Optical path protection device for an additive manufacturing apparatus and additive manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

The application relates to a light path protection device for an additive manufacturing device and the additive manufacturing device, and belongs to the technical field of additive manufacturing, and solves the problem of poor light path protection effect of the device in the prior art. The device comprises a protection cover and a flow guide ring arranged below the protection cover, the protection cover comprises an upper plate and an annular cover body arranged below the upper plate; the upper plate is provided with a through hole matched with a center hole of the annular cover body, and the through hole is opposite to a field lens of the additive manufacturing device; an optical lens is arranged on the inner wall of the annular cover body close to the upper edge; and air guide holes are arranged on the inner wall of the annular cover body close to the lower edge; the flow guide ring is annular and contains a center hole, the outer periphery of the flow guide ring is matched with the center hole of the annular cover body, an inclined flow guide surface of the flow guide ring is arranged on the upper edge of the outer periphery of the flow guide ring and inclines to the center of the flow guide ring, and the air guide holes on the annular cover body are opposite to the flow guide surface. The device has good light path protection effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing, and in particular to an optical path protection device for additive manufacturing equipment and the additive manufacturing equipment. Background Art

[0002] Among existing additive manufacturing equipment, most devices use an upper wind field method to protect the optical part. This method designs an air outlet on the upper side of the forming chamber. The upper air outlet participates in the overall gas circulation of the equipment, using horizontal wind to block metal splashes and smoke pollution. This method is not very effective, and the top lens may still be contaminated. The contaminated top lens not only blocks energy output, but also causes the light beam to deviate, thereby affecting the printing effect. In addition, for large-scale additive manufacturing equipment, subsequent manual cleaning is difficult, and if the cleaning effect is not good, it may even damage the lens, which has a certain impact on product quality, production cycle and cost.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to study an optical path protection device for additive manufacturing equipment to address the shortcomings of existing technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above analysis, the embodiments of the present invention aim to provide an optical path protection device for additive manufacturing equipment and additive manufacturing equipment, so as to solve the problem of poor optical path protection effect in existing devices.

[0005] In one aspect, the present invention provides an optical path protection device for additive manufacturing equipment, the device comprising a protective cover and a guide ring disposed below the protective cover;

[0006] The protective cover comprises an upper plate and an annular cover body disposed below the upper plate; the upper plate is provided with a through hole matching the central hole of the annular cover body, the through hole facing the field mirror of the additive manufacturing equipment; an optical lens is provided on the inner wall of the annular cover near the upper edge, and an air guide hole is provided on the annular cover body near the lower edge;

[0007] The guide ring is annular with a central hole, the outer periphery of the guide ring matches the central hole of the annular cover, the outer periphery upper edge of the guide ring is provided with a guide surface inclined toward the center of the guide ring, and the air guide hole on the annular cover is opposite to the guide surface.

[0008] Preferably, a water cooling plate is further provided on the upper surface of the upper plate, the water cooling plate is provided with a water inlet and a water outlet, the water cooling plate is provided with a hole matching the through hole, and the field lens is connected to the hole.

[0009] Preferably, a sealing groove III is provided between the inner wall of the annular cover and the optical lens, a sealing ring is provided in the sealing groove III, and the optical lens is fixed to the inner wall of the annular cover through a lens fixing ring.

[0010] Preferably, a base extending outward is provided on the outer periphery of the lower end of the guide ring, and a circular ring is provided between the lower end of the annular cover and the base.

[0011] Preferably, a sealing groove IV is provided on the upper edge of the hole, and a sealing ring is provided in the sealing groove IV.

[0012] Preferably, the optical lens is a plane mirror.

[0013] Preferably, a sealing groove II is provided on the upper edge of the through hole, and a sealing ring is provided in the sealing groove II.

[0014] Preferably, a sealing groove I is provided on the lower end surface of the annular cover body, and a sealing ring is provided in the sealing groove I.

[0015] Preferably, a mounting hole and a positioning hole are provided on the lower end surface of the annular cover.

[0016] On the other hand, the present invention further provides an additive manufacturing device, which includes the above-mentioned optical path protection device.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention can achieve at least one of the following beneficial effects:

[0018] 1. The device of the present invention takes in air through the air guide holes on the annular cover body, and the gas is blown to the guide surface through the air guide holes. Under the guiding action of the guide surface, the gas rotates along the space between the guide surface and the annular cover body and then rises along the inside of the annular cover body to the optical lens. Under the obstruction of the optical lens, the air flows collide to form a downward airflow, thereby preventing metal splashes or smoke generated by the action of the laser in the additive manufacturing process from entering the protective cover from the middle hole of the guide ring, avoiding their contamination or damage to the field lens, and improving the service life of the field lens.

[0019] 2. The present invention provides sealing structures at the connections between various structures to ensure the sealing effect.

[0020] 3. The device of the present invention also includes a water-cooling plate, which effectively stabilizes the working environment of the galvanometer and field mirror and ensures the consistency of the beam quality.

[0021] In the present invention, the above-mentioned technical solutions can be combined with each other to achieve more preferred combinations. Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in the following description, and some advantages will become apparent from the description or be learned through practice of the present invention. The objectives and other advantages of the present invention can be realized and obtained through the contents particularly pointed out in the description and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating particular embodiments and are not to be considered limiting of the present invention. Like reference symbols denote like parts throughout the drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 A discrete structural diagram of the optical path protection device of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the protective cover of the present invention from an upper perspective;

[0025] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the bottom perspective of the protective cover of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the protective cover of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of the cooling plate of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the guide ring of the present invention.

[0029] Reference numerals:

[0030] 1-protective cover; 101-upper plate; 102-annular cover body; 103-through hole; 104-air guide hole; 105-sealing groove III; 106-sealing groove II; 107 sealing groove I; 108-mounting hole; 109-positioning hole; 1010-positioning pin; 2-guide ring; 201-base; 202-fixing hole; 203-guide surface; 3-optical lens; 301-lens fixing ring; 4-field mirror; 5-water cooling plate; 501-water inlet hole; 502-water outlet hole; 503-hole; 504-sealing groove IV; 6-circular ring; 7-galvanometer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the accompanying drawings constitute a part of this application and are used together with the embodiments of the present invention to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and are not used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0032] In one aspect, the present invention provides an optical path protection device for additive manufacturing equipment, such as Figure 1-Figure 3As shown, the device includes a protective cover 1 and a guide ring 2 arranged below the protective cover 1;

[0033] The protective cover 1 includes an upper plate 101 and an annular cover body 102 disposed below the upper plate 101; the upper plate 101 is provided with a through hole 103 that matches the central hole of the annular cover body 102, and the through hole 103 faces the field lens 4 of the additive manufacturing equipment; the inner wall of the annular cover body 102 is provided with an optical lens 3 near the upper edge, and the annular cover body 102 is provided with an air guide hole 104 near the lower edge;

[0034] The guide ring 2 is annular with a central hole. The outer periphery of the guide ring 2 matches the central hole of the annular cover body 102. The upper edge of the outer periphery of the guide ring 2 is provided with a guide surface 203 inclined toward the center of the guide ring 2. The air guide hole 104 on the annular cover body 102 is opposite to the guide surface 203, that is, the guide ring 2 is sleeved inside the lower end of the annular cover body 102, and the outer diameter of the guide ring 2 is equal to the inner diameter of the lower end of the annular cover body 102.

[0035] When the optical path protection device is used in additive manufacturing equipment, the field lens 4 of the equipment is facing the through hole 103, and air is taken in through the air guide holes 104 on the annular cover body 102. The gas is blown to the guide surface 203 through the air guide holes 104. Under the guiding action of the guide surface 203, the gas rotates along the space between the guide surface 203 and the annular cover body 102 and then rises along the inside of the annular cover body 102 to the optical lens 3, forming a downward airflow under the obstruction of the optical lens 3, thereby preventing metal splashes or smoke generated by the action of the laser in the additive manufacturing process from entering the protective cover 1 from the middle hole of the guide ring 2, thereby avoiding contamination or damage to the field lens and improving the service life of the field lens.

[0036] In one embodiment, the vertical height from the upper edge to the lower edge of the guide surface 203 is 10-15 mm, more preferably 12 mm; the angle between the guide surface 203 and the horizontal direction is 50°-70°, more preferably 60°, which can effectively provide inclined airflow.

[0037] In one embodiment, the vertical distance between the air guide hole 104 and the optical lens 3 is 20-30 mm, and more preferably 25 mm.

[0038] In one embodiment, the vertical distance between the upper edge of the guide surface 203 and the optical lens 3 is 2-7 mm, and more preferably 5 mm.

[0039] In one embodiment, the height of the annular cover 102 is 100-105 mm, more preferably 102.1 mm.

[0040] In the present invention, the function of the optical lens 3 is to protect the field lens 4 so that the field lens 4 is not damaged and to ensure normal energy distribution of the laser beam.

[0041] Exemplarily, the optical lens 3 is a plane mirror.

[0042] In one embodiment, the upper edge of the optical lens 3 is aligned with the upper edge of the annular cover 102 .

[0043] Exemplarily, the height between the upper edge and the lower edge of the optical lens 3 is 2-5 mm, more preferably 3 mm.

[0044] In order to ensure the sealing between the optical lens 3 and the inner wall of the annular cover, Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, a sealing groove III 105 is provided between the inner wall of the annular cover 102 and the optical lens 3 , and a sealing ring (not shown) is provided in the sealing groove III 105 . The optical lens 3 is fixed to the inner wall of the annular cover 102 by a lens fixing ring 301 .

[0045] In one embodiment, a water cooling plate 5 is further provided on the upper surface of the upper plate 101. The water cooling plate 5 is provided with a water inlet 501 and a water outlet 502. The water cooling plate 5 is provided with a hole 503 that matches the through hole 103, and the field lens 4 is connected to the hole 503. Water can be circulated and cooled through the water inlet 501 and the water outlet 502, effectively stabilizing the working environment of the galvanometer and field lens, and ensuring the consistency of the beam quality.

[0046] In order to ensure that the field lens 4 is sealed with the hole 503 on the water cooling plate 5, Figure 5 As shown, a sealing groove IV504 is provided on the upper edge of the hole 503, and a sealing ring (not shown) is provided in the sealing groove IV504. The water cooling plate 5 is sealedly connected to the field lens 4 through the sealing ring in the sealing groove IV504.

[0047] In order to ensure the sealing connection between the upper plate 101 of the protective cover 1 and the water-cooling plate 5, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, a sealing groove II 106 is provided on the upper edge of the through hole 103 of the upper plate 101 , and a sealing ring (not shown) is provided in the sealing groove II 106 . The upper surface of the upper plate 101 is sealed to the water cooling plate 5 via the sealing ring in the sealing groove II 106 .

[0048] In one embodiment, a positioning pin 1010 is further provided on the upper surface of the upper plate 101 , and the upper plate 101 and the water-cooling plate 5 are fixedly connected via the positioning pin 1010 .

[0049] In one embodiment, the lower periphery of the guide ring 2 is provided with an outwardly extending base 201, and a ring 6 is provided between the lower end of the annular cover 102 and the base 201. The function of the ring 6 is to connect the protective cover 1 and the guide ring 2.

[0050] Exemplarily, the height of the ring 6 is 2-7 mm, more preferably 5 mm.

[0051] It is understandable that the hole 503 of the water-cooling plate 5, the through hole 103 of the upper plate 101, the middle hole of the annular cover 102, the middle hole of the circular ring 5 and the middle hole of the guide ring 2 form an optical path that passes through from top to bottom.

[0052] In order to ensure the sealing of the connection between the lower end of the annular cover 102 and the ring 6, Figure 3 As shown, the lower end surface of the annular cover 102 is provided with a sealing groove 1107, and a sealing ring (not shown) is provided in the sealing groove 1107. The annular cover 102 is sealed and connected to the ring 6 through the sealing ring in the sealing groove 1107.

[0053] The present invention provides sealing structures at the connections between the various structures to ensure the sealing effect.

[0054] In one embodiment, a mounting hole 108 and a positioning hole 109 are provided on the lower end surface of the annular cover 102 for connection and fixation with the ring 6 .

[0055] In one embodiment, the base 201 of the guide ring 2 is provided with a fixing hole 202 penetrating the base 201 for connecting and fixing with the ring 6 .

[0056] In a second aspect, the present invention further provides an additive manufacturing device, which includes the above-mentioned optical path protection device.

[0057] Specifically, the additive manufacturing equipment includes a galvanometer 7, a field lens 4 and the above-mentioned optical path protection device, the output end of the galvanometer 7 is connected to the field lens 4, and the output end of the field lens 4 is sealed to the hole 503 of the water-cooled plate 5 of the optical path protection device.

[0058] The laser emitted from the output end of the field lens 4 is irradiated onto the metal material through the vertical through-light path formed by the hole 503 of the water-cooling plate 5, the through hole 103 of the upper plate 101, the middle hole of the annular cover 102, the middle hole of the circular ring 5 and the middle hole of the guide ring 2 to perform additive manufacturing. At the same time, in the additive manufacturing process, protective gas is introduced through the air guide hole 104 on the annular cover body 102, the air inlet pressure of the air hole is not less than 0.4kpa, the gas is argon, and the temperature is maintained at 22-25°C. The gas is blown to the guide surface 203 through the air guide hole 104. Under the guiding action of the guide surface 203, the gas rotates along the space between the guide surface 203 and the annular cover body 102 and then rises along the inside of the annular cover body 102 to the optical lens 3, forming a downward airflow under the obstruction of the optical lens 3, thereby preventing metal splashes or smoke generated by the laser action in the additive manufacturing process from entering the protective cover 1 from the middle hole of the guide ring 2, thereby avoiding its contamination or damage to the field lens 4 and improving the life of the field lens 4; at the same time, water is introduced through the water inlet hole 501 of the water-cooled plate 5 and discharged through the water outlet hole 502, forming water circulation cooling to keep the temperature stable.

[0059] The optical path protection device for additive manufacturing equipment and the additive manufacturing equipment of the present invention are further described below through specific embodiments.

[0060] Example 1

[0061] A light path protection device for additive manufacturing equipment, comprising a protective cover 1 and a guide ring 2 disposed below the protective cover 1; the protective cover 1 comprises an upper plate 101 and an annular cover body 102 disposed below the upper plate 101; the upper plate 101 is provided with a through hole 103 that matches the central hole of the annular cover body 102, and the through hole 103 faces the field lens 4 of the additive manufacturing equipment; an optical lens 3 is provided on the inner wall of the annular cover body 102 near the upper edge, and an air guide hole 104 is provided on the inner wall of the annular cover body 102 near the lower edge;

[0062] The guide ring 2 is annular with a central hole. The outer periphery of the guide ring 2 matches the central hole of the annular cover body 102. The upper edge of the outer periphery of the guide ring 2 is provided with a guide surface 203 inclined toward the center of the guide ring 2. The air guide hole 104 on the annular cover body 102 is opposite to the guide surface 203, that is, the guide ring 2 is sleeved inside the lower end of the annular cover body 102, and the outer diameter of the guide ring 2 is equal to the inner diameter of the lower end of the annular cover body 102.

[0063] The vertical height from the upper edge to the lower edge of the guide surface 203 is 12 mm, the angle between the guide surface 203 and the horizontal direction is 60°, the vertical distance between the air guide hole 104 and the optical lens 3 is 25 mm, the vertical distance between the upper edge of the guide surface 203 and the optical lens 3 is 5 mm, the height of the annular cover 102 is 102.1 mm, the upper edge of the optical lens 3 is aligned with the upper edge of the annular cover 102, and the height between the upper edge and the lower edge of the optical lens 3 is 3 mm. The upper surface of the upper plate 101 is also provided with a water cooling plate 5, the water cooling plate 5 is provided with a water inlet hole 501 and a water outlet hole 502, the water cooling plate 5 is provided with a hole 503 that matches the through hole 103, and the field lens 4 is connected to the hole 503. The upper edge of the hole 503 is provided with a sealing groove IV504, and a sealing ring is provided in the sealing groove IV504. The upper edge of the through hole 103 of the upper plate 101 is provided with a sealing groove II106, and a sealing ring is provided in the sealing groove II106. The upper plate 101 is fixedly connected to the water-cooled plate 5 by a positioning pin 1010. The outer periphery of the lower end of the guide ring 2 is provided with an outwardly extending base 201. A circular ring 6 is provided between the lower end of the annular cover body 102 and the base 201. The height of the circular ring 6 is 5 mm. The lower end surface of the annular cover body 102 is provided with a sealing groove I107, and a sealing ring is provided in the sealing groove I107. The lower end surface of the annular cover body 102 is provided with a mounting hole 108 and a positioning hole 109. The bottom of the guide ring 2 is provided with a fixing hole 202.

[0064] Example 2

[0065] An additive manufacturing device includes a galvanometer 7, a field lens 4, and the optical path protection device of Example 1, wherein the output end of the galvanometer 7 is connected to the field lens 4, and the output end of the field lens 4 is sealed with the hole 503 of the water-cooled plate 5 of the optical path protection device; protective gas is introduced through the air guide hole 104 on the annular cover body 102, the air inlet pressure of the air guide hole 104 is 0.5 kPa, the gas is argon, and the temperature is maintained at 25°C.

[0066] The additive manufacturing equipment was used for additive manufacturing, and argon gas was introduced through the air guide hole 104 to protect the optical path. After a long period of testing, the results showed that the surfaces of the optical lens 3 and the field lens 4 were not contaminated, and the working environment temperature remained stable.

[0067] Example 3

[0068] This embodiment provides an additive manufacturing device with a structure similar to that of Embodiment 2, except that it does not include a water cooling plate, i.e., there is no water circulation cooling.

[0069] When using this additive manufacturing equipment for additive manufacturing, cooling is impossible due to the lack of a water cooling plate, and the working environment temperature is unstable.

[0070] It can be seen from the results of Examples 2 and 3 that the water-cooling plate of the present invention can effectively stabilize the working environment of the galvanometer and the field mirror.

[0071] The above description is only a preferred specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by any technician familiar with this technical field within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention should be covered by the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An optical path protection device for additive manufacturing equipment, characterized in that: The device comprises a protective cover (1) and a guide ring (2) arranged below the protective cover (1); The protective cover (1) comprises an upper plate (101) and an annular cover body (102) arranged below the upper plate (101); the upper plate (101) is provided with a through hole (103) matching the central hole of the annular cover body (102), and the through hole (103) faces the field mirror (4) of the additive manufacturing equipment; an optical lens (3) is provided on the inner wall of the annular cover body (102) near the upper edge, and an air guide hole (104) is provided on the inner wall of the annular cover body (102) near the lower edge; the number of the air guide holes (104) is more than one, and they are evenly distributed along the circumference of the annular cover body (102) near the lower edge; The guide ring (2) is annular with a central hole, the outer periphery of the guide ring (2) matches the central hole of the annular cover (102), and a guide surface (203) inclined toward the center of the guide ring (2) is provided on the upper edge of the outer periphery of the guide ring (2), and the air guide hole (104) on the annular cover (102) is opposite to the guide surface (203); the angle between the guide surface (203) and the horizontal direction is 50°-70°; When the optical path protection device is used in additive manufacturing equipment, the field mirror (4) of the equipment is placed facing the through hole (103), and air is taken in through the air guide hole (104) on the annular cover (102). The gas is blown to the guide surface (203) through the air guide hole (104). Under the guiding action of the guide surface (203), the gas rotates along the space between the guide surface (203) and the annular cover (102), and then rises along the inside of the annular cover (102) to the optical lens (3). Under the obstruction of the optical lens (3), a downward airflow is formed, thereby preventing metal splashes or smoke generated by the action of the laser during the additive manufacturing process from entering the protective cover (1) from the middle hole of the guide ring (2).

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that A water cooling plate (5) is further provided on the upper surface of the upper plate (101), the water cooling plate (5) being provided with a water inlet hole (501) and a water outlet hole (502), the water cooling plate (5) being provided with a hole (503) matching the through hole (103), and the field lens (4) being connected to the hole (503).

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that A sealing groove III (105) is provided between the inner wall of the annular cover (102) and the optical lens (3), a sealing ring is provided in the sealing groove III (105), and the optical lens (3) is fixed to the inner wall of the annular cover (102) via a lens fixing ring (301).

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that An outwardly extending base (201) is provided on the outer periphery of the lower end of the guide ring (2), and a circular ring (6) is provided between the lower end of the annular cover (102) and the base (201).

5. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that A sealing groove IV (504) is provided on the upper edge of the hole (503), and a sealing ring is provided in the sealing groove IV (504).

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The optical lens (3) is a plane mirror.

7. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that A sealing groove II (106) is provided on the upper edge of the through hole (103), and a sealing ring is provided in the sealing groove II (106).

8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The lower end surface of the annular cover body (102) is provided with a sealing groove I (107), and a sealing ring is provided in the sealing groove I (107).

9. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The lower end surface of the annular cover (102) is provided with a mounting hole (108) and a positioning hole (109).

10. An additive manufacturing device, characterized in that: The additive manufacturing equipment includes the optical path protection device described in claims 1-9.

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