Three-dimensional molding apparatus, three-dimensional molding device, and three-dimensional molding method

Abstract

The present application provides a three-dimensional forming device, a three-dimensional forming apparatus and a three-dimensional forming method, the three-dimensional forming device is used for solidifying a powder raw material into a three-dimensional solidified product, the three-dimensional forming device can comprise: a frame; a forming assembly, the forming assembly is fixedly arranged on the frame, the forming assembly comprises a forming cavity and at least one station arranged in the forming cavity and used for laying the raw material to be solidified; a mask assembly, the mask assembly comprises a mask belt arranged above the at least one station and a driving component connected to the mask belt in a drivable manner, the mask belt has a plurality of mask hole groups arranged along an extension direction, the shape of the mask hole groups respectively corresponds to the shape of each layer of the solidified product; the driving component is used for driving the mask belt to move along the extension direction, so that the mask hole groups are sequentially stopped above the at least one station; and a light source assembly, the light source assembly is arranged in the forming cavity and above the mask belt, and is used for emitting light to irradiate the raw material laid on the at least one station through the mask hole groups to form the solidified product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of polymer powder three-dimensional forming technology, and in particular to a three-dimensional forming apparatus, a three-dimensional forming equipment, and a three-dimensional forming method. Background Technology

[0002] Powder bed 3D printing technology is one of the main categories in additive manufacturing. It involves layering powder into a servo-piston-controlled open cylinder, using methods such as lasers and adhesive jetting to physically and chemically solidify selected areas of the thin layers, bonding them into single-layer solids. By accumulating these single-layer solids, a complete three-dimensional part is generated. The solidified solid is supported by the powder within the powder bed, making this forming process less dependent on support structures. When using lightweight, low-melting-point materials such as polymer powders, no support structure is required at all, improving the ability of 3D printing technology to manufacture complex structural parts. Furthermore, the selective treatment of the powder surface layer using lasers and adhesive jetting allows for full control using 3D digital model slicing data, freeing powder bed 3D printing equipment from reliance on dedicated molds and tooling fixtures, making it suitable for rapid, personalized customization applications.

[0003] Meanwhile, with the expansion of 3D printing applications, the high cost and low efficiency of polymer powder bed 3D printing equipment are becoming increasingly prominent, and have become the main reasons limiting its promotion speed. Its high cost mainly stems from the high-value selective curing actuators used, such as high-quality microwave lasers, high-speed and high-precision beam control components, large-aperture optical lenses and windows, and micro-jet array components. Its low efficiency mainly arises from the fact that the single-layer forming process of the cured material involves point-by-point vector scanning and row-by-row pixel jetting, resulting in a slow selective curing execution speed. Furthermore, due to the high thermal resistance of polymer materials, they cannot withstand rapid heating and must be preheated. This keeps the entire forming chamber under high-temperature conditions for extended periods, leading to high energy consumption and significantly shortening the lifespan of the selective curing actuators.

[0004] Currently, in scenarios where 3D printing equipment is used in mass production, there are common cases where the focus is only on the ability to print complex shapes without considering individual, customized production. This results in the selective curing actuators in existing polymer powder bed 3D printing equipment not fully utilizing their high degree of digital control, instead increasing the cost and printing efficiency of the equipment. Therefore, there is a need to design and develop a 3D printing device that can rapidly, in batches, and at low cost produce complex polymer parts, effectively balancing equipment cost, process reliability, manufacturing speed, and product quality.

[0005] Based on existing 3D printing equipment capable of mass production, one proposed solution is a multi-station continuous 3D printing system. This system includes multiple printing stations and multiple forming chambers. Each printing station is equipped with a powder-spreading unit for quantitatively distributing powder material into the forming chamber, and a printing unit for scanning and printing the powder material to form a printing layer. The forming chambers are sequentially conveyed to each printing station via a station transfer unit. This solution allows for simultaneous and continuous printing across multiple printing stations during the transfer process, effectively improving printing efficiency. However, this solution requires a printing unit at each station, resulting in high costs. Furthermore, the forming chambers are not interconnected, necessitating separate preheating for each chamber, leading to high energy consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0006] One advantage of this invention is that it provides a three-dimensional forming device, a three-dimensional forming equipment, and a three-dimensional forming method, which forms solidified objects by layer-by-layer material laying, curing, and cumulative forming, and has the characteristics of high forming freedom and good surface quality.

[0007] Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a three-dimensional forming device, a three-dimensional forming equipment and a three-dimensional forming method, which uses a low-cost, high-power light source component and a high-temperature resistant optical mask to perform surface heating and curing forming on the surface of the raw material, and has the characteristics of low cost, safety and reliability, stable heating and less smoke.

[0008] Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a three-dimensional forming apparatus, a three-dimensional forming equipment, and a three-dimensional forming method, which has multiple workstations, a production line process, and features high production capacity and a compact structure.

[0009] Based on this, in order to achieve at least one of the above-mentioned advantages or other benefits and objectives of the present invention, the present invention provides a three-dimensional forming apparatus for solidifying powdered raw materials into a three-dimensional solidified product, comprising:

[0010] frame;

[0011] A forming assembly, the forming assembly being fixed to the frame, the forming assembly including a forming cavity and at least one station disposed within the forming cavity for laying the raw material to be cured;

[0012] A mask assembly includes a mask belt disposed above the at least one workstation and a drive component tractably connected to the mask belt. The mask belt has a plurality of mask aperture groups arranged along an extending direction, the shapes of the mask aperture groups corresponding to the shapes of each layer of the cured material. The drive component is used to drive the mask belt to move along the extending direction, so that the mask aperture groups sequentially stop above the at least one workstation.

[0013] A light source assembly is disposed within the forming cavity and above the mask strip, for emitting light to irradiate the raw material laid at the at least one station through the mask hole group to form the cured product.

[0014] In one embodiment, the forming assembly includes multiple stations disposed within the forming cavity for laying the raw material to be cured, wherein the spacing between two adjacent mask hole groups is the same as the spacing between two adjacent stations.

[0015] In one embodiment, the drive component includes a first servo roller and a second servo roller arranged at intervals, a first end of the mask tape is wound around the first servo roller, a second end of the mask tape is wound around the second servo roller, the first servo roller is used to rotate frame by frame to rewind the unfolded frame segment of the mask tape, and the second servo roller is used to rotate frame by frame to release the wound frame segment of the mask tape.

[0016] In one embodiment, the forming assembly includes a forming cylinder, a forming chamber, and a forming substrate fixed to the frame. The forming chamber covers the forming cylinder to form the forming cavity. The forming substrate is slidably mounted inside the forming cylinder, and a plurality of the workstations are arranged on the forming substrate.

[0017] In one embodiment, the forming assembly further includes a feeding assembly and a spreading assembly; the feeding assembly includes a feeding cylinder and a feeder fixed to the frame and located outside the forming cylinder, the feeding cylinder having a feeding port, and the feeder being slidably disposed within the feeding cylinder for pushing the raw material out of the feeding port; the spreading assembly includes a linear guide fixed to the forming cylinder and a spreader slidably disposed on the linear guide, the spreader being used to spread the raw material from the feeding port to the forming substrate.

[0018] In one embodiment, the forming assembly further includes a return cylinder fixed to the frame and located outside the feed cylinder, the return cylinder having a return port located within the sliding path of the spreader.

[0019] In one embodiment, the light source assembly includes a light source housing covered by the mask strip and a plurality of infrared light sources fixed to the light source housing, the infrared light sources being respectively located above the workstation.

[0020] In one embodiment, the three-dimensional forming apparatus further includes a preheating component, the preheating component including a preheating box fixed to the frame, an air ring pump fixed to the preheating box, an air inlet connecting the air ring pump and the light source housing, and an air outlet connecting the air ring pump and the forming cavity. The air ring pump is used to draw air heated by the infrared light source from the light source housing through the air inlet through the air inlet through the air outlet through the air outlet and return it to the forming cavity through the air outlet through the air outlet.

[0021] In one embodiment, the air outlet pipe includes a branch pipe connecting to the air outlet of the air ring pump, a first air outlet pipe connecting the branch pipe and the forming cylinder, a second air outlet pipe connecting the forming cylinder and the light source housing, and a third air outlet pipe connecting the branch pipe and the forming chamber; the light source housing has multiple vent holes, and the preheating assembly further includes a proportional valve connected in series with the first air outlet pipe and a heater connected in series with the second air outlet pipe.

[0022] According to another aspect of this application, the present invention further provides a three-dimensional forming apparatus, comprising:

[0023] The three-dimensional forming apparatus as described above; and

[0024] A control component, electrically connected to the three-dimensional forming apparatus, is provided to control the operation of the three-dimensional forming apparatus.

[0025] According to another aspect of this application, this application further provides a three-dimensional forming method, comprising the following steps:

[0026] The mask belt is moved along the extension direction by the driving component so that the mask hole group stops above at least one station;

[0027] The raw material at at least one station is irradiated through the mask aperture assembly by a light source assembly to solidify and form a layer of cured material; and

[0028] The solidified material is formed at at least one workstation by repeating the above steps.

[0029] Furthermore, the three-dimensional forming method further includes the following steps:

[0030] The drive component moves the mask belt along the extension direction so that the first mask hole group stops above the first station.

[0031] The light source assembly illuminates the raw material at the first station through the first mask hole group to solidify and form the first layer of the first cured product.

[0032] The driving component drives the mask belt to move along the extension direction so that the first mask hole group and the second mask hole group stop above the second station and above the first station, respectively.

[0033] The light source assembly illuminates the raw materials at the first and second workstations through the second and first mask hole groups to cure them, respectively, forming a second layer of the first cured product and a first layer of the second cured product; and

[0034] By repeating the above steps, the first cured product and the second cured product are formed at the first station and the second station, respectively.

[0035] Furthermore, the three-dimensional forming method also includes the following feeding step:

[0036] Each time a layer of the cured material is formed, the forming substrate slides down one layer, and the feeder slides up one layer to push the material from the feed cylinder to the feed port; and

[0037] The material spreader pulls the raw material pushed to the feed port by the feeder and spreads it to the at least one workstation.

[0038] Furthermore, the three-dimensional forming method also includes the following preheating step;

[0039] The air ring pump drives the air heated by the infrared light source from the light source housing into the intake pipe and transports it to the distribution pipe.

[0040] The air drawn by the air ring pump is diverted to the first and third outlet pipes via the diversion pipe.

[0041] Air is delivered into the forming cylinder through the first air outlet pipe to preheat the raw material laid on the at least one station.

[0042] And through the second air outlet pipe, the air that entered the forming cylinder is returned to the housing of the light source;

[0043] Air is supplied through the third air outlet pipe into the forming chamber to preheat the raw material laid on the at least one workstation; and

[0044] The air that enters the forming chamber is then returned to the light source housing through the vent holes of the light source housing and the mask hole group of the mask belt. Attached Figure Description

[0045] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the conventional technology, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the conventional technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0046] Figure 1 A perspective view of a three-dimensional forming apparatus provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the three-dimensional forming apparatus according to the above embodiments of this application is shown;

[0048] Figure 3 A top view schematic diagram of the mask belt of the three-dimensional forming apparatus according to the above embodiments of this application is shown;

[0049] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the forming process of the three-dimensional forming apparatus according to the above embodiments of this application is shown;

[0050] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the heat exchange of the three-dimensional forming apparatus according to the above embodiments of this application is shown;

[0051] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a three-dimensional forming apparatus according to the above embodiments of this application is shown.

[0052] Reference numerals: 10. Three-dimensional forming device; 11. Frame; 12. Forming component; 120. Forming cavity; 121. Forming cylinder; 122. Forming chamber; 123. Forming substrate; 124. Feeding component; 1241. Feeding cylinder; 1242. Feeder; 125. Material laying component; 1251. Linear guide; 1252. Material laying device; 126. Return cylinder; 13. Mask assembly; 131. Drive component; 1311. First servo roller; 1312. Second servo roller; 132. Mask belt; 13 21. Mask hole assembly; 1322. Through hole marking; 1323. Digital coding hole; 14. Light source assembly; 141. Light source housing; 142. Infrared light source; 15. Preheating assembly; 151. Preheating chamber; 152. Air ring pump; 153. Inlet pipe; 154. Outlet pipe; 1541. Diverter pipe; 1542. First outlet pipe; 1543. Second outlet pipe; 20. Control assembly; 1544. Third outlet pipe; 155. Proportional valve; 156. Heater; 30. Cured material. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The following description is intended to disclose the present invention and enable those skilled in the art to implement it. The preferred embodiments described below are merely examples, and other obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. The basic principles of the invention defined in the following description can be applied to other embodiments, modifications, improvements, equivalents, and other technical solutions that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0054] Those skilled in the art should understand that, in the disclosure of this invention, the terms "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the above terms should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0055] In this invention, the term "a" in the claims and specification should be understood as "one or more," that is, in one embodiment, the number of an element can be one, while in another embodiment, the number of the element can be multiple. Unless explicitly indicated in the disclosure of this invention that the number of the element is only one, the term "a" should not be construed as unique or single, and the term "a" should not be construed as a limitation on the quantity.

[0056] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, terms such as "connected" or "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through a medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0057] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0058] To address the high cost and low efficiency issues of 3D printing equipment, this application provides a three-dimensional forming apparatus 10 for solidifying powdered raw materials into a three-dimensional solidified material 30. This apparatus 10 generates the solidified material 30 through a layer-by-layer laying, solidification, and cumulative forming process, offering high forming freedom and good surface quality. Furthermore, it employs a low-cost, high-power light source assembly 14 and a high-temperature resistant optical mask tape 132 to perform surface heating and solidification of the raw material surface, resulting in low cost, safety, reliability, stable heating, and minimal smoke. In addition, the apparatus 10 features multi-station, assembly line operation, offering high production capacity and a compact structure.

[0059] Specifically, please refer to Figures 1 to 5The three-dimensional forming apparatus 10 may include a frame 11, a forming component 12, a mask component 13, and a light source component 14. The forming component 12 is fixed to the frame 11 and includes a forming cavity 120 and at least one station disposed within the forming cavity 120, the at least one station being used to lay the raw material to be cured. The mask component 13 includes a mask strip 132 and a driving component 131, the mask strip 132 being disposed above the at least one station. The mask strip 132 has a plurality of mask hole groups 1321 arranged along the extending direction, the mask hole groups 1321 being formed by combining multiple small holes, the shapes of the mask hole groups 1321 corresponding to the shape of each layer of the cured material 30. The driving component 131 is tractably connected to the mask strip 132 and is used to drive the mask strip 132 to move along the extending direction, so that the mask hole groups 1321 sequentially stop above the at least one station. The light source assembly 14 is disposed within the forming cavity 120 and above the mask strip 132. The light emitted by the light source assembly 14 is blocked by the mask strip 132, allowing the light source assembly 14 to pass through the mask aperture group 1321 and irradiate the raw material laid at the at least one station. The shape of the mask aperture group 1321 corresponds to the shape of each layer of the cured material 30. Under the irradiation of the light source assembly 14, the raw material at the at least one station can be cured into a layer of the cured material 30 according to the shape of the mask aperture group 1321. Therefore, as each mask aperture group 1321 stops sequentially above the at least one station, the cured material 30 can be accumulated layer by layer, ultimately forming a three-dimensional cured material 30. In other words, assuming the cured material 30 has M layers, when the first mask hole group stops above the at least one station, the light source assembly 14 passes through the first mask hole group to irradiate the raw material at the at least one station to form the first layer of the cured material 30. Then, the driving component 131 drives the mask belt 132 to move along the extension direction so that the second mask hole group stops above the at least one station, thereby forming the second layer of the cured material 30. The above steps are repeated until the Mth mask hole group stops above the at least one station to form the Mth layer of the cured material 30, thereby realizing the curing of the powdered raw material into a three-dimensional cured material 30.

[0060] More specifically, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, in one embodiment, the forming assembly 12 further includes multiple stations disposed within the forming cavity 120 for laying the raw material to be cured, wherein the spacing between two adjacent mask hole groups 1321 is the same as the spacing between two adjacent stations. With this configuration, when the first mask hole group is positioned above the first station, the light source assembly 14 emits light that passes through the first mask hole group to irradiate the raw material laid on the first station, thereby forming a first layer of the first cured material. When the first mask hole group is positioned above the second station, and the second mask hole group is positioned above the first station, the light source assembly 14 emits light that passes through the first and second mask hole groups to irradiate the raw material laid on the second station and the raw material laid on the first station, thereby forming a first layer of the second cured material and a second layer of the first cured material. When the first mask hole group stops above the Mth station, the second mask hole group stops above the (M-1)th station, the (M-1)th mask hole group stops above the second station, and the Mth mask hole group stops above the first station, the light source assembly 14 can respectively illuminate the first station to the Mth station to form the first layer of the Mth cured material, the second layer of the (M-1)th cured material, ... the (M-1)th layer of the second cured material, and the Mth layer of the first cured material. At this time, the first cured material at the first station is formed. The driving component 131 continues to drive the mask belt 132 to move along the extension direction until the Mth mask hole group stops at the Mth station, at which point the Mth layer of the Mth cured material is formed. Thus, each cured material 30 from the first station to the Mth station is formed. In this way, by setting up multiple stations in succession, a production line process is formed, enabling the three-dimensional forming device 10 to have higher production capacity. The more workstations there are, the higher the efficiency of batch processing on the assembly line.

[0061] Understandably, as the drive component 131 operates, the mask strip 132 will block the light emitted by the light source assembly 14 to prevent the light source assembly 14 from illuminating the raw material at the cured station. Therefore, the number of stations of the forming component 12 is not directly related to the number of layers of the cured material 30, and the number of stations of the forming component 12 can be greater than, equal to, or less than the number of layers of the cured material 30.

[0062] Preferably, such as Figure 2As shown, in one embodiment, the drive component 131 includes a first servo roller 1311 and a second servo roller 1312 arranged at intervals. The first end of the mask tape 132 is wound around the first servo roller 1311, and the second end of the mask tape 132 is wound around the second servo roller 1312. The first servo roller 1311, through torque control, can keep the mask tape 132 taut and straight, so that each mask hole group 1321 of the mask tape 132 can accurately project the light emitted by the light source assembly 14 onto each workstation. The first servo roller 1311 is used to rotate frame by frame to rewind the unfolded frame segment of the mask tape 132. That is, rotating the first servo roller 1311 by one frame angle can drive the unfolded frame segment of the mask tape 132 located above the at least one station to move one frame distance in the extension direction, so that each mask hole group 1321 stops correspondingly above each station, where the distance of one frame is the distance between two adjacent mask hole groups 1321. The second servo roller 1312 is used to rotate frame by frame to release the wound frame segment of the mask tape 132 to supplement the unfolded frame segment rewound by the first servo roller 1311.

[0063] Preferably, such as Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the mask strip 132 can be implemented as a precision metal base strip with high tensile strength, good flatness, and high temperature resistance, such as a stainless steel strip with a thickness of 0.1 mm. The mask strip 132 can be manufactured by laser precision cutting, with each mask hole group 1321 correspondingly laser-cut according to the shape of each layer of the cured material 30.

[0064] More preferably, such as Figure 3 As shown, in one embodiment, the mask tape 132 has through-hole markings 1322 corresponding to each mask hole group 1321 and digitally encoded holes 1323 corresponding to each mask hole group 1321. Both the through-hole markings 1322 and the digitally encoded holes 1323 are located in areas of the mask tape 132 not covered by the light source assembly 14. The through-hole markings 1322 indicate the center position of the corresponding mask hole group 1321, and the digitally encoded holes 1323 mark the sequence number of the mask hole group 1321. In this way, when the mask tape 132 moves, it can not only form open-loop control based on the stepping distance of the first servo roller 1311, but also use photoelectric sensors to detect the through-hole markings 1322 and the digital codes to achieve closed-loop control, ensuring the overlapping accuracy of the layer-by-layer accumulation of the cured material 30.

[0065] It is worth noting that, in one embodiment, the mask tape 132 can be implemented as a plurality of separate individual pieces, each piece corresponding to a layer of the cured material 30. The drive component 131 can insert or remove the individual piece, or move the individual piece so that the individual piece stops above each corresponding workstation.

[0066] It is understandable that by adjusting the ratio d1 / d2 of the distance d1 between the light source assembly 14 and the mask strip 132 and the distance d2 between the mask strip 132 and the raw material surface at the workstation, the magnification and edge sharpness of the pattern projected onto the workstation by the light source assembly 14 through the mask aperture group 1321 can be adjusted. The larger the d1 / d2 value, the closer the projection magnification is to 1 and the sharper the edge of the pattern; conversely, the larger the projection magnification, the more blurred the edge of the pattern. Therefore, when the projection magnification is close to 1, the distance d2 between the mask strip 132 and the workstation only needs to ensure that the material spreader 1252 does not mechanically scrape against the mask strip 132 when sliding. In this way, the distance between the light source assembly 14 and the raw material surface at the workstation can be effectively controlled, thereby reducing the height of the forming chamber 122, reducing the radiation and heat dissipation area of ​​the forming chamber 122 to the external environment, and reducing the structural implementation difficulty and manufacturing cost of the forming chamber 122.

[0067] When the first layer of the cured material 30 is formed, the distance d2 between the mask strip 132 and the raw material surface at the station will change. This will cause the pattern projected by the light source assembly 14 through the mask hole group 1321 onto the station to become smaller. Subsequent mask hole groups 1321 need to be adjusted according to the change in the distance d2 between the mask strip 132 and the raw material surface at the station, which greatly increases the difficulty of designing and calculating the shape of the mask hole group 1321.

[0068] Optionally, to reduce the difficulty of designing and calculating the shape of the mask aperture group 1321, the distance d1 from the light source assembly 14 to the mask strip 132 and the distance d2 from the mask strip 132 to the raw material surface of the station should remain constant. For this purpose, after forming one layer of the cured material 30, the light source assembly 14 and the mask strip 132 can be moved upwards simultaneously, or the station can be moved downwards, to keep the distance d2 from the mask strip 132 to the raw material surface of the station constant. In one embodiment, the forming assembly 12 may include a forming cylinder 121, a forming chamber 122, and a forming substrate 123. The forming cylinder 121 is fixed to the frame 11, and the forming chamber 122 covers the forming cylinder 121 to form the forming cavity 120. The forming substrate 123 is slidably mounted inside the forming cylinder 121, and multiple stations are arranged on the forming substrate 123. After one layer of cured material 30 is completed, the forming substrate 123 can slide downwards by the thickness of one layer of cured material 30 to ensure that the distance d2 from the mask tape 132 to the raw material surface at the station remains unchanged. In this way, the distance d2 from each mask hole group 1321 to the raw material surface at the station is the same, and the magnification and edge sharpness of the pattern projected by the light source assembly 14 through the mask hole group 1321 onto the station are also the same, which can improve the surface quality of the formed cured material 30.

[0069] Preferably, such as Figure 2As shown, the forming assembly 12 may further include a feeding assembly 124 and a spreading assembly 125. The feeding assembly 124 may include a feeding cylinder 1241 and a feeder 1242. The feeding cylinder 1241 is fixed to the frame 11 and located outside the forming cylinder 121, and the feeding cylinder 1241 has a feeding port. The feeder 1242 is slidably disposed within the feeding cylinder 1241, and the feeder 1242 is capable of pushing the raw material out of the feeding port. The spreading assembly 125 may include a linear guide rail 1251 and a spreader 1252. The linear guide rail 1251 is fixed to the forming cylinder 121, and the spreader 1252 is slidably disposed on the linear guide rail 1251. The feed port is located within the sliding path of the spreader 1252. When the spreader 1252 slides along the linear guide 1251, it can spread the raw material from the feed port to the forming substrate 123. In other words, when one layer of the cured material 30 is formed, the forming substrate 123 slides downward by the thickness of one layer of the cured material 30, and the feeder 1242 slides upward by the thickness of one layer of the cured material 30 to push the raw material from the feed cylinder 1241 to the feed port. The spreader 1252 slides forward along the linear guide 1251 to spread the raw material pushed to the feed port by the feeder 1242 onto the forming substrate 123. Then, the spreader 1252 slides in the opposite direction along the linear guide 1251 to further flatten the raw material on the forming substrate 123 and returns to the starting position, completing one spreading process. The powder feeder can be implemented as a piston, and the spreader 1252 can be implemented as a spreading roller or scraper or other component capable of spreading the raw material.

[0070] Preferably, such as Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the forming assembly 12 may further include a return cylinder 126, which is fixed to the frame 11 and located outside the frame 11. The return cylinder 126 has a return port located within the sliding path of the material spreader 1252. When the material spreader 1252 completes spreading and slides in the opposite direction along the linear guide 1251, it can bring back excess material and collect it into the return cylinder 126 through the return port. This reduces material waste and lowers costs.

[0071] More preferably, in one embodiment, the forming assembly 12 may further include two feeding cylinders 1241 and two return cylinders 126, with the two feeding cylinders 1241 respectively disposed outside the forming cylinder 121, and the two return cylinders 126 respectively disposed outside the feeding cylinders 1241. This improves the material spreading efficiency of the spreader 1252 and the flatness of the raw material spread on the forming substrate 123.

[0072] In particular, to address the high cost of traditional fixed actuators, such asFigure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the light source assembly 14 may include a light source housing 141 and multiple infrared light sources 142. The light source housing 141 covers the mask strip 132, and the lower end of the light source housing 141 slides into the edge of the mask strip 132 to form a semi-enclosed space. The multiple infrared light sources 142 are fixed to the light source housing 141 and are respectively located above each workstation. The infrared light sources 142 emit infrared radiation that passes through the mask hole group 1321 to irradiate the raw material at the workstation, thereby curing the raw material into a layer of cured material 30. The infrared light sources 142 are characterized by low cost and high power. When performing surface heating and curing on the surface of the raw material, the heating is stable and the smoke is minimal, effectively solving the problem of high cost of traditional curing actuators. Furthermore, the radiation intensity of the multiple infrared light sources 142 can be controlled as a whole or adjusted according to the zones of the forming workstation. The driving circuits of each infrared light source 142 are independent of each other, and power correction parameters can be set separately to compensate for the individual differences of each infrared light source 142 and the differences in heat demand in different areas of the forming cavity 120. For example, energy compensation is performed on the easily cooled area at the edge of the forming cavity 120, or energy reduction compensation is performed on the area in the center of the forming cavity 120 where heat accumulation is excessive.

[0073] Optionally, in one embodiment, the infrared light source 142 is slidably disposed on the light source housing 141. By translating the infrared light source 142 to illuminate each workstation, although it increases the structural complexity of the light source assembly 14 and prolongs the curing time of a single layer, it can reduce the number of infrared heat sources and reduce costs.

[0074] Furthermore, since preheating is required to solidify this material, therefore, as Figure 1 and Figure 5As shown, in one embodiment, the three-dimensional forming apparatus 10 may further include a preheating component 15, which may include a preheating chamber 151, an air inlet pipe 153 for the air ring pump 152, and an air outlet pipe 154. The preheating chamber 151 is fixed to the frame 11, and the air ring pump 152 is fixed inside the preheating chamber 151. The air inlet pipe 153 connects the air inlet of the air ring pump 152 to the light source housing 141, and the air outlet pipe 154 connects the air outlet of the air ring pump 152 to the forming cavity 120, thereby forming a preheating circuit. Part of the total heat emitted by the infrared light source 142 passes through the mask hole group 1321 to heat the raw material at the workstation, while the other part is trapped inside the light source housing 141 by the mask strip 132. The trapped heat can heat the air inside the light source housing 141. The air ring pump 152 can draw air heated by the infrared light source 142 from the light source housing 141 and return it to the forming cavity 120 through the air outlet pipe 154 to preheat the raw material in the forming cavity 120. In this way, the preheating component 15 extracts the heat energy trapped in the light source housing 141 from the infrared light source 142 and delivers it to the forming cavity 120 to preheat the raw material in the forming cavity 120 and create a heat-insulating environment. The air that has completed the heat exchange re-enters the light source housing 141 and is reheated by the infrared light source 142, forming a complete heat distribution cycle. On the one hand, it improves the utilization rate of heat energy, and on the other hand, it reduces the impact of high-temperature conditions on the infrared heat source, extends the service life of the infrared heat source, and reduces consumable costs.

[0075] Preferably, such as Figure 5 As shown, in one embodiment, the air outlet pipe 154 may include a diversion pipe 1541, a first air outlet pipe 1542, a second air outlet pipe 1543, and a third air outlet pipe 1544. The diversion pipe 1541 is located at the air outlet of the air ring pump 152 and can split the air delivered by the air ring pump 152 into two channels. The first air outlet pipe 1542 connects the diversion pipe 1541 and the forming cylinder 121, and the second air outlet pipe 1543 connects the forming cylinder 121 and the light source housing 141. The air delivered by the first air outlet pipe 1542 can preheat the raw material laid on the work station by passing through the cylinder wall of the forming cylinder 121, and the second air outlet pipe 1543 can output the air after heat exchange in the forming cylinder 121 back into the light source housing 141. The light source housing 141 has multiple vents. The third air outlet pipe 1544 connects the diversion pipe 1541 and the forming chamber 122. The air transported by the third air outlet pipe 1544 can directly contact and preheat the surface of the raw material laid on the workstation. After heat exchange, the air re-enters the light source housing 141 through the vents and the mask hole group 1321. In this way, the raw material is fully preheated through two preheating circuits, improving preheating efficiency.

[0076] More preferably, such as Figure 5 As shown, in one embodiment, the preheating assembly 15 further includes a proportional valve 155 and a heater 156. The proportional valve 155 is connected in series with the first air outlet pipe 1542. The proportional valve 155 can actively regulate the air distributed in the first air outlet pipe 1542, and the remaining air is delivered to the second air outlet pipe 1543 to ensure that the first air outlet pipe 1542 delivers sufficient heat energy. The heater 156 is connected in series with the second air outlet pipe 1543. When the heat energy delivered in the second air outlet pipe 1543 is insufficient for preheating, the heater 156 can be activated to further heat the air in the second air outlet pipe 1543 to ensure that the second air outlet pipe 1543 delivers sufficient heat energy.

[0077] Furthermore, such as Figure 6 As shown, according to another aspect of this application, this application further provides a three-dimensional forming device, which may include a three-dimensional forming apparatus 10 as described above and a control component 20. The control component 20 is electrically connected to the three-dimensional forming apparatus 10 to control its operation. The control component 20 can control the driving component 131 to move the mask belt 132 frame by frame, control the up-and-down sliding of the forming substrate 123, control the feeding component 124 to feed material and control the spreading component to spread material, control the operation of the light source component 14, and control the preheating component 15. Through the control component 20, not only can the precise allocation of various functional components be achieved, improving the accuracy and safety of the three-dimensional forming device, but also fully automated three-dimensional forming can be realized, freeing up manpower and reducing labor costs.

[0078] Specifically, this application further provides a three-dimensional forming method, which may include the following steps: driving a mask belt 132 along its extension direction via a driving component 131 to stop the mask aperture group 1321 above at least one station; then irradiating the raw material at the at least one station with an infrared light source 142 through the first mask aperture group to solidify and form a layer of solidified material 30; and then repeating the above steps to form the solidified material 30 at the at least one station. This method is capable of solidifying the raw material at at least one station into solidified material 30.

[0079] Preferably, the three-dimensional forming method may further include the following steps: The driving component 131 drives the mask belt 132 to move along the extension direction so that the first mask hole group stops above the first station; then, the infrared light source 142 passes through the first mask hole group to irradiate the raw material at the first station to solidify and form a first layer of the first cured product; then, the driving component 131 drives the mask belt 132 to move along the extension direction so that the first mask hole group and the second mask hole group stop above the second station and above the first station, respectively; then, the infrared light source 142 passes through the second mask hole group and the first mask hole group to irradiate the raw material at the first station and the raw material at the second station to solidify and form a second layer of the first cured product and a first layer of the second cured product, respectively; by repeating the above steps, the first cured product and the second cured product are formed at the first station and the second station, respectively. This step can solidify the raw materials at multiple stations into cured products 30.

[0080] Preferably, the three-dimensional forming method may further include the following feeding steps: whenever a layer of the solidified material 30 is formed, the forming substrate 123 slides down one layer, and the feeder 1242 slides up one layer to push the raw material from the feed cylinder 1241 to the feed port; the material pushed to the feed port by the feeder 1242 is carried by the spreader 1252 and spread onto the at least one station.

[0081] More preferably, the three-dimensional forming method may further include the following preheating step: air heated by infrared light source 142 is driven by air ring pump 152 from inside light source housing 141 into air intake pipe 153 and transported to diversion pipe 1541; then, the air drawn by air ring pump 152 is diverted through diversion pipe 1541 to first air outlet pipe 1542 and third air outlet pipe 1544; then, the air entering the first air outlet pipe 1542 is transported into forming cylinder 121 through the first air outlet pipe 1542. The raw material laid on the at least one workstation is preheated; and the air that is transported into the forming cylinder 121 through the second air outlet pipe 1543 flows back into the light source housing 141; at the same time, the air that is transported into the third air outlet pipe 1544 enters the forming chamber 122 to preheat the raw material laid on the at least one workstation; and the air that is transported into the forming chamber 122 through the vent hole of the light source housing 141 and the mask hole group 1321 of the mask belt 132 flows back into the light source housing 141.

[0082] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0083] The above embodiments merely illustrate several implementation methods of the present invention, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional forming apparatus for solidifying powdered raw materials into a three-dimensional solidified product, characterized in that, include: frame; A forming assembly, the forming assembly being fixed to the frame, the forming assembly including a forming cavity and at least one station disposed within the forming cavity for laying the raw material to be cured; A mask assembly includes a mask belt disposed above the at least one workstation and a drive component tractably connected to the mask belt. The mask belt has a plurality of mask hole groups arranged along an extension direction, the shapes of the mask hole groups corresponding to the shapes of each layer of the cured material. The drive component is used to drive the mask belt to move along the extension direction so that the mask hole groups stop sequentially above the at least one workstation. as well as A light source assembly is disposed within the forming cavity and above the mask strip, for emitting light to irradiate the raw material laid on the at least one station through the mask hole group to form the cured product; The forming assembly includes multiple stations disposed within the forming cavity for laying the raw material to be cured, and the spacing between two adjacent mask hole groups is the same as the spacing between two adjacent stations; The light source assembly includes a light source housing covered by the mask strip and a plurality of infrared light sources fixed to the light source housing, the infrared light sources being located above the workstation respectively; The three-dimensional forming device further includes a preheating component, which includes a preheating box fixed to the frame, an air ring pump fixed to the preheating box, an air inlet connecting the air ring pump and the light source housing, and an air outlet connecting the air ring pump and the forming cavity. The air ring pump is used to draw air heated by the infrared light source from the light source housing through the air inlet through the air inlet through the air inlet through the air outlet through the air outlet through the air outlet. The forming assembly includes a forming cylinder and a forming chamber fixed to the frame, the forming chamber covering the forming cylinder to form the forming cavity; The air outlet pipe includes a branch pipe connecting the air outlet of the air ring pump, a first air outlet pipe connecting the branch pipe and the forming cylinder, a second air outlet pipe connecting the forming cylinder and the light source housing, and a third air outlet pipe connecting the branch pipe and the forming chamber. The air transported by the first air outlet pipe is used to preheat the raw material laid on the at least one station through the cylinder wall of the forming cylinder.

2. The three-dimensional forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving component includes a first servo roller and a second servo roller arranged at intervals. The first end of the mask tape is wound around the first servo roller, and the second end of the mask tape is wound around the second servo roller. The first servo roller is used to rotate frame by frame to rewind the unfolded frame segment of the mask tape, and the second servo roller is used to rotate frame by frame to release the wound frame segment of the mask tape.

3. The three-dimensional forming apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The forming assembly also includes a forming substrate, which is slidably mounted inside the forming cylinder, and a plurality of the work stations are set on the forming substrate.

4. The three-dimensional forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The forming assembly further includes a feeding assembly and a spreading assembly; the feeding assembly includes a feeding cylinder and a feeder fixed to the frame and located outside the forming cylinder, the feeding cylinder having a feeding port, and the feeder being slidably disposed inside the feeding cylinder for pushing the raw material out of the feeding port; the spreading assembly includes a linear guide rail fixed to the forming cylinder and a spreader slidably disposed on the linear guide rail, the spreader being used to spread the raw material from the feeding port to the forming substrate.

5. The three-dimensional forming apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The forming assembly further includes a return cylinder fixed to the frame and located outside the feeding cylinder, the return cylinder having a return port located within the sliding path of the spreader.

6. The three-dimensional forming apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that, The light source housing has multiple vent holes, and the preheating assembly further includes a proportional valve connected in series with the first air outlet pipe and a heater connected in series with the second air outlet pipe.

7. A three-dimensional forming device, characterized in that, include: The three-dimensional forming apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 6; as well as A control component, electrically connected to the three-dimensional forming apparatus, is provided to control the operation of the three-dimensional forming apparatus.

8. A three-dimensional forming method, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The mask belt is moved along the extension direction by the driving component so that the mask hole group stops above at least one station; The raw material at at least one station is irradiated through the mask aperture assembly by a light source assembly to solidify and form a layer of cured material; and By repeating the above steps, the solidified material is formed at at least one workstation; The three-dimensional forming method further includes the following preheating step; The air ring pump drives the air heated by the infrared light source from inside the light source housing into the intake pipe and transports it to the distribution pipe. The air drawn by the air ring pump is diverted to the first and third outlet pipes via the diversion pipe. Air is delivered into the forming cylinder through the first air outlet pipe to preheat the raw material laid on the at least one station by passing through the cylinder wall of the forming cylinder. And through the second air outlet pipe, the air that entered the forming cylinder is returned to the housing of the light source; Air is delivered into the forming chamber through the third air outlet pipe to preheat the raw material laid on the at least one workstation. as well as The air that enters the forming chamber is then returned to the light source housing through the vent holes of the light source housing and the mask hole group of the mask belt.

9. The three-dimensional forming method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The three-dimensional forming method further includes the following steps: The drive component moves the mask belt along the extension direction so that the first mask hole group stops above the first station. The light source assembly illuminates the raw material at the first station through the first mask hole group to solidify and form the first layer of the first cured product. The driving component drives the mask belt to move along the extension direction so that the first mask hole group and the second mask hole group stop above the second station and above the first station, respectively. The light source assembly illuminates the raw materials at the first and second workstations through the second and first mask hole groups to cure them, respectively, forming a second layer of the first cured product and a first layer of the second cured product; and By repeating the above steps, the first cured product and the second cured product are formed at the first station and the second station, respectively.

10. The three-dimensional forming method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The three-dimensional forming method further includes the following material feeding step: Each time a layer of the solidified material is formed, the forming substrate slides down one layer and the feeder slides up one layer to push the raw material from the feed cylinder to the feed port; and The material spreader pulls the raw material pushed to the feed port by the feeder and spreads it to the at least one workstation.

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