Wire feeding type additive manufacturing device and method

Abstract

The present invention provides a wire-feeding additive manufacturing device and method, which relate to the technical field of additive manufacturing, including a wire feeding mechanism, an electrospray printing mechanism and a heating mechanism. The wire feeding mechanism includes a wire feeder and a wire feeding nozzle; the electrospray printing mechanism includes a high-voltage generator and a nozzle, one end of the high-voltage generator is electrically connected to the nozzle, and the other end is electrically connected to the wire material in a relatively movable manner; the nozzle is located between the wire feeder and the wire feeding nozzle, and the nozzle is set toward the wire material, and the nozzle is used to spray a solution containing particles to be added; the heating end of the heating mechanism is located between the nozzle and the wire feeding nozzle, and is used to dry the solution sprayed on the surface of the wire material; the present invention can spray the solution onto the wire material in an electrospray printing manner, further cooperate with the heating mechanism to evaporate the solution and then solidify the particles to be added on the wire material, and obtain a finished part by stacking layer by layer with the wire material, thereby achieving the purpose of adding different particles to the finished part to change the performance of the finished part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing, and in particular to a wire-feeding additive manufacturing device and method. Background Art

[0002] Additive manufacturing is the process of joining materials to create objects based on 3D model data. This innovative manufacturing technology achieves near-net-shape integration of complex structural components through layer-by-layer, bottom-up stacking. Compared to traditional manufacturing techniques, additive manufacturing offers advantages such as high degree of freedom, excellent forming performance, and short cycle times. It is widely used in aerospace, medical, and military industries.

[0003] Laser additive manufacturing can be divided into two categories according to the shape of the material during forming. One is the powder bed fusion technology represented by selective laser melting, which requires pre-powdering before metal deposition; the other is the direct metal deposition technology, which feeds the material into the molten pool during the metal material deposition process.

[0004] Selective laser melting (SLM) technology uses a high-energy laser beam to scan a pre-applied powder material along a predetermined scanning path, melting the powder material layer by layer and accumulating it into a metallurgically bonded and dense structure. The advantage of selective laser melting is that it can produce parts with complex shapes, but the resulting parts are typically small and the processing is slow, making it unsuitable for forming and preparing medium and large structural parts. Furthermore, SLM technology has demanding processing conditions, requiring processing in a vacuum or inert gas atmosphere, which limits its practical application in production.

[0005] Laser melting deposition has two deposition methods: synchronous powder feeding and wire feeding. This technology uses a laser as a heat source to melt metal powder or wire and feed it into a molten pool to produce metal parts. However, the powder feeding method has disadvantages such as low deposition efficiency, low powder utilization, poor microstructure integrity, and severe dust pollution. While the wire feeding method has the advantage of high material utilization, it also has problems such as the inability to design the microstructure of the molded part and poor performance controllability. For example, if ceramic particles need to be added to certain parts of the finished product to enhance its wear resistance, traditional wire feeding methods cannot meet this requirement.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new type of additive manufacturing device or process to meet the above requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a wire-feeding additive manufacturing device and method to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art. It can spray the solution onto the wire by electrospray printing, further cooperate with the heating mechanism to evaporate the solution and then solidify the particles to be added on the wire, and then stack them layer by layer with the wire to obtain a finished part, thereby achieving the purpose of adding different particles to the finished part to change the performance of the finished part.

[0008] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions:

[0009] A wire-feeding additive manufacturing device includes a wire feeding mechanism, an electrospray printing mechanism and a heating mechanism, wherein the wire feeding mechanism includes a wire feeder and a wire nozzle, the wire feeder is used to feed wire material, and the wire nozzle is used to guide the wire material to the surface of a substrate; the electrospray printing mechanism includes a high-voltage generator and a nozzle, one end of the high-voltage generator is electrically connected to the nozzle, and the other end is electrically connected to the wire material in a relatively movable manner, so that a high-voltage electric field is generated between the nozzle and the wire material; the nozzle is located between the wire feeder and the wire nozzle, the nozzle is set toward the wire material, and the nozzle is used to spray a solution containing particles to be added; the heating end of the heating mechanism is located between the nozzle and the wire nozzle, and is used to dry the solution sprayed on the surface of the wire material.

[0010] As one embodiment, the end of the high-voltage generator is electrically connected to a wire-feeding conductive wheel, and the wire-feeding conductive wheel is rollingly connected to the wire.

[0011] As an embodiment, an auxiliary electrode is installed at the nozzle outlet of the nozzle, and the auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to one end of the high voltage generator.

[0012] As one embodiment, the wire feeding mechanism also includes a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer, both of which are arranged on the outside of the wire. The first insulating layer is located between the wire feeder and the high voltage generator and the connecting end of the wire. The second insulating layer is located between the heating end of the heating mechanism and the wire feeding nozzle.

[0013] As an embodiment, it further includes a liquid storage container and a flow pump, wherein the liquid storage container stores a solution containing particles to be added, and one end of the flow pump is connected to the liquid storage container, and the other end is connected to the liquid inlet of the nozzle.

[0014] As an embodiment, the heating mechanism includes an induction heating coil, which is sleeved on the outside of the wire and located between the nozzle and the wire feeding nozzle.

[0015] As an embodiment, the heating mechanism further includes an induction heating controller for controlling the heating temperature of the induction heating coil.

[0016] As an embodiment, it further includes a laser generator, a laser processing head, and an optical fiber connecting the laser generator and the laser processing head; the laser processing head emits laser to heat the wire sent out by the wire feeding nozzle.

[0017] As an embodiment, it further includes a printing path moving end, and the laser processing head, the wire feeding nozzle, the heating end of the heating mechanism and the nozzle are all fixed on the printing path moving end.

[0018] The present invention also provides a wire-feeding additive manufacturing method, comprising the following steps: 1) spraying a solution containing particles to be added onto the surface of a wire being transported; 2) drying the solution containing particles to be added sprayed onto the wire so that the particles to be added in the solution adhere to the surface of the wire; and 3) melting the wire for additive manufacturing.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following technical effects:

[0020] The present invention connects the two ends of the electrode of the high-voltage generator to the nozzle and the wire respectively, and passes a solution containing the particles to be added into the nozzle, so that the solution can be sprayed onto the wire in an electrospray printing manner. The solution is further evaporated with a heating mechanism to solidify the particles to be added on the wire, and the finished parts are obtained by stacking them layer by layer along the wire, thereby achieving the purpose of adding different particles to the finished parts to change the performance of the finished parts. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] 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. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wire-feeding additive manufacturing device according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the nozzle structure and printing process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of a wire feeding nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Description of reference numerals:

[0026] 1. Laser generator; 2. Optical fiber; 3. Induction heating coil connecting rod; 4. Nozzle connecting rod; 5. Nozzle; 6. High-voltage generator; 7. Master control system; 8. Flow pump; 9. Solution delivery pipe; 10. Solution; 11. Liquid storage container; 12. Wire feeder; 13. Induction heating controller; 14. First insulating layer; 15. Auxiliary nozzle; 16. Wire feeding conductive wheel; 17. Induction heating coil; 18. Wire feed nozzle connecting rod; 19. Wire feed nozzle; 20. Wire material; 21. Laser processing head; 22. Substrate; 23. Industrial robot; 24. Second insulating layer; 501. Nozzle tube wall; 502. Solution guide needle; 503. Auxiliary electrode; 504. Liquid inlet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] 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.

[0028] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a wire-feeding additive manufacturing device and method to solve the problems existing in the prior art. It can spray a solution onto a wire by electrospraying, further cooperate with a heating mechanism to evaporate the solution and solidify the particles to be added on the wire, and then stack them layer by layer with the wire to obtain a finished part, thereby achieving the purpose of adding different particles to the finished part to change the performance of the finished part.

[0029] 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.

[0030] Example 1:

[0031] like Figure 1As shown, a wire-feeding additive manufacturing device includes a wire feeding mechanism, an electrospray printing mechanism, and a heating mechanism, wherein the wire feeding mechanism includes a wire feeder 12 and a wire nozzle 19, wherein the wire feeder 12 is used to feed a wire 20, and the wire nozzle 19 is used to guide the wire 20 to the surface of a substrate 22 used for additive manufacturing; the electrospray printing mechanism includes a high-voltage generator 6 and a nozzle 5, wherein one end electrode of the high-voltage generator 6 is electrically connected to the nozzle 5 via a wire, and the other end electrode is electrically connected to the wire 20 via a wire so as to be relatively movable, that is, while being connected to the wire 20, it does not hinder the normal feeding of the wire 20, thereby generating a high-voltage electric field between the nozzle 5 and the wire 20. The nozzle 5 is located between the wire feeder 12 and the wire nozzle 19, and is arranged toward the wire 20. The nozzle 5 is used to spray a solution 10 containing particles to be added onto the surface of the wire 20. The particles to be added can be metal particles or ceramic particles. The specific type of particles can be added according to the requirements of the finished product. The heating end of the heating mechanism is located between the nozzle 5 and the wire feeding nozzle 19 and is arranged close to the nozzle 5 for drying the solution 10 sprayed on the surface of the wire 20 .

[0032] During use, the wire feeder 12 transports the wire 20. Under the influence of a high-voltage electric field, the nozzle 5 sprays a solution 10 containing metal or ceramic particles onto the surface of the wire 20. Subsequently, the heating element heats the solution 10, evaporating the water in the solution 10 and allowing the metal or ceramic particles in the solution 10 to adhere to the surface of the wire 20. Finally, the wire 20 is transported via the wire nozzle 19 to the substrate 22, where it is melted for additive manufacturing. During layer-by-layer additive manufacturing, adjusting the wire nozzle 19 adjusts the feeding position of the wire 20. The metal or ceramic particles attached to the wire 20 melt or remain in the molten pool, and then, along with the wire 20, are deposited layer by layer according to a predetermined processing path, ultimately producing the final part. Due to the incorporation of metal or ceramic particles into the finished part, the properties of the finished part can be modified. Adjusting the spray position of the solution 10 on the wire 20 and adding different particle compositions to the solution 10 can flexibly control the different properties of the finished part and the structural positions of the components with different properties.

[0033] As a specific example, the wire feeding speed of the wire feeder 12 in this embodiment is 4mm / s~10mm / s, the flow rate of the solution 10 passed into the nozzle 5 is 100μL / h~3000μL / h, the distance between the nozzle 5 and the wire 20 is 0.5mm~2mm, the voltage applied by the high voltage generator is 0.5kV~30kV, the heating temperature of the wire 20 (which is also the drying temperature of the solution 10) is 160℃~200℃, and the angle α between the wire feeding nozzle 19 and the horizontal plane is 30°~45°.

[0034] Thus, this embodiment connects the two ends of the electrode of the high-voltage generator 6 to the nozzle 5 and the wire 20 respectively, and passes the solution 10 containing the particles to be added into the nozzle 5. The solution 10 can be sprayed onto the wire 20 by electrospray printing. The solution 10 is further evaporated by a heating mechanism, thereby solidifying the particles to be added on the wire 20. The particles are then stacked layer by layer along the wire 20 to obtain a finished part, thereby achieving the purpose of adding different particles to the finished part to change the performance of the finished part. In addition, the device in this embodiment is simple to operate and the manufacturing cost is relatively low.

[0035] As an embodiment, it also includes a laser generator 1, a laser processing head 21 and an optical fiber 2 connecting the laser generator 1 and the laser processing head 21; the laser processing head 21 emits laser to heat and melt the wire 20 sent out by the wire feeding nozzle 19.

[0036] Figure 1 A nozzle 5 and a sub-nozzle 15 are provided in the middle. The sub-nozzle 15 is provided in the same manner as the nozzle 5 and is also electrically connected to the high-voltage generator 6. It is also connected to a solution 10 containing other particles to be added, so as to achieve the purpose of adding a variety of particles or components to the finished parts. In addition, the particles can be sprayed onto the upper surface or lower surface of the wire 20 according to the type of particles and whether the particles need to be directly irradiated by the laser. For example, if metal particles need to be melted in a molten pool or a reaction is required, the solution containing metal particles can be sprayed onto the upper surface of the wire, and the laser can directly irradiate the metal particles; if the added ceramic particles need to avoid the ceramic particles from reacting, the particles containing the ceramic solution are sprayed onto the lower surface of the wire to reduce the possibility of the ceramic particles being directly irradiated by the laser and reacting.

[0037] In this embodiment, one electrode of the high-voltage generator 6 is electrically connected to the wire-feeding conductive wheel 16 via a wire. As an example, the wire-feeding conductive wheel 16 comprises a wheel seat and at least two parallel wheels rotatably mounted on the wheel seat. The wheel seat is connected to the electrode of the high-voltage generator 6 via a wire, and both wheels are in rolling contact with the wire 20. During the conveying process, the wheels are in close contact with the wire 20 and roll on the surface of the wire 20.

[0038] As an embodiment, Figure 2 As shown, an auxiliary electrode 503 is mounted at the nozzle opening of the nozzle 5, which is electrically connected to one end of the electrode of the high-voltage generator 6. The nozzle 5 includes a nozzle wall 501 and a solution guide needle 502 located within the nozzle wall 501. The solution guide needle 502 is used to guide the solution 10 and assist in the formation of a jet of the solution 10. The liquid inlet 504 on the nozzle wall 501 is connected to the liquid storage container 11 via the solution delivery pipe 9 and the flow pump 8. The liquid storage container 11 stores the solution 10 containing the particles to be added. The angle β between the centerline of the nozzle 5 and the vertical normal of the filament 20 is 0-60°.

[0039] As an embodiment, the wire feeding mechanism further includes a first insulating layer 14 and a second insulating layer 24 both sleeved on the outside of the wire 20, the first insulating layer 14 is located between the wire feeder 12 and the high voltage generator 6 and the connection end of the wire 20, and the second insulating layer 24 is located between the heating end of the heating mechanism and the wire feeding nozzle 19, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 The first insulating layer 14 and the second insulating layer 24 are provided to prevent electric shock caused by touching the charged wire 20 .

[0040] In one embodiment, the heating mechanism includes an induction heating coil 17 and an induction heating controller 13 for controlling the heating temperature of the induction heating coil 17. The induction heating coil 17 is sleeved around the outside of the wire 20 and is located between the nozzle 5 and the wire feeder 19. During the feeding process, the wire 20 passes through the induction heating coil 17.

[0041] This embodiment also includes a printing path moving end, to which the laser processing head 21 is fixed. The induction heating coil 17, the wire feed nozzle 19, and the nozzle 5 are respectively fixed to the printing path moving end via the induction heating coil connecting rod 3, the wire feed nozzle connecting rod 18, and the nozzle connecting rod 4. When the printing path moving end moves according to a predetermined program, it can drive the nozzle 5, the induction heating coil 17, and the wire feed nozzle 19 to move synchronously.

[0042] The printing path moving end can be set on a three-axis mobile device, which can move along the X, Y, and Z directions respectively; it can also be set at the end of the industrial robot 23.

[0043] This embodiment also includes a master control system 7, which is electrically connected to the laser generator 1, industrial robot 23, induction heating controller 13, wire feeder 12, and flow pump 8, controlling the coordinated operation of each component to achieve automated control of additive manufacturing. Furthermore, before performing additive manufacturing operations, a motion path for the end of the industrial robot 23 is generated based on a three-dimensional model of the finished part, and the master control system 7 is used to set appropriate laser power, scanning speed, wire feed speed, solution 10 flow rate, electric field voltage, and induction heating temperature. The specific configuration methods are well known to those skilled in the art and are not described in detail in this embodiment.

[0044] Example 2:

[0045] The present embodiment provides a wire-feeding additive manufacturing method, comprising the following steps: 1) spraying a solution 10 containing particles to be added onto the surface of a wire 20 being conveyed; 2) drying the solution 10 containing particles to be added sprayed onto the wire 20 so that the particles to be added in the solution 10 adhere to the surface of the wire 20; and 3) melting the wire 20 for additive manufacturing.

[0046] Adaptive changes based on actual needs are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0047] The present invention uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The above examples are only intended to help understand the method and core concept of the present invention. At the same time, those skilled in the art will find that the specific implementation methods and application scopes may vary based on the concept of the present invention. In summary, the contents of this specification should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A wire-feeding additive manufacturing device, characterized in that: include: A wire feeding mechanism, comprising a wire feeder and a wire feeding nozzle, wherein the wire feeder is used to feed the wire material, and the wire feeding nozzle is used to guide the wire material to the surface of the substrate; An electrospray printing mechanism, the electrospray printing mechanism comprising a high-voltage generator and a nozzle, one end of the high-voltage generator being electrically connected to the nozzle and the other end being electrically connected to the filament so as to be relatively movable, so as to generate a high-voltage electric field between the nozzle and the filament; The nozzle is located between the wire feeder and the wire feed nozzle, the nozzle is arranged toward the wire material, and the nozzle is used to spray a solution containing particles to be added; A heating mechanism, wherein a heating end of the heating mechanism is located between the nozzle and the wire feeding nozzle, and is used to dry the solution sprayed on the surface of the wire; It also includes a laser generator, a laser processing head, and an optical fiber connecting the laser generator and the laser processing head; the laser processing head emits laser to heat the wire sent out by the wire feeding nozzle; It also includes a printing path moving end, and the laser processing head, the wire feeding nozzle, the heating end of the heating mechanism and the nozzle are all fixed on the printing path moving end.

2. The wire feeding additive manufacturing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end of the high-voltage generator is electrically connected to the wire-feeding conductive wheel, and the wire-feeding conductive wheel is rollingly connected to the wire.

3. The wire feeding additive manufacturing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: An auxiliary electrode is installed at the nozzle opening of the nozzle, and the auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to one end of the high voltage generator.

4. The wire feeding additive manufacturing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wire feeding mechanism also includes a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer both of which are sleeved on the outside of the wire. The first insulating layer is located between the wire feeder and the high voltage generator and the connecting end of the wire. The second insulating layer is located between the heating end of the heating mechanism and the wire feeding nozzle.

5. The wire feeding additive manufacturing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a liquid storage container and a flow pump. The liquid storage container stores a solution containing particles to be added. One end of the flow pump is connected to the liquid storage container, and the other end is connected to the liquid inlet of the nozzle.

6. The wire feeding additive manufacturing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating mechanism includes an induction heating coil, which is sleeved on the outside of the wire and located between the nozzle and the wire feeding nozzle.

7. The wire feeding additive manufacturing device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The heating mechanism further includes an induction heating controller for controlling the heating temperature of the induction heating coil.

8. A wire-feeding additive manufacturing method, based on the wire-feeding additive manufacturing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: 1) Spraying a solution containing the particles to be added onto the surface of the conveying wire; 2) Drying the solution containing the particles to be added sprayed onto the wire material so that the particles to be added in the solution adhere to the surface of the wire material; 3) Melting the wire for additive manufacturing.

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