraying time, impregnation time, and drying and curing time from the printing process set, and controls the lifting drive components and drying lamps 6 in each station 12 to perform self-checks to obtain the total number of online stations. If a station 12 goes offline, the controller activates external alarm devices such as audible and visual alarms to notify the operator for maintenance.

[0054] Through steps S16 and S17, the controller can automatically obtain the actual number of stations participating in printing based on each printing process parameter, thereby ensuring that the controller can intelligently schedule an appropriate number of stations 12 to participate in the printing operation according to different printing processes. This helps to improve the automation level of the multi-station sequential collaborative adhesive jetting additive manufacturing equipment.

[0055] In the above embodiments, the controller type includes either an industrial computer or a PLC.

[0056] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the technical concept of the present invention and the contents of the specification and drawings of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-station sequential collaborative binder spraying additive manufacturing equipment, characterized in that, include: The base frame includes a workbench and a lamp holder. The top of the workbench is provided with standby positions and multiple workstations arranged sequentially along a first direction. Multiple forming cylinders are placed at the workstations and are set up one-to-one with the workstations. Each forming cylinder includes a cylinder body and a lifting drive component installed at the bottom of the cylinder body for driving the cylinder body to rise and fall. The top surface of the cylinder body is the forming surface. A translation frame, which is slidably mounted on the worktable and is capable of sliding along the first direction; A powder dispensing device, which is mounted on the translation frame and used to lay a powder layer onto the forming surface; A printhead, which is slidably mounted on the translation frame along a second direction and is used to spray binder onto the powder layer, wherein the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other; Multiple drying lamps are installed on the lamp holder and positioned above the forming surface, with each drying lamp corresponding to a specific workstation. The controller, the lifting drive, the translation frame, the powder dispensing device, the print head, and the drying lamp are all communicatively connected to the controller.

2. The multi-station sequential collaborative binder spraying additive manufacturing equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-station sequential co-processing binder spraying additive manufacturing equipment also includes multiple powder collection bins. The powder collection bins are installed at the workstations, and the cylinders pass through the powder collection bins. The powder collection bins and the cylinders are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. The powder collection bins are used to collect powder that has fallen outside the forming surface from the powder distribution device.

3. The multi-station sequential collaborative binder spraying additive manufacturing equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-station sequential collaborative adhesive spraying additive manufacturing equipment also includes a nozzle maintenance component, which includes a liquid collection tank and a nozzle scraper. The top of the liquid collection tank has a liquid collection port, and the nozzle scraper is installed in the liquid collection tank and located above the liquid collection port. The liquid collection tank is installed in the standby position, and the bottom of the printing nozzle has a nozzle. The nozzle scraper is used to scrape the adhesive from the surface of the nozzle.

4. The multi-station sequential collaborative binder spraying additive manufacturing equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The powder dispensing device includes a feeding assembly, which includes a powder storage bin, a feeding gear, and a rotary drive. The bottom of the powder storage bin has a feeding port. The feeding gear is installed at the feeding port and is rotatably connected to the bin walls on both sides of the feeding port. The feeding gear is connected to the output shaft of the rotary drive, and the central axis of the feeding gear is parallel to the second direction. The feeding gear is used to block the feeding port.

5. The multi-station sequential collaborative binder spraying additive manufacturing equipment as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The material feeding assembly also includes a rotary joint, and the powder feeding gear has an air chamber inside. One end of the powder feeding gear is connected to the rotary joint, and the rotary joint is used to connect to an external air source. The air chamber is connected to the rotary joint. The powder-falling gear is also provided with multiple air-blowing holes in its circumference, and the air-blowing holes are connected to the air chamber.

6. The multi-station sequential collaborative binder spraying additive manufacturing equipment as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The powder dispensing device further includes a spreading assembly, which includes a spreading frame, a patterned roller, and a circular roller. The spreading frame is mounted on the translation frame. The central axes of the patterned roller and the circular roller are both parallel to the second direction, and the patterned roller and the circular roller are rotatably mounted on the spreading frame. The circular roller, the patterned roller, and the dropping gear are spaced apart along the first direction.

7. The multi-station sequential collaborative binder spraying additive manufacturing equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-station sequential co-processing adhesive jetting additive manufacturing equipment also includes a positioning component, which is installed on the translation frame and communicates with the controller. The positioning component is used to detect whether the powder dispensing device and the printing nozzle have reached the station to be printed.

8. A printing method, characterized in that, The multi-station sequential co-bonding adhesive spraying additive manufacturing equipment as described in any one of claims 1 to 7 includes the following steps: The actual number of printing stations will be determined based on the type of product to be printed. ; The workstations that actually participate in printing are labeled as workstation 1, workstation 2, and so on, in order of distance from the standby position to the farthest position. Workstation; The control translation frame drives the powder dispensing device and the print head to move from the standby position to the first working position; Single-layer printing: The control translation frame drives the powder dispensing device and the print head to move along the first direction, sequentially at the first station, the second station, and so on. Printing is performed on the forming surface in the workstation to form a green blank. The formed green blank is impregnated while the translation frame moves along the first direction. After the impregnation process of any green blank is completed, the drying lamp corresponding to the green blank is turned on to carry out the drying and curing process. Rotation: Controls the translation frame, powder dispensing device, and printhead in the first... Preset time of stay at the workstation During the preset stay time Then, control each lifting drive component to drive its corresponding cylinder to descend to a preset height, and control the translation frame to drive the powder distribution device and printing nozzle from the first... The workstation moves to the first workstation, and when the translation frame returns to the first workstation, the green blank in the first workstation completes drying and curing; Repeat the single-layer printing step and the rotation step until the first... The final green body is printed on the forming surface in the workstation; The control translation frame drives the powder dispensing device and print head back to the standby position, and printing ends after all green bodies have dried and cured.

9. The printing method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The number of printing stations is determined based on the type of product to be printed. The steps include the following: Select the printing process that corresponds to the type of product to be printed; Obtain the translation, powder drop-layout, and adhesive spraying times that match the printing process. immersion time Drying and curing time and the total number of online workstations, n; Calculate the theoretical number of workstations that can participate in printing. ; when At that time, determine the actual number of workstations involved in printing. ; when At that time, determine the actual number of workstations involved in printing. .

10. The printing method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, Before the step of selecting the printing process corresponding to the type of product to be printed, the following steps are also included: Determine at least two printing strategies; Perform trial printing on the product to be printed, depending on the different printing strategies employed. Obtain the printing process corresponding to each printing strategy and preset each printing process in the controller.

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