Ceramic multi-material reloading mechanism based on release film transmission

Abstract

The application relates to a ceramic multi-material material changing mechanism based on a release film transmission. The mechanism comprises a gantry column mechanism, a C-axis displacement module, a multi-material feeding head and a release film. The gantry column mechanism provides a mounting base for the C-axis displacement module, the C-axis displacement module drives the multi-material feeding head to move, the multi-material feeding head coats ceramic paste on the release film, and the release film realizes cyclic motion to complete ceramic paste transmission and material changing area replacement. The gantry column mechanism is composed of two columns and a beam, and can reduce the influence of external vibration on the feeding system. The feeding head adopts a dispensing valve for feeding, the feeding amount is controllable, and the feeding can be controlled according to the requirement, so that material waste is effectively reduced. Multi-head feeding is adopted, each material corresponds to a feeding head, and the displacement module is switched, so that cross contamination of multi-materials is avoided. Solidification forming is carried out on the release film, and the printing blank does not need to be immersed in a material pool, so that the cleaning difficulty of the blank during material changing is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a ceramic multi-material material switching mechanism based on release film conveying. It is applied to the supply and switching of ceramic paste in the additive manufacturing process of multi-material heterogeneous and complex irregular-shaped ceramic components. Background Technology

[0002] The complex operating environments and demanding functional requirements in fields such as biomedicine and aerospace place extremely high demands on the composition, structure, and performance of different parts of ceramic components. For example, craniomaxillary implants need to be coupled with biocompatible functional structures such as high-strength imitation cortical bone and porous biodegradable imitation cancellous bone. Rocket engine thrust chambers need to be coupled with functional structures such as high-strength and tough high-precision atomizing nozzles, gradient mixing combustion chambers, and high-temperature resistant nozzles. There is an urgent need for multi-material complex structure ceramic components.

[0003] However, existing multi-material photopolymer additive manufacturing equipment suffers from problems such as easy mixing of multiple materials and low printing efficiency during ceramic paste supply and switching. Specifically, traditional multi-material photopolymer additive manufacturing equipment generally uses variable volume material tanks, multi-material tank switching, or coating-type material switching to achieve multi-material switching. The variable volume material tank material switching method uses an upper forming scheme. When material switching is required, a micro-pump is used to extract the original slurry from the material tank, clean the material tank, and then supply another type of slurry. This method results in significant slurry waste, and the use of a single scraper to level the liquid surface leaves residual slurry on the scraper, which can easily cause mixing and contamination. Multi-pool material switching solves the problem of slurry waste to some extent. Equipment using this method is generally a bottom-forming system. When material switching is required, the substrate, carrying the printhead, emerges from one slurry pool. After cleaning the substrate and printhead, it switches to the next slurry pool for printing. However, this method requires immersing the substrate and printhead in the slurry pool, and cleaning the substrate and printhead is still difficult to be thorough, especially when the printed part has a narrow gap and small hole structure. This can cause cross-contamination between slurry pools, affecting the printing process. On the other hand, this method requires the printhead to automatically level with the material at the bottom of the slurry pool, which is only suitable for slurries with good flowability and is no longer suitable for pastes with poor flowability. Coating-type material changing eliminates the need to immerse the substrate and printed preform in a material bath. Equipment using this method also employs a bottom-forming process. A slightly thicker layer of paste is applied to the release liner on the forming plane, and then the preform is moved to a height one layer above the release liner for curing and printing. When material changing is needed, the preform is raised, the release liner on the forming plane is cleaned, and then the next material is applied, repeating the above steps for printing. However, these steps must be performed sequentially, and the cleaning process is quite time-consuming. When frequent material changes are required, the printing time becomes lengthy, significantly impacting material-changing printing efficiency. These shortcomings of the material changing mechanism severely limit the multi-material forming capabilities of ceramic multi-material photopolymer additive manufacturing equipment.

[0004] Therefore, how to solve the defects of the material changing mechanism and improve the high-efficiency, low-cross-contamination ceramic paste feeding and changing capability of ceramic multi-material photopolymer additive manufacturing equipment to meet the urgent needs of multi-material complex structure ceramic components is still a key issue that needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a ceramic multi-material material changing mechanism based on release film conveying, including a gantry column mechanism, a C-axis displacement module, a multi-material feeding head and a release film. The gantry column mechanism provides a mounting base for the C-axis displacement module, the C-axis displacement module drives the multi-material feeding head to move, the multi-material feeding head coats the release film with ceramic paste, and the release film realizes cyclic movement to complete the conveying of ceramic paste and the replacement of material changing areas.

[0006] The gantry column mechanism consists of two columns and a crossbeam, which can reduce the impact of external vibrations on the feeding system.

[0007] The C-axis displacement module consists of a rotary motor and a ball screw, and is installed on the crossbeam of the gantry column mechanism. A feed head mounting plate is installed on its mover, and the feed head mounting plate is connected to a multi-material feed head.

[0008] The multi-material feed head adopts a dispensing valve feeding method, and the feeding amount is controllable, which can realize the on-demand feeding of ceramic paste.

[0009] The number of dispensing valves in the multi-material feed head is matched with the type of ceramic paste material to be used. Each type of ceramic paste corresponds to an independent dispensing valve, and the switching of the dispensing valve is completed by the C-axis displacement module.

[0010] The release film is a photocurable release film made of PDMS or FEP material. The release film is supported by an external roller and forms a circulating structure, which achieves circulating motion under the traction of a stepper motor.

[0011] The ceramic paste is cured and formed on the release film, and the printed blank does not need to be immersed in the material pool.

[0012] During material change, the release film is conveyed forward directly, leaving a clean area. The coating change is completed in the clean area without the need to clean the release film beforehand.

[0013] The working method of the ceramic multi-material material changing mechanism based on release film conveying includes the following steps:

[0014] Step 1: The multi-material feed head opens the corresponding dispensing valve according to the control command. Under the drive of the C-axis displacement module, it applies ceramic paste to the release film. After one column is coated, the release film is stepped and conveyed to a column width. The dispensing valve continues to coat the next column until the entire feeding area is filled.

[0015] Step 2: The release film conveys the ceramic paste from the feeding area to the photocuring area. The equipment's forming substrate moves above the photocuring area with a gap of one layer thickness between it and the release film for curing and printing.

[0016] Step 3: After printing is completed, the substrate lifts the printed blank, and the release film transfers the remaining paste to the waste material recovery area to complete the waste material recovery and release film cleaning. When changing materials, switch the corresponding dispensing valve and repeat steps one and two.

[0017] The remaining uncured ceramic paste is recycled by the external waste material recycling mechanism, and the release film is cleaned by the external release film cleaning device. The conveying and circulating motion of the release film is powered by an external stepper motor.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the ceramic multi-material transfer mechanism based on release film conveying of the present invention are:

[0019] The feeding head uses a dispensing valve to supply materials, which allows for controllable material supply and on-demand feeding, effectively reducing material waste.

[0020] The system employs a multi-head feeding mechanism, with each material having its own head, and the switching is achieved via a displacement module, thus avoiding cross-contamination between multiple materials.

[0021] The printing blank is cured and formed on the release film, eliminating the need to immerse it in the material pool and reducing the difficulty of cleaning the blank when changing materials.

[0022] During material changeover, the release film is conveyed directly forward, leaving a clean area for coating replacement without the need for prior release film cleaning, which significantly improves the efficiency of multi-material material changeover. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a ceramic multi-material transfer mechanism based on release film conveying;

[0025] In the diagram: 11 is the gantry column mechanism; 12 is the C-axis displacement module; 13 is the multi-material feeder head; 14 is the release film; a is the feeding area; b is the photocuring area; and c is the waste material recycling area. Detailed Implementation

[0026] like Figure 1As shown, a ceramic multi-material material changing mechanism based on release film conveying includes a gantry column mechanism 11, a C-axis displacement module 12, a multi-material feeding head 13, and a release film 14. The gantry column mechanism 11 provides a mounting base for the C-axis displacement module 12. The C-axis displacement module 12 drives the multi-material feeding head 13 to move. The multi-material feeding head 13 coats ceramic paste on the release film 14. The release film 14 achieves cyclic movement to complete the conveying of ceramic paste and the replacement of the material changing area.

[0027] The gantry column mechanism 11 consists of two columns and a crossbeam, which can reduce the impact of external vibrations on the feeding system.

[0028] The C-axis displacement module 12 consists of a rotary motor and a ball screw, and is installed on the crossbeam of the gantry column mechanism 11. A feed head mounting plate is installed on its mover, and the feed head mounting plate is connected to the multi-material feed head 13.

[0029] The multi-material feed head 13 adopts a dispensing valve feeding method, and the feeding amount is controllable, which can realize the on-demand feeding of ceramic paste.

[0030] The number of dispensing valves in the multi-material feed head 13 is matched with the type of ceramic paste material to be used. Each type of ceramic paste corresponds to an independent dispensing valve, and the C-axis displacement module 12 completes the switching of the dispensing valves.

[0031] The release film 14 is a photocurable release film made of PDMS or FEP material. The release film 14 is supported by an external roller and forms a circulating structure, which achieves circulating motion under the traction of a stepper motor.

[0032] The ceramic paste is cured and formed on the release film 14, and the printed blank does not need to be immersed in the material pool.

[0033] During material change, the release film 14 is conveyed forward directly, leaving a clean area. The coating change is completed in the clean area without the need to clean the release film 14 beforehand.

[0034] The working method of the ceramic multi-material material changing mechanism based on release film conveying is used for the supply and switching of ceramic paste in the additive manufacturing process of multi-material heterogeneous and complex irregular-shaped ceramic components, including the following steps:

[0035] Step 1: The multi-material feed head 13 module opens the corresponding dispensing valve according to the control command, and applies ceramic paste to the release film 14 under the drive of the C-axis displacement module 12. After one column is applied, the release film 14 is stepped and conveyed by one column width; the dispensing valve applies to the next column under the drive of the C-axis displacement module 12, until the entire feeding area a is filled.

[0036] Step 2: Driven by an external stepper motor, the release film 14 conveys the ceramic paste from the feeding area a to the photocuring area b. The equipment's forming substrate moves above the photocuring area b, at a height of one layer thickness from the release film 14, for curing and printing.

[0037] Step 3: After printing is complete, the substrate lifts the printed blank, and the release film 14 conveys the remaining paste to the waste material recovery area c. The waste material recovery mechanism outside the equipment recovers the remaining uncured paste, and then the release film cleaning device outside the equipment cleans the release film 14. When it is necessary to change the material type, the multi-material feed head 13 module switches the corresponding dispensing valve, repeating steps one and two to complete the material change operation.

Claims

1. A ceramic multi-material transfer mechanism based on release film conveying, characterized in that, It includes a gantry column mechanism (11), a C-axis displacement module (12), a multi-material feed head (13), and a release film (14). The gantry column mechanism (11) provides a mounting base for the C-axis displacement module (12). The C-axis displacement module (12) drives the multi-material feed head (13) to move. The multi-material feed head (13) coats ceramic paste on the release film (14). The release film (14) achieves cyclic movement to complete the transfer of ceramic paste and the replacement of material exchange areas.

2. The ceramic multi-material transfer mechanism based on release film conveying according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gantry column mechanism (11) consists of two columns and a crossbeam, which can reduce the impact of external vibration on the feeding system.

3. The ceramic multi-material transfer mechanism based on release film conveying according to claim 1, characterized in that, The C-axis displacement module (12) consists of a rotary motor and a ball screw, and is installed on the crossbeam of the gantry column mechanism (11). A feed head mounting plate is installed on its mover, and the feed head mounting plate is connected to the multi-material feed head (13).

4. The ceramic multi-material material changing mechanism based on release film conveying according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-material feed head (13) adopts a dispensing valve feeding method, and the feeding amount is controllable, which can realize the on-demand feeding of ceramic paste.

5. The ceramic multi-material transfer mechanism based on release film conveying according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that, The number of dispensing valves of the multi-material feed head (13) is matched with the type of ceramic paste material to be used. Each type of ceramic paste corresponds to an independent dispensing valve, and the C-axis displacement module (12) completes the switching of the dispensing valves.

6. The ceramic multi-material transfer mechanism based on release film conveying according to claim 1, characterized in that, The release film (14) is a photocurable release film made of PDMS or FEP material. The release film (14) is supported by an external roller and forms a circulating structure, which achieves circulating motion under the traction of a stepper motor.

7. The ceramic multi-material transfer mechanism based on release film conveying according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ceramic paste is cured and formed on the release film (14), and the printed blank does not need to be immersed in the material pool.

8. The ceramic multi-material transfer mechanism based on release film conveying according to claim 1, characterized in that, During material change, the release film (14) is conveyed directly forward and a clean area is left. The coating change is completed in the clean area without the need to clean the release film (14) beforehand.

9. The working method of the ceramic multi-material material changing mechanism based on release film conveying according to claim 1, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: The multi-material feed head (13) opens the corresponding dispensing valve according to the control command and applies ceramic paste to the release film (14) under the drive of the C-axis displacement module (12). After one column is coated, the release film (14) is stepped and conveyed by one column width, and the dispensing valve continues to coat the next column until the entire feeding area (a) is filled. Step 2: The release film (14) transfers the ceramic paste from the feeding area (a) to the photocuring area (b). The equipment forming substrate moves above the photocuring area (b) and the distance between it and the release film (14) is one layer thickness, and then performs curing and printing. Step 3: After printing is completed, the substrate drives the printed blank to rise, and the release film (14) transfers the remaining paste to the residual material recycling area (c) to complete the residual material recycling and release film (14) cleaning. When changing materials, switch the corresponding dispensing valve and repeat steps one and two.

10. The working method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The remaining uncured ceramic paste is recycled by the external material recycling mechanism. The release film (14) is cleaned by the external release film cleaning device. The conveying and circulating motion of the release film (14) are powered by an external stepper motor.

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