Curved surface special engineering plastic high temperature FDM printing device and method

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of curved surface special engineering plastics high temperature FDM printing equipment and method.The present application includes extruder and high temperature extrusion head assembly;Transverse driving mechanism, to drive the extruder and high temperature extrusion head assembly synchronous along transverse movement;Vertical driving mechanism, to drive the extruder and high temperature extrusion head assembly synchronous along vertical movement;Curved surface forming auxiliary fixture, including fixture connecting seat, multiple connection on the upper end surface of the fixture connecting seat swivel column and the flexible skin that forms curved surface on multiple swivel column upper end, wherein, by adjusting multiple swivel column adjustment protruding the height of the upper end surface of the fixture connecting seat to adjust the curvature of the flexible skin curved surface;Longitudinal driving mechanism, set in the lower side of the transverse driving mechanism, to drive the curved surface forming auxiliary fixture along longitudinal movement.The present application realizes the optimization forming for curved surface structure, reduces the support part when forming curved surface structure, and improves the forming quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of additive manufacturing equipment technology, and in particular to a high-temperature FDM printing equipment and method for curved special engineering plastics. Background Technology

[0002] Specialty engineering plastics are polymers with a high content of aromatic heterocyclic rings and benzene rings in the main chain. They have high glass transition temperature, excellent mechanical properties, can work under harsh conditions, and their performance in all aspects exceeds that of traditional polymers. They have great application prospects in orthopedic implants and aerospace weight reduction.

[0003] However, current production of specialty engineering plastics primarily employs injection molding, compression molding, and fiber winding. These methods are all complex, difficult to demold, and require expensive custom molds, making it difficult to produce single-piece, small-batch, customized, and complex parts. While China has accumulated some technological expertise in additive manufacturing of specialty engineering plastics, enabling molding under certain conditions, these plastics are often used in the aerospace field, frequently requiring the molding of curved structures. Additive manufacturing necessitates the addition of supporting structures, leading to low production efficiency, material waste, and poor process stability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a high-temperature FDM printing device and method for curved special engineering plastics, which can realize fused deposition modeling (FDM) three-dimensional printing of ultra-high temperature special engineering plastics. Furthermore, by setting auxiliary fixtures, it can achieve optimized forming for curved structures, significantly improve the strength of the FDM 3D forming model, reduce the support parts when forming curved structures, and improve the forming quality of the parts.

[0005] According to the technical solution provided by the present invention, a high-temperature FDM printing device for curved special engineering plastics includes: An extruder and a high-temperature extrusion head assembly are used to extrude special engineering plastic filaments into the high-temperature extrusion head assembly after being heated, melted, and extruded by the high-temperature extrusion head assembly. A lateral drive mechanism is used to drive the extruder and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly to move synchronously in the lateral direction; A vertical drive mechanism is used to drive the extruder and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly to move synchronously vertically; A curved surface forming auxiliary fixture includes a fixture connecting seat, a plurality of rotating columns connected to the upper end face of the fixture connecting seat, and a flexible skin covering the upper end of the plurality of rotating columns and forming a curved surface, wherein the curvature of the flexible skin surface is adjusted by adjusting the height of the plurality of rotating columns extending out of the upper end face of the fixture connecting seat. A longitudinal drive mechanism is located below the transverse drive mechanism to drive the curved surface forming auxiliary fixture to move longitudinally.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, the transverse drive mechanism includes a nozzle bracket, a transverse bracket, a transverse screw assembly connected to the transverse bracket, and a transverse slider slidably connected to the transverse bracket. The extruder and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly are connected to the nozzle bracket. The nozzle bracket is slidably connected to the transverse bracket via the transverse screw assembly. The vertical drive mechanism includes a vertical bracket and a vertical screw assembly disposed on the vertical bracket. The transverse bracket is slidably connected to the vertical bracket via the vertical screw assembly.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the transverse drive mechanism includes a longitudinal support, a longitudinal lead screw assembly connected to the longitudinal support, and a longitudinal slider slidably connected to the longitudinal support. The curved surface forming auxiliary fixture includes a printer moving platform connected to the longitudinal slider, and the fixture connecting seat is connected to the printer moving platform. The longitudinal lead screw assembly drives the longitudinal slider to slide longitudinally.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the swivel column is threadedly connected to the upper end face of the clamp connecting seat.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the upper end of the rotating column is provided with a spherical structure.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the number of the spiral pillars is nine, and the nine spiral pillars are distributed in a square array.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the upper end face of the clamp connecting seat is rectangular.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the flexible skin is connected to the edge of the upper surface of the clamp connecting seat.

[0013] This invention also provides a method for high-temperature FDM printing of curved special engineering plastics, utilizing the aforementioned high-temperature FDM printing equipment for curved special engineering plastics, the method comprising: Based on the surface of the model to be formed, the required height setting values ​​of each of the multiple rotating columns are obtained. The height of the multiple rotating columns extending from the upper end of the fixture connecting seat is adjusted by adjusting the upper end of the fixture connecting seat to adjust the curvature of the flexible skin surface to be consistent with the surface of the model to be formed. Select the height values ​​of each of the spiral columns on the flexible skin, and establish a printing coordinate system based on the height values ​​of each point. The vertical drive mechanism controls the extruder and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly to move vertically upwards to a first preset height. The horizontal drive mechanism controls the extruder and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly to move horizontally. The vertical drive mechanism controls the printer moving platform to move vertically, so that the high-temperature extrusion head assembly moves to a certain point on the flexible skin according to the printing coordinate system. Special engineering plastic filaments are pushed into the high-temperature extrusion head assembly via the extruder, melted by heat, and extruded onto the flexible skin to cool and deposit into a model layer; After printing one model layer, the extruder and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly are controlled by the vertical drive mechanism to move vertically upward to the second preset height. The difference between the second preset height and the first preset height is the layer height of a single model layer. Repeat the above steps until the entire model is complete.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the special engineering plastic filament is PEEK filament.

[0015] The technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art: This invention discloses a high-temperature FDM printing equipment and method for curved special engineering plastics. By optimizing the design to significantly increase the operating temperature, it processes special engineering plastics, greatly improving the poor mechanical properties of FDM-molded products. This allows FDM molding technology to be further expanded into many fields such as aerospace and medical devices. Compared with traditional processing techniques for special engineering plastics, this equipment eliminates the need for customized molds, greatly reducing production costs and enabling small-batch customized production to serve precision medicine. Furthermore, the products do not require demolding, improving the success rate of molding.

[0016] Due to its excellent mechanical properties and weather resistance, PEEK, a specialty engineering plastic, is commonly used in the aerospace field. It can replace metal materials such as aluminum in the manufacture of various aircraft parts, reducing weight by up to 70% compared to metals. Originally developed for aerospace applications, it can be used to manufacture fuel filters, cable trays, radar radomes, landing gear hub covers, etc. PEEK often requires the molding of curved structures. The equipment in this invention includes a curved surface-assisted molding fixture. This fixture can modify the curvature of the molding base according to the design model requirements, assisting in the molding of curved structures. This design significantly reduces unnecessary support components during the molding process when customizing curved structures such as aircraft radomes, shortening production time for the same model, improving the molding quality of the parts, enhancing the application depth of FDM 3D printing technology in the industrial field, and broadening its application scope.

[0017] This invention employs a high-temperature resistant printhead and a high-temperature thermal field control design. The high-temperature printhead can print special engineering plastics with excellent performance in all aspects, avoiding the drawbacks of traditional processing technology that requires customized molds and has difficulty in demolding. The high-temperature thermal field control system can ensure that the printing temperature can reach up to 450℃. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To make the content of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the high-temperature FDM printing equipment for curved special engineering plastics of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the curved surface forming auxiliary fixture structure of the present invention.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the instruction manual: 16. Transverse slider; 2. Fixture connector; 22. Transverse support; 3. Rotary column; 37. Nozzle support; 4. Flexible skin; 43. Extruder; 47. High-temperature extrusion head assembly; 53. Special engineering plastic filament; 6. Longitudinal slider; 7. Curved surface forming auxiliary fixture; 8. Printer moving platform. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and implement the present invention. However, the embodiments described are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0023] In this invention, when directions (up, down, left, right, front, and back) are described, it is only for the convenience of describing the technical solution of this invention, and does not indicate or imply that the technical features referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0024] In this invention, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," "exceeding," etc., are understood to exclude the stated number; "above," "below," "within," etc., are understood to include the stated number. In the description of this invention, the terms "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish 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.

[0025] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, the terms "setting," "installing," and "connecting" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrally formed connection; a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection capable of mutual communication; or the internal connection of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0026] Reference Figures 1 to 2 As shown, a high-temperature FDM printing device for curved special engineering plastics includes: Extruder 43 and high-temperature extrusion head assembly 47, special engineering plastic filament 53 is pushed into the high-temperature extrusion head assembly 47 through the extruder 43, melted by heat and extruded by the high-temperature extrusion head assembly 47; A lateral drive mechanism is used to drive the extruder 43 and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly 47 to move synchronously in the lateral direction; A vertical drive mechanism is used to drive the extruder 43 and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly 47 to move synchronously vertically; The curved surface forming auxiliary fixture 7 includes a fixture connecting seat 2, a plurality of rotating columns 3 connected to the upper end face of the fixture connecting seat 2, and a flexible skin 4 covering the upper end of the plurality of rotating columns 3 and forming a curved surface. The curvature of the flexible skin 4 is adjusted by adjusting the height of the plurality of rotating columns 3 extending out of the upper end face of the fixture connecting seat 2. A longitudinal drive mechanism is located below the transverse drive mechanism to drive the curved surface forming auxiliary fixture 7 to move longitudinally.

[0027] Through the above settings, the design of traditional FDM equipment is optimized to increase the upper limit of the working temperature to 450℃. By utilizing the hot-melt properties of special engineering plastics, the pre-made filaments are reshaped into the desired three-dimensional model. At the same time, a curved surface forming auxiliary fixture 7 is added, which can be adjusted according to the parameters of the digital model to form a curved surface structure that matches the model. This allows the equipment to form curved surface structures with no support or minimal support.

[0028] In this embodiment, the extruder 43 is a BMG extruder 43; the internal gears of the BMG extruder 43 can be driven by a stepper motor, and the friction of the internal gears drives the special engineering plastic filament 53, so that it enters the Voron-Dragon high-temperature extrusion head assembly 47 from the top, and is then extruded to the outside of the assembly. When cooled, it is converted into a solid and adheres to the formed model or flexible skin 4. The special engineering plastic filament 53 is PEEK filament.

[0029] The high-temperature extrusion head assembly 47 is the Voron-Dragon high-temperature extrusion head assembly 47 from Fitos 3D Technology, which contains a ceramic heating block and a PT100 thermal resistance sensor. Both cables are equipped with a metal shielding outer layer, which has strong anti-interference ability and ensures the temperature control stability under high-temperature thermal field. The internal temperature control element can ensure stable melt transport, so that the maximum printing temperature of the machine can reach 450℃. The special engineering plastic filament 53 is pushed into the high-temperature extrusion head assembly 47 through the BMG extruder 43. After being heated and melted, it is extruded out of the nozzle, and then quickly cooled and solidified to form a model.

[0030] Specifically, the transverse drive mechanism includes a nozzle support 37, a transverse support 22, a transverse lead screw assembly connected to the transverse support 22, and a transverse slider 16 slidably connected to the transverse support 22. The extruder 43 and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly 47 are connected to the nozzle support 37. The nozzle support 37 is slidably connected to the transverse support 22 via the transverse lead screw assembly. The vertical drive mechanism includes a vertical support and a vertical lead screw assembly disposed on the vertical support. The transverse support 22 is slidably connected to the vertical support via the vertical lead screw assembly.

[0031] Specifically, the lateral drive mechanism includes a longitudinal support, a longitudinal lead screw assembly connected to the longitudinal support, and a longitudinal slider 6 slidably connected to the longitudinal support. The curved surface forming auxiliary fixture 7 includes a printer moving platform 8 connected to the longitudinal slider 6. The fixture connecting seat 2 is connected to the printer moving platform 8. The longitudinal lead screw assembly drives the longitudinal slider 6 to slide longitudinally.

[0032] Specifically, the rotating column 3 is threaded to the upper end face of the clamp connecting seat 2; the upper end of the rotating column 3 is provided with a spherical structure.

[0033] Specifically, there are nine spiral pillars 3, which can complete the arrangement of curved surface points with a relatively small number of pillars. The nine spiral pillars 3 are distributed in a square array. The nine spiral pillars 3 jointly support the flexible skin 4. The flexible skin 4 forms curved surfaces with different curvatures by combining the different heights of the spiral pillars 3, thus completing the auxiliary shaping of the curved surface.

[0034] Specifically, the upper surface of the clamp connecting seat 2 is rectangular, and the flexible skin 4 is connected to the edge of the upper surface of the clamp connecting seat 2.

[0035] This invention also provides a method for high-temperature FDM printing of curved special engineering plastics, utilizing the aforementioned high-temperature FDM printing equipment for curved special engineering plastics, the method comprising: Based on the surface of the model to be formed, the computer is used to analyze and obtain the required height setting values ​​of each of the multiple rotating columns 3. The height of the multiple rotating columns 3 extending out of the upper end of the clamping connecting seat 2 is adjusted by adjusting the upper end of the clamping connecting seat 2 to adjust the curvature of the flexible skin 4 surface to be consistent with the surface of the model to be formed. Select the height values ​​of each of the spiral columns 3 at the location of the flexible skin 4, and establish a printing coordinate system based on the height values ​​of each point; this can be achieved using the printing bottom surface establishment function within the system. The extruder 43 and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly 47 are controlled to move vertically upward to a first preset height by the vertical drive mechanism, the extruder 43 and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly 47 are controlled to move horizontally by the horizontal drive mechanism, and the printer moving platform 8 is controlled to move vertically by the longitudinal drive mechanism, so that the high-temperature extrusion head assembly 47 moves to a certain point of the flexible skin 4 according to the printing coordinate system. Special engineering plastic filament 53 is pushed into the high-temperature extrusion head assembly 47 via the extruder 43, and after being heated and melted, it is extruded onto the flexible skin 4 to cool and deposit into a model layer. After printing one model layer, the extruder 43 and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly 47 are controlled by the vertical drive mechanism to move vertically upward to the second preset height. The difference between the second preset height and the first preset height is the layer height of a single model layer. Repeat the above steps until the entire model is complete.

[0036] Specifically, the special engineering plastic filament 53 is a PEEK filament.

[0037] Due to its excellent mechanical properties and weather resistance, PEEK, a specialty engineering plastic, is commonly used in the aerospace field. It can replace metal materials such as aluminum in the manufacture of various aircraft parts, reducing weight by up to 70% compared to metals. Originally developed for aerospace applications, it can be used to manufacture fuel filters, cable trays, radar radomes, landing gear hub covers, etc. PEEK often requires the molding of curved structures. The equipment in this invention includes a curved surface-assisted molding fixture. This fixture can modify the curvature of the molding base according to the design model requirements, assisting in the molding of curved structures. This design significantly reduces unnecessary support components during the molding process when customizing curved structures such as aircraft radomes, shortening production time for the same model, improving the molding quality of the parts, enhancing the application depth of FDM 3D printing technology in the industrial field, and broadening its application scope.

[0038] Finally, it should be noted that the above specific embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to examples, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for high-temperature FDM printing of curved special engineering plastics, characterized in that, High-temperature FDM printing equipment using curved special engineering plastics includes: The extruder (43) and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly (47) are used to push the special engineering plastic filament (53) into the high-temperature extrusion head assembly (47) through the extruder (43), and after being heated and melted, it is extruded by the high-temperature extrusion head assembly (47). A lateral drive mechanism is used to drive the extruder (43) and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly (47) to move synchronously in the lateral direction; A vertical drive mechanism is used to drive the extruder (43) and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly (47) to move synchronously vertically; The curved surface forming auxiliary fixture (7) includes a fixture connecting seat (2), a plurality of rotating columns (3) connected to the upper end face of the fixture connecting seat (2), and a flexible skin (4) covering the upper end of the plurality of rotating columns (3) and forming a curved surface, wherein the curvature of the curved surface of the flexible skin (4) is adjusted by adjusting the height of the plurality of rotating columns (3) extending from the upper end face of the fixture connecting seat (2); A longitudinal drive mechanism is located below the transverse drive mechanism to drive the curved surface forming auxiliary fixture (7) to move longitudinally; The swivel column (3) is threaded to the upper end face of the clamp connecting seat (2); The upper end of the spiral column (3) is provided with a spherical structure; The number of the spiral pillars (3) is nine, and the nine spiral pillars (3) are distributed in a square array; The upper surface of the clamp connecting seat (2) is rectangular; The flexible skin (4) is connected to the edge of the upper surface of the clamp connecting seat (2); The method includes: According to the surface of the model to be formed, the required height setting values ​​of each of the multiple spiral columns (3) are obtained. The height of the multiple spiral columns (3) extending out of the upper end of the fixture connecting seat (2) is adjusted by adjusting the upper end of the fixture connecting seat (2) to adjust the curvature of the flexible skin (4) surface to be consistent with the surface of the model to be formed. Select the height values ​​of the points where each of the spiral columns (3) is located on the flexible skin (4), and establish a printing coordinate system based on the height values ​​of each point. The extruder (43) and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly (47) are controlled to move vertically upward to a first preset height by the vertical drive mechanism. The extruder (43) and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly (47) are controlled to move horizontally by the horizontal drive mechanism. The printer moving platform (8) is controlled to move vertically by the longitudinal drive mechanism, so that the high-temperature extrusion head assembly (47) moves to a certain point of the flexible skin (4) according to the printing coordinate system. Special engineering plastic filaments (53) are pushed into the high-temperature extrusion head assembly (47) via the extruder (43), and after being heated and melted, they are extruded onto the flexible skin (4) to cool and deposit into a model layer; After printing one model layer, the extruder (43) and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly (47) are controlled by the vertical drive mechanism to move vertically upward to the second preset height. The difference between the second preset height and the first preset height is the layer height of a single model layer. Repeat the above steps until the entire model is complete.

2. The high-temperature FDM printing method for curved special engineering plastics according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transverse drive mechanism includes a nozzle bracket (37), a transverse bracket (22), a transverse screw assembly connected to the transverse bracket (22), and a transverse slider (16) slidably connected to the transverse bracket (22). The extruder (43) and the high-temperature extrusion head assembly (47) are connected to the nozzle bracket (37). The nozzle bracket (37) is slidably connected to the transverse bracket (22) through the transverse screw assembly. The vertical drive mechanism includes a vertical bracket and a vertical screw assembly disposed on the vertical bracket. The transverse bracket (22) is slidably connected to the vertical bracket through the vertical screw assembly.

3. The high-temperature FDM printing method for curved special engineering plastics according to claim 1, characterized in that, The longitudinal drive mechanism includes a longitudinal support, a longitudinal screw assembly connected to the longitudinal support, and a longitudinal slider (6) slidably connected to the longitudinal support. The curved surface forming auxiliary fixture (7) includes a printer moving platform (8) connected to the longitudinal slider (6). The fixture connecting seat (2) is connected to the printer moving platform (8). The longitudinal screw assembly drives the longitudinal slider (6) to slide longitudinally.

4. The high-temperature FDM printing method for curved special engineering plastics according to claim 1, characterized in that, The special engineering plastic filament (53) is PEEK filament.

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