Manufacturing method of aluminum alloy shell of engine

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of 3D printing, in particular to a manufacturing method of an engine aluminum alloy shell, which comprises the following steps: S1, carrying out three-dimensional modeling on a shell model, the printing inclination angle between the shell model after modeling and a printing platform is adjusted, and a supporting structure for supporting the face, not making contact with the printing platform, of the shell model is designed; s2, data of the shell model and the supporting structure are exported to metal 3D printing equipment for metal additive manufacturing till printing of the engine shell and the supporting structure is completed; s3, powder cleaning is conducted on the engine shell, and heat treatment is conducted; and S4, the engine shell is separated from the printing platform, the supporting structure on the engine shell is removed, and polishing and sand blasting treatment is conducted on the surface of the engine shell. The production cycle can be shortened, and the development cost can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of 3D printing, and particularly to a manufacturing method for an aluminum alloy engine housing. Background Art

[0002] In the process of designing and manufacturing an engine housing, traditional engine housings are produced by casting and machining, which are suitable for mass production. However, for housings with complex structures, small batch production, in the design and R & D verification stage, and customization, the production cycle is long and the cost is high when using casting and machining methods.

[0003] Therefore, a manufacturing method for an aluminum alloy engine housing is needed to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing method for an aluminum alloy engine housing, which can shorten the production cycle and reduce the development cost.

[0005] To achieve this purpose, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A manufacturing method for an aluminum alloy engine housing includes the following steps:

[0007] S1. Perform three-dimensional modeling on the housing model, adjust the printing inclination angle between the modeled housing model and the printing platform, and design a support structure for supporting the surface of the housing model that does not contact the printing platform;

[0008] S2. Export the data of the housing model and the support structure to a metal 3D printing device for metal additive manufacturing until the printing of the engine housing and the support structure is completed;

[0009] S3. Clean the powder on the engine housing and perform heat treatment;

[0010] S4. Separate the engine housing from the printing platform, remove the support structure on the engine housing, and perform sandblasting on the surface of the engine housing.

[0011] In some embodiments, in step S1, the printing inclination angle is 45°.

[0012] In some embodiments, in step S1, the support structure is columnar, and the support structure includes support blocks in the shape of a sheet-like grid, and a plurality of support columns are filled at intervals in the support blocks.

[0013] In some embodiments, the distance between adjacent support columns on the peripheral surface of the support block is smaller than the distance between adjacent support columns inside the support block.

[0014] In some embodiments, the sheet-shaped grille of the support block includes a main body portion, a transition portion, and an insertion portion that are connected in sequence. One end of the main body portion away from the insertion portion is connected to the printing platform, and the insertion portion is inserted into the housing model.

[0015] In some embodiments, the transition portion is trapezoidal, and the bottom length of the transition portion connected to the main body portion is greater than the top length of the transition portion connected to the insertion portion.

[0016] In some embodiments, the diameter of the support column is 0.5 mm - 2 mm.

[0017] In some embodiments, in step S2, the metal 3D printing device uses aluminum alloy powder with a particle size of 15 microns - 53 microns for additive manufacturing.

[0018] In some embodiments, in step S2, during printing, the laser power is 370 W - 420 W, the scanning speed is 1000 mm / s - 1500 mm / s, the scanning spacing is 0.12 mm - 0.17 mm, the support printing laser power is 280 W - 320 W, the scanning speed is 1500 mm / s - 2000 mm / s, and the scanning spacing is 0.1 mm - 0.15 mm.

[0019] In some embodiments, in step S3, the heat treatment is as follows: heating to a preset temperature within a first set duration at room temperature, holding at the preset temperature for a second set duration, and after the holding ends, naturally cooling in the air.

[0020] Advantages of the present invention:

[0021] A manufacturing method of an engine aluminum alloy housing provided by the present invention includes three-dimensionally modeling the housing model, adjusting the printing tilt angle between the modeled housing model and the printing platform, and designing a support structure for supporting the surface of the housing model that does not contact the printing platform. Then, the data of the housing model and the support structure are exported to a metal 3D printing device for metal additive manufacturing until the printing of the engine housing and the support structure is completed. The powder on the engine housing is cleaned, and after heat treatment, the engine housing is separated from the printing platform. The support structure on the engine housing is removed, and the surface of the engine housing is polished and sandblasted. By manufacturing the engine aluminum alloy housing by means of 3D printing and setting the engine aluminum alloy housing obliquely relative to the printing platform during the manufacturing process, it is convenient to remove the support structure subsequently. Through heat treatment and polishing and sandblasting treatment, the stress in the printing and manufacturing process can be effectively released, and the strength and hardness of the surface of the manufactured engine housing can be ensured. In the above manner, an engine housing with a complex structure can be quickly manufactured, the production cycle can be shortened, and the development cost can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can be obtained according to the content of the embodiments of the present invention and these drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 is a flowchart of a manufacturing method of an engine aluminum alloy housing of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a sheet-shaped grille in the manufacturing method of an engine aluminum alloy housing of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 is a distribution diagram of support columns in the same support block in the manufacturing method of an engine aluminum alloy housing of the present invention.

[0026] In the figure:

[0027] 10. Sheet-shaped grille; 11. Main body part; 12. Transition part; 13. Insertion part; 20. Support column. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Before explaining any embodiment of the present application in detail, it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the structural details and component arrangements set forth in the following description or shown in the above drawings.

[0029] In the present application, the terms "comprising", "including", "having" or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or device comprising that element.

[0030] In the present application, the terms "connected", "coupled", "joined", "mounted" can be direct connection, coupling, joining or mounting, or can be indirect connection, coupling, joining or mounting. Among them, by way of example, direct connection means that two parts or components are connected together without the need for an intermediate member, and indirect connection means that two parts or components are respectively connected to at least one intermediate member, and these two parts or components are connected through the intermediate member. In addition, "connected" and "coupled" are not limited to physical or mechanical connection or coupling, and can include electrical connection or coupling.

[0031] In this application, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the functions performed by components can be performed by one component, multiple components, one part, or multiple parts. Similarly, the functions performed by parts can also be performed by one part, one component, or a combination of multiple parts.

[0032] In this application, the orientation terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", and "rear" are described based on the orientation and positional relationship shown in the drawings, and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of this application. In addition, in the context, it should also be understood that when it is mentioned that one element is connected "above" or "below" another element, it can not only be directly connected "above" or "below" another element, but also be indirectly connected "above" or "below" another element through an intermediate element. It should also be understood that the orientation terms such as the upper side, lower side, left side, right side, front side, and rear side not only represent the positive orientation, but can also be understood as the side orientation. For example, the lower side can include directly below, lower left, lower right, lower front, and lower rear, etc.

[0033] In the process of designing and manufacturing the engine housing, in order to shorten the production cycle, reduce the development cost, and complete the small-batch trial production work, as Figures 1-3 shown, the present invention provides a manufacturing method for an engine aluminum alloy housing. The manufacturing method for the engine aluminum alloy housing includes the following steps:

[0034] S1. Perform three-dimensional modeling on the housing model, adjust the printing tilt angle between the modeled housing model and the printing platform, and design a support structure for the surface of the housing model that does not contact the printing platform;

[0035] S2. Export the data of the housing model and the support structure to a metal 3D printing device for metal additive manufacturing until the printing of the engine housing and the support structure is completed;

[0036] S3. Clean the powder on the engine housing and perform heat treatment;

[0037] S4. Separate the engine housing from the printing platform, remove the support structure on the engine housing, and perform sandblasting treatment on the surface of the engine housing.

[0038] By manufacturing the engine aluminum alloy housing by means of 3D printing and setting the engine aluminum alloy housing inclined relative to the printing platform during the manufacturing process, it is convenient to remove the support structure subsequently. Through heat treatment and sandblasting treatment, the stress in the printing and manufacturing process can be effectively released, and the strength and hardness of the surface of the manufactured engine housing can be ensured. By the above method, an engine housing with a complex structure can be quickly manufactured, the production cycle can be shortened, and the development cost can be reduced.

[0039] In some embodiments, in step S1, the printing tilt angle is 45°. The support structure is used to support the inclined surface with an angle less than 45° relative to the printing platform, so as to prevent the engine housing from warping and deforming during the printing process. Moreover, it can ensure that the auxiliary support structure for the housing model is located outside the housing model, facilitating the removal of the auxiliary support structure after the engine housing printing is completed. At the same time, when printing the inclined surface with a tilt angle of 45°, during the process of forming the housing model, it can ensure that no internal auxiliary support structure needs to be set during the forming process of the internal structure of the engine housing, reducing the difficulty of removing the auxiliary support structure subsequently.

[0040] In some embodiments, in step S1, the support structure is columnar. The support structure includes support blocks in the shape of a sheet-like grid, and a plurality of support columns 20 are filled at intervals in the support blocks. By adopting the combination of the support blocks and the support columns 20, the support columns 20 can be connected by the sheet-like grid. The support columns 20 play a main supporting role, and the sheet-like grid plays a role in connecting the support columns 20 to enhance the connection strength, ensuring that during the printing process of the housing model, the suspended part can be effectively supported and the printing and forming process can proceed smoothly.

[0041] In some embodiments, the distance between adjacent support columns 20 on the peripheral surface of the support block is less than the distance between adjacent support columns 20 inside the support block. Since the support columns 20 on the peripheral surface of the support block bear greater stress, while the support columns 20 inside the support block bear less stress, by reasonably distributing the density of the support columns 20, the suspended part can be supported, facilitating subsequent removal and reducing waste of printing materials. In this embodiment, the distance between adjacent support columns 20 on the peripheral surface of the support block is 1 mm - 2.5 mm, and the distance between adjacent support columns 20 inside the support block is 2 mm - 3 mm. In other embodiments, the distance between adjacent support columns 20 on the peripheral surface of the support block and the distance between adjacent support columns 20 inside the support block can be adjusted according to the simulation analysis, and no further limitation is made here.

[0042] In some embodiments, the sheet-like grid 10 of the support block includes a main body portion 11, a transition portion 12, and an insertion portion 13 connected in sequence. One end of the main body portion 11 away from the insertion portion 13 is connected to the printing platform, and the insertion portion 13 is inserted into the housing model. Through the above setting, since the insertion portion 13 is located in the housing model, during the subsequent printing and forming process of the engine housing, the insertion portion 13 becomes integral with the engine housing, ensuring stable connection between the support block and the engine housing. After the printing and heat treatment of the engine housing are completed, the support block can be cut off at the transition portion 12.

[0043] In some embodiments, the transition portion 12 is trapezoidal, and the bottom length of the transition portion 12 connected to the main body portion 11 is greater than the top length of the transition portion 12 connected to the insertion portion 13. In this embodiment, the top length of the transition portion 12 connected to the insertion portion 13 is 0.3 mm - 0.6 mm, the bottom length of the transition portion 12 connected to the main body portion 11 is 0.8 mm - 1.2 mm, and the height is 1 mm - 1.5 mm. By designing the transition portion 12 as a toothed structure, it is convenient to quickly remove it subsequently.

[0044] In some embodiments, the diameter of the support column 20 is 0.5 mm - 2 mm. Through the above settings, it is ensured that the support column 20 effectively supports, enabling smooth printing while avoiding the support column 20 being too large in volume, thereby reducing the difficulty of subsequent removal and reducing material consumption. Specifically, the diameter of the support column 20 can be designed according to simulation analysis and will not be overly restricted here.

[0045] In some embodiments, in step S2, the metal 3D printing device uses aluminum alloy powder with a particle size of 15 microns - 53 microns for additive manufacturing. By limiting the particle size of the aluminum alloy powder, the printing quality can be ensured while taking into account the printing speed. Moreover, using aluminum alloy powder can ensure the strength of the manufactured engine housing.

[0046] In some embodiments, in step S2, during printing, the laser power is 370 W - 420 W, the scanning speed is 1000 mm / s - 1500 mm / s, the scanning spacing is 0.12 mm - 0.17 mm, the support printing laser power is 280 W - 320 W, the scanning speed is 1500 mm / s - 2000 mm / s, and the scanning spacing is 0.1 mm - 0.15 mm. By setting the printing parameters, the printing efficiency and quality can be balanced.

[0047] In some embodiments, in step S3, the heat treatment is as follows: heat up to a preset temperature within the first set duration at room temperature, keep the temperature at the preset temperature for the second set duration, and after the heat preservation ends, perform natural cooling in the air. In this embodiment, the first set duration is 1 hour, the second set duration is 2 - 3 hours, and the preset temperature is 300 °C. Through the above method, the internal stress of the engine housing after printing can be effectively eliminated, ensuring the strength of the engine housing. The mechanical properties of the engine housing after heat treatment are as follows: the tensile strength can reach 320 ± 50 MPa, the yield strength reaches 210 ± 50 MPa, the elongation rate reaches 8 ± 3%, the hardness reaches 63 ± 3 HRB, the density of the printed housing is about 2.68 g / cm3, the relative density is above 99.9%, and the internal structure is dense.

[0048] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, rather than limitations on the implementation manners of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other different forms of changes or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is not necessary and impossible to enumerate all implementation manners here. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy housing of an engine, characterized in that: The steps include: S1, performing three-dimensional modeling on the shell model, adjusting the printing inclination angle between the modeled shell model and the printing platform, and designing a support structure for supporting the surface of the shell model that is not in contact with the printing platform; S2, exporting the data of the housing model and the supporting structure to a metal 3D printing device for metal additive manufacturing until the printing of the engine housing and the supporting structure is completed; S3, cleaning the engine housing with powder and performing heat treatment; S4, separating the engine casing from the printing platform, removing the supporting structure on the engine casing, and performing grinding and sandblasting on the surface of the engine casing.

2. The method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy engine housing according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the step S1, the printing tilt angle is 45°.

3. The method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy engine housing according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the step S1, the support structure is columnar, and comprises a support block in the form of a sheet grid, wherein a plurality of support columns (20) are filled in the support block at intervals.

4. The method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy engine housing according to claim 3, characterized in that: The spacing between adjacent support columns (20) located on the circumference of the support block is smaller than the spacing between adjacent support columns (20) located inside the support block.

5. The method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy engine housing according to claim 3, characterized in that: The sheet-shaped grid (10) of the support block comprises a main body (11), a transition part (12) and an insertion part (13) which are connected in sequence, wherein one end of the main body (11) away from the insertion part (13) is connected to the printing platform, and the insertion part (13) is inserted into the shell model.

6. The method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy engine housing according to claim 5, characterized in that: The transition portion (12) is trapezoidal in shape, and the length of the bottom portion where the transition portion (12) is connected to the main body portion (11) is greater than the length of the top portion where the transition portion (12) is connected to the insertion portion (13).

7. The method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy engine housing according to claim 3, characterized in that: The diameter of the support column (20) is 0.5 mm-2 mm.

8. The method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy engine housing according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the step S2, the metal 3D printing equipment uses aluminum alloy powder with a particle size of 15 microns to 53 microns for additive manufacturing.

9. The method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy engine housing according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S2, the laser power during printing is 370W-420W, the scanning speed is 1000mm / s-1500mm / s, the scanning spacing is 0.12mm-0.17mm, the supporting printing laser power is 280W-320W, the scanning speed is 1500mm / s-2000mm / s, and the scanning spacing is 0.1mm-0.15mm.

10. The method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy engine housing according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S3, the heat treatment is as follows: heating the room temperature to a preset temperature within a first set time, keeping the preset temperature for a second set time, and cooling naturally in the air after the keeping temperature is completed.

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