Cooling device and method for additive manufacturing equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooling device and method for additive manufacturing equipment. According to the invention, a plugboard type cooling structure of the upper plugboard cooling block and the lower plugboard cooling block is adopted, so that not only can the contact area between the first plugging part of the upper plugboard cooling block and the second plugging part of the lower plugboard cooling block be increased, but also the direct contact between the material plate and the second cooling block can be avoided; therefore, the risk of mechanical collision caused by contact movement with the formed part can be effectively avoided. And meanwhile, the first inserting part and the second inserting part can be fully inserted together through the bending piece, so that the contact area between the first inserting part and the second inserting part is further guaranteed, and the cooling efficiency is guaranteed. The lower inserting plate cooling block can make full contact with the bottom of the forming chamber through the heat conduction pad. Besides, the first cooling block is arranged outside the forming chamber, so that the first cooling block is isolated from a high-temperature and dust environment, potential safety hazards caused by damage of an internal runner and a pipe joint of the first cooling block are avoided, and the safety is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of additive manufacturing technology, and in particular, to a cooling device and method for additive manufacturing equipment. Background Art

[0002] Electron beam selective melting is an additive manufacturing technology that uses the changing magnetic field generated by the magnetic deflection coil to drive the electron gun to emit a high-energy electron beam in a high vacuum environment, quickly scans and melts the powder material on the powder layer, and deposits it layer by layer to manufacture three-dimensional metal parts. Due to the high power of the electron beam and the high absorption rate of the material to the electron beam energy, the electron beam selective melting technology is particularly suitable for the forming and manufacturing of refractory and high-performance metal materials such as titanium alloys and titanium-aluminum-based alloys, and has broad application prospects in the fields of aerospace, biomedicine, automobiles, molds, etc.

[0003] During the printing process of electron beam selective melting technology, the internal part of the equipment is in a high vacuum (1.0×10 -3 Pa to 1.0×10 -1 Pa) and high temperature (substrate temperature 700~1100℃) environment, and the powder bed needs to be preheated and heated layer by layer during the printing process to maintain a high temperature (powder bed temperature 600~1000℃) environment. Therefore, when printing is completed, the formed parts are wrapped in high-temperature pre-sintered powder blocks, which are surrounded by loose powders, and the loose powders are surrounded by a forming cylinder with a wall thickness of 10-20mm. Because loose powders have good thermal insulation effects, they can effectively prevent the formed parts and high-temperature pre-sintered powders from dissipating heat and cooling to the surroundings during the printing process, but after the printing is completed, it also brings difficulties to cooling; in order to avoid oxidation of high-temperature metal powders after printing, the internal temperature of the equipment will be maintained at 1.0×10 -3 Pa-1.0×10 -1 The vacuum degree of Pa will also bring difficulties to the cooling of formed parts.

[0004] In the related art, electron beam selective melting technology and equipment mainly adopt inert gas cooling, cooling block cooling, cooling plate cooling, or a combination of inert gas cooling and cooling block cooling, or a combination of inert gas cooling and cooling plate cooling to cool the formed parts. Among them, when the formed parts are cooled by inert gas, the inert gas is introduced into the forming chamber after the printing is completed. By taking advantage of the characteristic that the inert gas does not react with the metal powder, the heat exchange between the formed parts and the vacuum chamber wall is accelerated in a low vacuum environment to achieve the purpose of rapid cooling. However, when the inert gas cooling method is used for cooling, helium is mostly used. After the printing is completed, helium is flushed into the forming chamber once or multiple times. The cost of helium is high and the cooling efficiency is not significantly improved. At the same time, if the low vacuum is maintained for helium circulation for many times, it will also cause damage to the vacuum system.

[0005] When a cooling plate is used to cool the formed parts, a cooling plate with ventilation or water is set on the side wall of the forming cylinder. After printing, ventilation or water is used to cool the powder, pre-sintered powder and formed parts in the forming cylinder. Because loose powder has a good heat insulation effect, the cooling plate has a limited cooling effect. At the same time, after the side wall of the forming cylinder is set as a cooling plate, the cooling pipe will inevitably be exposed to a high temperature and high vacuum environment. If the cooling pipe is damaged, it will cause certain safety hazards. If the cooling pipe is set outside through the forming chamber, the forming cylinder cannot be moved, resulting in difficulties in maintenance, especially in large-scale equipment that requires frequent movement of the forming cylinder. It cannot be used. When a cooling block is used to cool the formed parts, a cooling block with a cooling flow channel is set inside the forming cylinder. The cooling block is fixed on the inner wall of the vacuum chamber at the bottom of the forming cylinder. When printing is completed, the lowered forming cylinder contacts the cooling block to achieve the purpose of cooling the forming cylinder plate, substrate and formed parts. During the contact process between the cooling block and the forming cylinder plate, the cooling effect is limited due to the limited contact area. At the same time, mechanical collision components may be damaged during the contact process.

[0006] In the above-mentioned processes of cooling the formed parts, there are disadvantages such as insignificant cooling effect and high cost, and there is also a disadvantage of potential safety hazards when cooling with a cooling plate.

[0007] Therefore, it is necessary to improve one or more problems existing in the above-mentioned related technical solutions.

[0008] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background technology section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present application, and therefore may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to ordinary technicians in the field. Summary of the invention

[0009] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a cooling device and method for additive manufacturing equipment, which to a certain extent overcome one or more problems caused by the limitations and defects of the relevant technology.

[0010] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a cooling device for additive manufacturing equipment is provided, comprising: A plurality of lifting rods are evenly arranged in the forming chamber; wherein the lifting rods can reciprocate in the vertical direction; A support plate, arranged on the top of the lifting rod; A material plate is arranged on the support plate through a plurality of supporting members, and the material plate is connected to the base plate in the forming chamber; wherein when the lifting rod reciprocates in the vertical direction, the support plate, the material plate and the base plate can be driven to reciprocate in the vertical direction together; Cooling assembly, including: A first cooling block is arranged outside the bottom of the forming chamber; A second cooling block is disposed in the forming chamber, wherein the second cooling block comprises: The upper plug-in board cooling block comprises a first horizontal portion and a first plug-in portion, wherein the first plug-in portion is vertically connected to the first horizontal portion, the first plug-in portion passes through the support plate, and the first horizontal portion is clamped on the support plate; wherein when the lifting rod drives the support plate to reciprocate in the vertical direction, the upper plug-in board cooling block can reciprocate in the vertical direction together with the support plate; The lower plug-in plate cooling block comprises a second horizontal portion and a second plug-in portion, wherein the second horizontal portion is arranged at the bottom of the forming chamber, the second plug-in portion is vertically connected to the second horizontal portion, the position of the second plug-in portion is opposite to the position of the first plug-in portion, and the position of the second horizontal portion is opposite to the position of the first cooling block; wherein, when the formed part is printed by the additive manufacturing equipment, the lifting rod drives the material plate, the support plate and the base plate to move downward in the vertical direction, so that the first plug-in portion of the upper plug-in plate cooling block and the second plug-in portion of the lower plug-in plate cooling block can be plugged together, and the first horizontal portion of the upper plug-in plate cooling block can contact the material plate; A bending piece, arranged on the second plug-in portion, so that the first plug-in portion and the second plug-in portion can be fully plugged together; A thermal pad is disposed at the bottom of the second horizontal portion so that the second horizontal portion can fully contact the bottom of the forming chamber.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present application, a plurality of inserting teeth are arranged on the first plug-in portion, and a plurality of slots are arranged on the second plug-in portion; wherein the slots match the inserting teeth.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present application, the bending piece is sleeved on the slot wall of the slot; wherein the shape of the bending piece matches the shape of the slot wall of the slot, and when the insert tooth is inserted into the slot, the bending piece can offset the clearance fit between the insert tooth and the slot.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present application, the bending member is a bent copper plate.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present application, the thickness of the thermal pad is 1-2 mm.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present application, a mounting hole is provided on the support plate, and the upper insert plate cooling block is mounted on the support plate through the mounting hole.

[0016] In an embodiment of the present application, the first plug-in portion passes through the mounting hole, and the first horizontal portion is clamped at the mounting hole.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present application, a plurality of slots are provided at the end of the material plate close to the upper insert cooling block, and a plurality of protrusions are provided on the first horizontal portion; wherein the protrusions match the slots.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present application, a flow channel is provided in the first cooling block, and a medium inlet and a medium outlet are provided on the first cooling block, the medium inlet is connected to the inlet end of the flow channel, and the medium outlet is connected to the outlet end of the flow channel.

[0019] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a cooling method for additive manufacturing equipment is provided, the method comprising: When the formed part is printed by the additive manufacturing equipment, the lifting rod drives the material plate, the support plate and the substrate to move downward in the vertical direction, so that the first plug-in portion of the upper plug-in plate cooling block and the second plug-in portion of the lower plug-in plate cooling block can be fully plugged together through the bending piece, and the first horizontal portion of the upper plug-in plate cooling block is in contact with the material plate. When the first plug-in portion of the upper plug-in plate cooling block and the second plug-in portion of the lower plug-in plate cooling block are fully plugged together, and the first horizontal portion of the upper plug-in plate cooling block is in contact with the material plate, the first cooling block sequentially transfers its own heat to the bottom of the forming chamber, the thermal pad, the second horizontal portion of the lower plug-in plate cooling block, the second plug-in portion of the lower plug-in plate cooling block, the first plug-in portion of the upper plug-in plate cooling block, the first horizontal portion of the upper plug-in plate cooling block, the material plate and the substrate, so as to cool the formed part on the substrate; When cooling is completed, the lifting rod drives the material plate, the support plate and the base plate to move upward in the vertical direction, so that the material plate is not in contact with the first horizontal part of the upper plug-in plate cooling block, and the first plug-in part of the upper plug-in plate cooling block is separated from the second plug-in part of the lower plug-in plate cooling block.

[0020] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application may have the following beneficial effects: In the embodiment of the present application, through the above-mentioned device, when cooling the formed parts, the plug-in cooling structure of the upper plug-in cooling block and the lower plug-in cooling block is adopted, which can not only increase the contact area between the first plug-in portion of the upper plug-in cooling block and the second plug-in portion of the lower plug-in cooling block, but also avoid direct contact between the material plate and the formed parts, thereby effectively avoiding the risk of mechanical collision when contacting and moving with the formed parts. At the same time, the first plug-in portion and the second plug-in portion can be fully plugged together through the bending part, further ensuring the contact area between the first plug-in portion and the second plug-in portion, thereby ensuring the cooling efficiency. In addition, the first cooling block is arranged outside the forming chamber, so that the first cooling block is isolated from the high temperature and dust environment, avoiding the safety hazards caused by the internal circulation of the first cooling block and the damage of the pipe joint, thereby improving the safety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application, and together with the specification are used to explain the principles of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram showing a cooling device of additive manufacturing equipment in an exemplary embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the structure of an upper insert plate cooling block, a lower insert plate cooling block and a first cooling block in an exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown; Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the structure of the upper insert cooling block in an exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown; Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the structure of the lower insert plate cooling block in an exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown; Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a bending part in an exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown; Figure 6 A flowchart showing the steps of a cooling method for additive manufacturing equipment in an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0023] In the figure: 100, lifting rod; 200, material plate; 210, slot; 300, support plate; 400, first cooling block; 500, second cooling block; 510, upper plug-in plate cooling block; 511, first horizontal portion; 5111, protrusion; 512, first plug-in portion; 5121, inserting teeth; 51211, heat dissipation groove; 520, lower plug-in plate cooling block; 521, second horizontal portion; 522, second plug-in portion; 5221, slot; 600, bending part; 700, thermal pad. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in a variety of forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this application will be more comprehensive and complete and fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0025] In addition, the drawings are merely schematic illustrations of embodiments of the present application and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0026] In the related art, after the formed parts are printed by additive manufacturing equipment, the formed parts need to be cooled. However, since the surface of the formed parts includes the upper surface, the lower surface and four side surfaces. The four side surfaces of the formed parts are wrapped by loose powder, which is a natural heat-insulating material. Therefore, if the formed parts are cooled from the side, it will be difficult to achieve the cooling target.

[0027] Based on this, this exemplary embodiment first provides a cooling device for additive manufacturing equipment. Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in , the device may include: a plurality of lifting rods 100, a material plate 200, a support plate 300, a cooling assembly, a bending part 600 and a thermal pad 700. Among them, a plurality of lifting rods 100 are evenly arranged in the forming chamber, and the lifting rods 100 can reciprocate in the vertical direction; the support plate 300 is arranged on the top of the lifting rods 100; the material plate 200 is arranged on the support plate 300 through a plurality of supporting members, and the material plate 200 is connected to the substrate in the forming chamber; when the lifting rods 100 reciprocate in the vertical direction, the support plate 300, the material plate 200 and the substrate can be driven to reciprocate in the vertical direction together; the cooling assembly includes: a first cooling block 400 and a second cooling block 500. The first cooling block 400 is arranged outside the bottom of the forming chamber; the second cooling block 500 is arranged in the forming chamber, and the second cooling block 500 includes: an upper insert plate cooling block 510 and a lower insert plate cooling block 520. The upper insert plate cooling block 510 includes a first horizontal portion 511 and a first plug-in portion 512, the first plug-in portion 512 is vertically connected to the first horizontal portion 511, the first plug-in portion 512 passes through the support plate 300, and the first horizontal portion 511 is clamped on the support plate 300; when the lifting rod 100 drives the support plate 300 to reciprocate in the vertical direction, the upper insert plate cooling block 510 can reciprocate in the vertical direction together with the support plate 300; the lower insert plate cooling block 520 includes a second horizontal portion 521 and a second plug-in portion 522, the second horizontal portion 521 is arranged at the bottom of the forming chamber, the second plug-in portion 522 is vertically connected to the second horizontal portion 521, the position of the second plug-in portion 522 is opposite to the position of the first plug-in portion 512, and the second horizontal portion 52 1 is relative to the position of the first cooling block 400; when the formed part is printed by the additive manufacturing equipment, the lifting rod 100 drives the material plate 200, the support plate 300 and the base plate to move downward in the vertical direction, so that the first plug-in portion 512 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 and the second plug-in portion 522 of the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520 can be plugged together, and the first horizontal portion 511 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 can contact with the material plate 200; the bending part 600 is arranged on the second plug-in portion 522, so that the first plug-in portion 512 and the second plug-in portion 522 can be fully plugged together; the thermal pad 700 is arranged at the bottom of the second horizontal portion 521, so that the second horizontal portion 521 and the bottom of the forming chamber can be fully contacted.

[0028] It is understandable that after the formed part is printed by the additive manufacturing equipment, in addition to the four side surfaces of the formed part being covered with loose powder, there will be sintered powder between the lower surface of the formed part and the substrate of the forming chamber, and the sintered powder has a higher thermal conductivity than the loose powder. Therefore, the present application designs to cool the formed part from the bottom of the formed part to achieve rapid cooling of the formed part and achieve the cooling target.

[0029] It should be understood that the lifting rod 100 in the present application is used to drive the material plate 200 and the support plate 300 to reciprocate in the vertical direction. The material plate 200 is connected to the substrate in the forming chamber. When the lifting rod 100 drives the material plate 200 to reciprocate in the vertical direction, the substrate can reciprocate in the vertical direction together with the material plate 200. The number of lifting rods 100 in the present application can be 2 or 4, etc., which can be set according to actual conditions, and this application will not elaborate on this. Among them, the lifting rod 100 is a bare rod. In the present application, the lifting rod 100 can be driven to reciprocate in the vertical direction by a driving mechanism. The specific driving mechanism can be understood by referring to the prior art, and this application will not elaborate on this.

[0030] Since a flow channel is arranged in the first cooling block 400, the flow channel has an inlet end and an outlet end, a medium inlet and a medium outlet are also arranged on the first cooling block 400. The medium inlet is connected to the inlet end of the flow channel, and the medium outlet is connected to the outlet end of the flow channel.

[0031] The medium inlet is generally connected to a pipe joint for connecting to an external pipeline. Similarly, the medium outlet is also connected to a pipe joint for connecting to an external pipeline. Therefore, if the flow channel or pipe joint in the first cooling block 400 is damaged, there will be a risk of water leakage or air leakage, which will lead to safety hazards. Therefore, the present application places the first cooling block 400 on the outside of the bottom of the forming chamber to avoid the risk of water leakage or air leakage in the forming chamber, thereby avoiding safety hazards in the forming chamber and improving the safety of the additive manufacturing equipment.

[0032] It is understandable that the flow channel is used for the circulation of cooling medium. When it is necessary to cool the formed parts on the substrate through the first cooling block 400, the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520, and the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510, the present application introduces cooling medium into the flow channel in the first cooling block 400 to achieve cooling of the formed parts on the substrate through the first cooling block 400, the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520, and the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510. The specific process of introducing the cooling medium is: the cooling medium flows into the flow channel through the medium inlet and the inlet end of the flow channel, then circulates in the flow channel, and finally flows out from the outlet end of the flow channel and the medium outlet. It should be noted that the present application realizes heat exchange between the cooling medium and the first cooling block 400 in the process of continuously passing the cooling medium into the flow channel in the first cooling block 400. Among them, the cooling medium can be a cooling liquid or a cooling gas, which is not limited by the present application.

[0033] The present application places the second cooling block 500 at the bottom of the forming chamber. The position of the second cooling block 500 is opposite to the position of the first cooling block 400. When cooling the formed parts on the substrate, the formed parts can be cooled better.

[0034] Furthermore, the second cooling block 500 includes an upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 and a lower plug-in plate cooling block 520, the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 includes a first horizontal portion 511 and a first plug-in portion 512 vertically connected to the first horizontal portion 511, the support plate 300 is penetrated by the first plug-in portion 512, and the first horizontal portion 511 is clamped on the support plate 300, so that the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 and the support plate 300 can be installed in coordination, so that when the lifting rod 100 drives the support plate 300 to reciprocate in the vertical direction, the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 can reciprocate in the vertical direction together with the support plate 300.

[0035] The lower plug-in board cooling block 520 includes a second horizontal portion 521 and a second plug-in portion 522 vertically connected to the second horizontal portion 521. The position of the second plug-in portion 522 is opposite to the position of the first plug-in portion 512. When the upper plug-in board cooling block 510 moves downward in the vertical direction with the support plate 300, the first plug-in portion 512 and the second plug-in portion 522 can be plugged together.

[0036] In order to enable the first plug-in portion 512 and the second plug-in portion 522 to be fully plugged together, the present application provides a bending piece 600 on the second plug-in portion 522, so that the bending piece 600 can offset the clearance fit between the first plug-in portion 512 and the second plug-in portion 522, thereby ensuring the contact area between the first plug-in portion 512 and the second plug-in portion 522, thereby ensuring the cooling efficiency.

[0037] It should be noted that, because the contact surface between the lower plug plate cooling block 520 and the bottom of the forming chamber is uneven, it leads to insufficient contact during contact, which affects the cooling efficiency. Therefore, a thermal pad 700 is arranged at the bottom of the second horizontal portion 521 of the lower plug plate cooling block 520, so that the lower plug plate cooling block 520 can fully contact the bottom of the forming chamber through the thermal pad 700, so as to achieve better heat transfer between the lower plug plate cooling block 520 and the bottom of the forming chamber, thereby ensuring the cooling efficiency of the lower plug plate cooling block 520 and the bottom of the forming chamber.

[0038] Furthermore, the thermal pad 700 is a silicone thermal pad. Since the silicone thermal pad is elastic and has high thermal conductivity, the silicone thermal pad can fully contact the lower insert cooling block 520 and the bottom of the forming chamber, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency and thus the cooling efficiency.

[0039] In one embodiment, the thickness of the thermal pad 700 is 1-2 mm. Within this thickness range, the lower insert plate cooling block 520 can be fully contacted with the bottom of the forming chamber, so that the heat transfer efficiency between the second horizontal portion 521 of the lower insert plate cooling block 520 and the bottom of the forming chamber is high, further ensuring the cooling efficiency between the lower insert plate cooling block 520 and the bottom of the forming chamber.

[0040] It should be noted that when the lifting rod 100 drives the support plate 300 to move downward in the vertical direction, the material plate 200 also moves downward in the vertical direction, which not only enables the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 and the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520 to be fully plugged together, but also enables the first horizontal portion 511 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 to contact with the material plate 200, that is, the contact between the material plate 200 and the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 is achieved.

[0041] Since the first plug-in portion 512 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 passes through the support plate 300, and the first horizontal portion 511 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 is clamped on the support plate 300, the support plate 300 limits the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 in the horizontal direction, so the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 cannot move in the horizontal direction, but can move in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 and the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520 are fully plugged together, the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 is subjected to the upward force of the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520, which will cause the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 to move upward in the vertical direction, so that the first horizontal portion 511 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 can be in contact with the material plate 200.

[0042] When the upper plug-in board cooling block 510 and the lower plug-in board cooling block 520 are fully plugged together and the material plate 200 contacts the first horizontal portion 511 of the upper plug-in board cooling block 510, the first cooling block 400 transfers its own heat to the second horizontal portion 521 of the lower plug-in board cooling block 520, the second plug-in portion 522 of the lower plug-in board cooling block 520, the first plug-in portion 512 of the upper plug-in board cooling block 510, the first horizontal portion 511 of the upper plug-in board cooling block 510, the material plate 200, and the substrate in sequence, so as to cool down the formed parts on the substrate.

[0043] Since there is sintered powder between the lower surface of the formed part and the substrate, and the sintered powder has high thermal conductivity, when the formed part is cooled by the first cooling block 400, the upper plate cooling block 510 and the lower plate cooling block 520, the first cooling block 400 first transfers its own heat to the bottom of the forming chamber and the sintered powder on the bottom of the forming chamber in sequence, and then the sintered powder transfers the heat to the thermal pad 700, the second horizontal portion 521 of the lower plate cooling block 520, the second plug-in portion 522 of the lower plate cooling block 520, the first plug-in portion 512 of the upper plate cooling block 510, the first horizontal portion 511 of the upper plate cooling block 510, the material plate 200 and the substrate in sequence; At the same time, the formed part transfers its own heat to the substrate, the material plate 200, the first horizontal portion 511 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510, the first plug-in portion 512 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510, the second plug-in portion 522 of the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520, the second horizontal portion 521 of the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520, the thermal pad 700, the sintered powder and the bottom of the forming chamber in sequence, so as to perform heat exchange in the process of transferring its own heat to the formed part in the first cooling block 400 and in the process of the formed part transferring its own heat to the first cooling block 400, thereby realizing cooling of the formed part on the substrate.

[0044] After the formed parts are cooled, the upper plate cooling block 510 needs to be separated from the lower plate cooling block 520, and the material plate 200 needs to be separated from the upper plate cooling block 510. The specific implementation process is as follows: the lifting rod 100 drives the material plate 200, the support plate 300 and the base plate to move upward in the vertical direction. During this process, the upper plate cooling block 510 is automatically separated from the material plate 200 at the support plate 300, and then the material plate 200 continues to move upward in the vertical direction, so that the upper plate cooling block 510 is separated from the lower plate cooling block 520, and the material plate 200 is separated from the upper plate cooling block 510.

[0045] It should be noted that when the present application is printed by additive manufacturing equipment, the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 and the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520 are completely separated, and the material plate 200 is also completely separated from the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510. When the printing is completed, when the formed parts on the substrate are cooled, the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 and the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520 need to be fully plugged together, and the material plate 200 and the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 also need to be in full contact. Among them, the process of plugging between the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 and the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520, the process of contact between the material plate 200 and the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510, the process of separation between the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 and the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520, and the process of separation between the material plate 200 and the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 have been described in the above embodiments, and this application will not repeat them.

[0046] In the embodiment of the present application, through the above device, when cooling the formed parts, the plug-in cooling structure of the upper plug-in cooling block 510 and the lower plug-in cooling block 520 is adopted, which can not only increase the contact area between the first plug-in portion 512 of the upper plug-in cooling block 510 and the second plug-in portion 522 of the lower plug-in cooling block 520 when plugged in, but also avoid the material plate 200 from directly contacting the formed parts, thereby effectively avoiding the risk of mechanical collision when contacting and moving with the formed parts. At the same time, the bending member 600 enables the first plug-in portion 512 and the second plug-in portion 522 to be fully plugged together, further ensuring the contact area between the first plug-in portion 512 and the second plug-in portion 522, thereby ensuring the cooling efficiency. In addition, the first cooling block 400 is arranged outside the forming chamber, so that the first cooling block 400 is isolated from the high temperature and dust environment, avoiding the safety hazards caused by the internal circulation of the first cooling block 400 and the damage of the pipe joint, thereby improving the safety.

[0047] Next, we will refer to Figures 1 to 5 Each part of the cooling device of the additive manufacturing equipment in this exemplary embodiment will be described in more detail.

[0048] In one embodiment, Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, a plurality of inserting teeth 5121 are provided on the first inserting portion 512 , and a plurality of slots 5221 are provided on the second inserting portion 522 ; wherein the slots 5221 match the inserting teeth 5121 .

[0049] It can be understood that the tooth 5121 set on the first plug-in portion 512 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 matches the slot 5221 on the second plug-in portion 522 of the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520, so that the first plug-in portion 512 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 and the second plug-in portion 522 of the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520 can be plugged together.

[0050] It should be noted that the insertion method of the inserting teeth 5121 into the slots 5221 further increases the contact area when the first plug-in portion 512 and the second plug-in portion 522 are fully plugged together, improves the heat exchange efficiency between the first plug-in portion 512 and the second plug-in portion 522, and thus improves the cooling efficiency of the formed part. Among them, the number of inserting teeth 5121 on the first plug-in portion 512 and the number of slots 5221 on the second plug-in portion 522 can be set according to actual conditions, and this application will not elaborate on this.

[0051] The present application installs the upper insert plate cooling block 510 on the support plate 300, which automatically contacts the material plate 200 during the cooling and descending process. The upper insert plate cooling block 510 can automatically contact or separate from the material plate 200 according to the process requirements, thereby avoiding the difficulty in maintaining the cooling process of the formed parts during the printing process due to the installation of the cooling device.

[0052] Further, such as Figure 3 As shown, a heat dissipation groove 51211 is provided on the inserting tooth 5121 to achieve better heat exchange between the first inserting portion 512 and the second inserting portion 522, thereby further improving the cooling efficiency of the formed part.

[0053] In one embodiment, Figure 5 As shown, the bending member 600 is sleeved on the groove wall of the slot 5221; wherein, the shape of the bending member 600 matches the shape of the groove wall of the slot 5221, and when the insert tooth 5121 is inserted into the slot 5221, the bending member 600 can offset the clearance fit between the insert tooth 5121 and the slot 5221.

[0054] It can be understood that the present application sets the bending piece 600 on the groove wall of the slot 5221, so that the bending piece 600 can be installed between the insert tooth 5121 of the first plug-in part 512 and the slot 5221 of the second plug-in part 522, so that when the insert tooth 5121 is inserted into the slot 5221, the bending piece 600 can offset the clearance fit between the insert tooth 5121 and the slot 5221 to ensure close contact between the first plug-in part 512, the bending piece 600 and the second plug-in part 522, so as to better realize the heat exchange between the first plug-in part 512 and the second plug-in part 522.

[0055] Furthermore, since copper has excellent thermal conductivity and can effectively transfer heat, the present application sets the bending member 600 as a bent copper plate so that heat can be effectively transferred between the first plug-in portion 512 and the second plug-in portion 522, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the formed part. The material of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 and the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520 is generally aluminum alloy, and the hardness of aluminum alloy is greater than that of copper. Therefore, setting the bent copper plate between the first plug-in portion 512 and the second plug-in portion 522 can make the first plug-in portion 512 and the second plug-in portion 522 fully contact each other.

[0056] In one embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, a mounting hole is provided on the support plate 300 , and the upper insert plate cooling block 510 is mounted on the support plate 300 through the mounting hole.

[0057] It can be understood that the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 of the present application is installed on the support plate 300 through the mounting hole. Specifically, the first plug-in portion 512 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 is passed through the mounting hole, and the first horizontal portion 511 is clamped at the mounting hole to achieve the installation of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 on the support plate 300, thereby facilitating the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 to reciprocate in the vertical direction with the support plate 300.

[0058] It should be noted that the mounting holes are used to limit the upper plate cooling block 510 in the horizontal direction but not in the vertical direction, so that when the upper plate cooling block 510 is subjected to the upward force of the lower plate cooling block 520, the upper plate cooling block 510 can move in the vertical direction on the support plate 300.

[0059] In one embodiment, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a plurality of slots 210 are provided at the end of the material plate 200 close to the upper insert cooling block 510 , and a plurality of protrusions 5111 are provided at the first horizontal portion 511 ; wherein the protrusions 5111 match the slots 210 .

[0060] It can be understood that by inserting the protrusion 5111 on the first horizontal portion 511 of the upper insert plate cooling block 510 into the corresponding slot 210 on the bottom of the material plate 200, not only the contact area between the first horizontal portion 511 of the upper insert plate cooling block 510 and the lower surface of the material plate 200 is increased, but also sufficient contact between the first horizontal portion 511 of the upper insert plate cooling block 510 and the lower surface of the material plate 200 is achieved. Therefore, better heat exchange can be achieved between the upper insert plate cooling block 510 and the material plate 200.

[0061] Furthermore, because the support plate 300 limits the upper plug-in board cooling block 510 in the horizontal direction, the upper plug-in board cooling block 510 cannot move in the horizontal direction, but can move in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the upper plug-in board cooling block 510 and the lower plug-in board cooling block 520 are fully plugged together, the upper plug-in board cooling block 510 is subjected to the upward force of the lower plug-in board cooling block 520, which will cause the upper plug-in board cooling block 510 to move upward in the vertical direction. Therefore, the protrusion 5111 on the first horizontal portion 511 can be inserted into the corresponding slot 210 on the material plate 200, increasing the contact area between the first horizontal portion 511 of the upper plug-in board cooling block 510 and the lower surface of the material plate 200, thereby achieving better heat exchange between the upper plug-in board cooling block 510 and the material plate 200.

[0062] It should be noted that the cooling device of the additive manufacturing equipment provided in the present application does not destroy the overall and local structure of the forming chamber, and is easy to disassemble, and can be quickly transplanted to additive manufacturing equipment with different printing sizes and different printing schemes. Therefore, the cooling device of the additive manufacturing equipment in the present application has good compatibility.

[0063] This exemplary embodiment also provides a cooling method for additive manufacturing equipment, which uses the cooling device of the additive manufacturing equipment in any of the above embodiments for cooling, referring to Figures 1 to 6 The method includes: step S101 and step S102.

[0064] Among them, step S101: when the formed part is printed by the additive manufacturing equipment, the lifting rod 100 drives the material plate 200, the support plate 300 and the base plate to move downward in the vertical direction, so that the first plug-in portion 512 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 and the second plug-in portion 522 of the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520 can be fully plugged together through the bending member 600, and the first horizontal portion 511 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 is in contact with the material plate 200. When the first plug-in portion 512 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 and the second plug-in portion 522 of the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520 are in contact with each other, the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 is in contact with the material plate 200. When the second plug-in parts 522 are fully plugged together and the first horizontal part 511 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 is in contact with the material plate 200, its own heat is transferred to the bottom of the forming chamber, the thermal pad 700, the second horizontal part 521 of the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520, the second plug-in part 522 of the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520, the first plug-in part 512 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510, the first horizontal part 511 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510, the material plate 200 and the substrate in sequence through the first cooling block 400 to cool the formed parts on the substrate.

[0065] Step S102: When cooling is completed, the lifting rod 100 drives the material plate 200, the support plate 300 and the substrate to move upward in the vertical direction, so that the material plate 200 is not in contact with the first horizontal portion 511 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510, and the first plug-in portion 512 of the upper plug-in plate cooling block 510 is separated from the second plug-in portion 522 of the lower plug-in plate cooling block 520.

[0066] It should be noted that the cooling method of the additive manufacturing equipment of the present application has been described in the cooling device of the above-mentioned additive manufacturing equipment, and this application will not elaborate on it.

[0067] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example" or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0068] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present application after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. The present application is intended to cover any modification, use or adaptation of the present application, which follows the general principles of the present application and includes common knowledge or customary technical means in the art that are not disclosed in the present application.

Claims

1. A cooling device for additive manufacturing equipment, characterized in that: include: A plurality of lifting rods are evenly arranged in the forming chamber; wherein the lifting rods can reciprocate in the vertical direction; A support plate, arranged on the top of the lifting rod; A material plate is arranged on the support plate through a plurality of supporting members, and the material plate is connected to the base plate in the forming chamber; wherein when the lifting rod reciprocates in the vertical direction, the support plate, the material plate and the base plate can be driven to reciprocate in the vertical direction together; Cooling assembly, including: A first cooling block is arranged outside the bottom of the forming chamber; A second cooling block is disposed in the forming chamber, wherein the second cooling block comprises: The upper plug-in board cooling block comprises a first horizontal portion and a first plug-in portion, wherein the first plug-in portion is vertically connected to the first horizontal portion, the first plug-in portion passes through the support plate, and the first horizontal portion is clamped on the support plate; wherein when the lifting rod drives the support plate to reciprocate in the vertical direction, the upper plug-in board cooling block can reciprocate in the vertical direction together with the support plate; The lower plug-in plate cooling block comprises a second horizontal portion and a second plug-in portion, wherein the second horizontal portion is arranged at the bottom of the forming chamber, the second plug-in portion is vertically connected to the second horizontal portion, the position of the second plug-in portion is opposite to the position of the first plug-in portion, and the position of the second horizontal portion is opposite to the position of the first cooling block; wherein, when the formed part is printed by the additive manufacturing equipment, the lifting rod drives the material plate, the support plate and the base plate to move downward in the vertical direction, so that the first plug-in portion of the upper plug-in plate cooling block and the second plug-in portion of the lower plug-in plate cooling block can be plugged together, and the first horizontal portion of the upper plug-in plate cooling block can contact the material plate; A bending piece, arranged on the second plug-in portion, so that the first plug-in portion and the second plug-in portion can be fully plugged together; A thermal pad is disposed at the bottom of the second horizontal portion so that the second horizontal portion can fully contact the bottom of the forming chamber.

2. The cooling device for additive manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of inserting teeth are arranged on the first inserting portion, and a plurality of slots are arranged on the second inserting portion; wherein the slots match the inserting teeth.

3. The cooling device for additive manufacturing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bending piece is sleeved on the slot wall of the slot; wherein the shape of the bending piece matches the shape of the slot wall of the slot, and when the insert tooth is inserted into the slot, the bending piece can offset the clearance fit between the insert tooth and the slot.

4. The cooling device for additive manufacturing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bending piece is a bent copper plate.

5. The cooling device for additive manufacturing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The thickness of the thermal pad is 1-2 mm.

6. The cooling device for additive manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support plate is provided with a mounting hole, and the upper insert plate cooling block is mounted on the support plate through the mounting hole.

7. The cooling device for additive manufacturing equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first plug-in portion passes through the mounting hole, and the first horizontal portion is clamped at the mounting hole.

8. The cooling device for additive manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of slots are arranged at the end of the material plate close to the upper insert plate cooling block, and a plurality of protrusions are arranged at the first horizontal portion; wherein the protrusions match the slots.

9. The cooling device for additive manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: A flow channel is arranged in the first cooling block, and a medium inlet and a medium outlet are arranged on the first cooling block. The medium inlet is connected to the inlet end of the flow channel, and the medium outlet is connected to the outlet end of the flow channel.

10. A cooling method for additive manufacturing equipment, characterized in that: Cooling is performed using the cooling device of the additive manufacturing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the method comprising: When the formed part is printed by the additive manufacturing equipment, the lifting rod drives the material plate, the support plate and the substrate to move downward in the vertical direction, so that the first plug-in portion of the upper plug-in plate cooling block and the second plug-in portion of the lower plug-in plate cooling block can be fully plugged together through the bending piece, and the first horizontal portion of the upper plug-in plate cooling block is in contact with the material plate. When the first plug-in portion of the upper plug-in plate cooling block and the second plug-in portion of the lower plug-in plate cooling block are fully plugged together, and the first horizontal portion of the upper plug-in plate cooling block is in contact with the material plate, the first cooling block sequentially transfers its own heat to the bottom of the forming chamber, the thermal pad, the second horizontal portion of the lower plug-in plate cooling block, the second plug-in portion of the lower plug-in plate cooling block, the first plug-in portion of the upper plug-in plate cooling block, the first horizontal portion of the upper plug-in plate cooling block, the material plate and the substrate, so as to cool the formed part on the substrate; When cooling is completed, the lifting rod drives the material plate, the support plate and the base plate to move upward in the vertical direction, so that the material plate is not in contact with the first horizontal part of the upper plug-in plate cooling block, and the first plug-in part of the upper plug-in plate cooling block is separated from the second plug-in part of the lower plug-in plate cooling block.

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