Solid-phase composite manufacturing device based on micro-macro wire feeding and composite material manufacturing method

Abstract

The invention discloses a solid-phase composite manufacturing device based on micro-macro wire feeding and a composite material manufacturing method.The solid-phase composite manufacturing device based on micro-macro wire feeding comprises a macro additive manufacturing module and a micro additive manufacturing module, and the macro additive manufacturing module comprises a first wire feeding mechanism and a first stirring head; a first spiral groove is formed in the periphery of one end of the first stirring head, the first wire feeding mechanism is used for conveying a base material towards the first spiral groove, the microscopic additive manufacturing module comprises a second wire feeding mechanism and a second stirring head, and the second stirring head is arranged in the first stirring head and can rotate relative to the first stirring head; a second spiral groove is formed in the periphery of the end, close to the first spiral groove, of the second stirring head. The second wire feeding mechanism is used for conveying reinforcing materials towards the second spiral groove. According to the solid-phase composite manufacturing device based on micro-macro wire feeding, the composite material with the reinforcing material distribution controllable can be manufactured, and the base material and the reinforcing material can be conveyed without shutdown.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of solid-phase composite material manufacturing technology, and in particular to a solid-phase composite manufacturing device and a composite material manufacturing method based on micro-macro wire feeding. Background Technology

[0002] Friction stir additive manufacturing is widely used in the manufacture of solid composite materials due to its advantages such as low heat input, fine grain size and no welding defects.

[0003] However, with the increasing demands for component functionality in industrial applications, single homogeneous materials can no longer meet the requirements for composite properties such as lightweight, high strength, high thermal conductivity, and wear resistance. Therefore, the development of friction stir additive manufacturing technology capable of producing metal matrix composites has become an urgent need.

[0004] In existing technologies, composite materials are usually prepared by introducing reinforcing materials. However, the distribution of existing reinforcing materials (usually powders or filaments) is random during the introduction process, which makes it easy for the reinforcing materials to mix unevenly with the matrix materials. This makes it impossible to "distribute" the reinforcing materials according to the stress conditions or functional requirements of the component. As a result, the performance of the prepared composite materials is unstable and local performance optimization cannot be achieved.

[0005] Therefore, how to manufacture composite materials with controllable reinforcing material distribution has become one of the urgent problems to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a solid-phase composite manufacturing device based on micro-macro wire feeding. The device can distribute reinforcing materials at specific locations within the matrix material, thereby facilitating the manufacture of composite materials with controllable reinforcing material distribution. This solves the technical problem in the prior art where reinforcing materials cannot be "distributed on demand" according to the stress conditions or functional requirements of the component.

[0007] The present invention also aims to provide a method for manufacturing composite materials using the above-described solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a solid-state composite manufacturing apparatus based on micro-macro wire feeding includes: a macro additive manufacturing module, the macro additive manufacturing module including a first wire feeding mechanism and a first stirring head, wherein a first spiral groove is formed on the outer periphery of one end of the first stirring head, and the first wire feeding mechanism is used to feed matrix material toward the first spiral groove; and a micro additive manufacturing module, the micro additive manufacturing module including a second wire feeding mechanism and a second stirring head, the second stirring head being disposed inside the first stirring head and rotatable relative to the first stirring head, wherein a second spiral groove is formed on the outer periphery of one end of the second stirring head near the first spiral groove, and the second wire feeding mechanism is used to feed reinforcing material toward the second spiral groove.

[0009] According to embodiments of the present invention, the solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus based on micro-macro fiber feeding, by setting up an independent micro-additive manufacturing module, can realize the delivery of reinforcing material to a specific location within the matrix material using the micro-additive manufacturing module, so as to manufacture composite materials with controllable reinforcing material distribution. Simultaneously, by setting up a first stirring head and a second stirring head that can rotate independently and integrating the first and second stirring heads, the operation of the first and second stirring heads can be directly switched, avoiding downtime during the switching and delivery of reinforcing material and matrix material, thereby avoiding interruptions in the manufacturing process and ensuring the performance of the composite material and the overall manufacturing efficiency. Thus, the solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus of this application can manufacture high-performance composite materials with controllable reinforcing material distribution, excellent interfacial bonding quality, and integrated structural and functional properties, ensuring the working performance of the solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first stirring head and the second stirring head are coaxially arranged.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first stirring head has an assembly channel inside, the assembly channel extends along the axial direction of the first stirring head and passes through the first stirring head, and the second stirring head is rotatably disposed in the assembly channel.

[0012] In some embodiments, in the axial direction of the first stirring head, one end of the second stirring head having the second spiral groove protrudes from the first stirring head.

[0013] In some embodiments, the height of the protrusion of the second stirring head relative to the first stirring head ranges from 0.1 mm to 2 mm.

[0014] In some embodiments, a stirring needle is provided on one end face of the second stirring head where the second spiral groove is located.

[0015] In some embodiments, the interior of the second stirring head is provided with a first conveying channel, which extends along the axial direction of the second stirring head and communicates with the second spiral groove. The first conveying channel is used to accommodate the reinforcing material.

[0016] In some embodiments, the solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus further includes a shoulder sleeve disposed on the outer periphery of the first stirring head, the first stirring head being rotatably connected to the shoulder sleeve, the shoulder sleeve having a second conveying channel, the second conveying channel extending radially along the shoulder sleeve or inclined downwards and communicating with the first spiral groove, the second conveying channel being used to accommodate the matrix material.

[0017] In some embodiments, the solid-state composite manufacturing apparatus further includes a first driving member and a second driving member, wherein the first driving member is used to drive the first stirring head to rotate, and the second driving member is used to drive the second stirring head to rotate.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a composite material manufacturing method based on micro-macro fiber feeding is adopted. The composite material manufacturing method uses the aforementioned solid-state composite manufacturing device. The composite material manufacturing method includes the following steps: Step 1: According to the layer height process parameters set by the macro additive manufacturing module, the pre-designed structural model is sliced ​​to determine the number of macro layers as m, and the macro layer counter n=1; Step 2: According to the layer height process parameters set by the micro additive manufacturing module, the pre-designed structural model is sliced, and the number of micro layers y contained in the nth macro layer is read. If y=0, proceed to step 7; if y≥1, proceed to step 3; Step 3: Micro layer counter x=1; Step 4: Start manufacturing layer x using the micro additive manufacturing module; Step 5: Execute x=x+1; Step 6: Determine whether x≤y. If yes, return to step 4; if no, proceed to step 7; Step 7: Start manufacturing layer n using the macro additive manufacturing module; Step 8: Execute n=n+1; Step 9: Determine whether n≤m. If yes, return to step 2; if no, end.

[0019] According to the micro-macro fiber feeding-based composite material manufacturing method of the present invention, high-performance composite materials with controllable reinforcing material distribution, excellent interfacial bonding quality, and integrated structure and function can be manufactured.

[0020] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of a solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side view of a solid-state composite manufacturing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Sectional view along line AA; Figure 4 for Figure 3 A magnified view of region I in the middle; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a first stirring head according to some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the second stirring head according to some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 7 for Figure 6 Enlarged view of region II; Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating a composite material manufacturing method according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0022] Figure label: 1000. Solid-state composite manufacturing equipment; 100. Macro-additive manufacturing module; 110. First stirring head; 111. First spiral groove; 112. Assembly channel; 200. Micro-additive manufacturing module; 210. Second stirring head; 211. Second spiral groove; 212. First conveying channel; 300. Shoulder sleeve; 310. Second conveying channel; 2000, matrix material; 3000, reinforcing material. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0024] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0025] It should be noted that in the manufacturing process of existing composite materials, the reinforcing material and the matrix material are usually passively and randomly mechanically mixed in a mixing zone. This results in the random distribution of the reinforcing material in the matrix material, which leads to uneven distribution of the reinforcing material. Furthermore, it makes it impossible to "distribute" the reinforcing material according to the stress conditions or functional requirements of the component (such as directional placement of reinforcing ribs in stress concentration areas). In other words, it is impossible to actively configure the component, which severely limits the design freedom and final reliability of composite material components.

[0026] In the prior art, in order to solve the above problems, multiple wire feeders are usually used to deliver the reinforcing material and the matrix material separately. However, the existing technologies such as switching of multiple wire feeders can only realize material transformation at the macro scale (in "layers"), and cannot realize the fabrication of fine microscale patterns (such as grids, lattices, biomimetic channels) within the same deposition layer. In other words, it cannot realize microstructure design, which makes it unsuitable for manufacturing advanced composite material components with three-dimensional interconnected reinforcing networks, gradient interfaces, or built-in functional channels (such as heat dissipation and conductivity).

[0027] Meanwhile, the existing wire feeder requires the process to be interrupted when switching, which leads to unstable interlayer thermal cycling. This results in weak bonding zones easily forming at the interface between the reinforcing material and the matrix material, becoming a bottleneck in the component's performance and affecting its quality. Furthermore, frequent start-ups and shutdowns severely reduce the performance of composite materials and the overall manufacturing efficiency.

[0028] Based on this, combined Figures 1-7 As shown, this application proposes a solid-phase composite manufacturing device 1000 based on micro-macro wire feeding, which can efficiently and continuously manufacture solid-phase composites with controllable distribution of reinforcing material 3000, excellent interfacial bonding quality between reinforcing material 3000 and matrix material 2000, and integrated structure and function, so as to overcome the limitations of existing friction stir additive manufacturing technology in material composite manufacturing.

[0029] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, describes an embodiment of the solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus 1000 based on micro-macro wire feeding according to the present invention.

[0030] Combination Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus 1000 based on micro-macro fiber feeding according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a macro additive manufacturing module 100 and a micro additive manufacturing module 200.

[0031] Among them, combined Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the macro-additive manufacturing module 100 includes a first filament feeding mechanism (not shown) and a first stirring head 110. A first spiral groove 111 is formed on the outer periphery of one end of the first stirring head 110. The first filament feeding mechanism is used to feed matrix material 2000 toward the first spiral groove 111. The first spiral groove 111 is used to actively capture and cut the matrix material 2000 fed from the first filament feeding mechanism into particles and convey them downward, ensuring the synchronization and stability of the matrix material 2000 conveying process and the deposition process, avoiding material blockage, interruption, or accumulation, and realizing high-efficiency continuous additive manufacturing.

[0032] The first wire feeding mechanism is existing technology well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0033] Meanwhile, by integrating the two key processes of substrate material 2000 conveying (filament feeding) and material forming (stirring deposition) into a macro-additive manufacturing module 100, which is completed simultaneously by a single action (rotation and forward movement of the first stirring head 110), the equipment system and process flow are simplified. Compared with traditional additive manufacturing equipment that requires independent heat sources (such as lasers or electron beams) and powder / filament feeding systems, this solution has a more compact structure and simpler control logic.

[0034] In a specific example, the matrix material 2000 can be a soft material, specifically a non-ferrous metal such as aluminum, magnesium, or zinc.

[0035] In some embodiments, the solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus 1000 based on micro-macro wire feeding further includes a first driving member (not shown in the figure), which drives the first stirring head 110 to rotate. This ensures the working performance of the first stirring head 110 and facilitates the transport and friction deposition of the matrix material 2000.

[0036] The first driving component mentioned here can be understood as a rotary motor or cylinder, etc.

[0037] Combination Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the micro-additive manufacturing module 200 includes a second wire feeding mechanism (not shown in the figure) and a second stirring head 210. The second stirring head 210 is disposed inside the first stirring head 110 and can rotate relative to the first stirring head 110. A second spiral groove 211 is formed on the outer periphery of the end of the second stirring head 210 near the first spiral groove 111 (the specific structure of the second spiral groove 211 can also be found in [reference]). Figure 7 The second wire feeding mechanism is used to feed the reinforcing material 3000 toward the second spiral groove 211. The second spiral groove 211 is used to actively capture, cut off and convey the reinforcing material 3000 fed from the second wire feeding mechanism downward, ensuring the synchronization and stability of the reinforcing material 3000 conveying process and the deposition process.

[0038] The second wire feeding mechanism is existing technology well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0039] It is worth noting that this application sets up multiple wire feeders (macro additive manufacturing module 100 and micro additive manufacturing module 200) to respectively feed matrix material 2000 and reinforcing material 3000, so as to manufacture metal matrix composite materials. This enables the solid-phase composite manufacturing device 1000 based on micro-macro wire feeding to manufacture components that meet composite performance requirements such as lightweight, high strength, high thermal conductivity and wear resistance.

[0040] Meanwhile, by setting up a macro-additive manufacturing module 100 and a micro-additive manufacturing module 200 to respectively transport the matrix material 2000 and the reinforcing material 3000, the micro-additive manufacturing module 200 can be used to transport the reinforcing material 3000 separately. Compared with the prior art, which passively and randomly mixes the matrix material 2000 and the reinforcing material 3000 in the mixing zone, this application can independently control the transport position of the reinforcing material 3000, so that the spatial distribution of the reinforcing material 3000 can be actively and accurately controlled in the matrix material 2000. This facilitates the customized manufacturing of the two-dimensional or three-dimensional structure of the reinforcing material 3000, so as to use the solid-state composite manufacturing device 1000 to manufacture high-performance composite material components with controllable distribution of the reinforcing material 3000.

[0041] Furthermore, this application simultaneously sets up a macro-additive manufacturing module 100 and a micro-additive manufacturing module 200 in the same device (solid-phase composite manufacturing device 1000), so that one device has two stirring heads (first stirring head 110 and second stirring head 210), and the second stirring head 210 is integrated inside the first stirring head 110, so that the size of the second stirring head 210 is smaller than the size of the first stirring head 110. In this way, it is possible to use the second stirring head 210 to manufacture fine micro-scale patterns (such as grids, lattices, biomimetic channels), thereby realizing microstructure design, so that the solid-phase composite manufacturing device 1000 can manufacture three-dimensional interconnected enhanced networks, Advanced, highly complex composite material components with gradient interfaces or built-in functional channels (such as heat dissipation and conductivity); on the other hand, the integration of the first stirring head 110 and the second stirring head 210, compared with the traditional single stirring head device, allows the solid-state composite manufacturing device 1000 of this application to manufacture multiple material components without interrupting the process for material or head replacement. This not only avoids affecting manufacturing efficiency and the integrity of the components, but also avoids the deterioration of interlayer bonding performance due to heat loss caused by process interruption, thereby ensuring the working performance of the solid-state composite manufacturing device 1000. This enables the solid-state composite manufacturing device 1000 to manufacture high-performance composite material components with excellent interfacial bonding quality and integrated structure and function.

[0042] In summary, the solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus 1000 of this application has excellent working performance and can manufacture high-performance composite material components with controllable distribution of reinforcing material 3000, excellent interfacial bonding quality, and integrated structure and function.

[0043] As can be seen from the above structure, the solid-phase composite manufacturing device 1000 based on micro-macro fiber feeding in this embodiment of the invention not only sets up a macro additive manufacturing module 100 and a micro additive manufacturing module 200, but also sets up a second stirring head 210 of the micro additive manufacturing module 200 inside the first stirring head 110 and allows it to rotate relative to the first stirring head 110. This allows the second stirring head 210 to not only manufacture fine microscale patterns (such as grids, lattices, and biomimetic channels) to achieve microstructure design, but also to deliver the matrix material 2000 and the reinforcing material 3000 without interruption during the process. This enables the solid-phase composite manufacturing device 1000 to manufacture high-performance composite material components with excellent interface bonding quality and integrated structure and function.

[0044] Understandably, compared to existing technologies that can only manufacture composite material components with randomly dispersed reinforcing material 3000, this application, by setting an independent second stirring head 210 and placing the second stirring head 210 inside the first stirring head 110 and allowing it to rotate relative to the first stirring head 110, can obtain a physically integrated but functionally decoupled first stirring head 110 and second stirring head 210. This facilitates the "on-demand allocation" of reinforcing material 3000 according to the stress conditions or functional requirements of the composite material component. This not only facilitates the use of reinforcing material 3000 to manufacture a reinforcing skeleton with a predetermined two-dimensional or three-dimensional structure, thereby realizing the directional design and optimization of reinforcing material 3000 to improve the processing capability, design freedom, performance stability, and ultimate reliability of the composite material component, but also avoids the impact of process interruption on manufacturing efficiency and the integrity of the component.

[0045] In some embodiments, the solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus 1000 based on micro-macro wire feeding further includes a second driving member (not shown in the figure) for driving the second stirring head 210 to rotate. This ensures the working performance of the second stirring head 210 and facilitates the delivery and friction deposition of the reinforcing material 3000.

[0046] The second driving component mentioned here can be understood as a rotary motor or cylinder, etc.

[0047] In some embodiments, the second spiral groove 211 is provided with a cutting blade. The cutting blade acts as a mechanical break point, which can actively and periodically cut off the continuous flow of plastic material and divide it into discrete material units, thereby fundamentally eliminating the blockage phenomenon and ensuring the continuity of material conveying and process stability.

[0048] In some embodiments, the reinforcing material 3000 may be a hard material, specifically a commonly used metal or metal-based reinforcing material such as steel, copper, titanium, nickel, high-entropy alloy, or hard alloy.

[0049] In some embodiments, the solid-state composite manufacturing apparatus 1000 further includes a third driving member, which is used to drive the first stirring head 110 and the second stirring head 210 to move in the up-down, front-back and left-right directions, so as to adjust the position of the first stirring head 110 and the second stirring head 210.

[0050] In the description of this invention, features defined as "first," "second," and "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of these features, used to distinguish and describe features, without any order or emphasis.

[0051] With the above configuration, during the manufacturing process of the micro-additive manufacturing module 200, the second stirring head 210 is first controlled to rotate and move, and the reinforcing material 3000 is fed into the second spiral groove 211 of the second stirring head 210 by the second wire feeding mechanism for friction stir deposition. After the reinforcing material 3000 is plasticized, it completes the deposition of each layer along the moving path of the second stirring head 210. During this period, the first stirring head 110 does not rotate. Thus, the micro-additive manufacturing module 200 realizes the friction stir additive deposition manufacturing of the reinforcing material 3000 layer by layer.

[0052] During the manufacturing process of the macro-additive manufacturing module 100, the rotation and movement of the first stirring head 110 are first controlled, and the matrix material 2000 is fed into the first spiral groove 111 of the first stirring head 110 using the first wire feeding mechanism for friction stir deposition. The matrix material 2000 completes the deposition of each layer along the moving path of the first stirring head 110. During this process, the rotation of the second stirring head 210 can be controlled so that the second stirring head 210 can act as a stirring needle to promote the flow of the matrix material 2000. Thus, the macro-additive manufacturing module 100 realizes the friction stir additive deposition manufacturing of the matrix material 2000 layer by layer.

[0053] In summary, in the specific example, when manufacturing composite material components, the second stirring head 210 can be rotated using the second driving component and moved using the third driving component. Because the radial dimension of the second stirring head 210 is small, it is convenient to use the second stirring head 210 to create fine micro-scale patterns, thereby realizing microstructure design. Furthermore, the second stirring head 210 can be used for customized manufacturing of two-dimensional or three-dimensional structures. After the microstructure is manufactured, the first driving component is used to drive the first stirring head 110 to rotate and the third driving component is used to drive the first stirring head 110 to move, so as to process the macrostructure on the outer periphery of the microstructure, thereby facilitating the manufacturing of composite material components without interrupting the process.

[0054] It should be noted that the rotation directions of the first stirring head 110 and the second stirring head 210 can be in the same direction (e.g., both the first stirring head 110 and the second stirring head 210 rotate clockwise or both rotate counterclockwise) or in opposite directions (e.g., one of the first stirring head 110 and the second stirring head 210 rotates clockwise and the other rotates counterclockwise). By independently controlling the rotation direction and speed of the first stirring head 110 and the second stirring head 210, the heat input and material flow pattern during the deposition of the reinforcing material 3000 and the matrix material 2000 can be flexibly adjusted.

[0055] Specifically, when depositing the hard reinforcing material 3000, the second stirring head 210 can be controlled to rotate at a high speed to reduce rheological stress, and when depositing the matrix material 2000, the first stirring head 110 and the second stirring head 210 can be controlled to rotate at a lower speed to reduce excessive dispersion of the reinforcing material 3000 pattern, thereby improving the final reliability of the composite material component.

[0056] In some embodiments, combined with Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the first stirring head 110 and the second stirring head 210 are coaxially arranged. Here, coaxial arrangement can be understood as the geometric center axis of the first stirring head 110 completely coinciding with the center axis of the second stirring head 210, so that both the first stirring head 110 and the second stirring head 210 can rotate smoothly relative to each other, thereby ensuring the overall working efficiency of the first stirring head 110 and the second stirring head 210, so as to manufacture composite material components without interrupting the process.

[0057] In some embodiments, combined with Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the first stirring head 110 has an assembly channel 112 inside, which extends along the axial direction of the first stirring head 110 and passes through it. The second stirring head 210 is rotatably disposed within the assembly channel 112. This allows the second stirring head 210 to be rotatably disposed within the first stirring head 110, thereby achieving the integration of the first stirring head 110 and the second stirring head 210. This not only enables the solid-state composite manufacturing apparatus 1000 of this application to manufacture components of various materials without interrupting the process for material or head replacement, but also ensures that the radial dimension of the second stirring head 210 is smaller than that of the first stirring head 110, so as to facilitate the manufacture of fine micro-scale patterns using the second stirring head 210, thereby realizing microstructure design.

[0058] In some embodiments, the interior of the first stirring head 110 is hollow to form an assembly channel 112, which makes it easier to reduce the molding difficulty of the assembly channel 112. This not only improves the manufacturing efficiency of the first stirring head 110, but also reduces the assembly difficulty of the first stirring head 110 and the second stirring head 210, so that the second stirring head 210 can be rotatably disposed inside the first stirring head 110.

[0059] In some embodiments, combined with Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, in the axial direction of the first stirring head 110, the second stirring head 210 has one end with a second spiral groove 211 protruding from the first stirring head 110. On the one hand, this ensures that the second stirring head 210 is not affected by the first stirring head 110 during operation, thus guaranteeing the working performance of the second stirring head 210. On the other hand, when the matrix material 2000 completes the deposition of each layer along the moving path of the first stirring head 110, the second stirring head 210 can act as a stirring needle to promote the flow of the matrix material 2000. This transforms the manufacturing of the matrix material 2000 from simple material stacking to an advanced manufacturing process involving microstructure reconstruction and performance synergistic optimization, facilitating the manufacture of high-performance metal components.

[0060] Optionally, the protrusion height of the second stirring head 210 relative to the first stirring head 110 ranges from 0.1mm to 2mm. Here, the protrusion height of the second stirring head 210 relative to the first stirring head 110 can be understood as... Figure 4 As shown in the diagram, when the protrusion height of the second stirring head 210 relative to the first stirring head 110 is too low, it will reduce the performance of the second stirring head 210 in promoting the flow of the matrix material 2000, thereby reducing the performance of the matrix material 2000 after molding; when the protrusion height of the second stirring head 210 relative to the first stirring head 110 is too high, it will lead to a series of problems such as insufficient heat input, material splashing, and easy breakage of the second stirring head 210.

[0061] Based on this, this application sets the range of the protrusion height of the second stirring head 210 relative to the first stirring head 110 to 0.1mm~2mm. This not only avoids the second stirring head 210 from breaking, but also enhances the effect of the second stirring head 210 in promoting the flow of the matrix material 2000.

[0062] In a specific example, the protrusion height of the second stirring head 210 relative to the first stirring head 110 is 0.1mm, 0.5mm, 1mm, 1.5mm or 2mm, etc.

[0063] In some embodiments, a stirring pin (not shown in the figure) is provided on one end face of the second stirring head 210 where the second spiral groove 211 is provided. The stirring pin can promote the flow of the reinforcing material 3000, thereby realizing the transformation of the manufacturing of the reinforcing material 3000 from a simple material stacking to an advanced manufacturing process of microstructure reconstruction and performance synergistic optimization, further facilitating the manufacture of high-performance metal components.

[0064] The connection between the stirring needle and the second stirring head 210 can be welding, integral molding, etc.

[0065] In some embodiments, combined with Figure 3 , Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the second stirring head 210 has a first conveying channel 212 inside. The first conveying channel 212 extends along the axial direction of the second stirring head 210 and connects to the second spiral groove 211. The first conveying channel 212 is used to accommodate the reinforcing material 3000. This facilitates the conveying of the reinforcing material 3000 into the second spiral groove 211, reducing the difficulty of conveying the reinforcing material 3000 and thus reducing the manufacturing difficulty of the microstructure.

[0066] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, at least a portion of the interior of the second stirring head 210 is hollow to form the first conveying channel 212, reducing the difficulty of forming the second stirring head 210.

[0067] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, the first conveying channel 212 is arranged near the radial side of the second stirring head 210. Since the second spiral groove 211 is formed on the radial outer periphery of the second stirring head 210, the above arrangement facilitates the connection between the first conveying channel 212 and the second spiral groove 211, thereby facilitating the conveying of the reinforcing material 3000 into the second spiral groove 211.

[0068] Optionally, the maximum distance between the opposite side walls of the first conveying channel 212 ranges from 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. It should be noted that when the cross-section of the first conveying channel 212 is circular, the opposite side walls of the first conveying channel 212 mentioned above can be understood as the diameter of the first conveying channel 212. This arrangement facilitates the conveying of reinforcing material 3000 with a diameter range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. Because the diameter of the reinforcing material 3000 is small, it is convenient to use the second stirring head 210 to create fine microscale patterns to achieve microstructure design. This enables the solid-state composite manufacturing apparatus 1000 to manufacture advanced, highly complex composite material components with three-dimensional interconnected reinforcing networks, gradient interfaces, or built-in functional channels.

[0069] In a specific example, the maximum distance between the opposite side walls of the first conveying channel 212 is 0.1mm, 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.4mm, or 0.5mm, etc.

[0070] It should be noted that, due to the small outer diameter of the second stirring head 210, typically 0.5mm to 5mm, and the low eccentricity of the second wire feeding mechanism, the reinforcing material 3000 will not be bent or broken due to the high-speed rotation of the second stirring head 210 during the conveying process.

[0071] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus 1000 based on micro-macro wire feeding also includes a shoulder sleeve 300. The shoulder sleeve 300 is disposed on the outer periphery of the first stirring head 110, which is rotatably connected to the shoulder sleeve 300. A second conveying channel 310 is formed on the shoulder sleeve 300. The second conveying channel 310 extends radially (or extends obliquely downward) along the shoulder sleeve 300 and connects to the first spiral groove 111. The second conveying channel 310 is used to accommodate the matrix material 2000. By rotatably connecting the first stirring head 110 to the shoulder sleeve 300, the shoulder sleeve 300 acts as a fixing component, ensuring that the matrix material 2000 can be firmly restrained and pressed onto the substrate below. This effectively prevents circumferential splashing and irregular bulging of the matrix material 2000 under the rotation of the shoulder sleeve, thus ensuring the formation of a deposition layer with a smooth surface and uniform dimensions.

[0072] Meanwhile, by opening a second conveying channel 310 on the shoulder sleeve 300, the base material 2000 is conveyed into the first spiral groove 111, reducing the difficulty of conveying the base material 2000 and thus reducing the manufacturing difficulty of the macrostructure.

[0073] Optionally, the maximum distance between the opposite side walls of the second conveying channel 310 ranges from 1mm to 10mm. It should be noted that when the cross-section of the second conveying channel 310 is circular, the opposite side walls of the second conveying channel 310 mentioned above can be understood as the diameter of the second conveying channel 310. This arrangement facilitates the conveying of base material 2000 with a diameter range of 1mm to 10mm, which is beneficial for the manufacturing and forming of the macroscopic structure.

[0074] In a specific example, the maximum distance between the opposite side walls of the second conveying channel 310 is 1mm, 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 8mm, 9mm or 10mm, etc.

[0075] It should be noted that the shoulder sleeve 300 can be understood as the stationary shoulder sleeve of the first stirring head 110. When the second stirring head 210 rotates relative to the first stirring head 110, the first stirring head 110 can act as the stationary shoulder sleeve of the second stirring head 210 to ensure that the reinforcing material 3000 can be firmly restricted and pressed onto the substrate below, effectively preventing the reinforcing material 3000 from circumferential splashing and irregular bulging under the rotation of the shoulder, thus providing a guarantee for the formation of a deposition layer with a smooth surface and consistent size.

[0076] The following describes a method for manufacturing composite materials based on micro-macro wire feeding, according to an embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0077] The composite material manufacturing method employs the aforementioned solid-state composite manufacturing apparatus 1000. The specific structure of the solid-state composite manufacturing apparatus 1000 will not be detailed here. Figure 8 As shown, the composite material manufacturing method includes the following steps: Step 1: Based on the layer height process parameters set by the macro additive manufacturing module 100, slice the pre-designed structural model to determine the number of macro layers as m and the macro layer counter n=1; It should be noted that the layer height process parameters set by the macro additive manufacturing module 100 mentioned here refer to the layer thickness that the macro additive manufacturing module 100 can process in one operation. The macro layer counter n=1 means that the process is initialized and ready to start processing from the first macro layer.

[0078] In a specific example, the layer data is determined based on the slice analysis. Assuming the total height of the composite three-dimensional structure is 32mm and the layer height process parameter set by the macro additive manufacturing module 100 is 4mm, then the number of macro layers m=8 can be determined.

[0079] Step 2: According to the layer height process parameters set by the micro additive manufacturing module 200, slice the pre-designed structural model, and then read the number of micro layers y contained in the nth macro layer. If y=0, proceed to step 7; if y≥1, proceed to step 3. This means that when preparing to start processing from the first macro layer, the first macro layer is sliced ​​according to the layer height process parameters set by the micro additive manufacturing module 200, and then the number of micro layers y contained in the first macro layer is read. The number of micro layers y contained in the nth macro layer may be 0. When y=0, the manufacturing of the nth layer is started directly using the macro additive manufacturing module 100.

[0080] It should be noted that the layer height process parameter set by the micro additive manufacturing module 200 mentioned here refers to the layer thickness that the micro additive manufacturing module 200 can process in one operation.

[0081] It should also be noted that the height of the macro layer is a target thickness, while the micro layer represents the execution steps for fine-tuning operations within this target thickness. Therefore, the establishment of the micro layer does not increase the overall height of the macro layer; it merely involves customized manufacturing of the two-dimensional or three-dimensional structure in the process of achieving this predetermined height.

[0082] Step 3: Microscopic layer counter x=1; It should be noted that the micro-layer counter x=1 means that when the number of micro-layers y≥1 contained in the nth macro-layer is read, the process is initialized to prepare to start processing from the first micro-layer in the nth macro-layer.

[0083] In a specific example, assuming that the first macro layer contains micro layers and the total height of the first macro layer is 4mm, and the layer height process parameter set by the micro additive manufacturing module 200 is 1mm, then it can be determined that the number of micro layers y contained in the first macro layer satisfies: 4≥y≥1.

[0084] In other words, when the first macro layer contains micro layers and the total height of the first macro layer is 4mm, and the layer height process parameter set by the micro additive manufacturing module 200 is 1mm, the number of micro layers in the first macro layer is at most 4 and at least 1.

[0085] Step 4: Begin manufacturing layer x using the micro-additive manufacturing module 200; This means that after reading that the nth macroscopic layer contains a microscopic layer, the microscopic additive manufacturing module 200 is used to manufacture the first microscopic layer in the nth macroscopic layer.

[0086] During the manufacturing process of the micro-additive manufacturing module 200, the second stirring head 210 is controlled to rotate and move, and the reinforcing material 3000 is fed into the second spiral groove 211 of the second stirring head 210 by the second wire feeding mechanism for stirring friction deposition. After the reinforcing material 3000 is plasticized, it completes the deposition of each layer along the moving path of the second stirring head 210. During this period, the first stirring head 110 does not rotate, so that the micro-additive manufacturing module 200 can realize the additive manufacturing of the reinforcing material 3000.

[0087] Step 5: Execute x = x + 1; It should be noted that a step instruction here means that when the xth micro layer is manufactured, the program increments the value of the micro counter x by 1, which means that the current micro layer is completed and the program is ready to manufacture the next micro layer.

[0088] Step 6: Determine if x ≤ y. If yes, return to step 4; otherwise, proceed to step 7. This means that when preparing to manufacture the next micro layer, the program first checks whether x ≤ y. If x ≤ y, it means that the micro layers contained in the current macro layer have not been manufactured yet. At this time, the program will immediately return to step 4 and start manufacturing the new x-th layer (i.e. the next layer). This loop (step 5 → step 6) will continue until x > y, that is, all micro layers in the current macro layer have been manufactured, and then step 7 is executed.

[0089] Step 7: Begin manufacturing the nth layer using the macro-additive manufacturing module 100; This means that after all the micro layers within the current macro layer have been manufactured, the macro additive manufacturing module 100 is used to manufacture the current macro layer in order to produce a metal matrix composite component.

[0090] In the macro-additive manufacturing module 100, the rotation and movement of the first stirring head 110 are controlled, and the matrix material 2000 is fed into the first spiral groove 111 of the first stirring head 110 by the first wire feeding mechanism for frictional deposition. The matrix material 2000 completes the deposition of each layer along the moving path of the first stirring head 110. During this process, the rotation of the second stirring head 210 can be controlled so that the second stirring head 210 can act as a stirring needle to promote the flow of the matrix material 2000. Thus, the macro-additive manufacturing module 100 begins to realize the additive manufacturing of the matrix material 2000.

[0091] Step 8: Execute n = n + 1; It should be noted that this is also a step instruction, which means that when the nth macro layer is manufactured, the program increments the value of the macro layer counter n by 1, which means that the current macro layer has been completed and is ready to manufacture the next macro layer.

[0092] Step 9: Determine if n ≤ m. If yes, return to step 2; otherwise, end.

[0093] This means that when preparing to manufacture the next macroscopic layer, the program first checks whether n ≤ m. If n ≤ m, it means that all macroscopic layers have not yet been manufactured. At this time, the program will immediately return to step 2 and start reading the number of microscopic layers contained in the next macroscopic layer in order to manufacture the new nth layer (i.e. the next layer just now). This loop will continue until n > m, that is, all macroscopic layers have been manufactured.

[0094] In summary, when a macro layer contains a micro layer, the micro layer additive manufacturing process is first performed according to the micro additive manufacturing process when each macro layer is deposited. However, when y=0, micro layer additive manufacturing is not required.

[0095] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0096] It should be noted that in the metal matrix composite component manufactured according to the above method, the reinforcing material 3000 can be distributed in the matrix material 2000 in a preset three-dimensional spatial pattern. Moreover, the pattern formed by the reinforcing material 3000 is a continuous reinforcing network composed of multiple micro-layers stacked and connected in the vertical direction within the macro-layer. This provides a metal matrix composite friction stir additive manufacturing method that can actively and accurately control the distribution of the reinforcing material 3000 in three-dimensional space, achieve efficient and continuous manufacturing, and ensure excellent interfacial bonding.

[0097] The above manufacturing method allows for the design of different motion paths for different micro-layers (x=1, 2, ..., y) within the same macro-layer, thereby enabling the construction of a complex three-dimensional reinforced skeleton within the macro-layer, rather than a simple stacking of two-dimensional patterns.

[0098] Meanwhile, by setting different numbers of micro layers y in different macro layers, a gradient change of 3000 volume fraction of reinforcing material in the construction direction (Z-axis) of the composite material can be achieved, thereby creating functionally graded materials.

[0099] In summary, this application employs a cyclic deposition process of "multi-layer core reinforcement skeleton + single-layer filling matrix material 2000" to provide a metal matrix composite friction stir additive manufacturing method that can actively and precisely control the distribution of reinforcement material 3000 in three-dimensional space, achieve efficient and continuous manufacturing, and ensure excellent interfacial bonding. This method solves a series of problems in the prior art, such as uncontrollable distribution of reinforcement material 3000, process interruption, and poor interfacial bonding, and realizes the digital manufacturing of high-performance, structurally and functionally integrated metal matrix composite components.

[0100] It should be noted that the aforementioned composite material manufacturing method based on micro-macro fiber feeding can also be understood as follows: When manufacturing composite materials, firstly, according to the layer height process parameters set by the macro additive manufacturing module 100, the pre-designed structural model is sliced ​​and layered to divide it into multiple macro layers arranged from bottom to top. Then, according to the layer height process parameters set by the micro additive manufacturing module 200, the macro layers to be manufactured are sliced ​​and layered to facilitate reading the number of micro layers contained within each macro layer. Finally, the micro additive manufacturing module 200 and the macro additive manufacturing module 100 are used sequentially from bottom to top to manufacture the multiple macro layers layer by layer. This process produces composite materials that meet composite performance requirements such as lightweight, high strength, high thermal conductivity, and wear resistance.

[0101] Meanwhile, because this application uses the macro-additive manufacturing module 100 and the micro-additive manufacturing module 200 to respectively transport the matrix material 2000 and the reinforcing material 3000, so as to realize the independent transport of the reinforcing material 3000 by the micro-additive manufacturing module 200, compared with the passive and random mechanical mixing of the matrix material 2000 and the reinforcing material 3000 in the stirring zone in the prior art, this application can realize the independent control of the transport position of the reinforcing material 3000, so that the spatial distribution of the reinforcing material 3000 in the matrix material 2000 can be actively and precisely controlled. This facilitates the customized manufacturing of the two-dimensional or three-dimensional structure of the reinforcing material 3000, so as to use the solid-phase composite manufacturing device 1000 to manufacture high-performance composite material components with controllable distribution of the reinforcing material 3000.

[0102] It should also be noted that when using the micro additive manufacturing module 200 and the macro additive manufacturing module 100 to manufacture multiple macro layers from bottom to top, the process first determines whether the macro layer to be manufactured contains micro layers. If it is determined that the macro layer to be manufactured contains micro layers, steps 3-6 above are executed sequentially until all micro layers in the macro layer to be manufactured are manufactured. Then, the macro additive manufacturing module 100 is used to manufacture the macro layer to be manufactured. If it is determined that the macro layer to be manufactured does not contain micro layers, the macro additive manufacturing module 100 is used directly to manufacture the macro layer to be manufactured. After the macro layer to be manufactured is manufactured, it is determined whether all macro layers have been manufactured. If yes, the composite material manufacturing ends. If not, the above steps are repeated (first, according to the layer height process parameters set by the micro additive manufacturing module 200, the macro layer to be manufactured is sliced ​​and layered to facilitate reading the number of micro layers contained in the macro layer to be manufactured).

[0103] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0104] The specific structures and working principles of other components of the solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus 1000 based on micro-macro wire feeding and the composite material manufacturing method according to embodiments of the present invention, such as the first wire feeding mechanism and the second wire feeding mechanism, are known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0105] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "embodiment," "example," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0106] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand 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 claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A solid-phase composite manufacturing device based on micro-macro wire feeding, characterized in that, include: A macro additive manufacturing module (100) includes a first wire feeding mechanism and a first stirring head (110). A first spiral groove (111) is formed on the outer periphery of one end of the first stirring head (110). The first wire feeding mechanism is used to feed matrix material (2000) toward the first spiral groove (111). The micro-additive manufacturing module (200) includes a second wire feeding mechanism and a second stirring head (210). The second stirring head (210) is disposed inside the first stirring head (110) and can rotate relative to the first stirring head (110). A second spiral groove (211) is formed on the outer periphery of one end of the second stirring head (210) near the first spiral groove (111). The second wire feeding mechanism is used to feed reinforcing material (3000) toward the second spiral groove (211).

2. The solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus based on micro-macro wire feeding according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first stirring head (110) and the second stirring head (210) are coaxially arranged.

3. The solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus based on micro-macro wire feeding according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first stirring head (110) has an assembly channel (112) inside, the assembly channel (112) extends along the axial direction of the first stirring head (110) and passes through the first stirring head (110), and the second stirring head (210) is rotatably disposed in the assembly channel (112).

4. The solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus based on micro-macro wire feeding according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the axial direction of the first stirring head (110), the second stirring head (210) has one end of the second spiral groove (211) protruding from the first stirring head (110).

5. The solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus based on micro-macro wire feeding according to claim 4, characterized in that, The height of the protrusion of the second stirring head (210) relative to the first stirring head (110) ranges from 0.1mm to 2mm.

6. The solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus based on micro-macro wire feeding according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second stirring head (210) has a stirring needle on one end face of the second spiral groove (211).

7. The solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus based on micro-macro wire feeding according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second stirring head (210) has a first conveying channel (212) inside. The first conveying channel (212) extends along the axial direction of the second stirring head (210) and connects to the second spiral groove (211). The first conveying channel (212) is used to accommodate the reinforcing material (3000).

8. The solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus based on micro-macro wire feeding according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a shoulder sleeve (300), which is disposed on the outer periphery of the first stirring head (110). The first stirring head (110) is rotatably connected to the shoulder sleeve (300). A second conveying channel (310) is provided on the shoulder sleeve (300). The second conveying channel (310) extends radially along the shoulder sleeve (300) or inclined downwards and communicates with the first spiral groove (111). The second conveying channel (310) is used to accommodate the matrix material (2000).

9. The solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus based on micro-macro wire feeding according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, It also includes a first driving member and a second driving member, the first driving member being used to drive the first stirring head (110) to rotate, and the second driving member being used to drive the second stirring head (210) to rotate.

10. A method for manufacturing composite materials based on micro-macro wire feeding, characterized in that, The composite material manufacturing method employs the solid-phase composite manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1-9, and the composite material manufacturing method includes the following steps: Step 1: According to the layer height process parameters set by the macro additive manufacturing module (100), slice the pre-designed structural model to determine the number of macro layers as m and the macro layer counter n=1; Step 2: According to the layer height process parameters set by the micro additive manufacturing module (200), slice the pre-designed structural model, and then read the number of micro layers y contained in the nth macro layer. If y=0, execute step 7; if y≥1, execute step 3. Step 3: Microscopic layer counter x=1; Step 4: Start manufacturing layer x using the micro-additive manufacturing module (200); Step 5: Execute x = x + 1; Step 6: Determine if x ≤ y. If yes, return to step 4; otherwise, proceed to step 7. Step 7: Start manufacturing the nth layer using the macro-additive manufacturing module (100); Step 8: Execute n = n + 1; Step 9: Determine if n ≤ m. If yes, return to step 2; otherwise, end.

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