A switch for liquid metal printing

Abstract

This utility model provides a switch for liquid metal printing, mainly relating to the technical field of liquid metal printing equipment. The switch for liquid metal printing includes a nozzle mounting plate, a graphite plate, ceramic fiber cotton, a fixing plate, a connecting rod, and a nozzle. The nozzle is fixedly installed on the lower part of the nozzle mounting plate, and the upper part of the nozzle mounting plate serves as the sealing surface of the switch. The nozzle mounting plate is fixedly installed in the printing crucible from top to bottom, providing a stable mounting reference for the entire switch. The advantages of this utility model are: this equipment can meet the high flow rate requirements with a single elongated switch, eliminating the need for multiple individual circular hole switches, simplifying the structure, reducing the disturbance of the switch to the liquid metal, and effectively improving the metal printing quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model mainly relates to the field of liquid metal printing equipment technology, specifically a switch for liquid metal printing. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of liquid metal printing, switches, as the core components controlling the flow of liquid metal, directly affect printing efficiency, accuracy, and equipment operational stability due to their sealing performance and structural adaptability. In existing technologies, switches for liquid metal printing are mainly plug-type or rotary structures designed for single circular orifices or short / elongated slots. Their working principle primarily involves opening and closing the nozzle by inserting, removing, or rotating rigid components.

[0003] However, the equipment operates at high temperatures throughout the liquid metal printing process, making the sealing surfaces of the switches susceptible to significant deformation due to thermal expansion and contraction. Because the rigid structure of existing switches lacks the ability to adapt to deformation, it is difficult to meet the sealing requirements of elongated, large orifices—if used for long, narrow orifices, thermal deformation would directly lead to seal failure. Therefore, the industry currently commonly uses a combination of multiple individual circular orifice switches to meet flow requirements. As the size of printed parts continues to increase, the number of individual switches required increases dramatically. This not only significantly increases the difficulty of switch installation and the complexity of multi-component coordinated control but also easily causes flow disturbances in the liquid metal during the outflow process, adversely affecting printing accuracy. Furthermore, it increases the manufacturing cost and maintenance burden of the equipment. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a switch for liquid metal printing, which effectively seals and controls the on / off state of a long, large hole, counteracts the effects of thermal deformation, and simplifies the equipment structure and control process.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model employs the following technical solution: A switch for liquid metal printing includes a nozzle mounting plate, a graphite plate, ceramic fiber wool, a fixing plate, a connecting rod, and a nozzle.

[0006] The nozzle is fixedly installed on the lower part of the nozzle mounting plate, and the upper part of the nozzle mounting plate serves as the sealing surface of the switch. The nozzle mounting plate is fixed in the printing crucible from top to bottom, providing a stable mounting reference for the entire switch. The nozzle mounting plate is made of a high-temperature resistant alloy material with a melting point of not less than 1200℃, which can withstand the high-temperature environment during liquid metal printing and prevent itself from deforming or being damaged due to high temperatures.

[0007] The top of the connecting rod is equipped with a counterweight, which provides the sealing structure with fitting power through the gravity of the counterweight; the lower part of the connecting rod is fixedly connected to the fixing plate, which can be achieved by threaded connection or welding, and the axis of the connecting rod is collinear with the central axis of the fixing plate to ensure the stability and uniformity of power transmission and avoid sealing failure caused by force displacement of the fixing plate.

[0008] The ceramic fiber cotton is sandwiched between the graphite plate and the fixing plate to form a flexible filling structure; the ceramic fiber cotton completely fills the gap between the graphite plate and the fixing plate, and the thickness of the ceramic fiber cotton is 5-20mm. The thickness can be adjusted according to the maximum estimated deformation of the sealing surface to achieve sufficient deformation compensation.

[0009] The graphite plate is fitted to the upper sealing surface of the nozzle mounting plate, forming an adaptive switching sealing structure. The shape of the graphite plate is adapted to the elongated area of ​​the upper sealing surface of the nozzle mounting plate, and the length of the graphite plate is not less than the length of the corresponding nozzle hole on the nozzle mounting plate, ensuring complete coverage and sealing of the elongated nozzle hole. The surface roughness Ra of the graphite plate is not greater than 1.6μm, improving the fit and sealing performance. Furthermore, the side of the graphite plate away from the ceramic fiber cotton is provided with an anti-oxidation coating to delay oxidation loss under high-temperature conditions and extend service life.

[0010] Compared with the existing technology, the beneficial effects of this utility model are: 1. This device uses a graphite plate with a shape that matches the elongated area, combined with flexible filling of ceramic fiber cotton, to adapt to the high-temperature thermal deformation of the nozzle mounting plate sealing surface in real time. The low surface roughness of the graphite plate further improves the sealing reliability, completely solving the core problem of sealing failure of existing rigid switches. Moreover, this device can meet the high flow rate requirements with a single elongated switch, eliminating the need to arrange multiple individual round hole switches. Combined with the coaxial fixing design of the connecting rod and the fixing plate, it greatly reduces the installation difficulty and control complexity, and reduces the equipment manufacturing cost.

[0011] 2. The single-switch structure reduces disturbances during the liquid metal outflow process. Combined with stable sealing and on / off control, it provides a uniform and stable flow output for the printing process, effectively improving printing accuracy and product quality. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall layout of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the present invention.

[0013] The labels shown in the attached diagram are: 1. Nozzle mounting plate; 2. Graphite plate; 3. Ceramic fiber cotton; 4. Fixing plate; 5. Connecting rod; 6. Nozzle. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The present invention will be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it should be understood that after reading the teachings of this invention, those skilled in the art can make various alterations or modifications to the present invention, and these equivalent forms also fall within the scope defined in this application.

[0015] Example: A switch for liquid metal printing like Figure 1-2 As shown, a switch for liquid metal printing has the following specific structure: Nozzle mounting plate 1, graphite plate 2, ceramic fiber cotton 3, fixing plate 4, connecting rod 5, and nozzle 6.

[0016] The nozzle mounting plate 1 is made of a high-temperature resistant alloy with a melting point of 1400℃. It is fixedly mounted on the printing crucible at a preset position using bolts. Its upper surface serves as the sealing surface for the switch, and the lower part is welded to a nozzle 6 that communicates with the elongated spray hole. The graphite plate 2 is made of flexible graphite material with a surface roughness Ra of 1.2μm. Its shape is rectangular, adapted to the elongated spray hole area on the upper part of the nozzle mounting plate 1, and its length is 5mm longer than the spray hole. The side of the plate away from the ceramic fiber cotton 3 is coated with an anti-oxidation coating with a thickness of 0.8mm.

[0017] The ceramic fiber cotton 3 is 12mm thick and completely fills the gap between the graphite plate 2 and the fixed plate 4, achieving flexible connection and deformation compensation. The connecting rod 5 is fixed to the center position of the fixed plate 4 by a threaded connection, and the axes of the two are collinear. A counterweight weighing 2kg (not shown) is suspended from the top of the connecting rod 5 to provide stable pressure for sealing.

[0018] The working principle of this embodiment is as follows: When the switch needs to be turned off, the connecting rod 5 moves the fixed plate 4 vertically downward under the action of the counterweight. The fixed plate 4 transmits pressure evenly to the ceramic fiber cotton 3, thereby pushing the graphite plate 2 to fit tightly against the upper sealing surface of the nozzle mounting plate 1, achieving a complete seal of the elongated nozzle. When the switch needs to be turned on, the connecting rod 5 is lifted upward by the external drive mechanism. The connecting rod 5 drives the fixed plate 4, ceramic fiber cotton 3 and graphite plate 2 to rise synchronously. The graphite plate 2 separates from the sealing surface, and the liquid metal flows out through the nozzle 6 to the printing area.

[0019] During high-temperature printing, if the sealing surface of the nozzle mounting plate 1 undergoes thermal deformation, the ceramic fiber cotton 3 can compensate for the gap by compressing or stretching itself. At the same time, the graphite plate 2, with its flexible properties, adjusts its fit according to the deformation of the sealing surface, always maintaining close contact and ensuring that the sealing effect is not affected by thermal deformation.

[0020] In explaining this utility model, it should be noted that the terms indicating location are only for ease of description and understanding, and are not intended to limit the installation location of specific technical features. Other possible installation methods are not excluded.

[0021] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and not to limit it. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model.

Claims

1. A switch for liquid metal printing, characterized in that, It includes a nozzle mounting plate (1), a graphite plate (2), ceramic fiber cotton (3), a fixing plate (4), a connecting rod (5), and a nozzle (6); the nozzle (6) is fixedly installed on the lower part of the nozzle mounting plate (1), the upper part of the nozzle mounting plate (1) serves as the sealing surface of the switch, and the nozzle mounting plate (1) is installed in the printing crucible by fixing it from top to bottom; The top of the connecting rod (5) is equipped with a counterweight block, and the lower part of the connecting rod (5) is fixedly connected to the fixing plate (4); the ceramic fiber cotton (3) is sandwiched between the graphite plate (2) and the fixing plate (4) to form a flexible filling structure; the graphite plate (2) is attached to the upper sealing surface of the nozzle mounting plate (1) to form an adaptive switching sealing structure.

2. The switch for liquid metal printing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shape of the graphite plate (2) is adapted to the elongated area of ​​the upper sealing surface of the nozzle mounting plate (1), and the length of the graphite plate (2) is not less than the length of the corresponding nozzle hole on the nozzle mounting plate (1).

3. The switch for liquid metal printing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ceramic fiber cotton (3) completely fills the gap between the graphite plate (2) and the fixing plate (4), and the thickness of the ceramic fiber cotton (3) is 5-20mm.

4. The switch for liquid metal printing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting rod (5) is fixed to the fixing plate (4) by threaded connection or welding, and the axis of the connecting rod (5) is collinear with the central axis of the fixing plate (4).

5. The switch for liquid metal printing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The nozzle mounting plate (1) is made of high-temperature resistant alloy material, and the melting point of the high-temperature resistant alloy material is not lower than 1200℃.

6. The switch for liquid metal printing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surface roughness Ra of the graphite plate (2) is no greater than 1.6 μm, and the side of the graphite plate (2) away from the ceramic fiber cotton (3) is provided with an anti-oxidation coating.

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