3D printer for printing of aerospace products

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical fields of spacecraft printing equipment, in particular to a 3D printer for printing of aviation products, comprising a 3D printer head for extruding ceramic slurry, a low-temperature environment chamber capable of ascending and descending is arranged below the 3D printer head, and a low-temperature workbench arranged in the low-temperature environment chamber, a cooling control disc capable of cooling the low-temperature workbench in reference to the printing path of the 3D printer head is connected below the low-temperature workbench, the cooling process of the cooling control disc is earlier than the printing process of the 3D printer head, and the performance of the aviation products can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aerospace equipment printing technology, and particularly to a 3D printer for printing aerospace products. Background Technology

[0002] The application of ceramic materials in the aerospace field is increasing. For example, the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft uses a lot of ceramic materials. High-tech ceramic materials have also played a huge role in aerospace technology, thanks to the special properties of ceramics such as high temperature resistance and corrosion resistance.

[0003] Some ceramic materials are lightweight, mechanically stable, and not easily broken. Most importantly, they are extremely heat-resistant, making them suitable for heavy-duty components in jet engines, as well as combustion chambers and nozzles in rocket liquid-propelled systems. Ceramic bearings are widely used in the aerospace industry, possessing properties such as high-temperature resistance, cold resistance, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, anti-magnetic and electrical insulation, and high-speed operation. Even some nano-ceramic aluminum alloys have been used in key components of Tiangong-1, Tiangong-2, quantum satellites, and meteorological satellites. Many ceramic products can be manufactured using existing 3D printing equipment, which is readily available.

[0004] For example, Chinese Patent Application No. 201710614826.0 discloses a ceramic 3D printing device, including a 3D printing apparatus for printing ceramic slurry, a liftable low-temperature working platform, and a temperature-adjustable cooling device.

[0005] However, the existing equipment is not high-precision for ceramic printing, and the performance of many ceramic products cannot meet the requirements of aerospace applications. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a 3D printer for printing aerospace products that can improve the performance of aerospace products.

[0007] The above-mentioned objective of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solution: a 3D printer for printing aerospace products, comprising a 3D printer head for extruding ceramic slurry, wherein a low-temperature environment chamber capable of vertical movement is disposed below the 3D printer head, and a low-temperature worktable disposed within the low-temperature environment chamber is provided below the low-temperature worktable, wherein a cooling control disk capable of cooling the low-temperature worktable by referring to the printing path of the 3D printer head is connected below the low-temperature worktable, and the cooling process of the cooling control disk precedes the printing process of the 3D printer head.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cooling control panel has a plurality of cooling control chambers, each of which is connected to a cooling medium input pipe and a cooling medium output pipe, and a control valve is connected to both the cooling medium input pipe and the cooling medium output pipe.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cooling control chambers are distributed in a dot array pattern.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the low-temperature environment chamber comprises a temperature control portion located above the low-temperature workbench and a support portion located below the low-temperature workbench.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the temperature control section is provided with an annular defrosting chamber and an annular cooling chamber.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are two or more thawing chambers and cooling chambers, and the thawing chambers and cooling chambers are staggered vertically.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an annular heat insulation cavity is also sandwiched between the upper and lower adjacent thawing cavity and the cooling cavity.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a central defrosting tube assembly is formed in the cooling control panel, which is located above the cooling control chamber and is in a cross shape.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a central cooling chamber in a circular shape is formed in the cooling control panel, which is located above the cooling control chamber.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the central cooling chamber is located above the central defrosting tube assembly.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are: more precise temperature control for ceramic printed products, and a higher degree of regional subdivision, which enables orderly control of the temperature management of each part of the printed product, thereby optimizing the performance of each part of the product and meeting the high requirements of spacecraft use. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the low-temperature environment chamber 2 of the 3D printer in Example 1 after being cut open;

[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the middle structure from another perspective;

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the low-temperature worktable 3 after it has been removed. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] This specific embodiment is merely an explanation of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. After reading this specification, those skilled in the art can make modifications to this embodiment without contributing any inventive step, but such modifications are protected by patent law as long as they are within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

[0023] Examples 1-3, as shown in the figure, illustrate a 3D printer for printing aerospace products. This 3D printer represents a significant improvement upon the ceramic 3D printing equipment disclosed in Chinese Patent Application No. 201710614826.0. It also includes a 3D printer head 1 for extruding ceramic slurry. However, its key feature is the presence of a vertically movable low-temperature environment chamber 2 and a low-temperature worktable 3 within the chamber 2. In this embodiment, the low-temperature environment chamber 2 is vertically movable, while the low-temperature worktable 3 remains stationary relative to it. The low-temperature environment chamber 2 can be a cylindrical structure with an upward-facing circular or square opening. The bottom of the chamber 2 can be fixed to an existing lifting structure such as a hydraulic cylinder or lead screw, as long as it allows for vertical movement. The low-temperature worktable 3 can be made of existing high-temperature and low-temperature resistant materials. Its main purpose is to serve as a substrate for printing. The low-temperature worktable 3, acting as a printing mold, can be fixed to the low-temperature environment chamber 2 using existing installation and fixing methods. Positioning structures such as positioning seats can be formed in the low-temperature environment chamber 2, and corresponding positioning grooves and other positioning structures can be formed on the low-temperature worktable 3. The two can be further installed and fixed using bolts, etc. Therefore, in this embodiment, the position of the low-temperature worktable 3 relative to the low-temperature environment chamber 2 remains unchanged. Furthermore, a cooling control disk 4 is connected below the low-temperature worktable 3 to cool it by referring to the printing path of the 3D printer head 1. Referring to the printing path of the 3D printer head 1 means that the printing path is continuous, while the cooling path of the cooling control disk 4 in this embodiment is discrete. However, the locations traversed by this discrete path are preferably points existing on the printing path of the 3D printer head 1. Here, the path refers to a horizontal path. The printing path of the 3D printer head 1 is on the upper side of the low-temperature worktable 3, and the path of the cooling control disk 4 is on the lower side of the low-temperature worktable 3. Furthermore, the cooling process of the cooling control disk 4 precedes the printing process of the 3D printer head 1. This means that the cooling time of the cooling control disk 4 is earlier than the printing process. In other words, the cooling path of the cooling control disk 4 to cool the low-temperature stage 3 allows the printed ceramic to immediately obtain a low-temperature environment, thus quickly achieving "shallow" freezing. Moreover, the temperature after this discrete path cooling needs to be maintained at -10 to -20℃, so that the cooling action is perfectly matched with the printing action. This results in a very effective and consistent cooling treatment for the ceramic without wasting energy, and it is very beneficial to the overall performance improvement because the cooling is based on the structure of the printed product itself.

[0024] To better implement this scheme, some detailed explanations are provided. The cooling control panel 4 contains several cooling control chambers 40. The cooling control panel 4 is also made of a material resistant to both high and low temperatures. The cooling control panel 4 can be fixedly connected to the underside of the low-temperature workbench 3 using existing bolt connections to ensure heat conduction. Each cooling control chamber 40 is connected to a cooling medium input pipe 401 and a cooling medium output pipe 402. Control valves are connected to both the cooling medium input pipe 401 and the cooling medium output pipe 402. A low-temperature medium storage tank a can be placed in the low-temperature environment chamber 2, located below the cooling control panel 4. Both the cooling medium input pipe 401 and the cooling medium output pipe 402 are connected to... The cryogenic medium storage tank A serves two purposes: one for output and the other for recycling. The control valves can be electromagnetic valves, allowing for automatic control via existing automated equipment. A unified central processing unit controls the opening and closing of the valves, enabling the cryogenic medium to enter the corresponding cooling control chamber 40 for cooling, temperature maintenance, and recycling. Temperature sensors can be installed at various locations within the cooling control panel 4 for temperature monitoring, also managed centrally. Temperature data can be used to control the opening and closing of individual valves. The cryogenic medium storage tank A contains pumps and other power source equipment to move the medium; these are conventional devices and will not be elaborated upon here. In essence, the cooling control chamber 40 represents the discrete points along the cooling path. Cooling is pre-emptively applied to each area according to the printing path, ensuring targeted cooling of the printed ceramic material to improve product performance.

[0025] Furthermore, the cooling control chamber 40 is distributed in a dot array pattern. A circular dot array structure can be selected. Of course, the more the better, but due to the limitations of the equipment structure, it can be set according to needs.

[0026] Preferably, the low-temperature environment chamber 2 comprises a temperature control section 21 located above the low-temperature workbench 3 and a support section 22 located below the low-temperature workbench 3. It can be seen that the low-temperature workbench 3 is positioned roughly in the middle of the low-temperature environment chamber 2, and the low-temperature medium storage tank a can be placed within the support section 22, i.e., at the lower position. The temperature control section 21 is used for better thawing and cooling of the ceramic printed products after printing.

[0027] Specifically, the temperature control section 21 includes an annular defrosting chamber 51 and an annular cooling chamber 52. The defrosting chamber 51 is connected to the defrosting medium storage tank b via corresponding input and output pipes, and the cooling chamber 52 is also connected to the cooling medium storage tank c via corresponding input and output pipes. Control valves are installed on the pipes for automated control. This design allows for better defrosting and cooling of the printed product immediately after printing. Product quality is improved by effectively controlling the temperature around the printed product. After initial printing, the defrosting medium is input into the defrosting chamber 51 and then output for recycling. The average temperature of the internal defrosting area is controlled between 25℃ and 35℃. The initial blank defrosts for 10 minutes, and the frozen water phase in the initial blank is restored to the liquid phase. Cooling then occurs, with the cooling medium entering the cooling chamber 52 and then output for recycling, allowing the printed part to cool and solidify. The average temperature of the internal cooling area is controlled at ≤-80℃. Furthermore, there are two or more defrosting chambers 51 and cooling chambers 52, and they are staggered vertically, resulting in a more rational design for the effective positions of the defrosting and cooling areas. Even further, an annular heat insulation chamber 53 is sandwiched between adjacent defrosting chambers 51 and cooling chambers 52. The vertical dimensions of the heat insulation chamber 53 can be relatively small, providing only basic heat insulation to prevent interference between the defrosting chambers 51 and cooling chambers 52.

[0028] Preferably, the cooling control panel 4 has a central defrosting pipe assembly 61 located above the cooling control chamber 40 and arranged in a cross shape. This assembly can consist of two straight pipes that cross each other in the middle, with two of their ends sealed. The other two ends are connected to corresponding input and output pipes to the defrosting medium storage tank b, respectively. This allows for defrosting not only around the periphery but also upwards from the bottom during the defrosting process, resulting in a better overall defrosting effect, more uniform temperature changes, and higher structural stability and performance. Similarly, corresponding control valves are installed on these input and output pipes for control. Similarly, a circular central cooling chamber 62 is formed in the cooling control panel 4 above the cooling control chamber 40. Since faster cooling and better fit are required, a circular structure is more effective and it is positioned in the center. The central cooling chamber 62 is connected to the cooling medium storage tank c through corresponding input and output pipes, which also improves the cooling effect and forms a more three-dimensional cooling process, which greatly helps to improve the quality of the printed parts.

[0029] Furthermore, the central cooling chamber 62 is located above the central defrosting tube assembly 61. Defrosting can proceed slowly, while cooling requires a faster and more effective process; this arrangement effectively coordinates these two processes. Additionally, the dimensions of the central cooling chamber 62 and the area of ​​the central defrosting tube assembly 61 must be less than one-quarter of the area of ​​the low-temperature workbench 3 to avoid significantly impacting the initial cooling process of the printed parts in the first step.

[0030] In addition, in the above structure, the thawing medium storage tank b and the cooling medium storage tank c can be installed in the same large mounting base as the low temperature environment chamber 2, and the mounting base can be raised and lowered so that the three can move up and down synchronously, ensuring the synchronous movement of the entire system and improving stability.

[0031] Example 2 differs from Example 1 in that, in the initial process, the cooling control disk 4 does not use the cooling control chamber 40 structure. Instead, the bottom of the cooling control disk 4 has a dot-array-shaped groove, and a low-temperature medium spray head, such as a dry ice sprayer, sprays dry ice to form a corresponding cooling path for cooling. However, this structure has higher cost requirements because the structure needs to be more complex to make the low-temperature medium spray structure operate inside and to recover the medium. The cost control and structural rationality will be slightly worse, but it is still a good preferred method.

[0032] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A 3D printer for printing aerospace products, comprising a 3D printer head (1) for extruding ceramic slurry, characterized in that, Below the 3D printer head (1) is a low-temperature environment chamber (2) that can be raised and lowered, and a low-temperature worktable (3) set inside the low-temperature environment chamber (2). Below the low-temperature worktable (3) is a cooling control disk (4) that can cool the low-temperature worktable (3) according to the printing path of the 3D printer head (1). The cooling process of the cooling control disk (4) is earlier than the printing process of the 3D printer head (1). Several cooling control chambers (40) are formed inside the cooling control disk (4). Each cooling control chamber (40) is connected to a cooling medium input pipe (401) and a cooling medium output pipe (402). Control valves are connected to the cooling medium input pipe (401) and the cooling medium output pipe (402). The cooling control chambers (40) are distributed in a dot array.

2. The 3D printer for printing aerospace products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The low-temperature environment chamber (2) forms a temperature control part (21) above the low-temperature workbench (3) and a support part (22) below the low-temperature workbench (3).

3. The 3D printer for printing aerospace products according to claim 2, characterized in that, The temperature control section (21) is provided with an annular defrosting chamber (51) and an annular cooling chamber (52).

4. The 3D printer for printing aerospace products according to claim 3, characterized in that, The thawing chamber (51) and the cooling chamber (52) are each two or more, and the thawing chamber (51) and the cooling chamber (52) are staggered vertically.

5. The 3D printer for printing aerospace products according to claim 4, characterized in that, An annular heat insulation cavity (53) is sandwiched between the thawing cavity (51) and the cooling cavity (52) which are adjacent to each other.

6. The 3D printer for printing aerospace products according to claim 4, characterized in that, The cooling control panel (4) has a central defrosting tube assembly (61) located above the cooling control chamber (40) and arranged in a cross shape.

7. The 3D printer for printing aerospace products according to claim 6, characterized in that, The cooling control panel (4) has a central cooling chamber (62) that is circular and located above the cooling control chamber (40).

8. The 3D printer for printing aerospace products according to claim 7, characterized in that, The central cooling chamber (62) is located above the central defrosting tube assembly (61).

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