Light path debugging device and method for selective laser sintering equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a selective laser sintering equipment light path debugging device and method in the technical field of 3D printing, the device comprises a base, a supporting plate, a light source support and a groove stand column, the supporting plate is provided with a light through hole, a first embedded magnet and an insertion piece type diaphragm, and the light source support is provided with an angle adjusting set, a locking assembly and an ultraviolet light source assembly; a second embedded magnet and a carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling sheet are arranged on the groove stand column; the insertion type diaphragm and the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling sheet are installed on the base in a side face assembling and disassembling mode, the installation and operation mode is simple and convenient, and the safety risk caused by the fact that the hand stretches into a light path in the dimming process is effectively avoided; the insertion type diaphragm and the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling piece are both fixed in a magnetic attraction mode, it is guaranteed that the insertion type diaphragm and the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling piece are stably fixed to the corresponding positions in the dimming process, the loosening phenomenon is avoided, and therefore the dimming precision is greatly improved, and meanwhile repeated disassembly is facilitated; the base is fixed through positioning pins and screws, and the stability of the whole device is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of 3D printing technology, specifically to a selective laser sintering (SLS) device, and particularly to an optical path adjustment device and method for a SLS device. Background Technology

[0002] Selective laser sintering (SLS) is a key technology in additive manufacturing. This technology uses a high-energy CO2 laser beam to precisely scan powder materials along a pre-defined path, causing them to melt and adhere, layer by layer, to form a three-dimensional solid. During this process, the precision, stability, and spot quality of the laser beam directly affect the dimensional accuracy, surface quality, and mechanical properties of the formed parts.

[0003] Existing CO2 laser sintering equipment typically employs a fixed optical path system, and its adjustment mainly relies on manual intervention during equipment installation or maintenance. This traditional adjustment method suffers from the following significant drawbacks:

[0004] 1. Highly specialized and risky: Operators need extremely high levels of professional knowledge and experience, manually adjusting screws on multiple frames by repeatedly observing the ablation points or using specialized targets. When assembling or disassembling traditional apertures, hands need to be inserted into the optical path; slight misoperation or laser leakage can result in burns to the hands.

[0005] 2. Inconvenient operation: CO2 laser dimming often uses thermal paper ablation to assist observation. The thermal paper cannot be reused after the ablation marks are left, and it needs to be pasted on multiple times, which is not only time-consuming and material-intensive, but also inconvenient to operate. When using professional targets such as frequency doubling plates for observation, ultraviolet light irradiation and development are also required, making it difficult to operate independently.

[0006] 3. Poor accuracy and consistency: Most existing methods of adjusting the aperture adopt a circular sleeve structure, which leaves a large tolerance for easy installation and removal, resulting in the concentricity of the laser beam being affected and making it impossible to perform precise dimming calibration.

[0007] Based on this, the present invention designs an optical path debugging device and method for selective laser sintering equipment to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide an optical path debugging device and method for selective laser sintering equipment to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0010] A selective laser sintering equipment optical path debugging device, the main body of which is made of aluminum alloy material, including a base, a vertical support plate on the front top of the base, two vertical grooved columns symmetrically fixed on the rear top, and fixing screw holes and positioning pins on the base.

[0011] The top of the support plate is equipped with a horizontal light source bracket, which is equipped with an angle adjustment component and a locking component, and is connected to an ultraviolet light source component through the locking component;

[0012] The support plate has a circular light-passing hole in the middle along the front-to-back direction, and its height is consistent with the horizontal of the light path. The support plate has a rectangular through slot in the left-to-right direction corresponding to the position of the light-passing hole. The rectangular through slot has a plate-type aperture, and a first embedded magnet is fixed at one end of the rectangular through slot. The first embedded magnet is attracted and fixed to the inner end of the plate-type aperture.

[0013] A second embedded magnet is fixed inside the grooved column. The grooved column and the second embedded magnet together form a frequency doubling plate support. A carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling plate is attracted and fixed by the two grooved columns through the second embedded magnets on them. The surface of the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling plate away from the grooved column is coated with a material that can be developed under a 10.6μm laser wavelength, but it cannot be seen under visible light. It needs to be illuminated by ultraviolet light to show a black shadow. The surface of the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling plate near the grooved column is made of magnetic metal and is in contact with the second embedded magnet.

[0014] Preferably, the main body of the insert-type aperture is made of magnetic stainless steel, and a cross aperture is provided in the middle of the insert-type aperture. A stop bar is fixed at the end away from the first embedded magnet, and an arc-shaped handle is fixed in the middle of the outer side of the stop bar.

[0015] Preferably, the angle adjustment assembly includes a fixed shaft fixed to the light source bracket, a mounting plate rotatably connected to the fixed shaft, a rubber pad provided at the contact position between the mounting plate and the fixed shaft to increase contact friction and achieve damped rotation, and a locking assembly and an ultraviolet light source assembly are located on the mounting plate, and a threaded sleeve is threadedly connected to one end of the fixed shaft, with the inner section of the threaded sleeve corresponding to the side wall of the mounting plate.

[0016] Preferably, the locking assembly includes a circular hole located at the center of the mounting plate, in which the ultraviolet light source assembly is installed. A straight groove is provided at the center of the end of the mounting plate away from the angle adjustment assembly. The inner end of the straight groove communicates with the circular hole. A locking bolt is provided at the outer end of the mounting plate. The locking bolt is perpendicular to the straight groove, and one end passes through the straight groove and is threaded with a locking nut.

[0017] A method for optical path debugging of a selective laser sintering device, employing two debugging devices as described above, designated as a first optical path debugging device and a second optical path debugging device respectively, includes the following steps:

[0018] S1. According to the optical path of the selective laser sintering equipment, adjust the position of each component and set up the laser, first reflector, second reflector, beam expander and galvanometer in sequence.

[0019] S2. Place the first optical path adjustment device between the second reflector and the beam expander, and place the second optical path adjustment device after the galvanometer.

[0020] S3. Remove the beam expander and galvanometer, and turn on the ultraviolet light source components of the two optical path adjustment devices;

[0021] S4. Insert the insert-type aperture and the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling plate into the first optical path debugging device, and adjust the first reflector so that the light spot displays the best effect on the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling plate, that is, the aperture divides the light spot into four equal parts, and the central circular hole of the aperture is located in the center of the light spot.

[0022] S5. Turn off the laser, remove the insert-type aperture and the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling plate, and place them back on the second optical path debugging device. Turn the laser on again and adjust the angle adjustment knob on the second reflector so that the light spot displayed on the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling plate is evenly divided into four parts by the aperture.

[0023] The two adjustments in steps S6, S4, and S5 constitute a cycle process. After 5 to 10 cycles, the light spot will be developed in the middle of the two optical path adjustment devices at the same time, indicating that the optical path calibration and adjustment is complete.

[0024] S7. After calibration is complete, remove the two optical path debugging devices, and reinstall and fix the beam expander and galvanometer.

[0025] Preferably, the number of cycles in step S6 is 7 to 8.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0027] 1. The insert-type aperture of the present invention adopts a side insert design. The carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling plate can also be installed on the base by side mounting and dismounting. The installation and operation are simple and convenient. Even non-professionals can easily get started after training, effectively avoiding the safety risks caused by the hand reaching into the optical path during the dimming process.

[0028] 2. The insert-type aperture and the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling plate of the present invention are both fixed by magnetic attraction, which ensures that they are stably fixed in the corresponding positions during the dimming process without loosening, thereby greatly improving the dimming accuracy and facilitating repeated disassembly.

[0029] 3. The ultraviolet light source assembly is fixed to the base by the light source bracket and support plate, which can free up one hand when adjusting the dimming and facilitates independent operation;

[0030] 4. The base of this invention is fixed with positioning pins and screws to ensure the stability of the entire device. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall optical path of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the optical path adjustment device of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a side view of the optical path adjustment device of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the optical path adjustment device of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the insert aperture of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing the optimal effect of light spot adjustment in this invention;

[0038] Figure 7 This is the optimal dimming effect diagram displayed on the frequency multiplier.

[0039] The attached diagram lists the components represented by each number as follows:

[0040] 1-Laser, 2-First reflecting mirror, 3-Second reflecting mirror, 4-Beam expander, 5-Galvanometer, 6-First optical path adjustment device, 7-Second optical path adjustment device;

[0041] 10-Base, 11-Fixing screw hole, 12-Groove column, 13-Second embedded magnet, 14-Light transmission hole, 15-First embedded magnet, 16-Positioning pin;

[0042] 20-Plug-in type aperture, 201-Arc-shaped handle, 202-Stop bar, 203-Cross aperture;

[0043] 30 - Light source bracket; 31 - Angle adjustment component; 32 - Locking component;

[0044] 40 - Ultraviolet light source assembly;

[0045] 50-carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling film. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. 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.

[0047] Example 1

[0048] Please refer to the accompanying drawings. This invention provides a technical solution:

[0049] A selective laser sintering equipment optical path debugging device, the main body of which is made of aluminum alloy, including a base 10, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the base 10 has a vertical support plate on the top front side, and two vertical grooved columns 12 are symmetrically fixed on the top rear side. The base 10 also has fixing screw holes 11 and positioning pins 16. Figure 4 As shown, it is used to fix the base 10 and improve the stability of the entire device;

[0050] The top of the support plate is provided with a horizontal light source bracket 30. The light source bracket 30 is provided with an angle adjustment component 31 and a locking component 32. The ultraviolet light source component 40 is connected through the locking component 32. The angle adjustment component 31 can adjust the installation angle of the locking component 32, thereby adjusting the light angle of the ultraviolet light source component 40. The locking component 32 can adjust the clamping force on the ultraviolet light source component 40 and perform disassembly and installation operations. The ultraviolet light source component 40 is a commercially available ultraviolet flashlight or similar product, which is convenient for replacing the main body and battery. A circular mounting hole is provided inside the locking component 32.

[0051] A circular light-transmitting hole 14 is provided in the middle of the support plate along the front-to-back direction, with its height consistent with the horizontal direction of the light path. A rectangular through-slot is provided inside the support plate along the left-to-right direction corresponding to the position of the light-transmitting hole 14. An insert-type aperture 20 is provided in the rectangular through-slot, and a first embedded magnet 15 is fixed to one end of the rectangular through-slot. Figure 3 As shown, the first embedded magnet 15 is attracted and fixed to the inner end of the insert-type aperture 20, ensuring close contact between the insert-type magnet and the aperture 20, improving the positional stability of the insert-type aperture 20 and preventing it from becoming loose. Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown;

[0052] A second embedded magnet 13 is fixed inside the grooved column 12. The grooved column 12 and the second embedded magnet 13 together form a frequency doubling plate support. A carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling plate 50 is attracted and fixed by the two grooved columns 12 through the second embedded magnet 13. The surface of the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling plate 50 away from the grooved column 12 is coated with a laser developing material that can be developed under a 10.6μm laser wavelength, but cannot be seen under visible light. It needs to be illuminated by ultraviolet light to show a black shadow. The surface of the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling plate 50 near the grooved column 12 is made of magnetic metal and is in contact with the second embedded magnet 13, so that it can be stably attracted and fixed on the grooved column 12.

[0053] Preferably, the main body of the insert-type aperture 20 is made of magnetic stainless steel, and as... Figure 5 As shown, the insert-type aperture 20 has a cross aperture 203 in the middle, and a stop bar 202 is fixed at the end away from the first embedded magnet 15. An arc-shaped handle 201 is fixed in the middle of the outer side of the stop bar 202. The arc-shaped handle 201 provides a force point for inserting and removing the insert-type aperture 20. The stop bar 202 is used to adjust the installation size of the insert-type aperture 20. The cross aperture 203 is coaxial with the light-transmitting hole 14 and is used for calibrating the light spot in the optical path. The best effect is achieved when the light spot is divided into four evenly by the cross aperture.

[0054] The optical path of a selective laser sintering (SLS) device typically consists of the following components: laser 1, first reflector 2, second reflector 3, beam expander 4, and galvanometer 5, arranged sequentially. Furthermore, during optical path adjustment, two adjustment devices as described above are used, designated as the first optical path adjustment device 6 and the second optical path adjustment device 7, respectively. Mounting holes aligned with the horizontal direction of the optical path are provided between the second reflector 3 and the beam expander 4, and after the galvanometer 5, to facilitate the installation of the first optical path adjustment device 6 and the second optical path adjustment device 7. The specific locations are as follows: Figure 1 As shown.

[0055] Laser 1 is used to emit a CO2 laser beam;

[0056] The first reflecting mirror 2 and the second reflecting mirror 3 are used to adjust the level of the beam. The reflecting mirrors 2 and 3 are equipped with two adjustable knobs to ensure that the beam can be collinear with the central axis of the beam expander 4 and the galvanometer 5.

[0057] The beam expander 4 is used to adjust the size of the incident light spot, while the galvanometer 5 is used to change the printing path of the light spot to achieve selective sintering. Both the beam expander 4 and the galvanometer 5 are fixed with positioning pins 16 to ensure the accuracy of the installation position.

[0058] During debugging, first remove the beam expander 4 and galvanometer 5 to ensure that the laser can irradiate the two optical path debugging devices 6 and 7, and turn on the ultraviolet light source assembly 40 of the two optical path debugging devices 6 and 7.

[0059] Insert a slotted aperture 20 and a carbon dioxide laser frequency doubler 50 into the first optical path adjustment device 6 to enable the laser 1 to emit light at low power. Adjust the first reflecting mirror 2 to ensure the light spot displays optimally on the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubler 50. Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown, the aperture divides the light spot into four equal parts, with the central circular aperture of the aperture located at the center of the light spot;

[0060] Turn off the laser, remove the insert-type aperture 20 and the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling plate 50, and place them back on the second optical path adjustment device 7. Turn the laser on again, and adjust the angle adjustment knob on the second reflector 3 so that the light spot displayed on the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling plate 50 is evenly divided into four parts by the aperture.

[0061] The two adjustments mentioned above constitute a cycle. The number of cycles is determined by the magnitude of the optical path offset error. After 5 to 10 cycles, the light spot will be developed in the middle of the two optical path adjustment devices, indicating that the optical path calibration and adjustment are complete.

[0062] After calibration, remove the two optical path debugging devices 6 and 7, and reinstall and fix the beam expander 4 and galvanometer 5.

[0063] Example 2

[0064] The structure of this embodiment is basically the same as that of embodiment one. The difference is that the angle adjustment component 31 includes a fixed shaft fixed on the light source bracket 30, a mounting plate rotatably connected to the fixed shaft, a rubber pad provided at the contact position between the mounting plate and the fixed shaft to increase contact friction and achieve damped rotation, and the locking component 32 and the ultraviolet light source component 40 are located on the mounting plate. One end of the fixed shaft is threadedly connected to a threaded pressure sleeve, and the inner section of the threaded pressure sleeve is in corresponding contact with the side wall of the mounting plate.

[0065] When adjusting the angle, rotate the mounting plate to move it around the fixed axis to a suitable angle, and then tighten the threaded sleeve so that its inner end presses tightly against the side wall of the mounting plate to lock and fix the position of the mounting plate. This can increase the contact area between the inner end of the threaded sleeve and the mounting plate, and the addition of friction pads and other structures can increase friction and improve the positional stability after locking.

[0066] Example 3

[0067] The structure of this embodiment is basically the same as that of embodiment two, except that the locking assembly 32 includes a circular hole located at the center of the mounting plate, the ultraviolet light source assembly 40 is installed in the circular hole, the center of the end of the mounting plate away from the angle adjustment assembly 31 is provided with a straight groove, the inner end of the straight groove is connected to the circular hole, and the outer end of the mounting plate is provided with a locking bolt, the locking bolt is set perpendicular to the straight groove, and one end passes through the straight groove and is threaded with a locking nut. By tightening the locking nut, the two sides of the straight groove on the mounting plate are tightened, thereby reducing the size of the circular hole and locking the ultraviolet light source assembly 40 installed therein.

[0068] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "example," "specific 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.

[0069] The preferred embodiments of the present invention disclosed above are merely illustrative of the invention. These preferred embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the invention to any specific implementation. Clearly, many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this specification. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments to better explain the principles and practical applications of the invention, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and utilize the invention. The invention is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.

Claims

1. A selective laser sintering equipment optical path debugging device, comprising a base (10), characterized in that, The base (10) has a vertical support plate on the front top side and two vertical grooved columns (12) symmetrically fixed on the rear top side. The base (10) also has a fixing screw hole (11) and a positioning pin (16). The top of the support plate is provided with a horizontal light source bracket (30), and the light source bracket (30) is provided with an angle adjustment component (31) and a locking component (32), and an ultraviolet light source component (40) is connected through the locking component (32). The support plate has a circular light-transmitting hole (14) in the middle along the front-back direction, and a rectangular through groove is provided in the inside of the support plate along the left-right direction corresponding to the position of the light-transmitting hole (14). The rectangular through groove is provided with a insert-type aperture (20), and a first embedded magnet (15) is fixed at one end of the rectangular through groove. The first embedded magnet (15) is attracted and fixed to the inner end of the insert-type aperture (20). The grooved column (12) has a second embedded magnet (13) fixed inside. The grooved column (12) and the second embedded magnet (13) together form a frequency doubling plate support. The two grooved columns (12) are attracted and fixed together by the second embedded magnet (13) on them. The side surface of the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubling plate (50) away from the grooved column (12) is coated with laser developing material, and the side surface near the grooved column (12) is made of magnetic metal and is in contact with the second embedded magnet (13).

2. The optical path debugging device for selective laser sintering equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main body of the insert-type aperture (20) is made of magnetic stainless steel, and a cross aperture (203) is provided in the middle of the insert-type aperture (20). A stop bar (202) is fixed at the end away from the first embedded magnet (15), and an arc-shaped handle (201) is fixed in the middle of the outer side of the stop bar (202).

3. The optical path debugging device for selective laser sintering equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The angle adjustment component (31) includes a fixed shaft fixed on the light source bracket (30), a mounting plate rotatably connected to the fixed shaft, and a locking component (32) and an ultraviolet light source component (40) located on the mounting plate. One end of the fixed shaft is threadedly connected to a threaded sleeve, and the inner section of the threaded sleeve is in corresponding contact with the side wall of the mounting plate.

4. The optical path adjustment device for selective laser sintering equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The locking assembly (32) includes a circular hole located at the center of the mounting plate. The ultraviolet light source assembly (40) is installed in the circular hole. A straight groove is provided at the center of one end of the mounting plate away from the angle adjustment assembly (31). The inner end of the straight groove is connected to the circular hole. A locking bolt is provided at the outer end of the mounting plate. The locking bolt is set perpendicular to the straight groove, and one end passes through the straight groove and is threaded with a locking nut.

5. A method for adjusting the optical path of a selective laser sintering device, characterized in that, Using two devices as described in claim 1, respectively designated as a first optical path debugging device (6) and a second optical path debugging device (7), the method includes the following steps: S1. According to the optical path of the selective laser sintering equipment, adjust the position of each component and set up the laser (1), the first reflector (2), the second reflector (3), the beam expander (4) and the galvanometer (5) in sequence. S2. Place the first optical path adjustment device (6) between the second reflector (3) and the beam expander (4), and place the second optical path adjustment device (7) after the galvanometer (5). S3. Remove the beam expander (4) and galvanometer (5), and open the ultraviolet light source assembly (40) of the two optical path adjustment devices (6, 7). S4. Insert the insert-type aperture (20) and the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubler (50) into the first optical path debugging device (6), and adjust the first reflector (2) so that the light spot displays the best effect on the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubler (50), that is, the aperture divides the light spot into four equal parts, and the central hole of the aperture is located in the center of the light spot. S5. Turn off the laser, remove the insert-type aperture (20) and the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubler (50), and place them back on the second optical path debugging device (7). Turn the laser on again, and adjust the angle adjustment knob on the second reflector (3) so that the light spot displayed on the carbon dioxide laser frequency doubler (50) is evenly divided into four pieces by the aperture. The two adjustments in steps S6, S4, and S5 constitute a cycle process. After 5 to 10 cycles, the light spot will be developed in the middle of the two optical path adjustment devices at the same time, indicating that the optical path calibration and adjustment is complete. S7. After calibration is complete, remove the two optical path adjustment devices (6, 7), and reinstall and fix the beam expander (4) and galvanometer (5).

6. The optical path debugging method for selective laser sintering equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The number of iterations in step S6 is 7 to 8.

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