A metal powder pressing and molding device for gear production

Abstract

This invention discloses a metal powder pressing and molding device for gear production, specifically relating to machining equipment. The device includes a base and a frame fixedly connected to the base. A hydraulic cylinder is fixedly connected to the top of the frame, and a pressing table is fixedly connected to the extended end of the hydraulic cylinder. A pressing die head is fixedly connected to the bottom of the pressing table. A support frame is fixedly connected inside the base, and a support head with a cross-section adapted to the cross-section of the gear to be pressed is fixedly connected to the support frame. The metal powder pressing and molding device for gear production provided by this invention integrates the three functions of pushing, feeding, and pre-pressing onto a single horizontally reciprocating movable frame. The opening and closing of the mold cavity is controlled by the lifting and lowering of the movable frame. This allows multiple processes to be completed consecutively with a single reciprocating motion of the movable frame after pressing, reducing waiting and transfer time between processes and improving overall production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of machining equipment technology, specifically to a metal powder pressing and molding device for gear production. Background Technology

[0002] Metal powder pressing and forming equipment for gear production is a key piece of equipment in the field of powder metallurgy. It obtains gear blanks by filling metal powder into a mold cavity of a specific shape, pressing it under high pressure, and then sintering it. This technology has the advantages of high material utilization and low cost of mass production, and is widely used in industries such as machinery.

[0003] In the existing production process of such devices, the demolding and removal of gears after pressing and forming, as well as the powder filling and powder leveling processes of the new production cycle, are mostly separate or semi-automated operations. They are usually performed by manual labor or independent robotic arms in sequence, such as removing the workpiece, adding new powder and leveling the powder. The connection between each process depends on the external control system, which not only makes the structure complex and expensive, but also results in low efficiency of the entire production process.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new metal powder pressing and molding apparatus for gear production to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem this invention aims to solve is to overcome the structural complexity and linkage difficulties caused by the separate operation and poor connection of auxiliary processes such as demolding, feeding, and leveling in the existing gear metal powder pressing and molding process. This invention provides a metal powder pressing and molding device for gear production. This device, through a horizontally reciprocating movable frame and a purely mechanically linked triggering and execution mechanism, utilizes the interaction between the movable frame and the fixed frame to sequentially perform the functions of pushing, quantitative feeding, and pre-pressing and leveling during one horizontal movement stroke. This achieves seamless connection from finished product ejection to mold cavity pretreatment, improving production efficiency and reducing equipment complexity and manufacturing costs. To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a metal powder pressing and molding device for gear production, comprising a base, a frame fixedly connected to the base, a hydraulic cylinder fixedly connected to the top of the frame, a pressing table fixedly connected to the extended end of the hydraulic cylinder, a pressing die head fixedly connected to the bottom of the pressing table, a support frame fixedly connected inside the base, a support head with a cross-section adapted to the cross-section of the gear to be pressed fixedly connected to the support frame, a vertically arranged first electric push rod fixedly connected to the frame, and a movable table slidably connected to the frame along the vertical direction. The push rod is fixedly connected to the bottom of the movable platform. The movable platform has a mold groove adapted to the bearing head. The bearing head is inserted into the bottom of the mold groove to form a mold cavity. A movable frame is slidably connected to the movable platform in the horizontal direction. A push rod is fixedly connected to one end of the movable frame near the processing station. A drive assembly for driving the movable frame to move is provided on the movable platform. A powder feeding assembly for adding powder into the mold cavity during the movement of the movable frame and a pre-compression assembly for pre-compressing the powder in the mold cavity to level the powder during the movement of the movable frame are provided on the movable frame.

[0006] Preferably, the drive assembly includes two mounting blocks respectively fixedly connected to both sides of the movable frame and a slide rod passing through one of the two mounting blocks. The slide rod is fixedly connected to the movable platform, and a screw is rotatably connected to the movable platform. A threaded sleeve is threaded onto the screw through a ball screw pair. The threaded sleeve is fixedly connected to the mounting block furthest from the slide rod among the two mounting blocks. A motor for driving the screw to rotate is fixedly connected to the movable frame.

[0007] Preferably, both the powder adding component and the pre-compression component are located at the bottom of the movable frame, and are horizontally arranged along the movement direction of the movable frame. The pre-compression component is located at the end of the movable frame closer to the push rod, and the powder adding component is located at the end of the movable frame away from the push rod.

[0008] Preferably, the distance between the powder feeding component and the pre-pressing component is the same as the distance between the processing station and the end of the movable frame, so that when the powder feeding component moves to the processing station, the pusher rod pushes the pressed workpiece away from the movable table.

[0009] Preferably, the powder feeding assembly includes a first frame fixedly connected to the bottom of the movable frame and a powder feeding port opened on the movable frame. A fabric plate is fixedly connected to the first frame. A plurality of fabric holes are arranged in an array on the fabric plate. The powder feeding port is located above the fabric plate. The fabric plate is used to distribute the metal powder to be pressed into the mold cavity through the fabric holes.

[0010] Preferably, a baffle is slidably connected in the horizontal direction within the first frame, and trigger blocks are fixedly connected to both sides of the baffle. The trigger blocks are elastically connected to the first frame via springs. The baffle is located at the bottom of the fabric plate, and a stop block is fixedly connected to the movable frame at the processing station. The height of the stop block is the same as the height of the trigger block, so that when the trigger block moves with the movable frame to the processing station, it can be removed from the range of the vertical projection direction of the fabric plate.

[0011] Preferably, the pre-compression assembly includes a second frame fixedly connected to the bottom of the movable frame and a second electric push rod fixedly connected to the second frame. A pre-compression head is fixedly connected to the bottom of the second electric push rod. The size of the pre-compression head is adapted to the size of the mold cavity. The pre-compression head is used to pre-compress the powder in the mold cavity.

[0012] Preferably, the pusher rod is arranged in an arc-shaped plate, and a flexible buffer layer is fixed on the end face of the pusher plate. Beneficial effects

[0013] Compared with related technologies, the metal powder pressing and molding apparatus for gear production provided by the present invention has the following advantages: 1. The metal powder pressing and molding device for gear production proposed in this invention integrates the three functions of pushing, feeding and pre-pressing on the same horizontally reciprocating movable frame, and uses the lifting of the movable table to control the opening and closing of the mold cavity. After pressing, the auxiliary process can be completed in one reciprocating motion of the movable frame, which reduces the waiting and transfer time between processes and improves the overall production efficiency.

[0014] 2. The feeding action of the metal powder pressing and molding device for gear production proposed in this invention is triggered by a purely mechanical stop collision, and the pre-pressing is performed by an independent electric cylinder. This makes the control logic of the entire auxiliary system very simple and reliable, reduces the dependence on complex sensing and control systems, improves the stability of equipment operation, and reduces production and manufacturing costs.

[0015] 3. The pre-compaction process of the metal powder pressing and molding device for gear production proposed in this invention can improve the initial density and uniformity of the powder bed, creating better conditions for final pressing and helping to improve the density consistency of the gear blank. The push rod and flexible buffer layer can provide uniform contact force and buffer when ejecting the blank, preventing the gear tooth profile from being damaged during demolding and unloading, and reducing the scrap rate. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art 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 the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a metal powder pressing and molding device for gear production according to the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of point A in the middle; Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the state of the movable platform of the metal powder pressing and molding device for gear production according to the present invention when it is lowered. Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the bearing head and the pressing die head of a metal powder pressing and molding device for gear production according to the present invention. Figure 5 This is a bottom view schematic diagram of the movable platform of a metal powder pressing and molding device for gear production according to the present invention. Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the first frame of a metal powder pressing and molding device for gear production according to the present invention.

[0018] Explanation of icon numbers: 1. Base; 11. Frame; 12. Hydraulic cylinder; 13. Pressing table; 14. Pressing die head; 15. Support frame; 16. Support head; 17. Movable table; 171. First electric push rod; 18. Die groove; 19. Movable frame; 191. Push rod; 192. Flexible buffer layer; 2. Drive assembly; 21. Mounting block; 22. Slide rod; 23. Motor; 24. Screw; 3. Powder feeding assembly; 31. First frame; 32. Powder feeding port; 33. Material feeding plate; 331. Material feeding hole; 34. Baffle; 35. Trigger block; 36. Stop block; 4. Pre-pressing assembly; 41. Second frame; 42. Second electric push rod; 43. Pre-pressing head. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] Furthermore, in this invention, descriptions involving "first," "second," etc., are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0021] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0022] Please see Figures 1 to 6 As shown in the embodiment of the present invention, a metal powder pressing and molding device for gear production includes a base 1 and a frame 11 fixedly connected to the base 1. The frame 11 serves as the main support. A hydraulic cylinder 12 drives the pressing table 13 and the pressing die head 14 above to achieve the main pressing action. The support frame 15 and the support head 16 inside the base 1 constitute the core of the lower die. The movable table 17 is driven by the first electric push rod 171 and can be vertically raised and lowered along the frame 11. The mold groove 18 on it cooperates with the fixed support head 16. When the movable table 17 is in the upper position, the two close to form a gear-shaped closed mold cavity. When the movable table 17 is lowered, demolding is achieved. The movable frame 19 is horizontally installed on the movable table 17 and can perform reciprocating linear motion driven by the drive component 2. The push rod 191, the powder adding component 3, and the pre-pressing component 4 are all integrated on this movable frame 19. After completion, the first electric push rod 171 drives the movable table 17 to descend and demold, making the top of the formed gear blank flush with the table surface of the movable table 17. Then, the drive assembly 2 starts, driving the movable frame 19 to move horizontally. During this movement, the push rod 191 first pushes the blank away, then the powder feeding assembly 3 moves to the top of the mold cavity and completes the feeding. Finally, the pre-pressing assembly 4 pre-compacts and levels the loose powder in the mold cavity. The opening and closing of the mold cavity and demolding are controlled by the up and down movement of the movable table 17. The three processes of feeding, feeding and leveling are connected into a continuous action by the unidirectional horizontal movement of the movable frame 19. This structure concentrates multiple actuators in the movable frame 19, with a compact spatial layout. It relies on the simple horizontal movement and the spatial relationship of the fixed station to ensure the execution sequence of each process, ensuring stability while reducing the complexity of the equipment and manufacturing costs.

[0023] The main body of the drive assembly 2 is a motor 23 mounted on the movable platform 17. Its output shaft drives a screw 24 to rotate. The screw 24 and a screw sleeve form a ball screw pair. The movable frame 19 is installed and guided by mounting blocks 21 on both sides. One mounting block 21 is in sliding engagement with a slide rod 22 fixed on the movable platform 17 to provide guidance and support. The other mounting block 21 is fixedly connected to the screw sleeve. When the motor 23 drives the screw 24 to rotate forward and backward, the screw sleeve will drive the movable frame 19 fixed to it to make a precise horizontal reciprocating linear motion along the guide of the slide rod 22. The slide rod 22 provides reliable guidance to prevent the movable frame 19 from twisting or jamming during the movement. In specific implementation, a servo motor 23 can be selected.

[0024] In addition, the powder feeding component 3 and the pre-pressing component 4 are fixed to the bottom of the movable frame 19. The pre-pressing component 4 is arranged at the end of the movable frame 19 that approaches the processing station first, while the powder feeding component 3 is arranged at the rear end of the movable frame 19. When the movable frame 19 moves from the initial position to the processing station, the pre-pressing component 4 at its front end will pass over the processing station first, followed by the powder feeding component 3. When the movable frame 19 returns from the processing station to the initial position, the order is reversed. With this setting, in one unidirectional movement of the movable frame 19, material feeding, powder feeding and pre-pressing leveling can be completed sequentially. Only the simple reciprocating motion of the movable frame 19 and the spatial position of the tools on it are needed to stably execute the process, simplifying the control logic and improving the reliability of the equipment.

[0025] Secondly, the distance from the center of the powder feeding component 3 to the center of the pre-pressing component 4 is the same as the horizontal distance from the push rod 191 at the front end of the movable frame 19 to the center of the processing station when the movable frame 19 is in the initial position. That is to say, when the movable frame 19 moves from the initial position to the processing station and the moving distance is just enough to align the powder feeding component 3 with the center of the mold cavity, the push rod 191 will push the formed gear blank that is stopped at the processing station completely away from the movable table 17 to complete the unloading.

[0026] Secondly, the main body of the powder adding component 3 is a first frame 31 fixed to the bottom of the movable frame 19. The first frame 31 is also a powder storage bin. The movable frame 19 has a powder adding port 32, which can be connected to the external main powder bin through a pipe to realize automatic material replenishment. Inside the box, a plate with dense small holes is installed at the bottom as a material distribution plate 33. After the metal powder falls into the box from the powder adding port 32, it accumulates on the material distribution plate 33. When material needs to be added, the powder, under the action of gravity, passes through multiple small holes evenly distributed on the material distribution plate 33 to form multiple fine powder streams that are sprinkled into the mold cavity below. The material distribution plate 33 can disperse the powder and prevent the powder from accumulating into a cone shape in the mold cavity, making it easier to achieve preliminary uniform filling of each position in the mold cavity.

[0027] Specifically, a horizontally sliding baffle 34 is installed directly below the fabric plate 33. Under normal conditions, the baffle 34 is spring-tensioned and in the closed position, blocking the area below all the small holes in the fabric plate 33 to prevent powder from falling. One end of the baffle 34 extends into a trigger block 35. At the corresponding processing station on the movable table 17, a fixed protruding stop block 36 is installed. When the movable frame 19 carries the powder feeding component 3 to the processing station and precisely aligns the powder feeding component 3 with the mold cavity, the stop block 36 collides with the trigger block 35. Under the thrust of continued movement, the fixed stop block 36 presses against the trigger block 35, thereby overcoming the spring force and forcing the entire baffle 34 to slide horizontally, opening the discharge channel. When the powder feeding component 3 moves away from the station, the stop block 36 disengages, and the spring immediately pulls the baffle 34 back, closing the discharge port again. This configuration achieves a purely mechanical feeding control, without the need for additional sensors, solenoid valves, or complex electronic control programs, resulting in a simple structure.

[0028] In addition, the pre-compression assembly 4 has a second frame 41 as its main body. A vertically arranged second electric push rod 42 is installed inside the second frame 41. The piston rod of the electric push rod extends downward and its end is connected to a pre-compression head 43 that matches the shape and size of the gear mold groove 18 but has a gap. When the movable frame 19 moves the pre-compression assembly 4 to directly above the mold cavity, the second electric push rod 42 is activated, driving the pre-compression head 43 to move downward, insert into the mold cavity and apply pressure to the loose metal powder therein. This pressure is much less than the pressure of the pressing die head 14 on the pressing table 13. It is used to make the powder produce preliminary compression and compaction, and flatten any uneven surfaces that may exist. Pre-compaction can improve the initial density and uniformity of the powder bed, creating better processing conditions for subsequent main pressing.

[0029] Furthermore, the push rod 191 is designed to be an arc shape that matches the outer circumference of the gear blank to be ejected. On the surface of this arc-shaped push surface, a layer of material with a certain elasticity and softness, such as rubber or engineering plastic, is bonded as a flexible buffer layer 192. When the push rod 191 moves horizontally forward to push the green gear blank, the arc-shaped surface fits against the side of the gear, and the flexible layer acts as an intermediate medium to contact the gear. The gear blank after being pressed and formed by metal powder has very low strength before sintering and is prone to chipping or cracking. The flexible buffer layer 192 can absorb the impact and increase the friction force to achieve flat pushing and prevent damage to the gear during the ejection process.

[0030] Working principle: First, the hydraulic cylinder 12 drives the pressing table 13 and the pressing die head 14 to press down, performing high-pressure forming of the metal powder in the mold cavity. After pressing, the pressing die head 14 moves upward to reset, and the first electric push rod 171 starts, driving the movable table 17 to descend along the frame 11 to achieve demolding, making the top of the formed gear blank flush with the table surface of the movable table 17. At this time, the motor 23 in the drive assembly 2 starts, driving the movable frame 19 to move horizontally from the initial position to the processing station through the ball screw pair. In the initial stage of movement, the arc-shaped push rod 191 fixed at the front end of the movable frame 19 first reaches the processing station, smoothly pushing away the formed gear blank placed flat on the movable table 17. The movable frame 19 continues to move forward, and when the powder feeding assembly on it... When the 3rd component moves to the top of the mold cavity, the stop block 36 fixed on the movable platform 17 will collide with the trigger block 35 at the bottom of the powder feeding component 3, forcing the baffle 34 to slide horizontally and open the feeding hole 331 on the feeding plate 33. The metal powder is then evenly sprinkled into the mold cavity below through multiple small holes, thus achieving feeding. After feeding is completed, the movable frame 19 returns in the reverse direction under the drive of the motor 23. During the return stroke, when the pre-compression component 4 at the rear end of the movable frame 19 moves to the top of the mold cavity, the second electric push rod 42 inside it is activated, driving the pre-compression head 43 to descend and pre-compact the loose powder in the mold cavity. After pre-compression is completed, the pre-compression head 43 rises to reset, and the movable frame 19 continues to move back to the initial position. Then, the above operation can be repeated.

[0031] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made under the concept of the present invention using the description and drawings of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A metal powder pressing and molding device for gear production, characterized in that: The device includes a base (1) and a frame (11) fixedly connected to the base (1). A hydraulic cylinder (12) is fixedly connected to the top of the frame (11), and a pressing table (13) is fixedly connected to the extended end of the hydraulic cylinder (12). A pressing die head (14) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the pressing table (13). A support frame (15) is fixedly connected inside the base (1). A support head (16) with a cross-section adapted to the cross-section of the gear to be pressed is fixedly connected to the support frame (15). A vertically arranged first electric push rod (171) is fixedly connected to the frame (11). A movable table (17) is slidably connected to the frame (11) in the vertical direction. The first electric push rod (171) and the bottom of the movable table (17) are connected together. The movable platform (17) is fixedly connected to the mold groove (18) adapted to the bearing head (16). The bearing head (16) is inserted into the bottom of the mold groove (18) to form a mold cavity. A movable frame (19) is slidably connected to the movable platform (17) in the horizontal direction. A push rod (191) is fixedly connected to one end of the movable frame (19) near the processing station. A drive assembly (2) for driving the movable frame (19) to move is provided on the movable platform (17). A powder feeding assembly (3) for adding powder into the mold cavity during the movement of the movable frame (19) and a pre-compression assembly (4) for pre-compressing the powder in the mold cavity to level the powder during the movement of the movable frame (19).

2. The metal powder pressing and molding apparatus for gear production according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive assembly (2) includes two mounting blocks (21) fixedly connected to both sides of the movable frame (19) and a slide rod (22) passing through one of the two mounting blocks (21). The slide rod (22) is fixedly connected to the movable platform (17). A screw (24) is rotatably connected to the movable platform (17). A threaded sleeve is connected to the screw (24) through a ball screw thread. The threaded sleeve is fixedly connected to the mounting block (21) that is away from the slide rod (22). A motor (23) for driving the screw (24) to rotate is fixedly connected to the movable frame (19).

3. The metal powder pressing and molding apparatus for gear production according to claim 1, characterized in that: The powder adding component (3) and the pre-compression component (4) are both located at the bottom of the movable frame (19) and are horizontally arranged along the movement direction of the movable frame (19). The pre-compression component (4) is located at one end of the movable frame (19) near the push rod (191), and the powder adding component (3) is located at one end of the movable frame (19) away from the push rod (191).

4. The metal powder pressing and molding apparatus for gear production according to claim 3, characterized in that: The distance between the powder feeding component (3) and the pre-pressing component (4) is the same as the distance between the processing station and the end of the movable frame (19), so that when the powder feeding component (3) moves to the processing station, the push rod (191) pushes the pressed workpiece away from the movable table (17).

5. The metal powder pressing and molding apparatus for gear production according to claim 1, characterized in that: The powder feeding component (3) includes a first frame (31) fixedly connected to the bottom of the movable frame (19) and a powder feeding port (32) opened on the movable frame (19). A fabric plate (33) is fixedly connected inside the first frame (31). A plurality of fabric holes (331) are arranged in an array on the fabric plate (33). The powder feeding port (32) is located above the fabric plate (33). The fabric plate (33) is used to distribute the metal powder to be pressed into the mold cavity through the fabric holes (331).

6. The metal powder pressing and molding apparatus for gear production according to claim 5, characterized in that: A baffle (34) is slidably connected in the horizontal direction inside the first frame (31). A trigger block (35) is fixedly connected to both sides of the baffle (34). The trigger block (35) is elastically connected to the first frame (31) by a spring. The baffle (34) is located at the bottom of the fabric plate (33). A stop block (36) is fixedly connected to the movable frame (19) at the processing station. The height of the stop block (36) is the same as the height of the trigger block (35), so that when the trigger block (35) moves to the processing station with the movable frame (19), it can leave the range of the vertical projection direction of the fabric plate (33).

7. The metal powder pressing and molding apparatus for gear production according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pre-compression assembly (4) includes a second frame (41) fixedly connected to the bottom of the movable frame (19) and a second electric push rod (42) fixedly connected inside the second frame (41). A pre-compression head (43) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the second electric push rod (42). The size of the pre-compression head (43) is adapted to the size of the mold cavity (18). The pre-compression head (43) is used to pre-compress the powder in the mold cavity.

8. The metal powder pressing and molding apparatus for gear production according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pusher rod (191) is arranged in an arc-shaped plate, and a flexible buffer layer (192) is fixed on the end face of the pusher plate.

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