Large-breadth large-depth multi-beam selective melting forming equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to large-breadth large-depth multi-beam selective melting forming equipment which comprises a base mechanism, a lifting mechanism, a forming chamber mechanism and a part taking mechanism. The lifting mechanism comprises a cylinder body assembly, a piston assembly and a forming base plate assembly. The forming chamber mechanism comprises a forming chamber and is provided with a powder falling assembly, an optical assembly and a wind field assembly. The arrangement mode of the optical assemblies is multi-beam arrangement, the multiple sets of optical assemblies are distributed in a matrix mode, the scanning range formed by combining the multiple sets of optical assemblies is the printing breadth, and the scanning ranges of every two longitudinally adjacent sets of optical assemblies coincide by half. The adjacent front and back sets of optical assemblies can replace the faulted optical assembly to continue to work. The printing requirements of parts with large breadth sizes are met, when a certain set of optical assembly breaks down due to the light beam arrangement mode, the upper and lower adjacent sets of optical assemblies can replace the broken-down assembly to continue working, and the stability and reliability of equipment are greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of additive manufacturing, and in particular relates to a large-format, large-depth, multi-beam selective melting molding device. Background Art

[0002] Selective Laser Melting (SLM), commonly known as 3D printing, is a method for direct forming of metal parts and the latest development of rapid prototyping technology. This technology is based on the most basic idea of ​​rapid prototyping. It directly forms parts with specific geometric shapes according to CAD data in a layer-by-layer additive manner. During the forming process, the metal powder is completely melted to produce a metallurgical bond. This technology breaks through the concept of removal forming in traditional processing methods. It uses the method of adding materials to form parts, and there is no waste of material removal. The forming process is not limited by the complexity of the parts, so it has great flexibility, which is particularly convenient for single-piece and small-batch products, and is especially suitable for the production of complex parts for aerospace.

[0003] With the development of technology, the demand for large-format and large-depth 3D printers has grown rapidly. The main technical difficulties of large-format and large-depth 3D printers are: the accuracy and stability of the optical part; the stability of the wind field and the environment; the accuracy and stability of the mechanical structure; the recycling of raw materials and sealing control.

[0004] Due to the large-format vertical printing, for example, the printing cycle of a 2mx2mx2.5m product takes about two months, and the printing cycle is long. It involves multi-beam collaborative manufacturing, and it is necessary to ensure the continuous and stable operation of the optical system during the forming process, which places very high demands on the stability of the equipment. However, when the beam arrangement of the existing forming equipment meets the needs of large-format printing, there is a risk that a set of optical components will fail, resulting in the scrapping of the workpiece during printing, which wastes costs. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention proposes a large-format, large-depth multi-beam selective melting molding equipment, which can meet the printing requirements of large-format parts with a size of 2mx2mx2.5m. Its beam arrangement allows the adjacent upper and lower sets of optical components to replace the failed components and continue to work, greatly enhancing the stability and reliability of the equipment.

[0006] The present invention is implemented as follows: a large-format, large-depth, multi-beam selective melting molding device comprises a base mechanism, a lifting mechanism, a molding chamber mechanism, and a piece-taking mechanism;

[0007] The base mechanism is the overall supporting mechanism of the equipment, the lifting mechanism is installed on the base mechanism, the forming chamber mechanism and the taking-up mechanism are located above the lifting mechanism, and the base mechanism is installed with a base driving device, which drives the lifting mechanism to reciprocate below the forming chamber mechanism and the taking-up mechanism;

[0008] The lifting mechanism comprises a cylinder assembly, a piston assembly, and a molding substrate assembly, wherein the piston assembly is connected to the cylinder assembly, the molding substrate assembly is mounted on the piston assembly, and the cylinder assembly is equipped with a lifting drive device for lifting the piston assembly and the molding substrate assembly;

[0009] The forming chamber mechanism includes a forming chamber, equipped with a powder dropping assembly, an optical assembly, and a wind field assembly. The powder dropping assembly is a feeding assembly of the equipment, used to transport the raw materials to the forming chamber; the optical assembly is used to sinter the raw materials to form parts; and the wind field assembly is used to blow away impurities generated during the sintering process;

[0010] The optical components are arranged in a multi-beam arrangement, and multiple sets of the optical components are distributed in a matrix form. The scanning range formed by the combination of the multiple sets of optical components is the printing format. The scanning ranges of two adjacent sets of optical components in the longitudinal direction overlap by half. When a set of optical components fails, the adjacent two sets of optical components in front and behind can replace the failed optical component and continue to work.

[0011] In the above technical solution, preferably, a plurality of sets of the optical components are installed on the top plate of the forming chamber.

[0012] In the above technical solution, preferably, the pickup mechanism includes a pickup top cover assembly, a pickup base assembly, and a powder cleaning assembly. The pickup top cover assembly is arranged above the pickup base assembly to seal the entire pickup mechanism. The pickup base assembly is docked with the lifting mechanism, and the powder cleaning assembly is arranged on the pickup base assembly.

[0013] In the above technical solution, it is further preferred that the pickup mechanism is a split structure, and the pickup base assembly and the pickup top cover assembly are detachably connected and fixed.

[0014] In the above technical solution, preferably, the lifting drive device includes a lead screw, a nut and a lifting drive motor, the nut is fixed to the bottom of the cylinder assembly, one end of the lead screw is rotatably connected to the piston assembly, and the other end is connected to the lifting drive motor, and the lifting drive motor drives the lead screw to drive the piston assembly to perform lifting operations.

[0015] The advantages and positive effects of the present invention are:

[0016] The molding equipment of the present invention can meet the printing requirements of large-format parts of 2mx2mx2.5m. The optical components adopt a multi-beam arrangement mode, and the scanning ranges formed by two adjacent sets of optical components have overlapping parts to ensure the integrity of the coverage. This arrangement mode allows a set of optical components or multiple non-adjacent sets of optical components to fail, and the failed components can be replaced by two adjacent sets of optical components for printing, which greatly reduces the occurrence of parts being scrapped during part printing due to optical component failure, greatly reduces the risk of cost waste, and improves the stability and reliability of the equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a front view of a large-format, large-depth, multi-beam selective melting molding device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 It is a left view of a large-format, large-depth, multi-beam selective melting molding device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 AA view;

[0020] Figure 4 is a layout diagram of optical components in a forming chamber mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the scanning range of the optical component provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the horizontal arrangement of optical components provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the longitudinal arrangement of optical components provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of a lifting mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] In the figure: 1. forming chamber mechanism; 11. top plate; 2. lifting mechanism; 3. picking mechanism; 4. base mechanism; 51. powder dropping assembly; 52. optical assembly; 53. wind field assembly; 54. base drive device; 55. picking top cover assembly; 56. picking base assembly; 57. powder cleaning assembly; 58. cylinder assembly; 59. piston assembly; 60. forming substrate assembly; 61. lifting drive motor; 62. prefabricated civil engineering; 63. nut; 64. lead screw; 65. grating ruler. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to further understand the content, features and effects of the present invention, the following embodiments are given as examples and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0027] In the description of the present invention, it is necessary to understand that the directions or positional relationships indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "inside", "outside", etc. are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0028] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0029] See also Figures 1 to 8 An embodiment of the present invention provides a large-format, large-depth, multi-beam selective melting molding device, including a base mechanism 4, a lifting mechanism 2, a molding chamber mechanism 1, and a picking mechanism 3.

[0030] In this embodiment, the raw material of the molding equipment is metal powder. A large amount of heat energy will be generated during the printing process, causing the metal powder to burn or even explode. Therefore, the equipment is an airtight structure and inert gas is introduced to ensure production safety. The molding parts of the molding equipment are relatively high. In order to adapt to the height of most factory buildings, prefabricated civil engineering 62 is used to lower the molding equipment as a whole to a height suitable for operation, saving the equipment's floor space.

[0031] The base mechanism 4 is the overall supporting mechanism of the equipment, the lifting mechanism 2 is installed on the base mechanism 4, the forming chamber mechanism 1 and the picking mechanism 3 are located above the lifting mechanism 2, and the base mechanism 4 is installed with a base driving device 54, which drives the lifting mechanism 2 to reciprocate below the forming chamber mechanism 1 and the picking mechanism 3.

[0032] The lifting mechanism 2 includes a cylinder assembly 58, a piston assembly 59, and a molding substrate assembly 60. The base mechanism 4 drives the lifting mechanism 2 to move to the bottom of the molding chamber mechanism 1. The lifting mechanism 2 docks with the molding chamber to ensure airtightness. The molding chamber starts printing, and the printed parts are formed on the molding substrate. The piston assembly 59 is connected to the cylinder assembly 58, and the molding substrate assembly 60 is installed on the piston assembly 59. The cylinder assembly 58 is equipped with a lifting drive device for lifting the piston assembly 59 and the molding substrate assembly 60.

[0033] The forming chamber mechanism 1 is a printing mechanism of the equipment including a forming chamber, which is equipped with a powder dropping component 51, an optical component 52, and a wind field component 53. The powder dropping component 51 is a feeding component of the equipment, which is used to transport metal powder raw materials, not limited to metal powder raw materials, to the forming chamber; the optical component 52 is used to sinter the raw materials to form parts; the wind field component 53 is used to blow away impurities such as black slag generated during the sintering process to improve the printing quality. The powder dropping component 51 spreads a layer of powder on the forming substrate component 60, and the optical component 52 sinters it into the required pattern. After one layer of printing is completed, the lifting mechanism 2 drops one layer in height, and this is repeated to form a printed part. Each time the forming chamber mechanism 1 prints a layer, the lifting mechanism 2 drops one layer in height. When the part is printed, the base mechanism 4 drives the lifting mechanism 2 to move to the bottom of the pickup mechanism 3 and dock with the pickup mechanism 3 to ensure airtightness and perform the pickup operation.

[0034] The optical components 52 are arranged in a multi-beam arrangement, and multiple sets of the optical components 52 are distributed in a matrix form. The scanning range formed by the combination of the multiple sets of optical components 52 is the printing format. The scanning ranges of two adjacent sets of optical components 52 overlap by half in the longitudinal direction. When a set of optical components 52 fails, the adjacent two sets of optical components 52 in front and behind can replace the failed optical component 52 to continue working. When a multi-beam arrangement is adopted and a set of optical components 52 fails, the adjacent two sets of optical components 52 in front and behind can replace the failed component to continue working, which greatly reduces the occurrence of parts printing scrapped due to failure of the optical components 52 and improves the stability of the equipment.

[0035] Specifically, a plurality of sets of the optical components 52 are installed on the top plate 11 of the forming chamber.

[0036] In this embodiment, the scanning range of a single set of optical components 52 is 410x410mm, and is not limited to this range. The optical components 52 of the present invention are to meet the printing requirements of parts of size 2mx2mx2.5m, for example. According to the forming format, the overall optical system needs to use a multi-beam arrangement to meet the printing of the entire format. The optical components 52 are arranged reasonably. The traditional layout adopts a method of 5 lasers evenly distributed in the horizontal and vertical directions to form a scanning range of 2010x2010, covering the required printing format. The present invention adopts a horizontal 5 lasers evenly distributed and a vertical 11 lasers evenly distributed to form a scanning range of 2010x2410mm, covering the printing format. The advantage of this arrangement method over the traditional method is that any one or multiple non-adjacent optical components 52 (completely covering the printing format) are damaged and will not affect normal use. The printing format is large, which meets the industry's printing needs for larger parts.

[0037] The pickup mechanism 3 is the terminal of the equipment. After the parts are printed, they are transported to the pickup mechanism 3. The pickup mechanism 3 includes a pickup top cover assembly 55, a pickup base assembly 56, and a powder cleaning assembly 57. The pickup top cover assembly 55 is arranged above the pickup base assembly 56 to seal the entire pickup mechanism 3. The pickup base assembly 56 is docked with the lifting mechanism 2, and the powder cleaning assembly 57 is arranged on the pickup base assembly 56.

[0038] The pickup base assembly 56 is a component that is docked with the lifting mechanism 2. The pickup top cover assembly 55 is arranged above the pickup base, which can seal the entire pickup mechanism 3 to prevent danger during the powder cleaning process. The powder cleaning assembly 57 is arranged on the pickup base assembly 56, and the excess powder accumulated during the printing process can be collected, filtered, etc. for reuse, saving costs.

[0039] The pickup mechanism 3 is a split structure, and the pickup base assembly 56 is detachably connected and fixed to the pickup top cover assembly 55. The pickup top cover assembly 55 and the pickup base assembly 56 are quickly detachably connected. After the printed parts are cleaned of excess powder, the pickup top cover assembly 55 is hoisted to a safe area to take out the parts.

[0040] The lifting drive device includes a lead screw 64, a nut 63 and a lifting drive motor 61. The nut 63 is fixed to the bottom of the cylinder assembly 58. One end of the lead screw 64 is rotatably connected to the piston assembly 59, and the other end is connected to the lifting drive motor 61. The lifting drive motor 61 drives the lead screw 64 to drive the piston assembly 59 to perform lifting operations, and is not limited to this transmission method. The lifting stroke and lifting load required for large-format and large-depth printing parts are both large, so a dual-drive form or a multi-drive form is adopted, and the grating ruler 65 is used to control the synchronization of two or more lifting drive devices to ensure lifting accuracy.

[0041] The size of the printing format is determined according to the outer dimensions of the printed parts. In order to meet the industry's demand for printing large parts, a printing format of 2000x2000mm is designed. The optical components 52 are reasonably arranged to form a scanning range that can completely cover the printing format. The scanning range of a single set of optical components 52 is 410x410mm. The arrangement method of 5 lasers in the horizontal direction and 11 lasers in the vertical direction is adopted. The scanning ranges formed by two adjacent sets of optical components 52 have overlapping parts to ensure the integrity of the coverage. This arrangement method prevents the scrapping of parts in printing due to the failure of a set of optical components 52 or multiple non-adjacent sets of optical components 52, greatly reducing the risk of cost waste.

[0042] The molding equipment mainly includes: a molding chamber mechanism 1, a lifting mechanism 2, a pickup mechanism 3, and a base mechanism 4, wherein the base mechanism 4 is the main supporting mechanism of the equipment, and is divided into two layers, the molding chamber mechanism 1 and the pickup mechanism 3 are installed on the upper layer of the base mechanism 4, and the lifting mechanism 2 is installed on the lower layer of the base mechanism 4. The base mechanism 4 is equipped with a base driving device 54, which drives the lifting mechanism 2 to reciprocate under the molding chamber mechanism 1 and the pickup mechanism 3.

[0043] The printing process of the molding device of the present invention is as follows:

[0044] The equipment is started, and the lifting mechanism 2 is located below the forming chamber mechanism 1. The lifting drive motor 61 drives the lead screw 64 along the nut 63 to drive the piston assembly 59 to rise to the highest point. The lifting mechanism 2 is connected and sealed with the forming chamber mechanism 1. The powder dropping assembly 51 evenly spreads a layer of metal powder raw material on the upper surface of the forming substrate. The laser formed by the optical component 52 sinters and melts to form the required pattern, completing a layer of printing. At the same time, the lifting mechanism 2 descends by one layer, and this process is repeated. Multiple layers of powder are sintered into the required printed parts. After printing is completed, the piston assembly 59 descends to the lowest position, and the grating ruler 65 measures the lifting position in real time to ensure the lifting accuracy.

[0045] Because the printed parts have a large format, the optical assembly 52 adopts a multi-beam arrangement. If an optical assembly 52 fails, it can be replaced by an adjacent optical assembly 52 to print, thereby preventing the printing from being scrapped. The wind field assembly 53 is a large-span wind field structure to ensure that impurities such as black slag and smoke generated during the printing process are blown away by the wind field.

[0046] After the parts are printed, the base drive device 54 drives the lifting mechanism 2 to move to the pickup position and dock with the pickup mechanism 3 for sealing. The lifting drive motor 61 drives the piston assembly 59 to rise, and the powder cleaning assembly 57 recycles the excess powder. The piston assembly 59 moves to the highest position, the powder recovery is completed, the lifting pickup cover is moved to a safe area, and the printed parts are taken out.

[0047] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the present invention in any form. Any simple modification, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention are within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A large-format, large-depth, multi-beam selective melting and forming equipment, comprising a base mechanism, a lifting mechanism, a forming chamber mechanism, and a taking-up mechanism; The base mechanism is the overall supporting mechanism of the equipment, the lifting mechanism is installed on the base mechanism, the forming chamber mechanism and the taking-up mechanism are located above the lifting mechanism, and the base mechanism is installed with a base driving device, which drives the lifting mechanism to reciprocate below the forming chamber mechanism and the taking-up mechanism; The lifting mechanism comprises a cylinder assembly, a piston assembly, and a molding substrate assembly, wherein the piston assembly is connected to the cylinder assembly, the molding substrate assembly is mounted on the piston assembly, and the cylinder assembly is equipped with a lifting drive device for lifting the piston assembly and the molding substrate assembly; The forming chamber mechanism includes a forming chamber, equipped with a powder dropping component, an optical component, and a wind field component. The powder dropping component is a feeding component of the equipment, used to transport the raw materials to the forming chamber; the optical component is used to sinter the raw materials to form parts; the wind field component is used to blow away impurities generated during the sintering process; it is characterized in that The optical components are arranged in a multi-beam arrangement, and multiple sets of the optical components are distributed in a matrix form. The scanning range formed by the combination of the multiple sets of optical components is the printing format. The scanning ranges of two adjacent sets of optical components in the longitudinal direction overlap by half. When a set of optical components fails, the adjacent two sets of optical components in front and behind can replace the failed optical component and continue to work.

2. The large-format, large-depth, multi-beam selective melting molding equipment according to claim 1 is characterized in that: A plurality of sets of the optical components are mounted on the ceiling of the forming chamber.

3. The large-format, large-depth, multi-beam selective melting molding equipment according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The pickup mechanism includes a pickup top cover assembly, a pickup base assembly, and a powder cleaning assembly. The pickup top cover assembly is arranged above the pickup base assembly to seal the entire pickup mechanism. The pickup base assembly is docked with the lifting mechanism, and the powder cleaning assembly is arranged on the pickup base assembly.

4. The large-format, large-depth, multi-beam selective melting molding equipment according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The pickup mechanism is a split structure, and the pickup base assembly and the pickup top cover assembly are detachably connected and fixed.

5. The large-format, large-depth, multi-beam selective melting molding equipment according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The lifting drive device includes a lead screw, a nut and a lifting drive motor. The nut is fixed to the bottom of the cylinder assembly. One end of the lead screw is rotatably connected to the piston assembly, and the other end is connected to the lifting drive motor. The lifting drive motor drives the lead screw to drive the piston assembly to perform lifting operations.

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