A process for rapid casting of complex structures using digital casting molds based on 3D printing technology

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of digital mold design and 3D printing, and can be combined with manufacturing methods such as casting, cement pouring, injection molding, powder metallurgy, sintering, traditional incense cards, gypsum aromatherapy, and ceramic firing, and discloses a manufacturing process using a digital mold. The process refers to lost wax casting, and generates a three-dimensional model of the "cavity casting mold" of the lost wax method by digital technology. It combines the flexibility of 3D printing technology and the efficiency of the casting process, and aims to achieve efficient, high-precision, and low-cost production of different materials and complex structures. Specifically, the present invention first uses modeling software to perform Boolean operations on the target product, and then performs shell extraction and optimization to generate three-dimensional mold data with complex shapes and details. Subsequently, the data is imported into a 3D printer, and a mold corresponding to the three-dimensional model data is constructed by printing layer by layer. After the necessary post-processing, the mold can be used in the manufacturing process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of casting technology, specifically a digital casting mold combined with 3D printing technology and a low-temperature alloy rapid casting process, referring to the cavity casting process made by the ancient lost wax process, using digital technology to calculate the final casting mold required, aiming to achieve efficient, high-precision, and low-cost production of complex structure castings. The process can also be combined with different materials, and low-temperature molding can be achieved by mixing a binder and material powder and filling them into a casting mold, and materials that require high-temperature sintering can be carried out after demolding. Background Art

[0002] Traditional casting processes face many challenges in manufacturing complex structure castings, such as long mold design cycle, high manufacturing cost, and difficulty in ensuring precision. With the rapid development of 3D printing technology, its application in the manufacturing industry is becoming more and more extensive, providing a new solution for the manufacture of complex structure castings. However, there are still some problems in the application of existing 3D printing technology in the casting field, such as high printing material cost, slow printing speed, and complex post-processing process, which limit its wide application in the manufacture of complex structure casting molds.

[0003] This process combines 3D printing technology and casting technology to achieve rapid manufacturing of complex structure casting molds through digital means. Compared with traditional casting processes, this process can get rid of the dependence on complex mold processing and greatly shorten the cycle from design to production. At the same time, the high flexibility and precision of 3D printing technology enable this process to meet the casting needs of various complex structures, which is often difficult to achieve in traditional casting processes. Therefore, from the perspective of technical application, this process has significant novelty. Summary of the invention

[0004] To solve the above problems, the present invention proposes a digital mold rapid casting process based on 3D printing technology, which combines the flexibility of 3D printing technology and the high efficiency of the casting process to achieve efficient, high-precision and low-cost production of complex structure castings.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention comprises the following steps:

[0006] Digital design: Use modeling software to perform Boolean operations on the casting mold to design a casting mold with a complex structure.

[0007] 3D printing casting mold: Import the casting mold model into the 3D printer, select the appropriate printing material (such as photosensitive resin, PLA, water-soluble material, sand material, etc.), and build the casting mold by printing layer by layer.

[0008] Mold post-processing: Perform necessary post-processing on the printed mold, such as removing support structures, cleaning, curing, etc., to ensure the accuracy and strength of the mold.

[0009] Casting process: Pour the molten metal or alloy into the mold, wait for it to cool and solidify, then remove the mold and take out the casting.

[0010] Casting post-processing: Perform necessary post-processing on castings, such as deburring, grinding, heat treatment, etc., to improve the performance and appearance quality of castings.

[0011] The innovation of the present invention is:

[0012] Technological innovation: By introducing 3D printing technology, the process realizes the digital manufacturing of casting molds, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of the casting process. This technological innovation not only breaks through the limitations of traditional casting processes, but also provides a new solution for the rapid casting of complex structural castings.

[0013] Design innovation: This process allows designers to design freely in 3D software, and then directly manufacture the casting mold corresponding to the design data through 3D printing technology. This design innovation makes the manufacture of complex structural castings easier and more efficient, and also provides designers with more creative space.

[0014] Process innovation: This process simplifies the mold processing and wax model making steps in the traditional casting process, and directly manufactures the casting mold through 3D printing technology, thereby shortening the production cycle and reducing costs. This process innovation not only improves production efficiency, but also makes the process more adaptable to the needs of modern industry for rapid response and flexible production.

[0015] Beneficial effects:

[0016] Improved production efficiency: This process quickly generates casting molds through digital means, greatly shortening the cycle from design to production. Compared with traditional casting processes, this process can respond to market demand more quickly and improve production efficiency. This has significant advantages for industries that need to quickly deliver complex structural castings.

[0017] Cost reduction: 3D printing technology can directly produce casting molds based on design data, avoiding the complex mold processing and wax model making steps in traditional casting processes. This not only reduces material waste, but also reduces production costs. In addition, due to the high accuracy of 3D printing technology, subsequent processing steps such as grinding and finishing can be reduced, further reducing labor costs.

[0018] Strong adaptability: This process can meet the casting needs of various complex structures. Whether it is a casting with complex shape and high dimensional accuracy requirements, or a casting with special performance requirements, it can be quickly cast through 3D printing technology. This strong adaptability makes this process have a wide range of application prospects in industries such as aerospace, automobile manufacturing, and medical equipment. At the same time, high-precision casting molds can also be achieved in traditional cultural fields such as incense card making.

[0019] Quality control: 3D printing technology can accurately control the shape and size of the mold, thereby ensuring the manufacturing accuracy and quality of the casting. In addition, through digital means of quality control, each link in the production process can be monitored in real time, problems can be discovered and solved in a timely manner, and product quality and stability can be improved.

[0020] Environmental protection and energy saving: Compared with traditional casting processes, this process is more environmentally friendly and energy-saving in terms of material utilization and energy consumption. 3D printing technology can maximize the use of printing materials and reduce material waste. At the same time, due to the shortened production cycle and the reduction of subsequent processing steps, this process also shows significant advantages in energy consumption.

[0021] In summary, the process of using 3D printing technology to digitally mold complex structures for rapid casting has significant practicality. This process not only improves production efficiency and reduces costs, but also has strong adaptability and quality control capabilities. At the same time, the process also shows obvious advantages in environmental protection and energy saving, which meets the requirements of modern industry for sustainable development and green manufacturing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 It is a step flow chart of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 Casting model generated for the example model and calculation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Preliminary preparation

[0027] Design model: Use 3D software to design the complex structural model and casting mold model required to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the model data.

[0028] Material selection: Select appropriate low-temperature alloy materials according to casting requirements to ensure that the materials have good casting properties and mechanical properties.

[0029] 3D printing equipment preparation: Select light-curing / FDM fused deposition modeling 3D printing equipment, and perform equipment debugging and calibration to ensure printing accuracy and stability.

[0030] Digital mold making

[0031] Data conversion: Convert 3D model data into a format recognizable by 3D printing equipment, such as STL file.

[0032] 3D printing mold: Import the converted data into 3D printing equipment to print the mold. During the printing process, it is necessary to pay close attention to the printing progress and printing quality to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the mold.

[0033] Post-processing: Perform necessary post-processing on the printed mold, such as removing support structures, cleaning surface residues, etc., to ensure the neatness and accuracy of the mold.

[0034] Low temperature alloy casting

[0035] Melting alloy: Place the selected low-temperature alloy material into the melting equipment for melting, ensuring that the alloy melts evenly and at a moderate temperature.

[0036] Pouring: Pour the smelted alloy liquid into the prepared casting mold for pouring. During the pouring process, the pouring speed and pouring amount must be controlled to ensure that the alloy liquid can evenly fill the casting mold and avoid defects.

[0037] Cooling: After the alloy liquid cools and solidifies in the mold, take out the casting. During the cooling process, the stability of the mold and casting must be maintained to avoid deformation or cracks.

[0038] Subsequent processing

[0039] Cleaning: Clean the casting to remove surface residues and burrs, etc. to ensure that the casting is neat and smooth.

[0040] Inspection: Carry out quality inspection on castings, including dimensional accuracy, surface quality, internal defects, etc., to ensure that the castings meet the design requirements.

[0041] Heat treatment: As needed, the castings are heat treated to improve their mechanical properties and stability.

[0042] Application and Evaluation

[0043] Application: Apply the cast complex structure castings to the required fields, such as handicrafts, sculptures, culture, aerospace, automobile manufacturing, etc.

[0044] Evaluation: Evaluate the casting process, including production efficiency, cost-effectiveness, casting quality, etc., in order to continuously improve and optimize the process.

[0045] Through the above steps, the process of rapid casting of complex structures can be realized based on 3D printing technology, digital casting molds and low-temperature alloys. This process has the advantages of high production efficiency, low cost, and high casting quality, and has broad application prospects in the manufacturing industry.

Claims

1. A complex structure digital mold rapid casting process based on 3D printing technology, characterized in that The following steps are involved: Step A: Use computer design software to perform Boolean operations on the target casting model to generate three-dimensional model data of the mold with a complex structure, and use slicing software to extract the shell of the mold model and set pores; Step B: importing the three-dimensional model data into a 3D printer, selecting a suitable 3D printing material, and constructing a digital casting mold corresponding to the three-dimensional model data by printing layer by layer; Step C: post-processing the digital casting mold, including removing support structures, cleaning and curing, to obtain a casting mold with required accuracy and strength; Step D: melt a low-temperature alloy (mainly a tin-based material) and inject it into a post-treated mold. After cooling and solidification, remove the mold and take out the casting. Step E: performing necessary post-processing on the casting to improve its performance and appearance quality.

2. The complex structure digital mold rapid casting process based on 3D printing technology according to claim 1 is characterized in that: In the step A, the casting mold model also includes defining information such as the casting's geometry, material properties, and heat treatment requirements.

3. The complex structure digital mold rapid casting process based on 3D printing technology according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: In the step B, the 3D printing material is selected from at least one of photosensitive resin, soluble material, sand and gravel, etc.

4. The complex structure digital mold rapid casting process based on 3D printing technology according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: In the step C, the post-processing also includes necessary repairing and strengthening of the casting mold to improve its strength in use.

5. The complex structure digital mold rapid casting process based on 3D printing technology according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: In the step D, the parameters such as the temperature, injection speed and pressure of the molten metal or alloy are also precisely controlled to ensure the quality and performance of the casting.

6. The complex structure digital mold rapid casting process based on 3D printing technology according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: In the step E, the post-processing further includes at least one of deburring, grinding, heat treatment, and surface coating treatment of the casting.

7. A complex structure casting manufactured by the process according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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