A method and apparatus for forming a continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite forming method and device, including proportioning metal powder and binder;The proportioned metal powder and binder are mixed;The granular material is prepared after the mixed metal powder and binder;Forming granular material and continuous fiber material's brown embryo;The precursor is obtained by carrying out degreasing treatment to brown embryo;The composite material is obtained by carrying out sintering densification treatment to precursor.The application successfully realizes the preparation of continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite in additive manufacturing technology, breaks through the technical limitation that only chopped fiber or carbon nanotube can be used to reinforce metal powder composite in traditional additive manufacturing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of composite material molding, and in particular to a method and apparatus for molding continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite materials. Background Technology

[0002] Continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composites are advanced composite materials that combine continuous fibers and metal powders. These materials combine the high strength, good electrical and thermal conductivity of a metal matrix with the excellent specific strength, corrosion resistance, and lightweight properties of continuous fibers. This makes them highly promising for many high-performance applications, especially in situations where high strength and lightweight are required simultaneously, such as aerospace, automotive, and high-end manufacturing. However, despite their broad application prospects, existing manufacturing methods still have many limitations, particularly in additive manufacturing. Currently, additive manufacturing technologies for continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composites lack mature process support, preventing them from fully realizing their advantages in high-performance applications. Existing research mainly focuses on adding chopped fibers (or carbon nanotubes), binders, and backbone binders to metal powders, forming composite particles through mixing and granulation, and then using screw extrusion technology to obtain a precursor containing chopped fibers and metal powders. Based on this, a debinding process is used to remove some of the binder, resulting in a green embryo containing a small amount of backbone binder, chopped fibers, and metal powders. Finally, a sintering process is used to form powder metallurgy products. Although this process can produce metal matrix composites with certain properties, it has the following shortcomings: The reinforcement effect of continuous fibers cannot be achieved: the short-cut fibers and carbon nanotubes used in existing methods can only partially replace continuous fibers and cannot form a complete reinforcement effect in composite materials. Due to the unique strengthening mechanism of continuous fibers, composite materials lacking continuous fibers often fail to achieve ideal results in terms of strength and stiffness.

[0003] Molding process limitations: Traditional molding methods such as screw extrusion, compounding, and granulation are mainly suitable for short-cut fibers or materials with small particle sizes, and are difficult to handle the arrangement and structural design of long fibers. Moreover, these processes may lead to fiber breakage during large-scale production, further reducing the mechanical properties of composite materials.

[0004] In summary, although current technologies offer some solutions, a method for the efficient and precise stable fabrication of continuous fiber-reinforced metal powder composites remains lacking in additive manufacturing. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a novel additive manufacturing method to address the numerous challenges faced by existing processes in preparing continuous fiber-reinforced metal powder composites. This will lay the foundation for improved material performance, process optimization, and large-scale applications. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is that it is impossible to achieve the reinforcing effect of continuous fibers.

[0006] The above-mentioned technical problems are solved by the following technical solution: This invention proposes a method for molding continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite materials, comprising: The metal powder is mixed with the binder; The mixed metal powder and binder are prepared into granular materials; Forming palm blanks from granular materials and continuous fiber materials; The precursor was obtained by degreasing the palm embryo; Composite materials are obtained by sintering and densifying the precursor.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite molding method of the present invention: the proportion of metal powder and binder is prepared according to different formulations based on the particle size of the metal powder.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite material molding method of the present invention: when the metal powder and the binder are mixed, the mixing time is 20-40 min, the mixing temperature is 160-200℃, and the shear rate is 200-400 rpm.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite material molding method of the present invention: when degreasing the brown embryo, a catalytic degreasing method is adopted and oxalic acid is selected as the catalyst.

[0010] The present invention also proposes a molding apparatus for the above-mentioned continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite material molding method, used to mold granular materials and continuous fiber materials into a brown blank; it includes a frame, on which a molding platform is provided; A lifting module is mounted on the frame and connected to the forming platform; The motion module is mounted on the frame; The first extrusion module, mounted on the motion module, is used for heating and extruding granular materials to the forming platform; The second extrusion module, mounted on the motion module, is used to lay continuous fibers; The lifting module can drive the forming platform to move along the Z direction, and the motion module can drive the first extrusion module to move along the X and Y directions.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the molding device of the present invention: the first extrusion module includes a fixing mechanism connected to the motion module; a heating mechanism for heating the granular material; and a power mechanism for extruding the heated granular material; wherein the heating mechanism and the power mechanism are both mounted on the fixing mechanism.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the molding device of the present invention: the motion module includes an X-axis guide mechanism and a Y-axis guide mechanism, the Y-axis guide mechanism is mounted on the frame, and the X-axis guide mechanism is mounted on the Y-axis guide mechanism; The motion module further includes an X-axis drive mechanism and a Y-axis drive mechanism. The Y-axis drive mechanism can drive the X-axis drive mechanism to move along the Y direction, and the X-axis drive mechanism can drive the first extrusion module to move along the X direction.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the molding device of the present invention: the lifting module includes a lifting guide mechanism and a support platform mounted on the lifting guide mechanism, and the molding platform is mounted on the support platform; the lifting module further includes a lifting drive mechanism for driving the support platform to lift.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the molding apparatus of the present invention: the heating mechanism includes a material cylinder and heating blocks distributed along the axial direction of the material cylinder. When the granular material moves inside the material cylinder, the granular material is subjected to gradient heating by the heating blocks.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the molding apparatus of the present invention, an electrical control module is further included; the electrical control module is connected to the lifting module, the motion module, and the first extrusion module.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention successfully realizes the preparation of continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite materials in additive manufacturing technology, breaking through the technical limitation of traditional additive manufacturing that can only use short-cut fibers or carbon nanotubes to reinforce metal powder composite materials. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below only relate to some embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Wherein: Figure 1 An overall structural diagram of the molding device is shown; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the motion module is shown; Figure 3 A detailed structural diagram of the motion module is shown; Figure 4 A partial structural diagram of the motion module is shown; Figure 5 The structural diagrams of the first extrusion module and the second extrusion module are shown; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism is shown. Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the fiber feeding mechanism is shown. Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the fiber shearing mechanism and the fiber heating nozzle is shown. Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first extrusion module is shown; Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the lifting module is shown. Figure 11 It shows Figure 10 Enlarged view of point A in the middle; Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the molding platform is shown; Figure 13 A structural diagram of the electrical control module is shown; Figure 14 A flowchart of a method for molding continuous fiber-reinforced metal powder composites is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0019] The terminology used in this invention is that which is currently widely used in the art in consideration of the function of the invention; however, these terms may vary according to the intent of those skilled in the art, precedent, or changes in new technologies in the art. Furthermore, specific terms may be chosen by the applicant, and in such cases, their detailed meanings will be described in the detailed description of the invention. Therefore, the terminology used in this specification should not be construed as simple names, but rather based on the meaning of the terms and the overall description of the invention.

[0020] Reference Figure 1 This embodiment provides a method for molding continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite materials, including: S1: Mixing ratio of metal powder and binder; The design of the metal powder and binder material mainly involves metal powder and binder, where the binder primarily includes fillers, backbone binders, compatibility additives, and plasticizers. Fillers are used to increase the volume ratio of the material, backbone binders provide the necessary bond strength, compatibility additives enhance the compatibility between the metal powder and binder, and plasticizers regulate the material's flexibility and flowability. The ratio between metal powder and binder has a significant impact on the flowability of the powder extrusion. An improper ratio may lead to insufficient or excessive flowability, thus affecting the stability during the molding process and the quality of the final part. Therefore, during the design process, the ratio of metal powder to binder must be optimized to ensure good flowability during powder extrusion and maintain stability during molding, avoiding molding defects due to poor flowability or affecting the final structure of the material due to excessive flowability. In this scheme, the formulation of the metal powder and binder is continuously optimized, resulting in two different material formulations based on the particle size of the metal powder.

[0021] Through continuous experimentation, the composition and volume content of the metal powder and binder materials were optimized. Ultimately, two material systems were established based on the particle size of the metal powder: when the metal powder particle size was ≤2μm, the volume content of the metal powder was 51%, and the volume content of the filler and plasticizer was 0.98%; when the metal powder particle size was >2μm, the volume content of the metal powder was 57%, the volume content of the filler was 34.4%, the volume content of the backbone binder was 6.45%, the volume content of the backbone binder was 7.35%, the volume content of the compatibility additive was 1.47%, the volume content of the compatibility additive was 1.29%, and the volume content of the plasticizer was 0.86%.

[0022] S2: Mix the proportioned metal powder with the binder; The mixing of the metal powder and the binder is a crucial step in ensuring molding quality. The main purpose of the mixing process is to thoroughly and uniformly mix the metal powder and the binder to achieve good material flowability and molding stability.

[0023] To ensure effective mixing, it is essential to first select appropriate mixing equipment and process parameters, such as rotation speed, time, and temperature, based on the ratio of metal powder to binder. High-shear mixing equipment is used during the mixing process. By applying a certain shear force and temperature, the metal powder and binder achieve sufficient contact and fusion at the microscopic scale. During this process, the fillers, backbone binders, compatibility additives, and plasticizers in the binder are evenly distributed with the metal powder particles, ensuring that each powder particle is coated with the binder. This guarantees the smooth progress of the subsequent molding process. The mixing effect directly affects the uniformity of the metal powder binder particles and the flowability during molding. Insufficient mixing may lead to uneven particle distribution, affecting subsequent extrusion and molding processes, and potentially causing molding defects.

[0024] Therefore, during the mixing stage, it is essential to precisely control the mixing time, temperature, and shear rate to ensure a good mixing state between the metal powder and the binder. The mixing time is 20-40 min, the mixing temperature is 160-200℃, and the shear rate is 200-400 rpm. Specifically, in this method, after multiple experiments, the optimal mixing parameters were determined to be a mixing time of 30 min, a mixing temperature of 180℃, and a shear rate of 300 rpm.

[0025] The designed metal powder and binder material system are mixed to ensure thorough and uniform mixing, guaranteeing good flowability and stability during extrusion. Specifically, the metal powder and binder are thoroughly mixed in a mixer with the following parameters: mixing time of 30 min, mixing temperature of 180℃, and shear rate of 300 rpm. The materials are added in the following order: first, the backbone binder and filler are melted and mixed, then the metal powder, compatibility additives, and plasticizers are added and mixed.

[0026] S3: Prepare granular materials from the mixed metal powder and binder; After the metal powder and binder are thoroughly mixed, a granulator is used to prepare metal powder binder particles. By controlling the temperature, pressure, and rotation speed of the granulator, the particle diameter is uniformly distributed at approximately 2 mm.

[0027] The preparation of the metal powder and binder granules is a necessary step to ensure successful extrusion of the metal powder. After mixing the metal powder and binder, they need to be further granulated for use in subsequent molding processes. The preparation of the granules after mixing the metal powder and binder is achieved through a granulation method. First, the mixed metal powder and binder material is extruded through a granulation device. During extrusion, temperature, pressure, and rotation speed are controlled to ensure the binder fully coats the surface of the metal powder, forming uniform granules. For the granule morphology design, the size, density, and flowability of the granules need to be controlled. The particle diameter is maintained at 2 mm to ensure good flowability and filling properties during molding. Overly large particles will result in insufficient flowability, affecting the stability of the molding process; while overly small particles will lead to uneven molding.

[0028] S4: Forming a palm blank containing granular and continuous fibrous materials; The forming of the brown preform of continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite material is the most critical step in the composite material molding process. The forming of the brown preform directly determines the final performance and quality of the composite material. Therefore, the design of the molding device must ensure that this critical step is completed efficiently and accurately. The prepared metal powder binder particles and continuous fiber material are formed into the brown preform of the composite material by the continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite material equipment of the present invention.

[0029] S5: Degreasing the palm embryos to obtain the precursor; A catalytic degreasing method is used to degrease palm fiber blanks. First, the palm fiber blanks (with POM material as filler) are placed in a gas catalytic degreasing reaction chamber, and oxalic acid is selected as the catalyst by precisely controlling the temperature and pressure. Oxalic acid reacts with the grease on the POM surface, promoting the decomposition and volatilization of the grease, thereby effectively removing surface contaminants. During this process, the catalyst and filler surface are in full contact, rapidly removing grease through the catalytic reaction, avoiding potential damage to the POM material caused by high-temperature treatment.

[0030] Degreasing is typically carried out at temperatures between 20°C and 60°C, with a reaction time usually controlled within 20 minutes to ensure complete removal of grease without damaging the material. After treatment, the POM material is ventilated to remove any residual gaseous catalyst, and then dried to ensure no moisture remains on the surface. This gas-catalyzed degreasing method is highly efficient, operates at low temperatures, and is environmentally friendly. It quickly and uniformly removes grease from the surface of POM materials, ensuring good performance and stability during subsequent PEP powder binder extrusion.

[0031] The filler used in this method is POM material, therefore catalytic degreasing is employed to degrease the palm embryo. Oxalic acid is selected as the catalyst, and POM material is easily decomposed into carbon dioxide and water under the action of oxalic acid, thereby improving the efficiency of catalytic degreasing.

[0032] S6: The composite material is obtained by sintering and densifying the precursor.

[0033] Continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite precursors undergo sintering densification to improve their mechanical properties and density. First, the composite precursor is formed from metal powder and continuous fibers, and then sintered under appropriate temperature, pressure, and atmosphere conditions. This process melts and densifies the metal powder at high temperatures while maintaining the morphology and reinforcing effect of the continuous fibers. During sintering, precise control of temperature, time, and pressure is crucial to avoid over-sintering or fiber damage, ensuring optimal structure and properties of the composite. After sintering, the composite undergoes cooling and post-treatment to ultimately obtain a continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite with excellent mechanical properties, density, and reinforcing effect.

[0034] The precursor is sintered in a suitable temperature, pressure and gas environment, which allows the metal powder to melt and densify at high temperature, while maintaining the morphology and reinforcing effect of continuous fibers.

[0035] The present invention also proposes a molding apparatus for the above-mentioned continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite material molding method, used to mold granular materials and continuous fiber materials into a brown blank; it includes a frame 1, on which a molding platform 2 is provided; a lifting module 3, which is provided on the frame 1 and connected to the molding platform 2; as shown in the figure, the entire molding platform 2 is installed on the frame 1 through the lifting module 3, and its specific position is located inside the frame 1. The apparatus also includes a motion module 4, which is installed on the frame 1, and the specific installation position of the entire motion module 4 is located at the top of the frame 1 and above the molding platform 2. This device also includes a first extrusion module 5, mounted on the motion module 4, for heating and extruding granular materials to the forming platform 2, and a second extrusion module 6, mounted on the motion module 4, for laying continuous fibers. The lifting module 3 can drive the forming platform 2 to move along the Z direction, and the motion module 4 can drive the first extrusion module 5 to move along the X and Y directions. When the lifting module 3 moves up and down, it can adjust the distance between the forming platform 2 and the first extrusion module 5. The motion module 4 can drive the first extrusion module 5 to adjust the position of the material extruded by the first extrusion module 5 relative to the forming platform 2 in the X and Y directions. The heating mechanism and the power mechanism are both mounted on a fixed mechanism, which is directly connected to the motion module 4. When the motion module 4 is working, it can drive the first extrusion module 5 and the second extrusion module 6 to move via the motion mechanism.

[0036] The second extrusion module 6 includes a fiber feeding mechanism 61, a fiber shearing mechanism 62, a fiber heating nozzle 63, and a lifting mechanism 64. The fiber feeding mechanism 61 and the fiber shearing mechanism 62 are connected together by an L-shaped support plate. The fiber heating nozzle 63 is fixed to the shearing support block in the fiber shearing mechanism 62 by a hexagonal stud. The lifting mechanism 64 is connected to the fiber shearing mechanism 62 by a lifting connecting plate.

[0037] The fiber feeding mechanism 61 in this embodiment of the invention includes a pneumatic connector 611, a fiber feeding motor bracket 612, a feeding drive wheel 613, a feeding driven wheel 614, a one-way bearing 615, a fiber feeding motor mounting block 616, a feeding driven wheel mounting block 617, and a fiber feeding motor 618. The pneumatic connector 611 is fixed to the fiber feeding motor bracket 612 by a nut; the feeding drive wheel 613 is fixed to the one-way bearing 615 by a fastening screw; the one-way bearing 615 is sleeved on the output shaft of the fiber feeding motor 618; and the feeding driven wheel 614 is fixed to the feeding driven wheel mounting block 617 by a locking nut. The upper part of the fiber feeding driven wheel 614 contains a bearing. The outer diameter of the bearing matches the inner diameter of the fiber feeding driven wheel 614, and the inner diameter of the bearing matches the outer diameter of the locking nut. This allows the fiber feeding driven wheel 614 to rotate on the locking nut and be fixed on the fiber feeding driven wheel mounting block 617. The upper part of the fiber feeding driven wheel mounting block 617 is supported on the fiber feeding motor mounting block 616 by a spring. Under the elastic force of the spring, a squeezing force is generated between the fiber feeding driven wheel 614 and the fiber feeding drive wheel 613. The continuous fiber drives the fiber feeding drive wheel 613 to rotate under the rotation of the fiber feeding motor, and is fed downward under the squeezing force.

[0038] In this embodiment of the invention, the fiber shearing mechanism 62 includes a shearing servo motor 621, a shearing servo motor bracket 622, an upper shearing support block 623, a lower shearing support block 624, an upper steel pipe 625, a lower steel pipe 626, an upper steel pipe clamping block 627, a lower steel pipe clamping block 628, a cam bolt type roller needle roller 629, a cutter 6210, and a cutter support block 6211; wherein the shearing servo motor 621 is fixed to the shearing servo motor bracket 622 by screws, the shearing servo motor bracket 622 is fixed to the upper shearing support block 623 by screws, and the upper shearing support block 623 and the lower shearing support block 624 are connected together by screws; the upper steel pipe 625... The upper shear support block 623 is fixed to the upper shear support block 623 by the upper steel pipe clamp 627; the lower steel pipe 626 passes through the lower shear support block 624 and is fixed to the lower shear support block 624 by the lower steel pipe clamp 628; the cam bolt type roller needle 629 is fixed to the upper shear support block 623 from the side by the set screw, and the end of the cam bolt type roller needle 629 is threaded; the cutter support block 6211 passes through the end of the cam bolt type roller needle 629 and is fixed to the end of the cam bolt type roller needle 629 by the nut threaded connection; the cutter 6210 is fixed to the cutter support block 6211 by the screw.

[0039] In this embodiment of the invention, the fiber heating nozzle 63 includes a heating block 631, a fiber nozzle 632, a fiber heating rod 633, and a fiber thermocouple 634; wherein, the fiber heating rod 633 and the fiber thermocouple 634 are fixed in the heating block 631 from the side of the heating block 631 by set screws, and are used to heat the heating block 631 and detect the temperature; the fiber nozzle 632 is fixed to the lower end face of the heating block 631 by threaded connection.

[0040] In this embodiment of the invention, the lifting mechanism 64 includes a lifting motor 641, a rigid coupling 642, an upper flange support 643, an upper flange support block 644, a ball screw 645, a ball nut 646, a lifting connecting plate 647, a lower flange support 648, a lower flange support block 649, a miniature slide rail 6410, and a miniature slider 6411; wherein, the lifting motor 641 and the ball screw are connected together through the rigid coupling 642, and the rotation of the lifting motor 641 drives the ball screw to rotate simultaneously; the upper flange support 645... 3. The upper flange support block 644 is fixed with screws; the ball nut 646 is connected to the ball screw 645 by threads. When the ball screw 645 rotates, it drives the ball nut 646 to move up and down. The lifting connecting plate 647 is fixed to the ball nut 646 by bolts and nuts; the lower flange support 648 is fixed to the lower flange support block with screws; the miniature slider 6411 is fixed to the lifting connecting plate 647 with screws. When the lifting connecting plate 647 moves up and down, it drives the miniature slider 6411 to move up and down on the miniature slide rail 6410.

[0041] In this embodiment, the first extrusion module 5 includes a fixing mechanism 51 connected to the motion module 4; a heating mechanism 52 for heating the granular material; and a power mechanism 53 for extruding the heated granular material. The heating mechanism 52 and the power mechanism 53 are both mounted on the fixing mechanism 51. The heating mechanism 52 includes a barrel and heating blocks distributed along the axial direction of the barrel. When the granular material moves inside the barrel, it is gradient heated by the heating blocks.

[0042] Specifically, the fixing mechanism 51 consists of an upper support plate 511 and a connecting plate 512. The power mechanism 53 includes an extrusion motor reducer 531, an extrusion motor rigid coupling 532, a storage box 533, and an extrusion screw 534. The heating mechanism 52 includes a barrel 521, a lower barrel fixing block 522, an upper barrel fixing block 523, an upper annular heating block 524, a middle annular heating block 525, a lower annular heating block 526, a nozzle heating block 527, a pellet heating rod 528, a pellet thermocouple 529, a pellet nozzle 5210, an extrusion head raising block 5211, a Z-shaped cooling fan support plate 5212, a T-shaped cooling fan support plate 5213, and a cooling fan 5214. The upper annular heating block 524, the middle annular heating block 525, and the lower annular heating block 526 are distributed along the axial direction of the barrel 521 and each contains a thermocouple.

[0043] The extrusion motor and the extrusion motor reducer 531 are connected together by screws; the extrusion reducer is fixed to the upper support plate 511 by screws; the upper support plate 511 is fixed to the connecting plate 512 by screws; the output shafts of the extrusion screw 534 and the extrusion motor reducer 531 are connected together by the extrusion motor rigid coupling 532; the storage box 533 is fixed to the connecting plate 512 by screws passing through the back of the connecting plate 512, and is used to store metal powder binder granules; the upper end of the barrel 521 is fixed to the bottom end of the storage box 533 by screws, while the middle and lower parts of the barrel 521 are fixed to the middle and lower parts of the connecting plate 512 by the lower barrel fixing block 522 and the upper barrel fixing block 523, respectively. The lower barrel fixing block 522 and the upper barrel fixing block 523 are connected together by screws, thus fixing the upper, middle and lower parts of the barrel 521 and ensuring that the barrel 521 will not move or rotate during operation; the upper annular heating block 524, the middle annular heating block and the lower annular heating block 526 are fixed to the upper, middle and lower parts of the barrel 521 by bolts and nuts respectively; the nozzle heating block 527 is connected to the end of the barrel 521 by threads; the particle heating rod 528 and the particle thermocouple 529 are fixed in the nozzle heating block 527 by set screws; the particle nozzle 5210 is connected in the nozzle heating block 527 by threads; the extrusion head shim block 5211 is fixed to the back of the connecting plate 512 by screws; The Z-shaped cooling fan support plate 5212 is fixed to the side of the upper support plate 511 with screws, and the cooling fan 5214 is fixed to the Z-shaped cooling fan support plate 5212 with bolts and nuts, which is used to dissipate heat from the extrusion motor and the storage box 533; the T-shaped cooling fan support plate 5213 is fixed to the upper end of the extrusion head pad block 5211 with screws, and the cooling fan 5214 is fixed to the T-shaped cooling fan support plate 5213 with bolts and nuts, which is used to dissipate heat from the connecting plate 512.

[0044] In this embodiment, the motion module 4 includes an X-axis guide mechanism 41 and a Y-axis guide mechanism 42. The Y-axis guide mechanism 42 is mounted on the frame 1, and the X-axis guide mechanism 41 is mounted on the Y-axis guide mechanism 42. The motion module 4 also includes an X-axis drive mechanism 43 and a Y-axis drive mechanism 44. The Y-axis drive mechanism 44 can drive the X-axis drive mechanism 43 to move along the Y direction, and the X-axis drive mechanism 43 can drive the first extrusion module 5 to move along the X direction. The X-axis guiding mechanism 41 is an X-axis guide rail slider 411, the Y-axis guiding mechanism 42 is a Y-axis left guide rail slider 421 and a Y-axis right guide rail slider 422, the X-axis drive mechanism 43 includes an X-axis support plate 431, an X-axis ball screw 432, an X-axis motor support plate 433, an X-axis flange bearing support plate 434, an X-axis slider connecting plate 435, an X-axis reverse nut front connecting plate 436, an X-axis reverse nut rear connecting plate 437, an X-axis tank chain support plate 438, an X-axis tank chain 439, an X-axis MIN limiter 4310, an X-axis MAX limiter 4311, an X-axis support seat 4312, and an X-axis motor 4313; the Y-axis drive mechanism 44 includes a Y-axis left support plate 441, a Y-axis right support plate 442, a Y-axis left ball screw 443, a Y-axis right ball screw 444, and a Y-axis left... Flange bearing support plate 445, Y-axis right flange bearing support plate 446, Y-axis left reverse nut connecting plate 447, Y-axis right reverse nut connecting plate 448, Y-axis left motor support plate 449, Y-axis right motor support plate 4410, Y-axis left tank chain support plate 4411, Y-axis right tank chain support plate 4412, Y-axis left tank chain 4413, Y-axis right tank chain 4414, Y-axis left tank chain connecting block 4415, Y-axis right tank chain connecting block 4416, Y-axis left MIN limiter 4417, Y-axis left MAX limiter 4418, Y-axis right MIN limiter 4419, Y-axis right MAX limiter 4420, Y-axis left support seat 4421, Y-axis right support seat 4422, Y-axis left motor 4423, and Y-axis right motor 4424.

[0045] The left support plate 441 and the right support plate 442 of the Y-axis are fixed to the aluminum profile frame 1 of the equipment by T-nuts; the guide rails in the left guide rail slider 421 and the right guide rail slider 422 of the Y-axis are fixed to the left and right support plates of the Y-axis by screws; the left and right ends of the X-axis support plate 431 are fixed to the left and right guide rail sliders of the Y-axis respectively. The X-axis ball screw 432 is connected at its starting end to the output shaft of the X-axis motor 4313 via a coupling, and at its end it engages with a bearing in the X-axis flange bearing support plate 434. The X-axis flange bearing support plate 434 is fixed to the X-axis support plate 431 by screws. Meanwhile, the nut in the X-axis ball screw 432 is connected to the X-axis reverse nut rear connecting plate 437 by screws. The X-axis reverse nut front connecting plate 436 and the X-axis reverse nut rear connecting plate 437 are fixed to both sides of the X-axis slider connecting plate 435 by screws. The X-axis slider connecting plate 435 is fixed to the slider in the X-axis guide rail slider 411 by screws. The guide rail in the X-axis guide rail slider 411 is fixed to the X-axis support plate 431 by screws. The two ends of the X-axis tank chain support plate 438 are fixed to the X-axis support plate 431 with screws; one end of the X-axis tank chain 439 is fixed to one end of the X-axis tank chain support plate 438 with bolts and nuts, and the other end of the X-axis tank chain 439 is connected to the X-axis tank chain connecting block with bolts and nuts; the X-axis MIN limit and X-axis MAX limit are fixed to the X-axis flange bearing support plate 434 and the X-axis support seat 4312 with screws respectively.

[0046] The beginnings of the left ball screw 443 and the right ball screw 444 of the Y-axis are connected to the output shafts of the left motor 4423 and the right motor 4424 of the Y-axis via couplings. The ends are engaged with bearings in the left flange bearing support plate 445 and the right flange bearing support plate 446 of the Y-axis. The left flange bearing support plate 445 and the right flange bearing support plate 446 of the Y-axis are fixed to the left and right support plates of the Y-axis respectively by screws. The left-side reverse nut connecting plate 447 and the right-side reverse nut connecting plate 448 of the Y-axis are connected to the screw nuts in the ball screws on the left and right sides of the Y-axis by bolts and nuts. At the same time, the lower end of the reverse nut connecting plate is connected to the X-axis support plate 431 by screws. One end of the left-side tank chain connecting block 4415 and the right-side tank chain connecting block 4416 of the Y-axis is connected to the left and right-side reverse nut connecting plates of the Y-axis by screws, and the other end is connected to the left-side tank chain 4413 and the right-side tank chain 4414 of the Y-axis by bolts and nuts. The other end of the left and right tank chains of the Y-axis is fixed to the left and right support plates of the Y-axis by screws. The left-side MIN limit and the left-side MAX limit of the Y-axis are fixed to the left-side flange bearing support plate 445 and the left-side support seat 4421 of the Y-axis by screws, respectively. The right-side MIN limit and the right-side MAX limit of the Y-axis are fixed to the right-side flange bearing support plate 446 and the right-side support seat 4422 of the Y-axis by screws, respectively.

[0047] The lifting module 3 includes a lifting guide mechanism 31 and a support platform 32 mounted on the lifting guide mechanism 31, with the forming platform 2 mounted on the support platform 32. The lifting module 3 also includes a lifting drive mechanism 33 for driving the support platform 32 to lift. The lifting guide mechanism 31 includes a T-shaped lead screw end fixing plate 311, a lead screw flange single bearing fixing seat 312, a T-shaped lead screw 313, a lead screw nut 314, a platform lifting support plate 315, an angular contact ball bearing support 316, a support top cover 317, a double row angular contact ball bearing 318, a radial locking nut 319, a lead screw synchronous pulley 3110, a synchronous belt 3111, a motor synchronous pulley 3112, a Z-axis stepper motor 3113, and a Z-axis stepper motor left support plate 31. 14. Z-axis stepper motor right support plate 3115, Z-axis stepper motor fixing plate 3116, Z-axis lifting guide device 3117; wherein, the T-type lead screw end fixing plate 311 is fixed to the aluminum profile by a T-type nut; the lead screw flange single bearing fixing seat 312 is fixed to the T-type lead screw end fixing plate 311 by screws, and the lead screw flange single bearing fixing seat 312 contains a bearing for fixing the end of the T-type lead screw 313 to prevent the end of the T-type lead screw 313 from moving during operation.

[0048] The T-type lead screw 313 and lead screw nut 314 are connected by threads; the platform lifting support plate 315 is fixed to the lead screw nut 314 by bolts and nuts; the angular contact ball bearing support 316 is fixed to the Y-axis support plate by screws, and the angular contact ball bearing support 316 contains a double row angular contact ball bearing 318 at the top and bottom, respectively. The lower double row angular contact ball bearing 318 is used to prevent the T-type lead screw 313 from moving upward, and the upper double row angular contact ball bearing 318 is used to support the radial locking nut 319. The locking nut is fixed to the beginning of the T-type lead screw 313 by threads, so that the double row angular contact ball bearings 318 can support the T-type lead screw 313; the lead screw synchronous pulley 3110 is connected to the beginning of the T-type lead screw 313 by a key; the motor synchronous pulley 3112 and The lead screw and synchronous pulley 3110 are connected together by the synchronous belt 3111; the motor synchronous pulley 3112 is fixed to the output shaft of the Z-axis stepper motor 3113 by set screws; the lower end faces of the left support plate 3114 and the right support plate 3115 of the Z-axis stepper motor are fixed to the Y-axis support plate by screws, and the upper end faces are fixed to the Z-axis stepper motor mounting plate 3116 by screws. A movable straight groove is provided at the fixing point of the Z-axis stepper motor mounting plate 3116 to adjust the tension of the synchronous belt 3111; the Z-axis stepper motor 3113 is fixed to the Z-axis stepper motor mounting plate 3116 by screws; the upper end of the Z-axis lifting guide device 3117 is fixed to the lower end face of the Y-axis support plate by screws, and the lower end is fixed to the aluminum profile by T-nuts.

[0049] The molding platform 2 includes a spring support block 21, a spring 22, and a heating pad 23; wherein, the spring support block 21 is fixed to the upper part by a T-nut; the lower end face of the spring 22 is placed in the spring support block 21, and the upper end face is supported; the back of the heating pad 23 is attached to the lower end face, and the heating pad 23 contains a thermocouple for detecting the temperature of the molding platform 2.

[0050] In this embodiment, the electrical control module 7 includes an electrical component integration board 71, a cable tray 72, a switching power supply 73, a switching power supply bracket 74, a rail-mounted spring terminal block 75, a motor driver 76, a disconnect switch rail 77, a circuit breaker 78, a relay 79, a temperature controller 710, a temperature controller bracket 711, a solid-state relay 712, and a controller 713. The electrical component integration board 71 is fixed to the back of the equipment's aluminum profile frame 1 with screws; the cable tray 72 is fixed to the electrical component integration board 71 with bolts and nuts; and the switching power supply 73 is fixed to the electrical component integration board 71 via the switching power supply bracket 74. On the integrated board 71; the guide rail type spring terminal 75 is fixed to the electrical component integrated board 71 by screws; the motor driver 76 is fixed to the electrical component integrated board 71 by screws; the circuit breaker 78 and the relay 79 are fitted on the disconnecting switch guide rail 77, and the disconnecting switch guide rail 77 is fixed to the electrical component integrated board 71 by bolts and nuts; the temperature controller 710 is fixed to the electrical component integrated board 71 by the temperature controller bracket 711; the solid-state relay 712 is fixed to the electrical component integrated board by bolts and nuts; the four corners of the controller 713 are fixed to the electrical component integrated board 71 by bolts and nuts.

[0051] The molding equipment of this invention is used to form a brown preform of the composite material, which is a core step in the preparation of continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite material products. The specific molding process includes: Step one: First, the prepared metal powder binder particles are placed in the storage bin 533. The extrusion motor reducer 531 is fixed to the output shaft of the extrusion motor with screws to increase the output torque of the extrusion motor. The control card controls the motor driver 76 to control the rotation direction and amount of the extrusion motor through the direction and pulse given by the control program. The extrusion screw 534 is connected to the output shaft of the extrusion motor reducer 531 through the rigid coupling 532 of the extrusion motor. In this way, the metal powder binder particles are gradually conveyed downward along the barrel 521 under the rotation of the extrusion motor. When the metal powder binder particles are conveyed to the area of ​​the upper annular heating block 524, the binder gradually softens due to the increase in temperature in the area. The annular heating block contains thermocouples to detect the temperature of the heating area. The temperature of the upper annular heating block 524 is controlled by the temperature controller 710 and the solid-state relay 712. When the thermocouple detects that the temperature of the heating area is low, the temperature is controlled by the thermocouple. When the temperature is set by the temperature controller 710, the temperature controller 710 controls the on / off state of the solid-state relay 712 to control the ring heating block to start heating; when the thermocouple detects that the temperature of the heating area is higher than the temperature set by the temperature controller 710, the controller controls the on / off state of the solid-state relay 712 to control the ring heating block to stop heating; then, the softened metal powder binder particles continue to be conveyed downwards to the area of ​​the middle ring heating block under the conveying of the extrusion screw 534. Through the precise temperature control of the middle ring heating block area by the temperature controller 710, the metal powder binder particles are further softened into a highly elastic state; the highly elastic metal powder binder particles continue to be conveyed to the area of ​​the lower ring heating block 526 by the extrusion screw 534. Under the precise temperature control of the temperature controller 710, the metal powder binder particles are further softened and gradually become a flowable fluid, and finally the metal powder binder material is stably extruded through the particle nozzle 5210; Step 2: The lifting mechanism 64 in the fiber extrusion module is leveled. The control program sends the lifting code to the controller 713 to control the corresponding motor driver 76, which in turn controls the rotation of the lifting motor 641. The ball screw 645 is connected to the output shaft of the lifting motor 641 through a rigid coupling. The rotation of the lifting motor 641 drives the ball nut 646 to move up and down, which in turn drives the fiber heating nozzle 63 to rise and fall. Step 3: The control program transmits the set printing path to the controller 713. The controller 713 controls the corresponding motor drivers 76 of the X and Y axes, and finally controls the rotation of the X-axis motor 4313, the left Y-axis motor 4423 and the right Y-axis motor 4424 to drive the movement of the X and Y axis motion module 4, thereby driving the fiber extrusion module and the metal powder binder particle extrusion module to move along the printing path set by the control program. Step 4: When a layer of metal powder binder material is printed, the Z-axis lifting module 3 starts to work. The control program sends the code to descend by one layer thickness to the controller 713 to control the corresponding motor driver 76, which in turn controls the Z-axis stepper motor 3113 to rotate and drive the forming platform 2 to descend by one layer height. Step 5: When the forming platform 2 has descended to the required height, the second extrusion module 6 begins operation. The control program sends a code to the controller 713 to control the corresponding motor driver 76, which in turn controls the fiber feeding motor 618 to rotate, passing the continuous fiber through the upper steel pipe 625 and the lower steel pipe 626, and finally feeding it into the fiber nozzle 632 outlet. After the continuous fiber adheres to the upper layer of powder binder material, the fiber feeding motor 618 stops working. This is because the continuous fiber is pulled by the adhesive force between the continuous fiber and the powder binder material to lay the continuous fiber. After the continuous fiber is laid, the control program sends a shearing command to the controller 713 to control the rotation of the shearing servo motor 621, which in turn drives the cutter 6210 on the cutter support block 6211 to cut the fiber, thus completing the laying of the continuous fiber. Step six: Repeat steps one through five continuously to finally form a brown blank of continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite material. Step 7: The brown preform of the formed continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite material is subjected to catalytic degreasing treatment. The purpose is to decompose the binder in the composite material and obtain the precursor of the continuous fiber reinforced metal powder enriched material. Step 8: Vacuum sinter the precursor obtained in step 5 to form a dense, continuous fiber-reinforced metal powder composite material sample.

[0052] Finally, it should be noted that the methods and devices described in detail above are merely embodiments, and those skilled in the art can modify these embodiments in different ways as long as they do not depart from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for molding continuous fiber-reinforced metal powder composite materials, characterized in that: include, The metal powder is mixed with the binder; The mixed metal powder and binder are prepared into granular materials; Forming palm blanks from granular materials and continuous fiber materials; The precursor was obtained by degreasing the palm embryo; Composite materials are obtained by sintering and densifying the precursor.

2. The method for molding continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The metal powder and binder are proportioned before being mixed; the proportioning of the metal powder and binder is prepared according to different formulations based on the particle size of the metal powder.

3. The method for molding continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: When mixing metal powder and binder, the mixing time is 20-40 min, the mixing temperature is 160-200℃, and the shear rate is 200-400 rpm.

4. The method for molding continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: Catalytic degreasing is used when degreasing palm embryos, and oxalic acid is selected as the catalyst.

5. A molding apparatus for use in the molding method of continuous fiber reinforced metal powder composite materials according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: Used to mold granular materials and continuous fiber materials into palm blanks; It includes, A frame (1) is provided with a forming platform (2); A lifting module (3) is mounted on the frame (1) and connected to the forming platform (2); a motion module (4) is mounted on the frame (1); The first extrusion module (5) is installed on the motion module (4) and is used to heat and extrude granular materials to the molding platform (2). The second extrusion module (6) is installed on the motion module (4) and is used to lay continuous fibers; The lifting module (3) can drive the molding platform (2) to move along the Z direction, and the motion module (4) can drive the first extrusion module (5) to move along the X and Y directions.

6. The continuous fiber-reinforced metal powder composite material molding apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first extrusion module (5) includes, The fixing mechanism (51) is connected to the motion module (4); the heating mechanism (52) is used to heat the granular material; The power mechanism (53) is used to extrude the heated granular material; wherein the heating mechanism (52) and the power mechanism (53) are both mounted on the fixing mechanism (51).

7. The continuous fiber-reinforced metal powder composite material molding apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: The motion module (4) includes an X-axis guide mechanism (41) and a Y-axis guide mechanism (42). The Y-axis guide mechanism (42) is mounted on the frame (1), and the X-axis guide mechanism (41) is mounted on the Y-axis guide mechanism (42). The motion module (4) further includes an X-axis drive mechanism (43) and a Y-axis drive mechanism (44). The Y-axis drive mechanism (44) can drive the X-axis drive mechanism (43) to move along the Y direction, and the X-axis drive mechanism (43) can drive the first extrusion module (5) to move along the X direction.

8. The continuous fiber-reinforced metal powder composite material molding apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: The lifting module (3) includes a lifting guide mechanism (31) and a support platform (32) installed on the lifting guide mechanism (31), and the forming platform (2) is installed on the support platform (32); The lifting module (3) also includes a lifting drive mechanism (33) for driving the support platform (32) to lift.

9. The continuous fiber-reinforced metal powder composite material molding apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that: The heating mechanism (52) includes a barrel (521) and heating blocks distributed along the axial direction of the barrel (521). When the granular material moves inside the barrel (521), the granular material is heated in a gradient by the heating blocks.

10. The continuous fiber-reinforced metal powder composite material molding apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes an electrical control module (7); the electrical control module (7) is connected to the lifting module (3), the motion module (4), and the first extrusion module (5).

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