Rapid feeding and discharging system and method for additive production line powder cleaning equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a rapid feeding and discharging system and method for additive production line powder cleaning equipment, the rapid feeding and discharging system comprises an automatic carrying device, a universal daughter board, a mother board and a connection table, and the automatic carrying device is used for transferring parts to be cleaned between a powder cleaning table and the connection table; the universal daughter board is used for being fixed to a base plate connected with a to-be-cleaned part, and grabbing, transferring and fixing of the to-be-cleaned part are facilitated. The mother board is fixed on the surface of a powder cleaning working table and is used for quickly aligning and clamping the general daughter board, so that a part to be subjected to powder cleaning is fixed on the powder cleaning working table; the connection table is used for correcting AGV parking errors and accurately placing parts to be cleaned at grabbing point positions of the automatic carrying device. The technical problems that in the prior art, additive manufacturing production line powder cleaning equipment is low in feeding and discharging efficiency and low in safety can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of additive manufacturing technology, and in particular relates to a rapid loading and unloading system and method for powder cleaning equipment in additive manufacturing production lines. Background Technology

[0002] Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is an emerging technology that rapidly transforms three-dimensional digital models into physical objects through methods such as extrusion, sintering, melting, photopolymerization, and jetting. Unlike traditional subtractive manufacturing, its layer-by-layer forming method offers greater design flexibility, allowing more personalized, customized, and complex structural products to be transformed from models into physical objects. In recent years, it has been widely used in aerospace, medical, automotive, and mold-making fields. Laser selective melting (LSM) technology, with its layer-by-layer printing advantage, is widely used for metal parts with complex curved surfaces, flow channels, or enclosed cavities. After the product is formed and removed from the mold, its internal channels and cavities become filled with powder, making powder cleaning extremely difficult. Residual powder, after heat treatment, forms excess material, affecting the internal quality of the product and leading to its scrapping. Therefore, to ensure product quality, vibratory powder cleaning equipment is needed to clean the powder-filled substrate parts. Currently, most workpieces are hoisted and loaded manually. However, manual hoisting has problems such as long alignment and fixing time, low transfer efficiency, high safety risks, poor working environment, and the need for two or more operators to operate at the same time. It can no longer meet the high-efficiency, safe and reliable batch production requirements of additive manufacturing lines.

[0003] Currently, automated loading and unloading technology has been widely used in industries such as machining, cutting, and welding. However, it is mostly applicable to large-volume, small-sized, and lightweight workpieces. It cannot meet the characteristics of additive manufacturing of large-sized and heavy parts, as well as extreme operating conditions such as the closed vacuum dust environment, vibration and impact environment, and workpiece inversion and horizontal placement of vibration cleaning equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a rapid loading and unloading system for a powder cleaning equipment in an additive manufacturing line is provided. The rapid loading and unloading system includes: an automatic conveying device, a universal sub-board, a motherboard, and a connecting platform. The automatic conveying device is used to transfer the parts to be cleaned between the cleaning platform and the connecting platform. The universal sub-board is used to fix the base plate to which the parts to be cleaned are connected, facilitating the gripping, transfer, and fixing of the parts. The motherboard is fixed to the cleaning workbench surface for rapid alignment and clamping of the universal sub-board, thus fixing the parts to be cleaned on the cleaning workbench. The connecting platform is used to correct AGV docking errors and accurately place the parts to be cleaned at the gripping points of the automatic conveying device.

[0006] Furthermore, the rapid loading and unloading system also includes connectors. The universal sub-board has threaded holes that correspond to the fixing holes of the substrate. The universal sub-board and the substrate are fixed together by the connectors.

[0007] Furthermore, the universal sub-board has grooves that serve as gripping areas for the automated handling device, facilitating the gripping of the universal sub-board by the automated handling device.

[0008] Furthermore, the rapid loading and unloading system also includes a sub-plate fixing device. The universal sub-plate is quickly aligned and clamped with the mother plate through the sub-plate fixing device. The sub-plate fixing device includes a zero-point positioning device, a pin structure, or a clamping fixture.

[0009] Furthermore, the docking station corrects the AGV's repeated docking positioning error through mechanical structure limits or QR codes.

[0010] Furthermore, the docking station also includes a positioning pin structure, which is used to correct the storage position of the parts to be cleaned.

[0011] Furthermore, the automated handling device adopts one of the following: a three-axis gantry robot, a two-axis gantry robot, a roller conveyor, an RGV, or a forklift mechanism.

[0012] Furthermore, the automated handling device employs a three-axis truss manipulator, including a column, an X-axis main beam, a Y-axis main beam, a Z-axis main beam, and a manipulator gripper. The Y-axis main beam is connected to both the X-axis and Z-axis main beams. The extension directions of the X, Y, and Z-axis main beams are orthogonal. The manipulator gripper is connected to the Z-axis main beam. The X, Y, and Z-axis main beams are primarily used to enable precise movement of the manipulator gripper in three-dimensional space. The manipulator gripper is used to grasp general-purpose sub-plates and identify the grasped parts. The column is connected to the X-axis main beam and is used to support the weight of the entire handling device's X, Y, and Z-axis main beams and the powder cleaning parts.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, a rapid loading and unloading method for a powder cleaning equipment in an additive manufacturing line is provided, wherein the rapid loading and unloading method employs the rapid loading and unloading system for a powder cleaning equipment in an additive manufacturing line as described above to achieve rapid loading and unloading.

[0014] Furthermore, the rapid loading and unloading methods specifically include: Fix the substrate of the part to be cleaned to the general-purpose sub-board and transport it to the docking station; The cleaning equipment automatically opens its door and detects when the door is fully open; the mother plate automatically returns to zero along with the cleaning workbench. An automated conveying device picks up a general-purpose sub-board and moves it to the powder cleaning workbench; The universal daughterboard and motherboard are aligned and fixed, and the automatic conveying device is removed; The cleaning equipment closes the hatch and automatically begins the cleaning operation; After the powder cleaning is completed, the automatic conveying device will take out the general-purpose sub-boards and parts that have completed the powder cleaning operation and send them to the receiving platform.

[0015] The present invention provides a rapid loading and unloading system and method for powder cleaning equipment in additive manufacturing production lines. This rapid loading and unloading system, through an automatic handling device, a universal daughter board, a mother board, and a connecting platform, enables automatic loading and unloading in the powder cleaning process of additive manufacturing post-processing. This achieves efficient, safe, and stable operation of the powder cleaning process in additive manufacturing production lines, improving the automation level of the production line. Compared with existing technologies, the present invention solves the technical problems of low loading and unloading efficiency and low safety in existing powder cleaning equipment for additive manufacturing production lines. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, are provided to further illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the textual description, explain the principles of the invention. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a rapid loading and unloading system for a powder cleaning equipment in an additive manufacturing line, according to a specific embodiment of the present invention, is shown. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a general sub-board structure provided according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0018] The above figures include the following reference numerals: 10. Automated handling device; 11. Column; 12. X-axis main beam; 13. Y-axis main beam; 14. Z-axis main beam; 15. Robotic gripper; 20. Connecting platform; 30. Universal sub-plate; 40. Mother plate; 50. Control system; 60. Electrical cabinet; 31. Groove; 32. Sub-plate fixing device. Detailed Implementation

[0019] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention or its application or use. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0021] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, a rapid loading and unloading system for a powder cleaning equipment in an additive manufacturing line is provided according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. The system includes: an automatic conveying device 10, a universal sub-plate 30, a mother plate 40, and a connecting platform 20. The automatic conveying device 10 is used to realize the transfer of the parts to be cleaned between the powder cleaning platform and the connecting platform 20; the universal sub-plate 30 is used to fix the base plate connected to the parts to be cleaned, so as to facilitate the gripping, transfer, and fixing of the parts to be cleaned; the mother plate 40 is fixed on the powder cleaning workbench surface, used to quickly align and clamp the universal sub-plate, so as to fix the parts to be cleaned on the powder cleaning workbench; the connecting platform 20 is used to correct the AGV docking error and accurately place the parts to be cleaned at the gripping point of the automatic conveying device 10.

[0023] This configuration provides a rapid loading and unloading system for the powder cleaning equipment in additive manufacturing lines. This rapid loading and unloading system, through an automatic handling device, a universal daughter board, a mother board, and a connecting platform, can realize automatic loading and unloading in the powder cleaning process of additive manufacturing post-processing, achieving efficient, safe, and stable operation of the powder cleaning process in additive manufacturing lines and improving the automation level of the production line.

[0024] Furthermore, in this invention, to achieve the fixation of the universal sub-board 30 to the substrate, the rapid loading and unloading system can be configured to also include a connector. The universal sub-board 30 has threaded holes that correspond to the fixing holes of the substrate. The connector is placed in the threaded holes and the fixing holes to achieve the fixation of the universal sub-board 30 to the substrate. The connector enables a stable connection between the universal sub-board and the substrate, allowing a single universal sub-board to be adapted to the substrate size of all laser selective melting forming equipment in the production line, thus possessing versatility.

[0025] As a specific embodiment of the present invention, the connector may be configured as a bolt, stud, etc. The selection of the connector described above is merely an example and is not limited thereto.

[0026] Furthermore, in this invention, the universal sub-board 30 can be configured to have a groove 31, which serves as a gripping part of the automatic transport device 10, so that the automatic transport device 10 can grip the universal sub-board.

[0027] Furthermore, in this invention, such as Figure 2 As shown, the configurable rapid loading and unloading system also includes a sub-plate fixing device 32, through which the universal sub-plate 30 is quickly aligned and clamped with the mother plate 40.

[0028] As a specific embodiment of the present invention, the configurable sub-board fixing device 32 includes a zero-point positioning device (such as... Figure 2 (As shown), a pin structure or clamping fixture. The above-described subplate fixing device is only one example, but is not limited to this.

[0029] Furthermore, since the motherboard 40 is permanently fixed to the powder cleaning workbench in this invention, the motherboard 40 should have dust protection measures and an in-situ detection device.

[0030] Furthermore, in this invention, the docking platform 20 is used to ensure that the universal sub-plate 30 is accurately placed at the truss gripping point and acts as a temporary buffer to balance the production line cycle time. The docking platform 20 can correct the AGV's repeated docking positioning error to within ±5mm (the error before correction was approximately ±10mm or more) through mechanical structure limits or QR codes.

[0031] In addition, the docking platform 20 also includes structures such as positioning pins. The positioning pins and other structures are used to further correct the storage position of the powder-cleaning parts, and finally reduce the error to within ±1mm, which meets the repeatability positioning accuracy requirements of the gantry robot.

[0032] Furthermore, in this invention, the automated handling device 10 employs one of the following: a three-axis gantry robot, a two-axis gantry robot, a roller conveyor, an RGV, or a forklift mechanism. The following detailed description uses a three-axis gantry robot as an example.

[0033] The automated handling device 10 includes a column 11, an X-axis main beam 12, a Y-axis main beam 13, a Z-axis main beam 14, and a robotic gripper 15. The Y-axis main beam 13 is connected to the X-axis main beam 12 and the Z-axis main beam 14. The extension directions of the X, Y, and Z-axis main beams are orthogonal. The robotic gripper 15 is connected to the Z-axis main beam 14. The X, Y, and Z-axis main beams are mainly used to achieve precise movement of the robotic gripper 15 in three-dimensional space. The robotic gripper 15 is used to grasp the general-purpose subplate 30 and identify the grasped parts. The column 11 is connected to the X-axis main beam 12 and is used to support the weight of the X, Y, and Z-axis main beams of the entire handling device and the powder cleaning parts.

[0034] As a specific embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 As shown, there are two X-axis main beams 12 and two Y-axis main beams 13, and four columns 11. The columns 11 directly support the dual-track X-axis main beams 12. The dual Y-axis main beams 13 are mounted on the dual-track X-axis main beams 12. The Z-axis main beam 14 is located in the middle of the dual Y-axis main beams 13. The robotic gripper 15 is mounted on the Z-axis main beam 14 and moves up and down.

[0035] The number of main beams and columns mentioned above is just one example, but is not limited to this.

[0036] In addition, the X, Y and Z axis main beams of the truss and the robotic gripper 15 can all be driven by servo motors and gear racks, and can be guided by linear guides or rectangular sliding rails according to the size and weight of the workpiece to be cleaned, thereby achieving precise positioning.

[0037] Furthermore, the automatic handling device 10 can be configured to include an automatic lubrication system, which is used to continuously lubricate the X, Y and Z axis main beams, reduce friction between moving parts, and extend the service life and maintenance cycle of the equipment.

[0038] Furthermore, in this invention, the rapid loading and unloading system also includes a control system 50, which is connected to the automatic handling device 10, the universal sub-board 30, the mother board 40 and the connecting platform 20 respectively, to receive and process tasks, control the actions of each module and monitor the real-time status.

[0039] Furthermore, this rapid loading and unloading system is linked with the powder cleaning equipment through communication, enabling the transmission and feedback of signals to complete automatic door opening and closing and the zeroing action of the powder cleaning workbench. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the rapid loading and unloading system also includes an electrical cabinet 60.

[0040] According to another aspect of the present invention, a rapid loading and unloading method for a powder cleaning equipment in an additive manufacturing line is provided, wherein the rapid loading and unloading method employs the rapid loading and unloading system for a powder cleaning equipment in an additive manufacturing line as described above to achieve rapid loading and unloading.

[0041] Specifically, this rapid loading and unloading method includes: The substrate of the part to be cleaned is fixed to the general sub-board 30 and transported to the receiving platform 20. The cleaning equipment automatically opens its door and detects when the door is fully open; the mother plate 30 automatically returns to zero along with the cleaning workbench. Automatic conveying device 10 picks up universal sub-board 30 and moves it to place it on the powder cleaning workbench; The general-purpose daughter board 20 and the mother board 30 are aligned and fixed, and the automatic conveying device 10 is withdrawn; The cleaning equipment closes the hatch and automatically begins the cleaning operation; After the powder cleaning is completed, the automatic conveying device 10 will take out the general-purpose sub-board 30 and parts that have completed the powder cleaning operation and send them to the receiving platform 20.

[0042] Furthermore, in this rapid loading and unloading method, the additively manufactured parts with substrates fixed on the universal sub-board 30 can be sent to the docking point near the cleaning equipment by AGV, the universal sub-board 30 can be accurately placed at the loading position of the docking table 20, and the cleaned parts and universal sub-board 30 can be transported from the unloading position of the docking table 20 to the next process by AGV.

[0043] As a specific embodiment of the present invention, the powder cleaning operation can be carried out by using a vibrating powder cleaning table.

[0044] The technical solution of this invention is used to solve the problems of high alignment difficulty, high operation risk and high labor cost in the existing additive manufacturing post-processing powder cleaning process that relies on manual loading and unloading. Through automatic handling device, universal daughter board, mother board and connecting table, automatic loading and unloading of powder cleaning process in additive manufacturing post-processing can be realized, which effectively improves the production efficiency, operation safety and automation level of additive manufacturing post-processing, and has good industrial application prospects.

[0045] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0046] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A quick loading and unloading system for additive manufacturing line powder cleaning apparatus, characterized in that, The rapid feeding and discharging system comprises an automatic carrying device (10), a universal sub-plate (30), a mother plate (40) and a docking station (20), the automatic carrying device (10) is used to realize the transfer of the parts to be cleaned between the cleaning station and the docking station (20), the universal sub-plate (30) is used to fix the base plate connected with the parts to be cleaned, so as to facilitate the grasping, transferring and fixing of the parts to be cleaned, the mother plate (40) is fixed on the cleaning workbench, used to quickly align and clamp the universal sub-plate, and realize the fixing of the parts to be cleaned on the cleaning workbench, and the docking station (20) is used to correct the AGV parking error, and accurately place the parts to be cleaned at the grasping point of the automatic carrying device (10).

2. The rapid loading and unloading system for additive manufacturing line powder cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The rapid feeding and discharging system further comprises a connecting piece, the universal sub-plate (30) has a threaded hole corresponding to the fixing hole of the base plate, and the connecting piece is arranged in the threaded hole and the fixing hole to fix the universal sub-plate (30) and the base plate.

3. The quick loading and unloading system for additive production line powder cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The universal sub-plate (30) has a groove (31) serving as a grasping position of the automatic carrying device (10), so as to facilitate the grasping of the universal sub-plate by the automatic carrying device (10).

4. The quick loading and unloading system for additive manufacturing line powder cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The rapid feeding and discharging system further comprises a sub-plate fixing device (32), the universal sub-plate (30) is quickly aligned and clamped with the mother plate (40) through the sub-plate fixing device (32), and the sub-plate fixing device (32) comprises a zero-point positioning device, a latch structure or a clamping tool.

5. The quick loading and unloading system for additive manufacturing line powder cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The docking station (20) corrects the AGV repeated parking positioning error by mechanical structure limiting or two-dimensional code.

6. The rapid loading and unloading system for additive manufacturing line powder cleaning apparatus of claim 5, wherein, The docking station (20) further comprises a positioning pin structure, and the positioning pin structure is used to correct the storage position of the parts to be cleaned.

7. The rapid loading and unloading system for additive manufacturing line powder cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The automatic carrying device (10) adopts one of a three-axis truss manipulator, a double-axis truss manipulator, a roller conveying line, an RGV or a fork mechanism.

8. The rapid loading and unloading system for additive manufacturing line powder cleaning apparatus of claim 7, wherein, The automatic carrying device (10) adopts a three-axis truss manipulator, comprising a stand column (11), an X-axis main beam (12), a Y-axis main beam (13), a Z-axis main beam (14) and a manipulator claw (15), the Y-axis main beam (13) is connected with the X-axis main beam (12) and the Z-axis main beam (14) respectively, the extension directions of the X, Y and Z three-axis main beams are arranged in a perpendicular manner, the manipulator claw (15) is connected with the Z-axis main beam (14), and the X, Y and Z three-axis main beams are mainly used to realize the accurate movement of the manipulator claw (15) in three-dimensional space, the manipulator claw (15) is used to grasp the universal sub-plate (30) and identify the grasped parts, and the stand column (11) is connected with the X-axis main beam (12) and used to support the weight of the whole carrying device X, Y and Z three-axis main beams and the parts to be cleaned.

9. A quick loading and unloading method for additive production line powder cleaning equipment, characterized in that, The rapid feeding and discharging method is realized by using the rapid feeding and discharging system for the additive production line cleaning equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The method for quick loading and unloading of the powder cleaning equipment for additive production line according to claim 9, characterized in that, The rapid feeding and discharging method specifically comprises: fixing the base plate of the parts to be cleaned and the universal sub-plate (30) and transporting to the docking station (20); the cleaning equipment automatically opens the door and detects the opening to position, and the mother plate (30) automatically returns to zero with the cleaning workbench; The automatic handling device (10) picks up the universal sub-plate (30) and moves to the powder cleaning workbench; The universal sub-plate (20) and the mother plate (30) are aligned and fixed, and the automatic handling device (10) is withdrawn; The powder cleaning device closes the hatch and automatically starts the powder cleaning operation; After the powder cleaning is completed, the automatic handling device (10) takes out the universal sub-plate (30) and the parts after the powder cleaning operation and sends them to the docking table (20).

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