Automation-oriented substrate doctor knife-to-knife leveling method and system

Abstract

The application discloses a substrate scraper alignment leveling method and system for automation, and belongs to the field of additive technology.The system comprises a printing device, a forming cylinder and a substrate matched with the printing device, a lifting mechanism and a distance measuring sensor assembly for distance measurement.The plane where the scraper blade of the printing device is located is coincident with the laser focusing plane, which is used as the focal plane for alignment.The lower butt joint surface of the forming chamber is used as the positioning reference surface of the upper butt joint surface of the forming cylinder.The forming cylinder provides the positioning of the initial position of the substrate.The lifting mechanism is used for adjusting the displacement of the forming cylinder and the substrate in the vertical direction.The distance measuring sensor assembly is used for measuring the distance from the upper surface detection surface of the forming cylinder to the upper butt joint surface of the forming cylinder and the distance from the upper surface detection surface of the substrate to the upper surface of the substrate.The application solves the problems of low substrate clamping leveling precision and inconsistency caused by manual leveling in the prior art.

Description

Substrate scraper leveling method and system for automation Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of additive manufacturing technology, specifically relating to a substrate scraper leveling method and system for automation. Background Technology

[0002] The working process of metal powder printing equipment (SLM metal printing equipment) is as follows: a thin layer of metal powder is laid on the substrate, and the cross-section of the laser scanning component is used to melt (or fuse) the metal particles together to complete the printing of this layer. The product is composed of several scanned and superimposed layers, so the reference surface and flatness requirements of each working component are high. Specifically, the squeegee needs to be leveled before operation, and the forming cylinder and substrate also need to be adjusted before operation to ensure working accuracy.

[0003] Currently, to ensure that the upper surface of the substrate and the blade of the doctor blade are precisely at the focal plane, single-machine printing requires clamping the new substrate and manual leveling before printing. However, the manual leveling process is affected by the individual skills and subjective factors of the leveling operator. The accuracy and consistency of substrate clamping and leveling not only affect the printing quality of the equipment but also the preset support layer height required before printing, indirectly affecting the amount of powder wasted and the total printing time. Therefore, as metal powder printing equipment gradually becomes more automated, automating substrate clamping and leveling can reduce or eliminate human intervention.

[0004] Furthermore, for automated production lines, the forming cylinder that loads parts is reversible, making the complete, efficient, and accurate transmission of information from the forming cylinder to the equipment particularly important. Therefore, for automated production lines with reversible forming cylinders, a tool-setting and leveling system is proposed, using the forming cylinder as an intermediate medium for the substrate, scraper, and focal plane. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved:

[0006] To overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an automated method and system for leveling and aligning a substrate scraper. A distance sensor is used to level and detect the distance between the forming cylinder and the substrate. This data is automatically transmitted to the printing equipment. The control center of the printing equipment calculates the detected distance to determine the distance from the substrate to the focal plane and sends a command to the lifting mechanism to raise the substrate to a specified height, thus completing the automatic scraper leveling. This invention solves the problems of low substrate clamping and leveling accuracy and inconsistency caused by manual leveling in existing technologies.

[0007] The technical solution of this invention is: a method for leveling a substrate scraper for automation, the specific steps of which are as follows:

[0008] Level the forming cylinder and the substrate;

[0009] Acquire data on the substrate rising calibration distance, including the depth data H of the substrate when it is in the initial position and the distance data H1 between the scraper blade and the mating surface between the forming chamber and the forming cylinder of the printing equipment, and transmit the data to the control center of the printing equipment.

[0010] The control center calculates the received data to obtain the calibrated distance from the initial position of the substrate to the laser focusing surface, and simultaneously sends instructions to the lifting mechanism that controls the height of the substrate.

[0011] The lifting mechanism drives the substrate to rise a specified distance, so that the upper surface of the substrate is raised to the laser focusing surface, thus completing the automatic alignment and leveling of the substrate and the scraper.

[0012] A further technical solution of the present invention is: when the scraper is repositioned, its blade plane is made to coincide with the laser focusing surface of the printing device, the distance data H1 between the scraper blade and the mating surface between the forming chamber and the forming cylinder of the printing device is measured by a sensor, and the stored data H1 is updated to obtain the updated distance data H1;

[0013] When the scraper is not repositioned, the distance data H1 is directly obtained.

[0014] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the depth data H of the substrate when it is in the initial position is obtained by a sensor located outside the printing device or a sensor located inside the printing device.

[0015] A further technical solution of the present invention is as follows: the leveling detection method of the forming cylinder is to set multiple first distance sensors at the same height along the circumference directly above the cylinder wall of the forming cylinder, so that the multiple first distance sensors are located on the detection surface of the upper surface of the forming cylinder, record the measurement values ​​of each first distance sensor, calculate the average value, that is, obtain the distance L3 from the detection surface of the upper surface of the forming cylinder to the mating surface of the forming cylinder, and determine whether the error between L3 and the standard value L3' is less than or equal to the flatness m.

[0016] A further technical solution of the present invention is as follows: the leveling detection method of the substrate is to place the substrate in the initial position in the forming cylinder, and set multiple second distance sensors at the same height along the circumference directly above the substrate, so that the multiple second distance sensors are located on the detection surface of the substrate. The measurement values ​​of each second distance sensor are recorded, and the average value is calculated to obtain the distance L2 from the detection surface of the substrate to the substrate surface. Then, it is determined whether the error between L2 and the standard value L2' is less than or equal to the flatness n.

[0017] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the depth data H of the substrate when it is in the initial position is obtained by measuring the distance L1 between the detection surface of the upper surface of the forming cylinder and the detection surface of the upper surface of the substrate, and the distance H between the upper surface of the substrate and the mating surface of the forming cylinder is obtained by using the formula H=L1+L2-L3.

[0018] A further technical solution of the present invention is as follows: the scraper is positioned by a scraper positioning assembly, the scraper positioning assembly including a scraper holder for pre-positioning the scraper, a scraper clamping plate and a fastening assembly for clamping and fixing the scraper, and an elastic element for releasing the scraper; the mounting surfaces of the scraper holder and the scraper are positioning reference surfaces, and the scraper is clamped between the scraper clamping plate and the scraper holder by the fastening assembly and fastened as a whole; the elastic element is disposed between the scraper clamping plate and the scraper holder, and through its elastic restoring force perpendicular to the mounting surfaces of the scraper clamping plate and the scraper holder, it separates the unfastened scraper clamping plate and the scraper holder, thereby releasing the scraper.

[0019] A substrate scraper leveling system for automation includes a printing device, a forming cylinder and a substrate adapted to the printing device, a lifting mechanism, and a distance measuring sensor assembly for distance measurement.

[0020] The plane of the doctor blade of the printing device coincides with the laser focusing plane, serving as the focal plane for blade setting;

[0021] The lower mating surface of the forming chamber of the printing equipment is the positioning reference surface of the upper mating surface of the forming cylinder;

[0022] The forming cylinder provides initial positioning for the substrate;

[0023] The lifting mechanism is used to adjust the vertical displacement of the forming cylinder and the substrate;

[0024] The distance sensor assembly is used to measure the distance from the detection surface on the upper surface of the forming cylinder to the mating surface on the upper surface of the forming cylinder and the distance from the detection surface on the upper surface of the substrate to the upper surface of the substrate.

[0025] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the ranging sensor assembly includes a plurality of first ranging sensors located on the detection surface of the upper surface of the forming cylinder and a plurality of second ranging sensors located on the detection surface of the upper surface of the substrate;

[0026] The plurality of first ranging sensors are set at the same height along the circumference directly above the cylinder wall of the forming cylinder;

[0027] The plurality of second ranging sensors are arranged at the same height along the circumference directly above the substrate.

[0028] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the control center of the printing device includes at least one processor and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein, the memory stores a computer program executable by the at least one processor, the computer program being executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to execute the automated substrate scraper leveling method.

[0029] Beneficial effects

[0030] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0031] (1) The present invention solves the problem of blade alignment and substrate leveling of the equipment through an automated mode, reducing or avoiding manual intervention, reducing equipment leveling time, and reducing total settling time;

[0032] (2) The present invention can meet the needs of large-scale blade alignment and substrate leveling by automating blade alignment and leveling, avoiding the differences caused by manual adjustment, reducing the measurement error rate, and improving the product quality and consistency of printing equipment.

[0033] (3) By calculating H+H1, the height of the support during the printing preparation stage can be assessed in advance, reducing powder waste, reducing the total printing time, reducing powder cost and printing cost, and improving the controllability of powder flow. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall leveling principle of a substrate scraper leveling system for automation according to the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 shows the principle of leveling and tool setting information transmission in this invention;

[0036] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the principle of detecting height H information separately according to the present invention.

[0037] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Molding chamber bottom plate, 2. Molding cylinder, 3. Substrate, 4. Scraper holder, 5. Scraper, 6. Scraper clamp, 7. Lifting Z-axis, 8. Laser, 9. Distance sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the invention, and should not be construed as limiting the invention.

[0039] To address the problems of low accuracy and inconsistency in substrate clamping and leveling caused by manual leveling in existing technologies, this invention provides an automated substrate scraper leveling method, the specific steps of which are as follows:

[0040] Step 1: Level the forming cylinder 2 and the substrate 3;

[0041] Step 2: Obtain the data of the substrate rising calibration distance. This data includes the depth data H of the substrate when it is in the initial position, and the distance data H1 between the doctor blade and the mating surface between the forming chamber and the forming cylinder of the printing equipment. The data is then transmitted to the control center of the printing equipment. The specific process is as follows:

[0042] The method for obtaining the distance H between the upper surface E of the substrate and the mating surface D of the forming cylinder is as follows:

[0043] Multiple first distance sensors are set at the same height along the circumference directly above the cylinder wall of the forming cylinder 2, so that the multiple first distance sensors are located on the detection surface of the upper surface of the forming cylinder. The measured values ​​of each first distance sensor are recorded, and the average value is calculated to obtain the distance L3 from the detection surface F of the upper surface of the forming cylinder to the mating surface of the forming cylinder.

[0044] The substrate 3 is placed in the initial position inside the forming cylinder 2. Multiple second distance sensors are set at the same height along the circumference directly above the substrate 3, so that the multiple second distance sensors are located on the detection surface of the substrate. The measurement values ​​of each second distance sensor are recorded, and the average value is calculated to obtain the distance L2 from the detection surface G of the substrate to the substrate surface.

[0045] The distance L1 between the detection surface F on the upper surface of the forming cylinder and the detection surface G on the upper surface of the substrate is obtained by measurement. The distance H between the upper surface E of the substrate and the mating surface D on the upper surface of the forming cylinder is obtained by using the formula H = L1 + L2 - L3.

[0046] The depth data H of the substrate when it is in its initial position is obtained by a sensor located outside the printing device or a sensor located inside the printing device.

[0047] The method for obtaining the distance data H1 between the scraper blade and the mating surface between the forming chamber and the forming cylinder of the printing equipment is as follows:

[0048] When the scraper is repositioned, its blade plane is aligned with the laser focusing plane of the printing equipment. The distance H1 between the scraper blade and the mating surface between the forming chamber and the forming cylinder of the printing equipment is measured by the sensor, and the stored data H1 is updated.

[0049] Position the scraper 5 so that the plane of its blade coincides with the laser focusing plane B of the printing equipment;

[0050] The scraper 5 is positioned by a scraper positioning assembly, which includes a scraper holder 4 for pre-positioning the scraper 5, a scraper clamping plate 6 for clamping and fixing the scraper 5, a fastening assembly, and a spring for releasing the scraper 5. The mounting surfaces of the scraper holder 4 and the scraper 5 serve as positioning reference surfaces. The fastening assembly clamps the scraper 5 between the scraper clamping plate 6 and the scraper holder 4 and fastens them as a single unit. The spring is positioned between the scraper clamping plate 6 and the scraper holder 4. Through its elastic restoring force perpendicular to the mounting surfaces of the scraper clamping plate 6 and the scraper holder 4, it separates the loose scraper clamping plate 6 and the scraper holder 4, thereby releasing the scraper. The two ends of the spring are respectively connected to the contact mounting surfaces of the scraper clamping plate and the scraper holder. The fastening assembly consists of screws that pass through the scraper clamping plate 6 and are tightened onto the scraper holder 4.

[0051] When the scraper is not repositioned, data H1 is obtained directly.

[0052] Step 3: The control center calculates the received data to obtain the calibrated distance from the initial position of the substrate to the laser focusing surface, and at the same time sends a command to the lifting mechanism that controls the height of the substrate.

[0053] Step 4: The lifting mechanism drives the substrate to rise a specified distance, so that the upper surface of the substrate is raised to the laser focusing surface, completing the automatic alignment and leveling of the substrate and the scraper.

[0054] The lifting mechanism is a lifting Z-axis 7.

[0055] This embodiment discloses an automated substrate scraper leveling system, including a printing device, a forming cylinder 2 and a substrate 3 adapted to the printing device, a lifting mechanism, and a distance measuring sensor assembly for distance measurement.

[0056] The plane of the doctor blade of the printing device coincides with the laser focusing plane, serving as the focal plane for blade setting;

[0057] The lower mating surface of the forming chamber of the printing equipment serves as the positioning reference surface of the upper mating surface of the forming cylinder;

[0058] The forming cylinder 2 provides initial positioning for the substrate 3;

[0059] The lifting mechanism is used to adjust the vertical displacement of the forming cylinder 2 and the substrate 3.

[0060] The distance sensor assembly is used to measure the distance D from the detection surface F on the upper surface of the forming cylinder to the mating surface on the upper surface of the forming cylinder, and the distance G from the detection surface G on the upper surface of the substrate to the upper surface E of the substrate.

[0061] Specifically, the ranging sensor assembly includes a plurality of first ranging sensors located on the detection surface of the upper surface of the forming cylinder and a plurality of second ranging sensors located on the detection surface of the upper surface of the substrate; the plurality of first ranging sensors are arranged at the same height along the circumference directly above the cylinder wall of the forming cylinder; the plurality of second ranging sensors are arranged at the same height along the circumference directly above the substrate.

[0062] The control center of the printing device includes at least one processor and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein the memory stores a computer program executable by the at least one processor, the computer program being executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the automated substrate scraper leveling method.

[0063] In this invention, the blade alignment and substrate leveling are automated, reducing or eliminating manual intervention, minimizing equipment leveling time, lowering total downtime, and effectively improving printing accuracy.

[0064] The above technical solution will be further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0065] Referring to the left side of Figure 1, the automated substrate squeegee leveling system of this invention mainly includes: a forming chamber base plate 1, a forming cylinder 2, a substrate 3, a squeegee holder 4, a squeegee 5, a squeegee clamping plate 6, a lifting Z-axis 7, a laser 8, and a distance sensor 9. Before the printing equipment operates, the lower mating surface C of the forming chamber 1 base plate is perfectly aligned with the upper mating surface D of the forming cylinder 3; the laser focusing surface B of the laser 8 overlaps with the blade of the squeegee 6 at the focal plane B; and the squeegee 5 is perfectly aligned with the blade holder reference A of the squeegee holder 4 via the squeegee clamping plate 6. The lifting Z-axis 7 can lift the forming cylinder 2 so that the upper mating surface of the forming cylinder perfectly aligns with the lower mating surface of the forming chamber. The Z-axis in the lifting Z-axis 7 can lift the substrate 3 and move it vertically. The distance between the upper surface E of the substrate and the upper mating surface D of the forming cylinder is H. The forming cylinder 2 carries the substrate 3 in a flow. The distance between the lower mating surface C of the forming chamber and the focal plane B is H1.

[0066] Referring to the right side of Figure 1, when the forming cylinder 2 is outside the equipment, the sensors for detecting the mating surface D on the forming cylinder are A1, A2, A3, and A4 (the number of sensors can be increased or decreased according to requirements; here, 4 are used as the basis for description). The sensors for detecting the upper surface E of the substrate are B1, B2, B3, and B4 (the number of sensors can be increased or decreased according to requirements; here, 4 are used as the basis for description). The average difference between the detection surfaces F of A1, A2, A3, and A4 and the mating surface D on the forming cylinder is L3 (theoretical value L3'). The measured average difference between the detection surfaces G of B1, B2, B3, and B4 and the upper surface of the substrate is L2 (theoretical value L2'). The average height difference between the detection surfaces F of A1, A2, A3, and A4 and the detection surfaces G of B1, B2, B3, and B4 is L1.

[0067] Referring to Figure 2, when the same set of sensors is used to collect and level the height information H+H1 of the substrate, the principle is to first perform leveling, and during leveling, the forming cylinder is configured to correspond one-to-one with the equipment. After the leveling is satisfied, the height parameter H and the forming cylinder are transmitted to the equipment together.

[0068] Referring to Figure 3, when the height information H+H1 of the substrate rise is collected and leveled using different sets of sensors, the principle is to first perform leveling to reduce the information correspondence between the forming cylinder and the equipment. Before entering the equipment or after entering the equipment, an additional distance sensor 9 is used to detect and transmit the signal H to the equipment.

[0069] Working principle:

[0070] When the same set of sensors is used for collecting and leveling the height information H+H1 of the substrate rise, the working principle is as follows: The forming cylinder 2 is detected at an external detection position, and the sensor 9 detects the values ​​of L2 and L3 respectively. When the L3 value meets the requirements, the measured value of L2 is valid and meets the requirements, and the substrate leveling is completed. The height information H of the forming cylinder and the forming cylinder are given to a certain printing device. After the forming cylinder is transferred to the device, the lifting Z-axis 7 rises so that the upper mating surface D of the forming cylinder and the lower mating surface C of the forming chamber are perfectly aligned. The Z-axis of the lifting Z-axis 7 pushes the substrate 3 up by H+H1, so that the upper surface of the substrate is located at the focal plane B. The blade of the scraper 6 is ensured to be located at the focal plane B because the absolute height of the scraper holder 4 reference surface A and the focal plane B is h. At this point, the blade alignment is completed. After the blade alignment is completed, the lifting mechanism drives the substrate to fall by one layer thickness, and the powder spreading and printing begin.

[0071] When the same set of sensors is not used for collecting and leveling the height information H of the substrate rise, the working principle is as follows: The blade of the scraper 6 is assembled with the reference plane A of the scraper holder 4 and the focal plane B, ensuring that the blade of the scraper 6 is located at the focal plane B. The forming cylinder 2 is detected at an external detection position, and the sensor 9 detects the values ​​of L2 and L3 respectively. When the L3 value meets the requirements, the measured value of L2 is valid and meets the requirements, and the substrate leveling is completed. When the forming cylinder is about to enter the equipment or after entering the equipment, the additional sensor 9 detects and calculates H+H1 according to the formula. The Z-axis of the lifting Z-axis 7 pushes the substrate 3 up by H+H1 (ensuring that the upper mating surface D of the forming cylinder and the lower mating surface C of the forming chamber are perfectly aligned), so that the upper surface of the substrate is located at the focal plane B, and the blade alignment is completed.

[0072] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for leveling and adjusting a substrate scraper for automation, characterized in that... The specific steps are as follows: The forming cylinder and the substrate are leveled. The leveling detection method for the forming cylinder is as follows: multiple first distance sensors are set at the same height along the circumference directly above the cylinder wall of the forming cylinder, so that the multiple first distance sensors are located on the detection surface of the upper surface of the forming cylinder. The measured values ​​of each first distance sensor are recorded, and the average value is calculated to obtain the distance L3 from the detection surface of the upper surface of the forming cylinder to the mating surface of the forming cylinder. The error between L3 and the standard value L3' is then determined to be less than or equal to the flatness m. The leveling detection method for the substrate is as follows: the substrate is placed in the initial position inside the forming cylinder. Multiple second distance sensors are set at the same height along the circumference directly above the substrate, so that the multiple second distance sensors are located on the detection surface of the upper surface of the substrate. The measured values ​​of each second distance sensor are recorded, and the average value is calculated to obtain the distance L2 from the detection surface of the upper surface of the substrate to the upper surface of the substrate. The error between L2 and the standard value L2' is then determined. The difference is checked to see if it is less than or equal to the flatness n; the data of the substrate rising calibration distance is obtained, which includes the depth data H of the substrate when it is in the initial position and the distance data H1 between the blade of the squeegee and the mating surface of the forming chamber and the forming cylinder of the printing equipment, and the data is transmitted to the control center of the printing equipment; the depth data H of the substrate when it is in the initial position is obtained by measuring the distance L1 between the detection surface of the upper surface of the forming cylinder and the detection surface of the upper surface of the substrate, and the distance H between the upper surface of the substrate and the mating surface of the forming cylinder is calculated by the formula H=L1+L2-L3; the control center calculates the calibration distance of the substrate from the initial position to the laser focusing surface, and sends a command to the lifting mechanism that controls the height of the substrate; the lifting mechanism drives the substrate to rise the calibration distance, so that the upper surface of the substrate rises to the laser focusing surface, and the automatic blade leveling of the substrate and the squeegee is completed.

2. The method for leveling and adjusting a substrate scraper according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the scraper is repositioned, its blade plane is aligned with the laser focusing surface of the printing equipment. The distance data H1 between the scraper blade and the mating surface between the forming chamber and the forming cylinder of the printing equipment is measured by the sensor, and the stored data H1 is updated to obtain the updated distance data H1. When the scraper is not repositioned, the distance data H1 is obtained directly.

3. The method for leveling and adjusting a substrate scraper according to claim 2, characterized in that: The scraper is positioned by a scraper positioning assembly, which includes a scraper holder for pre-positioning the scraper, a scraper clamp and fastening assembly for clamping and fixing the scraper, and an elastic element for releasing the scraper. The mounting surfaces of the scraper holder and the scraper serve as positioning reference surfaces. The fastening assembly clamps the scraper between the scraper clamp and the scraper holder and fastens them together. The elastic element is located between the scraper clamp and the scraper holder. Through its elastic restoring force perpendicular to the mounting surfaces of the scraper clamp and the scraper holder, it separates the unfastened scraper clamp and the scraper holder, thereby releasing the scraper.

4. A substrate scraper leveling system for automation, characterized in that: For implementing the automated substrate scraper leveling method according to any one of claims 1-3, the system includes a printing device, a forming cylinder and a substrate adapted to the printing device, a lifting mechanism, and a distance measuring sensor assembly for distance measurement; the plane of the scraper blade of the printing device coincides with the laser focusing plane, serving as the focal plane for blade leveling; the lower mating surface of the forming chamber of the printing device serves as the positioning reference surface of the upper mating surface of the forming cylinder; the forming cylinder provides initial positioning for the substrate; the lifting mechanism is used to adjust the vertical displacement of the forming cylinder and the substrate; the distance measuring sensor assembly is used to measure the distance from the detection surface of the upper surface of the forming cylinder to the upper mating surface of the forming cylinder and the distance from the detection surface of the upper surface of the substrate to the upper surface of the substrate.

5. The substrate scraper leveling system for automation according to claim 4, characterized in that: The ranging sensor assembly includes a plurality of first ranging sensors located on the detection surface of the upper surface of the forming cylinder and a plurality of second ranging sensors located on the detection surface of the upper surface of the substrate; the plurality of first ranging sensors are arranged at the same height along the circumference directly above the cylinder wall of the forming cylinder; the plurality of second ranging sensors are arranged at the same height along the circumference directly above the substrate.

6. The substrate scraper leveling system for automation according to claim 4, characterized in that: The control center of the printing device includes at least one processor and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein the memory stores a computer program executable by the at least one processor, the computer program being executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the automated substrate scraper leveling method.

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