A SLM metal 3D printer

By introducing flip assembly and blowing assembly into the SLM metal 3D printer, the problem of powder pouring and oxidation after printing is solved, and the effect of automatic pre-cleaning of powder and reducing oxidation is achieved.

CN119237767BActive Publication Date: 2025-04-04TAIZHOU XUZHEN INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202411755086.9
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-12-03
Publication Date
2025-04-04
Estimated Expiration
2044-12-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

After printing, existing SLM metal 3D printers need to manually pour out the metal powder inside. The process is cumbersome and harmful to human health. At the same time, the powder is easy to oxidize, resulting in the inability to recycle.

Method used

An SLM metal 3D printer was designed with a flip assembly and a blowing assembly. The flip assembly is turned over by a flip motor driving the base block mounting frame to automatically pour out the powder in the product; the blowing assembly is blown out by an inert gas to slow down the oxidation of the powder.

Benefits of technology

The function of automatic pre-cleaning of powder is realized, reducing manual operation time, reducing the risk of powder oxidation, and improving the recycling rate of powder.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention provides an SLM metal 3D printer, comprising a chassis, wherein a laser transmitter and a polarizing filter are arranged at the upper end of the chassis, a powder supply bin and a printing bin are arranged in the chassis, a lifting platform 1 and a lifting platform 2 are arranged at the bottom of the powder supply bin and the printing bin respectively, a powder spreading component is also arranged at the upper end of the powder supply bin and the printing bin, a flip component is also arranged in the chassis, the flip component comprises a base block mounting frame, a flip motor and a sliding frame, the base block mounting frame is arranged at the output end of the flip motor, the flip motor is arranged on the sliding frame, and the flip motor drives the base block mounting frame to flip, so that the powder in the product can be poured out in the chassis, so as to achieve the function of pre-cleaning the powder and increase the recycling rate of the powder.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a 3D printer, in particular to a SLM metal 3D printer. Background Art

[0002] SLM is a major technical approach in additive manufacturing of metal materials. This technology uses laser as the energy source and scans the metal powder bed layer by layer according to the path planned in the 3D CAD slice model. The scanned metal powder is melted and solidified to achieve the effect of metallurgical bonding, and finally the metal parts designed by the model are obtained. In order to ensure printing stability, it is usually necessary to place a substrate and print the product on the substrate. After printing, the product can be cut off from the substrate.

[0003] After printing is completed, a certain amount of metal powder will remain inside and on the surface of metal parts. It is usually necessary to open the door of the 3D printer and pour out the powder in the product manually. Manually handling the powder is troublesome and takes a lot of time. Dumping a large amount of powder will also cause certain damage to the human respiratory tract. At the same time, some metal powders are easily oxidized when in contact with air, making them impossible to recycle. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, an object of the present invention is to provide a SLM metal 3D printer having a function of pre-cleaning powder.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is: an SLM metal 3D printer, comprising a chassis, a laser emitter and a polarizer are arranged at the upper end of the chassis, a powder supply bin and a printing bin are arranged in the chassis, and a lifting platform 1 and a lifting platform 2 are respectively arranged at the bottom of the powder supply bin and the printing bin, and a powder spreading assembly is also arranged at the upper end of the powder supply bin and the printing bin. A flip assembly is also arranged in the chassis, and the flip assembly includes a base block mounting frame, a flip motor and a sliding frame. The base block mounting frame is arranged at the output end of the flip motor, and the flip motor is arranged on the sliding frame. The flip motor drives the base block mounting frame to flip, and a locking piece for fixing the base block is arranged on the base block mounting frame. A blowing assembly for blowing out inert gas is also arranged in the chassis.

[0006] Through the above-mentioned technical means, the base block mounting frame is driven to rotate by the flipping motor, so that the powder in the product can be poured out in the chassis, thereby achieving the function of pre-cleaning the powder. The inert gas is blown out by the blowing component to slow down the oxidation time of the powder, reduce the amount of powder oxidation, increase the recycling rate of the powder, and further increase the effect of pre-cleaning the powder.

[0007] Preferably, the locking member includes a positioning block and a positioning rod, the positioning block is detachably arranged on the base block mounting frame, the positioning block and the base block mounting frame form a positioning groove, the base block is fixed in the positioning groove, and the positioning rod is arranged on the side end face of the positioning groove.

[0008] Through the above technical means, the base block is fixed by the cooperation between the positioning block and the positioning rod, so as to prevent the product from falling off and causing damage when the powder in the product is poured out.

[0009] Preferably, a T-shaped slider is provided at the bottom of the positioning block, a T-shaped slot is provided at the side end of the base block mounting frame, the T-shaped slider slides in cooperation with the T-shaped slot, an arc groove is also provided at the bottom of the T-shaped slider, a threaded through hole is provided through the T-shaped slot, and a ball head plunger is provided in the threaded through hole.

[0010] Through the above technical means, the positioning block is fixed in the Z-axis direction through the cooperation between the T-shaped slider and the T-shaped slide groove, and the positioning block will not move easily in the X-axis direction through the cooperation between the arc groove and the ball plunger. At the same time, it is convenient to remove the positioning block during loading and unloading.

[0011] Preferably, the powder spreading assembly includes a screw motor and a powder scraper plate, the tail end of the powder scraper plate is threadedly matched with the output end of the screw motor, the lifting platform 2 includes a linear motor 1 and a lifting plate, the lifting plate is provided with an inclined guide surface 1, and the front end of the powder scraper plate is provided with an inclined guide surface 2 that matches the inclined guide surface 1.

[0012] Through the above technical means, the powder scraper plate is driven to move by the screw motor, and the lifting platform one and the lifting platform two are coordinated to realize the loading of powder. Through the coordination of the inclined guide surface one and the inclined guide surface two, when the product is turned over to pour the powder, the powder slides down from the inclined surface, and the poured powder is sent into the powder supply bin through the powder scraper plate.

[0013] Preferably, the sliding frame includes a slide rail and a fixed frame, a second linear motor is fixedly arranged above the slide rail, the fixed frame is arranged at the output end of the second linear motor, and the flip motor is arranged on the fixed frame.

[0014] Through the above technical means, the fixed frame is driven by the second linear motor to move up and down along the slide rail, thereby supporting the fixation of the flipping motor, cooperating with the up and down movement of the second lifting platform to achieve the purpose of flipping and avoiding air, and prevent interference problems during flipping.

[0015] Preferably, the blowing assembly includes a front hanging plate, a pair of side hanging plates and an air nozzle, an air passage is opened in the side hanging plate, the air nozzle is arranged on the side hanging plate and is connected with the air passage, the side hanging plate and the front hanging plate form a blowing cavity, and the base block mounting frame is arranged in the blowing cavity.

[0016] Through the above-mentioned technical means, by setting the front hanging plate and the side hanging plate, and setting the air nozzle on the side hanging plate, the function of blowing is realized. At the same time, a blowing cavity is formed by the front hanging plate and the side hanging plate to block the powder, prevent the powder from being excessively lifted and entering the area that the powder scraper plate cannot scrape.

[0017] Preferably, a mounting beam is also provided at the upper end of the chassis, the side hanging plate is hinged on the mounting beam, a trigger block is provided on the powder spreading assembly, and when the trigger block moves, it touches the side hanging plate and causes it to swing around the hinge point, and a micro switch is also provided on the mounting beam.

[0018] Through the above-mentioned technical means, the trigger block touches the hanging plate and makes it swing, so that the air nozzle swings to blow air, thereby increasing the blowing effect. At the same time, a micro switch is set as a travel switch of the powder laying component to prevent the laser transmitter from being turned on during the powder laying process, thereby preventing the powder laying component from being damaged. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 AA section view in;

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 1 BB section view in;

[0022] Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional view in the flipped state;

[0023] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the base block mounting frame;

[0024] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Enlarged view of part A.

[0025] Figure numerals: 1, chassis; 2, mounting beam; 3, laser transmitter; 4, polarizer; 5, powder supply bin; 6, printing bin; 7, lifting platform 1; 8, lifting platform 2; 9, powder spreading assembly; 10, flip assembly; 11, base block mounting frame; 12, flip motor; 13, sliding frame; 14, slide rail; 15, fixed frame; 16, linear motor 2; 17, lead screw motor; 18, powder scraper; 19, linear motor Machine 1; 20, lifting plate; 21, inclined guide surface 1; 22, inclined guide surface 2; 23, locking piece; 24, positioning rod; 25, positioning block; 26, positioning groove; 27, T-shaped slider; 28, T-shaped slide groove; 29, arc groove; 30, ball plunger; 31, blowing assembly; 32, air nozzle; 33, front hanging plate; 34, side hanging plate; 35, trigger block; 36, micro switch; 37, telescopic cylinder; 90, base block. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The specific implementation modes of the present invention are further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings to make the technical solutions of the present invention easier to understand and grasp.

[0027] A SLM metal 3D printer, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, it includes a chassis 1, and a mounting beam 2 is also provided on the upper end of the chassis 1. A laser emitter 3 and a polarizer 4 are provided on the upper end of the mounting beam 2. The laser emitter 3 is aligned with the polarizer 4, and the position of laser welding can be moved by rotating the polarizer 4. The laser emitter 3 and the polarizer 4 are both existing technologies and will not be elaborated on here. A powder supply bin 5 and a printing bin 6 are provided on the lower side of the chassis 1. A lifting platform 1 7 and a lifting platform 2 8 are provided at the bottom of the powder supply bin 5 and the printing bin 6 respectively. A powder spreading component 9 is also provided on the upper end of the powder supply bin 5 and the printing bin 6. During printing, the lifting platform 1 7 gradually rises to push the metal powder in the powder supply bin 5 upward, and the printing bin 6 gradually descends. The powder spreading component 9 pushes the powder from the powder supply slot into the printing slot, and the powder is heated layer by layer by the laser emitter 3 to achieve the effect of 3D printing.

[0028] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, a flip assembly 10 is also provided in the chassis 1, and the flip assembly 10 includes a base block mounting frame 11, a flip motor 12 and a sliding frame 13. The sliding frame 13 includes a slide rail 14 and a fixed frame 15. A linear motor 16 is fixedly provided above the slide rail 14, and the fixed frame 15 is arranged at the output end of the linear motor 16. The flip motor 12 is arranged on the fixed frame 15, and the base block mounting frame 11 is arranged at the output end of the flip motor 12. The flip motor 12 drives the base block mounting frame 11 to flip. A locking member 23 for fixing the base block 90 is arranged on the base block mounting frame 11. When the product 3D printing is completed, the flip motor 12 and the base block mounting frame 11 are driven to move upward by the cooperation of the linear motor 16 and the lifting platform 8. After reaching the specified position, the lifting platform 8 moves downward to provide an avoidance space for the flipping of the base block mounting frame 11. After completion, the base block mounting frame 11 is driven to flip by the flip motor 12, so that most of the residual powder in the product can be poured out, thereby achieving the function of pre-cleaning the powder.

[0029] like Figure 1 , Figure 3As shown, the powder spreading assembly 9 includes a screw motor 17 and a powder scraper plate 18. The rear end of the powder scraper plate 18 is threadedly matched with the output end of the screw motor 17. The lifting platform 1 7 has the same structure as the lifting platform 2 8, including a linear motor 19 and a lifting plate 20. The lifting plate 20 is precisely matched with the printing bin 6, and drives the powder to move together when the lifting plate 20 moves up or down. An inclined guide surface 1 21 is provided on the lifting plate 20 of the lifting platform 2 8, and an inclined guide surface 22 matching the inclined guide surface 1 21 is provided at the front end of the powder scraper plate 18. When the flipping motor 12 drives the product to flip and pour the powder, the powder will fall onto the lifting plate 20 of the lifting platform 2 8. Because the base block mounting frame 11 causes the powder scraper plate 18 to be unable to completely clean the lifting plate 20, the inclined guide surface 22 is used to make the powder slide from the inclined surface to a flat area, thereby facilitating the powder scraper plate 18 to send the poured powder into the powder supply bin 5.

[0030] like Figure 5 , Figure 6 As shown, the locking member 23 includes a positioning block 25 and a positioning rod 24. The positioning block 25 is detachably arranged on the base block mounting frame 11. The positioning block 25 and the base block mounting frame 11 form a positioning groove 26. The base block 90 is fixed in the positioning groove 26. The positioning rod 24 is arranged on the side end surface of the positioning groove 26 and the positioning block 25. A T-shaped slider 27 is arranged at the bottom of the positioning block 25. A T-shaped slide groove 28 is opened at the side end of the base block mounting frame 11. The T-shaped slider 27 slides and cooperates with the T-shaped slide groove 28, so that the positioning block 25 will not be separated from the base block mounting frame 11 after flipping. An arc groove 29 is also arranged at the bottom of the T-shaped slider 27. A threaded through hole is opened through the T-shaped slide groove 28, and a ball head plunger 30 is arranged in the threaded through hole, so that the positioning block 25 will not move easily in the X-axis direction, and the positioning block 25 is convenient to remove when loading and unloading.

[0031] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, a blowing assembly 31 for blowing out inert gas is also provided in the chassis 1, and the blowing assembly 31 includes a front hanging plate 33, a pair of side hanging plates 34 and an air nozzle 32. An air passage is opened in the side hanging plate 34, and the air nozzle 32 is arranged on the side hanging plate 34 and communicated with the air passage. The side hanging plate 34 and the front hanging plate 33 form a blowing cavity, and the base block mounting frame 11 is arranged in the blowing cavity. During laser welding, inert gas is blown into the chassis 1 through the air nozzle 32 to prevent oxidation of the product. A rear baffle is also provided at the tail of the base block mounting frame 11, and a blowing cavity is formed by the front hanging plate 33, the rear baffle and the side hanging plate 34, which plays a role in blocking powder, preventing the powder from being lifted up excessively and entering the area that the powder scraper plate 18 cannot scrape. A telescopic cylinder 37 is provided at the upper end of the front baffle, which can drive the front baffle to move up and down, so as to facilitate workers to load and unload materials.

[0032] The side hanging plate 34 is hinged on the mounting beam 2, and a trigger block 35 is provided on the powder spreading component 9. When the trigger block 35 moves, it touches the side hanging plate 34 and makes it swing around the hinge point. A micro switch 36 is also provided on the mounting beam 2. The trigger block 35 touches the hanging plate and makes it swing, so that the air nozzle 32 produces a certain swing when blowing, thereby increasing the effect of blowing. By setting the micro switch 36 as a travel switch of the powder spreading component 9, the laser emitter 3 is prevented from being turned on during the powder spreading process of the powder spreading component 9, causing the powder spreading component 9 to be damaged. When the trigger block 35 touches the side hanging plate 34 on one side, the side hanging plate 34 rotates around the hinge point and triggers the micro switch 36 here. The triggering of the micro switch 36 indicates that the screw motor 17 has driven the powder scraper 18 to move to the outside of the side baffle, and the laser emitter 3 can work. When the laser emitter 3 is completed, the micro switch 36 needs to be restarted to work, thereby confirming the position of the powder scraper 18 to prevent the powder scraper 18 from being damaged.

[0033] Of course, the above are only typical examples of the present invention. In addition, the present invention may also have many other specific implementations. All technical solutions formed by equivalent replacement or equivalent transformation fall within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

Claims

1. A SLM metal 3D printer, comprising a chassis (1), wherein a laser emitter (3) and a polarizer (4) are arranged at the upper end of the chassis (1), a powder supply bin (5) and a printing bin (6) are arranged inside the chassis (1), a lifting platform 1 (7) and a lifting platform 2 (8) are arranged at the bottom of the powder supply bin (5) and the printing bin (6), respectively, and a powder spreading component (9) is also arranged at the upper end of the powder supply bin (5) and the printing bin (6), wherein: The chassis (1) is further provided with a flip assembly (10), the flip assembly (10) comprising a base block mounting frame (11), a flip motor (12) and a sliding frame (13), the base block mounting frame (11) being arranged at the output end of the flip motor (12), the flip motor (12) being arranged on the sliding frame (13), the flip motor (12) driving the base block mounting frame (11) to flip, the base block mounting frame (11) being provided with a locking member (23) for fixing the base block (90), and the chassis (1) is further provided with a blowing assembly (31) for blowing out an inert gas; The air blowing assembly (31) comprises a front hanging plate (33), a pair of side hanging plates (34) and an air nozzle (32); an air passage is provided in the side hanging plate (34); the air nozzle (32) is arranged on the side hanging plate (34) and communicates with the air passage; the side hanging plate (34) and the front hanging plate (33) form an air blowing cavity; the base block mounting frame (11) is arranged in the air blowing cavity; The upper end of the chassis (1) is also provided with a mounting beam (2), the side hanging plate (34) is hinged on the mounting beam (2), the powder spreading assembly (9) is provided with a trigger block (35), when the trigger block (35) moves, it touches the side hanging plate (34) and causes it to swing around the hinge point, and the mounting beam (2) is also provided with a micro switch (36).

2. The SLM metal 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking member (23) comprises a positioning block (25) and a positioning rod (24); the positioning block (25) is detachably arranged on the base block mounting frame (11); the positioning block (25) and the base block mounting frame (11) form a positioning groove (26); the base block (90) is fixed in the positioning groove (26); and the positioning rod (24) is arranged on a side end surface of the positioning groove (26).

3. The SLM metal 3D printer according to claim 2, characterized in that: A T-shaped slider (27) is provided at the bottom of the positioning block (25), a T-shaped slide groove (28) is provided at the side end of the base block mounting frame (11), the T-shaped slider (27) and the T-shaped slide groove (28) are slidably matched, a circular arc groove (29) is also provided at the bottom of the T-shaped slider (27), a threaded through hole is provided through the T-shaped slide groove (28), and a ball plunger (30) is provided in the threaded through hole.

4. The SLM metal 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The powder spreading assembly (9) comprises a screw motor (17) and a powder scraper (18), the rear end of the powder scraper (18) is threadedly matched with the output end of the screw motor (17), the lifting platform (8) comprises a linear motor (19) and a lifting plate (20), the lifting plate (20) is provided with an inclined guide surface (21), and the front end of the powder scraper (18) is provided with an inclined guide surface (22) matched with the inclined guide surface (21).

5. The SLM metal 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sliding frame (13) comprises a sliding rail (14) and a fixed frame (15), a second linear motor (16) is fixedly arranged above the sliding rail (14), the fixed frame (15) is arranged at the output end of the second linear motor (16), and the flip motor (12) is arranged on the fixed frame (15).

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Powder cleaning device and powder cleaning method for 3D printing parts

    CN115138877A