Powder supply device, additive manufacturing equipment and powder supply method

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing, and specifically discloses a powder supply device, an additive manufacturing equipment and a powder supply method. The powder supply device includes a powder weighing platform, a filtering component, a driving component, a powder feeding component, a powder spreading component and a control system. The powder weighing platform is arranged on one side of the powder spreading platform; the filtering component includes a filtering element, and the filtering element and the powder weighing platform have a first working position and a second working position that cooperate with each other; the driving component is used to drive the powder weighing platform and the filtering element to switch between the first working position and the second working position; the powder feeding component is arranged above the powder weighing platform and is used to supply powder to the powder weighing platform; the powder spreading component is used to push the remaining powder after the upper layer is formed to the filtering element located at the first working position, and to push the powder on the powder weighing platform located at the second working position to the powder spreading platform. The powder supply device can filter and reuse the remaining powder after the upper layer is formed, improving the powder utilization rate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing, and particularly to a powder supply device, an additive manufacturing equipment and a powder supply method. Background Art

[0002] The powder bed electron beam additive manufacturing equipment is one of the mainstream equipment in the current 3D metal printing field, and can print high melting point refractory metals and alloys such as titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, and niobium into metal parts, mainly adopting the electron beam selective melting forming technology.

[0003] Currently, the powder bed electron beam additive manufacturing equipment mainly adopts a powder supply mode of controlling volume, and provides nearly the volume of powder for each layer. However, due to factors such as inconsistent powder amounts required for different layers and changes in powder physical properties caused by high temperature, it is impossible to accurately supply the powder amount for a single layer of the powder bed. Therefore, in order to ensure that there is no powder shortage during the printing process, an excessive amount of powder is mostly supplied, and after the powder laying is completed, the scraper sweeps the remaining powder into the collection device. The powder utilization rate of this powder supply method is relatively low, so a large amount of powder needs to be prepared for printing a part. In addition, after powder laying and pre-sintering, powder residues and sintered blocks will be formed, and the powder doped with powder residues and sintered blocks cannot be reused again, resulting in waste of powder, and further increasing the printing cost.

[0004] Therefore, it is urgent to propose a powder supply device, an additive manufacturing equipment and a powder supply method to solve the above technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a powder supply device, which can filter and reuse the remaining powder after upper layer forming, improving the powder utilization rate and thus reducing the printing cost.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] A powder supply device for supplying powder to a powder laying platform, the powder supply device comprising:

[0008] A weighing platform is arranged on one side of the powder laying platform, and the weighing platform can weigh the weight of the powder thereon;

[0009] A filtering assembly includes a filtering member for filtering impurities in the powder, and the filtering member and the weighing platform have mutually cooperating first and second working positions; in the first working position, the filtering member can receive the powder falling from the powder laying platform and is located above the weighing platform, and in the second working position, the weighing platform is flush with and connected to the powder laying platform, and the filtering member is in a state of pouring out slag;

[0010] A driving component, connected to the powder weighing platform and the filter element, for driving the powder weighing platform and the filter element to switch between the first working position and the second working position;

[0011] A powder feeding component, arranged above the powder weighing platform, for feeding powder to the powder weighing platform;

[0012] A powder spreading component, for pushing the remaining powder after upper layer forming to the filter element located at the first working position, and for pushing the powder on the powder weighing platform located at the second working position to the powder spreading platform;

[0013] A control system, communicatively connected to the powder weighing platform, the driving component, the powder feeding component and the powder spreading component, the control system is used to control the operation of the powder spreading component, and to control the powder feeding component to convey powder according to the target powder amount on the powder spreading platform and the weighing result of the powder weighing platform.

[0014] Optionally, the powder supply device further includes a base, and the driving component includes:

[0015] A crank, including a first transmission section and a second transmission section arranged at an angle, the connection part of the first transmission section and the second transmission section is rotatably connected to the base, and the end of the first transmission section is rotatably connected to the first end of the filter element;

[0016] A first connecting rod, one end is rotatably connected to the base, and the other end is rotatably connected to the second end of the filter element, and the second end is diagonally arranged with the first end;

[0017] A second connecting rod, one end is rotatably connected to the end of the second transmission section, and the other end is rotatably connected to the bottom of the powder weighing platform. The side of the powder weighing platform close to the powder spreading platform is slidably attached to the vertical side wall of the forming cylinder, and the forming cylinder is supported below the powder spreading platform;

[0018] A first rotation driving member, arranged on the base, and the output end of the first rotation driving member is connected to the connection part of the first transmission section and the second transmission section, for driving the crank to rotate.

[0019] Optionally, at the bottom of the powder weighing platform, a connecting plate is provided in the middle of the powder weighing platform, the connecting plate is perpendicular to the powder weighing platform, and the connecting plate is rotatably connected to the other end of the second connecting rod.

[0020] Optionally, the powder supply device further includes a base, and the driving component includes:

[0021] A third connecting rod, one end is rotatably connected to the base, and the other end is rotatably connected to the filter element;

[0022] A second rotation driving member is provided on the base, and the second rotation driving member is configured to drive the third link to rotate, so that the filter member is placed above the powder weighing platform or in the slag dumping state.

[0023] A lifting driving member is provided on the base, and an output end of the lifting driving member is connected to the powder weighing platform, and is configured to drive the powder weighing platform to lift, so that the powder weighing platform is flush with and abuts against the powder spreading platform, or the powder weighing platform is lower than the powder spreading platform.

[0024] Optionally, a limiting groove is provided on a side of the powder weighing platform close to the powder spreading platform, a bottom wall of the limiting groove can abut against a bottom of the powder spreading platform, and a side wall of the limiting groove can be attached to a side wall of the powder spreading platform.

[0025] Optionally, the filter assembly further includes a powder and slag receiving bucket, and the powder and slag receiving bucket is provided on a side of the filter member away from the powder spreading platform, and is configured to receive powder and slag poured by the filter member.

[0026] Optionally, a weighing sensor is provided on the powder weighing platform.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention further provides an additive manufacturing device, including a forming chamber, a forming cylinder, a powder spreading platform provided in the forming chamber, and the powder supply device according to any one of the above technical solutions, and the powder supply device is configured to supply powder to the powder spreading platform.

[0028] Optionally, the powder supply devices are provided on both opposite sides of the powder spreading platform.

[0029] According to still another aspect of the present invention, the present invention further provides a powder supply method, using the powder supply device according to any one of the above technical solutions to supply powder to the powder spreading platform, and the powder supply method includes:

[0030] The control system controls the driving assembly to drive the powder weighing platform and the filter member to move to a mutually cooperative first working position;

[0031] The control system controls the powder spreading assembly to push the powder remaining after the upper layer is formed on the powder spreading platform onto the filter member, and the powder falls onto the powder weighing platform after being filtered by the filter member;

[0032] The control system controls the driving assembly to drive the powder weighing platform and the filter member to move to a mutually cooperative second working position;

[0033] The control system obtains the target powder amount currently required by the powder spreading platform, and obtains the weighing result of the powder weighing platform in real time, and controls the powder feeding component to feed powder to the powder weighing platform until the weighing result of the powder weighing platform is equal to the target powder amount;

[0034] The control system controls the powder spreading component to push the powder on the powder weighing platform to the powder spreading platform and perform powder spreading.

[0035] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0036] The present invention provides a powder supply device, including a powder weighing platform, a filtering component, a driving component, a powder feeding component, a powder spreading component and a control system. When the powder supply device is in use, the control system first controls the powder spreading component to push the remaining powder (with residues) after the upper layer is formed to the filtering member of the filtering component for filtering. The powder without residues after filtering will fall onto the powder weighing platform located below the filtering member, and the residues remain on the filtering member; then the control system controls the driving component to drive the filtering member to move to the slag dumping state to dump the residues, and drives the powder weighing platform to rise to be flush and connected with the powder spreading platform; then the control system controls the powder feeding component to convey powder to supplement the powder amount on the powder weighing platform until the powder amount is equal to the target powder amount on the powder spreading platform; finally, the control system controls the powder spreading component to push the powder with the target powder amount on the powder weighing platform to the powder spreading platform and perform powder spreading. That is, when the powder supply device supplies powder for each layer, it can filter and reuse the remaining powder after the upper layer is formed, improving the utilization efficiency of the powder. Thus, it not only reduces the waste of powder, but also can reduce the total amount of powder to be prepared during the printing process, reducing the printing cost.

[0037] The present invention also provides an additive manufacturing device, including a forming chamber, a forming cylinder, a powder spreading platform and the above-mentioned powder supply device arranged in the forming chamber. Since the above-mentioned powder supply device is used for powder supply in this additive manufacturing device, the printing cost is relatively low.

[0038] The present invention also provides a powder supply method. By using this powder supply method, the above-mentioned powder supply device can be used to supply powder to the powder spreading platform to reduce the printing cost. Description of the Drawings

[0039] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required to be used in the description of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the following drawings are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained according to the content of the embodiments of the present invention and these drawings.

[0040] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the additive manufacturing device provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 Schematic diagram when the powder weighing platform and the filter provided in the embodiment of the present invention are in the first working position where they cooperate with each other;

[0042] Figure 3 Schematic diagram when the powder weighing platform and the filter provided in the embodiment of the present invention are in the second working position where they cooperate with each other;

[0043] Figures 4 - 7 Schematic diagram of the working process of the powder supply device provided in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 8 Flow chart of the working process of the powder supply method provided in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] In the figure:

[0046] 10. Forming chamber; 20. Forming cylinder; 21. Side wall part; 30. Powder spreading platform;

[0047] 100. Powder weighing platform; 110. Limit groove; 200. Filter; 300. Driving assembly; 310. Crank; 311. First transmission section; 312. Second transmission section; 320. First connecting rod; 330. Second connecting rod; 340. Connecting plate; 350. Rotating shaft; 400. Powder feeding assembly; 500. Powder spreading assembly. Detailed implementation manners

[0048] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are some but not all of the embodiments of the present invention. Usually, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0049] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed present invention, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0050] It should be noted that: similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings. Therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent drawings.

[0051] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the inventive product is usually placed during use. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation on the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used for distinguishing descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more.

[0052] In the description of the present invention, it should also be noted that unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "set" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0053] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the first feature being "above" or "below" the second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact through additional features therebetween. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over", and "on" the second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicating that the first feature has a higher horizontal height than the second feature. The first feature being "below", "under", and "beneath" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or merely indicating that the first feature has a lower horizontal height than the second feature.

[0054] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. The examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention and should not be construed as a limitation on the present invention.

[0055] Embodiment 1

[0056] This embodiment provides a powder supply device for supplying powder to a powder spreading platform. The powder supply device can filter and reuse the powder remaining after the upper layer is formed on the powder spreading platform, improving the powder utilization rate and thus reducing the printing cost.

[0057] Specifically, as Figures 1 - 3As shown, the powder supply device includes a powder weighing platform 100, a filtering component, a driving component 300, a powder feeding component 400, a powder spreading component 500, and a control system (not shown in the figure).

[0058] Among them, the powder weighing platform 100 is arranged on one side of the powder spreading platform 30, and the powder weighing platform 100 can weigh the powder thereon. The filtering component includes a filter element 200, and the filter element 200 is used to filter impurities in the powder to remove residues in the powder remaining after the upper layer is formed, so that the filtered powder can be used for printing again. The filter element 200 and the powder weighing platform 100 have a mutually cooperating first working position and second working position; in the first working position, the filter element 200 can receive the powder falling from the powder spreading platform 30 and is located above the powder weighing platform 100, and in the second working position, the powder weighing platform 100 is flush with and connected to the powder spreading platform 30, and the filter element 200 is in a slag dumping state. The driving component 300 is connected to the powder weighing platform 100 and the filter element 200, and is used to drive the powder weighing platform 100 and the filter element 200 to switch between the first working position and the second working position. The powder feeding component 400 is arranged above the powder weighing platform 100 and is used to supply powder to the powder weighing platform 100. The powder spreading component 500 is used to push the powder remaining after the upper layer is formed onto the filter element 200 located in the first working position, and to push the powder on the powder weighing platform 100 located in the second working position onto the powder spreading platform 30. The control system is communicatively connected to the powder weighing platform 100, the driving component 300, the powder feeding component 400, and the powder spreading component 500. The control system is used to control the operation of the powder spreading component 500, and to control the powder feeding component 400 to convey powder according to the target powder amount on the powder spreading platform 30 and the weighing result of the powder weighing platform 100.

[0059] For the convenience of understanding, the working process of this powder supply device is briefly introduced as follows:

[0060] As Figure 2 shown, when printing is carried out on the powder spreading platform 30, the filter element 200 and the powder weighing platform 100 are located in the mutually cooperating first working position. At this time, the filter element 200 is lower than the powder spreading platform 30, and the powder weighing platform 100 is located below the filter element 200 to receive the powder filtered by the filter element 200;

[0061] As Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown, after this layer of printing is completed, the control system will control the powder spreading component 500 to push the remaining powder on the powder spreading platform 30 onto the filter element 200. After the powder is filtered by the filter element 200, it will fall onto the powder weighing platform 100, and the powder will be used for the next layer of powder spreading again through the powder weighing platform 100, and the filtered residues will remain on the filter element 200;

[0062] As Figure 3 andFigure 6 As shown, after the filter element 200 filters the powder remaining after the previous layer is formed, the control system controls the drive assembly 300 to drive the filter element 200 and the powder weighing platform 100 to move to the second working position where they cooperate with each other. At this time, the powder weighing platform 100 is flush with and connected to the powder spreading platform 30, and the filter element 200 is in the slag-dumping state to pour out the residue thereon, facilitating reuse for filtration again;

[0063] Continue to refer to Figure 6 , after the powder weighing platform 100 and the filter element 200 move into place, the control system controls the powder feeding assembly 400 to feed powder to the powder weighing platform 100 until the amount of powder on the powder weighing platform 100 is equal to the target powder amount required by the powder spreading platform 30;

[0064] Continue to refer to Figure 6 , after the powder feeding of the powder feeding assembly 400 is completed, the control system controls the powder spreading assembly 500 to push the powder on the powder weighing platform 100 onto the powder spreading platform 30 and perform powder spreading.

[0065] As Figure 7 shown, during the powder spreading process of the powder spreading assembly 500, the control system controls the drive assembly 300 to drive the filter element 200 and the powder weighing platform 100 to move to the first working position where they cooperate with each other, waiting for the next powder supply.

[0066] When the powder supply device supplies powder for each layer, it can filter and reuse the powder remaining after the upper layer is formed, improving the utilization efficiency of the powder. Thus, it not only reduces the waste of powder but also can reduce the total amount of powder to be prepared during the printing process, reducing the printing cost.

[0067] Optionally, the powder spreading assembly 500 may include a squeegee and a driving member for driving the squeegee to move horizontally.

[0068] Optionally, in this embodiment, the powder feeding assembly 400 includes a powder feeding box and a powder rolling shaft. The control system can control the rotation angle of the powder rolling shaft to control the powder supply of the powder feeding box. Since the structure of the powder feeding box and the powder rolling shaft cooperating with each other to achieve powder supply is a prior art, its structure will not be introduced in detail here.

[0069] Optionally, a weighing sensor may be provided on the powder weighing platform 100 to achieve the weighing function. The weighing sensor is communicatively connected to the control system to transmit the weighing result to the control system in real time.

[0070] Optionally, the filter element 200 is a filter mesh.

[0071] Further, continue to refer to Figures 4 - 7, in this embodiment, a limiting groove 110 is provided on the side of the powder weighing platform 100 close to the powder spreading platform 30. The bottom wall of the limiting groove 110 can abut against the bottom of the powder spreading platform 30, and the side wall of the limiting groove 110 can be attached to the side wall of the powder spreading platform 30. Through the mutual cooperation between the bottom wall of the limiting groove 110 and the bottom of the powder spreading platform 30, the position of the powder weighing platform 100 can be restricted, improving the reliability of the powder weighing platform 100 moving to the second working position. By means of the side wall of the limiting groove 110 being attached to the side wall of the powder spreading platform 30, the powder weighing platform 100 is made flush with and connected to the powder spreading platform 30, with a simple structure and convenient control.

[0072] Further, the filter element 200 further includes a powder residue receiving bucket (not shown in the figure), and the powder residue receiving bucket is arranged on the side of the filter element 200 away from the powder spreading platform 30 for receiving the powder residue poured by the filter element 200. By providing the powder residue receiving bucket, the filtered powder residue can be centrally collected, facilitating recycling.

[0073] Further, continue to refer to Figures 1 - 7 , in a possible embodiment, the powder supply device further includes a base (not shown in the figure). The driving assembly 300 includes a crank 310, a first connecting rod 320, a second connecting rod 330, and a first rotational driving member (not shown in the figure). Among them, the crank 310 includes a first transmission section 311 and a second transmission section 312 arranged at an angle. The connection point between the first transmission section 311 and the second transmission section 312 is rotatably connected to the base, and the end of the first transmission section 311 is rotatably connected to the first end of the filter element 200. One end of the first connecting rod 320 is rotatably connected to the base, and the other end is rotatably connected to the second end of the filter element 200, and the second end is diagonally arranged with the first end. One end of the second connecting rod 330 is rotatably connected to the end of the second transmission section 312, and the other end is rotatably connected to the bottom of the powder weighing platform 100. The side of the powder weighing platform 100 close to the powder spreading platform 30 is slidably attached to the side wall portion 21 in the vertical direction of the forming cylinder 20, and the forming cylinder 20 is supported below the powder spreading platform 30. The first rotational driving member is arranged on the base, and the output end of the first rotational driving member is connected to the connection point between the first transmission section 311 and the second transmission section 312 for driving the crank 310 to rotate.

[0074] In this embodiment, when the powder weighing platform 100 and the filter member 200 are in the second working position where they cooperate with each other, at this time, the first rotation driving member drives the crank 310 to rotate counterclockwise, the powder weighing platform 100 will descend, and the filter member 200 will rotate closer to the powder spreading platform 30 until the powder weighing platform 100 and the filter member 200 move to the first working position where they cooperate with each other. When the powder weighing platform 100 and the filter member 200 are in the first working position where they cooperate with each other, at this time, the first rotation driving member drives the crank 310 to rotate clockwise, the powder weighing platform 100 will rise, and the filter member 200 will rotate to the slag dumping state until the powder weighing platform 100 and the filter member 200 move to the second working position where they cooperate with each other. That is, by controlling the forward and reverse rotation of the first rotation driving member, the switching between the first working position and the second working position of the filter member 200 and the powder weighing platform 100 can be realized, with a simple structure and convenient control.

[0075] Optionally, the first rotation driving member can be a motor.

[0076] Optionally, continue to refer to Figures 2 - 7 , for the convenience of connecting the powder weighing platform 100 and the second connecting rod 330, at the bottom of the powder weighing platform 100, a connecting plate 340 is provided in the middle of the powder weighing platform 100. The connecting plate 340 is perpendicular to the powder weighing platform 100, and the connecting plate 340 is rotatably connected to the other end of the second connecting rod 330.

[0077] Optionally, continue to refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the second connecting rod 330 and the second transmission section 312 can be rotatably connected through a rotating shaft 350, with a simple structure and better rotation smoothness.

[0078] Furthermore, in another possible embodiment, the powder supply device further includes a base. The driving assembly 300 includes a third connecting rod, a second rotation driving member, and a lifting driving member. Wherein, one end of the third connecting rod is rotatably connected to the base, and the other end is rotatably connected to the filter member 200. The second rotation driving member is arranged on the base, and the second rotation driving member is used to drive the third connecting rod to rotate so that the filter member 200 is placed above the powder weighing platform 100 or in the slag dumping state. The lifting driving member is arranged on the base, and the output end of the lifting driving member is connected to the powder weighing platform 100, and is used to drive the powder weighing platform 100 to lift so that the powder weighing platform 100 is flush with and connected to the powder spreading platform 30, or the powder weighing platform 100 is lower than the powder spreading platform 30. By using the second rotation driving member and the lifting driving member to respectively control the movement of the filter member 200 and the powder weighing platform 100, the structure is also relatively simple and convenient to control.

[0079] Optionally, the second rotation driving member can be a motor.

[0080] Optionally, the lifting driving member can be a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder.

[0081] Example 2

[0082] As Figure 1 shown, this embodiment provides an additive manufacturing device, including a forming chamber 10, a forming cylinder 20, a powder spreading platform 30 disposed in the forming chamber 10, and the powder supply device provided in Example 1. The powder supply device is used to supply powder to the powder spreading platform 30.

[0083] Since the above-mentioned powder supply device is used for powder supply in this additive manufacturing device, the printing cost is relatively low.

[0084] Optionally, referring to Figure 1 continuously, in this embodiment, powder supply devices are provided on both opposite sides of the powder spreading platform 30. With such a setting, bilateral powder feeding can be achieved.

[0085] Example 3

[0086] This embodiment provides a powder supply method. Using the powder supply device provided in Example 1 to supply powder to the powder spreading platform 30 can reduce the printing cost.

[0087] Specifically, as Figure 8 shown, the powder supply method includes the following steps:

[0088] S100. The control system controls the driving component 300 to drive the powder weighing platform 100 and the filtering component 200 to move to the first working position where they cooperate with each other;

[0089] At this time, the filtering component 200 can receive the powder falling from the powder spreading platform 30 and is located above the powder weighing platform 100. That is, after the powder remaining after the upper layer is formed on the powder spreading platform 30 falls onto the filtering component 200, it can fall onto the powder weighing platform 100 after being filtered by the filtering component 200. Through the cooperation of the filtering component 200 and the powder weighing platform 100, the reuse of the powder remaining after the upper layer is formed is realized, the utilization efficiency of the powder is improved, and the amount of powder to be supplemented for the next layer of printing is also reduced, so that the total amount of powder to be prepared during the printing process is reduced, and thus the printing cost is reduced.

[0090] S200. The control system controls the powder spreading component 500 to push the powder remaining after the upper layer is formed on the powder spreading platform 30 onto the filtering component 200, and the powder falls onto the powder weighing platform 100 after being filtered by the filtering component 200;

[0091] S300. The control system controls the driving component 300 to drive the powder weighing platform 100 and the filtering component 200 to move to the second working position where they cooperate with each other;

[0092] At this time, it is said that the powder weighing platform 100 is flush with and connected to the powder spreading platform 30, and the filter element 200 is in the state of dumping slag. That is, the powder weighing platform 100 is in the state of pre-supplying powder. At the same time, the filter element 200 dumps the filter residue to prepare for the next powder filtering to ensure the filtering effect.

[0093] S400. The control system obtains the target powder amount currently required by the powder spreading platform 30, and obtains the weighing result of the powder weighing platform 100 in real time, and controls the powder feeding assembly 400 to feed powder to the powder weighing platform 100 until the weighing result of the powder weighing platform 100 is equal to the target powder amount.

[0094] When the weighing result of the powder weighing platform 100 is equal to the target powder amount, it indicates that the amount of powder on the powder weighing platform 100 at this time is equal to the powder amount required by the powder spreading platform 30, and there is no need for the powder feeding assembly 400 to continue feeding powder.

[0095] S500. The control system controls the powder spreading assembly 500 to push the powder on the powder weighing platform 100 to the powder spreading platform 30 and perform powder spreading.

[0096] It should be noted that while the powder spreading assembly 500 is spreading powder, the control system can control the driving assembly 300 to drive the powder weighing platform 100 and the filter element 200 to move to the first working position where they cooperate with each other to prepare for the next powder screening, which is beneficial to making full use of time and improving the printing efficiency.

[0097] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are only examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other different forms of changes or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is not necessary and impossible to list all the embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A powder supply device for supplying powder to a powder spreading platform (30), characterized in that, The powder supply device includes: A powder weighing platform (100) is arranged on one side of the powder spreading platform (30), and the powder weighing platform (100) can weigh the weight of the powder thereon; A filtering assembly, including a filter element (200), the filter element (200) is used for filtering impurities in the powder, and the filter element (200) and the powder weighing platform (100) have a mutually cooperating first working position and a second working position; in the first working position, the filter element (200) can receive the powder falling from the powder spreading platform (30) and is located above the powder weighing platform (100), in the second working position, the powder weighing platform (100) is flush with and connected to the powder spreading platform (30), and the filter element (200) is in a slag-dumping state; A driving assembly (300) is connected to the powder weighing platform (100) and the filter element (200), and is used for driving the powder weighing platform (100) and the filter element (200) to switch between the first working position and the second working position; A powder feeding assembly (400) is arranged above the powder weighing platform (100) and is used for feeding powder to the powder weighing platform (100); A powder spreading assembly (500) is used for pushing the remaining powder after upper layer forming to the filter element (200) located in the first working position, and for pushing the powder on the powder weighing platform (100) located in the second working position to the powder spreading platform (30); A control system is communicatively connected to the powder weighing platform (100), the driving assembly (300), the powder feeding assembly (400) and the powder spreading assembly (500), and the control system is used for controlling the operation of the powder spreading assembly (500), and for controlling the powder feeding assembly (400) to convey powder according to the target powder amount on the powder spreading platform (30) and the weighing result of the powder weighing platform (100); The powder supply device further includes a base, and the driving assembly (300) includes: A crank (310), including a first transmission section (311) and a second transmission section (312) arranged at an angle, the connection part of the first transmission section (311) and the second transmission section (312) is rotatably connected to the base, and the end of the first transmission section (311) is rotatably connected to the first end of the filter element (200); A first connecting rod (320), one end is rotatably connected to the base, and the other end is rotatably connected to the second end of the filter element (200), and the second end is diagonally arranged with the first end; A second connecting rod (330), one end is rotatably connected to the end of the second transmission section (312), and the other end is rotatably connected to the bottom of the powder weighing platform (100), and the side of the powder weighing platform (100) close to the powder spreading platform (30) is slidably attached to the side wall part (21) in the vertical direction of the forming cylinder (20), and the forming cylinder (20) is supported below the powder spreading platform (30); The first rotation driving member is arranged on the base, and the output end of the first rotation driving member is connected to the connection part of the first transmission section (311) and the second transmission section (312) for driving the crank (310) to rotate.

2. The powder supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A connecting plate (340) is arranged in the middle of the bottom of the powder weighing platform (100). The connecting plate (340) is vertically arranged with the powder weighing platform (100), and the other end of the connecting plate (340) is rotatably connected to the second connecting rod (330).

3. The powder supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that A limiting groove (110) is arranged on one side of the powder weighing platform (100) close to the powder spreading platform (30). The bottom wall of the limiting groove (110) can abut against the bottom of the powder spreading platform (30), and the side wall of the limiting groove (110) can be attached to the side wall of the powder spreading platform (30).

4. The powder supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The filtering assembly further includes a powder residue receiving bucket, and the powder residue receiving bucket is arranged on the side of the filter element (200) away from the powder spreading platform (30) for receiving the powder residue poured by the filter element (200).

5. The powder supply device according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, A weighing sensor is arranged on the powder weighing platform (100).

6. An additive manufacturing device, characterized in that, It includes a forming chamber (10), a forming cylinder (20) arranged in the forming chamber (10), a powder spreading platform (30), and the powder supply device according to any one of claims 1-5, and the powder supply device is used for supplying powder to the powder spreading platform (30).

7. The additive manufacturing equipment according to claim 6, wherein The powder supply devices are arranged on both opposite sides of the powder spreading platform (30).

8. Powder supply method, characterized in that powder is supplied to the powder spreading platform (30) by using the powder supply device according to any one of claims 1-5. The powder supply method includes: The control system controls the driving assembly (300) to drive the powder weighing platform (100) and the filter element (200) to move to the first working position where they cooperate with each other; The control system controls the powder spreading assembly (500) to push the remaining powder after upper layer forming on the powder spreading platform (30) onto the filter element (200), and the powder falls onto the powder weighing platform (100) after being filtered by the filter element (200); The control system controls the driving assembly (300) to drive the powder weighing platform (100) and the filter element (200) to move to the second working position where they cooperate with each other; The control system obtains the target powder amount currently required by the powder spreading platform (30), and obtains the weighing result of the powder weighing platform (100) in real time, and controls the powder feeding assembly (400) to supply powder to the powder weighing platform (100) until the weighing result of the powder weighing platform (100) is equal to the target powder amount; The control system controls the powder spreading assembly (500) to push the powder on the powder weighing platform (100) onto the powder spreading platform (30) and perform powder spreading.

Images