A powder screening system and method

Abstract

The present application relates to a powder material screening system, which comprises: a powder suction unit for conveying powder into a hopper by negative pressure; a powder screening unit for screening the powder in the hopper into powder sets of different particle sizes by a multi-stage vibrating screen; a powder collecting unit for receiving the powder screened by the vibrating screen; a powder information acquisition unit for acquiring the name of the powder and the mesh number of the lowermost vibrating screen and generating a two-dimensional code storing the powder name and powder particle size information; and a control unit for controlling the automatic operation of the above units. The system can screen the powder with uneven particle size distribution into several powder sets with uniform particle size distribution of different particle sizes, and generate a two-dimensional code storing the type and particle size information of the corresponding powder set after screening. The workers of subsequent processes can put the powder set into the corresponding warehouse by scanning the two-dimensional code.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of powder material processing, and more specifically, to a powder sieving system and sieving method. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of binder jet printing technology, 3D printing technology using ceramic and metal powder materials has progressed rapidly. The performance requirements for ceramic or metal powders are also very high, such as particle size distribution and flowability. Products printed from powders of different particle sizes exhibit significant differences in density and hardness; the larger the powder particle size, the lower the density and hardness of the product—that is, there is a negative correlation between powder particle size and product density or hardness. Therefore, for products with different density and hardness requirements, selecting powders with comparable particle size distributions is crucial. However, existing metal or ceramic powders have dispersed particle sizes, resulting in uneven density or hardness distribution in the printed products, and making it impossible to print products that meet the required density and hardness. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a powder sieving system and method to address the problem that the uneven particle size distribution of metal or ceramic powders in existing technologies leads to uneven density and hardness distribution in printed products, making it impossible to print products that meet the requirements. This system can sieve powders with uneven particle size distribution into several powder sets with uniform particle size distribution. After sieving, a QR code is generated that stores the type and particle size information of the corresponding powder set. Subsequent process workers can simply scan the QR code to add the powder set to the corresponding library.

[0004] A powder material sieving system, comprising:

[0005] The powder suction unit uses negative pressure to transport powder into the cone-shaped hopper;

[0006] The powder sieving unit separates the powder in the cone hopper into powder aggregates of different particle sizes through a multi-stage vibrating screen;

[0007] A powder collection unit receives the powder collected by the vibrating screen;

[0008] The powder information acquisition unit acquires the name of the powder and the mesh size of the uppermost vibrating screen, and generates a QR code that stores the powder name and powder particle size information.

[0009] The control unit controls the automatic operation of the above-mentioned units.

[0010] Furthermore, the multi-stage vibrating screens are arranged sequentially from top to bottom below the cone hopper, and each vibrating screen is slidably connected to the cone hopper, with the mesh size of the vibrating screens decreasing sequentially from top to bottom.

[0011] Furthermore, each level of vibrating screen is equipped with a corresponding receiving trolley.

[0012] Furthermore, the powder information acquisition unit is connected to the printer, and the powder information acquisition unit outputs the QR code to the printer for printing. The staff then affixes the printed QR code to the current receiving trolley.

[0013] Furthermore, the powder information acquisition unit includes an input device and a display. The powder name and vibrating screen mesh number are input into the information acquisition unit through the input device, and the working status of the powder sieving system is displayed through the display.

[0014] Furthermore, the powder suction unit includes a negative pressure generator, which is connected to the inlet of the cone hopper via a suction valve. Activating the negative pressure generator and opening the suction valve transports the upstream powder into the cone hopper.

[0015] Furthermore, a filter element is provided between the suction valve and the cone inlet to prevent the powder from entering the suction valve and the negative pressure generator.

[0016] Furthermore, a backflushing section is provided above the cone-shaped hopper to backflush the filter element and the powder adhering inside the cone-shaped hopper.

[0017] A powder sieving method, employing the powder sieving system described above, includes the following steps:

[0018] S1: Suctioning powder, starting the powder suction unit to generate negative pressure and suction the powder into the cone;

[0019] S2: Vibrating sieving, start the powder sieving unit, the multi-stage vibrating screen starts to vibrate and sieve the powder in the cone bucket in sequence;

[0020] S3: Collect powder. Start the powder collection unit. The powder after vibration screening falls into the receiving trolley.

[0021] S4: Collect powder information. Start the powder information collection unit and input the name of the powder and the maximum particle size of the powder being screened by the uppermost vibrating screen into the powder information collection unit. The powder information collection unit generates a QR code that stores the powder name and powder particle size information.

[0022] S5: Print the QR code. The information collection unit outputs the QR code to the printer, and the printer prints the QR code.

[0023] S6: Paste the QR code onto the current receiving trolley, remove the current receiving trolley, and replace it with the next receiving trolley.

[0024] Furthermore, the powder sieving method also includes step S7, which involves removing the top vibrating screen and repeating steps S2 to S7 until the bottom vibrating screen has finished sieving.

[0025] This invention provides a powder sieving system and method that can separate powders with uneven particle size distribution into different powder sets with uniform particle size distribution. A powder information acquisition unit collects the powder name and particle size of each powder set and stores this information in a QR code. The QR code is printed and affixed to the corresponding receiving trolley, allowing workers to scan the QR code on the trolley to collect the powder sets of different particle sizes into their respective storage bins. Furthermore, this invention includes a filter element and a backflushing section. The filter element prevents powder from entering the suction valve and negative pressure generator, while the backflushing section blows off powder adhering to the filter element and the inner surface of the cone, preventing powder from clogging the filter element. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a powder sieving system according to the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a partial structural diagram of a powder sieving system according to the present invention.

[0028] Figure Labels

[0029] 100. Powder suction unit; 200. Powder sieving unit; 300. Powder collection unit; 400. Powder information acquisition unit; 500. Control unit; 110. Conical hopper; 120. Negative pressure generator; 130. Suction valve; 140. Filter element; 150. Backflush unit; 160. Powder storage equipment; 210. Multi-stage vibrating screen; 220. Ultrasonic vibration mechanism; 310. Receiving trolley. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more complete description will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings. However, the invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of the invention.

[0031] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "end," "top," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0032] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0033] The present invention provides a powder sieving system, comprising a powder suction unit that conveys powder into a conical hopper by negative pressure; a powder sieving unit that separates the powder in the conical hopper into powder aggregates of different particle sizes by a multi-stage vibrating screen; a powder collection unit that receives the powder sieving by the vibrating screen; a powder information acquisition unit that acquires the name of the powder and the mesh size of the bottom vibrating screen, and generates a QR code storing the powder name and powder particle size information; and a control unit that controls the automatic operation of the above units.

[0034] A powder sieving method, employing the powder sieving system described above, includes the following steps:

[0035] S1: Suctioning powder, starting the powder suction unit to generate negative pressure and suction the powder into the cone;

[0036] S2: Vibrating sieving, start the powder sieving unit, the multi-stage vibrating screen starts vibrating to sieve the powder in the tank in sequence;

[0037] S3: Collect powder. Start the powder collection unit. The powder after being screened by the vibrating screen falls into the receiving trolley.

[0038] S4: Collect powder information. Start the powder information collection unit and input the name of the powder and the particle size of the powder being screened by the vibrating screen into the powder information collection unit. The powder information collection unit generates a QR code that stores the powder name and powder particle size information.

[0039] S5: Print the QR code. The information collection unit outputs the QR code to the printer, and the printer prints the QR code.

[0040] S6: Paste the QR code. The current QR code is pasted on the current receiving trolley. Remove the current receiving trolley and replace it with the next receiving trolley.

[0041] The present invention provides a powder sieving system and sieving method, which can separate powder with dispersed particle size distribution into several powder sets with different particle sizes through a multi-stage vibrating screen. After sieving, a QR code storing the corresponding powder set name and particle size information is generated and affixed to the receiving trolley. The staff of subsequent processes can simply scan the QR code to put the powder set into the corresponding warehouse.

[0042] The following description, in conjunction with specific embodiments, illustrates a powder sieving system and method to further illustrate the inventive concept of the powder sieving system and method.

[0043] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1-2 As shown, a powder sieving system includes a powder suction unit 100, which conveys powder into a conical hopper 110 by negative pressure; a powder sieving unit 200, which sieves the powder in the conical hopper 110 into powder aggregates of different particle sizes by a multi-stage vibrating screen 210; a powder collection unit 300, which receives the powder sieved by the vibrating screen; a powder information acquisition unit 400, which acquires the name and particle size of the powder and generates a QR code storing the powder name and particle size information; and a control unit 500, which controls the automatic operation of the above units.

[0044] like Figure 2 As shown, the powder suction unit includes a cone hopper 110 and a negative pressure generator 120. The cone hopper 110 and the negative pressure generator 120 are connected by a pipe, which can be a flexible plastic hose or a corrugated pipe. A suction valve 130 is also installed on the pipe between the cone hopper 110 and the negative pressure generator 120, which controls the start or stop of negative pressure suction. The upper end of the cone hopper 110 is sealed by a sealing cap, which has a pipe connected to an external powder storage device 160. Both the negative pressure generator 120 and the suction valve 130 communicate with a control unit 500, which controls the start and stop of the negative pressure generator 120 and the suction valve 130. When suctioning powder into the cone hopper 120, the control unit 500 starts the negative pressure generator 120 and opens the suction valve 130, starting the suction of powder from the powder storage device into the cone hopper 110.

[0045] like Figure 2As shown, the powder sieving unit 200 includes multi-stage vibrating screens 210, each of which is slidably disposed below the conical hopper 110. Specifically, several sliding grooves are provided on the inner sidewall below the conical hopper 110. The installation of each vibrating screen 210 is completed by inserting it into the sliding groove. It should be noted that the mesh size of the vibrating screens 210 decreases sequentially from top to bottom, meaning the uppermost vibrating screen has the largest mesh size, and the mesh size decreases in a step-like manner from top to bottom, with the lowermost vibrating screen having the smallest mesh size. Each stage of the vibrating screen 210 is connected to a vibration mechanism, which can be an ultrasonic vibration mechanism 220. The ultrasonic vibration mechanism 220 communicates with the control unit 500, which controls the start and stop of the ultrasonic vibration mechanism. The relationship between the mesh count and aperture of a vibrating screen is: aperture = 15000 / mesh count. The aperture is the maximum particle size of the powder that the vibrating screen 210 can screen. The larger the mesh count, the smaller the particle size of the powder that can be screened. In other words, the uppermost vibrating screen has the largest mesh count and can screen the smallest particle size of the powder. Powder with a particle size below the aperture of the vibrating screen can pass through the uppermost vibrating screen, and then pass through the lower vibrating screens in sequence before finally falling into the receiving trolley.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the powder collection unit 300 includes a plurality of receiving trolleys 310 corresponding to the number of each of the vibrating screens 210. The receiving trolleys 310 are located directly below the vibrating screens 210, and the powder collected by each of the vibrating screens 210 falls into the corresponding receiving trolleys 310.

[0047] The powder information acquisition unit 400 includes an input device and a display. The input device allows input of the name of the current powder, such as ceramic silicon carbide powder or metallic nickel alloy powder. Additionally, the input device also allows input of the aperture value corresponding to the uppermost vibrating screen, i.e., the maximum particle size information of the powder that the vibrating screen can currently sieve. The display shows the operating status of the powder sieving system. Both the device and the display communicate with the control unit 500. The information acquisition unit 400 is also connected to a printer. The powder information acquisition unit outputs the QR code information to the printer, which prints the QR code. The worker then places the printed QR code sticker onto the corresponding receiving trolley.

[0048] In another embodiment, the powder suction unit 100 further includes a filter element 140, which is disposed between the suction valve and the inlet of the cone 110. Preferably, the filter element 140 can be disposed at the inlet of the cone 110 to prevent powder from being sucked back into the suction valve 130 and the negative pressure generator 120.

[0049] In another embodiment, the upper part of the cone is further provided with a backflushing part 150, through which the powder adhering to the filter element 140 and the inner wall of the cone 110 is backflushed.

[0050] In another embodiment, a powder sieving method employs the powder sieving system described above, the sieving method comprising the following steps:

[0051] S1: Suctioning powder. The powder suction unit 100 is activated to generate negative pressure and suction the powder into the cone hopper 110. Specifically, the control unit 500 activates the negative pressure generator 120 and opens the suction valve 130. Under the action of negative pressure, the powder in the powder storage device is suctioned into the cone hopper 110.

[0052] S2: Vibrating sieving, start the powder sieving unit 200, the multi-stage vibrating screen 210 starts vibrating to remove the powder in the cone hopper 110;

[0053] S3: Collect powder. Start the powder collection unit 300. The powder after vibration screening falls into the receiving trolley 310.

[0054] Specifically, after the negative pressure suction unit 100 starts working, the control unit 500 controls the ultrasonic vibration mechanism to start. The ultrasonic vibration mechanism drives the various levels of vibrating screens 210 to start vibrating and screening the powder. At the beginning of screening, all levels of vibrating screens 210 participate in the screening work. Because the uppermost vibrating screen 210 has the largest mesh size and the smallest aperture, the particle size of the powder that can be screened is also the smallest. After passing through the uppermost vibrating screen, the small-diameter powder passes through the lower vibrating screens with progressively smaller mesh sizes and falls into the current vibrating trolley 310.

[0055] S4: Collect powder information. Start the powder information collection unit and input the name of the powder and the maximum particle size of the powder screened by the uppermost vibrating screen into the powder information collection unit. The powder information collection unit generates a QR code that stores the powder name and powder particle size information.

[0056] S5: Print the QR code. The information collection unit outputs the QR code to the printer, and the printer prints the QR code.

[0057] S6: Paste the QR code onto the current receiving trolley, remove the current receiving trolley, and replace it with the next receiving trolley.

[0058] Specifically, when the multi-stage vibrating screen stops feeding powder, it means that the powder that the uppermost vibrating screen can screen has been completely screened, and at this time, the next receiving trolley should be replaced.

[0059] S7: Pull back the top vibrating screen and repeat steps S2 to S7 until the bottom vibrating screen has finished screening.

[0060] This invention provides a powder sieving system and method. A multi-stage vibrating screen separates powders with uneven particle size distribution into different powder sets with relatively uniform particle size distribution. A QR code storing the powder name and particle size information is affixed to a receiving trolley. Subsequent workers only need to scan the QR code to obtain the current powder information for use. Furthermore, workers in subsequent processes can add other information to the QR code. For example, if the powder needs to be mixed with one or more other powders, workers can store the information of those powders in the QR code. Finally, when workers receive the powder in the last process step, they only need to scan the QR code to obtain all the powder information.

[0061] 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.

[0062] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, 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 powder sieving system, characterized in that, The powder sieving system includes: The powder suction unit uses negative pressure to transport powder into the cone-shaped hopper; The powder sieving unit separates the powder in the cone hopper into powder aggregates of different particle sizes through a multi-stage vibrating screen; A powder collection unit receives the powder collected by the vibrating screen; The powder information acquisition unit collects the name of the powder and the mesh size of the uppermost vibrating screen, and generates a QR code that stores the powder name and particle size information. The control unit controls the automatic operation of the above-mentioned units; The multi-stage vibrating screens are arranged sequentially from top to bottom below the cone hopper, and each vibrating screen is slidably connected to the cone hopper. The mesh size of the vibrating screens decreases sequentially from top to bottom.

2. The powder sieving system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each level of vibrating screen is equipped with a corresponding receiving trolley.

3. The powder sieving system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The powder information acquisition unit is connected to the printer. The powder information acquisition unit outputs the QR code to the printer for printing. The staff then affixes the printed QR code to the current receiving trolley.

4. The powder sieving system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The powder information acquisition unit includes an input device and a display. The powder name and vibrating screen mesh number are input into the information acquisition unit through the input device, and the working status of the powder sieving system is displayed through the display.

5. A powder sieving system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The powder suction unit includes a negative pressure generator, which is connected to the inlet of the cone hopper via a suction valve. Activating the negative pressure generator and opening the suction valve transports the upstream powder into the cone hopper.

6. A powder sieving system according to claim 5, characterized in that, A filter element is also provided between the suction valve and the cone inlet to prevent the powder from entering the suction valve and the negative pressure generator.

7. A powder sieving system according to claim 6, characterized in that, A backflushing section is also provided above the cone-shaped hopper, which backflushes the filter element and the powder adhering to the cone-shaped hopper.

8. A powder sieving method, employing the powder sieving system as described in any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The powder sieving method includes the following steps: S1: Suctioning powder, starting the powder suction unit to generate negative pressure and suction the powder into the cone; S2: Vibrating sieving, start the powder sieving unit, the multi-stage vibrating screen starts to vibrate and sieve the powder in the cone bucket in sequence; S3: Collect powder. Start the powder collection unit. The powder after vibration screening falls into the receiving trolley. S4: Collect powder information. Activate the powder information collection unit to collect the powder name and the information of the currently topmost vibrating screen. The maximum particle size of the powder is input into the powder information acquisition unit, which generates a QR code that stores the powder name and powder particle size information. S5: Print the QR code. The information collection unit outputs the QR code to the printer, and the printer prints the QR code. S6: Paste the QR code onto the current receiving trolley, remove the current receiving trolley, and replace it with the next receiving trolley.

9. A powder sieving method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The powder sieving method further includes step S7, which involves removing the top vibrating screen and repeating steps S2 to S7 until the bottom vibrating screen has finished sieving.

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