An additive manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

The application discloses an additive manufacturing equipment, which comprises a control system, a circulating system, a workbench and an expandable single-module; the control system is connected with the expandable single-module through the workbench via a bus; the control system is connected with the circulating system through a control line; the circulating system is connected with the expandable single-module through the workbench via a plurality of main pipes; the expandable single-module is arranged on the workbench; the control system controls the operation of the circulating system and the operation of the expandable single-module; the circulating system is used for transmitting gas, liquid and powder to the expandable single-module; the expandable single-module is used for realizing a 3D printing function; the expandable single-module can be independently printed and quickly picked up through the arrangement of the shared workbench; centralized power supply, gas supply, water supply and powder supply are adopted, so that the site can be saved, the design is standardized, the expandability is good, the management is easy and the labor is saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of 3D printing technology, and in particular to an additive manufacturing apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, metal additive manufacturing equipment is trending towards medium and large format, and multi-laser designs. This offers significant efficiency advantages when printing large parts. However, these devices are generally large in size and require a large floor space. Structurally, these devices typically share a single printing chamber. When printing multiple parts with varying printing times, especially during single-piece prototyping, pre-printed parts cannot be immediately retrieved, resulting in slightly slower processing times. Furthermore, these devices consume a lot of power, leading to higher operating and initial investment costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above problems, embodiments of the present invention are proposed to provide an additive manufacturing apparatus that overcomes or at least partially solves the above problems.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes an additive manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that the apparatus comprises:

[0005] Control system, circulation system, workbench, and expandable simplex module;

[0006] The control system is connected to the expandable simplex module via a bus through the workbench; the control system is connected to the circulation system via control lines; the circulation system is connected to the expandable simplex module via multiple main pipes through the workbench; the expandable simplex module is mounted on the workbench.

[0007] The control system controls the operation of the circulation system and the expandable simplex module; the circulation system is used to transfer gas, liquid and powder to the expandable simplex module; the expandable simplex module is used to realize 3D printing function.

[0008] Preferably, the circulation system includes a gas circulation system; the gas circulation system is connected to the control system and the expandable simplex module respectively; the gas circulation system is used to transfer or recover the gas delivered to the expandable simplex module through the workbench.

[0009] Preferably, the circulation system includes a water-cooled circulation system; the water-cooled circulation system is connected to the control system and the expandable simplex module respectively; the water-cooled circulation system is used to transfer or recover the liquid delivered to the expandable simplex module through the workbench.

[0010] Preferably, the circulation system includes a powder circulation system; the powder circulation system is connected to the control system and the expandable simplex module respectively; the powder circulation system is used to transfer or recover powder conveyed to the expandable simplex module through the workbench.

[0011] Preferably, the expandable simplex module is provided with an optical path system, a toner scraper assembly, a toner supply piston, a toner supply cylinder, a toner supply shaft, a printing shaft, a printing cylinder, and a printing substrate;

[0012] The powder supply cylinder and the printing cylinder are located at the bottom of the expandable simplex module, while the powder supply shaft is located inside the powder supply cylinder; the printing shaft is located inside the printing powder cylinder; the powder supply piston is located above the powder supply shaft; the printing substrate is located above the printing shaft; and the optical path system and the powder scraping assembly are located at the top of the expandable simplex module.

[0013] Preferably, the expandable simplex module is provided with multiple first fast connectors.

[0014] Preferably, the workbench is provided with a variety of second quick connectors, which are used to match and connect with the first quick connector.

[0015] Preferably, the first quick connector includes a first power supply quick connector and / or a first air supply quick connector and / or a first water supply quick connector and / or a first powder supply quick connector and / or a first water return quick connector and / or a first air return quick connector and / or a first powder return quick connector.

[0016] Preferably, the second quick connector includes a second power supply quick connector and / or a second air supply quick connector and / or a second water supply quick connector and / or a second powder supply quick connector and / or a second water return quick connector and / or a second air return quick connector and / or a second powder return quick connector.

[0017] Preferably, the main pipe includes a powder supply main pipe and / or a powder collection main pipe and / or a water cooling main pipe and / or a water return main pipe and / or an air supply main pipe and / or a gas return main pipe.

[0018] In this embodiment of the invention, the additive manufacturing equipment includes: a control system, a circulation system, a worktable, and an expandable simplex module; the control system is connected to the expandable simplex module via a bus through the worktable; the control system is connected to the circulation system via a control line; the circulation system is connected to the expandable simplex module via multiple main pipes through the worktable; the expandable simplex module is mounted on the worktable; the control system controls the operation of the circulation system and the expandable simplex module; the circulation system transports gas, liquid, and powder to the expandable simplex module; the expandable simplex module enables 3D printing; this invention realizes a freely expandable multi-station small-format additive manufacturing equipment. By setting up shared workstations, it achieves independent printing and rapid part removal. It uses centralized power supply, gas, water, and powder; single-station modules can be designed to be very small, saving space; it features standardized design, good scalability, and meets the needs of different workstation combinations; equipment management is convenient; and a single control system controls multiple workstation modules, making management easy and saving labor. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will become readily apparent upon reading the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, several embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example and not limitation, and like or corresponding reference numerals denote like or corresponding parts, wherein:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an scalable simplex module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] In the diagram: 1. Control system; 2. Circulation system; 3. Workbench; 4. Expandable simplex module; 5. Control line; 6. Bus; 21. Gas circulation system; 22. Water cooling circulation system; 23. Powder circulation system; 7. Optical path system; 8. Powder scraper assembly; 9. Powder supply piston; 10. Powder supply cylinder; 11. Powder supply shaft; 12. Printing shaft; 13. Printing cylinder; 14. Printing substrate; 15. First power supply quick connector; 16. First air supply quick connector; 17. First water supply quick connector; 18. First powder supply quick connector; 19. First water return quick connector; 20. First air return quick connector; 24. First powder return quick connector; 25. Second quick connector; 31. Powder supply main pipe; 32. Powder collection main pipe; 33. Water cooling main pipe; 34. Water return main pipe; 35. Air supply main pipe; 36. Air return main pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0024] The specific embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Reference Figure 1 The diagram illustrates an additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, which may specifically include the following components:

[0026] Control system 1, circulation system 2, workbench 3 and expandable simplex module 4;

[0027] Specifically, the control system 1 is connected to the expandable simplex module 4 via the bus 6 through the workbench 3; the control system 1 is connected to the circulation system 2 via the control line 5; the circulation system 2 is connected to the expandable simplex module 4 via multiple main pipes through the workbench 3; the expandable simplex module 4 is mounted on the workbench 3; it should be noted that the bus 6 can power the workbench 3, while the control line 5 has the function of signal transmission. The workbench 3 connects the single-station module with the multiple circulation systems 2 and the control system 1; by setting up the workbench 3, the expandable simplex module 4 can be added or removed on the workbench 3, realizing the effect of using one control system 1 to control multiple simplex modules.

[0028] In this embodiment of the invention, the control system 1 controls the operation of the circulation system 2 and the expandable simplex module 4; the circulation system 2 is used to transport gas, liquid and powder to the expandable simplex module 4; the expandable simplex module 4 is used to realize the 3D printing function.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the circulation system 2 includes one or more of a gas circulation system 21, a water-cooled circulation system 22, or a powder circulation system 23, that is, it may include multiple gas, liquid and solid circulation systems. The present invention does not impose too many limitations on this.

[0030] For example, the circulation system 2 may include a gas circulation system 21; the gas circulation system 21 is connected to the control system 1 and the expandable simplex module 4 respectively; the gas circulation system 21 is used to transfer or recover the gas delivered to the expandable simplex module 4 through the workbench 3.

[0031] In another preferred embodiment, the circulation system 2 may include a water-cooled circulation system 22; the water-cooled circulation system 22 is connected to the control system 1 and the expandable simplex module 4 respectively; the water-cooled circulation system 22 is used to transfer or recover the liquid delivered to the expandable simplex module 4 through the workbench 3.

[0032] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the circulation system 2 may also include a powder circulation system 23; the powder circulation system 23 is connected to the control system 1 and the expandable simplex module 4 respectively; the powder circulation system 23 is used to transport or recover powder conveyed to the expandable simplex module 4 through the workbench 3. It should be noted that the gas circulation system 21 can be a purification chamber, the water-cooled circulation system 22 can be a water chiller, and the powder circulation system 23 can be a powder feeder.

[0033] In this embodiment of the invention, the additive manufacturing equipment includes: a control system 1, a circulation system 2, a workbench 3, and an expandable simplex module 4; the control system 1 is connected to the expandable simplex module 4 via a bus 6 through the workbench 3; the control system 1 is connected to the circulation system 2 via a control line 5; the circulation system 2 is connected to the expandable simplex module 4 via multiple main pipes through the workbench 3; the expandable simplex module 4 is mounted on the workbench 3; the control system 1 controls the operation of the circulation system 2 and the expandable simplex module 4; the circulation system 2 transmits gas, liquid, and powder to the expandable simplex module 4; the expandable simplex module 4 is used to realize 3D printing function; a multi-station small-format additive manufacturing equipment that can be freely expanded is realized. By setting up shared workstations, independent printing and rapid part removal are achieved. Centralized power supply, gas, water, and powder are used. The single-station module can be designed to be very small in size, saving space. Standardized design, good scalability, and meeting the needs of different workstation combinations are achieved. The equipment is easy to manage, and multiple workstation modules are controlled by one control system 1, which is easy to manage and saves labor.

[0034] The workbench 3, control system 1, gas circulation system 21, water cooling circulation system 22, and powder circulation system 23 are interconnected via bus 6, control line 5, and various main pipes, enabling the workbench 3 to provide power, gas, and water. Furthermore, standard quick-connect fittings for power, gas, water, and powder supply, as well as quick-connect fittings for water, gas, and powder return, can be designed on the surface of the workbench 3. Single-station modules connect to the workbench 3 via these quick-connect fittings. Each single-station is an independent, small module equipped with powder spreading, laser scanning, and substrate lifting capabilities; its powder circulation, gas circulation, and cooling circulation are centrally supplied through the workbench 3.

[0035] Reference Figure 2The diagram shows a schematic of an expandable simplex module 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The expandable simplex module 4 is provided with an optical path system 7, a toner scraper assembly 8, a toner supply piston 9, a toner supply cylinder 10, a toner supply shaft 11, a printing shaft 12, a printing cylinder 13, and a printing substrate 14. It can print independently, pick up parts quickly, and pick up parts immediately after printing at a single station, with short waiting time and improved efficiency.

[0036] The powder supply cylinder 10 and the printing cylinder 13 are located at the bottom of the expandable simplex module 4, while the powder supply shaft 11 is located inside the powder supply cylinder 10; the printing shaft 12 is located inside the printing powder cylinder; the powder supply piston 9 is located above the powder supply shaft 11; the printing substrate 14 is located above the printing shaft 12; and the optical path system 7 and the powder scraping assembly 8 are located at the top of the expandable simplex module 4.

[0037] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the expandable simplex module 4 is provided with a variety of first quick connectors; in addition, the workbench 3 is provided with a variety of second quick connectors 25, which are used to match and connect with the first quick connectors.

[0038] In one specific embodiment, the first quick connector includes a first power supply quick connector 15 and / or a first air supply quick connector 16 and / or a first water supply quick connector 17 and / or a first powder supply quick connector 18 and / or a first water return quick connector 19 and / or a first air return quick connector 20 and / or a first powder return quick connector 24.

[0039] Accordingly, the second quick connector 25 includes a second power supply quick connector and / or a second air supply quick connector and / or a second water supply quick connector and / or a second powder supply quick connector and / or a second water return quick connector and / or a second air return quick connector and / or a second powder return quick connector. Of course, it may also include other types of quick connectors, and the embodiments of the present invention do not impose too many limitations on this.

[0040] The first power supply quick connector 15 of the expandable simplex module 4 is connected to the second power supply quick connector on the workbench 3; the first power supply quick connector 15 of the expandable simplex module 4 is connected to the second power supply quick connector on the workbench 3.

[0041] The first quick-connect water supply connector 17 of the expandable simplex module 4 is connected to the second quick-connect water supply connector on the workbench 3 via a corresponding cable.

[0042] The first quick-connect air supply connector 16 of the expandable simplex module 4 is connected to the second quick-connect air supply connector on the workbench 3 via a corresponding cable.

[0043] The first quick-connect powder supply connector 18 of the expandable simplex module 4 is connected to the second quick-connect powder supply connector on the workbench 3 via a corresponding cable.

[0044] The first quick-connect connector 19 of the expandable simplex module 4 is connected to the second quick-connect connector on the workbench 3 via a corresponding cable.

[0045] The first quick-connector 20 of the expandable simplex module 4 is connected to the second quick-connector on the workbench 3 via a corresponding cable.

[0046] The first quick-connector 24 of the expandable simplex module 4 is connected to the second quick-connector on the workbench 3 via a corresponding cable; the cable may include wires or other types of pipes, and the embodiments of the present invention do not impose too many restrictions on this.

[0047] Each quick connector on workbench 3 is independent, and the energy output of the main control system is determined by the load of the simplex module, resulting in low energy consumption and low operating costs.

[0048] In practical applications, the main pipe may include a powder supply main pipe 31 and / or a powder collection main pipe 32 and / or a water cooling main pipe 33 and / or a water return main pipe 34 and / or an air supply main pipe 35 and / or an air return main pipe 36. Of course, it may also include other types of main pipes, and the embodiments of the present invention do not impose too many restrictions on this.

[0049] Specifically applied in this embodiment of the invention, the powder supply main pipe 31 is used to supply powder to the workbench 3; the powder collection main pipe 32 is used to recover powder; the water cooling main pipe 33 is used to supply cold water to the workbench 3; the return water main pipe 34 is used to return the cooling water to the water cooling box; the air supply main pipe 35 is used to supply protective gas to the workbench 3; and the return air main pipe 36 is used for the recycling of protective gas.

[0050] The second power supply quick connector, second air supply quick connector, second water supply quick connector, second powder supply quick connector, second water return quick connector, second air return quick connector, and second powder return quick connector on workbench 3 are respectively connected to the powder supply main pipe 31, powder collection main pipe 32, water cooling main pipe 33, water return main pipe 34, air supply main pipe 35, and air return main pipe 36, realizing the effect of centralized supply of powder, gas, and water through workbench 3. The structure is simple, easy to manufacture, and standardized in design, meeting the needs of different workstation combinations.

[0051] In the foregoing description of this specification, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "fixed," "installed," "connected," or "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, the term "linked" can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; or it can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Therefore, unless otherwise expressly limited in this specification, those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0052] Based on the above description in this specification, those skilled in the art will also understand that terms used, such as "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "length," "width," "thickness," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," "circumferential," "center," "longitudinal," "transverse," "clockwise," or "counterclockwise," are terms indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings of this specification. They are only for the purpose of facilitating the explanation of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not imply that the devices or elements involved must have the specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the above-mentioned orientation or positional relationship terms should not be understood or interpreted as limitations on the present invention.

[0053] Furthermore, the terms "first" or "second," etc., used in this specification to refer to numbers or ordinal numbers are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating, explicitly or implicitly, relative importance or specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this specification, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0054] While various embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Many modifications, alterations, and alternatives will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and essence of the invention. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in the practice of the invention. The appended claims are intended to define the scope of protection of the invention and therefore cover modular compositions, equivalents, or alternatives within the scope of these claims.

Claims

1. An additive manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that, The device includes: Control system, circulation system, workbench, and expandable simplex module; The control system is connected to the expandable simplex module via a bus through the workbench; the control system is connected to the circulation system via control lines; the circulation system is connected to the expandable simplex module via multiple main pipes through the workbench; the expandable simplex module is mounted on the workbench. The control system controls the operation of the circulation system and the expandable simplex module; the circulation system is used to transfer gas, liquid and powder to the expandable simplex module; the expandable simplex module is used to realize the 3D printing function; the expandable simplex module is equipped with an optical path system, a powder scraper assembly, a powder supply piston, a powder supply cylinder, a powder supply shaft, a printing shaft, a printing cylinder and a printing substrate. The expandable simplex module is equipped with multiple first fast connectors; The workbench is equipped with a variety of second quick connectors, which are used to match and connect with the first quick connector. The various main pipes include a powder supply main pipe, a powder collection main pipe, a water cooling main pipe, a water return main pipe, an air supply main pipe, and a gas return main pipe; the second quick connector includes a second quick connector for air supply, a second quick connector for water supply, a second quick connector for powder supply, a second quick connector for water return, a second quick connector for gas return, and a second quick connector for powder return; the second quick connector for air supply, the second quick connector for water supply, the second quick connector for powder supply, the second quick connector for water return, the second quick connector for gas return, and the second quick connector for powder return are respectively connected to the air supply main pipe, the water cooling main pipe, the powder supply main pipe, the water return main pipe, the gas return main pipe, and the powder collection main pipe; the powder circulation, gas circulation, and cooling circulation of the expandable simplex module are all connected to the workbench via the mutually matched first quick connector and the second quick connector.

2. The additive manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circulation system includes a gas circulation system; the gas circulation system is connected to the control system and the expandable simplex module respectively; the gas circulation system is used to transfer or recover the gas delivered to the expandable simplex module through the workbench.

3. The additive manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circulation system includes a water-cooled circulation system; the water-cooled circulation system is connected to the control system and the expandable simplex module respectively; the water-cooled circulation system is used to transfer or recover the liquid delivered to the expandable simplex module through the workbench.

4. The additive manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circulation system includes a powder circulation system; the powder circulation system is connected to the control system and the expandable simplex module respectively; the powder circulation system is used to transfer or recover powder that is conveyed to the expandable simplex module through the workbench.

5. The additive manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The powder supply cylinder and the printing cylinder are located at the bottom of the expandable simplex module, while the powder supply shaft is located inside the powder supply cylinder; the printing shaft is located inside the printing powder cylinder; the powder supply piston is located above the powder supply shaft; the printing substrate is located above the printing shaft; and the optical path system and the powder scraping assembly are located at the top of the expandable simplex module.

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