A friction stir device and method integrating material addition, subtraction and repair

Abstract

A friction stir manufacturing device and method that integrates additive, subtractive, and repair processes. To address the limitations of traditional subtractive manufacturing when processing complex geometric shapes, the device comprises a friction stir additive manufacturing module, a subtractive module, a wire feeding module, and a surface profile detection module. The friction stir additive manufacturing module is fixedly connected to the first rotor of the main shaft; the subtractive module is located within the friction stir additive manufacturing module and is fixedly connected to the second rotor of the main shaft; the wire feeding module is used to transfer wire to the friction stir additive manufacturing module and the subtractive module, respectively; and the surface profile detection module is used to perform real-time detection of the surface quality of the deposited layer. The present invention combines laser profile sensing technology, additive technology, and subtractive technology to detect the formation of the deposited layer in real time and ensure the formation quality. After the additive process is completed, continuous deposition-milling processing of complex components can be achieved on the same equipment, thereby improving the processing accuracy and production efficiency of the additive components. The present invention belongs to the field of friction stir additive manufacturing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a friction stir device and method, and in particular to a friction stir device and method that integrates material addition, material subtraction, and repair. The present invention belongs to the technical field of friction stir additive manufacturing. Background Art

[0002] Friction stir additive manufacturing (FSAM) is a solid-phase additive manufacturing method that deposits wire or rod material in a hot plasticized state through the principle of plastic deformation caused by friction extrusion of the material. The temperature during the deposition process is much lower than the solidus temperature of the deposited material. This intrinsic property of going directly from "solid phase" to "solid phase" directly avoids the problems of element burnout, uneven structure, porosity, and thermal cracking that are prone to occur when metal melt additive manufacturing. During the solid-phase additive manufacturing process, the deposited material retains dynamic recrystallization characteristics after large plastic deformation, and the grain structure of the deposited layer is uniform and fine. As a result, additive parts often have a dense structure and excellent performance, and have great application potential in the field of lightweight alloy component manufacturing.

[0003] Publication number CN117600641A discloses a powder bed wire-feeding composite friction stir additive manufacturing device. However, the additive process involves two-dimensional stacking of components from bottom to top, resulting in low surface roughness and machining accuracy. The component surface accuracy is far lower than that achieved with traditional additive manufacturing, often requiring secondary machining for complex components. Furthermore, in actual production, defects are prone to forming in additive components due to equipment accuracy errors or improper parameter selection. This has limitations in eliminating these defects and improving the machining accuracy of additive components.

[0004] Publication No. CN113618330A discloses a visual sensing system for defect identification. However, visual sensing technology has low accuracy, a short measurement range, and is easily affected by ambient lighting. Real-time defect detection in the additive manufacturing process requires higher accuracy and resolution.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a friction stir device and method that can realize solid-phase additive manufacturing, subtractive manufacturing, and repair and remanufacturing in one, so as to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems existing in the prior art, the present invention further proposes a friction stir device and method that integrates material addition, material reduction and repair.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above problems is:

[0008] A stir friction device that integrates additive, subtractive and repair includes a stir friction additive manufacturing module, a subtractive module, a wire feeding module and a surface profile detection module. The stir friction additive manufacturing module is fixedly connected to the first rotor of the main shaft; the subtractive module is located in the stir friction additive manufacturing module and is fixedly connected to the second rotor of the main shaft; the wire feeding module is used to transfer wire to the stir friction additive manufacturing module and the subtractive module respectively; the surface profile detection module is detachably connected to the stir friction additive manufacturing module and is used to perform real-time detection of the surface quality of the deposited layer.

[0009] Furthermore, the friction stir additive manufacturing module includes a stirring tool and a clamping ring. The lower end of the stirring tool is inserted into the clamping ring. The stirring tool includes a first clamping end, a cutting portion, and a stirring needle. The first clamping end, the cutting portion, and the stirring needle are connected to form a whole from top to bottom. The upper end of the clamping ring is provided with a second clamping end, which is fixedly connected to the spindle stator via a fastening screw. The lower end of the clamping ring is provided with a shoulder. The shoulder is located on the lower end surface of the clamping ring and is a flat or concave surface for constraining the material. The side wall of the clamping ring is provided with a first wire feeding hole.

[0010] Furthermore, the subtractive module includes a milling cutter, the upper end of which is fixedly connected to the second rotor of the main shaft, and a second wire feeding hole is provided on the side of the milling cutter. The second wire feeding hole is kept concentric with the first wire feeding hole.

[0011] Furthermore, the wire feeding module includes a wire feeder and wire material, and the wire material is transferred to the stir friction additive manufacturing module and the subtractive module through the wire feeder.

[0012] Furthermore, the surface contour detection module includes a data processing unit, a laser contour sensor and a connecting plate. The data processing unit and the laser contour sensor are installed on the lower surface of the connecting plate from top to bottom. The laser contour sensor is provided with a laser emitter and a receiver. The laser emitter projects a laser beam onto the surface of the object to be measured, and the receiver receives the reflected light signal and transmits the signal to the data processing unit.

[0013] A friction stir method integrating material addition, subtraction and repair is carried out by the following steps:

[0014] Step 1: Additive manufacturing is performed using a friction stir additive manufacturing module;

[0015] Step 2: Detect surface defects of the additive layer using the surface profile detection module, and repair the defects using the subtractive module. After the repair is completed, the additive process restarts;

[0016] Step 3: After the additive component is manufactured, it is precisely processed through the subtractive module.

[0017] Furthermore, the step 1 specifically includes: at the beginning of the additive process, the first rotor of the main shaft starts to work and rotates at high speed, and the second rotor remains stationary; the wire material continuously and uninterruptedly passes through the first wire feed hole and the second wire feed hole in sequence; then the wire material contacts the high-speed rotating cutting part and is sheared into small particles; due to the high-speed relative motion between the high-speed rotating stirring tool and the non-rotating subtractive module, the sheared wire material flows along the screw groove processing path of the cutting part; when the thermoplasticized material flows to the bottom, it is deposited under the action of the stirring needle and the clamping ring to form a dense additive layer;

[0018] Furthermore, the second step specifically includes: when the spindle starts to perform additive deposition along a preset path, the surface profile detection module located behind the spindle, i.e. above the deposition layer, starts to work; the laser transmitter projects a laser beam onto the surface of the object to be measured, the receiver receives the reflected laser signal, and transmits the signal to the data processing unit. The captured image is subjected to defect analysis to obtain the position, depth and type of defects in the deposition layer; then the wire feeder stops feeding the wire, controls the wire extraction, and the spindle of the equipment starts to lift and move to the starting position of the defect; at this time, the first rotor of the spindle stops rotating, and the second rotor of the spindle starts to rotate at high speed and independently controls the subtractive module to start axially moving downward, and the surface defects of the deposition layer are milled away by the milling cutter. When the surface defects are eliminated, the second rotor controls the subtractive module to move axially to the starting preset position, and the additive process restarts;

[0019] Furthermore, the step three specifically includes: when the additive component is manufactured, the wire feeder stops feeding the wire; the first rotor of the main shaft stops rotating, the second rotor starts to rotate at high speed and independently controls the subtractive module to start axially moving downward; when the length of the spiral teeth of the lower end of the subtractive module is lower than the end plane of the cutting part and meets the requirements, the axial movement is stopped, and finally the main shaft controls the subtractive module to perform precision processing on the additive component according to the preset path of subtractive processing.

[0020] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0021] 1. This invention applies laser profile sensing technology to the additive process to obtain high-precision defect depth information and surface shape in real time. Subtractive technology is used as an auxiliary process to achieve quasi-isotropic repair of defects through repair and remanufacturing. This effectively addresses the limitations of traditional subtractive manufacturing in processing complex geometric shapes, while leveraging the advantages of additive manufacturing in terms of material utilization efficiency and design freedom.

[0022] 2. The present invention uses a surface profile detection module to perform real-time detection of the surface quality of the deposited layer. The detection results are highly accurate and defects are eliminated in a timely manner based on the detection results, thereby ensuring the forming quality of the additive component and saving production costs.

[0023] 3. The present invention combines additive and subtractive processes to achieve continuous deposition-milling processing of complex components on the same equipment. This provides greater equipment flexibility, improves the processing accuracy of additive components, reduces the time and cost required for traditional post-processing, and effectively improves manufacturing efficiency.

[0024] 4. The present invention is a friction stir device that integrates additive, subtractive, repair and remanufacturing. It has multiple structural functions and strong flexibility, greatly simplifying the complexity and large-scale of traditional additive and subtractive systems. It is suitable for long-distance transportation in the field and on-site manufacturing and remanufacturing.

[0025] 5. The present invention has a wide range of applications and can be applied to the integrated forming and manufacturing of aluminum and aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, copper alloys, titanium alloys and composite materials. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a friction stir device capable of integrating solid-phase material addition, material subtraction, and repair and remanufacturing according to the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a friction stir device capable of integrating solid-phase material addition, material subtraction, and repair and remanufacturing according to the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the subtractive module of the present invention eliminating defects in the additive layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the friction stir manufacturing device for integrating additive, subtractive, and repair functions described in this embodiment includes a friction stir additive manufacturing module 1, a subtractive module 2, a wire feeding module 3, and a surface profile detection module 4. The friction stir additive manufacturing module 1 is fixedly connected to the first spindle rotor; the subtractive module 2 is located within the friction stir additive manufacturing module 1 and is fixedly connected to the second spindle rotor; the wire feeding module 3 is used to transfer wire to the friction stir additive manufacturing module 1 and the subtractive module 2 respectively; the surface profile detection module 4 is detachably connected to the friction stir additive manufacturing module 1 and is used to perform real-time detection of the surface quality of the deposited layer. The first spindle rotor and the second spindle rotor are independent of each other and can achieve relative axial movement.

[0030] like Figure 2As shown, the friction stir additive manufacturing module 1 includes a stirring tool 101 and a clamping ring 102. The lower end of the stirring tool 101 is inserted into the clamping ring 102. The stirring tool 101 includes a first clamping end 10101, a cutting portion 10102, and a stirring needle 10103. The first clamping end 10101, the cutting portion 10102, and the stirring needle 10103 are sequentially connected from top to bottom into an integral whole. The upper end of the clamping ring 102 is provided with a second clamping end 10201, which is fixedly connected to the spindle stator via a fastening screw 103. The lower end of the clamping ring 102 is provided with a shoulder 10202. The shoulder 10202 is located on the lower end surface of the clamping ring 102 and is a flat or concave surface for constraining the material. The side wall of the clamping ring 102 is provided with a first wire feeding hole 10203.

[0031] Due to the relative movement between the stirring tool 101 and the inner wall of the subtractive module 2, the sheared small particles flow downward along the processing groove path under the action of their own gravity and the friction with the inner wall of the subtractive module 2 and the inner wall of the groove of the cutting part 10102.

[0032] Preferably, the groove pitch of the cutting portion 10102 is 2-3 times the diameter of the wire. The number of grooves is two or three, and the cutting speed increases with the increase in the number of grooves.

[0033] Preferably, the stirring needles 10103 are located on the bottom end surface of the stirring tool, and the stirring needles are symmetrically distributed and the number is 2-3.

[0034] Preferably, the hardness and melting point of the stirring needle 10103 are higher than the hardness and melting point of the deposition material. The material of the stirring needle 10103 includes but is not limited to carbide steel, tool steel and mold steel.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, the subtractive module 2 includes a milling cutter 201, the upper end of which is fixedly connected to the second rotor of the main shaft, and a second wire feeding hole 202 is provided on the side of the milling cutter 201. The second wire feeding hole 202 is concentric with the first wire feeding hole 10203.

[0036] Preferably, the gap between the inner wall of the subtractive module 2 and the stirring tool 101 is 0.1-0.2 mm to restrict material flow. The gap between the inner wall of the clamping ring 102 and the outer wall of the subtractive module 2 is 0.1-0.2 mm. The subtractive module 2 and the clamping ring 102 work together to restrict material flow.

[0037] Preferably, the teeth of the milling cutter 201 are distributed at circumferential positions, which can perform milling processing on the additive component and improve the surface accuracy of the component. The plane of the lower end of the milling cutter 201 is 0.5-1 mm higher than the plane of the clamping ring end 10202.

[0038] Preferably, the hardness and melting point of the blade teeth are higher than the hardness and melting point of the wire to be fed.

[0039] like Figure 2 As shown, the wire feeding module 3 includes a wire feeder 301 and a wire 302 , and the wire 302 is transferred to the stir friction additive manufacturing module 1 and the subtractive module 2 through the wire feeder 301 .

[0040] Preferably, the wire feeder 301 can accurately control the wire feeding speed, the wire feeding process is stable and has a wire retraction function. The wire material 302 includes aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, copper alloy, titanium alloy and composite materials.

[0041] like Figure 2 As shown, the surface profile detection module 4 includes a data processing unit 401, a laser profile sensor 402, and a connecting plate 403. The connecting plate 403 is connected to the clamping ring 102 via fastening screws. The data processing unit 401 and laser profile sensor 402 are mounted on the lower surface of the connecting plate 403 from top to bottom. The laser profile sensor 402 is equipped with a laser emitter 40201 and a receiver 40202. The laser emitter 40201 projects a laser beam onto the surface of the object being measured. The receiver 40202 receives the reflected light signal and transmits it to the data processing unit 401. Based on the received reflected signal, the height change or profile data of the object surface is obtained by calculating the time difference, displacement, or angular change of the reflected light beam. By scanning and acquiring a large number of height points, a three-dimensional surface profile is ultimately formed, which can accurately measure the shape and depth of defects.

[0042] Specific embodiment 2: This embodiment describes a friction stir method that integrates material addition, material subtraction, and repair, and the method is carried out by the following steps:

[0043] Step 1: When the additive process begins, the first rotor of the main shaft starts to work and rotates at high speed, and the second rotor remains stationary; the wire 302 passes through the first wire feeding hole 10203 and the second wire feeding hole 202 continuously and uninterruptedly in sequence; then the wire 302 contacts the high-speed rotating cutting part 10102 and is sheared into small particles. Due to the high-speed relative motion between the high-speed rotating stirring tool 101 and the non-rotating subtractive module 2, the sheared wire 302 flows along the screw groove processing path of the cutting part; when the thermoplasticized material flows to the bottom, it is deposited under the action of the stirring needle 10103 and the clamping ring 102 to form a dense additive layer.

[0044] Step 2: When the spindle begins to perform additive deposition along the preset path, the surface profile detection module 4 located behind the spindle, i.e. above the deposition layer, starts working; the laser transmitter 40201 projects a laser beam onto the surface of the object to be measured, and the receiver 40202 receives the reflected laser signal and transmits the signal to the data processing unit 401. Through the corresponding detection algorithm and defect analysis of the collected image, the defect position, defect depth and defect type of the deposition layer are obtained; then the wire feeder 301 stops feeding the wire, controls the wire 302 to be withdrawn, and the equipment spindle starts to lift and move to the defect starting position; at this time, the first rotor of the spindle stops rotating, and the second rotor of the spindle starts to work and rotates at high speed and independently controls the subtractive module 2 to start axial downward movement. When the end plane of the milling cutter of the subtractive module is 5-8mm lower than the shoulder plane of the clamping ring, the axial movement stops, and the spindle controls the milling cutter 201 to mill away the surface defects of the deposition layer. When the surface defects are eliminated, the second rotor controls the subtractive module 2 to move axially to the starting preset position, and the additive process restarts;

[0045] Step 3. When the additive component is manufactured, the wire feeder 301 stops feeding the wire; the first rotor of the main shaft stops rotating, and the second rotor starts to rotate at high speed and independently controls the subtractive module 2 to start axially moving downward; when the lower end of the subtractive module 2 is lower than the spiral tooth length of the end plane of the cutting part 10102 and meets the requirements, the axial movement is stopped, and finally the main shaft controls the subtractive module 2 to perform precision processing on the additive component according to the preset path of subtractive processing.

[0046] This invention applies laser profile sensing technology to the additive process to acquire high-precision defect depth and surface shape information in real time. Subtractive technology is used as a supplementary process to achieve near-isotropic repair of defects during repair and remanufacturing. This effectively addresses the limitations of traditional subtractive manufacturing in processing complex geometries while leveraging the advantages of additive manufacturing in terms of material utilization efficiency and design freedom. This technological synergy significantly improves production efficiency and reduces overall costs, while also enabling higher processing precision and more flexible design customization, making it particularly suitable for the production of high-performance and complex structures.

[0047] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not constitute any form of limitation to the present invention. Although the present invention has been disclosed as a preferred embodiment as above, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any technician familiar with the present profession can make some changes or modifications to equivalent embodiments of equivalent changes using the technical content disclosed above without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. However, any simple modification, equivalent replacement and improvement of the above embodiments made according to the technical essence of the present invention, within the spirit and principles of the present invention, without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention, shall still fall within the scope of protection of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A friction stir device that integrates material addition, material subtraction, and repair, characterized by: The device comprises a friction stir additive manufacturing module (1), a subtractive module (2), a wire feeding module (3) and a surface profile detection module (4). The friction stir additive manufacturing module (1) is fixedly connected to the first rotor of the main shaft; the friction stir additive manufacturing module (1) comprises a stirring tool (101) and a clamping ring (102), the lower end of the stirring tool (101) is inserted into the clamping ring (102), the stirring tool (101) comprises a first clamping end (10101), a cutting portion (10102) and a stirring needle (10103), and the first clamping end (10101), the cutting portion (10102) and the stirring needle (10103) are sequentially connected from top to bottom into one body; the upper end of the clamping ring (102) is provided with a second clamping end (10201), the second clamping end (10201) is fixedly connected to the main shaft stator through a fastening screw, and the lower end of the clamping ring (102) is provided with a shaft shoulder (10202); the side wall of the clamping ring (102) is provided with a first wire feeding hole (10203); The subtractive module (2) is located in the friction stir additive manufacturing module (1) and is fixedly connected to the second rotor of the main shaft. The subtractive module (2) comprises a milling cutter (201), the upper end of the milling cutter (201) is fixedly connected to the second rotor of the main shaft, and a second wire feeding hole (202) is provided on the side of the milling cutter (201); The wire feeding module (3) is used to transfer the wire material to the friction stir additive manufacturing module (1) and the subtractive manufacturing module (2) respectively; The surface profile detection module (4) is detachably connected to the friction stir additive manufacturing module (1) and is used to perform real-time detection of the surface quality of the deposited layer, including defect analysis of the collected image to obtain the position, depth and type of defects in the deposited layer, and to remove the surface defects of the deposited layer by milling the milling cutter (201) through the spindle.

2. The friction stir device integrating addition, subtraction and repair according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wire feeding module (3) comprises a wire feeding machine (301) and a wire material (302), and the wire material (302) is transferred to the friction stir additive manufacturing module (1) and the subtractive module (2) through the wire feeding machine (301).

3. The friction stir device integrating addition, subtraction and repair according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface profile detection module (4) comprises a data processing unit (401), a laser profile sensor (402) and a connecting plate (403). The data processing unit (401) and the laser profile sensor (402) are mounted on the lower surface of the connecting plate (403) from top to bottom. The laser profile sensor (402) is provided with a laser emitter (40201) and a receiver (40202). The laser emitter (40201) projects a laser beam onto the surface of the object to be measured, and the receiver (40202) receives a reflected light signal and transmits the signal to the data processing unit (401).

4. A processing method based on a friction stir device integrating addition, subtraction and repair according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The method is carried out by the following steps: Step 1: performing additive manufacturing using a friction stir additive manufacturing module (1); Step 2: Detect surface defects of the additive layer through the surface profile detection module (4), and repair the defects through the subtractive module (2). After the repair is completed, the additive process is restarted; Step 3: After the additive component is manufactured, the subtractive module (2) is used to perform precision machining on the additive component.

5. The processing method of the friction stir device integrating addition, subtraction and repair according to claim 4, characterized in that: The step 1 specifically includes: when the additive process starts, the first rotor of the main shaft starts to work and rotates at high speed, and the second rotor remains stationary; the wire (302) continuously and uninterruptedly passes through the first wire feeding hole (10203) and the second wire feeding hole (202) in sequence; then the wire (302) contacts the high-speed rotating cutting part (10102) and is sheared into small particles, and due to the high-speed relative motion between the high-speed rotating stirring tool (101) and the non-rotating subtractive module (2), the sheared wire (302) flows along the screw groove processing path of the cutting part; when the thermoplasticized material flows to the bottom, it is deposited under the action of the stirring needle (10103) and the clamping ring (102) to form a dense additive layer.

6. The processing method of the friction stir device integrating addition, subtraction and repair according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second step specifically includes: when the spindle starts to perform additive deposition along a preset path, the surface profile detection module (4) located behind the spindle, i.e., above the deposition layer, starts to work; the laser transmitter (40201) projects a laser beam onto the surface of the object to be measured, the receiver (40202) receives the reflected laser signal, and transmits the signal to the data processing unit (401); and the acquired image is subjected to defect analysis to obtain the defect position, defect depth, and defect type of the deposition layer; then the wire feeder (301) stops feeding the wire, controls the wire (302) to be withdrawn, and the equipment spindle starts to lift and move to the defect starting position; at this time, the first rotor of the spindle stops rotating, the second rotor of the spindle starts to work and rotates at high speed and independently controls the subtractive module (2) to start axially moving downward, and the surface defects of the deposition layer are milled away by the milling cutter (201). When the surface defects are eliminated, the second rotor controls the subtractive module (2) to move axially to the starting preset position, and the additive process restarts.

7. The processing method of a friction stir device integrating addition, subtraction and repair according to claim 4, characterized in that: The step three specifically includes: when the additive component is manufactured, the wire feeder (301) stops feeding the wire; the first rotor of the main shaft stops rotating, the second rotor starts to rotate at high speed and independently controls the subtractive module (2) to start axial downward movement; when the length of the spiral teeth of the lower end of the subtractive module (2) is lower than the end plane of the cutting portion (10102) and meets the requirements, the axial movement is stopped, and finally the main shaft controls the subtractive module (2) to perform precision machining on the additive component according to the preset path of subtractive machining.

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