Fiber weaving device and device for weaving and printing continuous fibers on line

By designing a fiber braiding device, the tension of the continuous fiber is regulated by using the first tension control device, and combined with the polymer fiber braiding assembly to form a hybrid yarn, the problems of insufficient mechanical properties of traditional FDM printing materials and unstable continuous fiber supply are solved, and a three-dimensional print piece with high strength and high modulus are realized.

CN119615451AActive Publication Date: 2025-03-14SHANGHAI NUOXIN YUHUA INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
View PDF 11 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
CN202510146927.4
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-02-11
Publication Date
2025-03-14
Estimated Expiration
2045-02-11

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In traditional FDM three-dimensional printing technology, the mechanical properties and functional characteristics of thermoplastic polymers are limited, making it difficult to meet the needs of high strength, high modulus and multifunctional components. Continuous fibers are susceptible to tension changes and friction during the supply process, resulting in fiber breakage, winding or uneven accumulation.

Method used

A fiber braiding device is designed, including a continuous fiber threading device and a polymer fiber braiding assembly. By providing a first tension control device, the tension of the continuous fiber is regulated to ensure its stable supply, and combined with the polymer fiber braiding assembly to form a hybrid yarn with continuous fiber as the core layer and polymer fiber as the surface layer, thereby improving the mechanical properties of the print piece.

Benefits of technology

Through this device, the problem of fiber breakage, winding or uneven accumulation can be effectively avoided, and the mechanical properties and scope of application of the print are significantly improved. It is suitable for aerospace, automobiles, medical and other fields.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure CN119615451A_ABST
    Figure CN119615451A_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

The invention discloses a fiber weaving device and an online continuous fiber weaving and printing device, and belongs to the technical field of three-dimensional printing. The continuous fiber pay-off device comprises a first pay-off wheel disc wound with continuous fibers and a first tension control device used for controlling the tension of the continuous fibers, and the polymer fiber weaving assembly comprises a hollow mandrel and at least two polymer fiber pay-off devices arranged around the outer ring of the hollow mandrel. The continuous fiber bypassing the first tension control device penetrates through the hollow mandrel, and is fixed in the winding mechanism together with the polymer fiber to form a mixed yarn taking the continuous fiber as a core layer and the polymer fiber as a surface layer, so that the mechanical property of a printed piece is improved; in addition, the tension of the continuous fibers is regulated and controlled by the first tension control device, the problems that the continuous fibers are broken, wound or stacked unevenly in the weaving process can be solved, and the mechanical property of the printed piece is further improved.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of three-dimensional printing, and in particular to a fiber weaving device and a device for online weaving and printing continuous fibers. Background Art

[0002] The development of 3D printing technology has brought great innovation to the manufacturing industry. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology is widely used in manufacturing, medical, aerospace and other fields due to its low cost, material diversity and easy operation. However, the printing materials of traditional FDM are mainly thermoplastic polymers, which have limited mechanical properties and functional characteristics and are difficult to meet the needs of high-strength, high-modulus and multifunctional parts.

[0003] In order to improve the mechanical properties of printed parts, researchers have tried to add reinforcing materials such as short fibers and nanoparticles to the polymer matrix, but the reinforcing effect is limited. Introducing continuous fibers into FDM printing can significantly improve the strength and modulus of printed parts, and is considered to be an effective way to enhance the performance of 3D printed parts. However, continuous fibers are susceptible to tension changes and friction during the supply process, and it is difficult to maintain a stable supply speed and accurate position, which leads to problems such as fiber breakage, entanglement, or uneven stacking during the printing process. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to address the defects and shortcomings in the prior art and to provide a fiber weaving device and a device for online weaving and printing continuous fibers, so that continuous fibers are used as the core layer and polymer fibers are used as the surface layer to weave a mixed yarn containing continuous fibers, thereby improving the mechanical properties of the printed part; and a first tension control device for controlling the tension of the continuous fibers is provided in the fiber weaving device, which can avoid the problems of continuous fiber breakage, entanglement or uneven stacking during the weaving process, thereby further improving the mechanical properties of the printed part.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: The present invention provides a fiber braiding device, comprising a continuous fiber pay-off device and a polymer fiber braiding assembly, wherein the continuous fiber pay-off device comprises a first pay-off wheel on which continuous fibers are wound and a first tension control device, wherein the first tension control device is arranged at the outlet end of the first pay-off wheel, and the continuous fibers paid out from the first pay-off wheel bypass the first tension control device; The polymer fiber braiding component includes a hollow core shaft and at least four polymer fiber pay-off devices arranged around the outer ring of the hollow core shaft, the polymer fiber pay-off device includes a second pay-off wheel with polymer fibers wound thereon, the continuous fiber after bypassing the first tension control device passes through the hollow core shaft, and is fixed in a winding mechanism together with the polymer fiber paid out from the second pay-off wheel at the end of the hollow core shaft away from the second pay-off wheel, so as to form a mixed yarn with continuous fiber as the core layer and polymer fiber as the surface layer; the polymer fiber pay-off device is transmission-connected to the power component, and the polymer fiber that has not entered the winding mechanism moves according to the set trajectory and is distributed outside the hollow core shaft to form a tubular structure.

[0006] Preferably, the first tension control device includes a tension controller and a tension sensor. The tension controller is installed on the rotating shaft of the first pay-off wheel. A pay-off ring is provided on the tension controller. The paid-off continuous fiber passes through the pay-off ring and then bypasses the tension sensor.

[0007] Preferably, the continuous fiber pay-off device further comprises a switching and twisting device, and the continuous fiber pay-off device has at least two of the first pay-off wheels; The switching and twisting device comprises a feeding roller, a fiber guide, a continuous fiber cutter assembly and a splicer, one end of the fiber guide is provided with a plurality of fiber inlets whose number is not less than that of the first pay-off wheel, the other end of the fiber guide is provided with a fiber outlet connected with all the fiber inlets, and each fiber inlet is provided with the feeding roller to feed the continuous fiber into or out of the fiber guide; The continuous fiber cutter assembly comprises a first cutter and a first driving assembly for driving the first cutter to move, wherein the first cutter is disposed at the fiber outlet and is used for cutting the continuous fiber to be replaced in the fiber guide; The splicer is disposed on a side of the continuous fiber cutter assembly away from the fiber guide to entangle and twist the newly replaced continuous fibers with the previous continuous fibers to form continuous fibers in a continuous state.

[0008] Preferably, the polymer fiber pay-off device further comprises a spinning spindle, the second pay-off wheel is mounted on the spinning spindle, and the spinning spindle is transmission-connected to the power component; The spinning spindle is provided with a second tension control device, which includes a fixed pulley, a movable pulley, the second pay-off wheel and a ratchet mechanism, the ratchet mechanism includes a ratchet, a pawl and a ratchet connecting rod arranged on the side of the second pay-off wheel, the pawl and the ratchet connecting rod are hinged, and a torsion spring is provided at the hinge point, the end of the pawl away from the hinge point is clamped between adjacent ratchets, the end of the ratchet connecting rod away from the hinge point is connected to the movable pulley, the fixed pulley is fixed on the spinning spindle, and the polymer fiber is fixed in the winding mechanism together with the continuous fiber after passing through the fixed pulley and the movable pulley in turn.

[0009] Preferably, the fiber weaving device comprises at least two of the polymer fiber weaving components arranged in series, the continuous fiber pay-off device is located at one end of the polymer fiber weaving components arranged in series and / or the continuous fiber pay-off device is located between adjacent polymer fiber weaving components, and the hybrid yarn woven by the previous polymer fiber weaving component passes through the hollow core shaft as the core layer of the next polymer fiber weaving component to weave into a multi-layer hybrid yarn or a multi-core layer hybrid yarn.

[0010] The present invention also provides a device for online weaving and printing continuous fibers, comprising the fiber weaving device and an FDM printing nozzle, wherein the mixed yarn woven by the fiber weaving device is supplied to the FDM printing nozzle, and the FDM printing nozzle prints the required product according to a set trajectory.

[0011] Preferably, it also includes a tensioning device, a hybrid yarn skin processing device, a real-time monitoring system and a central control unit, and the tensioning device, the hybrid yarn skin processing device and the real-time monitoring system are all located between the fiber weaving device and the FDM printing head.

[0012] Preferably, the hybrid yarn skin layer processing device is a heat treatment device or a bonding device that allows the polymer fibers constituting the hybrid yarn to adhere to each other to form an integral structure that is not easily loosened or deformed.

[0013] Preferably, the real-time monitoring system includes a camera and a diameter measuring instrument, and the mixed yarn with treated cortex passes through the positions of the camera and the diameter measuring instrument in sequence, and the camera, the diameter measuring instrument, the tension sensor, the tension controller, the power component, and the first drive assembly are respectively connected to the central control unit by signal.

[0014] Preferably, the FDM printing nozzle comprises at least two feed ports, one discharge port and a hot knife device, the discharge port is connected to all the feed ports, at least two groups of fiber weaving devices are arranged in parallel, the mixed yarns woven by each group of fiber weaving devices correspond to one feed port, and each feed port is provided with a feeding roller for feeding the mixed yarn into or out of the feed port; The hot knife device includes a hot cutter and a second driving component for driving the hot cutter to move, the second driving component is connected to the central control unit by signal, and the hot cutter is placed at the discharge port to cut off the first mixed yarn that has been printed.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has achieved the following beneficial effects: 1. The present invention provides a fiber weaving device including a continuous fiber pay-off device and a polymer fiber weaving assembly, wherein the polymer fiber weaving assembly includes a hollow core shaft and a polymer fiber pay-off device arranged around the outer circumference of the hollow core shaft. The continuous fiber passes through the hollow core shaft and is fixed in a winding mechanism together with the polymer fiber, so that the continuous fiber is used as a core layer and the polymer fiber is used as a surface layer to weave a mixed yarn containing the continuous fiber, thereby improving the mechanical properties of the printed part; In addition, the continuous fiber pay-off device includes a first tension control device. Under the action of the first tension control device, the tension of the continuous fiber is maintained in a suitable stable state, avoiding problems such as continuous fiber breakage, entanglement or uneven stacking during the weaving process, achieving a stable supply of continuous fibers, and further improving the mechanical properties of the printed part.

[0016] Other technical solutions of the present invention have achieved the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art: 2. The continuous fiber pay-off device of the present invention also has a switching and twisting device, which can switch different types of continuous fibers online and weave various types of mixed yarns to meet the performance requirements of various printed products, broaden the scope of application, and make the additive manufacturing method of high-performance continuous fiber composite materials more flexible, so as to play a greater role in the fields of aerospace, automobile, medical and so on.

[0017] 3. The fiber weaving device and the device for online weaving and printing continuous fibers of the present invention can weave multi-layer mixed yarns and / or multi-core layer mixed yarns online, and print products containing multi-layer mixed yarns and / or multi-core layer mixed yarns, further broadening the scope of application; In addition, the device for online weaving and printing continuous fibers can switch the mixed yarns (i.e., printing consumables) used for printing online, and can be applied to printing products that require two or more mixed yarns, further broadening the scope of application of the device and promoting the rapid development of the 3D printing industry. Furthermore, the online weaving and printing device can improve the compactness of the device and enhance printing efficiency. It is a new type of three-dimensional printing equipment that fills the gap in existing technology. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] 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 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 labor.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a fiber weaving device and a device (vertical type) for online weaving and printing continuous fibers disclosed in a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a fiber weaving device and a device (horizontal type) for online weaving and printing continuous fibers disclosed in a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of a continuous fiber pay-off device disclosed in a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of a fiber weaving device for weaving multi-layer hybrid yarns and a device (horizontal) for online weaving and printing continuous fibers disclosed in a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of a fiber weaving device capable of switching printing consumables online and a device (horizontal) for weaving and printing continuous fibers online disclosed in a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of an FDM printing nozzle disclosed in a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of a polymer fiber pay-off device disclosed in a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram from another perspective of a second tension control device disclosed in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Among them, 1. the first pay-off wheel; 2. the tension controller; 3. the tension sensor; 4. the fiber guide; 5. the splicer; 6. the polymer fiber pay-off device; 7. the hollow core shaft; 8. the central control unit; 9. the mixed yarn cortex processing device; 10. the real-time monitoring system; 11. the FDM printing nozzle; 12. the tension wheel; 13. the continuous fiber cutter assembly; 14. the feeding roller; 15. the first cutter; 16. the first driving assembly; 17. the feed port; 18. the discharge port; 19. the hot cutter; 20. the second driving assembly; 21. the extrusion gear; 22. the throat; 23. the heating block; 24. the spinning spindle; 25. the second pay-off wheel; 26. the movable pulley; 27. the fixed pulley; 28. the ratchet connecting rod; 29. ​​the pawl; 30. the ratchet; 31. the torsion spring; 32. the winding mechanism; 33. the inductive proximity sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] 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.

[0022] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0023] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the present invention provides a fiber braiding device, including a continuous fiber pay-off device and a polymer fiber braiding assembly, the continuous fiber pay-off device includes a first pay-off wheel 1 and a first tension control device, the first pay-off wheel 1 is wound with the continuous fiber to be used, the outlet end of the first pay-off wheel 1 is provided with the first tension control device, and the continuous fiber paid out from the first pay-off wheel 1 bypasses the first tension control device; The polymer fiber braiding assembly includes a hollow mandrel 7 and at least four polymer fiber pay-off devices 6 arranged around the outer ring of the hollow mandrel 7. The polymer fiber pay-off device 6 includes a second pay-off wheel 25. The polymer fiber to be used is wound on the second pay-off wheel 25. The continuous fiber that bypasses the first tension control device passes through the cavity inside the hollow mandrel 7 and is fixed in the winding mechanism 32 together with the polymer fiber paid out from the second pay-off wheel 25 at the end of the hollow mandrel 7 away from the second pay-off wheel 25. The polymer fiber pay-off device 6 is connected to the power component in a transmission manner, so that the polymer yarns near the winding mechanism 32 are mutually wound to form a mixed yarn with the continuous fiber as the core layer and the polymer fiber as the surface layer. The polymer fibers away from the winding mechanism 32 are distributed on the surface of the hollow mandrel 7 to form a tubular structure. As the mixed yarn is consumed, the polymer fibers previously distributed on the surface of the hollow mandrel 7 move to the vicinity of the winding mechanism 32, and are wound around the outside of the continuous fibers to continue to form mixed yarns.

[0024] The first tension control device can adjust the tension of the continuous fiber to avoid the problem of continuous fiber breakage, entanglement or uneven stacking. As needed, the same type of polymer fiber can be wound on each second pay-off wheel 25, or different types of polymer fibers can be wound on different second pay-off wheels 25. Commonly used polymer fiber materials include but are not limited to polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyimide (PI), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment, the first tension control device includes a tension controller 2 and a tension sensor 3. The tension controller 2 is installed on the servo motor of the shaft core of the first pay-off wheel 1. The tension controller 2 is provided with a pay-off ring. The paid-off continuous fiber passes through the pay-off ring and then bypasses the tension sensor 3. When working, the tension sensor 3 monitors the tension of the continuous fiber in real time, and adjusts the rotation speed of the servo motor in real time according to the signal fed back by the tension sensor 3, thereby adjusting the pay-off speed of the continuous fiber and adjusting the tension to ensure the stability of the continuous fiber supply and the weaving quality.

[0026] like Figure 3As shown, the continuous fiber pay-off device also includes a switching and twisting device, and the continuous fiber pay-off device has at least two first pay-off wheels 1; the switching and twisting device includes a feeding roller 14, a fiber guide 4, a continuous fiber cutter assembly 13 and a splicer 5, one end of the fiber guide 4 is provided with a number of fiber inlets not less than the first pay-off wheel 1, the other end of the fiber guide 4 is provided with a fiber outlet connected to all the fiber inlets, and each fiber inlet is provided with a feeding roller 14 to feed different continuous fibers into or out of the fiber guide 4; the continuous fiber cutter assembly 13 includes a first cutter 15 and a first drive assembly 16 for driving the first cutter 15, the first cutter 15 is placed at the fiber outlet, and the continuous fiber in the fiber guide 4 is cut off when the continuous fiber needs to be replaced; the splicer 5 is placed on the side of the continuous fiber cutter assembly 13 away from the fiber guide 4, so that the newly replaced continuous fiber and the previous continuous fiber are intertwined and twisted to form a continuous fiber in a continuous state. The first driving assembly 16 may be a gear rack structure, a screw nut structure, etc. In an exemplary embodiment, the first driving assembly 16 is a gear rack structure, and a blade is provided at the end of the rack to serve as the first cutter 15 .

[0027] If the continuous fiber used as the core layer needs to be replaced, the first cutter 15 is used to cut the previous continuous fiber first, and then the feed roller 14 of the corresponding channel is reversed to withdraw the cut continuous fiber to the fiber entrance, and then the new continuous fiber is fed by the feed roller 14 of the corresponding channel, passes through the interior of the fiber guide 4 to the splicer 5, and the connection between the new and old continuous fibers is completed by twisting the splicer 5. The splicer 5 can adopt the existing technology, and the present invention does not improve the structure of the splicer 5. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the splicer 5 is an air splicer.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, four groups of first pay-off reels 1 are provided, each of which is wound with a continuous fiber, each of which is correspondingly provided with a tension sensor 3, a tension controller 2 and a group of feeding rollers 14, and the corresponding fiber guide 4 has four fiber inlets. Figures 1 to 5 Only the tension sensor 3 and the feed roller 14 set on one of the continuous fibers are shown as an example, and the tension sensors 3 and the feed rollers 14 on the other continuous fibers are omitted and not drawn. The continuous fiber can be a metal wire such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber, basalt fiber, boron fiber, silicon carbide fiber, high molecular polyethylene fiber, polyester fiber, graphene fiber, carbon nanotube fiber, tungsten wire, copper wire, nickel-titanium alloy wire, etc. Through the switching device, online switching of different types of continuous fibers can be achieved. During the switching process, different fibers are connected by a twisting device to ensure the continuity and stability of the fiber supply. In addition, when weaving mixed yarns, one continuous fiber can be used as the core layer, or two or more continuous fibers can be used as the core layer.

[0029] The polymer fiber pay-off device 6 also includes a spinning spindle 24, a second pay-off wheel 25 is mounted on the spinning spindle 24, and the spinning spindle 24 is transmission-connected to the power component; Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown, in order to facilitate the control of the tension of the polymer fiber, a second tension control device is provided on the spinning spindle 24, and the second tension control device includes a fixed pulley 27, a movable pulley 26, a second pay-off wheel 25 and a ratchet mechanism. The ratchet mechanism includes a ratchet 30, a pawl 29 and a ratchet link 28 arranged on the side of the second pay-off wheel 25. The pawl 29 and the ratchet link 28 are hinged, and a torsion spring 31 is provided at the hinge point. The end of the pawl 29 away from the hinge point is clamped between two adjacent ratchet teeth 30, and the end of the ratchet link 28 away from the hinge point is fixedly connected to the movable pulley 26. The fixed pulley 27 is fixed on the spinning spindle 24, and the polymer fiber passes around the fixed pulley 27 and the movable pulley 26 in turn and is fixed in the winding mechanism 32 together with the continuous fiber. When in use, as the polymer fiber wound on the movable pulley 26 is pulled, the movable pulley 26 and the ratchet link 28 connected to the movable pulley 26 rotate together. When the tension is greater than the force of the torsion spring 31, the ratchet 29 is lifted, and the second pay-off wheel 25 rotates and pays off the line, so that the tension of the polymer fiber is reduced. When the tension is less than the force of the torsion spring 31, the ratchet 29 is again clamped between the adjacent ratchet teeth 30 under the action of the torsion spring 31, and the second pay-off wheel 25 is pressed. The above process is continuously circulated to control the tension of the polymer fiber within a certain range. And the range of tension can be jointly regulated by the number of turns of the fiber winding on the movable pulley 26 and the fixed pulley 27 and the stiffness of the torsion spring 31 on the rotating shaft of the ratchet link 28. The more the number of winding turns, the smaller the line tension, and the greater the stiffness of the torsion spring 31, the greater the line tension. By controlling the tension of the polymer fiber, the density and uniformity of the braided tube structure can be guaranteed.

[0030] Among them, the movable pulley 26 and the fixed pulley 27 can guide the polymer fiber to be woven according to the set path and weaving angle. The weaving angle can be achieved by adjusting the rotation speed and winding speed of the weaving spindle. The weaving angle is usually 30°~85°. The weaving spindle is driven by a high-precision servo motor to move the planetary gear set in the spindle box. Each planetary gear is installed with a spinning spindle 24. The spinning spindle 24 follows the rotation and revolution of the planetary gear and moves along the track on the weaving spindle box to form a specific weaving method. The movement speed and weaving direction of the spinning spindle 24 are controlled by the servo motor. The weaving parameters such as rotation speed, forward and reverse rotation and take-up pitch are set by the central control unit.

[0031] In an exemplary embodiment, an inductive proximity sensor 33 is provided near the movable pulley 26 . The inductive proximity sensor 33 can monitor the continuity of the polymer fiber in real time by sensing the position of the metal shaft of the movable pulley 26 . Figure 1 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 An inductive proximity sensor 33 is also provided at the corresponding position in the diagram, which is not shown in the schematic diagram. The fiber weaving device of the present invention can be a vertical type such as Figure 1 , or it can be horizontal Figure 2 .

[0032] like Figure 4 As shown, the fiber weaving device disclosed in the present invention can also weave multi-layer mixed yarns and multi-core layer mixed yarns; specifically, the fiber weaving device is arranged in series with at least two polymer fiber weaving components, the continuous fiber pay-off device is located at one end of the polymer fiber weaving components arranged in series and / or the continuous fiber pay-off device is located between adjacent polymer fiber weaving components, and the mixed yarn woven by the previous polymer fiber weaving component passes through the hollow core shaft 7 as the core layer of the next polymer fiber weaving component, and is woven together with the next polymer fiber to form a multi-layer mixed yarn.

[0033] In an exemplary embodiment, a continuous fiber pay-off device is located at one end of polymer fiber weaving components arranged in series, and each section of the multi-layer hybrid yarn formed by weaving contains continuous fibers; in another exemplary embodiment, the continuous fiber pay-off device is located between a group of adjacent polymer fiber weaving components, and at this time, the continuous fibers are woven together with the polymer fibers located before the continuous fiber pay-off device to form another hybrid yarn (for the convenience of description, this is called the second hybrid yarn), and the continuous fibers in the second hybrid yarn are not used as the core layer, but the second hybrid yarn will still be used as the core layer in subsequent weaving; in another exemplary embodiment besides this, a continuous fiber pay-off device is provided at one end of the polymer fiber weaving components arranged in series to weave a hybrid yarn (for the convenience of description, this is called the third hybrid yarn), and a continuous fiber pay-off device is provided between adjacent polymer fiber weaving components, and the continuous fibers located between the adjacent polymer fiber weaving components and the third hybrid yarn are used together as the core layer in subsequent weaving.

[0034] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the present invention also provides a device for online weaving and printing continuous fibers, including the above-mentioned fiber weaving device and the FDM printing nozzle 11. The mixed yarn woven by the fiber weaving device is supplied to the FDM printing nozzle 11, and the FDM printing nozzle 11 moves according to a set motion trajectory to print out the required product. Compared with the prior art method of winding the printing consumables required for printing into a disk in advance, and then installing the material disk on the 3D printing device for printing, the present invention can realize the online weaving, switching and printing of continuous fibers, reduce the operation steps, and improve the operation efficiency.

[0035] The device for online weaving and printing continuous fibers also includes a tensioning wheel 12, a mixed yarn cortex processing device 9, a real-time monitoring system 10, and a central control unit 8. The tensioning wheel 12, the mixed yarn cortex processing device 9, and the real-time monitoring system 10 are all located between the fiber weaving device and the FDM printing nozzle 11 to ensure the printing quality. The tensioning wheel 12 is set at a suitable position as needed to ensure the stable supply of the mixed yarn and the printing quality. The present invention does not make specific requirements on the number and position of the tensioning wheel 12.

[0036] The mixed yarn skin layer processing device 9 is a heat treatment device or bonding device that makes the polymer fibers constituting the mixed yarn adhere to each other to form an integral structure that is not easy to loosen and deform. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the mixed yarn skin layer processing device 9 is a heat treatment device, and the heat treatment device has a heat treatment die with an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the mixed yarn. When the mixed yarn passes through the heat treatment die, it is heated and squeezed by the heat treatment die, and the concave and convex woven texture formed by the surface polymer fibers is partially melted and adhered to form an integral structure that is not easy to loosen and deform. At the same time, the heat treatment die is used to control the diameter of the mixed yarn to adapt to the feed port of the FDM printing nozzle 11.

[0037] The real-time monitoring system 10 includes a camera and a diameter measuring instrument. The mixed yarn with the processed cortex passes through the position of the camera and the diameter measuring instrument in turn. The camera monitors the fiber position and state of the weaving area in real time to detect whether there are problems such as fiber breakage, dislocation or entanglement. The diameter of the processed mixed yarn is measured by the diameter measuring instrument to ensure that the woven mixed yarn meets the design requirements. The diameter measuring instrument can be a non-contact diameter measuring instrument, such as a laser diameter measuring instrument, or a contact diameter measuring instrument. The camera, the diameter measuring instrument, the tension sensor 3, the tension controller 2, the power component, and the first drive component 16 are respectively connected to the central control unit 8 by signal. The camera, the diameter measuring instrument, and the tension sensor 3 feed back the measured data to the central control unit 8 in real time. The central control unit 8 analyzes the acquired data to determine the state of fiber supply, weaving and mixed yarn (i.e., printing consumables) quality, and then sends instructions to the tension regulator, the power component, and the first drive component 16 to make it perform corresponding actions; if an abnormal situation (such as fiber breakage, excessive tension, etc.) is detected, measures are automatically taken, such as pausing the equipment, adjusting parameters, or alarming. The central control unit 8 also has a human-machine interface for operators to set parameters, monitor equipment status, view real-time data and historical records, and perform manual control or intervention. When weaving multiple layers of hybrid yarn, the central control unit 8 can coordinate the speed, tension and fiber supply of each continuous fiber pay-off device and / or polymer fiber pay-off device 6 to ensure that each layer is woven synchronously.

[0038] Among them, the three-dimensional model of the print part is designed by computer-aided design (CAD) software, and the printing path and parameters, including layer thickness, filling rate, printing speed, etc., are generated by slicing software; the central control unit 8 sends the printing path and parameters to the motion control system to control the precise movement of the print head in the three directions of X, Y, and Z; according to the printing speed and path, the wire feeding amount of the wire feeding mechanism is adjusted in real time to ensure that the material supply matches the printing demand; by adjusting the printing path and the movement of the print head, the orientation design of the continuous fiber in the print part is realized, such as arranging it along the force direction to improve the mechanical properties of the print part; the temperature of each heating zone of the print head is monitored in real time to ensure that the polymer is fully melted and the continuous fiber is not damaged by heat.

[0039] like Figure 5 , Figure 6 As shown, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the FDM printing head 11 includes at least two feed ports 17, one discharge port 18 and a hot knife device, the discharge port 18 is connected to all the feed ports 17, at least two groups of fiber weaving devices are provided on the printing device, and the mixed yarn woven by each group of fiber weaving devices corresponds to a feed port 17, and each feed port 17 is provided with a feeding roller 14 for feeding the mixed yarn into or out of the feed port 17; the hot knife device includes a hot cutter 19 and a second drive component 20 for driving the hot cutter 19 to make a linear motion, the second drive component 20 is connected to the central control unit 8 by signal, the hot cutter 19 is placed at the discharge port 18, and is perpendicular to the mixed yarn, and is used to cut off the previous mixed yarn after printing.

[0040] When it is necessary to replace the printing consumables (i.e., the mixed yarn), the central control unit 8 sends an instruction to the second drive component 20 to drive the hot cutter 19 to cut off the previous mixed yarn, and then the corresponding feed roller 14 reverses to withdraw the previous mixed yarn, and the feed roller 14 on the other mixed yarn to be used rotates forward to feed it into the corresponding feed port 17, so that the FDM print head 11 continues to print using another mixed yarn. The hot cutter 19 is a blade formed by winding an electric heating wire on the blade. When the hot cutter 19 cuts the mixed fiber, it can melt the polymer material at the cross section so that the reinforcing fiber of the core layer and the skin layer are bonded to each other, preventing the core layer and the skin layer from being axially misaligned and the skin layer from producing burrs, thereby ensuring smooth wire feeding and printing accuracy for the next use. The remaining structures of the FDM print head 11, such as the extrusion gear 21, the throat 22, the heating block 23 and other structures are the same as those in the prior art and are not changed.

[0041] Working process of the device for online weaving and printing continuous fibers: 1. Initialization settings: The operator sets the print parameters, selected materials, print path, etc. through the human-machine interface.

[0042] 2. Preparation and supply of consumables: The fiber weaving device starts to weave consumables online, and the continuous fiber supply system supplies specific fibers according to demand.

[0043] 3. Real-time monitoring and adjustment: The tension control system and real-time monitoring system 10 monitor the status of the fibers and consumables, and the central control unit 8 makes corresponding adjustments.

[0044] 4. Printing process: The improved FDM print head 11 receives the consumables and prints according to the set path and parameters.

[0045] 5. Switching of consumables or fibers: According to the printing requirements, the central control unit 8 instructs the hot knife device and the feeding roller 14 to switch the consumables or fibers online.

[0046] 6. Printing completed: After the print is completed, the equipment stops automatically and the operator can perform post-processing or remove the print.

[0047] It should be noted that it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the above exemplary embodiments, and that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, no matter from which point of view, the embodiments should be regarded as exemplary and non-restrictive, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description, and it is intended that all changes falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims are included in the present invention, and any figure mark in the claims should not be regarded as limiting the claims involved.

Claims

1. A fiber weaving device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a continuous fiber pay-off device and a polymer fiber braiding assembly, wherein the continuous fiber pay-off device comprises a first pay-off wheel on which continuous fibers are wound and a first tension control device, wherein the first tension control device is arranged at the outlet end of the first pay-off wheel, and the continuous fibers paid out from the first pay-off wheel bypass the first tension control device; The polymer fiber braiding component includes a hollow core shaft and at least four polymer fiber pay-off devices arranged around the outer ring of the hollow core shaft, the polymer fiber pay-off device includes a second pay-off wheel with polymer fibers wound thereon, the continuous fiber after bypassing the first tension control device passes through the hollow core shaft, and is fixed in a winding mechanism together with the polymer fiber paid out from the second pay-off wheel at the end of the hollow core shaft away from the second pay-off wheel, so as to form a mixed yarn with continuous fiber as the core layer and polymer fiber as the surface layer; the polymer fiber pay-off device is transmission-connected to the power component, and the polymer fiber that has not entered the winding mechanism moves according to the set trajectory and is distributed outside the hollow core shaft to form a tubular structure.

2. The fiber braiding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first tension control device includes a tension controller and a tension sensor. The tension controller is installed on the rotating shaft of the first pay-off wheel. A pay-off ring is provided on the tension controller. The paid-off continuous fiber passes through the pay-off ring and then bypasses the tension sensor.

3. The fiber braiding device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The continuous fiber pay-off device further comprises a switching and twisting device, and the continuous fiber pay-off device has at least two of the first pay-off wheels; The switching and twisting device comprises a feeding roller, a fiber guide, a continuous fiber cutter assembly and a splicer, one end of the fiber guide is provided with a fiber inlet whose number is not less than that of the first pay-off wheel, the other end of the fiber guide is provided with a fiber outlet connected with all the fiber inlets, and each fiber inlet is provided with the feeding roller to feed the continuous fiber into or out of the fiber guide; The continuous fiber cutter assembly comprises a first cutter and a first driving assembly for driving the first cutter to move, wherein the first cutter is disposed at the fiber outlet and is used for cutting the continuous fiber to be replaced in the fiber guide; The splicer is disposed on a side of the continuous fiber cutter assembly away from the fiber guide to entangle and twist the newly replaced continuous fibers with the previous continuous fibers to form continuous fibers in a continuous state.

4. The fiber braiding device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The polymer fiber pay-off device further comprises a spinning spindle, the second pay-off wheel is mounted on the spinning spindle, and the spinning spindle is transmission-connected to the power component; The spinning spindle is provided with a second tension control device, which includes a fixed pulley, a movable pulley, the second pay-off wheel and a ratchet mechanism, the ratchet mechanism includes a ratchet, a pawl and a ratchet connecting rod arranged on the side of the second pay-off wheel, the pawl and the ratchet connecting rod are hinged, and a torsion spring is provided at the hinge point, the end of the pawl away from the hinge point is clamped between adjacent ratchets, the end of the ratchet connecting rod away from the hinge point is connected to the movable pulley, the fixed pulley is fixed on the spinning spindle, and the polymer fiber is fixed in the winding mechanism together with the continuous fiber after passing through the fixed pulley and the movable pulley in turn.

5. The fiber braiding device according to any one of claims 3 to 4, characterized in that: The fiber weaving device includes at least two polymer fiber weaving components arranged in series, the continuous fiber pay-off device is located at one end of the polymer fiber weaving components arranged in series, and / or the continuous fiber pay-off device is located between adjacent polymer fiber weaving components, and the hybrid yarn woven by the previous polymer fiber weaving component passes through the hollow core shaft as the core layer of the next polymer fiber weaving component to weave into multi-layer hybrid yarn or multi-core layer hybrid yarn.

6. A device for online weaving and printing continuous fibers, characterized in that: It comprises the fiber weaving device and FDM printing head as described in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the mixed yarn woven by the fiber weaving device is supplied to the FDM printing head, and the FDM printing head prints the required product according to the set trajectory.

7. The device for online weaving and printing continuous fibers according to claim 6, characterized in that: It also includes a tensioning device, a hybrid yarn skin processing device, a real-time monitoring system and a central control unit. The tensioning device, the hybrid yarn skin processing device and the real-time monitoring system are all located between the fiber weaving device and the FDM printing nozzle.

8. The device for online weaving and printing continuous fibers according to claim 7, characterized in that: The hybrid yarn skin layer processing device is a heat treatment device or bonding device that allows the polymer fibers constituting the hybrid yarn to adhere to each other to form an integral structure that is not easily loosened or deformed.

9. The device for online weaving and printing continuous fibers according to claim 7, characterized in that: The real-time monitoring system includes a camera and a diameter measuring instrument. The mixed yarn with treated cortex passes through the positions of the camera and the diameter measuring instrument in sequence, and the camera, the diameter measuring instrument, the tension sensor, the tension controller, the power component, and the first drive assembly are respectively connected to the central control unit by signal.

10. The device for online weaving and printing continuous fibers according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: The FDM printing nozzle comprises at least two feed ports, one discharge port and a hot knife device, the discharge port is connected to all the feed ports, at least two groups of fiber weaving devices are arranged in parallel, the mixed yarns woven by each group of fiber weaving devices correspond to one feed port, and each feed port is provided with a feeding roller for feeding the mixed yarn into or out of the feed port; The hot knife device includes a hot cutter and a second driving component for driving the hot cutter to move, the second driving component is connected to the central control unit by signal, and the hot cutter is placed at the discharge port to cut off the first mixed yarn that has been printed.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Preparation device and preparation method of auxetic composite yarn

    CN113445162A

  • Cable production is with twisting with fingers a strand equipment

    CN207760647U

  • Method and apparatus for making strands with one or more layers

    EP0289884A2

  • stranding machine for wires and cables

    FR1426799A

  • Method and apparatus for continuously stranding thick linearly extended material

    GB2004575A