Continuous feeding device for non-circular bars with single feeding cylinder and friction stir deposition additive manufacturing equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to a continuous feeding device for non-circular bars with a single feeding cylinder and friction stir deposition additive manufacturing equipment. The device comprises a stock bin, a plurality of metal bars are stored in the stock bin, a bar outlet is formed in the bottom of the stock bin, and a vertical pushing arm is arranged on the top of the stock bin; the feeding cylinder is initially located under the stock bin and is provided with a feeding channel; the push rod is arranged right above the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder; the feeding barrel rotation driving motor is used for driving the feeding barrel to rotate around the axis of the feeding barrel; the controller controls the metal bars in the stock bin to fall into a feeding channel of the feeding barrel by controlling the vertical pushing arm to move downwards; then the rotating speed and the phase position of the feeding cylinder are adjusted by controlling the feeding cylinder to rotate a driving motor; and finally, the push rod is controlled to move downwards to control the feeding barrel to release the metal bar. The metal bars are received and released through the single feeding cylinder in a time-sharing mode, and continuous automatic feeding under the condition that equipment is not stopped is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of friction stir deposition additive manufacturing, and in particular to a continuous feeding device for non-circular rods with a single feeding cylinder and friction stir deposition additive manufacturing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Friction stir deposition (AFSD) is a solid-state additive manufacturing technology based on the principle of friction stir welding. It utilizes the heat generated by mechanical friction to soften the material to a plastic state, and then forms a dense structure through layer-by-layer deposition and compaction. AFSD technology offers advantages such as superior material mechanical properties, high production efficiency, energy saving and environmental friendliness, and suitability for manufacturing large and complex components. It has been effectively applied in fields such as satellite, rocket, ship, and nuclear facility manufacturing.

[0003] An existing technology includes a rod-feed friction stir deposition additive manufacturing apparatus comprising a hollow rotating spindle. In use, a metal rod is filled into the hollow portion of the rotating spindle. The spindle rotates at high speed, causing the metal rod to rotate synchronously at high speed. The high-speed rotating metal rod generates heat through friction with a substrate or stirring tool, and its end enters a plastic state. This plastic material then leaves the apparatus under pressure and deposits onto the substrate. The rotating spindle moves along a preset trajectory on the substrate, causing the metal rod to deposit along this trajectory to form an additive layer. This process is repeated until multiple additive layers are stacked to form a three-dimensional solid component of a preset shape, thus completing the additive manufacturing process.

[0004] Because the length of the metal rods is limited, if the metal rods run out during additive manufacturing, new metal rods need to be added to the rotating spindle. During additive manufacturing, the metal rods need to rotate at high speed with the spindle to generate sufficient heat through high-intensity friction with the substrate or mixing tool to enter a plastic state. To prevent relative sliding between the metal rods and the feeding channel of the rotating spindle, which could cause the metal rods to rotate out of sync with the spindle, the cross-sectional shape of the metal rods is generally square or triangular, or other non-circular shapes. This means that when adding new metal rods to the rotating spindle, it is necessary to ensure that the metal rods and the spindle are aligned in phase; otherwise, the metal rods cannot be successfully added. Existing technology cannot solve the phase alignment problem between the metal rods and the rotating spindle, resulting in the current feeding method for friction stir deposition additive manufacturing equipment still mainly relying on manual feeding, which has the drawbacks of requiring machine shutdown for loading and unloading and low efficiency.

[0005] Chinese patent CN202510489848.3 discloses a continuous feeding device with alternating feeding from two feeding cylinders. It includes two feeding cylinders; during one feeding cycle, one cylinder receives bar stock while the other releases it. The positions of the two feeding cylinders are interchanged when the feeding cycle switches, thus achieving continuous feeding. Although this continuous feeding device with alternating feeding from two feeding cylinders can achieve continuous feeding, its structure is still not simple enough. Utility Model Content

[0006] Based on this, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a continuous feeding device for non-circular rods with a single feeding cylinder and a stirring friction deposition additive manufacturing equipment.

[0007] This utility model provides a continuous feeding device for non-circular bars with a single feeding cylinder, comprising: a hopper storing multiple metal bars, having a bar outlet at its bottom and a vertical pusher arm at its top facing the bar outlet; a feeding cylinder initially located directly below the hopper, having a feeding channel for accommodating the metal bars; a pusher rod positioned directly above the feeding channel when the feeding cylinder releases the metal bars; a feeding cylinder rotation drive motor for driving the feeding cylinder to rotate around its own axis; a controller that controls the vertical pusher arm to move downwards, controlling the metal bars in the hopper to fall into the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder; then, by controlling the feeding cylinder rotation drive motor, adjusting the rotational speed and phase of the feeding cylinder to be equal to the rotational speed and phase of the main rotating shaft; and finally, by controlling the pusher rod to move downwards, controlling the feeding cylinder to release the metal bars.

[0008] This invention's continuous feeding device achieves continuous automatic feeding of metal rods without shutting down the friction stir deposition additive manufacturing (FSD) equipment by receiving and releasing metal rods in a time-sharing manner using a single feeding cylinder. Operators can add new metal rods to the hopper at any time during equipment operation, eliminating the need to constantly monitor the remaining metal rod level and manually add more, saving time and labor. The FSD equipment will not frequently stop and restart due to a lack of metal rods, resulting in a more stable manufacturing process, ensuring product quality and performance, saving energy, and meeting the requirements for manufacturing large-volume, high-performance components. Compared to continuous feeding devices with alternating feeding from dual feeding cylinders, this invention has a simpler structure and higher cost-effectiveness.

[0009] Furthermore, the device also includes a guide rail; the feeding cylinder is slidably disposed on the guide rail; the controller, after the feeding cylinder receives the metal bar, controls the feeding cylinder to slide on the guide rail to directly above the rotating spindle; after the feeding cylinder releases the metal bar, controls the feeding cylinder to slide on the guide rail to directly below the hopper.

[0010] Furthermore, the device also includes a slider and a feeding cylinder position driving unit; the slider is slidably mounted on the guide rail and is provided with a bearing; the feeding cylinder is disposed in the inner ring of the bearing of the slider; the feeding cylinder position driving unit drives the slider to slide on the guide rail; the controller controls the feeding cylinder position driving unit to control the slider to slide on the guide rail, thereby controlling the feeding cylinder to move back and forth between directly below the hopper and directly above the rotating spindle.

[0011] Furthermore, the feeding cylinder position driving unit is specifically a feeding cylinder position driving motor; the feeding cylinder position driving motor drives the slider to slide on the guide rail through a lead screw drive, gear and rack drive or worm gear drive.

[0012] Furthermore, the device also includes a lead screw nut and a lead screw; the lead screw nut is sleeved on the lead screw and fixedly connected to the slider; the lead screw is parallel to the guide rail; the output shaft of the feed cylinder position drive motor is fixedly connected to the lead screw; the controller controls the feed cylinder position drive motor to control the rotation of the lead screw, thereby controlling the position of the lead screw nut sleeved on the lead screw, and thus controlling the slider to slide on the guide rail.

[0013] Furthermore, a rack is provided on the guide rail; the feed cylinder position drive motor is mounted on the slider, and a gear that meshes with the rack is provided on its output shaft; the controller controls the feed cylinder position drive motor to control the rotation of the gear, thereby controlling the meshing position of the gear and the rack, and thus controlling the slider to slide on the guide rail.

[0014] Furthermore, the feeding cylinder position driving unit is specifically a feeding cylinder position driving cylinder; the piston rod end of the feeding cylinder position driving cylinder is fixedly connected to the slider; the controller controls the feeding cylinder position driving cylinder to control the piston rod to move, thereby controlling the slider to slide on the guide rail.

[0015] Furthermore, the guide rail is also provided with a first limiting block and a second limiting block; when the feeding cylinder moves to directly below the hopper, the slider abuts against the first limiting block; when the feeding cylinder moves to directly above the rotating spindle, the slider abuts against the second limiting block.

[0016] Furthermore, the guide rail is also provided with a first positioning protrusion and a second positioning protrusion; the slider is also provided with a positioning groove; when the feeding cylinder moves to directly below the hopper, the positioning groove of the slider cooperates with the first positioning protrusion for positioning; when the feeding cylinder moves to directly above the rotating spindle, the positioning groove of the slider cooperates with the second positioning protrusion for positioning.

[0017] Based on the same inventive concept, this utility model also provides a friction stir deposition additive manufacturing apparatus, which includes: a rotating spindle, a stirring tool, and a continuous feeding device for non-circular rods with a single feeding cylinder as described above; the continuous feeding device is used to automatically fill the rotating spindle with metal rods; the stirring tool is connected to the bottom outlet of the rotating spindle and is used to rub and stir the metal rods to complete the friction stir deposition additive manufacturing.

[0018] To better understand and implement this invention, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the modules of the friction stir deposition additive manufacturing equipment of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the module of the continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder according to Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the module of the continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder according to Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder according to Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder according to Embodiment 2 of this utility model.

[0024] Reference numerals: Rotary spindle 100, continuous feeding device 200, hopper 210, feeding cylinder 220, push rod 230, feeding cylinder rotation drive motor 240, controller 250, slider 260, guide rail 270, first limit block 271, second limit block 272, feeding cylinder position drive unit 280, stirring tool 300. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The inventors discovered during actual production that after metal bars are filled into the rotating spindle, the spindle does not immediately consume the filled metal bars, but rather requires a slow process of consumption. As long as the feeding cylinder can load the next metal bar before the previous one is completely consumed, continuous feeding can be achieved using only a single feeding cylinder. Compared to the continuous feeding device with alternating dual feeding cylinders in Chinese Patent CN202510489848.3, the single feeding cylinder continuous feeding device achieves the same continuous feeding effect based on a simpler structure and lower cost, offering a higher cost-performance ratio.

[0026] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the friction stir deposition additive manufacturing equipment of this invention. The friction stir deposition additive manufacturing equipment of this invention includes: a rotary spindle 100, a continuous feeding device 200, and a stirring tool 300. A bar stock acceleration channel extending from top to bottom is provided on the central axis of the rotary spindle 100. The shape and size of the cross-section of the bar stock acceleration channel are adapted to the shape and size of the metal bar stock. The continuous feeding device 200 is the continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder of this invention, used to automatically fill the top inlet of the bar stock acceleration channel of the rotary spindle 100 with metal bar stock. After entering the bar stock acceleration channel of the rotary spindle 100, the metal bar stock follows the rotary spindle 100 in high-speed rotation and then enters the stirring tool 300. The stirring tool 300 is connected to the bottom outlet of the bar acceleration channel of the rotating spindle 100. It is used to rub the metal bar to heat it into a plastic state and to stir the material in the plastic state, thereby completing the friction stir deposition additive manufacturing.

[0027] Example 1

[0028] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a module for a continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder according to Embodiment 1 of this utility model. The continuous feeding device 200 for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder according to Embodiment 1 of this utility model includes a hopper 210, a feeding cylinder 220, a push rod 230, a feeding cylinder rotation drive motor 240, and a controller 250. In this embodiment, the bar stock outlet of the hopper 210 and the bar stock acceleration channel of the rotating spindle 100 are located on the same vertical line, and the single feeding cylinder 220 does not need to move.

[0029] The hopper 210 pre-stores multiple metal bars, has a bar outlet at its bottom, and a vertical pusher arm 211 directly opposite the bar outlet at its top. The feeding cylinder 220 is located directly below the hopper 210 and directly above the rotating spindle 100, and has a feeding channel for receiving the metal bars. The push rod 230 is positioned directly above the feeding channel when the feeding cylinder 220 releases the metal bars. The feeding cylinder rotation drive motor 240 drives the feeding cylinder 220 to rotate around its own axis, thereby controlling the phase and speed of the feeding cylinder 220.

[0030] The vertical pusher arm 211, push rod 230, and feed cylinder rotation drive motor 240 of the hopper 210 are all signal-connected to the controller 250 and controlled by the controller 250. The controller 250 controls the feed cylinder 220 to automatically feed metal bars into the rotating spindle 100 through the following workflow:

[0031] S01, by controlling the rotating drive motor 240 of the feeding cylinder, the rotation speed of the feeding cylinder 220 is adjusted to 0 and the phase is adjusted to the initial phase.

[0032] S02, by controlling the vertical pusher arm 211 of the hopper 210 to move downward, the metal bar located at the bar outlet of the hopper 210 falls into the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder 220 due to the pushing force of the vertical pusher arm 211. At this time, the feeding cylinder 220 receives the metal bar.

[0033] S02, by controlling the rotating drive motor 240 of the feeding cylinder, the rotation speed and phase of the feeding cylinder 220 are adjusted to be equal to the rotation speed and phase of the rotating spindle 100.

[0034] S04, by controlling the push rod 230 to move downward, the metal bar in the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder 220 is pushed into the rotating main shaft 100 below by the push rod 230. At this time, the feeding cylinder 220 releases the metal bar.

[0035] The controller 250 repeatedly executes steps S01-S04, causing the feeding cylinder 220 to repeatedly receive and release metal bars. As long as the process time of the rotating spindle 100 consuming metal bars is greater than the time interval between the feeding cylinder 220 releasing the current metal bar and receiving the next metal bar, it can be guaranteed that there are always metal bars in the rotating spindle 100, thus achieving continuous feeding.

[0036] In this embodiment, since the bar stock outlet of the hopper 210 and the bar stock acceleration channel of the rotating spindle 100 are located on the same vertical line, the feeding cylinder 220 can be located directly below the hopper 210 and directly above the rotating spindle 100 without moving its position, and the controller 250 does not need to control the overall position of the feeding cylinder 220.

[0037] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the push rod 230 is not always located directly above the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder 220, but is located directly above the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder 220 when the feeding cylinder 220 releases the metal bar. If the push rod 230 is still located directly above the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder 220 when the metal bar in the hopper 210 falls, then the presence of the push rod 230 will prevent the metal bar from falling into the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder 220. Those skilled in the art can control the position of the push rod 230 through the internal program of the controller 250, so that the push rod 230 is away from directly above the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder 220 when the feeding cylinder 220 receives the metal bar, and is located directly above the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder 220 when the feeding cylinder 220 releases the metal bar.

[0038] Example 2

[0039] Please see Figures 3-5 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the module of the continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder according to Embodiment 2 of this utility model. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder according to Embodiment 2 of this utility model. Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder according to Embodiment 2 of this utility model.

[0040] In this embodiment, the bar stock outlet of the hopper 210 and the bar stock acceleration channel of the rotating spindle 100 are not located on the same vertical line. The feeding cylinder 220 needs to receive and release metal bars at different positions, therefore the feeding cylinder needs to have the function of moving position. The difference between the single feeding cylinder non-circular bar stock continuous feeding device of this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that it also includes a slider 260, a guide rail 270, and a feeding cylinder position driving unit 280. The slider 260 is provided with a bearing in the middle, and the feeding cylinder 220 is disposed in the inner ring of the bearing of the slider 260, so that the feeding cylinder 220 can both move with the slider 260 as a whole and rotate around its own axis. The slider 260 is slidably disposed on the guide rail 270. The vertical height of the guide rail 270 is located between the hopper 210 and the rotating spindle 100, and its horizontal projection connects the horizontal positions of the hopper 210 and the rotating spindle 100. The feed cylinder position driving unit 280 drives the slider 260 to slide on the guide rail 270, causing the feed cylinder 220 to move position following the slider 260. The feed cylinder position driving unit 280 is signal-connected to the controller 250 and is controlled by the controller 250.

[0041] In this embodiment, the workflow of the controller 250 becomes:

[0042] S01, by controlling the feeding cylinder position driving unit 280, the slider 260 is controlled to slide on the guide rail 270, thereby controlling the feeding cylinder 220 to move directly below the hopper 210; then by controlling the feeding cylinder rotation drive motor 240, the rotation speed of the feeding cylinder 220 is adjusted to 0 and the phase is adjusted to the initial phase.

[0043] S02, by controlling the vertical pusher arm 211 of the hopper 210 to move downward, the metal bar located at the bar outlet of the hopper 210 falls into the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder 220 due to the pushing force of the vertical pusher arm 211. At this time, the feeding cylinder 220 receives the metal bar.

[0044] S02, by controlling the feeding cylinder position drive unit 280, the slider 260 is controlled to slide on the guide rail 270, thereby controlling the feeding cylinder 220 to move directly above the rotating spindle 100; then by controlling the feeding cylinder rotation drive motor 240, the rotation speed and phase of the feeding cylinder 220 are adjusted to be equal to the rotation speed and phase of the rotating spindle 100.

[0045] S04, by controlling the push rod 230 to move downward, the metal bar in the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder 220 is filled into the rotating main shaft 100 below due to the pushing force of the push rod 230. At this time, the feeding cylinder releases the metal bar.

[0046] The controller repeatedly executes steps S01-S04, causing the feeding cylinder 220 to repeatedly move to directly below the hopper 210 to receive metal bars and to directly above the rotating spindle 100 to release metal bars. In this embodiment, since the bar outlet of the hopper 210 and the bar acceleration channel of the rotating spindle 100 are not located on the same vertical line, the feeding cylinder 220 needs to move to be located directly below the hopper 210 or directly above the rotating spindle 100 at different times. Therefore, the controller 250 needs to control the position of the feeding cylinder 200 before the feeding cylinder 220 receives and releases metal bars.

[0047] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the push rod 230 can always be positioned directly above the bar stock acceleration channel of the rotating spindle 100. Since the hopper 210 and the rotating spindle 100 are not located on the same vertical line, the push rod 230 positioned directly above the rotating spindle 100 will not obstruct the metal bar stock in the hopper 210 from falling into the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder 220, and the controller 250 does not need to control the horizontal position of the push rod 230. When the feeding cylinder 220 needs to release the metal bar stock, the feeding cylinder 220 has already moved directly above the rotating spindle 100. At this time, the area directly above the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder 220 is also directly above the bar stock acceleration channel of the rotating spindle 100. Therefore, the description in Embodiment 1 that "the push rod 230 is positioned directly above the feeding channel when the feeding cylinder 220 releases the metal bar stock" still applies in this embodiment.

[0048] Specifically, the feeding cylinder position driving unit can be a feeding cylinder position driving motor or a feeding cylinder position driving cylinder.

[0049] In one embodiment, the feed cylinder position drive unit 280 is a feed cylinder position drive motor. The feed cylinder position drive motor 280 converts the rotational motion of its output shaft into linear motion through a lead screw drive, gear and rack drive, or worm gear drive, thereby driving the slider 260 to slide on the guide rail.

[0050] Furthermore, the feed cylinder position drive motor 280 drives the slider to slide on the guide rail via a lead screw drive. At this time, the continuous feeding device 200 also includes a lead screw nut and a lead screw. The lead screw nut is sleeved on the lead screw and fixedly connected to the slider 260. The lead screw is parallel to the guide rail 270. The output shaft of the feed cylinder position drive motor is fixedly connected to the lead screw. The controller 250 controls the feed cylinder position drive motor to control the rotation of the lead screw, thereby controlling the position of the lead screw nut sleeved on the lead screw, and thus controlling the slider 260 to slide on the guide rail 270.

[0051] Furthermore, the feed cylinder position drive motor drives the slider to slide on the guide rail via a rack and pinion transmission. The guide rail 270 is equipped with a rack; the feed cylinder position drive motor is mounted on the slider 260, and its output shaft has a gear that meshes with the rack. The controller 250 controls the feed cylinder position drive motor to control the rotation of the gear, thereby controlling the meshing position of the gear and rack, and ultimately controlling the slider 260 to slide on the guide rail.

[0052] In one embodiment, the feed cylinder position driving unit is a feed cylinder position driving cylinder. The slider 260 is fixedly mounted at the end of the piston rod of the feed cylinder position driving cylinder. The controller 250 controls the piston rod to move by controlling the feed cylinder position driving cylinder, thereby controlling the slider 260 to slide on the guide rail 270.

[0053] Furthermore, since the feeding cylinder 220 only needs to move within the range directly below the hopper 210 to directly above the rotating spindle 100, to prevent the feeding cylinder 220 from exceeding this range and causing an accident, the guide rail 270 is also provided with a first limiting block 271 and a second limiting block 272. When the feeding cylinder 220 moves to directly below the hopper 210, the slider 260 abuts against the first limiting block 271; when the feeding cylinder 220 moves to directly above the rotating spindle 100, the slider 260 abuts against the second limiting block 272. The slider 260 cannot continue to slide beyond the range defined by the first limiting block 271 and the second limiting block 272, thereby preventing the feeding cylinder 200 from exceeding the safe range and causing an accident.

[0054] Furthermore, when the feeding cylinder 220 receives and releases metal bars, its feeding channel must be aligned with the bar outlet of the hopper 210 and the bar acceleration channel of the rotating spindle 100, respectively; otherwise, the metal bars cannot fall smoothly. This places high demands on the position control accuracy of the feeding cylinder 220. However, due to the low friction between the slider 260 and the guide rail 270, even if the feeding cylinder position drive unit 280 controls the position of the slider, the slider 260 is prone to inaccurate positioning due to disturbances. Therefore, the guide rail 270 is also provided with a first positioning protrusion and a second positioning protrusion; the slider is also provided with a positioning groove. When the feeding cylinder 220 moves directly below the hopper 210, the positioning groove of the slider 260 engages with the first positioning protrusion for positioning. When the feeding cylinder 220 moves directly above the rotating spindle 100, the positioning groove of the slider 260 engages with the second positioning protrusion for positioning. When the positioning groove and the first or second positioning protrusion are engaged for positioning, the slider 260 is less likely to slide due to disturbance, thereby improving the accuracy of alignment between the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder 220 and the bar stock outlet of the hopper 210 or the bar stock acceleration channel of the rotating spindle 100. Since the driving force of the feeding cylinder position drive unit 280 is much greater than the disturbance force, the first or second positioning protrusion will not obstruct the movement of the slider 260 when movement is required.

[0055] Furthermore, to prevent the metal bars in the hopper 210 and the feeding cylinder 220 from automatically falling due to gravity when the vertical push arm 211 or the push rod 230 is not in motion, a first damper is provided at the bar outlet of the hopper 210, and a second damper is provided in the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder 220. The first and second dampers apply a frictional force sufficient to overcome gravity to the metal bars, ensuring that the metal bars only fall from the bar outlet of the hopper 210 or the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder when pushed downwards by the vertical push arm 211 or the push rod 230. The first and second dampers can be any damping mechanism capable of achieving the above functions, such as a wedge-shaped self-locking mechanism, a spring-clamped friction damper, or a stop valve triggered by the thrust; this invention does not impose specific limitations.

[0056] This invention offers the following technical advantages: The continuous feeding device utilizes a single feeding cylinder to receive and release metal rods in a time-sharing manner, enabling continuous automatic feeding of the friction stir deposition additive manufacturing (FSD) equipment without shutting down. Operators can add new metal rods to the hopper at any time during equipment operation, eliminating the need to constantly monitor the remaining material and manually add more, saving time and effort. The FSD equipment avoids frequent shutdowns and restarts due to a lack of metal rods, resulting in a more stable manufacturing process, ensuring product quality and performance while saving energy, and meeting the requirements for manufacturing large-volume, high-performance components. Compared to continuous feeding devices with alternating dual feeding cylinders, this invention features a simpler structure and higher cost-effectiveness.

[0057] The embodiments described above are merely examples of several implementations of this utility model, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and this utility model also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder, characterized in that, include: The hopper stores multiple metal bars, has a bar outlet at its bottom, and a vertical pusher arm at its top facing the bar outlet. The feeding cylinder is initially located directly below the hopper and has a feeding channel for receiving metal bars. A push rod is positioned directly above the feeding channel when the feeding cylinder releases the metal bar material; A feed cylinder rotation drive motor is used to drive the feed cylinder to rotate about its own axis; The controller controls the vertical pusher arm to move downwards, causing the metal bar in the hopper to fall into the feeding channel of the feeding cylinder; then, it controls the rotating drive motor of the feeding cylinder to adjust the speed and phase of the feeding cylinder to be equal to the speed and phase of the rotating spindle; finally, it controls the push rod to move downwards to control the feeding cylinder to release the metal bar.

2. The continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes guide rails; The feeding cylinder is slidably mounted on the guide rail; The controller, after the feeding cylinder receives the metal bar, controls the feeding cylinder to slide on the guide rail to directly above the rotating spindle; After the feeding cylinder releases the metal bar, it is controlled to slide on the guide rail to directly below the hopper.

3. The continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes slider and feed cylinder position drive units; The slider is slidably mounted on the guide rail and is provided with a bearing; the feeding cylinder is disposed in the inner ring of the bearing of the slider. The feeding cylinder position driving unit drives the slider to slide on the guide rail; The controller controls the feeding cylinder position drive unit to control the slider to slide on the guide rail, thereby controlling the feeding cylinder to move back and forth between directly below the hopper and directly above the rotating spindle.

4. The continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder according to claim 3, characterized in that: The feed cylinder position driving unit is specifically a feed cylinder position driving motor; The feed cylinder position drive motor drives the slider to slide on the guide rail through a lead screw drive, gear and rack drive or worm gear drive.

5. The continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes the lead screw nut and the lead screw; The lead screw nut is sleeved on the lead screw and is fixedly connected to the slider; The lead screw is parallel to the guide rail; the output shaft of the feed cylinder position drive motor is fixedly connected to the lead screw; The controller controls the position of the feed cylinder drive motor, controls the rotation of the lead screw, controls the position of the lead screw nut on the lead screw, and then controls the slider to slide on the guide rail.

6. The continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder according to claim 4, characterized in that: The guide rail is equipped with a rack; The feed cylinder position drive motor is mounted on the slider, and its output shaft is provided with a gear that meshes with the rack; The controller controls the position of the feeding cylinder to drive the motor, controls the rotation of the gear, controls the meshing position of the gear and the rack, and then controls the slider to slide on the guide rail.

7. The continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder according to claim 3, characterized in that: The feed cylinder position driving unit is specifically a feed cylinder position driving cylinder; The piston rod end of the feed cylinder position driving cylinder is fixedly connected to the slider; The controller drives the cylinder by controlling the position of the feeding cylinder, which in turn controls the piston rod to move, thereby controlling the slider to slide on the guide rail.

8. The continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder according to any one of claims 3-7, characterized in that: The guide rail is also provided with a first limiting block and a second limiting block; When the feeding cylinder moves to directly below the hopper, the slider abuts against the first limiting block; When the feeding cylinder moves to directly above the rotating spindle, the slider abuts against the second limiting block.

9. The continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder according to claim 8, characterized in that: The guide rail is also provided with a first positioning protrusion and a second positioning protrusion; The slider is also provided with a positioning groove; When the feeding cylinder moves to directly below the hopper, the positioning groove of the slider engages with the first positioning protrusion for positioning. When the feeding cylinder moves directly above the rotating spindle, the positioning groove of the slider engages with the second positioning protrusion for positioning.

10. A stir-friction deposition additive manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that, include: A continuous feeding device for non-circular bar stock with a single feeding cylinder as described in any one of claims 1-9; The continuous feeding device is used to automatically feed metal bars into the rotating spindle. The stirring tool is connected to the bottom outlet of the rotating spindle and is used to rub and stir the metal rod to complete the friction deposition additive manufacturing.

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