Supporting structure for impeller 3D printing

Abstract

The invention discloses a supporting structure for impeller 3D printing, relates to the technical field of 3D printing, and mainly aims to provide accurate and effective printing support for an impeller during printing. The supporting structure for impeller 3D printing comprises an impeller back supporting part, an impeller shaft supporting part, an impeller cover downward-inclined supporting part, an impeller cover upward-inclined supporting part and an edge supporting part, and the impeller back supporting part is located in a three-dimensional space area between the range defined by the vertical projection of the impeller back of the impeller on a printing base plate and the impeller back; the wheel shaft supporting part is located in a three-dimensional space area between the range defined by the vertical projection of the wheel shaft of the impeller on the printing substrate and the wheel shaft, and the wheel cover declination supporting part is located in a three-dimensional space area between the projection range, not intersecting with the vertical projection of the wheel back, of the wheel cover of the impeller on the printing substrate and the wheel cover. The wheel cover updip supporting part is located in a three-dimensional space area where the included angle between the inlet of the impeller and the printing base plate is smaller than 45 degrees, and the edge supporting part is located in a three-dimensional space area where the outlet of the impeller is located.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of 3D printing technology, and specifically relates to a support structure for 3D printing of an impeller. Background Art

[0002] In modern manufacturing, impellers, as a key fluid machinery component, are widely used in many fields such as aerospace, energy and power, and chemical industry. As the requirements for impeller performance continue to increase, their structural design becomes increasingly complex, and traditional manufacturing processes face many challenges in processing such complex impellers.

[0003] As an emerging additive manufacturing process, 3D printing technology provides a new solution for the manufacture of impellers. It can achieve rapid prototyping of complex structures, is not restricted by the geometric shape of traditional processing technology, effectively shortens the product development cycle and reduces manufacturing costs. However, during the 3D printing of the impeller, due to the complex geometric shape of the impeller itself, such as the special shapes of different parts of the wheel back, wheel axle, and wheel cover, the uncured material layer needs to be effectively supported during the layer-by-layer printing and construction process, otherwise there will be defects such as collapse and deformation, which will seriously affect the molding accuracy and quality of the impeller. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the present application provides a support structure for impeller 3D printing, the main purpose of which is to provide accurate and effective printing support for the impeller during printing, thereby ensuring the molding accuracy and quality of the impeller during the 3D printing process.

[0005] In order to achieve the above objectives, this application mainly provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] The present application provides a support structure for 3D printing of an impeller, comprising:

[0007] A wheel back support portion, the wheel back support portion is located in a three-dimensional space region between a range defined by a vertical projection of the wheel back of the impeller on the printing substrate and the wheel back itself, and the wheel back support portion is used to provide printing support for the wheel back during printing;

[0008] an axle support portion, the axle support portion being located in a three-dimensional space region between a range defined by a vertical projection of the axle of the impeller on the printing substrate and the axle itself, the axle support portion being used to provide printing support for the axle during printing;

[0009] A wheel cover downwardly inclined support portion, the wheel cover downwardly inclined support portion is located in a three-dimensional space region between a projection range of the wheel cover of the impeller on the printing substrate that does not intersect with a vertical projection of the wheel back and the wheel cover itself, and the wheel cover downwardly inclined support portion is used to provide printing support for the downwardly inclined portion of the wheel cover during printing;

[0010] A wheel cover upwardly inclined support portion, the wheel cover upwardly inclined support portion is located in a three-dimensional space region where the angle between the inlet of the impeller and the printing substrate is less than 45 degrees, and the wheel cover upwardly inclined support portion is used to provide printing support for the upwardly inclined portion of the wheel cover during the printing;

[0011] An edge support portion is located in a three-dimensional space area at the outlet of the impeller, and is used to provide printing support for the outer edge portions of the wheel cover and the wheel back during printing.

[0012] Optionally, during the printing, the impeller is in a non-overhanging structure, and an angle formed between the impeller and the printing substrate is at least 45 degrees.

[0013] Optionally, the wheel back support portion comprises:

[0014] The outer shell wall and supporting ribs;

[0015] The supporting rib is arranged in the outer shell wall, and a plurality of the supporting ribs are provided. The plurality of supporting ribs are parallel to each other and extend along the height direction of the wheel back supporting portion.

[0016] Optionally, each of the supporting ribs is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs, and the plurality of reinforcing ribs are arranged at equal intervals.

[0017] Optionally, a first powder cleaning hole is provided on the outer shell wall and the supporting ribs, and the first powder cleaning hole is used to clean the printing powder remaining inside the wheel back supporting part.

[0018] Optionally, the wheel axle support portion and the wheel cover tilt support portion each include a plurality of support blocks, and the plurality of support blocks are arranged at equal intervals.

[0019] Optionally, the support block is a porous structure, and a plurality of mutually independent pore spaces are formed inside the support block, and the pore spaces extend in a direction perpendicular to the printing substrate.

[0020] Optionally, the wheel cover upwardly inclined support portion includes a plurality of support columns, a plurality of first ends of the support columns are relatively fixed to the wheel cover, and a plurality of second ends of the support columns are relatively fixed to the hub of the impeller.

[0021] Optionally, the edge support portion is an annular thin-wall structure, and the wall thickness of the annular thin-wall structure is 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0022] Optionally, a second powder cleaning hole is provided on the edge support portion, and the second powder cleaning hole is used to clean the printing powder remaining inside the impeller.

[0023] By means of the above technical solution, the present application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0024] The support structure for 3D printing of the impeller provided in the embodiments of the present application realizes all-round support for the overall structure of the impeller by respectively arranging special support parts for the wheel back, wheel axle, wheel cover, and the outer edge parts of the wheel cover and wheel back of the impeller. It can effectively avoid defects such as collapse and deformation of the impeller due to insufficient local support during the layer-by-layer construction process of 3D printing, greatly improves the overall molding accuracy of the impeller, and enables it to better meet design requirements and actual application needs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 A model diagram of a support structure for 3D printing of an impeller according to an optional embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of a support structure for 3D printing of an impeller according to an optional embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wheel back support portion of an optional embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of a support block of an optional embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a model diagram of the wheel cover tilt support portion of an optional embodiment of the present application.

[0030] The reference numerals are:

[0031] 1. Wheel back support; 11. Outer shell wall; 12. Support ribs; 13. Reinforcement ribs; 14. First powder cleaning hole; 2. Wheel axle support; 3. Wheel cover downward tilt support; 4. Wheel cover upward tilt support; 41. Support column; 5. Edge support; 51. Second powder cleaning hole; 6. Support block. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0033] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0034] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like 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 an indirect connection 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 this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0035] The preferred embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0036] See also Figures 1 to 5 As shown, according to an embodiment of the present application, a support structure for 3D printing of an impeller is provided, comprising: a wheel back support portion 1, the wheel back support portion 1 is located in a three-dimensional space region between a range defined by a vertical projection of the wheel back of the impeller on a printing substrate and the wheel back itself, and the wheel back support portion 1 is used to provide printing support for the wheel back during printing; a wheel axle support portion 2, the wheel axle support portion 2 is located in a three-dimensional space region between a range defined by a vertical projection of the wheel axle of the impeller on the printing substrate and the wheel axle itself, and the wheel axle support portion 2 is used to provide printing support for the wheel axle during printing; a wheel cover downward tilt support portion 3, the wheel cover downward tilt support portion 3 is located in a three-dimensional space region between a wheel axle of the impeller The three-dimensional space area between the projection range that does not intersect with the vertical projection of the wheel back on the printing substrate and the wheel cover itself, the wheel cover downward inclined support part 3 is used to provide printing support for the downward inclined part of the wheel cover during printing; the wheel cover upward inclined support part 4, the wheel cover upward inclined support part 4 is located in the three-dimensional space area where the angle between the inlet of the impeller and the printing substrate is less than 45 degrees, the wheel cover upward inclined support part 4 is used to provide printing support for the upward inclined part of the wheel cover during printing; the edge support part 5, the edge support part 5 is located in the three-dimensional space area at the outlet of the impeller, and the edge support part 5 is used to provide printing support for the outer edge of the wheel cover and the wheel back during printing.

[0037] In this embodiment, the wheel back support part 1 is located in the three-dimensional space area between the range defined by the vertical projection of the wheel back of the impeller on the printing substrate and the wheel back itself, which can provide accurate and effective support for the wheel back during printing, ensuring that the uncured material layer can be firmly supported during the layer-by-layer printing and construction process of the wheel back, avoiding collapse, deformation and other problems due to lack of support, and ensuring the molding accuracy of the wheel back part. The wheel axle support part 2 is located in the three-dimensional space area between the range defined by the vertical projection of the wheel axle of the impeller on the printing substrate and the wheel axle itself, providing support for the wheel axle during printing, so that the wheel axle can maintain the correct shape and position during the 3D printing process, which helps to improve the molding quality of the wheel axle and prevent structural defects caused by insufficient support. The wheel cover downward inclined support part 3 is located in the three-dimensional space area between the projection range of the wheel cover of the impeller on the printing substrate that does not intersect with the vertical projection of the wheel back and the wheel cover itself, providing printing support for the downward inclined part of the wheel cover, which can effectively meet the special shape requirements of the downward inclined part of the wheel cover during printing, ensure the stability of this part of the structure during the molding process, and reduce possible deformation. The wheel cover's upwardly inclined support portion 4 is located in a three-dimensional space region where the angle between the impeller inlet and the printing substrate is less than 45 degrees, providing support for the upwardly inclined portion of the wheel cover, ensuring that it can be accurately formed according to the design requirements during the printing process and maintaining the integrity of the overall shape of the wheel cover.

[0038] Among them, the spatial area of ​​the wheel back support part 1 is determined as: starting from the range accurately defined by the vertical projection of the wheel back of the impeller on the printed substrate (including the projection contour boundary) as the bottom, extending upward from the bottom in a direction perpendicular to the printed substrate until it is completely in contact with the solid surface of the wheel back to form a continuous three-dimensional space part.

[0039] Specifically, when the wheel back of the impeller is vertically projected onto the printing substrate, a two-dimensional projection area is formed. The wheel back support portion 1 is located in the space between this projection area and the actual wheel back. It should be noted that the wheel back support portion 1 uniquely and exclusively provides stable and precise printing support for the wheel back during the 3D printing of the impeller to ensure that the wheel back maintains the shape, structural integrity and dimensional accuracy required by the design during the printing process. It is understandable that in the process of 3D printing the impeller, the materials are accumulated layer by layer. When the wheel back part is printed, if the uncured material layer is not supported, it is easy to collapse or deform. The wheel back support portion 1 is like a "scaffolding", providing support force under and around the wheel back to ensure that the wheel back can be accurately printed according to the designed shape.

[0040] Among them, the spatial area occupied by the axle support part 2 is defined by the range defined by the vertical projection of the impeller axle on the printed substrate (covering the projection boundary line) as the bottom, and extends from the bottom area along the direction perpendicular to the printed substrate to the entire three-dimensional space connected to the axle entity.

[0041] Specifically, the axle has a vertical projection on the printing substrate, and the space between this projection range and the axle itself is the position of the axle support part 2. It should be noted that the axle support part 2 is dedicated to providing effective printing support for the axle during printing, ensuring that the axle can be accurately formed and meet the predetermined structural and performance standards during the printing and construction process, and only has structural and functional characteristics related to the axle printing support. It is understandable that the axle also needs support to ensure its molding accuracy during the printing process due to its shape characteristics. The axle support part 2 can ensure that the axle will not change its shape during the 3D printing process due to insufficient support, so that the axle can be printed stably.

[0042] Among them, the spatial range of the downward-inclined support portion 3 of the wheel cover is: the projection range (including its boundary) of the impeller wheel cover on the printed substrate that has no intersection with the vertical projection of the wheel back is taken as the bottom space definition, and the three-dimensional space part is formed from this bottom projection area along the direction perpendicular to the printed substrate upward until it connects with the solid surface of the wheel cover.

[0043] Specifically, a part of the wheel cover is tilted downward, and the space between the wheel cover and the projection corresponding to this part on the printing substrate (excluding the part overlapping with the wheel back projection) is the position of the wheel cover tilted downward support part 3. It should be noted that the wheel cover tilted downward support part 3 provides reliable printing support specifically for the tilted downward part of the wheel cover during the printing process, so that the tilted downward part of the wheel cover can maintain the correct shape and structural stability during printing, and its structure and functional design are closely centered on the printing support task of the tilted downward part of the wheel cover, and do not involve other irrelevant functions or structural elements. It is understandable that the shape of the tilted downward part of the wheel cover is relatively special, and if there is no appropriate support during printing, quality problems are likely to occur. The wheel cover tilted downward support part 3 can effectively support this part of the wheel cover, so that the tilted downward part can remain stable during the printing process, ensuring its molding quality.

[0044] The spatial position of the wheel cover upwardly inclined support portion 4 is defined as being within a three-dimensional spatial region determined by an angle between the impeller inlet and the printed substrate being less than 45 degrees.

[0045] Specifically, the inlet of the impeller has a certain inclination angle. When this inclination angle is less than 45 degrees, a wheel cover inclined support portion 4 is provided in the surrounding space corresponding to this inclined portion. It should be noted that the only function of the wheel cover inclined support portion 4 during the 3D printing of the impeller is to provide precise printing support for the inclined portion of the wheel cover, to ensure that the inclined portion of the wheel cover can be successfully completed according to the design specifications during the printing and molding process, and the wheel cover inclined support portion 4 is only constructed to achieve the printing support of the inclined portion of the wheel cover, and there are no other additional structures or functional features that are not related to this core task. It can be understood that the inclined portion of the wheel cover also requires specific support to maintain its shape during the printing process. The wheel cover inclined support portion 4 can provide such support to prevent the inclined portion from being deformed during printing, and ensure that the inclined portion of the wheel cover can be correctly molded.

[0046] The edge support part 5 is located in the three-dimensional space area at the outlet of the impeller. Specifically, the edge support part 5 is arranged in the three-dimensional space corresponding to the position of the impeller outlet.

[0047] Specifically, the edge support portion 5 is located between the outer edge of the wheel cover and the outer edge of the wheel back. It is understandable that the outer edge of the wheel cover and the wheel back of the impeller is relatively fragile during the printing process and is easily deformed by external forces. The edge support portion 5 can support this part to ensure that the outer edge of the wheel cover and the wheel back can maintain a stable shape during printing, thereby improving the printing quality of the entire impeller.

[0048] In some possible implementations disclosed in this application, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, during printing, the impeller is in a non-overhanging structure, and the angle formed between the impeller and the printing substrate is at least 45 degrees.

[0049] In this embodiment, when the impeller is in a non-overhanging structure during printing, and the angle formed between the impeller and the printing substrate is greater than or equal to 45 degrees, no additional support structure is required inside the impeller flow channel. Thus, it is possible to avoid the situation where the residue or uneven surface left after the support structure is removed after the support structure is set inside the flow channel.

[0050] Among them, the impeller is in a non-overhanging structural state during printing, which can be understood as each layer of material of the impeller during the printing process has sufficient lower layer material or support structure to ensure its stable printing, so that the material can be smoothly deposited relying on itself and the support of the lower layer material, thereby eliminating the need to add additional support structure inside the flow channel.

[0051] The angle between the impeller and the printing substrate refers to the angle formed by a main plane of the impeller (such as the plane where the central axis of the impeller is located) or a key part of the impeller (such as the axle, wheel cover, etc.) and the plane of the printing substrate. It should be noted that when this angle is greater than 45 degrees, the component of the impeller's own gravity perpendicular to the printing direction is relatively small, so that during the printing process of the impeller, each layer of material has a smaller tendency to deform under its own gravity, which is conducive to reducing the risk of material deformation and collapse caused by gravity.

[0052] Specifically, in this embodiment, the angle formed between the impeller and the printing substrate is preferably 45 degrees.

[0053] In some possible implementations disclosed in this application, see Figure 3 As shown, the wheel back support portion 1 includes: an outer shell wall 11 and support ribs 12; the support ribs 12 are arranged in the outer shell wall 11, and there are multiple support ribs 12, which are parallel to each other and extend along the height direction of the wheel back support portion 1.

[0054] In this embodiment, the outer shell wall 11, as the outer layer structure of the wheel back support portion 1, can provide a relatively closed support environment for the wheel back, preventing foreign matter from entering the printing area and affecting the molding of the wheel back. At the same time, the outer shell wall 11 also provides a certain support force for the wheel back as a whole, preventing the wheel back from being deformed due to the influence of lateral force during the printing process. Furthermore, a plurality of support ribs 12 that are parallel to each other and extend along the height direction of the wheel back support portion 1 are arranged in the outer shell wall 11, which can enhance the structural strength of the wheel back support portion 1, share the pressure borne by the wheel back support portion 1 during the printing process, and prevent the wheel back support portion 1 from local collapse or deformation.

[0055] The outer shell wall 11 is the outermost structure wrapped around the wheel back support part 1. During the 3D printing process, the outer shell wall 11 is in direct contact with the external environment, which can prevent external factors from interfering with the internal structure of the wheel back support part 1 and the wheel back being printed, and has the function of protecting the internal structure and the wheel back.

[0056] Among them, the support ribs 12 can be vertical plates, the support ribs 12 are located inside the outer shell wall 11, the number of the support ribs 12 is multiple, and the multiple support ribs 12 are arranged parallel to each other. During the 3D printing process, when the wheel back is subjected to the pressure brought by the accumulation of materials, the outer shell wall 11 first bears a part of the pressure, and then the pressure is transmitted to the multiple support ribs 12, and finally the pressure is dispersed to the entire wheel back support part 1 through the multiple support ribs 12, thereby ensuring that the wheel back can be stably supported during the printing process.

[0057] In the above embodiments, see Figure 3As shown, each supporting rib 12 is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs 13 , and the plurality of reinforcing ribs 13 are arranged at equal intervals.

[0058] Here, the reinforcing ribs 13 are arranged on the supporting ribs 12, which can effectively improve the bending strength and torsional strength of the supporting ribs 12. In the process of 3D printing the impeller, the wheel back support part 1 needs to bear the gravity of the wheel back material and the stress generated by the shrinkage and expansion of the material during the printing process. When the supporting ribs 12 are subjected to these forces, the reinforcing ribs 13 can enhance the ability of the ribs to resist deformation.

[0059] Among them, the reinforcing rib 13 is in the shape of a long strip, which is attached to the supporting rib 12 and extends in the same direction as the supporting rib 12. During the 3D printing operation of the wheel back, the supporting rib 12 will be subjected to various external forces such as the weight of the printing material, the stress caused by the shrinkage or expansion of the material due to thermal expansion and contraction, etc. At this time, the reinforcing rib 13 effectively strengthens the force resistance performance of the supporting rib 12 at various local parts by virtue of its same-direction extension characteristics and close attachment relationship with the supporting rib 12, thereby greatly improving the overall ability of the supporting rib 12 to cope with external force impacts, ensuring that the wheel back can obtain a more stable and reliable support structure during the printing process.

[0060] Specifically, each supporting rib 12 is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs 13, and the plurality of reinforcing ribs 13 are evenly distributed on the supporting rib 12, so that the stress borne by the entire supporting rib 12 is more uniform, thereby avoiding stress concentration in certain weak areas, which may cause deformation or damage to the weak areas.

[0061] Further, see Figure 3 As shown, a first powder cleaning hole 14 is opened on the outer shell wall 11 and the supporting rib 12 , and the first powder cleaning hole 14 is used to clean the printing powder remaining inside the wheel back supporting part 1 .

[0062] It should be noted that during the 3D printing process, printing powder may remain inside the wheel back support part 1. If these residual powders are not cleaned up in time, they may be mixed into the new printing material during the subsequent printing process, resulting in uneven material composition. The existence of the first powder cleaning hole 14 can effectively clean up these residual powders and ensure the purity of the printing material, thereby improving the printing quality of the wheel back part and making the wheel back structure more dense and uniform, meeting the design requirements.

[0063] Specifically, the first powder cleaning hole 14 is a through hole. The first powder cleaning hole 14 opened on the outer shell wall 11 can reach the inner space of the wheel back support part 1, providing a cleaning channel for some powder remaining inside the outer shell wall 11. The first powder cleaning hole 14 opened on the support ribs 12 can effectively clean the printing powder remaining between different support ribs 12 and around the support ribs 12.

[0064] In some possible implementations disclosed in this application, see Figure 4 As shown, the wheel axle support portion 2 and the wheel cover tilt support portion 3 both include a plurality of support blocks 6, and the plurality of support blocks 6 are arranged at equal intervals.

[0065] In this embodiment, since the multiple support blocks 6 are arranged at equal intervals with a certain gap between them, compared with a whole support structure, the contact area with the surrounding structure is smaller during removal, and the resistance such as friction and adhesion is also smaller, thereby making it easier to separate the support block 6 from the inclined part of the wheel axle or wheel cover, reducing the difficulty of removal.

[0066] Specifically, the cross-sectional size of the support block 6 may be 5 mm×5 mm, and the interval between two adjacent support blocks 6 may be 0.7 mm.

[0067] In the above embodiments, see Figure 4 As shown, the support block 6 is a porous structure, and a plurality of mutually independent pore spaces are formed inside the support block 6, and the pore spaces extend in a direction perpendicular to the printing substrate.

[0068] Here, the support block 6 adopts a porous structure, and there are multiple independent pore spaces inside, which can reduce the material usage of the support block 6 while ensuring the support strength, reduce the material cost, and improve the economic benefits of large-scale production of impellers. In addition, when the support block 6 is subjected to pressure, the stress will be transmitted along the solid part around the pore space, rather than concentrated in certain areas as in a solid structure, which helps to disperse the stress and improve the overall stability of the support block 6.

[0069] Specifically, the cross-sectional size of the pore space may be 0.7 mm×0.7 mm.

[0070] In some possible implementations disclosed in this application, see Figure 5 As shown, the wheel cover upwardly inclined support part 4 includes a plurality of support columns 41, the first ends of the plurality of support columns 41 are relatively fixed to the wheel cover, and the second ends of a plurality of support columns 41 are relatively fixed to the hub of the impeller.

[0071] In this embodiment, a plurality of support columns 41 can provide support force upward from the inner side of the wheel cover, effectively resisting the sagging tendency of the wheel cover material due to gravity when it is not solidified, and ensuring that the upward inclined portion of the wheel cover can be accurately printed according to the design requirements. At the same time, the support column 41 structure of the upward inclined support portion 4 of the wheel cover is relatively independent. When the support structure needs to be removed after 3D printing is completed, this independence allows each support column 41 to be operated separately. Compared with the integral support structure, there is no need to deal with complex connection parts or large-area adhesion structures, which greatly reduces the difficulty of removal.

[0072] Among them, the support column 41 can be a slender cylinder or prism, and its size (such as length, diameter or side length, etc.) can be determined according to factors such as the specific size of the impeller, the upward inclination angle of the wheel cover and the required support strength, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0073] Specifically, during the 3D printing process, when the upwardly inclined part of the wheel cover generates greater pressure due to the accumulation of printing materials, the support column 41 connected to the wheel hub can transmit this part of the pressure to the wheel hub, using the stability of the wheel hub to resist the pressure, thereby ensuring the stability of the shape and position of the wheel cover.

[0074] In some possible implementations disclosed in this application, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the edge support portion 5 is an annular thin-wall structure, and the wall thickness of the annular thin-wall structure is 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0075] In this embodiment, the edge support portion 5 is set as an annular thin-walled structure, which can fit the shape of the impeller edge well and provide all-round surrounding support for the impeller edge. At the same time, the wall thickness of the annular structure is set between 0.3mm and 0.5mm, which can provide sufficient support strength without having a negative impact on the printing process due to excessive thickness.

[0076] Specifically, during the 3D printing process, the edge of the impeller is easily deformed by external factors (such as slight vibration of the printing equipment, unbalanced force when materials are piled up, etc.) due to its relatively special position. At this time, the edge support portion 5 of the annular thin-walled structure can stably support the edge of the impeller to ensure that it maintains the correct shape and position during the printing process.

[0077] In some possible implementations disclosed in this application, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a second powder cleaning hole 51 is opened on the edge support portion 5, and the second powder cleaning hole 51 is used to clean the printing powder remaining inside the impeller.

[0078] In this embodiment, the printing powder remaining inside the impeller is cleaned through the second powder cleaning hole 51 to avoid mixing into the new printing material of the printing powder, effectively ensuring the purity of the printing material, thereby ensuring the stability of the internal structural quality of the impeller, and significantly improving the overall printing quality of the impeller. At the same time, the second powder cleaning hole 51 can also be used as a channel to observe the internal situation of the impeller. After printing is completed or during the maintenance of the impeller, some simple tools (such as an endoscope) can be used through the powder cleaning hole to check whether there is residual powder inside the impeller, whether there are structural defects, etc., which helps to find problems in time and take corresponding measures to improve the quality control and maintenance efficiency of the impeller.

[0079] Specifically, the second powder cleaning hole 51 can be directly opened on the edge support part 5. Since the edge support part 5 is an annular thin-walled structure, the second powder cleaning hole 51 can be directly excavated at a suitable position of the annular thin wall. It should be noted that the distribution of the second powder cleaning holes 51 can be uniform, or it can be arranged in a targeted manner according to the internal structural characteristics of the impeller and the principle of being most conducive to cleaning the powder. For example, it may be relatively densely opened in the area close to the inside of the impeller where powder is easily accumulated, and appropriately sparse in other areas.

[0080] It is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that, under the premise of no conflict, the above-mentioned advantageous methods can be freely combined and superimposed.

[0081] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application. The above are only preferred implementations of the present application. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and variations can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present application, and these improvements and variations should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A support structure for impeller 3D printing, characterized in that: include: A wheel back support portion (1), the wheel back support portion (1) being located in a three-dimensional space region between a range defined by a vertical projection of the wheel back of the impeller on the printing substrate and the wheel back itself, the wheel back support portion (1) being used to provide printing support for the wheel back during printing; an axle support portion (2), the axle support portion (2) being located in a three-dimensional space region between a range defined by a vertical projection of the axle of the impeller on the printing substrate and the axle itself, the axle support portion (2) being used to provide printing support for the axle during printing; A wheel cover downwardly inclined support portion (3), the wheel cover downwardly inclined support portion (3) being located in a three-dimensional space region between a projection range of the wheel cover of the impeller on the printing substrate that does not intersect with a vertical projection of the wheel back and the wheel cover itself, the wheel cover downwardly inclined support portion (3) being used to provide printing support for the downwardly inclined portion of the wheel cover during printing; A wheel cover upwardly inclined support portion (4), the wheel cover upwardly inclined support portion (4) being located in a three-dimensional space region where an angle between the inlet of the impeller and the printing substrate is less than 45 degrees, the wheel cover upwardly inclined support portion (4) being used to provide printing support for the upwardly inclined portion of the wheel cover during printing; An edge support portion (5), the edge support portion (5) is located in a three-dimensional space area at the outlet of the impeller, and the edge support portion (5) is used to provide printing support for the outer edge portions of the wheel cover and the wheel back during printing.

2. The support structure for 3D printing of an impeller according to claim 1, characterized in that: During the printing, the impeller is in a non-overhanging structure, and the angle formed between the impeller and the printing substrate is at least 45 degrees.

3. The support structure for 3D printing of an impeller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wheel back support portion (1) comprises: An outer shell wall (11) and supporting ribs (12); The supporting ribs (12) are arranged in the outer shell wall (11), and a plurality of the supporting ribs (12) are provided. The plurality of supporting ribs (12) are parallel to each other and extend along the height direction of the wheel back supporting portion (1).

4. The support structure for 3D printing of an impeller according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each of the supporting ribs (12) is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs (13), and the plurality of reinforcing ribs (13) are arranged at equal intervals.

5. The support structure for 3D printing of an impeller according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outer shell wall (11) and the supporting ribs (12) are provided with first powder cleaning holes (14), and the first powder cleaning holes (14) are used to clean the printing powder remaining inside the wheel back supporting part (1).

6. The support structure for 3D printing of an impeller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wheel axle support portion (2) and the wheel cover downward tilt support portion (3) both include a plurality of support blocks (6), and the plurality of support blocks (6) are arranged at equal intervals.

7. The support structure for 3D printing of an impeller according to claim 6, characterized in that: The support block (6) is a porous structure, and a plurality of mutually independent pore spaces are formed inside the support block (6), wherein the pore spaces extend in a direction perpendicular to the printing substrate.

8. The support structure for 3D printing of an impeller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wheel cover upwardly inclined support portion (4) comprises a plurality of support columns (41), the first ends of the plurality of support columns (41) are relatively fixed to the wheel cover, and the second ends of a plurality of the support columns (41) are relatively fixed to the hub of the impeller.

9. The support structure for 3D printing of an impeller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The edge support portion (5) is an annular thin-wall structure, and the wall thickness of the annular thin-wall structure is 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm.

10. The support structure for 3D printing of an impeller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The edge support portion (5) is provided with a second powder cleaning hole (51), and the second powder cleaning hole (51) is used to clean the printing powder remaining inside the impeller.

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