An integrated control system for additive manufacturing

Abstract

The application discloses an integrated control system for additive manufacturing and relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing, aiming at solving the problems of complex electrical wiring, low flexibility of the existing additive manufacturing system and poor quality of the additive manufacturing workpiece caused by the existing control method. The integrated control system comprises the following steps: a work station is connected with a heat source device, a feeding device and an axis bus servo driver through a bus; the work station controls the feeding device to feed the wire or powder material to the bottom of the cladding head, drives the moving shaft to move the cladding head, controls the start and stop of the heat source device and the feeding device according to the obtained coordinates and the moving speed of the cladding head, adjusts the parameters of the heat source device and the feeding device when the cladding head changes the speed or direction, and melts the wire or powder material by the heat source device when the cladding head moves at the preset speed, thereby completing the manufacturing of the workpiece. The integrated control system for additive manufacturing is used for reducing the complexity of electrical wiring, improving the flexibility of wiring and the quality of the workpiece.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of additive manufacturing technology, and in particular to an integrated control system for additive manufacturing. Background Technology

[0002] In additive manufacturing systems, the slave devices typically come from different manufacturers and each has its own independent control unit. To achieve automation and intelligence in the additive manufacturing process, they need to be centrally controlled and have rapid communication and collaboration capabilities between them. Current integration methods connect the slave devices to the industrial control host via their I / O interfaces. Communication between slave devices also occurs through I / O interfaces. This method suffers from low communication efficiency, complex electrical wiring, and any replacement or addition of slave devices affects the wiring of the entire control system, making modifications difficult and inflexible. Furthermore, the motion control system is a crucial component of the additive manufacturing system. To adapt to different application scenarios, different motion control systems are often selected during system integration. Different motion control systems require different specialized control boards for I / O signal communication, significantly increasing the complexity and overall cost of equipment integration. Additionally, controlling existing additive manufacturing systems requires pre-setting parameters such as motion speed, powder feed rate, and laser power before additive manufacturing of the target workpiece. However, existing additive manufacturing systems still have deficiencies in motion speed control, which can easily lead to powder accumulation at the beginning and end points, affecting the quality of the manufactured workpiece. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide an integrated control system for additive manufacturing, which solves the problems of complex electrical wiring, low flexibility, and poor quality of additive manufacturing workpieces caused by existing control methods.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0005] This invention provides an integrated control system for additive manufacturing, comprising: an industrial control host, which is connected to a heat source device, a feeding device, and a bus servo driver for each axis in the additive manufacturing system via a bus.

[0006] The industrial control host controls the feeding device to deliver filament or powder material to below the cladding head, and controls the bus servo drivers of each axis to drive the motion axis to move the cladding head. At the same time, the industrial control host acquires the coordinates and real-time movement speed of the cladding head during the additive manufacturing process, and controls the start and stop of the heat source device and the feeding device according to the coordinates and movement speed. At the same time, when the cladding head changes speed or direction, the parameters of the heat source device and the feeding device are adjusted so that the heat source device melts the filament or powder material when the cladding head moves at a preset speed, until the additive manufacturing of the workpiece is completed.

[0007] Compared with existing technologies, the present invention provides an integrated control system for additive manufacturing, comprising: an industrial control host that communicates with the heat source device, feeding device, and each axis bus servo driver in the additive manufacturing system via a bus, realizing integrated control of the additive manufacturing system. The bus connection reduces the complexity of electrical connections; when changing equipment in the additive manufacturing system, only disconnecting or connecting the bus is required for the industrial control host to communicate and control the changed equipment, providing high flexibility. The industrial control host controls the feeding device to convey filament or powder material to below the cladding head, and controls each axis bus servo driver to drive the motion axis to move the cladding head. Simultaneously, the industrial control host acquires the coordinates and real-time movement speed of the cladding head during the additive manufacturing process, and controls the start and stop of the heat source device and the feeding device based on the coordinates and movement speed. At the same time, when the cladding head changes speed or direction, the parameters of the heat source device and the feeding device are adjusted so that the heat source device melts the wire or powder material at a preset speed on the cladding head until the additive manufacturing of the workpiece is completed. Through the coordinated control of the movement speed change of the cladding head, the powder feeder and the heat source device, it is possible to avoid the accumulation of powder due to speed changes at the beginning or turning point of the movement trajectory during the additive manufacturing process of the workpiece, which would affect the quality of the workpiece.

[0008] Optionally, the heat source device is a laser or a welding power source;

[0009] When the heat source device is a laser, the feeding device is a powder feeder; when the heat source device is a welding power source, the feeding device is a wire feeder.

[0010] The industrial control host integrates a database, which stores configuration information, slicing strategies, kinematic models, and cladding strategies for various types of materials, corresponding to the device identifier.

[0011] Optionally, the industrial control host acquires workpiece information and motion axis information of the workpiece to be processed; the workpiece information includes at least the material type and structural information of the workpiece to be processed; the motion axis information includes the device identifier of the motion system, the size information of each motion axis, and the corresponding servo motor operating parameters; the motion system includes motion axes;

[0012] Based on the workpiece information and motion axis information, the corresponding slicing strategy, kinematic model, and cladding strategy are obtained through matching.

[0013] Based on the matching slicing strategy, kinematic model, and cladding strategy, the additive manufacturing system is automatically controlled to perform additive manufacturing on the workpiece to be processed.

[0014] Optionally, the industrial control host matches a slicing strategy based on the structural information of the workpiece to be processed, and performs slicing processing on the three-dimensional model of the workpiece to be processed according to the slicing strategy. At the same time, it matches a cladding strategy based on the material type. The industrial control host performs additive manufacturing based on the cladding strategy and the slicing processing file. The cladding strategy includes movement speed, powder feeding amount or wire feeding speed, cladding power, and the mapping relationship between the movement speed, powder feeding amount or wire feeding speed, and cladding power.

[0015] Optionally, the industrial control host matches the kinematic model according to the device identifier of the motion system, and sets the parameters corresponding to the kinematic model according to the size information of each motion axis and the working parameters of the corresponding servo motor. During the additive manufacturing process, the industrial control host controls the bus servo driver of each axis according to the set kinematic model.

[0016] Optionally, the industrial control host integrates an interpolation algorithm; during the additive manufacturing process, when the industrial control host controls the heat source device to emit heat or controls the feeding device to convey filaments or powders, the interpolation algorithm corrects the movement speed of the cladding head to ensure that the cladding head maintains a uniform speed while the parameters of the heat source device and the feeding device are kept constant under the control of the industrial control host; when the cladding head changes speed or direction, the industrial control host adjusts the parameters of the heat source device and the feeding device to ensure the consistency of cladding.

[0017] Optionally, the additive manufacturing integrated control system also includes a bus coupler, which is connected to the industrial control host via a bus, and the bus coupler is connected to devices in the additive manufacturing system that do not have bus functionality.

[0018] Optionally, the industrial control host includes a human-machine interface, which is used to customize the movement speed, powder feeding amount or wire feeding speed and cladding power in the cladding strategy, and to display the complete path of the additive manufacturing process and the current status of each device in the additive manufacturing system.

[0019] Optionally, when the additive manufacturing system changes equipment, the industrial control host connects to the changed equipment via a bus. The industrial control host obtains the equipment identifier of each device in the additive manufacturing system and sets the parameters of the heat source device, the feeding device, and the bus servo driver of each axis according to the equipment identifier.

[0020] Optionally, the additive manufacturing system further includes a water chiller, a CCD camera, an infrared camera, and a solenoid valve. The industrial control host is connected to the water chiller, CCD camera, infrared camera, and solenoid valve via a bus. The industrial control host controls the water chiller to physically cool the cladding head, controls the CCD camera to acquire the cladding quality of the current additive manufacturing layer, controls the infrared camera to acquire the temperature gradient of the current additive manufacturing layer, and controls the solenoid valve to adjust the protective gas flow rate. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and are used to explain the invention, but do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 This invention provides a schematic diagram of an integrated control system for additive manufacturing.

[0023] Figure 2 The present invention provides an automatic control method flowchart for an integrated control system for additive manufacturing.

[0024] Figure label:

[0025] 1-Industrial control host, 2-Bus coupler, 3-IO control device, 4-Servo driver for each axis, 5-Servo motor, 6-Motion axis, 7-Heat source device, 8-Feeding device, 9-Water chiller, 10-Sensor detection device, 11-Auxiliary equipment. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "first" and "second" are used to distinguish identical or similar items with essentially the same function and effect. For example, the first threshold and the second threshold are merely used to distinguish different thresholds and do not limit their order. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0027] It should be noted that in this invention, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this invention should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0028] In this invention, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, a combination of a and b, a combination of a and c, a combination of b and c, or a, b, and c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0029] Before introducing the embodiments of the present invention, the relevant terms involved in the embodiments of the present invention are first defined as follows:

[0030] Interpolation algorithms are used in machining to approximate the diverse shapes of parts in actual machining. Regardless of the complexity of the shape, the part's contour must ultimately be approximated by straight lines or arcs for CNC machining. The interpolation algorithm takes basic data (such as the start and end coordinates of a straight line, and the start, end, and center coordinates of an arc) as input to the CNC system, applies a specific algorithm to calculate the coordinates, and issues feed commands to the corresponding coordinates based on the calculation results. Corresponding to each feed command, the machine tool moves a certain distance in the corresponding coordinate direction, thereby machining the required contour shape of the workpiece.

[0031] Laser cladding additive manufacturing technology involves depositing molten metal powder or wire onto a base material layer by layer to form 3D printed parts. This technology can produce workpieces with extremely high precision and surface quality. However, existing additive manufacturing systems suffer from complex electrical wiring, low flexibility, and control methods that can easily lead to powder buildup, affecting the quality of the processed workpiece. Furthermore, when additive manufacturing requires more intelligent process control methods, such as the correlated control of changes in motion speed, power, and powder feed rate, it is difficult to achieve in existing non-open CNC systems.

[0032] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides an integrated control system for additive manufacturing, employing Linux CNC multi-axis linkage control. By simultaneously controlling multiple axes of the motion system within the additive manufacturing system, and in conjunction with various pre-built interpolation algorithms, the additive manufacturing system achieves extremely high degrees of freedom, enabling it to complete various complex trajectories and paths, significantly improving the forming capabilities of additive manufacturing. Linux CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) is an open-source CNC machine tool controller running under Linux, supporting up to 9-axis linkage control. It incorporates a forward-looking real-time trajectory planner module, enabling real-time trajectory error limiting, axis synchronous motion control, and adaptive feed rate control. Through a customized kinematic model, it can support non-Cartesian space motion control and can drive milling machines, lathes, 3D printers, laser cutters, plasma cutters, robotic arms, hexapods, etc. The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, further clarifies the process.

[0033] Figure 1 This invention provides a schematic diagram of an integrated control system for additive manufacturing, as shown below. Figure 1As shown, this additive manufacturing integrated control system is used for the integrated control of an additive manufacturing system. The system includes an industrial control host 1 and a bus coupler 2. The industrial control host is connected to the control devices in the additive manufacturing system via a bus. The additive manufacturing system may include a heat source device 7, a feeding device 8, a water chiller 9, a multi-axis CNC system, a sensor detection device 10, and auxiliary equipment 11. The multi-axis CNC system includes bus servo drivers 4 for each axis and servo motors 5 corresponding to the motion axes. The bus servo drivers 4 and servo motors 5 are connected via power lines and encoder lines. The multi-axis CNC system is used to control the motion of the motion system, which is a motion structure composed of motion axes 6, such as a six-axis robot or a three-axis machine tool. The industrial control host communicates with the bus servo drivers 4, heat source device 7, feeding device 8, water chiller 9, sensor detection device 10, and auxiliary equipment 11 via a bus. The bus can be EtherCAT, PROFIBUS, PROFINET, or ModBUS, etc. The industrial control host 1 is connected to the bus coupler 2 via a bus. If the equipment in the additive manufacturing system does not have bus access functionality, such as the IO control device 3, then the IO control device 3 is connected to the bus coupler 2 via an IO interface. The additive manufacturing system can be a laser cladding additive manufacturing system or an arc additive manufacturing system. In the laser cladding additive manufacturing system, the heat source device 7 is a laser, the feeding device 8 is a powder feeder, the heat source is a laser, the cladding head is a laser cladding head, and the powder feeder is connected to the laser cladding head via a pipe. The powder outlet is located directly below the cladding head. The laser generated by the laser is connected to the laser cladding head via an optical fiber to melt the metal powder conveyed by the powder feeder, forming the workpiece layer by layer. In the arc additive manufacturing system, the heat source device 7 is a welding power source, the feeding device is a wire feeder, the heat source is an electric arc, and the cladding head is an arc welding torch. The sensor detection device 10 may include an infrared camera and a CCD camera. The auxiliary equipment 11 may include a fluorescent lamp and a solenoid valve.

[0034] The industrial control host controls the feeding device to deliver filament or powder to the area below the cladding head, and controls the bus servo drivers of each axis to drive the motion axis to move the cladding head. The industrial control host acquires the coordinates and real-time movement speed of the cladding head during the additive manufacturing process, and controls the start / stop and parameter adjustment of the heat source device and the feeding device according to the coordinates and movement speed. Specifically, the industrial control host controls the heat source device to melt the filament or powder when the cladding head moves at a preset speed. When the cladding head changes speed or direction, the industrial control host smoothly adjusts the parameters of the heat source device and the feeding device to ensure the consistency of the cladding, until the additive manufacturing of the workpiece is completed.

[0035] In the additive manufacturing process, the movement of the cladding head includes acceleration before reaching the preset speed, uniform movement at the preset speed, and deceleration from the preset speed to the stop. This additive manufacturing integrated control system can ensure that the cladding head stably performs additive manufacturing after reaching the preset speed through the industrial control host. At the same time, the industrial control host can smoothly adjust the parameters of the heat source device and the feeding device when the cladding head changes speed or direction, so that the process parameters of the cladding process can match the real-time situation to meet the needs of the cladding workpiece.

[0036] The industrial control host uses a bus to physically cool the cladding head with a water chiller, controls a CCD camera to acquire the cladding quality of the current additive manufacturing layer, controls an infrared camera to acquire the temperature gradient of the current additive manufacturing layer, and controls a solenoid valve to adjust the flow rate of protective gas.

[0037] As an optional approach, a Linux system runs on the industrial control host, on which integrated control system software based on Linux CNC is developed. The industrial control host integrates a database that stores configuration information corresponding to the device identifier, slicing strategies, kinematic models, and cladding strategies for each material. The configuration information consists of parameters required to control the equipment. For example, the laser's configuration information includes laser power and on / off status; the powder feeder's configuration information includes powder feeding amount and feeding speed; and the configuration information for each axis bus servo driver can include the controlled motor's power, position proportional gain, speed proportional gain, acceleration and speed upper and lower limits, and accuracy. Slicing strategies include commonly used basic shape slicing trajectories and various general slicing strategies, such as uniform layer thickness slicing strategies, variable layer thickness slicing strategies, and non-planar slicing strategies. The kinematic model is used to drive the motors of each axis bus servo driver, thereby performing motion control of the motion system. This includes commonly used kinematic models, such as the kinematic models of three-axis motion systems, five-axis motion systems, and six-axis robot motion systems. When the feeding device is a powder feeder, the cladding strategy includes parameters such as movement speed, powder feeding amount, laser or welding power source power, and the correspondence between these parameters. When the feeding device is a wire feeder, the cladding strategy includes parameters such as movement speed, wire feeding speed, laser or welding power source power, and the correspondence between these parameters, where movement speed refers to the movement speed of the cladding head. The system also includes a device identification module, which matches the acquired device identifier with pre-stored device identifiers to determine the device type for easy and rapid configuration. The software instruction library includes workpiece coordinate system transformation instructions to convert the machine tool coordinate system to the workpiece coordinate system; and automatic laser power adjustment instructions for acceleration and deceleration during trajectory start-up or turning. More intelligent control instructions can be independently developed at the system's underlying level.

[0038] The integrated control system for additive manufacturing mainly consists of two modes: initial configuration mode and operational mode. The initial configuration mode includes configuring the parameters of each device and matching the kinematic model. This initial configuration model is used when assembling or changing equipment within the industrial control host system and the laser cladding additive manufacturing system or the arc additive manufacturing system. Equipment changes generally include adding, removing, or replacing equipment. When replacing the motion system in an additive manufacturing system, if the new motion system does not require replacing the servo motors or the power of the replaced servo motors does not exceed the power limit of the current axis bus servo drivers, then it is not necessary to replace the axis bus servo drivers. The process of replacing the motion system in an additive manufacturing system typically involves changing the original spatial distribution of some or all of the servo motors and then matching the kinematic model accordingly to adapt to different processing requirements.

[0039] The operating modes include slicing strategy matching and cladding strategy matching. In the operating mode, the system can perform slicing, cladding strategy selection and integrated control in its control software. The software can import the model to be clad in a specific format into the software and preset various parameters for slicing. The software can then automatically generate slicing paths based on the structure and shape features of the model and provide guidance on the preferred parameters for the feature type of the cladding workpiece. The operator can choose to execute immediately or save the current file.

[0040] Specifically, the process of configuring the parameters of each device includes: When assembling or changing equipment in the additive manufacturing system, the industrial control host connects to each device in the additive manufacturing system via a bus. The industrial control host obtains the device identifier of each device in the additive manufacturing system and automatically identifies the configuration information of each device connected via the bus based on the configuration information corresponding to the device identifier stored in the database. The host then sets and controls the parameters of each device, such as each axis bus servo driver, heat source device, feeding device, water chiller, sensor detection device, and auxiliary equipment, based on the configuration information. The device identifier can be the device model.

[0041] Automatic control methods for additive manufacturing integrated control systems can be combined Figure 2 Please provide an explanation, such as Figure 2 As shown, the industrial control host first acquires the workpiece information and motion axis information of the workpiece to be processed. The workpiece information includes at least the material type and structural information of the workpiece. The motion axis information includes the equipment identifier of the motion system, the size information of each motion axis, and the corresponding servo motor operating parameters. The servo motor operating parameters include: upper limit of acceleration, lower limit of acceleration, upper limit of speed, lower limit of speed, and the accuracy of acceleration and speed. Then, based on the workpiece information and motion axis information, the corresponding slicing strategy, the kinematic model of the CNC equipment, and the cladding strategy are obtained. Based on the slicing strategy and cladding strategy obtained by matching, a processing file is generated. According to the processing file and the kinematic model, the automatic control additive manufacturing system is used to perform additive manufacturing on the workpiece to be processed.

[0042] As an optional approach, the specific steps for slicing strategy matching and cladding strategy matching are as follows: the industrial control host matches the slicing strategy based on the structural information of the workpiece to be processed, and performs slicing processing on the 3D model of the workpiece to be processed according to the slicing strategy. At the same time, the cladding strategy is matched according to the material type. The industrial control host sets the powder feeding amount or wire feeding speed of the feeding device, the power of the heat source device, and the control parameters of each axis bus servo driver according to the cladding strategy and actual needs, and performs additive manufacturing based on the slicing processing file.

[0043] As an optional approach, the specific steps of kinematic model matching are as follows: based on the motion mode of the motion system of the additive manufacturing system, relevant configurations and model presets are completed; the industrial control host determines the spatial distribution of servo motors based on the equipment identifier of the motion system, and matches the kinematic model of the multi-axis CNC system based on the spatial distribution of the servo motors; and sets the parameters of the kinematic model based on the size information of each motion axis and the corresponding working parameters of the servo motor. During the additive manufacturing process, the industrial control host controls the bus servo drivers of each axis based on the kinematic model after parameter setting.

[0044] As an optional approach, the industrial control host integrates various interpolation algorithms. Taking the laser cladding additive manufacturing system as an example, since current equipment or control systems cannot control the laser or powder feeder without changing the movement speed, i.e., once the laser or powder feeder is controlled, the movement stops immediately, the interpolation algorithm can avoid affecting the movement speed while controlling the laser or powder feeder during the movement. The purpose of the interpolation algorithm is to ensure that the movement can still be kept at a constant speed while controlling the laser or powder feeder, so as to solve the problems of abnormal molten pool morphology caused by the mismatch between movement speed, laser power and powder feed amount due to speed changes during acceleration or deceleration, which in turn leads to poor workpiece quality.

[0045] Optionally, the industrial control host integrates an interpolation algorithm; during the additive manufacturing process, when the industrial control host controls the heat source device to emit heat or controls the feeding device to convey filaments or powders, the interpolation algorithm corrects the movement speed of the cladding head to ensure that the cladding head maintains a uniform speed while the parameters of the heat source device and the feeding device are kept constant by the industrial control host; when the cladding head changes speed or direction, the industrial control host smoothly adjusts the parameters of the heat source device and the feeding device to ensure the consistency of cladding.

[0046] Optionally, the additive manufacturing integrated control system also includes a bus coupler, which is connected to the industrial control host via a bus and to the controlled devices in the additive manufacturing system that only have I / O interfaces.

[0047] Specifically, different types of motion systems require different interpolation algorithms. The industrial control host connects to the motion system via a bus and can automatically identify and match the corresponding interpolation algorithm. During additive manufacturing, when the industrial control host controls the heat source device to emit heat or controls the feeding device to convey filaments or powders, it corrects the movement speed of the cladding head through the interpolation algorithm. This ensures that the cladding head maintains a uniform speed while the parameters of the heat source device and the feeding device remain constant during the control process of the industrial control host. When the cladding head changes speed or direction, the parameters of the heat source device and the feeding device are smoothly adjusted to ensure the consistency of the cladding process. When the heat source is a laser and the feeding device is a powder feeder, the industrial control host (ICN) controls the powder feeder to start feeding powder, or controls the laser to emit laser light, to obtain path instructions from the current slice file to be printed. Combined with the real-time coordinates and speeds of each motion axis, an interpolation algorithm is used to control the linear velocity of the cladding head, ensuring that the trajectory and speed of the cladding head remain consistent with the preset values ​​in the slice file. In practical applications, the powder feeder can be turned on first. When the cladding head reaches the preset position coordinates and its speed is constant, the ICN controls the laser to emit laser light. When the cladding head reaches the next preset position coordinates, the ICN controls the laser to turn off, until it reaches the next cladding processing starting point and emits laser light again. An interpolation algorithm is required to correct the movement speed when both the powder feeder and laser are turned on.

[0048] As an optional approach, the industrial control host includes a human-machine interface (HMI). Through the HMI, parameters such as motion speed, powder or wire feeding speed, and cladding power in the cladding strategy can be customized. At the same time, parameters in the configuration information of each device can be input and modified. The complete path of the additive manufacturing process and the current status of each device can be displayed. It can also realize the input of process parameters, the programming of processing programs, and the display of motion axis coordinates.

[0049] This invention provides an integrated control system for additive manufacturing. Its simple operation solves the problems of discontinuous data updates and operational disruptions caused by separate software implementations for equipment assembly, model processing, cladding strategy presets, and system control in traditional laser cladding production. The entire additive manufacturing cycle, from equipment parameter settings to workpiece cladding control, is performed within this system, improving operational continuity and avoiding the generation of numerous unnecessary process files during software switching, thus significantly increasing pre-processing efficiency. The integrated control system features multiple kinematic models and a high-speed bus integration scheme. Therefore, when rebuilding or modifying the additive manufacturing system, complex programming is unnecessary; simply connecting and communicating with each slave device and inputting the corresponding configuration information and required operating parameters in the configuration interface is sufficient. Furthermore, this invention facilitates system assembly through both the device and software sides. The built-in kinematic models and bus technology make equipment assembly, maintenance, and secondary modifications extremely convenient. Furthermore, the integrated control software's auxiliary functions allow the entire laser cladding process to be completed within the same software, ensuring data flow continuity while avoiding operational inconvenience and excessive process files caused by software changes. Thanks to the embedded multi-axis linkage control CNC system, when the configured physical equipment is multi-axis, it supports supportless printing and cladding of various complex and irregularly shaped parts, thus offering a high degree of freedom.

[0050] Although the invention has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments by reviewing the accompanying drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims in carrying out the claimed invention. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0051] Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely exemplary descriptions of the invention as defined by the appended claims, and are considered to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of the invention. Clearly, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Thus, if such modifications and modifications of the invention fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, the invention is also intended to include such modifications and modifications.

Claims

1. An integrated control system for additive manufacturing, characterized in that, include: The industrial control host is connected to the heat source device, feeding device, and each axis bus servo driver in the additive manufacturing system via a bus. The industrial control host controls the feeding device to deliver filament or powder to below the cladding head, and controls the bus servo drivers of each axis to drive the motion axis to move the cladding head. At the same time, the industrial control host acquires the coordinates and real-time movement speed of the cladding head during the additive manufacturing process, and controls the start and stop of the heat source device and the feeding device according to the coordinates and movement speed. At the same time, when the cladding head changes speed or direction, the parameters of the heat source device and the feeding device are adjusted so that the heat source device melts the filament or powder when the cladding head moves at a preset speed, until the additive manufacturing of the workpiece is completed. The industrial control host integrates a database, which stores configuration information, slicing strategies, kinematic models, and cladding strategies for various types of materials corresponding to the device identifier. The industrial control host integrates an interpolation algorithm. During the additive manufacturing process, when the industrial control host controls the heat source device to emit heat or controls the feeding device to convey filaments or powders, the interpolation algorithm corrects the movement speed of the cladding head to ensure that the cladding head maintains a uniform speed while the parameters of the heat source device and the feeding device are kept constant. When the cladding head changes speed or direction, the industrial control host adjusts the parameters of the heat source device and the feeding device to ensure the consistency of the cladding. The industrial control host acquires workpiece information and motion axis information of the workpiece to be processed; the workpiece information includes at least the material type and structural information of the workpiece to be processed; the motion axis information includes the equipment identifier of the motion system, the size information of each motion axis, and the corresponding servo motor operating parameters; the motion system includes motion axes; Based on the workpiece information and motion axis information, the corresponding slicing strategy, kinematic model, and cladding strategy are obtained through matching. Based on the matching slicing strategy, kinematic model, and cladding strategy, the additive manufacturing system is automatically controlled to perform additive manufacturing on the workpiece to be processed.

2. The additive manufacturing integrated control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat source device is a laser or a welding power source; When the heat source device is a laser, the feeding device is a powder feeder; when the heat source device is a welding power source, the feeding device is a wire feeder.

3. The additive manufacturing integrated control system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The industrial control host matches a slicing strategy based on the structural information of the workpiece to be processed, and performs slicing processing on the three-dimensional model of the workpiece to be processed according to the slicing strategy. At the same time, it matches a cladding strategy based on the material type. The industrial control host performs additive manufacturing based on the cladding strategy and the slicing processing file. The cladding strategy includes movement speed, powder feeding amount or wire feeding speed, cladding power, and the correspondence between the movement speed, powder feeding amount or wire feeding speed, and cladding power.

4. The additive manufacturing integrated control system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The industrial control host matches the kinematic model according to the device identifier of the motion system, and sets the parameters corresponding to the kinematic model according to the size information of each motion axis and the working parameters of the corresponding servo motor. During the additive manufacturing process, the industrial control host controls the bus servo driver of each axis according to the set kinematic model.

5. The additive manufacturing integrated control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The additive manufacturing integrated control system also includes a bus coupler, which is connected to the industrial control host via a bus, and the bus coupler is connected to devices in the additive manufacturing system that do not have bus functionality.

6. The additive manufacturing integrated control system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The industrial control host includes a human-machine interface, which is used to customize the movement speed, powder feeding amount or wire feeding speed and cladding power in the cladding strategy, and to display the complete path of the additive manufacturing process and the current status of each device in the additive manufacturing system.

7. The additive manufacturing integrated control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the additive manufacturing system changes equipment, the industrial control host connects to the changed equipment via a bus. The industrial control host obtains the equipment identifier of each device in the additive manufacturing system and sets the parameters of the heat source device, feeding device, and each axis bus servo driver according to the equipment identifier.

8. The additive manufacturing integrated control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The additive manufacturing system also includes a water chiller, a CCD camera, an infrared camera, and a solenoid valve. The industrial control host is connected to the water chiller, CCD camera, infrared camera, and solenoid valve via a bus. The industrial control host controls the water chiller to physically cool the cladding head, controls the CCD camera to acquire the cladding quality of the current additive manufacturing layer, controls the infrared camera to acquire the temperature gradient of the current additive manufacturing layer, and controls the solenoid valve to adjust the protective gas flow rate.

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