Substrate assembly equipment and method for metal 3D printing procedure
By designing an automated substrate assembly equipment for metal 3D printing process, the problems of low substrate assembly accuracy and efficiency in the prior art are solved, and high-precision substrate installation and adjustment are achieved, and production efficiency and workpiece quality are improved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510182568.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-19
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-16
AI Technical Summary
In the existing metal 3D printing process, there are problems of poor accuracy control and low production efficiency in the substrate assembly process, which are mainly due to errors and cumbersome operating procedures caused by manual assembly.
A substrate assembly equipment including frame, cylinder assembly, transplanting assembly, hoisting assembly and horizontal conveying assembly is designed to achieve precise installation and adjustment of the substrate through automated detection and adjustment means.
The equipment can fully automaticly complete the installation, level detection and adjustment of the substrate in an integrated equipment, significantly improving production efficiency, reducing manual operation difficulty and cost, and improving the quality and consistency of the workpiece.
Smart Images

Figure CN120002011A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of metal 3D printing, and in particular relates to a substrate assembly device and method for a metal 3D printing process. Background Art
[0002] Metal 3D printing technology, also known as metal additive manufacturing, is an advanced manufacturing process that builds three-dimensional metal parts by adding materials layer by layer. This technology is widely used in finishing fields such as aerospace, automobile, medical, and mold manufacturing. It can be used to produce parts with complex geometries and can achieve design freedom and performance optimization that are difficult to achieve with traditional manufacturing methods.
[0003] Under the existing technology, the assembly process of the substrate in the metal 3D printing process is mostly performed manually. For example, during the loading operation of the substrate, the horizontal height difference of the substrate will directly affect the printing quality of the molded workpiece, as well as the reliability of the substrate's support for the molded workpiece. The substrate leveling in the manual assembly process is performed manually by measuring the multi-point height using tools such as vernier calipers to tighten the screws that fix the substrate. This is subject to human errors and poor consistency. At the same time, since the substrate and cylinder body are generally heavy, the existing equipment uses a crane or lifting equipment to lift the substrate in or out, and then manually fixes or removes the substrate screws. The process is relatively cumbersome, time-consuming and labor-intensive, which seriously affects production efficiency and increases production costs, limiting the development of the metal 3D printing industry. Summary of the invention
[0004] The present invention aims to provide a substrate assembly device and method for a metal 3D printing process, so as to solve the technical problems in the prior art that conventional substrate assembly devices and methods result in poor height accuracy control of the assembled substrate and low production efficiency.
[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the technical solution of the present invention is: a substrate assembly device for a metal 3D printing process, characterized in that it includes: frame; A cylinder assembly, the cylinder assembly is movably arranged at a first height inside the frame, the cylinder assembly comprises a cylinder body and a supporting plate, a vertical through-accommodation channel is arranged inside the cylinder body, the supporting plate is horizontally arranged in the accommodating channel, and can be lifted and lowered along the length extension direction of the accommodating channel, and the top opening size of the cylinder body is larger than the size of the supporting plate; A transplanting assembly, wherein the transplanting assembly is arranged at a second height of the top of the frame, and the transplanting assembly in a standby state is coaxially arranged with the cylinder assembly in the assembly station in the vertical direction, and the transplanting assembly comprises a first guide rail, a first drag chain mechanism and a connecting member loosening mechanism configured on both sides, the connecting member loosening mechanism is slidably connected to the first guide rail, and the first drag chain mechanism is used to drive the connecting member loosening mechanism to realize horizontal reciprocating movement along the extension direction of the length of the first guide rail; The substrate assembly equipment is configured such that, when the cylinder assembly enters the assembly station, the supporting plate moves vertically to the upper limit position, a substrate is placed at a relative position on the top surface of the supporting plate, the first drag chain mechanism drives the connecting member tensioning mechanism to move horizontally to the connecting hole position between the supporting plate and the substrate, and the fastening shaft of the connecting member tensioning mechanism implants or removes the connecting member at the connecting hole position between the supporting plate and the substrate.
[0006] Preferably, a substrate assembly device for a metal 3D printing process further comprises a lifting assembly, which is arranged at a third height inside the frame and is coaxially arranged with the cylinder assembly at the assembly station in the vertical direction, and the bottom opening size of the cylinder body is larger than the cross-sectional size of the lifting arm of the lifting assembly and smaller than the size of the supporting plate; When the cylinder assembly enters the assembly station, the lifting arm of the lifting assembly extends upward in the vertical direction, passes through the bottom opening of the cylinder body and supports the supporting plate to move to the upper limit position along the length extension direction of the accommodating channel.
[0007] Preferably, a substrate assembly device for a metal 3D printing process further comprises a horizontal conveying assembly, the horizontal conveying assembly being arranged at a first height inside the frame, the horizontal conveying assembly being provided with a second guide rail, a bearing plate and a second drag chain mechanism, the bearing plate being slidably connected to the second guide rail, and the second drag chain mechanism being used to drive the bearing plate to realize horizontal reciprocating movement along the extension direction of the length of the second guide rail; The top surface of the carrying plate is used to carry the cylinder assembly, and the horizontal conveying assembly is used to convey the cylinder assembly from the loading station to the assembly station, or from the assembly station to the unloading station.
[0008] Preferably, the connection holes of the substrate include a plurality of first connection holes and second connection holes penetrating the edges on both sides, and the connection holes of the supporting plate include a plurality of third connection holes vertically matching the first connection holes on the edges on both sides; The connecting member includes a locking bolt and a top screw bolt. When the locking bolt is sequentially passed through the first connecting hole to the third connecting hole, the relative positions of the base plate and the supporting plate are fixed; The top screw bolt passes through the second connection hole, and the contact end surface of the top screw bolt abuts against the top surface of the supporting plate. The height value of the base plate relative to the supporting plate can be adjusted by rotating the locking amount of the top screw bolt in the forward or reverse direction.
[0009] Preferably, the connecting piece loosening and tightening mechanisms configured on both sides are provided with a plurality of connecting piece storage racks at the second height of the top surface of the frame, wherein a plurality of connecting pieces arranged in a vertical single row and in a linear manner are stored inside the connecting piece storage racks, and the plurality of connecting pieces are respectively coaxially arranged with the fastening shafts at different moving positions; The connector loosening and tightening mechanism is also provided with a lifting device, and the lifting assembly is fixedly connected to the fastening shaft, and is used to drive the fastening shaft to reciprocate in the vertical direction. The fastening shaft is configured to absorb and move the connector, and apply torque to the connector through a screwdriver bit that is adapted to the top driving surface of the connector.
[0010] Preferably, the horizontally arranged extension directions of the plurality of connecting members, the first connecting hole, the second connecting hole and the third connecting hole located on the same side are maintained in the same direction, and are all located in the moving track plane of the axis of the fastening shaft.
[0011] Preferably, the end of the fastening shaft in contact with the connecting piece is made of soft magnetic material, and the connecting piece is made of ferromagnetic metal material; Alternatively, a vacuum negative pressure air port is provided at the end of the fastening shaft that contacts the connecting piece.
[0012] Preferably, the transplanting assembly further comprises a horizontal detection mechanism configured on both sides, the horizontal detection mechanism is slidably connected to the first guide rail, and the first drag chain mechanism is used to drive the horizontal detection mechanism to realize horizontal reciprocating movement along the length extension direction of the first guide rail; The horizontal detection mechanism is used to measure the horizontal height parameters of different positions of the substrate placed on the top surface of the supporting plate.
[0013] Preferably, the transplanting assembly is provided with a visual sensor facing the connector storage rack, and the visual sensor is used to detect the positions of a plurality of locking bolts and top screw bolts stored in the connector storage rack.
[0014] Based on the same concept, the present invention also provides a substrate assembly method for a metal 3D printing process, which is applied to a substrate assembly device for a metal 3D printing process as described in any one of the above, and comprises the following steps: S1: placing a cylinder assembly at a loading and unloading station of a horizontal conveying assembly, and the horizontal conveying assembly moves the cylinder assembly to an assembly station; S2: The lifting assembly supports the supporting plate to move upward to the upper limit position; S31: When the cylinder assembly needs to load the substrate, the connection part loosening mechanism is driven to move horizontally, so that the fastening shaft moves to the top of the locking bolt and the top screw bolt in the connection part storage rack, the fastening shaft absorbs the locking bolt and the top screw bolt, and the connection part loosening mechanism is driven to move horizontally again, so that the fastening shaft, the locking bolt and the top screw bolt move to the connection hole between the supporting plate and the substrate, and the fastening shaft tightens the locking bolt and the top screw bolt; S32: driving the horizontal detection mechanism to move horizontally, detecting the height parameters at each position of the substrate, establishing a horizontal height model of the substrate, calculating the height deviation at each position of the substrate, and calculating the adjustment rotation direction and number of turns of the top screw bolt and the locking bolt corresponding to the height deviation; S33: driving the connection piece loosening mechanism to move horizontally so that the fastening shaft moves to the top of the connection piece to be adjusted, and adjusting the rotation direction and number of turns of the locking bolt and the top screw bolt. When the actual height of the substrate is lower than the preset height, the connection piece loosening mechanism loosens the locking bolt, and then tightens the top screw bolt in a specific rotation direction and number of turns to raise the height of the substrate, and finally tightens the locking bolt; when the actual height of the substrate is higher than the preset height, the connection piece loosening mechanism loosens the top screw bolt in a specific rotation direction and number of turns, and then tightens the locking bolt to lower the height of the substrate; S34: repeating steps S32-S33 until the actual height values at each position of the substrate meet the preset height requirements; S41: When the cylinder assembly needs to unload the substrate, the connection member loosening mechanism is driven to move horizontally, so that the fastening shaft is moved to the connection hole between the supporting plate and the substrate in sequence, and the fastening shaft loosens the locking bolt and the top screw bolt therein, and absorbs the locking bolt and the top screw bolt; S42: driving the connecting piece loosening and tightening mechanism to move horizontally again, so that the fastening shaft, the locking bolt and the top screw bolt are moved to the top of the connecting piece storage rack, and the locking bolt and the top screw bolt are stored in the connecting piece storage rack again.
[0015] Due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the present invention has the following advantages and positive effects compared with the prior art: The present invention provides a substrate assembly device and method for a metal 3D printing process, which is provided with a cylinder assembly, a transplanting assembly, a lifting assembly and a horizontal conveying assembly. When performing the substrate assembly operation, the lifting assembly transfers the supporting plate to the plane where the transplanting assembly is located, and a connector tensioning mechanism automatically implants or removes the connector from the connection hole between the supporting plate and the substrate. After the connector is implanted, a horizontal detection mechanism can detect the height parameters at various positions of the substrate, establish a horizontal height model of the substrate, calculate the height deviation at various positions of the substrate, and calculate the adjustment rotation direction and number of turns of the connector corresponding to the height deviation. The connector tensioning mechanism adjusts the locking amount of the connector again until the height parameters at various positions of the substrate meet the preset accuracy requirements. Through the present invention, by utilizing high-precision detection means and height adjustment algorithms, the installation of the substrate, the detection of the horizontality of the substrate installation, the adjustment of the horizontality of the substrate, and the disassembly of the substrate can be effectively and fully automatically completed in an integrated device, which effectively simplifies the production process, improves production efficiency, reduces the difficulty of manual operation, and reduces labor costs. It also effectively overcomes the problems of low existing production efficiency and the quality consistency of workpieces affected by human operation errors, improves the quality of products, and reduces the unqualified rate of products. At the same time, it provides new ideas for the development of automation in the metal 3D printing industry, and has excellent practical value and promotion value. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall external structure of a substrate assembly device for a metal 3D printing process provided by the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the overall internal structure of a substrate assembly device for a metal 3D printing process provided by the present invention; Figure 3 A first structural schematic diagram of a transplanting assembly provided by the present invention; Figure 4 A second structural schematic diagram of the transplanting assembly provided by the present invention; Figure 5 A third structural schematic diagram of the transplanting assembly provided by the present invention; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the connection structure between the base plate and the supporting plate provided by the present invention; Figure 7 A schematic structural diagram of a horizontal conveying assembly provided by the present invention; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the process flow of substrate loading operation in a metal 3D printing process provided by the present invention; Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the process flow of a substrate disassembly operation in a metal 3D printing process provided by the present invention.
[0017] Description of reference numerals: 1: frame; 101: frame opening; 2: Cylinder assembly; 201: Cylinder body; 202: Supporting plate; 3: Transplanting assembly; 301: First guide rail; 302: First drag chain mechanism; 303: Fastening shaft; 304: Connector storage rack; 305: Connector; 3051: Locking bolt; 3052: Top screw bolt; 306: Lifting device; 307: Level detection mechanism; 4: Lifting assembly; 5: horizontal conveying assembly; 501: second guide rail; 502: bearing plate; 503: second drag chain mechanism; 6: substrate; 601: first connection hole; 602: second connection hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] The following is a further detailed description of a substrate assembly device and method for a metal 3D printing process proposed by the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description and claims.
[0019] First embodiment See also Figure 1-Figure 7 The present embodiment provides a substrate assembly device for a metal 3D printing process, which is used to fully automatically realize the loading or disassembly operation of a substrate 6 in the metal 3D printing process, and in the substrate loading operation, the horizontal height installation accuracy of the substrate 6 can be effectively guaranteed. The main structure of the substrate assembly device includes a frame 1, a cylinder assembly 2 and a transplanting assembly 3.
[0020] Among them, the frame 1 is provided with an independent or connected accommodating space inside, and the outer wall is provided with material openings for loading and unloading and process openings required for the operation of each component device. The frame 1 is used to provide physical support and fixing functions for the various component devices inside the substrate assembly equipment, and to shield and protect against impact, vibration, dust or other harmful factors in the external environment. An escalator is provided on the outside of the frame 1 to facilitate the operator to safely go to the middle or top position of the frame 1 to realize loading and unloading operations or maintenance and inspection of each component device.
[0021] In this embodiment, the frame 1 can be understood as having a three-layer structure, with the middle layer of the frame 1 being the first height, the top layer end surface of the frame 1 being the second height, and the bottom layer of the frame 1 being the third height.
[0022] The cylinder assembly 2 is movably arranged at a first height inside the frame 1. The cylinder assembly 2 includes a cylinder body 201 and a supporting plate 202. A vertically penetrating accommodating channel is provided inside the cylinder body 201. The supporting plate 202 is horizontally arranged in the accommodating channel and can be raised and lowered along the length extension direction of the accommodating channel. The top opening size of the cylinder body 201 is larger than the size of the supporting plate 202.
[0023] That is, in this embodiment, the cylinder body 201 can be understood as a hollow cylindrical structure, and the supporting plate 202 is horizontally arranged in the accommodating channel inside the cylinder body 201. When the cylinder body 201 is placed vertically, the supporting plate 202 can maintain a horizontal posture and move up and down. The maximum rising limit position of the supporting plate 202 is set as the upper limit position, and the upper limit position is higher than the top opening edge of the cylinder body 201.
[0024] The transplanting assembly 3 is arranged at the second height of the top of the frame 1, and the transplanting assembly 3 in the standby state is coaxially arranged in the vertical direction with the cylinder assembly 2 in the assembly station. The transplanting assembly 3 includes a first guide rail 301, a first drag chain mechanism 302 and a connecting member tensioning mechanism configured on both sides. The connecting member tensioning mechanism is slidably connected to the first guide rail 301, and the first drag chain mechanism 302 is used to drive the connecting member tensioning mechanism to realize horizontal reciprocating movement along the length extension direction of the first guide rail 301.
[0025] In this embodiment, the transplanting assembly 3 is provided with two groups of symmetrical and parallel first guide rails 301, a first drag chain mechanism 302 and a connector tensioning mechanism. The frame 1 is also provided with a frame opening 101 on the top surface of its second height. The frame opening 101 is also coaxially arranged with the cylinder assembly 2 in the assembly station in the vertical direction. The frame opening 101 is adapted to the size of the supporting plate 202, and the frame opening 101 is located between the two groups of first guide rails 301. When the cylinder assembly 2 enters the assembly station, the supporting plate 202 moves vertically to the upper limit position. At this time, the supporting plate 202 is separated from the internal accommodating channel of the cylinder body 201, and is connected to the outer The supporting plate 202 has space contact with the base plate 6, and a base plate 6 is placed at a relative position on the top surface of the supporting plate 202. A connector 305 is provided at the connection hole positions between the base plate 6 and the supporting plate 202 to achieve a fixed connection between the two. In this embodiment, the first drag chain mechanism 302 can drive the connector tensioning mechanism to move horizontally to each connection hole position between the supporting plate 202 and the base plate 6. The connector tensioning mechanism is provided with a fastening shaft 303. The fastening shaft 303 can implant or remove the connector 305 into or out of each connection hole position between the supporting plate 202 and the base plate 6, thereby achieving loading operations between the base plate 6 and the supporting plate 202, or disassembly operations between the base plate 6 and the supporting plate 202.
[0026] In summary, this embodiment provides a substrate assembly device for a metal 3D printing process. By setting the transfer component 3, the loading or disassembly operation of the substrate 6 in the metal 3D printing process is fully automatic, thereby improving the assembly efficiency of the substrate 6.
[0027] The specific structure and function of a substrate assembly device for a metal 3D printing process provided by this embodiment will be further described in detail below: Preferably, in one embodiment, the substrate assembly equipment also includes a lifting assembly 4, which is arranged at a third height inside the frame 1 and is coaxially arranged with the cylinder assembly 2 at the assembly station in the vertical direction. The lifting assembly 4 is provided with a lifting arm, which can be extended or accommodated in the vertical direction, wherein the bottom opening size of the cylinder body 201 is larger than the cross-sectional size of the lifting arm of the lifting assembly 4 and smaller than the size of the supporting plate 202.
[0028] That is, in this embodiment, when the cylinder assembly 2 enters the assembly station, the lifting arm of the lifting assembly 4 extends upward in the vertical direction, passes through the bottom opening of the cylinder body 201, and abuts against the center of the bottom surface of the supporting plate 202, and finally supports the supporting plate 202 to move to the upper limit position along the length extension direction of the accommodating channel.
[0029] It is worth mentioning that in the present embodiment, since the bottom opening size of the cylinder body 201 is smaller than the size of the supporting plate 202, when the jacking arm of the jacking assembly 4 is retracted, the supporting plate 202 falls to the bottom of the cylinder body 201 at the lowest point, preventing the supporting plate 202 from detaching from the bottom opening of the cylinder body 201.
[0030] Preferably, in one embodiment, the substrate assembly equipment also includes a horizontal conveying component 5, which is arranged at a first height inside the frame 1. The horizontal conveying component 5 is provided with a second guide rail 501, a supporting plate 502 and a second drag chain mechanism 503. The supporting plate 502 is slidingly connected to the second guide rail 501, and the second drag chain mechanism 503 is used to drive the supporting plate 502 to realize horizontal reciprocating movement along the length extension direction of the second guide rail 501.
[0031] The load-bearing plate 502 is set to be located on the side of the second guide rail 501 away from the transplanting assembly 3 and the lifting assembly 4 as the loading and unloading station of the cylinder assembly 2, and the load-bearing plate 502 is located on the side of the second guide rail 501 close to the transplanting assembly 3 and the lifting assembly 4 as the assembly station of the cylinder assembly 2. The load-bearing plate 502 is used to carry the cylinder assembly 2, that is, the horizontal conveying assembly 5 is used to convey the cylinder assembly 2 from the loading station to the assembly station, and to convey the cylinder assembly 2 from the assembly station back to the unloading station.
[0032] Preferably, in one embodiment, the connection holes of the substrate 6 include a plurality of first connection holes 601 and a second connection hole 602 penetrating the edges on both sides, and the connection holes of the supporting plate 202 include a plurality of third connection holes on both sides of the edges that vertically match the first connection holes 601, that is, when the substrate 6 is correctly placed on the top surface of the supporting plate 202, the first connection hole 601 of the substrate 6 and the third connection hole position of the supporting plate 202 correspond vertically.
[0033] The connecting member 305 includes a locking bolt 3051 and a top screw bolt 3052. The inner walls of the first connecting hole of the base plate 6 and the third connecting hole of the supporting plate 202 are provided with threads adapted to the locking bolt 3051. When the locking bolt 3051 is passed through the first connecting hole to the third connecting hole in sequence, the relative position of the base plate and the supporting plate is fixed.
[0034] The inner wall of the second connecting hole 602 of the base plate 6 is provided with a thread adapted to the top screw bolt 3052. After the top screw bolt 3052 passes through the second connecting hole 602, the contact end face of the top screw bolt 3052 can abut against the top surface of the supporting plate. After the top screw bolt 3052 abuts against the supporting plate, the height value of the base plate relative to the supporting plate can be adjusted by rotating the locking amount of the top screw bolt 3052 in the forward or reverse direction.
[0035] In this embodiment, when the fastening shaft 303 is implanted or removed from the connecting member 305 at each connecting hole position between the supporting plate 202 and the substrate 6, if the rotation amount of the top screw bolt 3052 is too much, the top surface height of the substrate 6 will be too high. Conversely, if the rotation amount of the top screw bolt 3052 is too little, the top surface height of the substrate 6 will be too low. Therefore, in this embodiment, by setting the locking bolt 3051 and the top screw bolt 3052, the height of the substrate 6 can be adjusted secondary, eliminating the horizontal height deviation of the substrate 6 caused by the error of the connecting member's tightening mechanism itself, thereby improving the printing accuracy, reducing the deformation and dimensional error of the molded workpiece, and improving the support reliability of the molded workpiece.
[0036] Preferably, in one embodiment, the connector tensioning mechanism configured on both sides is provided with a plurality of connector storage racks 304 at the second height of the top surface of the frame 1, and a plurality of connectors 305 arranged in a vertical single row and linearly are stored inside the connector storage racks 304. The plurality of connectors 305 are respectively coaxially arranged with the fastening shaft 303 when they are in different moving positions. In this embodiment, the connector storage racks 304 include at least two groups, one group is used to store the locking bolts 3051, and the other group is used to store the top screw bolts 3052.
[0037] Furthermore, the connector storage rack 304 may be provided with a plurality of connector storage slots, any of which may be vertically placed in a connector 305, and when the connector storage rack 304 stores a plurality of connectors 305, the plurality of connectors 305 are arranged in a straight line relative to each other, and at the same time, when the first drag chain mechanism 302 drives the connector tensioning mechanism to realize horizontal reciprocating movement along the length extension direction of the first guide rail 301, the fastening shaft 303 may pass through the connector storage rack 304, and the fastening shaft 303 is vertically aligned with each connector 305, that is, the axis of the fastening shaft 303 is coaxially arranged with each connector 305.
[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the connection piece tensioning mechanism is further provided with a lifting device 306, which is fixedly connected to the fastening shaft 303 and is used to drive the fastening shaft 303 to reciprocate in the vertical direction. At the same time, the fastening shaft 303 also has the function of adsorbing the connection piece 305. When the first drag chain mechanism 302 drives the connection piece tensioning mechanism to reciprocate horizontally along the length extension direction of the first guide rail 301, if the fastening shaft 303 needs to obtain the connection piece from the connection piece storage rack 304, When the connecting member 305 is to be taken, the first drag chain mechanism 302 drives the fastening shaft 303 to stay just above the connecting member 305 to be taken, and then the lifting device 306 drives the fastening shaft 303 to move vertically downward. After the fastening shaft 303 adsorbs the connecting member 305, the lifting device 306 drives the fastening shaft 303 to move vertically upward. Finally, the first drag chain mechanism 302 drives the fastening shaft 303 to carry the connecting member 305 to the connection hole position between the supporting plate 202 and the base plate 6, thereby realizing the adsorption, grasping and moving functions of the connecting member 305. In addition, the end of the fastening shaft 303 that contacts the connecting member 305 is also provided with a screwdriver head adapted to the top driving profile of the connecting member 305. In this embodiment, the locking bolt 3051 and the top screw bolt 3052 have the same top driving profile, that is, the fastening shaft 303 can be used to rotate the locking bolt 3051 and the top screw bolt 3052. When the first drag chain mechanism 302 drives the fastening shaft 303 to carry the connecting piece 305 to move to the connection hole position between the supporting plate 202 and the base plate 6, the lifting device 306 drives the fastening shaft 303 to move vertically downward, so that the connecting piece 305 is aligned with the connection hole position between the base plate 6 and the supporting plate 202, and then the fastening shaft 303 applies torque to the connecting piece 305 through the screwdriver bit to realize the rotation and screwing action of the connecting piece 305. When the base plate 6 and the supporting plate 202 are fastened, the lifting device 306 drives the fastening shaft 303 to move vertically upward again, thereby completing the loading operation of the base plate 6.
[0039] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the horizontal arrangement and extension directions of the locking bolts 3051 and the top screw bolts 3052 , the first connecting hole 601 , the second connecting hole 602 and the third connecting hole on the same side are maintained in the same direction and are all in the moving trajectory plane of the axis of the fastening shaft 303 .
[0040] That is, during the process of the first unilateral drag chain mechanism 302 driving the connecting piece tensioning mechanism to realize horizontal reciprocating movement along the length extension direction of the first guide rail 301, and during the loading or disassembly process of the substrate 6, it is only necessary to control the first drag chain mechanism 302 and the lifting device 306 to ensure that the fastening shaft 303 can contact any connecting piece 305 in the unilateral connecting hole position between the substrate 6 and the supporting plate 202, and any connecting piece 305 in the unilateral connecting piece storage rack 304. Through the coordinated work of the first drag chain mechanism 302 and the lifting device 306, it is only necessary to adjust the two-dimensional movement direction of the fastening shaft 303 to achieve precise contact with multiple targets, thereby reducing the complex multi-dimensional motion control requirements, simplifying the operation process, and significantly improving the operation efficiency and control accuracy.
[0041] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the end of the fastening shaft 303 in contact with the connecting member 305 is made of a soft magnetic material, and the connecting member 305 is made of a ferromagnetic metal material. When the fastening shaft 303 needs to perform the adsorption function of the connecting member 305, an electric current is applied to the end of the fastening shaft 303 to make it have temporary magnetism, thereby adsorbing the connecting member 305. Conversely, when the fastening shaft 303 needs to disengage the connecting member 305, the application of current to the end of the fastening shaft 303 is stopped, and the connecting member 305 can be automatically disengaged.
[0042] In another embodiment, a vacuum negative pressure air port may be further provided at the end of the fastening shaft 303 that contacts the connecting member 305. When the fastening shaft 303 needs to perform the adsorption function on the connecting member 305, the vacuum negative pressure is used to adsorb the connecting member 305. Conversely, when the fastening shaft 303 needs to detach the connecting member 305, the vacuum negative pressure is interrupted and the connecting member 305 can be automatically detached.
[0043] Preferably, in one embodiment, the transplanting assembly 3 also includes a horizontal detection mechanism 307 configured on both sides, the horizontal detection mechanism 307 is slidably connected to the first guide rail 301, and the first drag chain mechanism 302 is used to drive the horizontal detection mechanism 307 to achieve horizontal reciprocating movement along the length extension direction of the first guide rail 301.
[0044] In this embodiment, in the process of the first drag chain mechanism 302 driving the horizontal detection mechanism 307 to realize horizontal reciprocating movement along the length extension direction of the first guide rail 301, the horizontal detection mechanism 307 is used to measure the horizontal height parameters of the substrate 6 placed on the top surface of the supporting plate 202 at different positions. By comparing the horizontal height parameters of the substrate 6 at different positions with the preset reference height parameters, the horizontal height deviations at different positions of the substrate 6 can be obtained. By secondary adjustment of the connecting piece 305 between the substrate 6 and the supporting plate 202, the assembly control accuracy of the horizontal height of the substrate 6 is improved.
[0045] Preferably, in one embodiment, the transplanting assembly 3 is provided with a visual sensor facing the connecting piece storage rack 304, and the visual sensor is used to detect the positions of the plurality of locking bolts 3051 and top screw bolts 3052 stored in the connecting piece storage rack 304, that is, the visual sensor can detect whether the locking bolts 3051 and top screw bolts 3052 are placed in the plurality of connecting piece storage slots, thereby improving the efficiency of the fastening shaft 303 in obtaining the locking bolts 3051 and top screw bolts 3052 from the connecting piece storage slots, and storing the locking bolts 3051 and top screw bolts 3052 in the remaining connecting piece storage slots.
[0046] Second embodiment See also Figure 8 Based on the same concept, the present invention also provides a substrate assembly method for a metal 3D printing process, which is applied to a substrate assembly device for a metal 3D printing process as described in any one of the first embodiments, and is used to implement a substrate loading operation in a metal 3D printing process, and is described by assuming that the loading station and the unloading station are in the same position, and specifically includes the following steps: S1: The operator places the cylinder assembly 2 vertically on the supporting plate 502 at the loading and unloading station of the horizontal conveying assembly 5 from the loading and unloading window of the frame 1. A supporting plate 202 is provided inside the cylinder body 201. The horizontal conveying assembly 5 uses the first drag chain mechanism 302 to transfer the cylinder assembly 2 to the assembly station.
[0047] S2: When the cylinder assembly 2 reaches the assembly station, the lifting arm of the lifting assembly 4 extends upward, passes through the bottom opening of the cylinder body 201, and abuts against the center of the bottom surface of the supporting plate 202, and finally supports the supporting plate 202 to move to the upper limit position along the length extension direction of the accommodating channel and maintain it.
[0048] S31: Place the substrate 6 at the corresponding position on the upper surface of the supporting plate 202, and the second drag chain mechanism 503 drives the connecting piece loosening mechanism to move horizontally, so that its fastening shaft 303 moves to just above the connecting piece 305 in the connecting piece storage rack 304, and then the lifting device 306 drives the fastening shaft 303 to move vertically downward until the fastening shaft 303 contacts the connecting piece 305, and controls the fastening shaft 303 to adsorb the connecting piece 305, including adsorbing the locking bolt 3051 and the top screw bolt 3052, and the lifting device 306 drives the fastening shaft 303 to move vertically upward back to the initial height.
[0049] The second drag chain mechanism 503 drives the connecting piece loosening mechanism to move horizontally again, so that its fastening shaft 303 and the locking bolt 3051 and the top screw bolt 3052 move to the vertical alignment position of the corresponding connecting hole positions of the base plate 6 and the supporting plate 202, and then the lifting device 306 drives the fastening shaft 303 carrying the locking bolt 3051 and the top screw bolt 3052 to move vertically downward until the locking bolt 3051 and the top screw bolt 3052 respectively contact the corresponding connecting hole positions of the base plate 6, and controls the fastening shaft 303 to tighten the top screw bolt 3052 and the locking bolt 3051 in turn according to the theoretical torque (including the rotation direction and the number of rotations), and then controls the fastening shaft 303 to stop adsorbing the locking bolt 3051 and the top screw bolt 3052, and the lifting device 306 drives the fastening shaft 303 to move vertically upward back to the initial height.
[0050] S32: The second drag chain mechanism 503 drives the horizontal detection mechanism 307 to move horizontally. The horizontal detection mechanism 307 detects the height parameters at each position of the substrate 6, establishes a horizontal height model of the substrate 6, calculates the height deviation at each position of the substrate 6, and calculates the adjustment rotation direction and number of turns of the top screw bolt 3052 and the locking bolt 3051 corresponding to the height deviation based on the thread spacing between the top screw bolt 3052 and the locking bolt 3051.
[0051] S33: The second drag chain mechanism 503 drives the connecting piece tensioning mechanism to move horizontally, so that the fastening shaft 303 moves to the top of the top screw bolt 3052 and the locking bolt 3051 that need to be adjusted, and then the lifting device 306 drives the fastening shaft 303 to move vertically downward until the fastening shaft 303 contacts the top of the top screw bolt 3052 and the locking bolt 3051, and controls the fastening shaft 303 to adjust the rotation direction and number of turns of the top screw bolt 3052 and the locking bolt 3051 according to the calculated adjustment rotation direction and number of turns data.
[0052] When the actual height of a position of the substrate 6 is lower than the preset height, the connector loosening mechanism adjusts the connector 305 in the connecting hole position closest to this position. First, the connector loosening mechanism loosens the locking bolt 3051 to make the locking bolt 3051 completely disengage from the third connecting hole, and then tightens the top screw bolt 3052 in a specific rotation direction and number of turns to increase the height of the substrate, and finally tightens the locking bolt 3051 to fix the substrate 6 to the supporting plate 202; when the actual height of the substrate 6 is higher than the preset height, the connector loosens the top screw bolt 3052 in a specific rotation direction and number of turns to make the top screw bolt 3052 move away from the top surface of the supporting plate 202, and then tightens the locking bolt 3051 to make the top screw bolt 3052 abut against the supporting plate 202, thereby driving the height of the substrate 6 to drop.
[0053] S34: Repeat steps S32-S33 until the actual height values at each position of the substrate 6 meet the preset height requirements, indicating that the substrate 6 meets the flatness requirements of metal 3D printing.
[0054] Finally, the lifting arm of the lifting assembly 4 is retracted downward, and the supporting plate 202 moves down to the bottom of the cylinder body 201 along the length extension direction of the accommodating channel. The first drag chain mechanism 302 returns the cylinder assembly 2 from the assembly station to the loading and unloading station, and the operator takes the cylinder assembly 2 with the substrate loaded from the loading and unloading window of the frame 1.
[0055] Third embodiment See also Fig. 9 Based on the same concept, the present invention also provides a substrate assembly method for a metal 3D printing process, which is applied to a substrate assembly device for a metal 3D printing process as described in any one of the first embodiments, and is used to realize a substrate disassembly operation in a metal 3D printing process, and specifically includes the following steps: S1: The operator places the cylinder assembly 2 vertically on the supporting plate 502 at the loading and unloading station of the horizontal conveying assembly 5 from the loading and unloading window of the frame 1. A supporting plate 202 is provided inside the cylinder body 201. A base plate 6 is fixed to the top surface of the supporting plate 202, and a formed workpiece that has been completed by metal 3D printing is provided on the base plate 6. The horizontal conveying assembly 5 uses the first drag chain mechanism 302 to move the cylinder assembly 2 to the assembly station.
[0056] S2: When the cylinder assembly 2 reaches the assembly station, the lifting arm of the lifting assembly 4 extends upward, passes through the bottom opening of the cylinder body 201, and abuts against the center of the bottom surface of the supporting plate 202, and finally supports the supporting plate 202, the substrate 6 and the formed workpiece to move up along the length extension direction of the accommodating channel, so that the supporting plate 202 moves to the upper limit position and remains there.
[0057] S41: The second drag chain mechanism 503 drives the connecting piece loosening mechanism to move horizontally, so that the fastening shaft 303 moves to the top of the connection hole between the base plate 6 and the supporting plate 202, and then the lifting device 306 drives the fastening shaft 303 to move vertically downward until the fastening shaft 303 contacts the top screw bolt 3052 and the locking bolt 3051 in the connection hole, controls the fastening shaft 303 to loosen the top screw bolt 3052 and the locking bolt 3051, and absorbs the top screw bolt 3052 and the locking bolt 3051, and then the lifting device 306 drives the fastening shaft 303 to move vertically upward back to the initial height.
[0058] S42: The second drag chain mechanism 503 drives the connector loosening mechanism to move horizontally again, so that the fastening shaft 303 carrying the top screw bolt 3052 and the locking bolt 3051 moves to the top of the empty connector storage slot in the connector storage rack 304, and then the lifting device 306 drives the fastening shaft 303 to move vertically downward to a preset height, controls the fastening shaft 303 to stop adsorbing the top screw bolt 3052 and the locking bolt 3051, so that the top screw bolt 3052 and the locking bolt 3051 are stored again in the corresponding connector storage rack 304, and then the lifting device 306 drives the fastening shaft 303 to move vertically upward back to the initial height.
[0059] Finally, the lifting arm of the lifting assembly 4 is retracted downward, and the supporting plate 202, the substrate 6 and the formed workpiece are moved down to the bottom of the cylinder body 201 along the length extension direction of the accommodating channel. The first drag chain mechanism 302 returns the cylinder assembly 2 from the assembly station to the loading and unloading station, and the operator takes the cylinder assembly 2 with the substrate disassembled from the loading and unloading window of the frame 1.
[0060] In summary, the present invention provides a substrate assembly device and method for a metal 3D printing process, which is provided with a cylinder assembly 2, a transplanting assembly 3, a lifting assembly 4 and a horizontal conveying assembly 5. When performing the assembly operation of the substrate 6, the lifting assembly 4 transfers the supporting plate 202 to the plane where the transplanting assembly 3 is located, and the connecting member tensioning mechanism automatically implants or removes the connecting member 305 at the connection hole between the supporting plate 202 and the substrate 6. After the connecting member 305 is implanted, the horizontal detection mechanism 307 can detect the height parameters at each position of the substrate 6, establish a horizontal height model of the substrate 6, calculate the height deviation at each position of the substrate 6, and calculate the adjustment rotation direction and number of turns of the connecting member 305 corresponding to the height deviation, and the connecting member tensioning mechanism adjusts the locking amount of the connecting member 305 again until the height parameters at each position of the substrate 6 meet the preset accuracy requirements. Through the present invention, by utilizing high-precision detection means and height adjustment algorithms, the installation of the substrate 6, the detection of the installation level of the substrate 6, the adjustment of the level of the substrate 6 and the disassembly of the substrate 6 can be effectively and fully automatically completed in the integrated equipment, which effectively simplifies the production process, improves the production efficiency, reduces the difficulty of manual operation and reduces the labor cost, and effectively overcomes the problems of low existing production efficiency and the quality consistency of workpieces affected by human operation errors, effectively improves the quality of products, reduces the unqualified rate of products, and provides new ideas for the development of automation in the metal 3D printing industry, which has excellent practical value and promotion value.
[0061] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Even if various changes are made to the present invention, if these changes fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention and their equivalents, they still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A substrate assembly device for a metal 3D printing process, characterized in that: include: frame; A cylinder assembly, the cylinder assembly is movably arranged at a first height inside the frame, the cylinder assembly comprises a cylinder body and a supporting plate, a vertical through-accommodation channel is arranged inside the cylinder body, the supporting plate is horizontally arranged in the accommodating channel, and can be lifted and lowered along the length extension direction of the accommodating channel, and the top opening size of the cylinder body is larger than the size of the supporting plate; A transplanting assembly, wherein the transplanting assembly is arranged at a second height of the top of the frame, and the transplanting assembly in a standby state is coaxially arranged with the cylinder assembly in the assembly station in the vertical direction, and the transplanting assembly comprises a first guide rail, a first drag chain mechanism and a connecting member loosening mechanism configured on both sides, the connecting member loosening mechanism is slidably connected to the first guide rail, and the first drag chain mechanism is used to drive the connecting member loosening mechanism to realize horizontal reciprocating movement along the extension direction of the length of the first guide rail; The substrate assembly equipment is configured such that, when the cylinder assembly enters the assembly station, the supporting plate moves vertically to the upper limit position, a substrate is placed at a relative position on the top surface of the supporting plate, the first drag chain mechanism drives the connecting member tensioning mechanism to move horizontally to the connecting hole position between the supporting plate and the substrate, and the fastening shaft of the connecting member tensioning mechanism implants or removes the connecting member at the connecting hole position between the supporting plate and the substrate.
2. The substrate assembly equipment for metal 3D printing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a jacking assembly, which is arranged at a third height inside the frame and is coaxially arranged with the cylinder assembly at the assembly station in the vertical direction, and the bottom opening size of the cylinder body is larger than the cross-sectional size of the jacking arm of the jacking assembly and smaller than the size of the supporting plate; When the cylinder assembly enters the assembly station, the lifting arm of the lifting assembly extends upward in the vertical direction, passes through the bottom opening of the cylinder body and supports the supporting plate to move to the upper limit position along the length extension direction of the accommodating channel.
3. The substrate assembly equipment for metal 3D printing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a horizontal conveying assembly, which is arranged at a first height inside the frame, and is provided with a second guide rail, a bearing plate and a second drag chain mechanism, the bearing plate is slidably connected to the second guide rail, and the second drag chain mechanism is used to drive the bearing plate to realize horizontal reciprocating movement along the extension direction of the second guide rail; The top surface of the carrying plate is used to carry the cylinder assembly, and the horizontal conveying assembly is used to convey the cylinder assembly from the loading station to the assembly station, or from the assembly station to the unloading station.
4. The substrate assembly equipment for metal 3D printing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connection holes of the substrate include a plurality of first connection holes and a plurality of second connection holes penetrating the edges on both sides, and the connection holes of the supporting plate include a plurality of third connection holes vertically matching the first connection holes on the edges on both sides; The connecting member includes a locking bolt and a top screw bolt. When the locking bolt is sequentially passed through the first connecting hole to the third connecting hole, the relative positions of the base plate and the supporting plate are fixed; The top screw bolt passes through the second connection hole, and the contact end surface of the top screw bolt abuts against the top surface of the supporting plate. The height value of the base plate relative to the supporting plate can be adjusted by rotating the locking amount of the top screw bolt in the forward or reverse direction.
5. The substrate assembly equipment for metal 3D printing process according to claim 4, characterized in that: The connecting piece loosening and tightening mechanisms arranged on both sides are provided with a plurality of connecting piece storage racks at the second height of the top surface of the frame, wherein a plurality of connecting pieces arranged in a vertical single row and in a linear manner are stored inside the connecting piece storage racks, and the plurality of connecting pieces are respectively arranged coaxially with the fastening shafts at different moving positions; The connector loosening and tightening mechanism is also provided with a lifting device, and the lifting assembly is fixedly connected to the fastening shaft, and is used to drive the fastening shaft to reciprocate in the vertical direction. The fastening shaft is configured to absorb and move the connector, and apply torque to the connector through a screwdriver bit that is adapted to the top driving surface of the connector.
6. The substrate assembly equipment for metal 3D printing process according to claim 5, characterized in that: The horizontally arranged extension directions of the plurality of connecting members, the first connecting hole, the second connecting hole and the third connecting hole on the same side are maintained in the same direction and are all located in the moving track plane of the axis of the fastening shaft.
7. The substrate assembly equipment for metal 3D printing process according to claim 5, characterized in that: The end of the fastening shaft in contact with the connecting piece is made of soft magnetic material, and the connecting piece is made of ferromagnetic metal material; Alternatively, a vacuum negative pressure air port is provided at the end of the fastening shaft that contacts the connecting piece.
8. The substrate assembly equipment for metal 3D printing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transplanting assembly further includes a horizontal detection mechanism configured on both sides, the horizontal detection mechanism is slidably connected to the first guide rail, and the first drag chain mechanism is used to drive the horizontal detection mechanism to realize horizontal reciprocating movement along the length extension direction of the first guide rail; The horizontal detection mechanism is used to measure the horizontal height parameters of different positions of the substrate placed on the top surface of the supporting plate.
9. The substrate assembly equipment for metal 3D printing process according to claim 5, characterized in that: The transplanting assembly is provided with a visual sensor facing the connecting piece storage rack, and the visual sensor is used to detect the positions of a plurality of locking bolts and top screw bolts stored in the connecting piece storage rack.
10. A substrate assembly method for a metal 3D printing process, characterized in that: The substrate assembly device for a metal 3D printing process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 comprises the following steps: S1: placing a cylinder assembly at a loading and unloading station of a horizontal conveying assembly, and the horizontal conveying assembly moves the cylinder assembly to an assembly station; S2: The lifting assembly supports the supporting plate to move upward to the upper limit position; S31: When the cylinder assembly needs to load the substrate, the connection part loosening mechanism is driven to move horizontally, so that the fastening shaft moves to the top of the locking bolt and the top screw bolt in the connection part storage rack, the fastening shaft absorbs the locking bolt and the top screw bolt, and the connection part loosening mechanism is driven to move horizontally again, so that the fastening shaft, the locking bolt and the top screw bolt move to the connection hole between the supporting plate and the substrate, and the fastening shaft tightens the locking bolt and the top screw bolt; S32: driving the horizontal detection mechanism to move horizontally, detecting the height parameters at each position of the substrate, establishing a horizontal height model of the substrate, calculating the height deviation at each position of the substrate, and calculating the adjustment rotation direction and number of turns of the top screw bolt and the locking bolt corresponding to the height deviation; S33: driving the connection piece loosening mechanism to move horizontally so that the fastening shaft thereof moves to the top of the connection piece to be adjusted, and adjusting the rotation direction and number of turns of the locking bolt and the top screw bolt; when the actual height of the substrate is lower than the preset height, the connection piece loosening mechanism loosens the locking bolt, and then tightens the top screw bolt in a specific rotation direction and number of turns to raise the height of the substrate, and finally tightens the locking bolt; when the actual height of the substrate is higher than the preset height, the connection piece loosening mechanism loosens the top screw bolt in a specific rotation direction and number of turns, and then tightens the locking bolt to lower the height of the substrate; S34: repeating steps S32-S33 until the actual height values at each position of the substrate meet the preset height requirements; S41: When the cylinder assembly needs to unload the substrate, the connection member loosening mechanism is driven to move horizontally, so that the fastening shaft is moved to the connection hole between the supporting plate and the substrate in sequence, and the fastening shaft loosens the locking bolt and the top screw bolt therein, and absorbs the locking bolt and the top screw bolt; S42: driving the connecting piece loosening and tightening mechanism to move horizontally again, so that the fastening shaft, the locking bolt and the top screw bolt are moved to the top of the connecting piece storage rack, and the locking bolt and the top screw bolt are stored in the connecting piece storage rack again.