Flap type powder cleaning system with fixed forming part

Abstract

The petal type powder cleaning system comprises a powder cleaning shell, a forming bottom plate and a dust collector, the forming bottom plate can be placed on a forming piston in a forming cylinder in a locking mode in the circumferential direction, and the powder cleaning shell is arranged on the outer side of the forming cylinder of 3D printing equipment in a movable sealing and sleeving mode; the upper end of the powder cleaning shell is in sealed connection with the lower end face of a forming chamber of the 3D printing equipment, when the forming cylinder descends to be aligned with a forming piston in the forming cylinder, a powder containing space with the upper end face of the forming cylinder and the forming piston as the bottom face is formed in the powder cleaning shell, a dust suction opening is formed in the side wall of the powder cleaning shell, and a dust collector can suck away powder in the powder containing space through the dust suction opening. The side wall of the powder cleaning shell is further provided with a piece taking opening for translation piece taking equipment to take pieces, the outer side wall of the powder cleaning shell is further provided with a petal type door in a hinged mode, and the petal type door can seal and close the piece taking opening. The automatic powder cleaning device is beneficial to guaranteeing the centering precision of the forming cylinder, can automatically and safely clean powder, and can achieve intelligent and automatic powder cleaning and piece taking of 3D printing equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a laser vacuum SLM printer, and particularly to a flap type powder cleaning system with a stationary formed part. Background Art

[0002] With the popularization of metal 3D printing forming technology, people's requirements for the automation of metal 3D printing are getting higher and higher. The traditional workpiece taking method is as follows: first, the entire forming cylinder is moved out of the machine, then the workpiece is pushed upward out of the forming cylinder, and the powder is removed manually to expose the workpiece, and then the workpiece is taken. This workpiece taking method is very cumbersome, time-consuming, and has high requirements for the movement system of the forming cylinder. The height of class C (disk-shaped) metal 3D printed parts is generally low. If the traditional workpiece taking method is adopted, the production efficiency of the product will be extremely low and the production cost will remain high. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To make up for the above deficiencies, the present invention provides a flap type powder cleaning system with a stationary formed part. The flap type powder cleaning system with a stationary formed part has a simple structure, can simplify the movement system of the forming cylinder of the 3D printing device, realize rapid workpiece taking, and is conducive to realizing the automated production of 3D printing.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problems is: a flap type powder cleaning system with a stationary formed part, including a powder cleaning outer shell, a forming bottom plate and a vacuum cleaner. The forming bottom plate is placed on the forming piston in the forming cylinder in a circumferentially fixed manner. The powder cleaning outer shell is movably sealed and sleeved outside the forming cylinder of the 3D printing device. The upper end of the powder cleaning outer shell is hermetically connected to the lower end face of the forming chamber of the 3D printing device. When the forming cylinder descends to align with the forming piston therein, a powder-containing space with the upper end face of the forming cylinder and the forming piston as the bottom surface is formed inside the powder cleaning outer shell. A dust suction port is provided on the side wall of the powder cleaning outer shell. The vacuum cleaner can suck the powder in the powder-containing space through the dust suction port. A workpiece taking port for a translation workpiece taking device to take the workpiece is also provided on the side wall of the powder cleaning outer shell. A flap door is also hingedly provided on the outer side wall of the powder cleaning outer shell, and the flap door can hermetically seal the workpiece taking port.

[0005] As a further improvement of the invention, a packing seal groove is opened on at least one of the inner side wall of the workpiece taking port on the powder cleaning outer shell and the outer side wall of the flap door, and the packing seal groove is filled with a sealing packing, and the flap door can be closely inserted into the workpiece taking port.

[0006] As a further improvement of the invention, the side wall of the flap door opposite to the hinge side forms an inclined surface, and the inner side surface of the workpiece taking port opposite to the hinge side also forms an inclined surface. The inclined surface makes the dimension of the workpiece taking port in the direction towards the inside of the powder cleaning outer shell smaller than the dimension in the direction towards the outside of the powder cleaning outer shell.

[0007] As a further improvement of the invention, a flipping angle limiting device is further provided on the purifying powder housing, and the flipping angle limiting device can limit the rotation angle of the flap door.

[0008] As a further improvement of the invention, a flap door driving device is further provided, and the flap door driving device can drive the flap door to rotate to open or close the door.

[0009] As a further improvement of the invention, the flap door driving device is a cylinder, the cylinder block of the cylinder is hinged on the 3D printing device, and the piston rod of the cylinder is hinged on the outer side wall of the flap door far away from the hinged end.

[0010] As a further improvement of the invention, the lower end of the flap door is hinged to the outside of the purifying powder housing through a horizontally extending hinge shaft. After the flap door rotates outward to a set angle around the hinge axis, it can overlap with the translation picking device to form a bridge structure, and the forming bottom plate can slide along the upper side surface of the opened flap door to the outside of the purifying powder housing to pick up the parts.

[0011] As a further improvement of the invention, self-lubricating guide strips are formed on the surface of the flap door for the forming bottom plate to slide, guide grooves are formed on the lower side surface of the forming bottom plate, and the self-lubricating guide strips on the flap door can be inserted into the guide grooves of the forming bottom plate one by one to realize the sliding guide of the forming bottom plate.

[0012] As a further improvement of the invention, a dust collection box is further provided on the outer side wall of the purifying powder housing, and the vacuum cleaner can discharge the powder sucked out of the purifying powder housing into the dust collection box for collection.

[0013] As a further improvement of the invention, several rows of dust suction ports are arranged from top to bottom on the side wall of the purifying powder housing. A row of air supply ports is further provided on the side wall of the purifying powder housing, and the air supply holes are located above the dust suction ports distributed in an array. The air supply ports are communicated with the exhaust port of the vacuum cleaner.

[0014] The beneficial technical effects of the present invention are as follows: The present invention cancels the horizontal movement function system of the forming cylinder, simplifies the transmission chain of the forming cylinder, and is more beneficial to ensuring the centering accuracy of the forming cylinder. By arranging a powder cleaning outer shell outside the forming cylinder, a dust suction port for dust suction and a flap door that can be opened and closed are arranged on the powder cleaning outer shell. After the workpiece is formed, the forming cylinder drops until its upper opening is flush with the upper plane of the forming piston, exposing the workpiece and the residual powder around it. The residual powder is quickly sucked away by the vacuum cleaner through the dust suction port, achieving the purpose of automatic powder cleaning. Moreover, during the powder cleaning process, the powder-containing space inside the powder cleaning outer shell remains sealed, which can prevent oxygen from entering the powder cleaning outer shell and causing an explosion. After the powder cleaning is completed, the flap door on the powder cleaning outer shell is opened. The forming cylinder does not need to move horizontally, and the translation picking device can easily take out the workpiece together with the forming bottom plate through the picking port. At the same time, a new forming bottom plate is replaced to prepare for the next 3D printing. Combining the characteristics of the relatively low height of the disk-shaped metal parts, the present invention can realize the intelligent and automatic powder cleaning and picking of the 3D printing device, save labor, reduce the cost of the 3D printing device, and improve the overall production efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the principle of upward-opening powder cleaning and picking of the invention;

[0016] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the principle of downward-opening powder cleaning and picking of the invention;

[0017] Figure 3 is a three-dimensional structure diagram of the invention;

[0018] Figure 4 is a sectional view of the structural principle of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Embodiment: A flap powder cleaning system with a stationary formed part includes a powder cleaning outer shell 1, a forming bottom plate 2, and a vacuum cleaner 3. The forming bottom plate 2 is placed on a forming piston 5 inside a forming cylinder 4 in a circumferentially locked manner. The powder cleaning outer shell 1 is movably and sealingly sleeved outside the forming cylinder 4 of the 3D printing device. The upper end of the powder cleaning outer shell 1 is sealingly connected to the lower end face of the forming chamber 6 of the 3D printing device. When the forming cylinder 4 descends to align with the forming piston 5 inside it, a powder-containing space with the upper end face of the forming cylinder 4 and the forming piston 5 as the bottom surface is formed inside the powder cleaning outer shell 1. A dust suction port 7 is arranged on the side wall of the powder cleaning outer shell 1. The vacuum cleaner 3 can suck the powder 8 in the powder-containing space through the dust suction port 7. A picking port 9 for the translation picking device to pick up the workpiece is also arranged on the side wall of the powder cleaning outer shell 1. A flap door 10 is also hingedly arranged on the outer side wall of the powder cleaning outer shell 1, and the flap door 10 can sealingly close the picking port 9.

[0020] When the laser printing of the 3D printing device is completed, the forming cylinder 4 descends until its upper opening is flush with the upper plane of the forming piston 5. The workpiece 11 and the residual powder 8 around it enter the powder storage space of the powder cleaning housing 1. The vacuum cleaner 3 is turned on, and the residual powder 8 is sucked away from the dust suction port 7 of the powder cleaning housing 1 by the vacuum cleaner 3. The complete workpiece is exposed. At this time, the flap door 10 on the powder cleaning housing 1 is opened, and the workpiece and the forming bottom plate 2 are taken out together by the translation picking device, and a new forming bottom plate 2 is replaced onto the forming piston 5. The flap door 10 is closed, and the forming cylinder 4 rises to a sealed state with the bottom surface of the forming chamber 6, preparing for the next 3D printing. The above mechanism realizes the rapid powder cleaning and picking of the 3D printing device, greatly improves the efficiency of powder cleaning and picking, avoids manual operation, and during the powder cleaning and picking process, the forming cylinder 4 does not need to move horizontally to the outside of the 3D printing device, and the forming cylinder 4 only needs to retain the function of moving up and down. The transmission chain of the forming cylinder 4 is simplified, which is more beneficial to ensuring the centering accuracy of the forming cylinder 4.

[0021] At least one of the inner side wall of the picking port 9 on the powder cleaning housing 1 and the outer side wall of the flap door 10 is provided with a packing seal groove 12, and the packing seal groove 12 is filled with a sealing packing. The flap door 10 can be tightly inserted into the picking port 9. By filling the sealing packing in the packing seal groove 12, it is beneficial to ensure that the flap door 10 seals the picking port 9, which can prevent air leakage during the powder suction process, reliably ensure that no oxygen enters the powder storage space during the powder suction process, and avoid explosion incidents.

[0022] The side wall of the flap door 10 opposite to the hinge side forms an inclined surface, and the inner side surface of the picking port 9 opposite to the hinge side also forms an inclined surface. The inclined surface makes the dimension of the picking port 9 in the direction towards the inside of the powder cleaning housing 1 smaller than the dimension in the direction towards the outside of the powder cleaning housing 1. The inclined surface of the side wall of the picking port 9 of the powder cleaning housing 1 is preferably a 5° bevel groove, and a packing seal groove 12 is provided in the bevel groove, and the groove is filled with a sealing packing. This structure changes the end face seal to a reliable radial seal, which is beneficial to ensuring the sealing performance between the picking port 9 and the flap door 10.

[0023] The powder cleaning housing 1 is also provided with a flipping angle limiting device, and the flipping angle limiting device can limit the rotation angle of the flap door 10. By limiting the flipping angle of the flap door 10 through the flipping angle limiting device, it can only flip within a certain angle range. On the one hand, it can avoid difficult opening due to excessive pressure when closing the door, and on the other hand, it can avoid collision and interference with other parts due to excessive opening angle.

[0024] A flap door driving device is also provided, and the flap door driving device can drive the flap door 10 to rotate to open or close the door.

[0025] The flap door drive device is a pneumatic cylinder 13. The cylinder body of the cylinder 13 is hingedly mounted on the 3D printing device, and the piston rod of the cylinder 13 is hingedly mounted on the outer wall of the flap door 10, away from the hinged end. Each flap door 10 is optimally equipped with two cylinders 13, symmetrically located on either side of the flap door 10. The piston rods of the two cylinders 13 move synchronously to control the opening and closing of the flap door 10. During the powder suction process, the cylinders 13 remain pressurized, ensuring a safe and reliable seal. In addition to using pneumatic cylinders 13, the flap door drive device can also be implemented using a motor and a transmission mechanism.

[0026] The lower end of the flap door 10 is hingedly connected to the outside of the powder cleaning shell 1 via a horizontally extending hinge axis. After the flap door 10 is flipped around the hinge axis to a set angle toward the outside of the powder cleaning shell 1, it can overlap with the translational piece-removing device to form a bridge structure. The forming base plate 2 can slide along the upper side of the opened flap door 10 toward the outside of the powder cleaning shell 1 to remove the workpiece. After the flap door 10 is opened, it overlaps with the translational piece-removing device to form a bridge structure, which facilitates the smooth removal of the forming base plate 2 and the workpiece thereon. When removing the workpiece, the forming base plate 2 can be pushed or pulled to remove the workpiece, which is more convenient. In addition to using the flap door 10 to flip downward to remove the workpiece, the flap door 10 can also be flipped upward to remove the workpiece.

[0027] The flap-type door 10 has a self-lubricating guide strip 14 formed on the surface on which the forming base plate 2 slides, and a guide groove is formed on the underside of the forming base plate 2. The self-lubricating guide strips 14 on the flap-type door 10 can be inserted into the guide groove of the forming base plate 2 in a one-to-one correspondence to provide sliding guidance for the forming base plate 2. The self-lubricating guide strips 14 provided on the flap-type door 10 allow the forming base plate 2 to slide along the self-lubricating guide strips 14, thereby reducing friction and providing guidance, thereby facilitating the smooth, stable, and safe removal of the forming base plate 2 and the workpiece thereon.

[0028] A dust box 15 is further provided on the outer wall of the powder cleaning housing 1. The vacuum cleaner 3 can discharge the powder 8 sucked out of the powder cleaning housing 1 into the dust box 15 for collection. The sucked out powder 8 is collected uniformly by the dust box 15. When the powder 8 in the dust box 15 reaches a certain amount, it can be opened or removed from the powder cleaning housing 1, and the collected powder 8 can be uniformly processed.

[0029] A plurality of rows of dust suction openings 7 are arranged from top to bottom on the side wall of the purifying powder housing 1. A row of air supply openings 16 is further provided on the side wall of the purifying powder housing 1, and the air supply openings are located above the dust suction openings 7 distributed in an array. The air supply openings 16 are communicated with the exhaust port of the vacuum cleaner 3. In this way, no matter what height the upper plane of the forming cylinder 4 is located at, there is a corresponding dust suction opening 7, which is convenient for completely emptying the powder 8 in the powder containing space. At the same time, the purifying powder housing 1 is reliably grounded to eliminate the static electricity generated by the friction of the powder 8 during the powder suction process. At the same time, the exhaust port of the vacuum cleaner 3 sends the filtered protective gas back to the purifying powder space through the air supply openings 16, which can ensure that no oxygen enters (mixes) during the powder suction process to prevent explosion and ensure the safety of the powder suction.

Claims

1. A flap type purifying system with a stationary formed part, characterized in that: It includes a purifying powder housing (1), a forming bottom plate (2) and a vacuum cleaner (3). The forming bottom plate is placed on a forming piston (5) in a forming cylinder (4) in a circumferentially locked manner. The purifying powder housing is movably and sealingly sleeved outside the forming cylinder of the 3D printing device. The upper end of the purifying powder housing is sealingly connected to the lower end surface of the forming chamber (6) of the 3D printing device. When the forming cylinder descends to align with the forming piston inside it, a powder-containing space with the upper end surface of the forming cylinder and the forming piston as the bottom surface is formed inside the purifying powder housing. A dust suction port (7) is provided on the side wall of the purifying powder housing. The vacuum cleaner can suck away the powder (8) in the powder-containing space through the dust suction port. A pick-up port (9) for a translational pick-up device to pick up parts is also provided on the side wall of the purifying powder housing. A flap door (10) is hingedly provided on the outer side wall of the purifying powder housing, and the flap door can seal the pick-up port.

2. The flap type purifying system with a stationary formed part as claimed in claim 1, wherein: A packing seal groove (12) is formed on at least one of the inner side wall of the pick-up port on the purifying powder housing and the outer side wall of the flap door. The packing seal groove is filled with a sealing packing, and the flap door can be tightly inserted into the pick-up port.

3. The flap-type purifying system with a stationary formed part as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The side wall of the flap door opposite to the hinge side forms an inclined surface, and the inner side surface of the pick-up port opposite to the hinge side also forms an inclined surface. The inclined surface makes the dimension of the pick-up port in the direction towards the inside of the purifying powder housing smaller than the dimension in the direction towards the outside of the purifying powder housing.

4. The flap-type purifying system with a stationary formed part according to claim 3, wherein: A flipping angle limiting device is also provided on the purifying powder housing, and the flipping angle limiting device can limit the rotation angle of the flap door.

5. The flap type purifying system with a stationary formed part as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A flap door driving device is also provided, and the flap door driving device can drive the flap door to rotate to open or close the door.

6. The flap type purifying system with a stationary formed part as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The flap door driving device is a cylinder (13). The cylinder body of the cylinder is hingedly provided on the 3D printing device, and the piston rod of the cylinder is hingedly provided on the outer side wall of the flap door far from the hinge end.

7. The flap-type purifying system with a stationary formed part as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The lower end of the flap door is hingedly connected to the outside of the purifying powder housing through a horizontally extending hinge shaft. After the flap door rotates outward around the hinge shaft to a set angle, it can overlap with the translational pick-up device to form a bridge structure, and the forming bottom plate can slide outwards along the upper side surface of the opened flap door to pick up parts.

8. The flap-type purifying system with a stationary formed part as described in claim 7, characterized in that: Self-lubricating guide strips (14) are formed on the surface of the flap door for the forming bottom plate to slide. Guide grooves are formed on the lower side surface of the forming bottom plate. The self-lubricating guide strips on the flap door can be correspondingly inserted into the guide grooves of the forming bottom plate to realize the sliding guidance of the forming bottom plate.

9. The flap type purifying system with a stationary formed part as described in claim 1, wherein: A dust collection box (15) is also provided on the outer side wall of the purifying powder housing. The vacuum cleaner can discharge the powder sucked out of the purifying powder housing into the dust collection box for collection.

10. The flap-type purifying system with a stationary formed part as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A number of rows of dust suction ports are arranged from top to bottom on the side wall of the purifying powder housing. A row of air supply ports (16) is also provided on the side wall of the purifying powder housing, and the air supply holes are located above the dust suction ports distributed in an array. The air supply ports are communicated with the exhaust ports of the vacuum cleaner.

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