Ice and snow material 3D printing system

Abstract

The invention discloses an ice and snow material 3D printing system which comprises a moving platform, a granulation module, an ice and snow particle material storage / conveying module, a 3D printing mechanical arm, a water mist spraying module, an ice and snow 3D printing output module and a control module, and the 3D printing mechanical arm, the granulation module, the ice and snow particle material storage / conveying module and the control module are arranged on the moving platform; the granulation module is connected with the ice and snow particle material storage / conveying module through a conveying pipe; the control module controls the 3D printing mechanical arm to move; according to the ice and snow material 3D printing system, the problems that the ice and snow landscape molding cost is high, the technical requirements for personnel are high, and the labor intensity is large are solved, automation and intelligence of ice and snow molding are achieved, the ice and snow material 3D printing system is environmentally friendly, environmental pollution is reduced to the maximum extent, and the ice and snow material 3D printing system is suitable for being popularized and applied. The green society is promoted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of 3D printing, and in particular to a 3D printing system for ice and snow materials. Background Art

[0002] The methods of 3D printing material output and bonding vary depending on the physical properties of the materials being processed. Common methods currently include: photocuring technology, fused deposition modeling technology, sheet stacking manufacturing technology, powder bonding molding technology, selective laser sintering technology, laser direct sintering metal technology, etc. The materials used involve metals, ceramics, plastics, gels, paper, cement, etc. The application range includes the manufacture of large building components, large aerospace cavities, and support parts, and the molding of sub-micron micro-mechanical parts, including the printing of biomaterials. Replacing the materials used in the above molding methods can also achieve applications in other directions. However, the current mature 3D printing technology is not suitable for the printing of ice and snow materials.

[0003] Ice and snow sports are common sports and recreational activities in northern China. The construction and repair of ice and snow landscapes have always been carried out manually, which has the problems of high labor intensity, low efficiency and high technical requirements for personnel. For example, it has led more than 300 million people to participate in ice and snow sports, and also led more people to join ice and snow tourism, ice and snow leisure, and ice and snow sports. It has also made Harbin, which has very rich ice and snow tourism resources, popular this winter, which in turn has led to an expansion of the demand for ice and snow landscape construction and repair.

[0004] Therefore, in order to meet the above-mentioned needs for ice and snow landscape construction and repair, a 3D printing system using ice and snow as materials is specially designed to solve the problems of high cost, high technical requirements for personnel, and high labor intensity in ice and snow landscape shaping, and to realize the automation and intelligence of ice and snow shaping. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a 3D printing system for ice and snow materials, which better solves the problems of high cost, high technical requirements for personnel, and high labor intensity in shaping ice and snow landscapes.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] The present invention provides a 3D printing system for ice and snow materials, comprising a mobile platform, a granulation module, an ice and snow particle material storage / conveying module, a 3D printing mechanical arm, a water mist spray module, an ice and snow 3D printing output module and a control module. The mobile platform is provided with a 3D printing mechanical arm, a granulation module, an ice and snow particle material storage / conveying module and a control module; the granulation module is connected to the ice and snow particle material storage / conveying module through a transmission pipe; the control module controls the movement of the 3D printing mechanical arm; the head end of the head connecting rod in the 3D printing mechanical arm is provided with a water mist spray module and an ice and snow 3D printing output module;

[0008] Granulation module: including a manufacturing bin body, which is equipped with a snow supply module, a snow storage bin, an electric push rod, a piston, two forming rollers and a first stepper motor equipped with a reducer. The granulation module is controlled by the control module. After power is turned on, the snow supply module provides ice and snow materials to the snow storage bin through a connecting pipe. The electric push rod drives the piston to move downward to compress the ice and snow materials in the snow storage bin and make it enter between the two forming rollers below. The two forming rollers are respectively connected to a first stepper motor in a one-to-one correspondence. The first stepper motor drives the two forming rollers to rotate relative to each other. The spherical mold on the surface of each forming roller presses the entering ice and snow materials into ice and snow pellets one by one. As the forming rollers continue to rotate, the ice and snow pellets are discharged to the vibrating screen receiving plate below and are transmitted to the ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module through a transmission pipe;

[0009] The ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module includes a main pipeline built into the box body, a shell arranged on the main pipeline, a three-finger clamp, a particle pipeline, a second stepper motor and a small silo with a toggle mechanism inside. Two cranks connected by a crankshaft and a piston push rod connected to the crankshaft by a crank connecting rod are arranged in the main pipeline. The main pipeline is connected to the small silo through the particle pipeline. The ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module is controlled by the control module. After power is turned on, the second stepper motor drives the crank to rotate synchronously through the crankshaft. The rotation of the crankshaft drives the piston push rod to reciprocate up and down through the crank connecting rod. The right crank drives the cam to rotate, and the ice and snow particles are transported from the outside through the transmission pipe. The opening of the shell enters the small silo. When the piston push rod rises, the particles are discharged into the main pipeline through the particle pipeline. When the piston push rod descends, the ice and snow particles are pushed out to the three-finger clamp, and the three-finger clamp of the previous particle is pushed out to the pipeline in the 3D printing robot arm. Two stainless steel beads connected by springs correspond to each other near the three-finger clamp in the main pipeline, which are used to retract and clamp the ice and snow particles when squeezed to prevent excess particles from entering the pipeline; a toggle mechanism is provided inside the small silo, and a thin wire rope is used to tightly connect the swing plate to the eccentric wire-pulling shaft fixed on the shaft end cover. When the second stepper motor rotates one circle, the thin wire rope pulls the swing plate once, and a torsion spring is provided in the middle of the swing plate;

[0010] 3D printing mechanical arm: including a chassis, a turntable, a pipeline, a connecting arm, a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod and a head connecting rod, the chassis is arranged on a mobile platform, the turntable is arranged on the chassis, the tail of the connecting arm is hinged to the turntable through the first connecting rod, the connecting arm is sleeved on the middle section of the pipeline, the tail end of the pipeline extends into the turntable and is connected to the ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module, the head end of the pipeline passes through the tail end of the second connecting rod and is connected to the ice and snow 3D printing output module, the bottom of the tail end of the second connecting rod is hinged to one side of the head end of the connecting arm, the head end of the second connecting rod is hinged to one side of the head end, and a water mist spray module and an ice and snow 3D printing output module are arranged on the head connecting rod;

[0011] Water mist spray module: including a water mist nozzle and a storage box with a constant temperature water tank, a water pump, a time relay, an electromagnetic switch valve and a DC power supply. The water mist nozzle is connected to the constant temperature water tank through a water pipe, a water pump and an electromagnetic switch valve. The water mist nozzle is installed on the head connecting rod by bolts, and the storage box is installed on the mobile platform by bolts. The water mist spray module is controlled by the control module. The constant temperature water tank keeps the water temperature at any temperature above zero to ensure that the water will not freeze during the transportation and spraying process. The water pump pumps the water in the constant temperature water tank into the water pipe. An electromagnetic switch valve is provided between the water pump and the water mist nozzle. The opening and closing of the electromagnetic switch valve is controlled by the time relay. When the valve is opened, water can flow through and the water mist nozzle sprays water. When the valve is blocked, the water flow is cut off and the water mist nozzle stops spraying water.

[0012] Ice and snow 3D printing output module: including a transmission pump, an arc wheel with a notch in the middle, and an outlet block. The ice and snow 3D printing output module is controlled by the control module. The transmission pump main shaft transmits power to the arc wheel in the middle through a key. A notch is provided in the middle of the arc wheel to facilitate the passage of the outlet block. Ice and snow particles fall onto the arc wheel through the pipeline. The block blocks the ice and snow particles at the notch of the arc wheel. Through the extrusion of the arc wheel, the ice and snow particles are squeezed into the transmission pipeline and discharged from the output port.

[0013] Control module: PC industrial computer is used. The multi-axis motion control card receives the command from the PC and then sends a signal to the stepper motor driver to control the movement of the first stepper motor and the second stepper motor. The 3D printing robot arm control cabinet communicates with the PC industrial computer through Ethernet. After the model processing is completed on the PC side, the position and speed information of the movement is sent to the 3D printing robot arm control cabinet to control the movement of the 3D printing robot arm. The water mist spray time sends a current signal to the time relay through the power port of the PC industrial computer, and the water flow is controlled by the time relay.

[0014] Preferably, the first stepper motor is selected to be FY42EM150A with a torque of 0.4 N·m.

[0015] Preferably, the crankshaft rotation radius is 16 mm; the maximum stroke of the piston push rod is 32 mm; the maximum rotation radius of the cam is 24 mm, and the maximum stroke of the small silo is 48 mm; the inner dimension of the shell is 50 mm larger than the outer dimension of the small silo.

[0016] Preferably, the second stepper motor is selected to be model 23HS3002, with a torque of 1.2 N·m.

[0017] Preferably, the 3D printing robot arm adopts a TKB1200 multi-joint six-axis industrial robot, with a maximum working radius of 973 mm, a maximum allowable wrist load of 5 kg, and a working environment temperature of -30°C to 55°C.

[0018] Preferably, the mobile platform uses a crawler-type trolley, which can move the entire system to a target location for printing, can adapt to complex terrain, has a large contact area with the ground, and has high stability.

[0019] Preferably, the pipeline adopts PVC steel wire spring tube, which has the characteristics of built-in steel wire spring that makes the tube retractable, can minimize the bending of the pipeline, and will not deform when the pipeline bends, ensuring that the particles will not be squeezed by the tube wall and broken or blocked during printing.

[0020] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the 3D printing system for ice and snow materials in the present invention specifically realizes the following functions:

[0021] (1) Simple materials: The required ice and snow materials can be obtained locally or through simple preparation;

[0022] (2) Customized design: 3D printing technology allows users to customize the structure and function of the robot to meet specific needs;

[0023] (3) Adaptability: The ice and snow 3D printing robot can adapt to different environmental conditions, such as low temperature and high altitude areas;

[0024] (4) Versatility: The robot can be used in a variety of applications, including search and rescue, scientific research, and entertainment.

[0025] (5) Low pollution: In order to protect the environment, chemical additives are not used as much as possible during material preparation or printing to avoid pollution to the environment;

[0026] (6) Advanced technology: In view of the shapeless and controllable molten state of water-based materials, a particle printing method is proposed. Based on the characteristics of particle printing, a method for printing particle planning using a grid template particle filling algorithm based on the model slice contour is proposed;

[0027] (7) Particle stacking method: The particles are solidified and formed when they are stacked, which overcomes the problems of direct water spraying and freezing, large drops of water being difficult to quickly form, and directly printing ice and snow powder being too loose. By controlling the process parameters of the material preparation, materials with sufficient strength can be obtained. Through reasonable stacking and bonding, the ice and snow blocks can have sufficient supporting strength to be able to print large works. The water mist used for bonding can form a thinner water film between the contact surfaces of the ice balls, which can be quickly frozen. By controlling the amount of water sprayed, a more ideal bonding strength can be formed between the ice balls. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. 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 creative work.

[0029] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a 3D printing system for ice and snow materials provided by an embodiment of the present invention (I);

[0030] Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of a 3D printing system for ice and snow materials provided by an embodiment of the present invention (II);

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the 3D printing robotic arm;

[0032] Figure 4 It is the structural schematic diagram of the granulation module (I);

[0033] Figure 5 It is the structural schematic diagram of the granulation module (II);

[0034] Figure 6 The schematic diagram of the structure of the ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module (I);

[0035] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the structure of the ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module (II)

[0036] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ice and snow 3D printing output module.

[0037] Description of reference numerals:

[0038] Mobile platform 1, granulation module 2, ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module 3, 3D printing robot arm 4, water mist spray module 5, ice and snow 3D printing output module 6, control module 7, transmission tube 8;

[0039] Electric push rod 201, piston 202, forming roller 203, first stepper motor 204, snow storage bin 205;

[0040] Main pipeline 301, housing 302, three-finger clamp 303, particle pipeline 304, second stepping motor 305, small silo 306, crankshaft 307, crank 308, crank connecting rod 309, piston push rod 310, cam 311, stainless steel ball 312;

[0041] Chassis 401, turntable 402, pipe 403, connecting arm 404, first connecting rod 405, second connecting rod 406, head connecting rod 407;

[0042] Water mist nozzle 501 , transmission pump 601 , and transmission pipeline 602 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. 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 creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0044] Embodiment 1, as Figures 1 to 8 As shown, a 3D printing system for ice and snow materials includes a mobile platform 1, a granulation module 2, an ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module 3, a 3D printing mechanical arm 4, a water mist spray module 5, an ice and snow 3D printing output module 6 and a control module 7. The mobile platform 1 is provided with a 3D printing mechanical arm 4, a granulation module 2, an ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module 3, and a control module 7; the granulation module 2 is connected to the ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module 3 through a transmission pipe 8; the control module 7 is electrically connected to the 3D printing mechanical arm 4, and the control module 7 controls the movement of the 3D printing mechanical arm 4; the head end of the head connecting rod in the 3D printing mechanical arm 4 is provided with a water mist spray module 5 and an ice and snow 3D printing output module 6;

[0045] in,

[0046] Granulation module 2: Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, it includes a manufacturing bin body, which is equipped with a snow supply module, a snow storage bin 205, an electric push rod 201, a piston 202, two forming rollers 203 and a first stepper motor 204 equipped with a reducer. The granulation module 2 is electrically connected to the control module 7. After the granulation module 2 is powered on by the control module 7, the snow supply module provides ice and snow materials to the snow storage bin 205 through a connecting pipe. The electric push rod 201 drives the piston 202 to move downward to compress the ice and snow materials in the snow storage bin 205 and make it enter between the two forming rollers 203 below. The two forming rollers 203 are respectively connected to a first stepper motor 204 in a one-to-one correspondence. The stepper motor 204 drives the two forming rollers 203 to rotate relative to each other. The spherical mold on the surface of each forming roller 203 presses the incoming ice and snow materials into ice and snow pellets. As the forming rollers 203 continue to rotate, the ice and snow pellets are discharged to the vibrating screen receiving plate below and are transmitted to the ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module 3 through the transmission pipe 8. It should be noted that when the piston 202 reaches the end of the stroke, the forming roller 203 stops rotating, the electric push rod 201 drives the piston 202 to return to the starting point, the snow delivery device supplies snow to the snow storage bin 205 again, and the granulation module 2 performs the next cycle of granulation.

[0047] Ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module 3: Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 6 , Figure 7As shown, it includes a main pipeline 301 built into the box, a shell 302 arranged on the main pipeline 301, a three-finger clamp 303, a particle pipeline 304, a second stepper motor 305 and a small silo 306 with a toggle mechanism inside. Two cranks 308 connected by a crankshaft 307 and a piston push rod 310 connected to the crankshaft 307 by a crank connecting rod 309 are arranged in the main pipeline 301. The main pipeline 301 is connected to the small silo 306 through the particle pipeline 304, and the ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module 3 is electrically connected to the control module 4. After the material storage / conveying module 3 is powered on by the control module 4, the second stepper motor 305 drives the crank 308 to rotate synchronously through the crankshaft 307. The crankshaft 307 rotates through the crank connecting rod 309 to drive the piston push rod 310 to reciprocate up and down. The right crank 308 drives the cam 311 to rotate, and the ice and snow particles enter the small silo 306 from the opening of the shell 302 through the transmission pipe 8. When the piston push rod 310 rises, the particles are discharged into the main pipe 301 through the particle pipe 304. When the piston push rod 310 descends, the ice and snow particles are pushed out to the three-finger clamp 303 and The three-finger gripper 303 of the previous particle is pushed out into the pipe 403 in the 3D printing robot arm 4. Two stainless steel beads 312 connected by springs correspond to each other in the main pipe 301 near the three-finger gripper 303. When the two stainless steel beads 312 protruding from the main pipe 301 are squeezed, the springs retract and the ice and snow particles are caught to prevent excess particles from entering the pipe. A toggle mechanism is provided inside the small silo 306. A thin wire rope is used to tightly connect the swing plate to the eccentric wire-pulling shaft fixed on the shaft end cover. When the second stepper motor 305 rotates one circle, the thin wire rope pulls the swing plate to rotate. The plate is rotated once, and a torsion spring is arranged in the middle of the swing plate; it should be noted that the small silo is used to temporarily store particles. To avoid material shortage, the right crank drives the cam to rotate to achieve the silo bumping and vibration to prevent the particles from being blocked in the silo; it should be noted that under the joint action of the thin wire and the torsion spring, the swing plate is reciprocated at the mouth of the small silo to prevent the particles from being blocked at the entrance. The toggle mechanism can achieve one rotation of the motor and only one particle enters the pipeline. Therefore, the conveying speed of the particles is controlled by the speed of the second stepper motor and can be synchronized with the output speed of the particles of the output mechanism;

[0048] 3D printing robot arm 4: Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 3As shown, it includes a chassis 401, a turntable 402, a pipeline 403, a connecting arm 404, a first connecting rod 405, a second connecting rod 406 and a head connecting rod 407. The chassis 401 is arranged on the mobile platform 1, the turntable 402 is arranged on the chassis 401, the rear end of the connecting arm 404 is hinged to the turntable 402 through the first connecting rod 405, the rear end of the pipeline 403 extends into the turntable 402 and is connected to the ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module 3, the front end of the pipeline 403 passes through the rear end of the second connecting rod 406 and is connected to the ice and snow 3D printing output module 6, the bottom of the rear end of the second connecting rod 406 is hinged to one side of the front end of the connecting arm 404, and the head end of the second connecting rod 406 is hinged to one side of the head end. The head connecting rod 407 is provided with a water mist spray module 5 and an ice and snow 3D printing output module 6;

[0049] Water mist spray module 5: Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it includes a water mist nozzle 501 and a storage box with a constant temperature water tank, a water pump, a time relay, an electromagnetic switch valve and a DC power supply. The water mist nozzle is connected to the constant temperature water tank through a water pipe, a water pump, and an electromagnetic switch valve. The water mist nozzle is installed on the head connecting rod by bolts, and the storage box is installed on the mobile platform by bolts. The water mist spray module 5 is electrically connected to the control module 7, and the water mist spray module 5 is controlled by the control module 7. The constant temperature water tank keeps the water temperature at any temperature above zero to ensure that the water will not freeze during the transportation and spraying process. The water pump pumps the water in the constant temperature water tank into the water pipe. An electromagnetic switch valve is provided between the water pump and the water mist nozzle. The opening and closing of the electromagnetic switch valve is controlled by the time relay. When the valve is opened, water can flow through at this time, and the water mist nozzle sprays water. When the valve is blocked, the water flow is cut off and the water mist nozzle stops spraying water.

[0050] Ice and snow 3D printing output module 6: Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 8 As shown, it includes a transmission pump 601, an arc wheel with a notch in the middle, and an outlet block. The ice and snow 3D printing output module 6 is electrically connected to the control module 7. After the ice and snow 3D printing output module 6 is powered on by the control module 7, the main shaft of the transmission pump 601 transmits power to the middle arc wheel through a key. A notch is provided in the middle of the arc wheel to facilitate the passage of the outlet block. The ice and snow particles fall onto the arc wheel of the small silo through the pipeline 40. The block blocks the ice and snow particles at the notch of the arc wheel. Through the extrusion of the arc wheel, the ice and snow particles are squeezed into the transmission pipeline 602 and discharged from the output port.

[0051] Control module 7: Figure 1As shown, a PC industrial computer is used, and the multi-axis motion control card receives the command from the PC and then sends a signal to the stepper motor driver to control the movement of the first stepper motor 204 and the second stepper motor 305; the 3D printing robot arm 4 control cabinet communicates with the PC industrial computer through Ethernet. After the model processing is completed on the PC side, the position and speed information of the movement is sent to the 3D printing robot arm 4 control cabinet to control the movement of the 3D printing robot arm 4. The water mist spray time sends a current signal to the time relay through the power port of the PC industrial computer, and the water flow is controlled by the time relay. It should be noted that the PC operation interface is based on the control requirements of the robot process. This paper designs a PC control program based on the basic Labview software. After the three-dimensional model is processed in the model processing software, all points are sorted in the order of the motion trajectory and stored in csv format. After reading the file, the motor running speed and the robot arm moving speed are set, and the "Start Movement" button is clicked, and the system can start working.

[0052] Furthermore, the first stepper motor 204 is of model FY42EM150A, and has a torque of 0.4 N·m.

[0053] Furthermore, the rotation radius of the crankshaft 307 is 16 mm; the maximum stroke of the piston push rod 310 is 32 mm; the maximum rotation radius of the cam 311 is 24 mm, and the maximum stroke of the small silo 306 is 48 mm; the inner dimension of the outer shell 302 is 50 mm larger than the outer dimension of the small silo, which is used to prevent the small silo from getting stuck during movement.

[0054] Furthermore, the second stepper motor 305 is of model 23HS3002 with a torque of 1.2 N·m.

[0055] Furthermore, the 3D printing robot arm 4 adopts a TKB1200 multi-joint six-axis industrial robot, whose maximum working radius is 973 mm, the maximum allowable wrist load is 5 kg, and the working environment temperature is -30°C to 55°C.

[0056] Further, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the mobile platform 1 uses a crawler-type vehicle, which can move the entire system to the target location for printing. It can adapt to complex terrain, has a large contact area with the ground, and has high stability.

[0057] Furthermore, the pipe 403 is made of PVC steel wire spring pipe, which has the characteristic that the built-in steel wire spring allows the pipe to be retractable, which can minimize the bending of the pipe and will not deform when the pipe is bent, ensuring that the particles will not be squeezed by the pipe wall and broken or blocked during printing.

[0058] In addition, it should be noted that this embodiment is only one of the best embodiments. In other embodiments:

[0059] (1) The output mechanism of ice and snow 3D printing must also have the following functions: ① Isolation of ice and snow particles to ensure that only one particle is output at a time to avoid interference between multiple particles; ② Ability to store a small amount of ice and snow particles, receive particles from the main silo and output them one by one to the printing pipeline to ensure the continuity of output; ③ The small silo has the function of preventing particles from sticking together; ④ In order to ensure the adhesion of the edges and overhanging particles during printing, the printing device should have an elastic clamping function for the output particles. That is, the particles can be clamped and kept at the exit position, and then fully output after they are stably bonded; ⑤ The connection structure with the robot wrist and the water spray attachment;

[0060] (2) The main material bin and particle conveying device should ensure that: ① it has the function of storing ice and snow particles; ② it has an arch elimination mechanism; ③ it has the function of picking up and conveying each particle to the small material bin of the printing attachment;

[0061] The specific design of the scheme will not be described in detail in this embodiment.

[0062] The specific steps of the 3D printing process of ice and snow particles are as follows:

[0063] Step 1, build a 3D model: first complete the building of the 3D model of the object to be printed, then use the software to reorganize the 3D model with spherical particles of the same size, that is, fill the 3D model with particles of the same size and generate the position coordinates of the center point of the particles, then reorder the particle coordinates according to the printing trajectory sequence, and import the processed printing coordinate information into the control system;

[0064] Step 2, prepare printing materials: supply ice and snow materials into the snow storage bin. When the snow is full, an electric push rod drives the piston to move downward to compress the ice and snow materials and make them enter between the two forming rollers below. The forming rollers rotate relative to each other, and the spherical molds on the surfaces of the rollers press the incoming ice and snow into ice and snow pellets one by one, and discharge them as the rollers continue to rotate; when the piston reaches the end of the stroke, the rollers stop rotating, the electric push rod drives the piston back to the starting point, and the snow delivery device supplies snow to the snow bin again, and the mechanism performs the next cycle of pelletizing; the fallen pellets fall to the bottom and vibrate On the receiving plate, snow powder and broken materials leak out from the sieve holes, and qualified materials are transported out for use; the pelletizing module uses a spherical mold to press the snow materials entering the snow bin into snow pellets, and transports them to the large silo of the pellet conveying system, and then uses the motor to transport the snow pellets to the print output mechanism at the end of the 3D printing robot arm in an intermittent manner, ensuring that only one pellet is transported per one rotation of the motor; when the pellets in the silo in the print output mechanism reach a certain amount, the pellet conveying system stops working and waits for the printing work to start;

[0065] Step 3, after completing the above preparations, the control module sends a print command to start printing; the 3D printing robot drives the print output module and the water mist nozzle to move in the order of the trajectories in step 1. After each coordinate point is positioned, the print output mechanism moves a cycle and outputs a particle to the target point. In the same cycle, the water mist nozzle sprays water mist on the particle bonding part as a particle adhesive; during the printing process, the particle conveying system and the print output mechanism work synchronously.

[0066] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present invention fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention and their equivalents, the present invention is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A 3D printing system for ice and snow materials, characterized by: It includes a mobile platform, a granulation module, an ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module, a 3D printing mechanical arm, a water mist spray module, an ice and snow 3D printing output module and a control module. The mobile platform is provided with a 3D printing mechanical arm, a granulation module, an ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module and a control module; the granulation module is connected to the ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module through a transmission pipe; the control module controls the movement of the 3D printing mechanical arm; the head end of the head connecting rod in the 3D printing mechanical arm is provided with a water mist spray module and an ice and snow 3D printing output module; Granulation module: including a manufacturing bin body, which is equipped with a snow supply module, a snow storage bin, an electric push rod, a piston, two forming rollers and a first stepper motor equipped with a reducer. The granulation module is controlled by the control module. After power is turned on, the snow supply module provides ice and snow materials to the snow storage bin through a connecting pipe. The electric push rod drives the piston to move downward to compress the ice and snow materials in the snow storage bin and make it enter between the two forming rollers below. The two forming rollers are respectively connected to a first stepper motor in a one-to-one correspondence. The first stepper motor drives the two forming rollers to rotate relative to each other. The spherical mold on the surface of each forming roller presses the entering ice and snow materials into ice and snow pellets one by one. As the forming rollers continue to rotate, the ice and snow pellets are discharged to the vibrating screen receiving plate below and are transmitted to the ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module through a transmission pipe; The ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module includes a main pipeline built into the box body, a shell arranged on the main pipeline, a three-finger clamp, a particle pipeline, a second stepper motor, and a small silo with a toggle mechanism inside. Two cranks connected by a crankshaft and a piston push rod connected to the crankshaft by a crank connecting rod are arranged in the main pipeline. The main pipeline is connected to the small silo through the particle pipeline. The ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module is controlled by the control module. After power is turned on, the second stepper motor drives the crank to rotate synchronously through the crankshaft. The rotation of the crankshaft drives the piston push rod to reciprocate up and down through the crank connecting rod. The right crank drives the cam to rotate. The ice and snow particles enter the small silo from the opening of the shell through the transmission pipe. When the piston push rod rises, the particles are discharged into the main pipeline through the particle pipeline. When the piston push rod descends, the ice and snow particles are pushed out to the three-finger clamp, and the three-finger clamp of the previous particle is pushed out to the pipeline in the 3D printing robot arm. Two stainless steel beads connected by springs correspond to each other in the main pipeline near the three-finger clamp. 3D printing mechanical arm: including a chassis, a turntable, a pipeline, a connecting arm, a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod and a head connecting rod, the chassis is arranged on a mobile platform, the turntable is arranged on the chassis, the tail of the connecting arm is hinged to the turntable through the first connecting rod, the connecting arm is sleeved on the middle section of the pipeline, the tail end of the pipeline extends into the turntable and is connected to the ice and snow particle material storage / transportation module, the head end of the pipeline passes through the tail end of the second connecting rod and is connected to the ice and snow 3D printing output module, the bottom of the tail end of the second connecting rod is hinged to one side of the head end of the connecting arm, the head end of the second connecting rod is hinged to one side of the head end, and a water mist spray module and an ice and snow 3D printing output module are arranged on the head connecting rod; Water mist spray module: including a water mist nozzle and a storage box with a built-in constant temperature water tank, a water pump, a time relay, an electromagnetic switch valve and a DC power supply. The water mist nozzle is connected to the constant temperature water tank through a water pipe, a water pump and an electromagnetic switch valve. The water mist nozzle is installed on the head connecting rod by bolts, and the storage box is installed on the mobile platform by bolts. The water mist spray module is controlled by the control module. The constant temperature water tank keeps the water temperature at any temperature above zero. The water pump pumps the water in the constant temperature water tank into the water pipe. An electromagnetic switch valve is provided between the water pump and the water mist nozzle, and the opening and closing of the electromagnetic switch valve is controlled by the time relay. Ice and snow 3D printing output module: including a transmission pump, an arc wheel with a notch in the middle, and an outlet block. The ice and snow 3D printing output module is controlled by the control module. The transmission pump main shaft transmits power to the arc wheel in the middle through a key. A notch is provided in the middle of the arc wheel to facilitate the passage of the outlet block. Ice and snow particles fall onto the arc wheel through the pipeline. The block blocks the ice and snow particles at the notch of the arc wheel. Through the extrusion of the arc wheel, the ice and snow particles are squeezed into the transmission pipeline and discharged from the output port. Control module: PC industrial computer is used. The multi-axis motion control card receives the command from the PC and then sends a signal to the stepper motor driver to control the movement of the first stepper motor and the second stepper motor. The 3D printing robot arm control cabinet communicates with the PC industrial computer through Ethernet. After the model processing is completed on the PC side, the position and speed information of the movement is sent to the 3D printing robot arm control cabinet to control the movement of the 3D printing robot arm. The water mist spray time sends a current signal to the time relay through the power port of the PC industrial computer, and the water flow is controlled by the time relay.

2. The 3D printing system for ice and snow materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first stepper motor is selected as FY42EM150A with a torque of 0.4 N·m.

3. The 3D printing system for ice and snow materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The maximum stroke of the piston push rod is 32mm; the crankshaft rotation radius is 16mm; the maximum stroke of the piston push rod is 32mm; the maximum rotation radius of the cam is 24mm, and the maximum stroke of the small silo is 48mm; the inner dimension of the outer shell is 50mm larger than the outer dimension of the small silo.

4. The 3D printing system for ice and snow materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second stepper motor is selected as model 23HS3002, and the torque is 1.2N·m.

5. The 3D printing system for ice and snow materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The 3D printing robot arm adopts a TKB1200 multi-joint six-axis industrial robot with a maximum working radius of 973 mm, a maximum allowable wrist load of 5 kg, and a working environment temperature of -30°C to 55°C.

6. The 3D printing system for ice and snow materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mobile platform is a crawler-type trolley.

7. The 3D printing system for ice and snow materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pipeline adopts PVC steel wire spring pipe.

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