A 3D printer powder cleaning and removal device and method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a 3D printer powder cleaning and retrieval device and method, belonging to the technical field of 3D printing equipment. The device comprises a connecting base mounted on a forklift, a rotating base rotatably arranged about the central axis of the connecting base, two support arms disposed on the rotating base, the two support arms symmetrical about the center of the rotating base, the distance between the two support arms greater than the width of the base plate, and two pulley guides fixed to the support arms at intervals. The pulley guides consist of two vertically symmetrical fixed pulleys. A rope assembly is disposed within the rotating base, with four steel wire ropes disposed therein, the rope assemblies corresponding one to each of the steel wire ropes. One end of the steel wire rope is provided with a connecting portion, and the other end is connected to the rope assembly via the pulley guide. The connecting portion is used to connect to the base plate. The invention solves the problem of inconvenient removal of parts and powder cleaning in 3D printers in the prior art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of 3D printing equipment, and in particular relates to a 3D printer powder cleaning and removal device and a method thereof. Background Art

[0002] A 3D printer is a type of cumulative manufacturing technology, that is, a machine using rapid prototyping technology. It uses digital part files as a basis, and uses special wax materials, powdered metal or plastic and other adhesive materials to print layer by layer of adhesive materials to manufacture three-dimensional parts. After the parts are printed, some powder remains on the surface and in the forming cylinder. Generally, an air gun is inserted into the printer to spray the surface of the object, or the parts and substrate are taken out and cleaned in other ways. Using an air gun for cleaning requires flexible operation to ensure that every corner of the part is cleaned, but it cannot be cleaned due to the space limitations of the printer, and the operation is more cumbersome. As for removal and cleaning, on the one hand, it is inconvenient to grab and carry the parts and substrates because of the powder attached to them. In addition, the powder floats around during transportation, making it difficult to collect and treat, polluting the working environment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problem in the prior art that powder cleaning of 3D printed parts is not thorough and inconvenient, and to propose a 3D printer powder cleaning and part removal device and method.

[0004] The cam is connected to the base frame, and the cam is connected to the base frame by a toothed connection, and the toothed connection is connected to the support frame by a toothed connection.

[0005] As a further description of the above technical solution: the forklift is provided with a lifting seat, the lifting seat is fixedly set on the door frame of the forklift, the connecting base is set on the lifting seat for sliding left and right, the lifting seat is fixedly provided with guide rails on the left and right, and the connecting base is provided with linear bearings, which are adapted to the guide rails.

[0006] As a further description of the above technical solution: a driven gear ring is provided on the end face of the rotating seat facing the connecting base, a circular mounting hole is opened on the end face of the connecting base, the driven gear ring is adapted to the circular mounting hole, a driving motor is provided in the connecting base, a driving gear meshing with the driven gear ring is rotatably provided in the connecting base, and the driving motor provides driving force for the driving gear.

[0007] As a further description of the above technical solution: an annular outward expansion plate is provided on the outer peripheral side of the connection base, and a silicone sealing ring is provided on the end surface of the annular outward expansion plate facing the rotating seat.

[0008] As a further description of the above technical solution: a plurality of deflection correcting frames are provided on the end surface of the connecting base, and the deflection correcting frames are symmetrically arranged with respect to the rotating seat.

[0009] As a further description of the above technical solution: the rope winding assembly includes a servo motor and a rope winding wheel, the wire rope is wound on the rope winding wheel, and the servo motor drives the rope winding wheel to release or reel in the wire.

[0010] As a further description of the above technical solution: the connecting part includes a hanging part, a hanging ring and a connecting bolt, the connecting bolt corresponds to the connecting screw hole on the base plate, the connecting bolt is rotatably set on the hanging part, the hanging part is composed of a horizontal plate and a vertical plate, the horizontal plate of the hanging part is parallel to the upper surface of the base plate, the vertical plate of the hanging part is in contact with the side of the base plate, a sliding hole is opened on the vertical plate, a sliding shaft is provided on the hanging ring, and the sliding hole is adapted to the sliding shaft.

[0011] As a further description of the above technical solution: a mounting hole is provided on the annular outward expansion plate, a dust suction pipe is provided in the mounting hole, a dust suction port is provided at one end of the dust suction pipe, and the other end is connected to the vacuum cleaner, and the dust suction port is located below the rotating seat.

[0012] As a further description of the above technical solution: it also includes a controller arranged in the connecting base, the servo motor and the drive motor are electrically connected to the controller, and the controller is electrically connected to the control panel arranged on the forklift handle.

[0013] The present invention also provides a method for cleaning powder and removing parts from a 3D printer, which uses the above-mentioned device for cleaning powder and removing parts from a 3D printer. The method is as follows:

[0014] S1: The connecting part is connected to its corresponding connecting screw hole;

[0015] S2: Adjust the forklift position so that the rotating base and connecting arm are located inside the printer, and adjust the length of the steel wire ropes so that the base plate is located in the center of the four steel wire ropes;

[0016] S3: Adjust the four steel wire ropes to make the base plate rise horizontally until it is located between the two support arms, and turn on the vacuum cleaner at the same time;

[0017] S4: Drive the rotating seat to rotate 180°, and then adjust the angle and inclination of the base plate by adjusting the length of the wire rope;

[0018] S5: After the powder is cleaned, the four steel wire ropes are adjusted to make the substrate rise horizontally until it is located between the two support arms, and the rotating base is driven to rotate 180 degrees so that the substrate returns to face up;

[0019] S6: Drive the forklift to take the substrate and parts out of the printer.

[0020] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0021] (1) The device of the present application can suspend and invert the substrate on which the parts have been processed and the parts thereon, so that the powder cleaning operation can be performed directly in the printer without transfer. By controlling the retracting and releasing lines of the wire ropes, the position and tilt angle of the substrate and parts can be adjusted to allow the powder to fall automatically.

[0022] (2) The deflection correction frame provided on the annular outer expansion plate can actively adjust the position of the connecting base and the rotating seat, thereby ensuring that the support arm and the rotating seat do not interfere with the internal parts of the printer when rotating in the printer.

[0023] (3) The dust suction pipe, dust suction port and dust collector can directly recycle the dust in the printer, improving the efficiency of powder cleaning. The silicone sealing ring arranged on the end face of the annular outer expansion plate can ensure the sealing of the printer door opening and effectively prevent dust leakage. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 is a side view of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the present invention, wherein the forklift is not shown;

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0027] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of point B in the middle;

[0028] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of the connection base and the rotating base of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing the first state of substrate suspension according to the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the second state of the substrate suspension according to the present invention;

[0031] Figure 8 This is a diagram of the substrate in an inverted suspended state according to the present invention.

[0032] Legend: 01, base plate; 1, forklift; 2, lifting seat; 3, connecting base; 4, guide rail; 5, linear bearing; 6, rotating seat; 7, circular mounting hole; 8, driven gear ring; 9, driving motor; 10, driving gear; 11, bevel gear set; 12, annular expansion plate; 13, silicone sealing ring; 14, correction frame; 15, dust suction pipe; 16, dust suction port; 17, support arm; 18, pulley guide; 19, fixed pulley; 20, servo motor; 21, rope pulley; 22, hanging piece; 23, lifting ring; 24, connecting bolt; 25, horizontal plate; 26, vertical plate; 27, sliding hole; 28, sliding shaft; 29, wire rope. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] See also Figure 1-8 The present invention provides a 3D printer powder cleaning and removal device and method thereof.

[0035] The 3D model is "sliced" along the Z-axis into hundreds to thousands of two-dimensional slices (typically 0.05-0.3mm thick). The printer precisely deposits the material based on each layer's contour data, creating a finished product layer by layer. During manufacturing, the base plate 01 within the printer descends layer by layer along the build cylinder. After the part is completed, the base plate 01 within the printer descends to the preset lowest position within the build cylinder. The build cylinder then ascends to its highest position. The build cylinder typically has a rectangular groove. As the base plate 01 and the completed part ascend, powder surrounding the part automatically slides down the sides, unrestricted by the build cylinder's sidewalls.

[0036] After the substrate 01 and the parts are raised to the highest state, the dust at the connecting screw holes on the substrate 01 is cleaned, and then the device of the present application is used to perform subsequent powder cleaning and part removal operations.

[0037] The 3D printer powder cleaning and removal device disclosed herein comprises a forklift 1, which is provided with a lifting seat 2 fixedly mounted on the mast of the forklift 1. The lifting seat 2 is driven up and down by the mast's upward and downward movement, thereby adjusting the height of the lifting seat 2. A connecting base 3 is provided on the lifting seat 2 for sliding movement, and guide rails 4 are fixedly mounted on the lifting seat 2 for left and right movement. The connecting base 3 is provided with linear bearings 5, which are adapted to the guide rails 4. The connecting base 3 can be adjusted left and right relative to the lifting seat 2.

[0038] A rotating seat 6 is rotatably provided on the connecting base 3, and the rotating seat 6 is rotatably provided around the central axis of the connecting base 3. A circular mounting hole 7 is provided on the end face of the connecting base 3, and a driven gear ring 8 is provided on the end face of the rotating seat 6 facing the connecting base 3. The driven gear ring 8 is adapted to the circular mounting hole 7 and rotates within the circular mounting hole 7. A drive motor 9 is provided within the connecting base 3, and a drive gear 10 is rotatably provided within the connecting base 3 and meshes with the driven gear ring 8. A bevel gear set 11 is provided between the output shaft of the drive motor 9 and the drive gear 10. The power of the output shaft of the drive motor 9 is transmitted to the drive gear 10 through the bevel gear set 11, and the drive gear 10 drives the driven gear ring 8 to rotate, thereby driving the rotating seat 6 to rotate.

[0039] An annular expansion plate 12 is provided on the outer periphery of the connecting base 3. A silicone sealing ring 13 is provided on the end surface of the annular expansion plate 12 facing the rotating base 6. Multiple corrective brackets 14 are provided on the end surface of the connecting base 3. These brackets are arranged symmetrically about the rotating base 6. Pushing these corrective brackets 14 can drive the connecting base 3 to slide along the guide rail 4. An installation hole is provided in the annular expansion plate 12. A dust suction pipe 15 is installed in the installation hole. One end of the dust suction pipe 15 is provided with a dust suction port 16, and the other end is connected to a vacuum cleaner. The dust suction port 16 is located below the rotating base 6.

[0040] Two support arms 17 are provided on the rotating seat 6 along the central axis direction of the connection base 3. The support arms 17 are hollow steel pipes. The two support arms 17 are symmetrical about the center of the rotating seat 6. The distance between the two support arms 17 is greater than the width of the substrate 01. Each support arm 17 is provided with two pulley guides 18. The two pulley guides 18 are fixed on the support arm 17 at intervals. The pulley guides 18 are provided on the side of the support arm 17 facing the central axis of the rotating seat 6. The pulley guides 18 are composed of two fixed pulleys 19 that are symmetrical up and down.

[0041] A rope winding assembly is provided in the rotating seat 6. The rope winding assembly includes a servo motor 20 and a rope winding wheel 21. The servo motor 20 is used to drive the rope winding wheel 21 to rotate.

[0042] The base 01 also includes four connecting parts for connecting to the base 3. The four corners of the base 01 have corresponding screw holes for these parts. The connecting parts include a hanger 22, a lifting ring 23, and a connecting bolt 24. The hanger 22 consists of a horizontal plate 25 and a vertical plate 26, forming an inverted "L" shape. A T-shaped shaft is mounted on the top of the connecting bolt 24, which is rotatably mounted on the horizontal plate 25. The connecting bolt 24 fits into the connecting screw hole of the base 01. The vertical plate 26 has a sliding hole 27, and the lifting ring 23 has a sliding shaft 28. The sliding hole 27 fits into the sliding shaft 28, and the sliding shaft 28 slides vertically along the sliding hole 27. When the connecting bolt 24 fits into the connecting screw hole, the horizontal plate 25 of the hanger 22 is parallel to the top surface of the base 01, and the vertical plate 26 of the hanger 22 contacts the side of the base 01.

[0043] The apparatus also includes four steel wire ropes 29 arranged along the support arm 17. The four steel wire ropes 29 correspond to the connecting parts one by one, and the four steel wire ropes 29 correspond to the four pulley guide parts 18 one by one. Each steel wire rope 29 corresponds to a rope winding assembly. One end of the steel wire rope 29 is wound around the corresponding rope winding wheel 21, and the other end is passed through the corresponding support arm 17 and then passes between the two fixed pulleys 19 of the sliding guide part before being connected to the ring 23. The rope winding wheel 21 is driven by a servo motor 20 to release or reel in the wire, thereby driving the movement of the base plate 01.

[0044] The forklift 1 also includes a controller (not shown) disposed within the connection base 3. The servo motors 20 and the drive motors 9 are electrically connected to the controller, which is in turn electrically connected to a control panel (not shown) disposed on the handlebars of the forklift 1. The buttons on the control panel control the activation of each servo motor 20 or the drive motor 9, and can control the servo motors 20 and the drive motors 9 to rotate forward or reverse.

[0045] The method and working principle of the 3D printer powder cleaning and removal device of this application are as follows: For parts that have been printed and the substrate 01 has returned to its original state:

[0046] Step 1: Connect the connecting part with its corresponding connecting screw hole; first, move the forklift 1 to the front of the printer and align it with the printer's hatch. Then open the printer's hatch and simply clean the dust around the base plate 01. Then loosen the base plate 01 fixing bolts and thread the connecting bolts 24 of the connecting part with the connecting screw holes. During this process, the stretched length of the wire rope 29 from the pulley guide part 18 to the ring 23 is different.

[0047] Step 2: Adjust the position of forklift 1 so that the rotating base 6 and connecting arm are inside the printer. Adjust the length of the wire ropes 29 so that the base plate 01 is centered among the four wire ropes 29. Based on the printer's position and height, adjust the height of lift base 2 so that the support arm 17 can enter through the hatch opening. Also, adjust the wire ropes 29 to retract, so that as the support arm 17 enters the printer, the wire ropes 29 are simultaneously shortened until the base plate 01 is centered among the four wire ropes 29. During this process, the deflection-correcting frame 14 contacts the side of the printer opening, adjusting the left and right sliding motion of the connecting base 3 so that the center axis of the rotating base 6 aligns with the center axis of the printer opening. When the connecting base 3, rotating base 6, and support arm 17 are fully inside the printer, the silicone sealing ring 13 on the end face of the annular expansion plate 12 presses against the printer opening to ensure the printer's seal.

[0048] Step 3: Adjust the four steel wire ropes 29 to make the substrate 01 rise horizontally until it is located between the two support arms 17, and turn on the vacuum cleaner at the same time; during the rising process of the substrate 01, the dust falling from the substrate 01 is sucked away by the vacuum cleaner.

[0049] Step 4: Drive the rotating base 6 to rotate 180°, then adjust the angle and inclination of the substrate 01 by adjusting the length of the wire ropes. During this rotation, the rotating base 6 also turns the parts to an inverted position, causing a large amount of powder to fall and be sucked up by the vacuum cleaner. By individually controlling the length of one, two, or three wire ropes 29, the substrate 01 and parts can be positioned at different angles and inclinations, ensuring complete powder removal. In addition, the rapid retracting and releasing of the wire ropes can also shake the substrate 01 and parts, thereby shaking off the dust.

[0050] Step 5: After the powder is cleaned, adjust the four steel wire ropes 29 so that the substrate 01 rises horizontally until it is located between the two support arms 17, and drive the rotating seat 6 to rotate 180° so that the substrate 01 returns to face up. Due to the adaptation of the sliding shaft 28 and the sliding hole 27 on the hanging ring 23 of the connection part, the steel wire ropes 29 do not twist when the substrate 01 is turned over. At the same time, when adjusting the angle, the sliding shaft 28 can rotate or slide in the sliding hole 27 to stably suspend the substrate 01.

[0051] Step 6: Drive forklift 1 to remove substrate 01 and parts from the printer, completing powder cleaning and part removal.

[0052] It should be noted that the controller and control panel mentioned in this application are existing technologies. The 3D printer powder cleaning and removal device of this application cleans the powder of the substrate 01 and the printed parts and removes them from the printer. The powder remaining on the substrate 01 or inside the special-shaped parts can be subsequently transferred to the powder cleaning station for further cleaning.

[0053] The above description is only a preferred specific embodiment of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can make equivalent replacements or changes based on the technical solutions and inventive concepts of the present invention within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, and all of these should be covered by the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A 3D printer powder cleaning and removal device, characterized by: The invention comprises a connecting base (3), a rotating base (6), a connecting portion and a steel wire rope (29), wherein the connecting base (3) is arranged on a forklift (1), the rotating base (6) is arranged to rotate around the central axis of the connecting base (3), and two supporting arms (17) are arranged on the rotating base (6) along the central axis of the connecting base (3), the two supporting arms (17) are symmetrical about the center of the rotating base (6), the spacing between the two supporting arms (17) is greater than the width of the base plate (01), and each supporting arm (17) is provided with two pulley guides (18), and the two pulley guides (18) are fixed to the supporting base (01) at intervals. On the arm (17), a pulley guide portion (18) is arranged on the side of the support arm (17) facing the central axis of the rotating seat (6), the pulley guide portion (18) is composed of two fixed pulleys (19) symmetrical up and down, a rope winding assembly is arranged in the rotating seat (6), four steel wire ropes (29) are arranged, the rope winding assembly corresponds to the steel wire ropes (29) one by one, the four steel wire ropes (29) correspond to the four pulley guide portions (18) one by one, one end of the steel wire rope (29) is provided with a connecting portion, and the other end is connected to the rope winding assembly via the pulley guide portion (18), and the connecting portion is used to connect to the base plate (01); The connecting portion includes a hanging member (22), a hanging ring (23) and a connecting bolt (24), wherein the connecting bolt (24) corresponds to the connecting screw hole on the base plate (01), and the connecting bolt (24) is rotatably arranged on the hanging member (22), and the hanging member (22) is composed of a horizontal plate (25) and a vertical plate (26), wherein the horizontal plate (25) of the hanging member (22) is parallel to the upper surface of the base plate (01), and the vertical plate (26) of the hanging member (22) contacts the side surface of the base plate (01), and a sliding hole (27) is provided on the vertical plate (26), and a sliding shaft (28) is provided on the hanging ring (23), and the sliding hole (27) is adapted to the sliding shaft (28).

2. The 3D printer powder cleaning and removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The forklift (1) is provided with a lifting seat (2), which is fixedly provided on a door frame of the forklift (1); the connecting base (3) is slidably provided on the lifting seat (2) on the left and right sides; guide rails (4) are fixedly provided on the lifting seat (2) on the left and right sides; a linear bearing (5) is provided on the connecting base (3), and the linear bearing (5) is adapted to the guide rail (4).

3. The 3D printer powder cleaning and removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating seat (6) is provided with a driven gear ring (8) on the end surface facing the connecting base (3); a circular mounting hole (7) is provided on the end surface of the connecting base (3); the driven gear ring (8) is adapted to the circular mounting hole (7); a driving motor (9) is provided in the connecting base (3); a driving gear (10) meshing with the driven gear ring (8) is rotatably provided in the connecting base (3); and the driving motor (9) provides driving force for the driving gear (10).

4. The 3D printer powder cleaning and removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that: An annular outward expansion plate (12) is provided on the outer peripheral side of the connection base (3), and a silicone sealing ring (13) is provided on the end surface of the annular outward expansion plate (12) facing the rotating seat (6).

5. The 3D printer powder cleaning and removal device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The end surface of the connecting base (3) is provided with a plurality of deflection correcting frames (14), and the deflection correcting frames (14) are arranged symmetrically with respect to the rotating base (6).

6. The 3D printer powder cleaning and removal device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The rope winding assembly comprises a servo motor (20) and a rope winding wheel (21). The steel wire rope (29) is wound on the rope winding wheel (21). The servo motor (20) drives the rope winding wheel (21) to release or reel in the wire.

7. The 3D printer powder cleaning and removal device according to claim 4, characterized in that: A mounting hole is provided on the annular outer expansion plate (12), a dust suction pipe (15) is provided in the mounting hole, a dust suction port (16) is provided at one end of the dust suction pipe (15), and the other end is connected to a dust collector, and the dust suction port (16) is located below the rotating seat (6).

8. The 3D printer powder cleaning and removal device according to claim 6, characterized in that: It also includes a controller arranged in the connection base (3), the servo motor (20) and the drive motor (9) are electrically connected to the controller, and the controller is electrically connected to a control panel arranged on the handle of the forklift (1).

9. A method for cleaning powder and removing parts from a 3D printer, characterized in that: The 3D printer powder cleaning and removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is used, and the method is as follows: S1: The connecting part is connected to its corresponding connecting screw hole; S2: Adjust the position of the forklift (1) so that the rotating seat (6) and the connecting arm are located inside the printer, and adjust the length of the steel wire ropes (29) so that the base plate (01) is located at the center of the four steel wire ropes (29); S3: Adjust the four steel wire ropes (29) so that the base plate (01) rises horizontally until the base plate (01) is located between the two support arms (17), and turn on the vacuum cleaner at the same time; S4: driving the rotating seat (6) to rotate 180°, and then adjusting the angle and inclination of the base plate (01) by adjusting the length of the wire rope; S5: After the powder is cleaned, the four steel wire ropes (29) are adjusted so that the substrate (01) rises horizontally until the substrate (01) is located between the two support arms (17), and the rotating seat (6) is driven to rotate 180 degrees so that the substrate (01) returns to face up; S6: Drive the forklift (1) to take the substrate (01) and parts out of the printer.

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