A device and method for dual-material laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the field of additive manufacturing technology, and in particular relates to an apparatus and method for a dual-material laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process, comprising: a printer sleeve; a forming portion, disposed on the printer sleeve; a first feed portion, disposed on the printer sleeve and located on one side of the forming portion; a second feed portion, disposed on the printer sleeve and located on one side of the forming portion, the first feed portion and the second feed portion being adjacent; a first recovery portion, disposed on the printer sleeve, the first recovery portion being located on a side of the forming portion away from the first feed portion; and a second recovery portion, disposed on the printer sleeve, the second recovery portion being located on a side of the forming portion away from the second feed portion. The present invention is easy to operate, has a simple structure, and is safe to use. Dual-material printing can be achieved through computer modeling and computer control without requiring the operator to repeatedly contact the powder, thereby ensuring the operator's health.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of additive manufacturing technology, and in particular relates to a device and method for a dual-material laser powder bed melting additive manufacturing process. Background Art

[0002] Additive manufacturing technology, also known as "3D printing", uses a layer-by-layer stacking method to quickly manufacture parts with complex geometric shapes. It has many advantages such as fast production speed, short manufacturing cycle and high raw material utilization, and has attracted widespread attention from domestic and foreign industrial and academic circles.

[0003] With the continuous development of additive manufacturing technology, laser powder bed fusion has become a widely used metal additive manufacturing process. This process has the characteristics of high precision, high material utilization and wide material adaptability, and has therefore been widely studied by scholars at home and abroad.

[0004] Due to the layer-by-layer nature of additive manufacturing, it offers the fundamental advantage of "dual-material" manufacturing. Dual-material manufacturing involves stacking two materials on top of each other to create a single component. This allows for varying properties at different locations within the material to meet specific application requirements. Furthermore, the interface between the two materials generally provides a higher bond strength, enhancing the overall performance of the printed part.

[0005] Currently, laser energy deposition technology is generally used for additive manufacturing of dual materials. Because this technology uses coaxial powder feeding for printing, the manufacturing process is relatively flexible and has a high degree of freedom, and is not restricted by the powder bed and space. However, due to the low manufacturing precision, many scholars at home and abroad are still trying to use laser powder bed fusion to achieve dual-material manufacturing. The most commonly used method is to first use laser powder bed fusion technology to print the first material of the dual material, called the "lower material", and then embed the lower material into the "upper material" powder to be formed. The lower material is used as a substrate to print the upper material to achieve the upper and lower combination of the two materials and achieve the purpose of printing dual materials. This method can basically meet the needs of dual-material manufacturing, but its operation is complex, the process is cumbersome, and the degree of digitization is low. In addition, the operator needs to come into contact with the powder multiple times, which may lead to health problems and safety hazards in the long run. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a device and method for a dual-material laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions:

[0008] A device for a dual-material laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process, comprising:

[0009] Printer bushings;

[0010] A forming portion, disposed on the printer sleeve;

[0011] A first feeding portion, provided on the printer sleeve and located on one side of the forming portion;

[0012] a second feeding portion, provided on the printer sleeve and located on one side of the forming portion, wherein the first feeding portion is adjacent to the second feeding portion;

[0013] a first recovery portion, disposed on the printer sleeve, the first recovery portion being located on a side of the forming portion away from the first feeding portion;

[0014] The second recovery portion is provided on the printer shaft sleeve, and the second recovery portion is located on a side of the forming portion away from the second feeding portion.

[0015] Preferably, the forming portion includes:

[0016] The forming chamber is vertically opened on the printer shaft sleeve. A forming push plate is vertically slidably connected in the forming chamber. The bottom end of the forming push plate is fixedly connected to the lifting end of the forming push mechanism.

[0017] Preferably, the first feeding part includes:

[0018] A first powder supply bin is vertically provided on the printer shaft sleeve, the first powder supply bin is located on one side of the forming bin, the first powder supply bin is adapted to the forming bin, a first pusher plate is vertically slidably connected in the first powder supply bin, and a lifting end of a first pusher mechanism is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the first pusher plate;

[0019] a first scraper, slidably connected to the top surface of the first powder supply bin;

[0020] The first powder is contained in the first powder supply bin and is located on the top surface of the first pusher plate.

[0021] Preferably, the second feeding part includes:

[0022] A second powder supply bin is vertically provided on the printer shaft sleeve, the second powder supply bin is located on one side of the forming bin and is adjacent to the first powder supply bin, the second powder supply bin is adapted to the forming bin, a second pusher plate is vertically slidably connected in the second powder supply bin, and the bottom end of the second pusher plate is fixedly connected to the lifting end of the second pusher mechanism;

[0023] a second scraper, slidably connected to the top surface of the second powder supply bin;

[0024] The second powder is contained in the second powder supply bin and is located on the top surface of the second pusher plate.

[0025] Preferably, the first recovery unit includes:

[0026] The first powder leakage bin is provided on the printer shaft sleeve. The first powder leakage bin is located on a side of the forming bin away from the first powder supply bin. The first powder leakage bin is adapted to the forming bin.

[0027] Preferably, the second recovery unit includes:

[0028] The second powder leakage bin is provided on the printer shaft sleeve. The second powder leakage bin is located on a side of the forming bin away from the second powder supply bin. The second powder leakage bin is adapted to the forming bin.

[0029] A manufacturing method for a dual-material laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process is implemented based on the aforementioned apparatus for a dual-material laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process, comprising the following steps:

[0030] First, the forming part is fed through the first feeding part to print out the first alloy. When the first alloy is printed to the set height, the forming part is fed through the second feeding part to print out the second alloy above the first alloy. This is repeated many times to obtain a formed sample at the forming chamber.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and technical effects:

[0032] The present invention provides an apparatus and method for a dual-material laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process. By modifying the layout of the powder supply and forming chambers of conventional laser powder bed fusion equipment, the stacked printing of two materials can be directly achieved without human contact with the powders, thereby achieving the purpose of dual-material printing. This invention replaces the prior art single-powder supply and single-forming chamber model with a dual-powder supply and single-forming chamber model, offering convenient operation, a simple structure, and safe use. Dual-material printing can be achieved through computer modeling and control, without requiring the operator to repeatedly contact the powders, thus ensuring operator health. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can also derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive work.

[0034] Figure 1 It is an overall schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 A top view of the present invention;

[0036] Among them, 1. First powder supply bin; 2. First scraper; 3. Printer sleeve; 4. First powder; 5. Second powder leakage bin; 6. Forming sample; 7. Forming bin; 8. First powder leakage bin; 9. Second powder; 10. Second scraper; 11. Second powder supply bin. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0039] Reference Figures 1 to 2 The present invention discloses a device for a dual-material laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process, comprising:

[0040] Printer sleeve 3;

[0041] The forming part is provided on the printer sleeve 3;

[0042] The first feeding part is provided on the printer sleeve 3 and is located on one side of the forming part;

[0043] The second feeding part is provided on the printer sleeve 3 and is located on one side of the forming part. The first feeding part is adjacent to the second feeding part.

[0044] The first recovery part is provided on the printer sleeve 3 and is located on the side of the forming part away from the first feeding part;

[0045] The second recovery portion is provided on the printer shaft sleeve 3 and is located on a side of the forming portion away from the second feeding portion.

[0046] Further optimization of the solution, the forming section includes:

[0047] The forming chamber 7 is vertically opened on the printer shaft sleeve 3. A forming push plate is vertically slidably connected in the forming chamber 7. The bottom end of the forming push plate is fixedly connected to the lifting end of the forming push mechanism.

[0048] Further optimization scheme, the first feeding part includes:

[0049] The first powder supply bin 1 is vertically provided on the printer shaft sleeve 3. The first powder supply bin 1 is located on one side of the forming bin 7. The first powder supply bin 1 is adapted to the forming bin 7. A first pusher plate is vertically slidably connected to the first powder supply bin 1. The bottom end of the first pusher plate is fixedly connected to the lifting end of the first pusher mechanism.

[0050] A first scraper 2 is slidably connected to the top surface of the first powder supply bin 1;

[0051] The first powder 4 is contained in the first powder supply bin 1 and is located on the top surface of the first pusher plate.

[0052] To further optimize the solution, the second feeding section includes:

[0053] The second powder supply bin 11 is vertically provided on the printer shaft sleeve 3. The second powder supply bin 11 is located on one side of the forming bin 7 and is adjacent to the first powder supply bin 1. The second powder supply bin 11 is adapted to the forming bin 7. A second pusher plate is vertically slidably connected to the second powder supply bin 11. The bottom end of the second pusher plate is fixedly connected to the lifting end of the second pusher mechanism.

[0054] The second scraper 10 is slidably connected to the top surface of the second powder supply bin 11;

[0055] The second powder 9 is contained in the second powder supply bin 11 and is located on the top surface of the second pusher plate.

[0056] To further optimize the solution, the first recycling section includes:

[0057] The first powder leakage bin 8 is provided on the printer shaft sleeve 3 . The first powder leakage bin 8 is located on a side of the forming bin 7 away from the first powder supply bin 1 . The first powder leakage bin 8 is adapted to the forming bin 7 .

[0058] To further optimize the solution, the second recovery section includes:

[0059] The second powder leakage bin 5 is provided on the printer shaft sleeve 3 . The second powder leakage bin 5 is located on the side of the forming bin 7 away from the second powder supply bin 11 . The second powder leakage bin 5 is adapted to the forming bin 7 .

[0060] A manufacturing method for a dual-material laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process is implemented based on an apparatus for the dual-material laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process, comprising the following steps:

[0061] First, feed the forming part through the first feeding part to print out the first alloy. When the first alloy is printed to the set height, feed the forming part through the second feeding part to print out the second alloy above the first alloy. Repeat this process several times to obtain a formed sample 6 in the forming chamber 7.

[0062] Specific workflow:

[0063] Before printing begins, a print model must be created on the computer. The print models for the upper and lower materials must be created separately, with the upper material model built directly on top of the lower material to form a double-material stack. The entire system is embedded within the printer's sleeve 3, with a forming pusher plate vertically slidingly connected to the forming chamber 7. The bottom end of the forming pusher plate is fixedly connected to the lifting end of the forming pusher mechanism.

[0064] A first pusher plate is vertically slidably connected to the first powder supply bin 1, and the bottom end of the first pusher plate is fixedly connected to the lifting end of the first pusher mechanism. The first powder 4 is contained in the first powder supply bin 1 and is located on the top surface of the first pusher plate;

[0065] A second pusher plate is vertically slidably connected to the second powder supply bin 11, and the bottom end of the second pusher plate is fixedly connected to the lifting end of the second pusher mechanism; the second powder 9 is contained in the second powder supply bin 11 and is located on the top surface of the second pusher plate.

[0066] According to the printing height of the two materials, the first pusher plate of the first powder supply bin 1 and the second pusher plate of the second powder supply bin 11 are lowered to the appropriate position, and appropriate amounts of the first powder 4 and the second powder 9 are added respectively; when printing begins, the computer controls the first pusher mechanism to raise the first pusher plate of the first powder supply bin 1 by one layer thickness, so that the powder layer of the first powder 4 is one layer thickness higher than the printing surface, and the first scraper 2 close to the printing surface scrapes the first powder 4 to the bottom of the forming bin 7, and the excess powder is scraped into the first powder leakage bin 8, after which the first scraper 2 returns to its position, and the laser scans and melts the corresponding contour according to the modeling results; after the scanning is completed, the forming pusher plate of the forming bin 7 is lowered by one layer thickness, and the first pusher plate of the first powder supply bin 1 is raised again by one layer thickness, and the first scraper 2 scrapes the first powder 4 to the forming bin 7, and then proceeds to the subsequent steps, and the above steps are repeated until the model of the lower material is completely formed. After that, the first powder supply bin 1 stops working and the second powder supply bin 11 starts working. The computer controls the second pushing mechanism so that the second pushing plate in the second powder supply bin 11 rises by a layer thickness, so that the powder layer of the second powder 9 is one layer thickness higher than the printing plane. The second scraper 10 close to the printing plane scrapes the second powder 9 to the forming bin 7, and the excess powder is scraped into the second powder leakage bin 5. After that, the second scraper 10 returns to its position, and the laser scans and melts the corresponding contour according to the modeling results; after the scanning is completed, the forming pusher of the forming bin 7 drops by a layer thickness, and the second pushing plate of the second powder supply bin 11 rises by another layer thickness, and the second scraper 10 scrapes the second powder 9 to the forming bin 7, and then proceeds to the subsequent steps. The above steps are repeated until the model of the upper material is completely formed. In this way, a forming sample 6 with two materials stacked up and down is formed.

[0067] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "transverse", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0068] The embodiments described above are merely descriptions of preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Without departing from the spirit of the present invention, various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by persons skilled in the art shall fall within the scope of protection defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for a dual-material laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process, characterized in that: include: Printer sleeve (3); A forming portion, provided on the printer sleeve (3); A first feeding portion, provided on the printer sleeve (3) and located on one side of the forming portion; A second material feeding portion is provided on the printer sleeve (3) and is located on one side of the forming portion, the first material feeding portion being adjacent to the second material feeding portion; A first recovery portion is provided on the printer sleeve (3), the first recovery portion being located on a side of the forming portion away from the first feeding portion; A second recovery portion is provided on the printer sleeve (3), the second recovery portion being located on a side of the forming portion away from the second feeding portion; The forming part includes: A forming chamber (7) is vertically opened on the printer shaft sleeve (3), a forming push plate is vertically slidably connected in the forming chamber (7), and the bottom end of the forming push plate is fixedly connected to the lifting end of the forming push mechanism; The first feeding part includes: A first powder supply bin (1) is vertically opened on the printer shaft sleeve (3), the first powder supply bin (1) is located on one side of the forming bin (7), the first powder supply bin (1) is adapted to the forming bin (7), a first push plate is vertically slidably connected in the first powder supply bin (1), and the bottom end of the first push plate is fixedly connected to the lifting end of the first push mechanism; A first scraper (2) is slidably connected to the top surface of the first powder supply bin (1); First powder (4) is contained in the first powder supply bin (1) and is located on the top surface of the first pusher plate; The second feeding part includes: A second powder supply bin (11) is vertically opened on the printer shaft sleeve (3), the second powder supply bin (11) is located on one side of the forming bin (7) and is adjacent to the first powder supply bin (1), the second powder supply bin (11) is adapted to the forming bin (7), a second pusher plate is vertically slidably connected in the second powder supply bin (11), and the bottom end of the second pusher plate is fixedly connected to the lifting end of the second pusher mechanism; A second scraper (10) is slidably connected to the top surface of the second powder supply bin (11); Second powder (9) is contained in the second powder supply bin (11) and is located on the top surface of the second pusher plate; The first recovery unit includes: The first powder leakage bin (8) is provided on the printer shaft sleeve (3). The first powder leakage bin (8) is located on a side of the forming bin (7) away from the first powder supply bin (1). The first powder leakage bin (8) is adapted to the forming bin (7).

2. The device for dual-material laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second recovery unit includes: The second powder leakage bin (5) is provided on the printer shaft sleeve (3). The second powder leakage bin (5) is located on a side of the forming bin (7) away from the second powder supply bin (11). The second powder leakage bin (5) is adapted to the forming bin (7).

3. A manufacturing method for a dual-material laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process, implemented based on the device for a dual-material laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: First, the forming part is fed through the first feeding part to print out the first alloy. When the first alloy is printed to a set height, the forming part is fed through the second feeding part to print out the second alloy above the first alloy. This is repeated multiple times to obtain a formed sample (6) at the forming chamber (7).

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