Powder falling device and additive manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

The application discloses a powder falling device and an additive manufacturing equipment, and relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing. The application discloses a powder falling device and an additive manufacturing equipment, and relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing. The application discloses a powder falling device and an additive manufacturing equipment, and relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing. The application discloses a powder falling device and an additive manufacturing equipment, and relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing. The application discloses a powder falling device and an additive manufacturing equipment, and relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing. The application discloses a powder falling device and an additive manufacturing equipment, and relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing. The application discloses a powder falling device and an additive manufacturing equipment, and relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing. The application discloses a powder falling device and an additive manufacturing equipment, and relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing. The application discloses a powder falling device and an additive manufacturing equipment, and relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing. The application discloses a powder falling device and an additive manufacturing equipment, and relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing. The application discloses a powder falling device and an additive manufacturing equipment, and relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing. The application discloses a powder falling device and an additive manufacturing equipment, and relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing. The application discloses a powder fallingdevice and an additive manufacturing equipment, and relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing. The application disclosesa powder falling device and an additive manufacturing equipment, and relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of additive manufacturing technology, and in particular to a powder-discharging device and additive manufacturing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Laser bed fusion (LPBF) is a mainstream laser metal additive manufacturing technology. Based on the principle of discrete material layer-by-layer deposition, it first designs a three-dimensional model of the part. Then, according to the forming process, the model is sliced ​​and layered. The resulting slice data is imported into the forming equipment, and a specific scanning path is set. During laser forming, metal powder, uniformly spread on the working plane substrate by a powder feeding device, melts layer by layer according to the set scanning path. Compared to other metal additive manufacturing technologies, LPBF offers advantages such as higher forming accuracy, better mechanical properties, less subsequent processing, and the ability to form more complex parts.

[0003] Multi-material parts are composed of various materials distributed within the part, integrating the structure and function of multiple materials to achieve specific properties (such as localized wear resistance, heat insulation, and high thermal conductivity) at designated locations. Therefore, powder materials should be pre-placed as needed during the forming of multi-material parts. This requires specialized powder feeding / spreading devices to deliver different materials to designated locations. Currently available powder feeding devices include those based on spreader blades, ultrasonic technology, and electrophotography. Ultrasonic powder feeding devices use vibration to cause powder to fall from a fine-aperture needle. However, these needles are relatively simple, with apertures often around 0.2mm. This method results in low forming efficiency, uncontrollable powder flow, and varying powder feeding effects for different diameters, necessitating the use of needles with different diameters for controllable powder feeding. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to at least partially solve one of the aforementioned technical problems in the prior art. To this end, embodiments of the present invention provide a powder dispensing device capable of controllable pre-setting of powder dispensing, and also capable of controllable powder flow rate, so as to more accurately pre-dispense powder material as needed.

[0005] This invention also provides an additive manufacturing apparatus.

[0006] According to an embodiment of a first aspect of the present invention, a powder discharge device is provided, comprising a powder storage bin having an installation platform and a powder storage cavity, wherein a powder outlet of the powder storage cavity is disposed on the installation platform; a first driving member for generating vibration to drive powder in the powder storage cavity to slide out from the powder outlet; and an adjusting assembly comprising a plurality of adjusting members arranged in a circumferential array on the installation platform, wherein adjacent adjusting members are connected by a snap-fit ​​structure so that all the adjusting members form an adjusting plate capable of blocking the powder outlet, the center of the adjusting plate being aligned with the powder outlet, wherein adjacent Of the two adjusting components, one adjusting component is rotatably connected to the mounting platform at one end away from the center of the adjusting plate, while the other adjusting component is not connected to the mounting platform; and a second driving component is fixed to the powder storage bin, and the second driving component is drively connected to one of the adjusting components rotatably connected to the mounting platform. The second driving component drives the adjusting component rotatably connected to the mounting platform to rotate, and the adjusting component not connected to the mounting platform moves away from the center of the adjusting plate under the action of the locking structure, so that an adjustable powder dropping hole is formed in the middle of the adjusting plate.

[0007] The aforementioned powder discharge device has at least the following beneficial effects: During operation, the powder in the powder storage chamber is driven by the first driving component to fall orderly from the powder outlet. Because an adjusting component is installed at the powder outlet, and several adjusting components are connected to the mounting platform via a special locking structure to form an adjustable plate, the adjusting plate blocks the powder outlet when not in operation. When it is necessary to enter the working state, one half of the adjusting components, located away from the center of the adjusting plate, rotates and connects to the mounting platform, while the other half is not connected. When the second driving component rotates the connected adjusting components, under the action of the locking structure, the end of the rotating adjusting component connected to the mounting platform closest to the center of the adjusting plate pushes outward. The adjusting component, which is not connected to the mounting platform, maintains contact with adjacent adjusting components under the action of the engaging structure while also moving away from the center of the adjusting plate in an orderly manner. This allows a powder-feeding hole to be created in the center of the adjusting plate, enabling powder to fall. As the second driving component continues to operate, the size of the powder-feeding hole can be increased or decreased to block the powder outlet, achieving controllable pre-setting of powder falling. Because the size of the powder-feeding hole in this invention is adjustable, the powder flow rate can be controlled, thus improving the powder falling efficiency. For some shapes with a large powder falling area, the powder falling hole can be enlarged to increase the powder falling flow rate, thereby improving the powder pre-setting efficiency. In addition, the powder falling hole can be adjusted in real time according to different diameter powders to adapt to the required size of the powder falling, resulting in better powder falling effect and ensuring the accuracy of subsequent powder forming.

[0008] According to the powder-discharging device of the first aspect of the present invention, one side of the adjusting member is fitted with the mounting platform, and the other side is provided with the engaging structure, wherein the number of the adjusting members is an even number, and the number of the adjusting members is greater than or equal to 4.

[0009] According to the powder-discharging device of the first aspect of the present invention, the engaging structure includes a connecting groove and a connecting portion, the adjusting member has a V-shaped end, the connecting groove is disposed on one side of the V-shaped end, the connecting portion is disposed on the other side of the V-shaped end, the connecting portion is provided with a connecting protrusion, and after the V-shaped ends of two adjacent adjusting members are fitted together, the connecting protrusion of one adjusting member engages with the connecting groove of the other adjusting member.

[0010] According to the powder-discharging device of the first aspect of the present invention, the two sides of the V-shaped end have a first mating surface and a second mating surface respectively, the direction of the connecting groove is parallel to the second mating surface, and one side of the connecting portion first extends in a direction perpendicular to the first mating surface, and then extends in a direction parallel to the first mating surface to be flush with the bottom of the connecting groove to form the connecting protrusion.

[0011] According to the powder-discharging device of the first aspect of the present invention, the end of the adjusting member has a connecting hole, and the mounting platform is provided with a connecting post that can cooperate with the connecting hole at the position opposite to the connecting hole. The connecting posts are arranged in a circumferential array with the center of the adjusting plate as the center. The number of connecting posts is half the number of adjusting members. After the connecting hole is sleeved on the connecting post, the adjusting member is restricted from disengaging from the connecting post by fasteners.

[0012] According to the powder-discharging device of the first aspect of the present invention, the second driving member is a motor, and the second driving member is connected to the adjusting member through a transmission structure. The transmission structure includes a first gear and a second gear, the second gear being fixed to the output shaft of the motor. One of the connecting columns extends along its axial direction to form an extended end. The first gear is sleeved on the extended end and fixedly connected to the adjusting member, and the first gear meshes with the second gear.

[0013] According to the powder-discharging device of the first aspect of the present invention, the diameter of the first gear is larger than the diameter of the second gear, and a spacer is provided on the side of the first gear facing the adjusting member.

[0014] According to the powder dispensing device of the first aspect of the present invention, the first driving member is an ultrasonic transducer, which is fixed to the side of the powder storage bin.

[0015] According to the powder dispensing device of the first aspect of the present invention, the powder storage cavity is cylindrical, one end of the powder storage cavity is open, and the diameter of the other end of the powder storage cavity gradually decreases to form the powder outlet in the shape of a funnel.

[0016] According to an embodiment of a second aspect of the present invention, an additive manufacturing apparatus is provided, including the powder discharge device described above.

[0017] The above-mentioned additive manufacturing equipment has at least the following beneficial effects: Compared with the problem of non-adjustable powder control in traditional additive manufacturing equipment, the additive manufacturing equipment of this application adopts an improved powder dropping device. Since the size of the powder dropping hole on the powder dropping device can be adjusted, the powder flow rate can be controlled by controlling the size of the powder dropping hole, thus improving the powder dropping efficiency. When it is necessary to form some patterns with a large powder dropping area in the forming cylinder, the second drive device can be controlled by the controller to enlarge the powder dropping hole, increase the powder falling flow rate, and thus improve the powder pre-setting efficiency. In addition, the powder dropping hole can be adjusted in real time according to the powder of different diameters to adapt to the powder dropping hole size required when different powders fall, so that the powder gets a better powder dropping effect and ensures the subsequent powder forming accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments;

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the powder-dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the powder-dispensing device in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first gear in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the powder storage bin in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the adjustment component in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the adjusting member in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the powder-discharging device in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the powder-discharging device in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 ;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the change in the size of the powder discharge hole in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the additive manufacturing equipment in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0029] This section will describe in detail specific embodiments of the present invention. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. The purpose of the drawings is to supplement the textual description with graphics, so that people can intuitively and vividly understand each technical feature and overall technical solution of the present invention, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0031] In the description of this invention, "several" means one or more, "more than" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0032] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0033] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The powder dispensing device 100 of the first aspect of the present invention includes a powder storage bin 120, a first driving member 130, an adjustment component 160 and a second driving member 140.

[0034] The powder storage silo 120 includes an installation platform 122 and a powder storage chamber 121. Specifically, the installation platform 122 is located at the end of the powder storage silo 120, and the powder outlet 121a of the powder storage chamber 121 is located on the installation platform 122. The powder storage chamber 121 is cylindrical, with one end open to facilitate the placement of powder. Figure 2As shown, the diameter of the other end of the powder storage cavity 121 gradually decreases to form a funnel-shaped powder outlet 121a, which facilitates the collection of powder at the powder outlet 121a and also prevents powder residue from remaining in the powder storage cavity 121, thus helping to solve the problem of mixing different types of powder.

[0035] The first driving component 130 is an ultrasonic transducer, which is fixed to the side of the powder storage chamber 120. The first driving component 130 is used to generate vibration to drive the powder in the powder storage chamber 121 to slide out from the powder outlet 121a, thereby realizing the discharge of powder.

[0036] like Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, the adjustment assembly 160 includes several adjustment components 161 arranged in a circular array on the mounting platform 122. Adjacent adjustment components 161 are connected by a snap-fit ​​structure to form an adjustment plate capable of sealing the powder outlet 121a. Under the action of the snap-fit ​​structure, the adjacent adjustment components 161 fit together at their contact points, and the center of the adjustment plate is aligned with the powder outlet 121a. Of two adjacent adjustment components 161, one adjustment component 161 is rotatably connected to the mounting platform 122 at its end furthest from the center of the adjustment plate, while the other adjustment component 161 is not connected to the mounting platform 122. Figure 5 As shown, the adjusting member 161 connected to the mounting platform 122 and the adjusting member 161 not connected to the mounting platform 122 are arranged at intervals.

[0037] The second driving component 140 is fixed to the powder storage bin 120. The second driving component 140 is connected to any adjusting component 161 that is rotatably connected to the mounting platform 122. The second driving component 140 drives the adjusting component 161 that is rotatably connected to the mounting platform 122 to rotate. The adjusting component 161 that is not connected to the mounting platform 122 moves away from the center of the adjusting plate under the action of the locking structure, so that an adjustable powder dropping hole 163 is formed in the middle of the adjusting plate.

[0038] Specifically, when the powder-feeding device 100 is working, the first driving component 130 drives the powder in the powder storage chamber 121 to fall orderly from the powder outlet 121a. Because an adjusting component 160 is provided at the powder outlet 121a, and several adjusting components 161 of the adjusting component 160 are connected to the mounting platform 122 through a special locking structure to form an adjustable plate, when not in operation, the adjusting plate blocks the powder outlet 121a. When it needs to enter the working state, one end of half of the adjusting components 161, away from the center of the adjusting plate, is rotatably connected to the mounting platform 122, while the other half of the adjusting components 161 are not connected to the mounting platform 122. Figure 8As shown, when the second driving member 140 drives the connected adjusting member 161 to rotate, under the action of the engaging structure, the end of the adjusting member 161 connected to the mounting platform 122 near the center of the adjusting plate swings outward, pushing the adjusting member 161 not connected to the mounting platform 122. The adjusting member 161 not connected to the mounting platform 122, under the action of the engaging structure, maintains its contact with the adjacent adjusting member while also orderly moving away from the center of the adjusting plate, that is, from... Figure 7 The closed state of the powder dropper 163 becomes Figure 8 The powder discharge hole 163 is shown in the open state, allowing the center of the adjusting plate to create a discharge hole 163 for powder to fall. As the second driving component 140 continues to operate, the size of the powder discharge hole 163 can continue to increase or decrease until it blocks the powder outlet 121a, achieving controllable pre-setting of powder discharge. Because the size of the powder discharge hole 163 in this invention is adjustable, the powder flow rate can be controlled by controlling the size of the powder discharge hole 163, thus improving the powder discharge efficiency. For some shapes with a large powder discharge area, the powder discharge hole 163 can be enlarged to increase the powder discharge flow rate, thereby improving the powder pre-setting efficiency. In addition, the powder discharge hole 163 can be adjusted in real time according to different diameter powders to adapt to the required size of the powder discharge hole 163 when different powders fall, so that the powder achieves a better powder discharge effect and ensures the subsequent powder forming accuracy.

[0039] One side of the adjusting component 161 is fitted against the mounting platform 122. This fit effectively seals the powder outlet 121a. Simultaneously, during material replacement, opening the powder discharge hole 163 to a size larger than the powder outlet 121a allows residual powder on the adjusting component 161 to be scraped clean through the outlet 121a, effectively solving the problem of residual powder mixing without manual intervention. The other side of the adjusting component 161 is equipped with a locking structure to prevent it from affecting the sealing of the adjusting plate formed by the adjusting component 161. To ensure the sealing of the powder outlet 121a, the number of adjusting components 161 is an even number, and the number of adjusting components 161 is greater than or equal to 4. In this embodiment, a total of 12 adjusting components 161 are provided, but those skilled in the art can adjust the number of adjusting components 161 in real time according to the actual use. Here, the number of adjusting components 161 is a multiple of 2, and the number of adjusting components 161 should be greater than or equal to 4. It should be noted that each adjusting component 161 has the same shape and size so that all adjusting components 161 can be combined into an adjusting plate.

[0040] In some embodiments, the engaging structure includes a connecting groove 161c and a connecting portion 161b, such as Figure 6 As shown, the adjusting member 161 has a V-shaped end, a connecting groove 161c is provided on one side of the V-shaped end, and a connecting part 161b is provided on the other side of the V-shaped end. The connecting part 161b is provided with a connecting protrusion 161d. After the V-shaped ends of two adjacent adjusting members 161 are fitted together, as shown... Figure 5 As shown, the connecting protrusion 161d of one adjusting member 161 engages with the connecting groove 161c of another adjusting member 161, thereby enabling the two adjacent adjusting members 161 to be connected, and thus enabling all the adjusting members 161 to form an adjusting plate.

[0041] Specifically, such as Figure 6 As shown, the V-shaped end has a first mating surface 161e and a second mating surface 161f on both sides. The first mating surface 161e and the second mating surface 161f intersect at a certain angle to form the V-shaped end. The connecting groove 161c and the connecting part 161b are both provided on the side of the adjusting member 161 away from the mounting platform 122. The connecting groove 161c is parallel to the second mating surface 161f. One side of the connecting part 161b first extends in a direction perpendicular to the first mating surface 161e, and then extends in a direction parallel to the first mating surface 161e to be flush with the bottom of the connecting groove 161c to form a connecting protrusion 161d. It should be noted that the connecting... The distance between the groove 161c and the second mating surface 161f is the same as the distance between the connecting protrusion 161d and the first mating surface 161e. This allows the first mating surface 161e of one adjusting member 161 to engage with the second mating surface 161f of another adjusting member 161. By sliding one adjusting member 161, the connecting protrusion 161d can be engaged with the connecting groove 161, thereby connecting the two adjusting members 161 together. Furthermore, if one adjusting member 161 is fixed and the other is not fixed, the adjusting member 161 can translate under the action of the connecting protrusion 161d and the connecting groove 161c when the V-shaped end is subjected to external force.

[0042] In some embodiments, the end of the adjusting member 161 has a connecting hole 161a, and the mounting platform 122 is provided with a connecting post 113 that can mate with the connecting hole 161a at a position opposite to the connecting hole 161a, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the connecting posts 113 are arranged in a circular array with the center of the adjusting plate as the center. The number of connecting posts 113 is half the number of adjusting members 161. Specifically, the number of connecting posts 113 is equal to the number of adjusting members 161 that are rotatably connected to the mounting platform 122. After the connecting hole 161a is fitted onto the connecting post 113, the adjusting member 161 is prevented from disengaging from the connecting post 113 by fasteners 162. The fastener 162 is preferably a screw, which is threaded to the connecting post 113, and a washer is provided between the screw cap and the adjusting member 161.

[0043] In this embodiment, 12 adjusting members 161 are provided. The included angle formed by the intersection of the first mating surface 161e and the second mating surface 161f at the V-shaped end is 30°, so that the 12 adjusting members 161 can form a circular adjusting plate. Two adjusting members 161 are mechanically interlocked by a snap-fit ​​structure. The movement trajectory of each adjusting member 161 is restricted by the connecting post 113 and the fastener 162 to prevent the adjusting member 161 from moving arbitrarily. The adjusting members 161 adjacent to the rotatable adjusting members 161 do not need to be connected by any other connection except for the snap-fit ​​structure, thus avoiding the inability of the adjusting member 161 to move.

[0044] Furthermore, the second driving component 140 is a motor, and it is connected to the adjusting component 161 via a transmission structure. The transmission structure includes a first gear 171 and a second gear 172. The second gear 172 is fixed to the output shaft of the motor. A connecting post 113 extends axially to form an extended end. The first gear 171 is fitted onto the extended end and fixedly connected to the adjusting component 161, and the first gear 171 meshes with the second gear 172. Specifically, the diameter of the first gear 171 is larger than the diameter of the second gear 172. Figure 3 As shown, a spacer 171a is provided on the side of the first gear 171 facing the adjusting member 161. The spacer 171a is provided to avoid motion interference between the first gear 171 and the connecting parts 161b on other adjusting members 161. The second gear 172 is fixed to the output shaft of the motor, which makes the transmission smoother. The torque is amplified by the cooperation of the large gear and the small gear. The motor can drive the gear to rotate without large torque, which also improves the transmission accuracy. The motor drives the adjusting member 161 to rotate through gear transmission. Since half of the adjusting member 161 is rotatably mounted on the mounting platform 122, and the other half is not connected to the mounting platform 122 but is connected to the adjacent adjusting member 161 through a snap-fit ​​structure, when the adjusting member 161 rotatably mounted on the mounting platform 122 rotates, the V-shaped end of the adjusting member 161 rotatably mounted on the mounting platform 122 pushes the V-shaped end not connected to the mounting platform 122. Under the action of the snap-fit ​​structure, the adjusting member 161 not connected to the mounting platform 122 slides outward, so that the center of the adjusting plate can form as shown. Figure 7 and Figure 8 The powder discharge hole 163 shown is adjustable in size, wherein the diameter of the powder discharge hole 163 varies from 0 to 10 mm.

[0045] like Figure 9As shown, let the movement angle of the motor in one step be θ. The first gear 171 and the second gear 172 mesh with each other. The first gear 171 is fixedly connected to the adjusting member 161. The movement angle of the motor in one step is the rotation angle of the adjusting member 161. Let H be the distance from the V-shaped end of the adjusting member 161 to its rotation center. Then, the change in the diameter of the powder falling hole 163 for each step of the motor rotation can be obtained as Δd: where,

[0046]

[0047] When the motor spindle is as Figure 8 When the motor spindle rotates clockwise, the diameter of the powder discharge hole 163 increases; when the motor spindle rotates counterclockwise, the diameter of the powder discharge hole 163 decreases.

[0048] like Figure 10 As shown, this embodiment of the invention also provides an additive manufacturing apparatus that uses the powder feeding device 100 described above. Specifically, the additive manufacturing apparatus includes a molding cavity 200, a powder supply system 300, the powder feeding device 100 described above, a powder spreading cart 280, and an optical system.

[0049] The bottom plane of the molding cavity 200 is provided with a powder cylinder 230, a molding cylinder 240 and a receiving bottle 220 in sequence. The discharge port of the powder cylinder 230 and the inlet of the molding cylinder 240 are both level with the bottom plane of the molding cavity 200. The bottom plane of the molding cavity 200 is also provided with a funnel-shaped guide groove 210, which is connected to the receiving bottle 220.

[0050] The powder supply system 300 is located at the top of the molding cavity 200. Specifically, the powder supply system 300 includes a drive motor 310, a coupling, a lead screw 330, and a housing 320. The drive motor 310 is connected to the lead screw 330 through the coupling. The drive motor 310 is installed on the outside of the molding cavity 200. The lead screw 330 is located inside the housing 320 and extends to the discharge port of the housing 320. The rotation of the drive motor 310 drives the lead screw 330 to rotate, thereby transporting the powder to the discharge port and quantitatively feeding the powder to prevent excessive powder waste.

[0051] The powder dispensing device 100 is movably set in the molding cavity 200 through the XY motion module 201. Under the action of the XY motion module 201, the powder dispensing device 100 can move to the bottom of the powder supply system 300 or the top of the molding cylinder 240. The XY motion module 201 is a relatively mature linear module in the prior art, which enables the powder dispensing device 100 to perform translational movement on the XY plane. It should be noted that a powder suction device 150 is provided on the powder storage bin 120. The powder suction device 150 includes a powder suction head 151 for suctioning powder.

[0052] The powder spreading cart 280 is used to quantitatively convey powder from the powder cylinder 230 to the bottom plane and push it to the forming cylinder 240, as well as to push excess powder to the guide trough 210 for collection by the receiving bottle 220.

[0053] The optical system includes a scanning galvanometer 260 and a laser 270. The laser generated by the laser 270 is focused onto the forming cylinder 240 by the scanning galvanometer 260.

[0054] The specific usage process of the above-mentioned additive manufacturing equipment is as follows:

[0055] S1. Add metal powder A to the powder storage chamber 121 and metal powder B to the powder cylinder 230. Metal powder A and metal powder B are two different types of metal powder.

[0056] S2. Process the 3D model data of the formed part, distinguish the main base metal from the second type of metal, define the base metal as metal powder B in the powder cylinder, define the second type of metal as metal powder A in the powder storage chamber 121, define the model support as metal powder B, import and generate the process parameters of the base metal and the second type of metal, including laser power, laser scanning distance, laser scanning speed, filling parameters, and support parameters. At the same time, the industrial control computer generates the motion trajectory route program of the powder dropping device 100, including the motion trajectory of the powder dropping hole 163 and the motion trajectory of the powder suction head 151.

[0057] S3. Close the hatch of the molding cavity 200, fill the sealed molding cavity 200 with inert protective gas until the oxygen content in the furnace is lower than 2.0 ppm, and start printing parts.

[0058] S4. The powder cylinder 230 rises two layer thicknesses, the forming cylinder 240 descends one layer thickness, the powder spreading cart 280 spreads one layer of metal powder B material, the industrial control computer controls the laser 270 to emit laser light and focuses it on the designated position of the forming cylinder 240 through the scanning galvanometer 260, selectively melting the metal powder B.

[0059] S5. Determine if there is slice data of metal powder A in the current layer. If there is, run the powder suction and powder dropping steps. If not, skip this step.

[0060] S5.1 The powder spreading cart 280 moves to the zero position, and one side of the powder cylinder 230 is defined as the zero position of the powder spreading cart 280. The industrial control computer controls the powder dropping device 100 to move according to the motion trajectory generated in step S2. The motion trajectory is the motion trajectory of the powder suction head 151. At the same time, the vacuum powder suction system is started. The negative pressure passes through the powder suction head 151 and selectively sucks away some of the metal powder B on the forming cylinder 240.

[0061] S5.2 After the metal powder B is selectively absorbed, the powder dispensing operation is performed. The industrial control computer controls the movement of the powder dispensing device 100, and the movement trajectory is the movement trajectory of the powder dispensing hole 163. When the powder dispensing hole 163 moves to the position of the slice pattern, the motor is started and the motor spindle rotates clockwise, increasing the diameter of the powder dispensing hole 163. The number of motor movement steps is measured experimentally. The metal powder material flows out from the powder dispensing hole 163 and falls into the area where the powder has been absorbed. When the powder dispensing hole 163 moves according to the prescribed movement path, the metal powder A can fill the area where the powder has been absorbed. The powder dispensing step ends. The motor spindle rotates counterclockwise, decreasing the diameter of the powder dispensing hole 163 until the powder no longer flows out. The powder dispensing device 100 moves to its original position, and the powder spreading cart 280 moves from the origin to the receiving bottle 220 to scrape the pre-placed metal powder A and then returns to its original position. The industrial control computer controls the laser 270 to perform the printing work, scanning and printing the area of ​​metal powder A.

[0062] S6. Repeat steps S4 and S5 until the part is completely printed.

[0063] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following effects:

[0064] 1. The powder dropping method used in this invention is gravity powder dropping. The powder flow rate is controlled by adjusting the size of the powder dropping hole 163, which makes it easy to realize multi-material powder bed additive manufacturing. The gravity powder dropping method avoids instability caused by vibration and other factors.

[0065] 2. This invention further achieves controllable adjustment of the diameter of the powder discharge hole 163 by adjusting the rotation angle of the adjusting member 161. Unlike other methods, the diameter adjustment of the powder discharge hole 163 can be achieved through a simple mechanical structure, saving costs. By maintaining the accuracy of the diameter change, the small rotation amplitude of the adjusting member 161 produces a small diameter change, and the use of a motor makes it more convenient to perform precise control.

[0066] 3. The present invention can improve the powder pre-setting efficiency because the diameter of the powder dispensing hole 163 of the powder dispensing device 100 can be adjusted. Unlike other devices that fix the needle hole diameter, the powder flow rate can be further adjusted because the hole diameter is adjustable, thus improving the powder dispensing efficiency. For some large-area patterns, the powder dispensing hole 163 can be adjusted to a larger diameter to increase the powder flow rate and thereby improve the powder pre-setting efficiency.

[0067] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A powder dispensing device, characterized in that: include A powder storage bin (120) has an installation platform (122) and a powder storage chamber (121), and the powder outlet (121a) of the powder storage chamber (121) is located on the installation platform (122). The first driving member (130) is used to generate vibration to drive the powder in the powder storage chamber (121) to slide out from the powder outlet (121a); An adjustment assembly (160) includes several adjustment components (161) arranged in a circular array on the mounting platform (122). Adjacent adjustment components (161) are connected by a snap-fit ​​structure to form an adjustment plate capable of blocking the powder outlet (121a). The center of the adjustment plate is aligned with the powder outlet (121a). Of two adjacent adjustment components (161), one component (161) is rotatably connected to the mounting platform (122) at its end furthest from the center of the adjustment plate, while the other component (161) is not connected to the mounting platform (122). The second driving component (140) is fixed to the powder storage bin (120). The second driving component (140) is connected to an adjusting component (161) that is rotatably connected to the mounting platform (122). The second driving component (140) drives the adjusting component (161) that is rotatably connected to the mounting platform (122) to rotate. The adjusting component (161) that is not connected to the mounting platform (122) moves away from the center of the adjusting plate under the action of the locking structure, so that an adjustable powder drop hole (163) is formed in the middle of the adjusting plate. One side of the adjusting member (161) is attached to the mounting platform (122), and the other side is provided with the engaging structure. The number of adjusting members (161) is an even number, and the number of adjusting members (161) is greater than or equal to 4. The engaging structure includes a connecting groove (161c) and a connecting part (161b). The adjusting member (161) has a V-shaped end. The connecting groove (161c) is located on one side of the V-shaped end, and the connecting part (161b) is located on the other side of the V-shaped end. The connecting part (161b) is provided with a connecting protrusion (161d). After the V-shaped ends of two adjacent adjusting members (161) are fitted together, the connecting protrusion (161d) of one adjusting member (161) engages with the connecting groove (161c) of the other adjusting member (161). The V-shaped end has a first mating surface (161e) and a second mating surface (161f) on both sides respectively. The connecting groove (161c) is arranged in a direction parallel to the second mating surface (161f). One side of the connecting part (161b) first extends in a direction perpendicular to the first mating surface (161e), and then extends in a direction parallel to the first mating surface (161e) to the bottom of the connecting groove (161c) to form the connecting protrusion (161d). The end of the adjusting member (161) has a connecting hole (161a). The mounting platform (122) is provided with a connecting post (113) that can cooperate with the connecting hole (161a) at the position opposite to the connecting hole (161a). The connecting posts (113) are arranged in a circular array with the center of the adjusting plate as the center. The number of the connecting posts (113) is half the number of the adjusting members (161). After the connecting hole (161a) is fitted onto the connecting post (113), the adjusting member (161) is restricted from disengaging from the connecting post (113) by fasteners (162).

2. The powder-discharging device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second driving member (140) is a motor. The second driving member (140) is connected to the adjusting member (161) through a transmission structure. The transmission structure includes a first gear (171) and a second gear (172). The second gear (172) is fixed to the output shaft of the motor. A connecting column (113) extends along its axial direction to form an extension end. The first gear (171) is sleeved on the extension end and fixedly connected to the adjusting member (161). The first gear (171) meshes with the second gear (172).

3. The powder-discharging device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The diameter of the first gear (171) is larger than the diameter of the second gear (172), and a spacer (171a) is provided on the side of the first gear (171) facing the adjusting member (161).

4. The powder-discharging device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first driving component (130) is an ultrasonic transducer, which is fixed to the side of the powder storage bin (120).

5. The powder-discharging device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The powder storage cavity (121) is cylindrical, with one end open and the diameter of the other end gradually decreasing to form the powder outlet (121a) in the shape of a funnel.

6. An additive manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that: Includes the powder dispensing device (100) as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

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