3D printing device capable of preparing multiple gradient nano composite materials in situ

Abstract

The invention provides a 3D printing device capable of preparing various gradient nano composite materials in situ. The 3D printing device is characterized in that a recycling bin, a forming bin and a powder supply bin which are arranged in sequence are arranged on a printing working platform; the scraper device provided with a driving mechanism is arranged above the printing working platform, and the scraper device is in sliding fit with a scraper guide rail on the printing working platform; and the laser beam generating device is arranged above the forming bin. The gradient nano composite material can be printed, continuity and uniformity of gradient change are guaranteed, multiple composite materials are printed at the same time, the printing efficiency is improved, and the period of the printing work is shortened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of metal additive manufacturing technology, and in particular relates to a 3D printing device capable of preparing multiple gradient nanocomposite materials in situ. Background Technology

[0002] Selective laser melting (SLM), an additive manufacturing technology, can produce high-performance, complex components and has become one of the mainstream technologies for preparing metal composite materials. Gradient nanocomposites can be manufactured using SLM to produce composite parts with complex structures and excellent properties. Compared to traditional homogeneous materials, the doping of nanoparticles can significantly improve the strength, conductivity, or corrosion resistance of the matrix material, allowing composite materials to possess high strength, high toughness, and corrosion resistance. This meets the requirements of some high-end equipment for high-performance materials, complex structures, and rapid manufacturing, and has wide applications in the aerospace field.

[0003] Selective laser melting technology is based on the principle of melting metal powder with a high-energy laser beam. The laser spot size is small and the forming accuracy is high. By laying powder layer by layer from bottom to top, the composition of the part can be continuously changed. Therefore, it also provides a new idea for the preparation of gradient nanocomposite materials.

[0004] The forming principle of laser selective melting is as follows: The 3D model is layered according to a certain thickness using software. The layered data is then processed by adding parameters to generate a program. The program is then imported into a computer for analysis, and the laser is controlled to scan along a specified path. After scanning one layer, the forming chamber decreases by one layer thickness, the scraper spreads powder again, and the laser performs sintering again. This cycle is repeated to achieve the printing and forming of the part.

[0005] Existing technologies for printing materials mostly only allow for the printing of single materials, making it difficult to print multiple materials simultaneously. This results in slow printing efficiency and long production cycles, failing to meet the requirements of rapid manufacturing and mass production, thus limiting its widespread application. Furthermore, in the in-situ preparation of gradient nanocomposites, most methods only print single materials, making it difficult to print composite materials. The composition cannot be precisely controlled during composite material printing, making it difficult to guarantee the continuity and uniformity of gradient changes, thus failing to meet the multifunctional requirements of the materials. This affects the overall performance of the materials, leading to discrepancies between the printed materials' performance and expectations, preventing them from reaching their ideal state and limiting their application in high-end manufacturing.

[0006] Current research indicates that 3D printing devices for preparing multi-gradient nanocomposite materials still have significant limitations: First, the powder feeding mechanism is not perfect. To prepare gradient composite materials by 3D printing, it is only possible to process them intermittently by changing the composite powder with different ratios. That is, the powder needs to be fully mixed before printing and then filled into the forming chamber for printing. Only one ratio of composite powder can be printed. This method is cumbersome for continuous production. Moreover, during the change of powder material, it is impossible to ensure that the forming chamber is always under the protection of argon gas, which leads to the unstable bonding of the composite material interface during the printing process. Second, in-situ preparation of nanocomposites makes it difficult to control the distribution of the nanophase, and the continuity and uniformity of gradient changes are hard to guarantee. Third, most technologies can only print on a single material, making it difficult to print on multiple materials simultaneously. The printing efficiency is relatively slow, and the printing cycle is long, making it difficult to meet the requirements of rapid manufacturing and mass production.

[0007] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a 3D printing device that can prepare multiple gradient nanocomposites in situ to realize the printing of gradient nanocomposites, while improving printing efficiency and meeting various printing needs. Summary of the Invention

[0008] This invention provides a 3D printing device capable of in-situ preparation of multiple gradient nanocomposite materials. Its purpose is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies, enabling the printing of gradient nanocomposite materials with guaranteed continuity and uniformity of gradient changes. Multiple composite materials can be printed simultaneously, improving printing efficiency and shortening the printing cycle.

[0009] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is: A 3D printing device capable of in-situ preparation of multi-gradient nanocomposite materials, characterized in that: The printing platform is equipped with a sequentially arranged recycling bin, forming bin, and powder supply bin; The scraper device equipped with a drive mechanism is set above the printing work platform, and the scraper device slides in cooperation with the scraper guide rail on the printing work platform; The laser beam generator is located above the forming chamber; The scraper assembly includes a rack, gears, support plate, sliding plate, housing, slide rail, bearings and bearing housing, scraper assembly, and drive shaft; The scraper assembly includes a scraper, a powder guide channel, and a scraper connecting plate; The scraper is divided into a left-blade scraper and a right-blade scraper. The scraper is fixed on the scraper connecting plate. The powder guide groove is located between the left-blade scraper and the right-blade scraper. The powder guide groove has an axial through hole, which is located below the bottom discharge port of the scraper feeding bin. The scraper connecting plate has an axial through hole, which is located above the through hole of the guide chute. The slide rail is fixed to the inner side of the housing, and the sliding plate slides in conjunction with the slide rail; The rack is fixed above the sliding plate, and the gear is fixed on the drive shaft. The rack and the gear mesh with each other. The drive shaft is mounted on the housing at both ends via bearings and bearing housings, and a servo motor mounted on the housing connects to and drives the drive shaft; The sensor connects to the servo motor and transmits signals to the servo motor; The scraper feed hopper is mounted on the housing and located above the scraper assembly; The discharge port at the bottom of the scraper feed hopper is aligned with the powder guide trough; The sieve plate is located at the discharge port at the bottom of the scraper feed hopper, and the sieve plate has powder discharge holes; The sliding plate is inserted between the sieve plate and the scraper connecting plate; The sliding plate has a powder outlet hole on one side.

[0010] It has two sets of recycling bins, forming bins, and powder supply bins. The combination on the left side of the printing platform consists of recycling bins, forming bins, and powder supply bins from left to right, while the combination on the right side consists of recycling bins, forming bins, and powder supply bins from right to left. Each set of recycling bins, forming bins, and powder supply bins is equipped with a scraper device. The two scraper devices, each with an independent drive mechanism, are symmetrically arranged in the middle of the printing platform. Two laser beam generators are respectively located above the two forming bins.

[0011] The bottom of the powder guiding groove is higher than the bottom of the scraper.

[0012] The through-hole of the feed chute and the bottom discharge port of the scraper feed hopper are the same size.

[0013] The upper part of the scraper connecting plate is provided with a sliding platform for the sliding plate to move laterally, and the sliding plate and the sliding platform are slidably engaged.

[0014] The scraper feed hopper is equipped with a cover plate at the top, and a powder conveying pipe connection port is provided in the middle of the cover plate.

[0015] The powder outlet holes of the sieve plate are evenly distributed, and the diameter of the powder outlet holes is not less than 5 times the diameter of the powder.

[0016] The advantages of this invention are: The 3D printing device provided by this invention can print gradient nanocomposite materials by simultaneously spreading powders of two different metal materials and mixing them to form a shape, thus meeting the needs of complex printing work. At the same time, it can print composite materials with different ratios as needed.

[0017] The 3D printing device provided by this invention can prepare nanocomposite materials in situ. By adjusting the powder flow rate of the scraper powder supply chamber, the distribution of the nanophase can be controlled, and the continuity and uniformity of the gradient change can be guaranteed.

[0018] The 3D printing device provided by this invention, through the dual scraper device layout, can achieve bidirectional simultaneous powder scraping, thereby enabling the simultaneous printing of multiple composite materials, improving work efficiency and shortening the printing cycle. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the 3D printing device provided by the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side view of the overall structure of the 3D printing device provided by the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the scraper device provided by the present invention; Figure 4 This is an exploded structural diagram of the scraper device provided by the present invention; Figure 5 An exploded structural diagram of the scraper device provided by the present invention from another perspective; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the scraper assembly structure provided by the present invention; Figure 7 This is an exploded structural diagram of the scraper assembly provided by the present invention; Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of the scraper device provided by the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sieve plate and sliding plate provided by the present invention.

[0021] In the diagram: 1-Recovery bin, 2-Forming bin, 3-Powder supply bin, 4-Scraper guide rail, 5-Sensor, 6-Servo motor, 7-Scraper device, 71-Rack, 72-Gear, 73-Support plate, 74-Sliding plate, 741-Sliding plate powder outlet, 75-Housing shell, 751-Housing shell cover, 76-Slide rail, 77-Bearing and bearing seat, 78-Scraper assembly, 781-Scraper, 782-Powder guide groove, 783-Scraper connecting block, 79-Drive shaft, 8-Scraper supply bin, 81-Cover plate, 82-Powder conveying pipe connection port, 9-Sieve plate, 91-Sieve plate powder outlet. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other embodiments can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. To facilitate understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0023] refer to Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the present invention provides a 3D printing device capable of in-situ preparation of various gradient nanocomposite materials, including a recovery chamber 1, a forming chamber 2, a powder supply chamber 3, a scraper guide rail 4, a sensor 5, a servo motor 6, a scraper device 7, a scraper feeding chamber 8, a sieve plate 9, and a laser beam generator (not shown in the figure) for generating a laser beam.

[0024] Two sets of recycling bins 1, forming bins 2, and powder supply bins 3 are combined to form a bidirectional symmetrical layout. The forming bin 2 is arranged between the recycling bin 1 and the powder supply bin 3. That is, on the left side of the printing platform, from left to right, are the recycling bin 1, forming bin 2, and powder supply bin 3, and on the right side, from right to left, are the recycling bin 1, forming bin 2, and powder supply bin 3. The bidirectional symmetrical layout not only optimizes space utilization but also improves the efficiency and stability of the entire printing process.

[0025] The recycling bin 1 is used to collect excess metal powder, while the feeding bin 3 is responsible for supplying the metal powder to be printed. Through a reasonable layout design, powder loss and waste during the transmission process can be reduced, thereby improving printing efficiency and quality.

[0026] The dual scraper device layout is adopted, with two scraper devices 7 symmetrically arranged in the middle of the printing work platform, which makes the scraping action balanced and uniform.

[0027] The scraper device 7 is positioned above the printing platform. A support plate 73 for the scraper device 7 is fixedly mounted on the housing 75. The support plate 73 slides along the scraper guide rail 4 on the printing platform. The scraper device 7 has a bidirectional layout, meaning two scraper devices 7 are arranged side-by-side, enabling simultaneous bidirectional powder scraping and thus simultaneous printing of various composite materials. A dual laser beam generator is positioned above the forming chamber 2 for melting and shaping the laid metal powder.

[0028] Meanwhile, each scraper device 7 should be equipped with an independent drive mechanism so that the scraper can scrape powder to both sides independently.

[0029] The scraper device 7 includes a rack 71, a gear 72, a support plate 73, a sliding plate 74, a housing 75, a slide rail 76, a bearing and bearing seat 77, a scraper assembly 78, and a drive shaft 79.

[0030] The scraper assembly 78 includes a scraper 781, a powder guide groove 782, and a scraper connecting plate 783.

[0031] The scraper 781 consists of a left-hand scraper and a right-hand scraper, which are fixed to the scraper connecting plate 783. The powder guide groove 782 is located between the left-hand and right-hand scrapers. The powder guide groove 782 has an axial through hole, which is the same size as the bottom outlet of the scraper feed bin 8. The through hole is located below the bottom outlet of the scraper feed bin 8. The powder guide groove 782 is used to receive the powder falling from the scraper feed bin 8. The bottom of the powder guide groove 782 should be a certain distance higher than the bottom of the scraper 781 so that the scraper 781 can scrape the powder more smoothly.

[0032] The scraper connecting plate 783 has an axial through hole. The through hole of the scraper connecting plate 783 is located above the through hole of the guide groove 782. The through hole size is the same as that of the guide groove 782. The upper part of the scraper connecting plate 783 is provided with a sliding table for the sliding plate 74 to move laterally. The sliding plate 74 and the sliding table are slidably engaged. The sliding plate 74 can slide on this sliding table, thereby aligning and misaligning the powder outlet hole 741 on the sliding plate 74 with the powder outlet hole 91 on the sieve plate 9, thereby realizing the falling and closing of the powder in the scraper feeding bin 8.

[0033] The slide rail 76 is fixed on both inner sides of the housing 75. The sliding plate 74 slides in conjunction with the slide rail 76 to enable free movement of the sliding plate 74. The rack 71 is fixed above the sliding plate 74 and is rigidly connected to the sliding plate 74 by bolts. The rack 71 meshes with the gear 72. The rotation of the gear 72 drives the rack 71 to move, thereby enabling the movement of the sliding plate 74. The gear 72 is fixed on the drive shaft 79 and is connected to the drive shaft 79 by a key. The two ends of the drive shaft 79 are mounted on the housing 75 through bearings and bearing seats 77. The drive shaft 79 is driven by the connected servo motor 6 to rotate. The servo motor 6 is mounted on the housing 75 and transmits power to the gear 72. Then, through the gear and rack transmission, the power is transmitted to the sliding plate 74, driving the sliding plate 74 to move on the slide rail 76.

[0034] Sensor 5 is installed on housing 75. Sensor 5, connected to servo motor 6, can monitor the position of scraper device 7 in real time and transmit the signal to servo motor 6. The servo motor 6 drives a series of actions that ultimately move sliding plate 74, so that the powder outlet hole 741 of sliding plate is partially or completely misaligned with the powder outlet hole 91 of sieve plate, thereby controlling the powder falling and thus realizing the falling and closing of powder in scraper feeding bin 8.

[0035] The scraper feed hopper 8 is mounted on the housing 75 and is located above the scraper assembly 78.

[0036] The scraper feed hopper 8 is equipped with a cover plate 81 on its upper part, and a powder conveying pipe connection port 82 is provided in the middle of the cover plate. Powder can be continuously supplied to the scraper feed hopper 8 through the powder conveying pipe connection port 82. The scraper feed hopper 8 has a discharge port at its bottom. The discharge port at the bottom of the scraper feed hopper 8 is aligned with the powder guiding groove 783.

[0037] The sieve plate 9 is located at the discharge port at the bottom of the scraper feeding bin 8. The sieve plate has evenly distributed powder outlet holes 91. The diameter of the powder outlet holes 91 is not less than 5 times the diameter of the powder. The number of powder outlet holes 91 is 500-2000. The appropriate sieve plate 9 can be selected according to different printing needs, so as to realize different printing work and meet the functional needs of various complex materials.

[0038] The sliding plate 74 is inserted between the sieve plate 9 and the scraper connecting plate 783.

[0039] The sliding plate 74 has a powder outlet hole 741 on one side. The powder outlet hole 741 should be the same size as the powder outlet hole 91 of the sieve plate to better control the powder falling and accurately control the falling flow rate. It should be noted that the moving distance of the sliding plate 74 can be controlled according to different printing requirements so that the powder outlet hole 91 of the sieve plate is partially or fully exposed, thereby realizing the adjustment of the powder flow rate of the sieve hole, thus adapting to the characteristics of different materials and performing printing work on composite materials with different functions.

[0040] A 3D printing device capable of in-situ preparation of multi-gradient nanocomposites, the principle of which is as follows: The preparation of multi-gradient nanocomposite materials relies on a dual-scraper device 7. The left and right scraper devices 7 can operate synchronously, each equipped with an independent drive mechanism, allowing the scrapers to independently scrape powder to both sides. The left and right servo motors 6 can also operate independently. When printing materials with the same parameters on both sides simultaneously, the left laser beam and the left forming chamber 2 work together, while the right laser beam and the right forming chamber 2 work together to print functional materials. When the materials printed on the left and right sides are different, each structure on each side operates independently to print the material. This invention allows the device to flexibly respond to different printing needs, improving printing efficiency and flexibility.

[0041] During the in-situ preparation of gradient nanocomposite functional materials, according to the forming requirements, corresponding metal powders are laid in the feeding chamber 3 and the scraper feeding chamber 8, respectively, and specific process parameters are set. The preparation of the composite material is completed by the scraper through two powder laying and leveling processes, as follows: First, the first powder laying and leveling is performed. The 3D printing device starts working, and the powder feeding chamber 3 raises the metal powder in the chamber, so that a part of the powder to be processed in the powder feeding chamber 3 is higher than the base surface of the printing platform. Then, the scraper device 7 moves backward and lays the powder on the printing platform through the scraper 781, completing the first powder laying. Then, the second powder laying and leveling is performed. The scraper device 7 continues to move, sending the excess metal powder to the recovery chamber 1. The scraper device 7 stops moving and begins its return movement. When the scraper assembly 78 is about to enter the forming chamber 2, the sensor 5 monitors the position of the scraper device 7 and transmits the signal to the servo motor 6. The servo motor 6 rotates, driving the drive shaft 79 to rotate, thereby driving the gear 72 to rotate. The gears rotate, and gear 72 meshes with rack 71, driving the sliding plate 74 to move. The powder outlet 741 of the sliding plate aligns with the powder outlet 91 of the sieve plate. Powder from the scraper feed bin 8 can reach the working platform along the discharge hole 91 of the sieve plate. The scraper device 7 moves evenly, spreading the powder evenly on the printing working platform. When the scraper assembly 78 is about to leave the forming chamber 2, sensor 5 detects the position of the scraper device 7 and transmits the signal to servo motor 6. Servo motor 6 rotates, driving transmission shaft 79 to rotate, thereby driving gear 72 to rotate. Gear 72 meshes with rack 71, driving the sliding plate 74 to move, causing the powder outlet 741 of the sliding plate to misalign with the powder outlet 91 of the sieve plate. The powder from the scraper feed bin 8 stops falling, and scraper 781 spreads the falling powder evenly on the working platform. The second powder spreading and leveling is completed. The dual laser beams work to start sintering the powder, and this cycle continues until the entire height of the preset workpiece is reached, completing a full print.

[0042] A 3D printing device capable of in-situ preparation of multiple gradient nanocomposite materials allows for parameter adjustments during printing to enable simultaneous or separate operation of the left and right scraper devices 7, catering to various printing needs. It should be noted that during printing, the scraper feed chamber 8 is sealed by a cover plate 81, and powder is continuously supplied to the scraper feed chamber 8 via a powder supply pipe connection port 82, ensuring the powder falls normally and meeting the requirements of continuous printing.

[0043] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A 3D printing device capable of in-situ preparation of multi-gradient nanocomposite materials, characterized in that: The printing platform is equipped with a sequentially arranged recycling bin, forming bin, and powder supply bin; The scraper device equipped with a drive mechanism is set above the printing work platform, and the scraper device slides in cooperation with the scraper guide rail on the printing work platform; The laser beam generator is positioned above the forming chamber; The scraper assembly includes a rack, gears, support plate, sliding plate, housing, slide rail, bearings and bearing housing, scraper assembly, and drive shaft; The scraper assembly includes a scraper, a powder guide channel, and a scraper connecting plate; The scraper is divided into a left-blade scraper and a right-blade scraper. The scraper is fixed on the scraper connecting plate. The powder guide groove is located between the left-blade scraper and the right-blade scraper. The powder guide groove has an axial through hole, which is located below the bottom discharge port of the scraper feeding bin. The scraper connecting plate has an axial through hole, which is located above the through hole of the guide chute. The slide rail is fixed to the inner side of the housing, and the sliding plate slides in conjunction with the slide rail; The rack is fixed above the sliding plate, and the gear is fixed on the drive shaft. The rack and the gear mesh with each other. The drive shaft is mounted on the housing at both ends via bearings and bearing housings, and a servo motor mounted on the housing connects to and drives the drive shaft; The sensor connects to the servo motor and transmits signals to the servo motor; The scraper feed hopper is mounted on the housing and located above the scraper assembly; The discharge port at the bottom of the scraper feed hopper is aligned with the powder guide trough; The sieve plate is located at the discharge port at the bottom of the scraper feed hopper, and the sieve plate has powder discharge holes; The sliding plate is inserted between the sieve plate and the scraper connecting plate; The sliding plate has a powder outlet hole on one side.

2. The 3D printing device for in-situ preparation of multiple gradient nanocomposite materials as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It has two sets of recycling bins, forming bins, and powder supply bins. The combination on the left side of the printing platform consists of recycling bins, forming bins, and powder supply bins from left to right, while the combination on the right side consists of recycling bins, forming bins, and powder supply bins from right to left. Each set of recycling bins, forming bins, and powder supply bins is equipped with a scraper device. The two scraper devices, each with an independent drive mechanism, are symmetrically arranged in the middle of the printing platform. Two laser beam generators are respectively located above the two forming bins.

3. The 3D printing device for in-situ preparation of multiple gradient nanocomposite materials as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the powder guiding groove is higher than the bottom of the scraper.

4. The 3D printing device for in-situ preparation of multiple gradient nanocomposite materials as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The through-hole of the feed chute and the bottom discharge port of the scraper feed hopper are the same size.

5. The 3D printing device for in-situ preparation of multiple gradient nanocomposite materials as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The upper part of the scraper connecting plate is provided with a sliding platform for the sliding plate to move laterally, and the sliding plate and the sliding platform are slidably engaged.

6. The 3D printing device for in-situ preparation of multiple gradient nanocomposite materials as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The scraper feed hopper is equipped with a cover plate at the top, and a powder conveying pipe connection port is provided in the middle of the cover plate.

7. The 3D printing device for in-situ preparation of multiple gradient nanocomposite materials as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The powder outlet holes of the sieve plate are evenly distributed, and the diameter of the powder outlet holes is not less than 5 times the diameter of the powder.

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