Friction stir additive process method and equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a stirring friction additive process method. The method comprises the steps that S1, raw materials are deposited on a base plate through an additive component; s2, the additive component is controlled to move along a preset path; s3, a stirring needle is driven to penetrate into the base plate so as to conduct friction stir welding on the formed deposition layer and the base plate; and S4, the stirring needle is controlled to move along a preset path, and the moving path of the stirring needle is along the moving path of the additive component. S5, the ultrasonic detection part is started to conduct detection or strengthening, and when only detection is conducted, detection is conducted after 0-1000 mm of welding is conducted; and when ultrasonic strengthening is adopted, an ultrasonic detection component is started after friction stir welding is performed for 0-100 mm so as to realize ultrasonic strengthening. Compared with the prior art, the friction stir additive process method has the advantages that the mode of front friction stir additive and rear friction stir welding is provided to increase the interface connection strength, and then the interface connection strength is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of friction stir additive technology, and in particular to a friction stir additive process method and equipment. Background Art

[0002] Friction Stir Additive Manufacturing (FSAM) is a 3D printing technology developed based on the principle of friction stir welding. Based on the principle of friction stir welding, the friction between the stirring needle, the additive raw material and the connecting piece generates heat to soften the material at the joint. Subsequently, the materials are connected together through axial pressure to form the required parts or structures. In this process, there is no melting / solidification process of the metal, thus reducing metallurgical defects such as thermal cracks and pores related to melting.

[0003] With the development of technology, stir friction additive manufacturing is divided into rod-feeding stir friction additive manufacturing, particle-feeding stir friction additive manufacturing and wire-feeding stir friction additive manufacturing based on raw materials. Because in wire-feeding stir friction additive manufacturing, the wire is cut into particles during the process, and in the particle-feeding stir friction additive manufacturing method, there are more particle connection interfaces, so there are weak connections between materials and weak connections between interfaces. To solve this problem, a new method is proposed. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a stir friction additive process method and equipment to address the deficiencies in the prior art, thereby solving the problems in the prior art of loose interface connection in additive manufacturing, low interface connection strength in additive manufacturing, and weak connection.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides a friction stir additive process method, comprising: S1: causing an additive component to deposit raw materials on a substrate; S2: controlling the additive component to move along a preset path; S3: driving a stirring needle to penetrate into the substrate to perform friction stir welding on the formed deposited layer and the substrate; S4, controlling the stirring needle to move along a preset path, wherein the moving path of the stirring needle is along the moving path of the additive component.

[0006] The advantage of the friction stir additive process method over the prior art is that it proposes a method of stirring friction additive in the front and stirring friction welding in the back to increase the interface connection strength, thereby improving the interface connection strength.

[0007] In some embodiments, S5: start the ultrasonic detection component to detect or strengthen. When only detecting, the detection is performed after welding 0-1000 mm; when ultrasonic strengthening is adopted, the ultrasonic detection component is started after stir friction welding 0-100 mm to achieve ultrasonic strengthening.

[0008] The present invention also provides a friction stir additive device, comprising: a bracket; an additive head, the additive head is installed on the bracket, the additive head includes a welding head and an additive shoulder, the additive shoulder is hollow to accommodate additive raw materials, the welding head has a discharge port, and the discharge port is connected to the additive shoulder; a stirring head, the stirring head is rotatably mounted on the bracket, and the stirring head is located behind the additive path of the additive head.

[0009] The advantage of the friction stir additive equipment over the prior art is that the stirring head and the friction stir additive head are set separately, and the stirring head is set behind the friction stir additive head, and friction stir welding is performed along its additive path. By stirring friction additives in the front and stirring friction welding in the back, the interface connection strength is increased, thereby improving the interface connection strength.

[0010] In some embodiments, the welding head is a screw, and the screw is rotatably disposed in the additive shoulder, and a feed port is provided on the additive shoulder.

[0011] In some embodiments, a stirring needle extending axially in a direction close to the deposition layer is provided at the end of the stirring head facing the deposition layer.

[0012] In some embodiments, the length of the stirring needle is L, satisfying: 0<L≤30mm.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method further includes: an ultrasonic generator, wherein the ultrasonic generator is mounted on the bracket and is located behind the stirring head on the additive path.

[0014] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic generator is an ultrasonic detection probe.

[0015] In some embodiments, it further includes: a shock-absorbing block, which is installed on the bracket and is located between the ultrasonic generator and the stirring head.

[0016] In some embodiments, the shock-absorbing block includes a material shock-absorbing part and a mechanical shock-absorbing part. The material shock-absorbing part is made of nylon material, and the mechanical shock-absorbing part is provided with an elastic shock-absorbing member. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and easily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2is a schematic structural diagram of a device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of a device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Reference numerals:

[0022] Substrate 10; deposition layer 20; additive shoulder 30; additive head 40; screw 41; stirring head 50; anti-vibration block 60; ultrasonic detection probe 70. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0024] The present application proposes a friction stir additive process method, including: S1: making the additive component deposit raw materials on the substrate; S2: controlling the additive component to move along a preset path; S3: driving the stirring needle to penetrate into the substrate to stir friction weld the formed deposition layer and the substrate; S4, controlling the stirring needle to move along the preset path, wherein the moving path of the stirring needle is along the moving path of the additive component. S5: starting the ultrasonic detection component for detection or strengthening, when only detection is performed, the detection is performed after welding 0-1000mm; when ultrasonic strengthening is adopted, the ultrasonic detection component is started after friction stir welding 0-100mm to achieve ultrasonic strengthening.

[0025] The friction stir additive process adopts a method of stirring friction additive in the front and stirring friction welding in the back to increase the interface connection strength, thereby improving the interface connection strength, solving the problems of weak interface connection in additive manufacturing, low interface connection strength in additive manufacturing, and weak connection.

[0026] The friction stir additive process method is not only applicable to wire feeding additive manufacturing, but also to a series of friction stir additive manufacturing such as rod feeding, particle feeding, powder feeding, etc. It can be selected according to actual needs and is not limited to this.

[0027] The present invention also discloses a friction stir material adding device, as shown below: Figure 1The friction stir additive device according to an embodiment of the present invention is described, comprising: a bracket, an additive head 40 and a stirring head 50, the additive head 40 is mounted on the bracket, the additive head 40 comprises a welding head and an additive shoulder 30, the welding head can be a screw 41, the additive shoulder is hollow and can accommodate the screw 41 and the additive raw material, the screw 41 is rotatably arranged in the additive shoulder, the additive shoulder has a feed port, the screw 41 has a discharge port, the discharge port is connected to the shoulder, forming a discharge space for discharging the additive raw material; the stirring head 50 is rotatably mounted on the bracket, and the stirring head 50 is located behind the additive path of the additive head 40. The screw 41 is arranged inside the additive shoulder 30, and a space for accommodating the additive material is provided between the additive shoulder 30 and the screw 41, and the additive shoulder 30 limits the additive raw material to prevent it from overflowing.

[0028] The present invention arranges a stirring head 50 and an additive head 40 for stir friction additive on the equipment respectively, and the stirring head 50 is arranged behind the additive head 40, and stir friction welding is performed along its additive path. In this way, stir friction welding is performed after additive manufacturing, which can solve the problems of loose connection of the additive manufacturing interface after the traditional additive manufacturing method, low connection strength of the additive manufacturing interface, weak connection, etc., thereby improving the connection strength of the additive manufacturing interface.

[0029] Moreover, after the stirring head 50 and the additive head 40 are separately provided in the present application, the device can also have a wider range of usage scenarios, and can be applied to both friction stir welding and friction stir additive. The stirring head 50 and the additive head 40 are separately provided, and this flexibility enables the friction stir additive device in the present application to adapt to more diverse application scenarios.

[0030] The stirring head 50 is located behind the additive head 40, so that when the additive head 40 performs stir friction additive, the additive material is softened and coated and deposited on the substrate 10 to form a deposition layer 20. The stirring head 50 can be inserted into the deposition layer 20 and the substrate 10 for stir friction welding, thereby improving the connection strength, uniformity and stability of the interface between the materials.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the height of the stirring needle tip of the stirring head 50 is lower than the height of the bottom end of the screw 41 of the additive head 40. Therefore, it can be ensured that the stirring head 50 can directly contact the deposited layer 20 formed by the additive head 40 to stir friction welding. Under this design, the stirring needle can penetrate into the substrate 10 to stir friction welding the deposited layer 20 and the substrate 10, that is, to improve the connection strength, uniformity and stability of the interface between the materials.

[0032] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the end of the stirring head 50 facing the deposition layer 20 is provided with a stirring needle extending axially toward the deposition layer 20. The stirring head 50 can be configured with a stirring needle or without a stirring needle. For the stirring head 50 with a stirring needle, the stirring needle provides mechanical stirring force for the plastic material in the weld zone, making the material flow more reasonable, which is helpful to form a dense weld structure, and the length, diameter, shape, thread and other characteristics of the stirring needle can be designed according to the characteristics of the processed material and the welding requirements, and has strong adaptability and flexibility; while the stirring head 50 without a stirring needle can eliminate process defects and improve the integrity of the stirring head 50, thereby increasing the strength of the stirring head 50, avoiding the risk of needle breakage, increasing the life of the stirring head 50, and reducing the process cost due to the lack of the limitation of the stirring needle. Both have their own advantages and can be selected according to needs, and are not limited here.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the length of the stirring needle is L. It satisfies: 0<L≤30mm. The length of the stirring needle can be adjusted as needed. Generally, the stirring needle length is designed to be 0-10mm greater than the thickness of the deposited layer.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the friction stir additive device further includes: an ultrasonic generator, which is mounted on a bracket and is located behind the stirring head 50 or in front of the additive head 40 on the additive path. The high-frequency vibration energy generated by the ultrasonic generator can increase the ultrasonic impact, refine the material grains, and thereby improve the inter-layer and intra-layer interface connection strength; it can stimulate the flow and deformation of the material, thereby improving the fluidity and mixing effect of the material. This allows the material to be more evenly distributed during the friction stir additive process, forming a denser weld structure.

[0035] In addition, the ultrasonic generator can monitor the material state, temperature distribution and welding quality of the welding area in real time. By receiving and analyzing ultrasonic signals, detailed information of the welding area can be obtained, thereby achieving precise control of the welding process. The ultrasonic generator can be combined with the control system to monitor key parameters such as the material state and temperature distribution of the welding area in real time. Through feedback control, the additive and welding parameters can be adjusted in time to ensure the stability and consistency of the additive manufacturing process.

[0036] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasonic generator is an ultrasonic detection probe 70, which can realize the integration of additive testing while realizing ultrasonic enhancement.

[0037] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it also includes: a shock-absorbing block 60, which is installed on the bracket and is located between the ultrasonic generator and the stirring head 50. In order to improve the detection accuracy, the shock-absorbing block 60 is added between the stirring welding and the ultrasonic probe to avoid the influence of vibration on the ultrasonic echo and increase the detection accuracy. On the one hand, as a precision device, the internal structure and electronic components of the ultrasonic generator are very sensitive to vibration. The provision of the shock-absorbing block 60 can effectively reduce the direct impact of external vibration on the ultrasonic generator, thereby protecting its internal structure and components from damage. On the other hand, vibration may cause the frequency output of the ultrasonic generator to be unstable, affecting the emission quality of the ultrasonic wave. The shock-absorbing block 60 can improve the working stability of the ultrasonic generator by reducing vibration and ensure the stable output of the ultrasonic wave. In addition, the shock-absorbing block 60 can reduce the energy loss of the ultrasonic generator in the process of transmitting ultrasonic energy, ensure that the ultrasonic energy is more effectively transmitted to the welding area, and improve the welding efficiency and quality.

[0038] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the shock-absorbing block 60 includes a material shock-absorbing part and a mechanical shock-absorbing part. The material shock-absorbing part is made of nylon material, and the mechanical shock-absorbing part is provided with an elastic shock-absorbing member. Material shock-absorbing usually adopts materials such as nylon, especially glass-fiber reinforced nylon material, which has good resilience. This means that when subjected to impact or vibration, nylon can quickly return to its original shape, reduce energy loss, and thus improve the shock-absorbing effect. The material shock-absorbing part mainly relies on the characteristics of the material itself for shock absorption. Compared with the material shock-absorbing part, the mechanical shock-absorbing part does not completely rely on the characteristics of the material itself and can usually be reused, which reduces costs and maintenance difficulties.

[0039] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the stirring head 50 is movably mounted on the bracket along the axial direction of the additive head 40. In this way, the distance between the stirring head 50 and the additive head 40 can be easily adjusted. If the stirring head 50 is too close to the additive head 40, the two may affect each other, and if the stirring head 50 is too far away from the additive head 40, the deposited layer 20 may solidify, which is not conducive to stirring. Therefore, according to the use scenario of the friction stir additive and the additive material and the material of the substrate 10, real-time adjustments can be made to achieve better additive manufacturing effects.

[0040] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the additive head 40 is a wire feeding additive head 40. There are three types of friction stir additive equipment, depending on the shape of the material, namely, rod feeding, wire feeding and particle feeding. The rod preparation process is relatively simple and the cost is low. The friction stir equipment for rod feeding can provide a stable feeding rate, which is suitable for large-scale additive manufacturing. The diameter of the wire is small, which is convenient for the stirring head 50 to mix and stir friction welding after deposition, which is conducive to obtaining a uniform additive structure. The wire has a small cross-sectional area, and the feeding amount can be more accurately controlled during the feeding process. It is suitable for high-precision and high-demand additive manufacturing and suitable for medium-scale production. Granular materials have a smaller size and can achieve more sophisticated feeding control. After the granular materials are deposited, they are convenient for the stirring head 50 to mix and stir friction welding like wire feeding additives, and a uniform additive structure can be obtained. Granular materials can be customized as needed and are suitable for additive manufacturing of special materials or composite materials.

[0041] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0042] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A friction stir additive process, characterized in that: Includes steps: S1: enabling the additive component to deposit raw materials on a substrate; S2: Controlling the additive component to move along a preset path; S3: driving the stirring needle to penetrate into the substrate to perform friction stir welding on the formed deposited layer and the substrate; S4, controlling the stirring needle to move along a preset path, wherein the moving path of the stirring needle is along the moving path of the additive component.

2. The friction stir additive process according to claim 1, characterized in that: S5: Start the ultrasonic detection component to detect or strengthen. When only detecting, the detection is carried out after welding 0-1000mm; when ultrasonic strengthening is adopted, the ultrasonic detection component is started after stir friction welding 0-100mm to achieve ultrasonic strengthening.

3. A friction stir additive device, characterized in that: include: Bracket; An additive head, the additive head is mounted on the bracket, the additive head comprises a welding head and an additive shoulder, the additive shoulder is hollow to accommodate additive raw materials, the welding head has a discharge port, and the discharge port is communicated with the additive shoulder; A stirring head is rotatably mounted on the bracket and is located behind an additive path of the additive head.

4. The friction stir additive device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The welding head is a screw rod, and the screw rod is rotatably arranged in the material-increasing shoulder. The material-increasing shoulder has a feed port.

5. The friction stir additive device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The end of the stirring head facing the deposition layer is provided with a stirring needle extending axially toward the deposition layer.

6. The friction stir additive device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The length of the stirring needle is L, which satisfies: 0<L≤30mm.

7. The friction stir additive device according to claim 3, characterized in that: Also includes: An ultrasonic generator is mounted on the bracket and is located behind the stirring head on the material adding path.

8. The friction stir additive device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The ultrasonic generator is an ultrasonic detection probe.

9. The friction stir additive device according to claim 7, characterized in that: Also includes: A shock-absorbing block is installed on the bracket and is located between the ultrasonic generator and the stirring head.

10. The friction stir additive device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The shock-absorbing block comprises a material shock-absorbing part and a mechanical shock-absorbing part. The material shock-absorbing part is made of nylon material, and the mechanical shock-absorbing part is provided with an elastic shock-absorbing member.

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