A 3D printing device for a composite material shaft

Abstract

The present invention provides a 3D printing device for a composite material shaft. The support frame and the printing roller are controlled by a stepping motor to rotate horizontally, adjusting the laying angle of the fiber filament to obtain a main shaft layer with different fiber laying angles; a rotating motor is used to drive the axial rotation of the printing roller to provide a tangential speed, so that the resultant speed of the printing nozzle meets the requirements of fiber placement; finally, a linear module completes the feeding movement of the printing platform during the fiber filament placement process. The printing device of the present invention is combined with a fused deposition modeling 3D printer. Through the mutual cooperation of the above three motions, the manufacturing of a multi-angle and multi-layer composite material shaft can be completely realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of industrial machinery manufacturing equipment, and particularly relates to a 3D printing device for composite material shafts. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of the industrial field, products in various industries are being updated rapidly. In order to ensure the comprehensive performance under specific working conditions, the external structures of components are constantly innovating, and the surface features are becoming increasingly complex, which puts forward new requirements for manufacturing precision. Therefore, precision manufacturing has gradually become the new benchmark for production and manufacturing, while the traditional manufacturing methods can no longer fully meet the complex and changeable processing and manufacturing requirements in today's industrial field, and 3D printing technology has emerged as the times require.

[0003] As an emerging technology in the high-end manufacturing field in the 21st century, this technology uses composite materials mainly based on carbon fiber as the printing substrate, and with the help of slicing modeling and three-dimensional reconstruction technology, analyzes the appearance size characteristics of components, and realizes the manufacturing of components with complex external structures in a layer-by-layer printing manner. 3D printing technology has the advantages of high manufacturing efficiency, low material loss, and high comprehensive performance, and has played a crucial role in many industries such as vehicle component manufacturing, aerospace, and construction. Currently, the relatively mature types of 3D printing technology are divided into the following several types:

[0004] 1. Stereolithography 3D printing. Also known as stereolithography appearance, abbreviated as SLA (stereo lithography appearance), its principle is to first model and layer the parts, and plan the printing path for each layer, and then use a laser scanner to scan the photosensitive resin on the predetermined path to cure it in a specific area, and finally obtain the final printed part after layer-by-layer printing.

[0005] 2. Fused Deposition Modeling 3D printing. Abbreviated as FDM (fused deposition modeling), its principle is to impregnate carbon fiber into the resin matrix to obtain good bonding performance, and then through spraying or extrusion, it forms a molten state after high-temperature heating, and is laid on the predetermined printing path, and layer-by-layer printing is carried out to finally obtain the printed part.

[0006] Although 3D printing is increasingly widely used in the industrial field, when producing shaft parts, especially composite material main shafts, 3D printing still cannot meet the requirements. The materials of the composite material shaft are layered radially, and according to the specific working conditions of the main shaft, there are specific requirements for the fiber direction of each layer. This requires that when manufacturing the main shaft, it should be printed layer by layer radially, and the fiber direction is variable with respect to the axial direction of the main shaft. However, the existing 3D printers can only use the shaft end as the starting layer when manufacturing shaft parts, and print layer by layer along the axial direction, and the fiber direction is not variable, which limits the production efficiency of 3D printed main shafts and cannot meet the production requirements of specific fiber directions at the same time. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To solve the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a 3D printing device for a composite material shaft, which can set the wire laying angle, control the fiber direction, and realize the radial layered printing of the composite material shaft.

[0008] A 3D printing device for a composite material shaft includes:

[0009] A printing drum;

[0010] A support frame for installing the printing drum, and the printing drum can freely rotate axially on the support frame;

[0011] A linear module for driving the support frame to move, and the support frame can rotate horizontally relative to the linear module.

[0012] In the above technical solution, the support frame (on which the printing drum is installed) can rotate horizontally (rotate in the vertical direction) relative to the linear module and maintain the relative position, that is, the laying angle of the fiber wire can be adjusted by controlling the relative position of the support frame and the linear module, so as to obtain the main shaft laying with different fiber angles; the feeding movement of the printing platform during the wire laying process is completed by the linear module; in addition, the axial rotation of the printing drum provides the tangential speed, so that the resultant speed of the printing nozzle meets the wire laying requirements. The 3D printing device of the present invention realizes the efficient printing of the composite material shaft. Combining this device with a fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer can completely realize the manufacturing process of a multi-angle multi-layer composite material shaft.

[0013] Preferably, the support frame includes a support bottom plate provided on the slider of the linear module and two brackets perpendicularly connected to the support bottom plate respectively;

[0014] Both ends of the printing drum are rotatably connected to the upper ends of the two brackets respectively.

[0015] Both ends of the printing drum can be rotatably installed on the two brackets through bearing seats and bearing assemblies respectively. Among them, the bearing can be a deep groove ball bearing.

[0016] Preferably, the linear module includes a base, two parallel sliding guide rails provided on the base, and sliders provided on the sliding guide rails; a chute matching the two sliding guide rails is provided at the bottom of the slider, and a crawler connected to one end of the slider and a linear motor for providing driving force for the crawler are provided on one side of the base. Setting two sliding guide rails can ensure the transverse movement accuracy of the support frame and ensure the wire laying quality.

[0017] A lead screw parallel to the two sliding guide rails is provided between the two sliding guide rails, and the lead screw is used to further guide the slider.

[0018] As a further preference, the bracket is of an L-shaped structure, one end of which is connected to the support base plate in parallel, and the other end is perpendicular to the support base plate. This can improve the stability of the connection between the bracket and the support base plate.

[0019] As a further preference, a stepping motor is provided on the support base plate, and the output shaft of the stepping motor vertically penetrates the support base plate and is connected to the slider through a block coupling.

[0020] Among them, the output shaft of the stepping motor is connected to the support base plate through a bearing seat and a bearing, and the bearing can be an angular contact ball bearing. The block coupling is fixedly installed on the slider through a base, and the output shaft of the stepping motor is in transmission connection with the block coupling. The stepping motor is a motor with a controllable angle. When the stepping motor works, it can control the horizontal rotation of the support frame relative to the linear module so that the angle of the printing drum meets the requirements of the set wire laying angle. The stepping motor is connected to the external interface of the FDM printer to realize the fixed-angle holding of the printing platform, and thus realize a specific wire laying angle.

[0021] To make the support frame drive the printing drum to rotate horizontally more smoothly and the rotation angle easier to control, as a further preference, the stepping motor is arranged in the middle of the support base plate.

[0022] As a further preference, the composite material shaft 3D printing device further includes a rotating motor installed on one of the brackets, and the output shaft of the rotating motor is in coaxial transmission connection with the shaft core of the printing drum.

[0023] Among them, the output shaft of the rotating motor is in transmission connection with the shaft core of the printing drum through a coupling, and the rotating motor can drive the printing drum to freely rotate along its axis. The rotating motor is a variable-speed motor and is connected to the external interface of the FDM printer to make the combined speed of the nozzle printing meet the requirements of the wire laying target angle direction.

[0024] As a further preference, the bracket without the rotating motor is connected to the support plate by means of a buckle and a thread. Among them, the threaded connection is used to ensure the manufacturing accuracy during the processing; the buckle connection is convenient for disassembling and assembling the bracket to facilitate demoulding after the processing is completed.

[0025] As a further preference, the central axis of the printing drum is parallel to the support base plate. Adopting this technical solution is to make the angle of the printing drum easier to control, and thus more accurately adjust the wire laying angle.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0027] The composite material shaft 3D printing device of the present invention controls the horizontal rotation of the support frame and the printing roller through a stepper motor to adjust the laying angle of the fiber filaments to obtain the main shaft laying with different fiber laying angles; uses a rotary motor to drive the axial rotation of the printing roller to provide a tangential speed so that the combined speed of the printing nozzle meets the laying requirements; finally, the feeding movement of the printing platform during the fiber filament laying process is completed by a linear module; the printing device of the present invention is combined with a fused deposition type 3D printer, and through the mutual coordination of the above three movements, it can fully realize the manufacture of multi-angle and multi-layer composite material shafts (such as carbon fiber main shafts). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a composite material shaft 3D printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 It is a front view schematic diagram of a composite material shaft 3D printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 1. A top view of a linear module in a composite shaft 3D printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] In the figure: 1-rotating motor, 2-bracket, 3-print roller, 4-stepping motor, 5-support base plate, 6-linear module, 7-sliding guide rail, 8-screw, 9-base, 10-base, 11-slider, 12-linear motor, 13-track. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, a composite material shaft 3D printing device includes a printing roller 3, a support frame and a linear module 6;

[0034] The support frame includes a support base plate 5 and two L-shaped brackets 2, one end of each bracket 2 is connected in parallel with the support base plate 5, and the other end is perpendicular to the support base plate 5. The two ends of the print roller 3 are respectively installed on the upper ends of the two brackets 2 through a bearing seat and a deep groove ball bearing (not shown in the figure), and the central axis of the print roller 3 is parallel to the support base plate 5. A rotating motor 1 is provided on one of the brackets 2, and the output shaft of the rotating motor 1 is connected to the core shaft of the print roller 3 through a coupling for driving the print roller 3 to rotate axially.

[0035] The linear module 6 includes a base 10, two parallel sliding guide rails 7 provided on the base 10, and sliders 11 provided on the sliding guide rails 7; a chute matching the two sliding guide rails 7 is provided at the bottom of the slider 11, and a crawler 13 connected to one end of the slider 11 and a linear motor 12 for providing driving force for the crawler 13 are provided on one side of the base 10. A lead screw 8 parallel to the two sliding guide rails 7 is also provided between the two sliding guide rails 7 for guiding the slider 11. The linear motor 12 provides power for the movement of the crawler 13, and the movement of the crawler 13 drives the slider 11 to move along the sliding guide rails 7 and the lead screw 8. The support base plate 5 is provided on the slider 11 and can move linearly with the slider 11 to provide feed for the printing platform during the fiber filament laying process.

[0036] A stepper motor 4 is provided in the middle of the support base plate 5. The output shaft of the stepper motor 4 passes through the support base plate 5 and is connected to a pedestal coupling provided on the slider 11. The output shaft of the stepper motor 4 is connected to the support base plate 5 through a bearing block and an angular contact ball bearing, and the pedestal coupling is fixed to the slider 11 through a base 9. When the stepper motor 4 works, it can drive the support frame to drive the printing drum 3 to rotate horizontally in the vertical direction and maintain the posture to provide a wire laying angle for the printer.

[0037] The working principle of this embodiment is:

[0038] When using the device of this embodiment to manufacture a composite material shaft, first connect it to the external socket of an FDM 3D printer so that the rotary motor 1, the stepper motor 4, and the linear motor 12 in the device move synchronously with the 3D printer nozzle. Start the stepper motor 4 and rotate the support frame to the set fiber angle; then start the linear motor 12 and adjust the starting position of the printing drum 3 to correspond to the position of the printer nozzle. At this time, start the printer to make the nozzle spray out the molten carbon fiber prepreg tape and lay it on the printing drum 3. At the same time, in order to ensure the continuity of the laid fibers and the wire laying angle, start the rotary motor 1 to drive the printing drum 3 to rotate at a constant speed so that the sum of the velocity vectors and directions of it and the printer nozzle are kept in the wire laying angle direction, and finally realize the radial laying process of the composite material shaft. After completing one layer of printing, the angle or position of the support frame can be adjusted as needed or remain unchanged for the next layer of printing.

[0039] Embodiment 2

[0040] On the basis of Embodiment 1, the connection method between the bracket 2 without a rotary motor and the support base plate 5 is snap and threaded connection. The threaded connection is used to ensure the manufacturing accuracy during the processing, and the snap connection facilitates the disassembly and assembly of the bracket 2 without a rotary motor and is convenient for demoulding after processing.

[0041] It should be specifically noted that the rotary motor, stepping motor, linear motor and deep groove ball bearing in this application are applications of existing technologies. By driving the base to rotate to a predetermined angle, the free adjustment of the fiber laying angle of the carbon fiber can be realized, and the 3D printing of the composite material shaft is the innovation point of this application. It effectively solves the problems that it is difficult to process composite material shaft parts and variable fixed-angle fiber laying cannot be carried out.

[0042] For those skilled in the art, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to the details of the above exemplary embodiments, and without departing from the spirit or basic characteristics of the present invention, the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms. Therefore, from any point of view, the embodiments should be regarded as exemplary and non-limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description. Therefore, all changes falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims are intended to be included in the present invention. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the claims involved.

[0043] In addition, it should be understood that although this specification is described according to embodiments, not every embodiment only contains an independent technical solution. This narrative way of the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A 3D printing device for a composite material shaft, characterized in that, include: Print roller; A support frame for mounting a printing roller, wherein the printing roller can rotate freely along the axial direction on the support frame; A linear module for driving the support frame to move, and the support frame can rotate horizontally relative to the linear module; The support frame includes a support base plate arranged on the linear module slider and two brackets respectively connected vertically to the support base plate; The two ends of the printing roller are rotatably connected to the upper ends of the two brackets respectively; The linear module includes a base, two parallel sliding rails arranged on the base, and a slider arranged on the sliding rails; the bottom of the slider is provided with a slide groove matching the two sliding rails, and one side of the base is provided with a track connected to one end of the slider and a linear motor providing driving force for the track.

2. The 3D printing device for a composite material shaft according to claim 1, wherein The support base plate is provided with a stepper motor, and the output shaft of the stepper motor vertically passes through the support base plate and is connected to the slider through a seat coupling.

3. The 3D printing device for the composite material shaft according to claim 2, characterized in that, The stepping motor is arranged in the middle of the supporting base plate.

4. The 3D printing device for the composite material shaft according to claim 1, wherein, It also includes a rotating motor installed on one of the brackets, and the output shaft of the rotating motor is coaxially connected with the shaft core of the printing roller.

5. The 3D printing device for a composite material shaft according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central axis of the printing roller is parallel to the supporting bottom plate.

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