Quick-change process method for metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive machining

Abstract

The invention discloses a metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive machining quick-change process method, and belongs to the technical field of 3D printing. The metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive machining quick change process method comprises the following steps that S1, a plurality of supporting plates are spliced and assembled on a base plate, the supporting plates are detachably connected with the base plate through first fasteners, and the size of the base plate is not smaller than the sum of the sizes of the supporting plates; s2, the base plate is installed in the metal 3D printing bin through a second fastener, part printing is completed on the supporting plate according to the printing task, and the supporting plate correspondingly connected with the part is detached from the base plate; s3, the part and the supporting plate are subjected to heat treatment; s4, the supporting plate is clamped, sand blasting is conducted on the part, and then the supporting plate is installed on the zero-point positioning disc to conduct metal cutting subtractive machining on the part; and S5, after metal cutting subtractive machining is completed, the part is cut away from the supporting plate. The circulation rate of the metal 3D printing part can be increased, and the machining precision and machining efficiency of the metal 3D printing part are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of 3D printing technology, and in particular to a quick-change process method for metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing. Background Art

[0002] Metal 3D printing is an advanced manufacturing technology for additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping. It can create three-dimensional objects by stacking materials layer by layer. At present, the metal 3D printing process cannot meet the requirements of high dimensional accuracy and surface roughness on parts, so it is necessary to introduce metal cutting and subtractive processing after 3D printing to complete machining. 3D printed parts are mostly special-shaped parts, and how to clamp such parts on machining equipment is a big problem. There are currently two solutions in the industry. One is to design a process boss (required for subtractive processing) on ​​the part, and print the part together with the process boss during the 3D printing stage. The disadvantage is that the process boss needs to be designed according to the characteristics of the part, and printing the process boss not only wastes materials, but also needs to cut off the process boss after machining. The other is to design a set of tooling for the part to realize the clamping of the part. The disadvantage is that a set of tooling needs to be designed for each part, which is relatively costly (and the production cycle is long).

[0003] Therefore, it is urgent to provide a metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a quick-change process method for metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing, which can speed up the turnover rate of metal 3D printed parts and improve the processing accuracy and efficiency of metal 3D printed parts.

[0005] In order to achieve the above objectives, the following technical solutions are provided:

[0006] The metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method comprises the following steps:

[0007] S1. Assembling a plurality of support plates on a base plate, wherein the support plates are detachably connected to the base plate via a first fastener, and the size of the base plate is not less than the sum of the sizes of the plurality of support plates;

[0008] S2, the base plate is installed in the metal 3D printing chamber through the second fastener, the parts are printed on the pallet according to the printing task, and the pallet connected to the parts is detached from the base plate;

[0009] S3, heat treating the parts and the support plate;

[0010] S4, clamping the support plate and sandblasting the part, and then installing the support plate on the zero-point positioning plate to perform metal cutting and material reduction processing on the part;

[0011] S5. After the metal cutting and material reduction processing is completed, the parts are separated from the support plate.

[0012] As an optional solution for the quick-change process method of metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing, a plurality of positioning pins are arranged on the substrate, and a half-pin groove is arranged on the side wall surface of each support plate. The end of the positioning pin away from the substrate is inserted into the positioning space formed by the half-pin grooves of the two adjacent support plates.

[0013] The half pin groove on the side wall of the pallet is a side pin, which is used to limit the movement of the pallet in the front, back, left and right directions. The side pin can help ensure the accurate position of the pallet on the base plate, avoiding the movement of the pallet relative to the base plate due to errors, which in turn causes a large movement of the relative position of the printed parts relative to the zero-point positioning plate, ultimately affecting subsequent CNC processing.

[0014] As an optional solution for the quick-change process method of metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing, a first connecting hole is provided on the back of each support plate, and a plurality of second connecting holes are opened through the base plate. In step S1: the first fastener passes through the second connecting hole and is connected to the first connecting hole.

[0015] As an optional solution for the quick-change process method of metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive machining, a pin hole is provided on the back of each support plate. In step S4: the pin on the zero point positioning disk is plugged into the pin hole, and the first connecting hole is connected to the zero point positioning disk through a third fastener.

[0016] The pin hole on the back of the pallet is connected to the zero-point positioning plate through a pin. Positioning is achieved by setting a line between two points. The use of the pin hole and the pin ensures that the relative position of the zero-point positioning plate, the pallet and the parts on it can be accurately maintained. After assembly, the pin in the pin hole can effectively prevent the relative movement between the zero-point positioning plate and the pallet, thereby improving the stability of the overall structure. The design of the pin hole can also reduce the time and steps required for assembly, allowing the components to be quickly aligned during assembly, thereby simplifying the operation and improving efficiency.

[0017] As an optional solution for the quick-change process method of metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing, third connecting holes are provided at the four corners of the substrate. In the step S2: the second fastener passes through the third connecting hole and is connected to the metal 3D printing chamber.

[0018] As an optional solution for the quick-change process method between metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing, the support plate located at the corner of the substrate is provided with an avoidance gap.

[0019] As an optional solution for the quick-change process method of metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing, the material of the support plate is the same as or similar to the material of the part.

[0020] As an optional solution for the quick-change process method of metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing, in the step S3: the support plate connected with the part is annealed together.

[0021] As an optional solution for the metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method, the metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method also includes the following steps:

[0022] S6. Deburring the parts.

[0023] As an optional solution for the metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method, the metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method also includes the following steps:

[0024] S7. Check whether the parts match the drawings according to their appearance and size; after confirming the match, print and mark the corresponding graphic areas according to the requirements of the drawings.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0026] The metal 3D printing and metal cutting and subtractive processing quick-change process method provided by the present invention is to assemble several pallets on a base plate, and the pallet is detachably connected to the base plate through a first fastener, and the size of the base plate is not less than the sum of the sizes of several pallets; the base plate is installed in the metal 3D printing bin through a second fastener, and the part printing is completed on the pallet according to the printing task, and the pallet connected to the part is detached from the base plate; the part and the pallet are heat treated; the pallet is clamped and the part is sandblasted, and then the pallet is installed on the zero-point positioning plate to perform metal cutting and subtractive processing on the part; after the metal cutting and subtractive processing is completed, the part is cut off from the pallet. By adding multiple pallets on the base plate, there is no need to separate the entire base plate from the part after printing is completed, and only the pallet connected to the part needs to be separated from the base plate, which saves the design of the process boss and facilitates clamping and processing. The cooperation between the pallet and the zero-point positioning plate not only realizes one-time clamping offline and reduces repeated calibration, thereby realizing the rapid flow of parts between metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processes; but also unifies the correction operations of CNC machining through standardized clamping, thereby reducing the skill requirements for correction operations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the contents of the embodiments of the present invention and these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0028] Figure 1 It is a flow chart of a quick-change process method for metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the assembly of the support plate and the base plate in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 An exploded schematic diagram of a support plate and a base plate in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of a support plate located in the middle of a base plate in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of a support plate located at a corner of a substrate in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Reference numerals:

[0034] 100, support plate; 200, base plate; 300, positioning pin;

[0035] 101, half pin groove; 102, first connecting hole; 103, pin hole; 104, avoidance gap;

[0036] 201, positioning hole; 202, second connecting hole; 203, third connecting hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0038] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or the positions or positional relationships in which the parts of the invention are usually placed when in use. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish the description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0039] In the description of the present invention, it is also necessary to explain that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "disposed" 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. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0040] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0041] In order to speed up the turnover rate of metal 3D printed parts and improve the processing accuracy and efficiency of metal 3D printed parts, this embodiment provides a metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method, involving additive processing and subtractive processing, the following is combined Figures 1 to 5 The specific contents of this embodiment are described in detail.

[0042] The metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick-change process method in this embodiment includes the following steps: S1, assembling a plurality of pallets 100 on a base plate 200, wherein the pallet 100 is detachably connected to the base plate 200 via a first fastener, and the size of the base plate 200 is not less than the sum of the sizes of the plurality of pallets 100; S2, installing the base plate 200 into a metal 3D printing chamber via a second fastener, completing the printing of parts on the pallet 100 according to the printing task, and removing the pallet 100 connected to the corresponding part from the base plate 200; S3, heat treating the parts and the pallet 100; S4, clamping the pallet 100 and sandblasting the parts, and then installing the pallet 100 on a zero-point positioning plate to perform metal cutting subtractive processing on the parts; S5, after completing the metal cutting subtractive processing, cutting the parts off from the pallet 100.

[0043] In short, the metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick-change process method provided by the present invention assembles several pallets 100 on a base plate 200, and the pallet 100 is detachably connected to the base plate 200 by a first fastener, and the size of the base plate 200 is not less than the sum of the sizes of several pallets 100. By adding multiple pallets 100 to the base plate 200, it is not necessary to separate the entire base plate 200 from the part after printing is completed. It is only necessary to separate the pallet 100 connected to the part from the base plate 200, thereby eliminating the design of the process boss and facilitating clamping and processing. The pallet 100 cooperates with the zero-point positioning plate, which not only realizes offline one-time clamping and reduces repeated calibration, thereby realizing the rapid flow of parts between metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processes; and through standardized clamping, the correction operation of CNC machining is unified, reducing the skill requirements for the correction operation.

[0044] Further, a plurality of positioning pins 300 are provided on the base plate 200, and a half pin groove 101 is provided on the side wall surface of each support plate 100, and one end of the positioning pin 300 away from the base plate 200 is inserted into the positioning space formed by the half pin grooves 101 of two adjacent support plates 100. Specifically, a plurality of positioning holes 201 are provided on the base plate 200, and the lower end of the positioning pin 300 is inserted into the positioning hole 201 of the base plate 200, and the upper end of the positioning pin 300 is inserted into the half pin groove 101. By providing a plurality of half pin grooves 101 on the side of the support plate 100 to cooperate with the positioning pin 300 on the base plate 200, the positioning of the support plate 100 is completed, and the support plate 100 is positioned at a specific position of the base plate 200.

[0045] It is understandable that the support plate 100 in this embodiment may be in other shapes besides a rectangle, such as a triangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, an octagon, a circle, etc. The support plates 100 of these shapes only need to be assembled on the base plate 200 without exceeding the outer frame of the base plate 200. Even if there is a gap in the middle of the assembled support plates 100, it will not affect the use.

[0046] Furthermore, a first connection hole 102 is provided on the back of each pallet 100, and a plurality of second connection holes 202 are provided on the substrate 200. In step S1, a first fastener passes through the second connection hole 202 and is connected to the first connection hole 102. Exemplarily, the first fastener may be, but is not limited to, a screw, and the pallet 100 is fixed to the substrate 200 by passing the screw through the second connection hole 202 and hanging the first connection hole 102 in reverse. Then, the combined substrate 200 and pallet 100 are placed in a metal 3D printing preparation bin, and the processing of the parts can be started after the above preparations are completed. Several first connection holes 102 do not pass through the pallet 100, and the second connection holes 202 are countersunk holes. Several countersunk holes are designed on the back of the substrate 200 for connecting pallets 100 of different sizes.

[0047] Further, a pin hole 103 is provided on the back of each support plate 100. In step S4, the pin on the zero-point positioning disk is plugged into the pin hole 103, and the first connecting hole 102 is connected to the zero-point positioning disk through a third fastener. By adding the pin hole 103 on the support plate 100, it is convenient to position the support plate 100 on the pin on the zero-point positioning disk, and the support plate 100 is connected to the zero-point positioning disk by the third fastener, which ensures the connection firmness between the support plate 100 and the zero-point positioning disk, thereby limiting the translation in the X and Y directions and the rotation around the Z direction between the two fixtures of the support plate 100 and the zero-point positioning disk, and achieving a repeat positioning accuracy of less than 0.05mm. Through the coordinated use of the support plate 100 and the zero-point positioning disk, a unified standard clamping is achieved, the technical difficulty in the processing preparation operation is reduced, the technical level requirements for the operator are reduced, and the processing preparation time is saved. The zero-point positioning disk can also be used for the clamping of the subsequent wire cutting process, which helps to realize the automation, digitization and intelligence of the metal parts additive and subtractive material manufacturing process.

[0048] Further, third connection holes 203 are provided at four corners of the substrate 200. In step S2, the second fastener passes through the third connection holes 203 to connect with the metal 3D printing chamber. Exemplarily, the second fastener may be, but is not limited to, a bolt or a screw, etc., and the third connection hole 203 is a countersunk hole. By adding the third connection holes 203 to the substrate 200, it is convenient to stably install the substrate 200 in the metal 3D printing chamber.

[0049] Furthermore, the support plate 100 located at the corner of the base plate 200 is provided with an avoidance notch 104. By providing the support plate 100 located at the corner with the avoidance notch 104, structural interference is avoided when the second fastener is screwed.

[0050] Furthermore, the material of the pallet 100 is the same as or similar to that of the part. When the material difference between the pallet and the printing material is large, the main problem is that the formed parts cannot be connected and fixed to the pallet during the printing process. Or cracks may occur at the connection between the part and the pallet, causing the part to deform. The metal 3D printing process can be roughly understood as welding, and two materials of similar materials can also be welded together. For example, if the part is made of stainless steel, the pallet material used for the part can be 45 steel.

[0051] Furthermore, in step S3, the support plate 100 connected with the parts is annealed together. Annealing the parts helps to eliminate the residual stress in the parts, so that the parts are not easily deformed.

[0052] Specifically, in step S4: sandblasting the parts according to the requirements of the drawings helps to improve the surface quality of the parts. After sandblasting, the fitter uses the pin hole 103 on the support plate 100 to position the parts on the zero-point positioning disk, and then fastens the support plate 100 to the zero-point positioning disk by hanging the first connecting hole 102 in reverse. After completion, the workpiece is transferred to the CNC machining station by a robot. At the CNC machining station, the zero-point positioning disk with the parts is installed on the CNC machining table by pneumatic or hydraulic means. According to the machining procedure, the part feature processing is completed. After completion, the zero-point positioning disk is transferred to the wire cutting station by robot flow.

[0053] Specifically, in step S5: on the wire cutting station, the wire cutting equipment is also equipped with a device adapted to the zero point positioning plate, which is clamped and fixed by the zero point positioning plate, and then the parts on the pallet 100 are cut off. After completion, all parts are transferred to the fitter station.

[0054] Furthermore, the metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method also includes the following steps: S6, deburring the parts. At the bench workstation, the operator will deburr the parts to prevent the parts from scratching the human body or other parts. After completion, all parts are transferred to the printing station.

[0055] Furthermore, the metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method also includes the following steps: S7, at the printing station, check whether the parts match the drawings according to the appearance and size of the drawings; after confirming the match, print marks on the corresponding diagram area according to the requirements of the drawings.

[0056] In summary, the metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick-change process method in this embodiment has the following characteristics:

[0057] 1) The printing is completed by using a pallet 100, which is small and portable, and is convenient for the clamping operation and circulation of parts;

[0058] 2) For various 3D printed parts, there is no need to design additional process bosses or customize special tooling. The pallet 100 can be used directly as a universal tooling, avoiding unnecessary cost waste, shortening the part production cycle, and realizing the rapid flow between additive manufacturing and subtractive manufacturing processes;

[0059] 3) The assembly of the pallet 100 and the zero-point positioning plate is completed outside the machine. After being installed on the CNC machine tool, the installation area is saved. This process can effectively reduce the clamping difficulty of the operator and save production preparation time;

[0060] 4) Reduce the performance requirements for the processing range of wire cutting equipment, and choose more economical equipment for processing, thereby saving costs.

[0061] 5) The support plate 100 and the pin hole 103 on the back thereof, the positioning pin 300 and the half pin groove 101 on the side of the support plate 100 can be used in conjunction with each other to achieve a repeat positioning accuracy of 0.05 mm.

[0062] Note that the above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and the technical principles used. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and that various obvious changes, readjustments and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in more detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may include more other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A quick-change process method for metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. Assembling a plurality of support plates (100) on a base plate (200), wherein the support plates (100) are detachably connected to the base plate (200) via a first fastener, and the size of the base plate (200) is not less than the sum of the sizes of the plurality of support plates (100); S2, the base plate (200) is installed in the metal 3D printing chamber by means of a second fastener, parts are printed on the support plate (100) according to a printing task, and the support plate (100) connected to the parts is detached from the base plate (200); S3, performing heat treatment on the parts and the support plate (100); S4, clamping the support plate (100) and sandblasting the part, and then installing the support plate (100) on the zero-point positioning plate to perform metal cutting and material reduction processing on the part; S5. After the metal cutting and material reduction processing is completed, the parts are separated from the support plate (100).

2. The metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method according to claim 1 is characterized in that: A plurality of positioning pins (300) are arranged on the base plate (200), a half pin groove (101) is arranged on the side wall surface of each support plate (100), and one end of the positioning pin (300) away from the base plate (200) is inserted into a positioning space formed by the half pin grooves (101) of two adjacent support plates (100).

3. The metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method according to claim 2 is characterized in that: A first connection hole (102) is provided on the back of each support plate (100), and a plurality of second connection holes (202) are provided through the base plate (200). In step S1, the first fastener passes through the second connection hole (202) and is connected to the first connection hole (102).

4. The metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method according to claim 3 is characterized in that: A pin hole (103) is provided on the back of each support plate (100). In step S4, the pin on the zero point positioning disk is plugged into the pin hole (103), and the first connection hole (102) is connected to the zero point positioning disk via a third fastener.

5. The metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The base plate (200) is provided with third connection holes (203) at four corners, and in the step S2: the second fastener passes through the third connection holes (203) and is connected to the metal 3D printing chamber.

6. The metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method according to claim 5 is characterized in that: The support plate (100) located at a corner of the base plate (200) is provided with an avoidance notch (104).

7. The metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The material of the support plate (100) is the same as or similar to the material of the parts.

8. The metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method according to claim 1 is characterized in that: In the step S3: the support plate (100) connected with the parts is annealed together.

9. The metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method also includes the following steps: S6. Deburring the parts.

10. The metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The metal 3D printing and metal cutting subtractive processing quick change process method also includes the following steps: S7. Check whether the parts match the drawings according to their appearance and size; after confirming the match, print and mark the corresponding diagram area according to the requirements of the drawings.

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