Additive manufacturing apparatus, device and method

Abstract

The application relates to an additive manufacturing mechanism, device and method; wherein the additive manufacturing mechanism comprises a stirring needle and a shaft shoulder; the outer side of the stirring needle is provided with a first spiral groove extending along the axial direction thereof; the shaft shoulder is sleeved on the stirring needle, and the inner side of the shaft shoulder is provided with a second spiral groove extending along the axial direction thereof; the stirring needle can rotate relative to the shaft shoulder; the first spiral groove has a first rotation direction, the second spiral groove has a second rotation direction, and the first rotation direction is opposite to the second rotation direction. The additive material entering the first spiral groove and the second spiral groove is rubbed and cut by the rotating stirring needle; the cutting force makes the additive material deform and break, forming fine particles so that the additive material can be quickly heated and plasticized; the friction increases the heat generation; the heat generated by the friction makes the additive material keep in a hot plastic state, improves the fluidity of the additive material, reduces the distortion and cold lap joint defects of the forming interface, and helps the forming of the surface of the additive product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of additive manufacturing technology, and in particular to an additive manufacturing mechanism, apparatus and method. Background Technology

[0002] Additive manufacturing (AM) is a process that uses computer technology to pre-create and plan 3D models, and then uses a digital, controllable heat source to melt, clad, or stack materials layer by layer to rapidly form structural or functional parts. It has five major technical characteristics: digital manufacturing, dimensional reduction manufacturing, stacking manufacturing, direct manufacturing, and rapid manufacturing. It has attracted widespread attention worldwide and has brought about a series of profound changes to traditional manufacturing industries. It can be widely used in aerospace, defense industry, medical devices, architectural design, automobile manufacturing and other fields.

[0003] Existing friction stir additive manufacturing methods are similar to friction stir welding for multilayer plate lap joints, including transverse additive manufacturing perpendicular to the lap direction and additive manufacturing parallel to the material thickness direction. Previous studies have shown that the microstructure and properties of existing friction stir welded lap joints are closely related to the interface state; distortion and cold lap defects are prone to occur at the interface, reducing the joint's performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] (1) Technical problems to be solved

[0005] This invention provides an additive manufacturing mechanism, apparatus, and method that solves the technical problems of distortion and cold lap joint defects that easily occur in existing additive manufacturing joints.

[0006] (2) Technical solution

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide an additive manufacturing mechanism, including a stirring pin and a shoulder; the outer side of the stirring pin is provided with a first helical groove extending along its axial direction; the shoulder is sleeved on the stirring pin, and the inner side of the shoulder is provided with a second helical groove extending along its axial direction; wherein the stirring pin is rotatable relative to the shoulder, the first helical groove has a first direction of rotation, the second helical groove has a second direction of rotation, and the first direction of rotation is opposite to the second direction of rotation.

[0008] Preferably, a cavity is formed between the end of the stirring needle and the shoulder.

[0009] Preferably, the end face of the shoulder is provided with a plurality of planar threaded grooves, which are in communication with the cavity.

[0010] Secondly, the present invention provides an additive manufacturing apparatus for performing additive manufacturing on a substrate surface, comprising a head, a mounting plate, and an additive manufacturing mechanism as described in any of the above technical solutions; the head is configured to be connected to the stirring needle and is used to drive the stirring needle to rotate; the mounting plate is used to support the substrate and is disposed below the stirring needle, and the mounting plate is movable along the axial or radial direction of the stirring needle.

[0011] Preferably, the additive manufacturing apparatus further includes: a feeding box, a heating component, and a conveying component; the feeding box is provided with a storage cavity for storing powdered raw materials; the heating component is used to heat the powdered raw materials to transform them into plastic deposited materials; the conveying component connects the feeding box and the second spiral groove and is used to convey the plastic deposited materials to the second spiral groove.

[0012] Preferably, the conveying assembly includes a driving device, a material cylinder, and a spiral conveying rod. The material cylinder has a conveying cavity that communicates with the material storage cavity. The driving device is connected to the spiral conveying rod and is used to drive the spiral conveying rod to rotate. The spiral conveying rod is located inside the conveying cavity.

[0013] Preferably, the additive manufacturing apparatus further includes a feed pipe, a quick-connect coupling, and a check valve. The feed pipe is connected to the conveying assembly, the quick-connect coupling is equipped with a check valve, and the quick-connect coupling is detachably connected to the feed pipe and the feed box.

[0014] Preferably, the additive manufacturing apparatus further includes a fixed support, the bottom of the feeding box is ellipsoidal or conical, the lowest point of the bottom of the feeding box is provided with a discharge port communicating with the storage cavity, the discharge port is used to communicate with the conveying assembly, and the feeding box is limited and connected to the support.

[0015] Preferably, a pressure sensor is provided on the end face of the die head near the stirring pin, and the pressure sensor is used to detect the forging force between the stirring pin and the shoulder.

[0016] Thirdly, the present invention provides an additive manufacturing method for forming additive articles on the surface of a substrate, employing any of the additive manufacturing apparatus described in the above technical solutions, the method comprising the following steps:

[0017] S10: Start the heating component to heat the powdered raw material to a preset temperature, start the machine head, and drive the stirring needle to rotate;

[0018] S20: The powdered raw material is heated and transformed into a plastic deposited material. The conveying assembly is activated, and the conveying assembly conveys the plastic deposited material into the second spiral groove.

[0019] S30: The stirring pin rotates relative to the shoulder, stirring, rubbing and cutting the plastic deposited material between the stirring pin and the shoulder;

[0020] S40: Plastic deposited material flows out from the first and second spiral grooves and is deposited on the substrate surface to form an additive product.

[0021] (3) Beneficial effects

[0022] In summary, the additive material enters the first and second spiral grooves and moves downwards along them. The rotating stirring pins drive the first spiral groove to rotate, causing relative movement between the two grooves. The additive material entering the first and second spiral grooves is rubbed and cut by the rotating stirring pins. The cutting force causes the additive material to deform and break down into fine particles, allowing it to be quickly heated and plasticized. Friction increases heat generation, which keeps the additive material in a thermoplastic state, improves its fluidity, reduces distortion at the forming interface and cold overlap defects, and contributes to the surface shaping of the additive product. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of region A in the middle.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the end face structure of the shoulder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] In the picture:

[0028] 100. Additive manufacturing mechanism; 200. Additive manufacturing apparatus; 300. Substrate;

[0029] 110. Stirring needle; 120. Shoulder; 130. Cavity; 111. First spiral groove; 121. Second spiral groove; 122. Planar threaded groove;

[0030] 210. Machine head; 211. Pressure sensor; 220. Mounting plate; 230. Feed box; 240. Heating assembly; 250. Conveying assembly; 260. Feeding pipe; 270. Quick-connect coupling; 280. Check valve; 290. Bracket; 231. Storage chamber; 232. Discharge port; 251. Drive unit; 252. Material cylinder; 253. Screw conveyor; 254. Flange; 291. Mounting bracket;

[0031] 2521. Conveying chamber; 2522. Connecting channel. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawings are used to illustrate the principles of the present invention by way of example, but should not be used to limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and any modifications, substitutions and improvements to the parts, components and connection methods are covered without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0033] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0034] Based on the heat source, metal additive manufacturing is divided into arc, laser, and electron beam additive manufacturing. Early research in metal additive manufacturing primarily focused on layer-by-layer processing of complex structures using sintering or melting of metal materials. However, aluminum alloys, due to their high coefficient of linear expansion and high thermal conductivity, present numerous challenges in the additive manufacturing process. Laser additive manufacturing suffers from slow forming rates, high light reflectivity, low energy utilization, and large deformation. Electron beam additive manufacturing limits part dimensions and causes significant deformation. Arc additive manufacturing results in severe component deformation and difficulty in dimensional control. The main challenge in metal additive manufacturing lies in the high melting point of metals. The additive process involves solid-liquid phase transitions, surface diffusion, and heat conduction, requiring consideration of the microstructure and crystallization. For these reasons, existing additive technologies have limitations in forming aluminum alloy components.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an additive manufacturing apparatus 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of region A in the middle, as shown below. Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, an embodiment of the present invention proposes an additive manufacturing mechanism 100, including a stirring pin 110 and a shoulder 120; the outer side of the stirring pin 110 is provided with a first helical groove 111 extending along its axial direction; the shoulder 120 is sleeved on the stirring pin 110, and the inner side of the shoulder 120 is provided with a second helical groove 121 extending along its axial direction; wherein, the stirring pin 110 is rotatable relative to the shoulder 120, the first helical groove 111 has a first helical direction, and the second helical groove 121 has a second helical direction, the first helical direction being opposite to the second helical direction. The embodiments of this application do not limit the number of turns or the pitch of the first helical groove 111 and the second helical groove 121. For ease of explanation, it should be noted that the material used in the additive manufacturing process is named additive material, which is generally a metallic material, including but not limited to aluminum, carbon steel, etc.; the component used to support the additive material is named substrate 300, which is preferably made of the same type of material as the additive material to facilitate the bonding between the two; and the final product formed by additive manufacturing is named additive product. Preferably, the stirring pin 110 has a cylindrical structure; the stirring pin 110 is preferably made of tool steel. Specifically, the shape of the end face of the stirring pin 110 includes, but is not limited to, a flat shape, a pointed shape, or a threaded head. The outer diameter of the stirring pin 110 should be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the shoulder 120 so that the stirring pin 110 can be inserted into the shoulder 120. It should be noted that the rotation direction of the first helical groove 111 and the second helical groove 121 depends on the rotation direction of the stirring pin 110 during the friction stir additive manufacturing process. For example, when the stirring pin 110 rotates clockwise, the first helical groove 111 and the second helical groove 121 can allow the additive material to flow downward along the axial direction of the stirring pin 120, and the additive material can eventually be deposited on the substrate 300.

[0036] The implementation principle of this embodiment is as follows: The stirring pin 110 can rotate at high speed and generate heat through friction with the substrate 300. As the temperature rises, the metal is plasticized. With the relative movement of the stirring head, the plasticized metal migrates backward under the action of the stirring pin. Under the upsetting force of the shoulder 120, the plasticized metal that migrates backward forms an additive layer with fine grains and dense structure. After a single layer of additive material is completed, the shoulder 120 and the stirring pin 110 are simultaneously raised to a certain height and moved to an appropriate position. The above process is repeated to complete the next additive layer. This process is repeated until the desired additive product is finally obtained.

[0037] Through the above technical solution, the additive material enters the first spiral groove 111 and the second spiral groove 121, and moves downward along the first spiral groove 111 and the second spiral groove 121. The stirring needle 110 rotates, driving the first spiral groove 111 to rotate, thereby causing the first spiral groove 111 and the second spiral groove 121 to move relative to each other. The additive material entering the first spiral groove 111 and the second spiral groove 121 is rubbed and cut by the rotating stirring needle 110. The cutting force causes the additive material to deform and break into fine particles, so that it can be quickly heated and plasticized. Friction increases heat generation, and the heat generated by friction keeps the additive material in a thermoplastic state, improves the fluidity of the additive material, reduces the distortion of the forming interface and cold overlap defects, and helps to form the surface of the additive product.

[0038] Compared to other types of additive manufacturing technologies, in this embodiment, when performing additive manufacturing in the vertical direction, the rotating stirring pin 110 can break up the shoulder influence area and migration interface of the upper layer, promote the bonding of the upper and lower additive regions, eliminate the differences between the microstructures of the upper and lower additive regions, and thus improve the strength of the additive product.

[0039] Compared to conventional friction stir welding additive manufacturing technology, which relies solely on frictional heat generation at the interface between the stirring pin and the substrate 300, insufficient heat generation at low stirring pin rotation speeds leads to inadequate plasticization of the additive material (typically metal), resulting in poor material flowability and hindering surface forming in additive manufacturing. In contrast, the stirring pin 110 provided in this embodiment can rub the additive material located within the first helical groove 111 and the second helical groove 121, increasing heat generation and ensuring sufficient plasticization of the additive material. This improves its flowability, reduces distortion and cold overlap defects at the forming interface, and facilitates surface forming. Furthermore, existing friction stir welding additive manufacturing technologies typically utilize wire or strip materials as filler materials. During the additive manufacturing process, the clearance between the shoulder and the stirring pin affects the surface forming of the additive product. Specifically, if the clearance is too large, the thermally expanded filler material (typically metal) will flow back upwards along the clearance under the shoulder pressure, resulting in insufficient metal below the shoulder and surface defects. In this embodiment, the additive material flows directly downwards through the first spiral groove 111 and the second spiral groove 121 to the top of the substrate 300. During the additive manufacturing process, additive material is always present in the gap between the stirring pin 110 and the shoulder 120. This additive material prevents the additive material on the substrate 300 from flowing back upwards, thereby avoiding the formation of surface defects.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment, a cavity 130 is formed between the end of the stirring pin 110 and the shoulder 120. The cavity 130 can accommodate more additive material. Preferably, the end of the stirring pin 110 is inverted conical, the shoulder 120 is a hollow cylinder, and the cavity 130 is formed between the periphery of the inverted conical stirring pin 110 and the inner wall of the shoulder 120. Under the action of gravity, the additive material moves downward from the first spiral groove 111 and the second spiral groove 121 into the cavity 130. The cavity 130 can accommodate a large amount of additive material, so as to achieve rapid deposition of additive material per unit time.

[0041] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the end face structure of the shoulder according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in a preferred embodiment, the end face of the shoulder 120 is provided with a plurality of planar threaded grooves 122, which communicate with the cavity 130. Specifically, the plurality of planar threaded grooves 122 are distributed in a vortex shape along the circumference of the shoulder 120. When the stirring pin 110 rotates, it stirs the additive material in its circumference, extruding the additive material from the planar threaded grooves 122 and driving the additive material to diffuse rapidly outward. It is easy to understand that the rotation direction of the planar threaded grooves 122 depends on the rotation direction of the stirring pin 110. For example, when the stirring pin 110 rotates clockwise, the planar threaded grooves 122 are preferably clockwise; when the stirring pin 110 rotates counterclockwise, the planar threaded grooves 122 are preferably counterclockwise. The above arrangement helps the additive material to diffuse rapidly outward under the action of centrifugal force. At the same time, the rapid outward diffusion of the additive material can effectively reduce the height of the migration interface, reduce the amount of additive material migration on the substrate 300, and improve the fatigue performance of the additive product.

[0042] The present invention also provides an additive manufacturing apparatus 200 for performing additive manufacturing on the surface of a substrate 300, including a head 210, a mounting plate 220, and any of the additive manufacturing mechanisms 100 described in the above embodiments; the head 210 is configured to be connected to a stirring needle 110 and is used to drive the stirring needle 110 to rotate; the mounting plate 220 is used to support the substrate 300 and is disposed below the stirring needle 110, and the mounting plate 220 is movable along the axial or radial direction of the stirring needle 110. Specifically, the head 210 is preferably a rotary motor, the output shaft of which is connected to the stirring needle 110. It is readily understood that the mounting plate 220 is connected to a drive assembly, which can drive the mounting plate 220 to move along the axial or radial direction of the stirring needle 110. The mounting plate 220 can move along the axial direction of the stirring pin 110, thereby driving the substrate 300 on it to move in the vertical direction, thus realizing additive manufacturing in the vertical direction. Similarly, the mounting plate 220 can move along the radial direction of the stirring pin 110, thereby driving the substrate 300 on it to move in the horizontal direction, thus realizing additive manufacturing in the horizontal direction. As a modified embodiment of this example, the mounting plate 220 can be a fixed structure, while the head 210 can move along the axial or radial direction of the stirring pin 110, thereby driving the stirring pin 110 on it to move along its axial or radial direction, thus realizing additive manufacturing in both the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment, the additive manufacturing apparatus 200 further includes: a feeding bin 230, a heating assembly 240, and a conveying assembly 250; the feeding bin 230 is provided with a storage chamber 231 for storing powdered raw materials; the heating assembly 240 is used to heat the powdered raw materials to transform them into a plastic deposition material; the conveying assembly 250 connects the feeding bin 230 and the second spiral groove 121, and is used to convey the plastic deposition material to the second spiral groove 121. It should be noted that the powdered raw material is one of the aforementioned additive materials; preferably, the powdered raw material is a powdered granular material; specifically, the powdered raw material includes, but is not limited to, aluminum powder, iron powder, etc. Preferably, when the powdered raw material is aluminum powder, the feeding bin 230 is filled with a high-purity inert gas (preferably argon) to prevent oxidation of the aluminum powder surface, and the higher gas pressure facilitates the discharge of the aluminum powder. Further, the heating assembly 240 includes, but is not limited to, electric heating equipment, electromagnetic induction heating equipment, etc. The heating component 240 can heat the powdered raw material, transforming it into a plastic deposited material, increasing its fluidity, and thus facilitating subsequent additive manufacturing. At the same time, it ensures that the additive material entering the first spiral groove 111 and the second spiral groove 121 is a plasticized fluid, which can reduce the wear of the stirring pin 110 and the shaft shoulder 120 caused by the intense frictional heat generated by the stirring pin 110 and the shaft shoulder 120.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment, the conveying assembly 250 includes a drive device 251, a material cylinder 252, and a screw conveyor 253. The material cylinder 252 has a conveying chamber 2521, which communicates with the storage chamber 231. The drive device 251 is connected to the screw conveyor 253 and drives the screw conveyor 253 to rotate. The screw conveyor 253 is located inside the conveying chamber 2521. Specifically, the drive device 251 is preferably a rotary motor, which can drive the screw conveyor 253 to rotate. The screw conveyor 253 is provided with helical blades. The additive material enters the conveying chamber 2521 from the storage chamber 231 and is conveyed forward as the helical blades rotate. The advantage of using the screw conveyor 253 for conveying is that the amount of additive material conveyed can be controlled by controlling the number of rotations of the rotary motor. Specifically, a connecting channel 2522 is provided on the shoulder 120. The material cylinder 252 communicates with the connecting channel 2522 and is fixed to the shoulder 120 by a flange 254.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment, the additive manufacturing apparatus 200 further includes a feed pipe 260, a quick-connect coupling 270, and a check valve 280. The feed pipe 260 is connected to the conveying assembly 250. The quick-connect coupling 270 is equipped with the check valve 280 and is detachably connected to the feed pipe 260 and the feed box 230. The quick-connect coupling 270 is a quick-detachable connection connector, which facilitates the disassembly of the feed box 230 by connecting the feed pipe 260 and the feed box 230. The check valve 280 controls the opening and closing of the quick-connect coupling 270, thereby controlling the on / off state of the feed pipe 260.

[0046] In a preferred embodiment, the additive manufacturing apparatus 200 further includes a fixedly mounted support 290. The bottom of the feeding box 230 is ellipsoidal or conical, and the lowest point of the bottom of the feeding box 230 is provided with a discharge port 232 communicating with the storage chamber 231. The discharge port 232 is used to communicate with the conveying assembly 250, and the feeding box 230 is limitedly connected to the support 290. The feeding box 230 is detachably connected to the support 290, and the support 290 can be used to support the feeding box 230 to prevent the feeding box 230 from tipping over during welding. The discharge port 232 is located at the lowest point of the bottom of the feeding box 230 to facilitate the discharge of powdered raw materials in the feeding box 230 under its own gravity.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, a pressure sensor 211 is provided on the end face of the die head 210 near the stirring pin 110. The pressure sensor 211 is used to detect the upsetting force between the stirring pin 110 and the shoulder 120. The pressure sensor 211 is used to collect and regulate the upsetting force between the stirring pin 110 and the shoulder 120 during the welding process.

[0048] The present invention also provides an additive manufacturing method for forming an additive article on the surface of a substrate 300. The method employs the additive manufacturing apparatus 200 described in the above embodiments and includes the following steps S10 to S40:

[0049] S10: Start the heating component 240 to heat the conveying component 250 to the preset temperature, start the machine head 210, and drive the stirring needle 110 to rotate; In this step, the preset temperature refers to the temperature at which the powdered raw material can be transformed into a plastic deposited material.

[0050] S20: The powdered raw material is heated and transformed into a plastic deposition material. The conveying assembly 250 is started and conveys the plastic deposition material into the second spiral groove 121. In this step, the conveying assembly 250 drives the spiral conveying rod 253 to rotate. The plastic deposition material is conveyed forward with the rotation of the spiral blades and conveyed into the first spiral groove 111 and the second spiral groove 121.

[0051] S30: The stirring pin 110 rotates relative to the shoulder 120, stirring, rubbing, and cutting the plastic deposited material between the stirring pin 110 and the shoulder 120. In this step, the shoulder 120 rotates in a preset direction, and the stirring pin 110 rotates in the opposite direction to the preset direction of the shoulder 120, thereby achieving relative rotation between the stirring pin 110 and the shoulder 120. When the stirring pin 110 and the shoulder 120 rotate relative to each other, they will rub and cut the plastic deposited material located in the gap between the stirring pin 110 and the shoulder 120, causing the plastic deposited material to break and deform, and keeping it in a plastic state. Preferably, the rotation speed of the shoulder 120 is about 1000 rpm, the moving speed is about 100 mm / min, and the forging force between the outer end face of the shoulder 120 and the substrate 300 is about 20 kN.

[0052] S40: Plastic deposited material flows out from the first spiral groove 111 and the second spiral groove 121 and is deposited on the substrate surface to form an additive product. In this step, a large amount of plastic deposited material continuously arrives at the surface of the substrate 300 below the shoulder 120. The plastic deposited material rapidly diffuses outward along multiple planar threaded grooves 122 on the end face of the shoulder 120. Under the stirring friction of the stirring pin 110 and the action of upsetting force, the plastic deposited material is finally deposited on the surface of the substrate 300 to form an additive product.

[0053] Please see Figures 1 to 3 The implementation principle of this application is explained with reference to the embodiments shown in the above figures. It should be understood that the following content is only one embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application:

[0054] First, the feed box 230 containing aluminum powder is installed inside the bracket 290. The heating component 240 is turned on to raise the temperature to the predetermined temperature. The machine head 210 is started, and the stirring needle 110 rotates at high speed under external force, maintaining a certain distance between the stirring needle 110 and the substrate 300; then, the conveying component 250 is started. After the spiral conveying rod 253 rotates stably, the one-way valve 280 is activated, and the quick-change connector 270 is opened. The aluminum powder flows downward into the conveying component 250. The aluminum powder flows forward inside the material cylinder 252 and is heated to a plastic state. Then, it enters the upper gap between the stirring needle 110 and the shoulder 120 through the side connecting channel 2522 of the shoulder 120. The relative rotational motion between the shoulder 120 and the stirring needle 110 creates stirring friction and cutting action on the material in the gap, causing the powder to deform and break while maintaining a thermoplastic state. The first spiral groove 111 and the second spiral groove 121 drive the material to move downward along the axial direction of the stirring needle 110. When a large amount of plastic deposited material continuously arrives at the surface of the substrate 300 on the lower end face of the shoulder 120, the planar threaded groove 122 drives the plastic deposited material to rapidly diffuse outward. Under the stirring friction of the stirring pin 110 and the upsetting force, the plastic deposited material is finally deposited on the surface of the substrate 300. At the same time, the mounting plate 220 moves along a pre-set trajectory to achieve single-layer material stacking in the additive manufacturing zone. Finally, according to the required additive manufacturing height, the stirring friction additive manufacturing process described above can be repeated in the additive manufacturing zone by raising and lowering the mounting plate 220 and controlling the powder feeding amount to achieve multi-layer material stacking until the required additive manufacturing height is reached. When the powder in the feeding box 230 is about to be exhausted, the die head 210 and the conveying assembly 250 stop rotating, the one-way valve 280 closes the quick-change joint 270, the empty feeding box 230 is removed and replaced with a feeding box 230 containing aluminum powder, and then the die head 210 and the conveying assembly 250 are started to continue the additive manufacturing process, finally forming an additive product. Specifically, this embodiment is provided with a fixed mounting bracket 291, and the machine head 210 and the bracket 290 are fixedly connected to the mounting bracket 291.

[0055] The additive manufacturing apparatus 200 provided in this application enables continuous, efficient, and low-cost manufacturing of stiffened panels and frame beam load-bearing structures for aircraft. It offers high manufacturing process flexibility, refined material microstructure, and high strength and toughness, showing promising application prospects in stiffened panel structures, frame beam structures, and air intake structures for aircraft aluminum alloy fuselages. This technology can also manufacture stiffeners and reinforcing frames from high-strength aluminum alloys with complex curved surfaces. Based on design optimization, it can also manufacture reinforcing structures with arbitrary spatial curve distributions, solving the problems of difficulty or high cost associated with conventional manufacturing processes. For high-strength aluminum alloys such as 2-series, 7-series, and aluminum-lithium alloys, which are difficult to prepare using conventional melting additive manufacturing, this technology effectively avoids element ablation problems, improves component density, refines grains, and obtains isotropic, high-quality, and high-performance products.

[0056] In addition, this technology can also be widely applied in the manufacturing of aluminum alloy stiffened panel structures or complex frame beam structures in fields such as launch vehicles, ships, and automobiles, to achieve high-efficiency, high-quality, and low-cost manufacturing of complex aluminum alloy structures.

[0057] It should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. For the embodiments of the method, relevant parts can be referred to the description of the device embodiments (as appropriate). The present invention is not limited to the specific steps and structures described above and shown in the figures. Furthermore, for the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions of known methods and techniques are omitted here.

[0058] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principle of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. An additive manufacturing device for additive manufacturing on a substrate surface, characterized in that The application relates to an additive manufacturing device, which comprises the following components: a stirring needle, the outer side of the stirring needle being provided with a first helical groove extending along the axial direction of the stirring needle; a shaft shoulder, the inner side of the shaft shoulder being provided with a second helical groove extending along the axial direction of the shaft shoulder; a machine head, the machine head being configured to be connected with the stirring needle and used for driving the stirring needle to rotate; a mounting plate, the mounting plate being used for supporting the base body and arranged below the stirring needle, the mounting plate being capable of moving along the axial direction or the radial direction of the stirring needle; wherein a cavity is formed between the end of the stirring needle and the shaft shoulder, the end of the stirring needle is in the shape of an inverted cone, the shaft shoulder is in the shape of a hollow cylinder, the cavity is formed between the side of the stirring needle in the shape of an inverted cone and the inner wall of the shaft shoulder, the stirring needle is capable of rotating relative to the shaft shoulder, the shaft shoulder rotates in a preset direction, the stirring needle rotates in a direction opposite to the preset direction of the shaft shoulder, the first helical groove has a first rotation direction, the second helical groove has a second rotation direction, the first rotation direction is opposite to the second rotation direction, and the end surface of the shaft shoulder is provided with a plurality of planar thread grooves, the planar thread grooves being communicated with the cavity.

2. The additive manufacturing device of claim 1, wherein, The additive manufacturing device further comprises the following components: a feeding box, the feeding box being provided with a storage cavity used for storing the powder-state raw material; a heating assembly, the heating assembly being used for heating the powder-state raw material so that the powder-state raw material is changed into plastic-state deposition material; a conveying assembly, the conveying assembly being communicated with the feeding box and the second helical groove and used for conveying the plastic-state deposition material to the second helical groove.

3. The additive manufacturing device of claim 2, wherein, The conveying assembly comprises a driving device, a barrel and a helical conveying rod, the barrel is provided with a conveying cavity, the conveying cavity is communicated with the storage cavity, the driving device is connected with the helical conveying rod and used for driving the helical conveying rod to rotate, and the helical conveying rod is arranged in the conveying cavity.

4. The additive manufacturing device of claim 2, wherein, The additive manufacturing device further comprises a feeding pipe, a quick-change joint and a one-way valve, the feeding pipe is connected with the conveying assembly, the quick-change joint is provided with the one-way valve, and the quick-change joint is detachably connected with the feeding pipe and the feeding box.

5. The additive manufacturing device of claim 2, wherein, The additive manufacturing device further comprises a fixedly arranged support, the bottom of the feeding box is in the shape of an ellipsoid or a cone, the lowest part of the bottom of the feeding box is provided with a discharging port communicated with the storage cavity, the discharging port is used for being communicated with the conveying assembly, and the feeding box is limitingly connected with the support.

6. The additive manufacturing device of claim 2, wherein, The machine head is provided with a pressure sensor close to the end surface of the stirring needle, and the pressure sensor is used for detecting the upsetting force of the stirring needle and the shaft shoulder.

7. A method of additive manufacturing for forming an additive manufactured article on a substrate surface, characterized by, The additive manufacturing device is used for the method as claimed in claim 2, and the method comprises the following steps: S10: starting the heating assembly, heating the powder-state raw material to a preset temperature through the heating assembly, starting the machine head, and driving the stirring needle to rotate through the machine head; S20: the powder-state raw material is changed into plastic-state deposition material through heating, and the conveying assembly is started to convey the plastic-state deposition material into the second helical groove; S30: the stirring needle and the shaft shoulder rotate relative to each other, and the plastic-state deposition material between the stirring needle and the shaft shoulder is subjected to stirring friction and cutting; S40: The plastic state deposition material flows out of the first spiral groove and the second spiral groove and is deposited on the substrate surface to form the additive manufacturing product.

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