Continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device and method

Abstract

The continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device comprises a mounting base, the mounting base is connected with a rotary printing head through a movement system, and the rotary printing head is connected with a material system; the whole device is installed on a printing platform and movement equipment of a mechanical arm through the installation base to achieve the printing function. The rotary printing head comprises a main shaft pipe, the bottom end of the main shaft pipe is connected with an extrusion head, a discharging port is formed in the lower end of the extrusion head, and a fiber feeding port is formed in the upper end of the extrusion head. The lower end of the main shaft pipe is connected with a guide body which is provided with a guide hole; the upper end of the main shaft pipe is connected with the mounting base through a movement system, and a base body feeding opening is formed in the upper portion of the main shaft pipe; the base body feeding hole, the cantilever and the material system are connected; according to the invention, one or two fibers are spirally agglomerated in the matrix, so that the nonlinear mechanical property of the composite material is realized, and the energy absorption capacity of the material is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of additive manufacturing, and in particular relates to a continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device and method. Background Art

[0002] Continuous fiber resin-based composite materials have high specific strength, high specific modulus, good compressive stability and good design performance, and in some aspects of performance have reached the level of aviation aluminum. They are increasingly used in various fields such as aerospace, automobile transportation, etc., and have become one of the most important structural materials in the high-tech field.

[0003] Continuous fiber reinforced composite additive manufacturing technology combines fiber materials with reinforcement mechanisms and builds complex three-dimensional structures in a layer-by-layer stacking manner. Compared with traditional fiber composite preparation methods, it can achieve low-cost and rapid manufacturing of complex composite materials under conditions of reducing manual operations and waste, and provide excellent mechanical properties. Due to the continuity of the fiber, the strength and stiffness of the material can be significantly improved, and the customization and lightweight design of the construction can be achieved.

[0004] At present, a continuous fiber composite material 3D printing device, such as a patent application entitled "A 3D printing device and process for continuous fiber melt impregnation" (publication number: CN111186138A), discloses a thermoplastic resin melt impregnation 3D printing device and method with a thermoplastic resin as a matrix and continuous glass fiber or carbon fiber as a reinforcement. The structure includes an extruder, a reel, a pre-loaded roller, an infrared radiation device, an air-assisted swing device, a wire infiltration mold, a cooling device and a 3D printer. After the fibers are pre-dispersed and pre-heated, they are placed in the air-assisted swing device. The fiber bundle is expanded to a certain width, and the resin matrix is ​​impregnated into the impregnation mold in the impregnation mold. The fiber bundle is formed into a continuous fiber prepreg through a circular molding die. After cooling, wire feeding and printing, a 3D printed product of a continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite material is finally obtained. However, only one continuous fiber can be printed at a time, and the fiber is still in a tensioned state in the composite material. The fiber tension has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the prepared composite material. During the tensile fracture process, it does not have the nonlinear mechanical properties like spider silk, resulting in the unsatisfactory energy absorption and impact resistance of the composite material structure.

[0005] The literature (Rotational multimaterial printing of filaments with subvoxelcontrol.Nature 613,682–688(2023)) proposes a spiral extrusion printing device and method, and successfully combines multi-material and rotational elements by designing a multi-channel nozzle and applies them to 3D printing technology; however, its material system is entirely thermosetting material, without continuous fiber reinforcement, and its mechanical properties are not ideal. Summary of the invention

[0006] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the above-mentioned prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device and method, by spirally agglomerating one or two fibers in a matrix, thereby achieving nonlinear mechanical properties of the composite material and improving the energy absorption capacity of the material.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device includes a mounting base 1, which is connected to a rotating print head via a motion system, and the rotating print head is connected to a material system; the entire device is mounted on a printing platform and a motion device of a robotic arm via the mounting base 1 to realize a printing function.

[0009] The rotary print head includes a spindle tube 26, the bottom end of the spindle tube 26 is connected to an extrusion head 27, a discharge port 21 is provided at the bottom end of the extrusion head 27, and a fiber feed port 24 is provided at the top end of the extrusion head 27; the bottom end of the spindle tube 26 is connected to a guide body 28, and a guide hole 23 is provided on the guide body 28; the middle part of the spindle tube 26 is connected to a cantilever 22, the top end of the spindle tube 26 is connected to a mounting base 1 through a motion system, and a substrate feed port 25 is provided at the top of the spindle tube 26; the substrate feed port 25, the cantilever 22 and the material system are connected.

[0010] The middle of the material outlet 21 is a matrix material outlet 211 , and the outer side of the matrix material outlet 211 is a fiber material outlet 212 .

[0011] The material system includes a substrate feed pipe 31 and a fiber disc 32. The substrate feed pipe 31 is connected to the substrate feed port 25 of the rotary print head through a grid ring 33. The fiber disc 32 is assembled on the cantilever 22, and the fiber enters the extrusion head 27 through the guide hole 23 and the fiber feed port 24.

[0012] The motion system includes a first bearing 44, the upper part of the spindle tube 26 is connected to the mounting base 1 through the first bearing 44, the spindle tube 26 is connected to the passive gear 432, the passive gear 432 is meshed with the active gear 431, and the active gear 431 is connected to the output shaft of the low-speed motor 41 through the coupling 42.

[0013] The main shaft tube 26 and the passive gear 432 are integrally processed, and the output shaft of the coupling 42 is mounted on the mounting base 1 through a second bearing 45 .

[0014] The other end of the matrix feed pipe 31 is connected to a feed device of a peristaltic pump or a screw pump for supplying the matrix material.

[0015] The forming method using the continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device comprises the following steps:

[0016] 1) Assembling a continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device and a 3D printing motion module;

[0017] 2) Winding the used fiber on the fiber disc 32, loading the fiber disc 32 on the cantilever 22, and passing one end of the fiber through the guide hole 23 through the fiber material outlet 212;

[0018] 3) Turn on the low speed motor 41 so that the rotating print head has no vibration except for the rotational motion;

[0019] 4) Install the Gly ring 33 and connect the substrate feed port 25 to the extrusion device of the screw pump or peristaltic pump;

[0020] 5) Turn on the low-speed motor 41 and the extruder head 27 to test the dynamic sealing performance of the Gly ring 33;

[0021] 6) Adjust the height of the forming table and align the UV lamp with the discharge port 21 of the rotating print head;

[0022] 7) Test the spiral extrusion performance, preset the printing path, turn on the feed device and the low-speed motor 41, turn on the ultraviolet lamp, and the matrix material at the outlet 21 is cured and formed on the table under the irradiation of the ultraviolet lamp. With the horizontal movement and rotation of the rotating print head, the fiber is fed along with the curing of the matrix and forms a spiral structure. Test the printing quality and calibrate the printing platform and printing parameters;

[0023] 8) After completing the above preparations, the printing process begins, and the printing platform moves along a preset path. At the same time, by adjusting the rotation speed of the low-speed motor 41 and the feed speed of the matrix material, the fibers form a predetermined spiral structure in the matrix;

[0024] 9) After printing is completed, the formed printed part is cut short and taken out from the discharge port 21, and the base material in the cavity is emptied to prepare for the next printing operation.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0026] Since the present invention adopts the design of a multi-material extruder head, it has the advantage of realizing 3D printing of a variety of matrix materials and fiber combinations;

[0027] Since the present invention adopts a dynamic sealing device to assist the feeding of the base material, it has the advantages of reducing the rotating mechanism and simplifying the structure;

[0028] Since the present invention adopts a 3D printing method combining multiple materials with rotary extrusion, it has the advantages of spiral fiber agglomeration and rapid prototyping.

[0029] In summary, the continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device and method of the present invention can realize the spiral extrusion of one or two continuous fibers, and obtain a specific spatial spiral structure by controlling the rotation and extrusion speed, which can realize the one-piece rapid prototyping of high-performance composite materials. In theory, it can mimic the nonlinear mechanical properties of spider silk to a certain extent, and has a wide range of application scenarios in terms of energy absorption, etc., providing material and technical support for the subsequent bionics of spider webs. In addition, the characteristics of the present invention are highly related to space protection and are of great significance to the space safety of spacecraft. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the whole printing device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a rotating print head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 3 The figure is a schematic diagram of the structure of the extruder head of the rotary print head according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with embodiments and drawings.

[0034] Reference Figure 1 A continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device includes a mounting base 1, a rotary print head, a material system, and a motion system; the mounting base 1 is connected to the rotary print head via the motion system, and the rotary print head is connected to the material system; the entire device is mounted on a printing platform, a robotic arm, and other motion equipment through the mounting base 1 to realize the printing function;

[0035] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2The rotary print head includes a spindle tube 26, the bottom end of the spindle tube 26 is connected to an extrusion head 27, a discharge port 21 is provided at the lower end of the extrusion head 27, and a fiber feed port 24 is provided at the upper end of the extrusion head 27; the lower end of the spindle tube 26 is connected to a guide body 28, and a guide hole 23 is provided on the guide body 28; the middle part of the spindle tube 26 is connected to a cantilever 22, the upper end of the spindle tube 26 is connected to a mounting base 1 through a motion system, and a substrate feed port 25 is provided at the upper part of the spindle tube 26; the substrate feed port 25, the cantilever 22 and the material system are connected.

[0036] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 3 The middle of the discharge port 21 is a matrix material outlet 211 , and the outer side of the matrix material outlet 211 is a fiber material outlet 212 .

[0037] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 The material system includes a substrate feed pipe 31 and a fiber disk 32. The substrate feed pipe 31 is connected to the substrate feed port 25 of the rotary print head through a grid ring 33. The grid ring 33 is used for dynamic sealing to prevent the rotary print head from driving the substrate feed pipe 31 to rotate during rotation and to improve the sealing of the system. The fiber disk 32 is assembled on the cantilever 22, and the fiber enters the extrusion head 27 through the guide hole 23 and the fiber feed port 24.

[0038] The other end of the matrix feed pipe 31 is connected to a feeding device such as a peristaltic pump or a screw pump for supplying matrix materials such as resin.

[0039] Reference Figure 1 The motion system includes a first bearing 44, the upper part of the main shaft tube 26 is connected to the mounting base 1 through the first bearing 44, the main shaft tube 26 is connected to the passive gear 432, the passive gear 432 is meshed with the active gear 431, and the active gear 431 is connected to the output shaft of the low-speed motor 41 through the coupling 42.

[0040] In this embodiment, the main shaft tube 26 and the passive gear 432 are integrally processed, and the output shaft of the coupling 42 is mounted on the mounting base 1 through the second bearing 45 .

[0041] The forming method using the continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device comprises the following steps:

[0042] 1) Assemble a continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device and a 3D printing motion module and test and run them to ensure motion and positioning accuracy in the three directions of X, Y, and Z;

[0043] 2)Reference Figure 1 , winding the used fiber on the fiber disc 32, and loading the fiber disc 32 on the cantilever 22, and passing one end of the fiber through the guide hole 23 through the fiber material outlet 212;

[0044] 3) Turn on the low-speed motor 41 and observe the working condition of the 3D printing motion module. The rotating print head has no obvious shaking except for the rotational motion;

[0045] 4)Reference Figure 2 , install the Gly ring 33, and connect the substrate feed port 25 to an extrusion device such as a screw pump or a peristaltic pump;

[0046] 5) Turn on the switch of the low-speed motor 41 and the switch of the extruder head 27 to test the dynamic sealing performance of the Gly ring 33;

[0047] 6) Adjust the height of the forming table and align the UV lamp with the discharge port 21 of the rotating print head;

[0048] 7) Test the spiral extrusion performance, preset the printing path, turn on the feed device and the low-speed motor 41, turn on the ultraviolet lamp, and the matrix material at the outlet 21 is cured and formed on the table under the irradiation of the ultraviolet lamp. With the horizontal movement and rotation of the rotating print head, the fiber is fed along with the curing of the matrix and forms a spiral structure. Test the printing quality and calibrate the printing platform and printing parameters;

[0049] 8) After completing the above preparations, the printing process begins, and the printing platform moves along a preset path. At the same time, by adjusting the rotation speed of the low-speed motor 41 and the feed speed of the matrix material, the fibers form a predetermined spiral structure in the matrix;

[0050] 9) After printing is completed, the formed printed part is cut short and taken out from the discharge port 21 with the assistance of manual or additional devices, and the base material in the cavity is emptied to prepare for the next printing operation.

[0051] It should be understood that the above description of the preferred embodiment is relatively detailed and cannot be regarded as limiting the scope of patent protection of the present invention. Under the enlightenment of the present invention, ordinary technicians in this field can also make substitutions or modifications without departing from the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention, which all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. The scope of protection requested for the present invention shall be based on the attached claims.

Claims

1. A continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device, comprising a mounting base (1), characterized in that: The mounting base (1) is connected to the rotary print head via the motion system, and the rotary print head is connected to the material system; the entire device is mounted on the motion equipment of the printing platform and the mechanical arm via the mounting base (1) to realize the printing function.

2. A continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotary print head comprises a main shaft tube (26), the bottom end of the main shaft tube (26) is connected to an extrusion head (27), the lower end of the extrusion head (27) is provided with a discharge port (21), and the upper end of the extrusion head (27) is provided with a fiber feed port (24); the lower end of the main shaft tube (26) is connected to a guide body (28), and the guide body (28) is provided with a guide hole (23); the middle part of the main shaft tube (26) is connected to a cantilever (22), the upper end of the main shaft tube (26) is connected to a mounting base (1) through a motion system, and the upper part of the main shaft tube (26) is provided with a substrate feed port (25); the substrate feed port (25), the cantilever (22) and the material system are connected.

3. A continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The middle of the material outlet (21) is a matrix material outlet (211), and the outer side of the matrix material outlet (211) is a fiber material outlet (212).

4. A continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The material system comprises a substrate feed pipe (31) and a fiber disc (32). The substrate feed pipe (31) is connected to a substrate feed port (25) of a rotary print head via a grid ring (33). The fiber disc (32) is mounted on a cantilever (22), and the fiber enters an extrusion head (27) via a guide hole (23) and a fiber feed port (24).

5. A continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The other end of the matrix feed pipe (31) is connected to a feed device of a peristaltic pump or a screw pump for supplying the matrix material.

6. A continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The motion system comprises a first bearing (44), the upper part of the main shaft tube (26) is connected to the mounting base (1) through the first bearing (44), the main shaft tube (26) is connected to the passive gear (432), the passive gear (432) is meshed with the active gear (431), and the active gear (431) is connected to the output shaft of the low-speed motor (41) through a coupling (42).

7. A continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The main shaft tube (26) and the passive gear (432) are integrally processed, and the output shaft of the coupling (42) is mounted on the mounting base (1) via a second bearing (45).

8. A forming method using a continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The steps include: 1) Assembling a continuous fiber spiral extrusion 3D printing forming device and a 3D printing motion module; 2) Winding the used fibers onto a fiber disc (32), loading the fiber disc (32) onto a cantilever (22), and passing one end of the fibers through a guide hole (23) through a fiber material outlet (212); 3) turning on the low speed motor (41) so that the rotating print head has no vibration except for the rotational motion; 4) installing the Gly ring (33) and connecting the substrate feed port (25) to the extrusion device of the screw pump or peristaltic pump; 5) Turn on the low-speed motor (41) and the extruder head (27) to test the dynamic sealing performance of the Gly ring (33); 6) adjusting the height of the forming table and aligning the ultraviolet lamp with the discharge port (21) of the rotating print head; 7) Testing the spiral extrusion performance, presetting the printing path, turning on the feeding device and the low-speed motor (41), turning on the ultraviolet lamp, and the matrix material at the discharge port (21) is cured and formed on the table under the irradiation of the ultraviolet lamp. With the horizontal movement and rotation of the rotating print head, the fiber is fed along with the curing of the matrix and forms a spiral structure, and the printing quality is tested to calibrate the printing platform and printing parameters; 8) After the above preparations are completed, the printing process begins, and the printing platform moves along a preset path. At the same time, by adjusting the rotation speed of the low-speed motor (41) and the feeding speed of the matrix material, the fibers form a predetermined spiral structure in the matrix; 9) After printing is completed, the formed printed part is cut short and taken out from the discharge port (21), and the base material in the cavity is emptied to prepare for the next printing operation.

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