Feeding mechanism for friction stir additive manufacturing

Abstract

The utility model discloses a feeding mechanism for friction stir additive manufacturing, and belongs to the technical field of friction stir additive manufacturing. Comprising a feeding push rod used for pushing bars. The execution end of the pushing air cylinder is connected with the feeding push rod and used for driving the feeding push rod. The guide air cylinder is arranged above the feeding mechanism and used for adjusting the posture of the bar. The supply mechanism is used for conveying the bars from the storage unit to the feeding mechanism. The material storage unit comprises a material storage barrel, and the two opposite spiral grooves are formed in the positions, at the upper end and the lower end of the material storage cavity, of the material storage barrel correspondingly. The spiral groove type material storage cavity is adopted in the material storage unit, feeding and discharging are smooth, more bar materials can be stored, and replacement is easy; in the feeding mechanism, under the action of a feeding push rod and a limiting block, bar feeding is more accurate, then through downward pressing cooperation of the auxiliary pressing mechanism, it can be kept that the bars rotate and descend accurately and enter the feeding mechanism smoothly, and the whole movement process of the bars is simple and easy to control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of friction stir additive manufacturing, and particularly relates to a feeding mechanism for friction stir additive manufacturing. Background Art

[0002] Friction stir additive manufacturing is an additive manufacturing technology based on the principle of friction welding. It raises the temperature of materials through high-speed friction stirring, deposits metals layer by layer on the surface of workpieces, and then forms a unique metal deposition additive structure.

[0003] The feeding mechanism is an important part of friction stir additive manufacturing. Chinese Patent discloses a continuous feeding friction stir additive manufacturing device and an additive manufacturing method (CN113172331). The device includes a hydraulic ejector rod mechanism, a disk feeding mechanism, an upper clutch module, a lower clutch module, a constant-speed feeding mechanism, an additive stirring head, and an additive manufacturing component arranged from top to bottom. A plurality of additive raw materials are evenly arranged in the disk feeding mechanism. The disk feeding mechanism replaces the next additive raw material under the condition of non-stop rotation. The two clutch modules cooperate to guide the phase synchronization between the new additive raw material and the previous additive raw material into the additive stirring head. The hydraulic ejector rod mechanism pushes the new additive raw material into the upper clutch module. The constant-speed feeding mechanism drives the additive raw material to move downward. The stirring head drives the additive raw material to rotate and frictionally thermoplastically deposit with the additive manufacturing component to achieve continuous feeding additive manufacturing.

[0004] The above technology uses a disk feeding mechanism, and its deficiencies are as follows: The disk feeding mechanism replaces the additive raw material under the condition of non-stop rotation, which has high requirements for the replacement speed and position control of the raw material, is difficult to achieve, and may lead to unstable material supply during the additive manufacturing process; the structure of the disk feeding mechanism is complex, the maintenance cost is high, and the rotation accuracy requirement is high, which may affect the accuracy and efficiency of additive manufacturing. Content of the Utility Model

[0005] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a feeding mechanism for friction stir additive manufacturing.

[0006] The utility model adopts the following technical scheme: A feeding mechanism for friction stir additive manufacturing, comprising:

[0007] A feeding push rod for pushing a rod material;

[0008] A pushing cylinder, whose execution end is connected to the feeding push rod, for driving the feeding push rod to move;

[0009] A guiding cylinder, arranged above the feeding mechanism, for adjusting the posture of the rod material;

[0010] Wherein, the feeding mechanism is used to convey the rod material from the storage unit to the feeding mechanism.

[0011] Furthermore, it further includes:

[0012] A limit block is provided at the piston rod end of the guiding cylinder. A U-shaped groove is provided on the limit block for limiting and guiding the bar stock.

[0013] The pushing cylinder is a rodless cylinder.

[0014] The execution end of the pushing cylinder is arranged along the feeding direction, and the piston rod of the guiding cylinder is parallel to the moving direction of the execution end of the pushing cylinder.

[0015] The pushing cylinder is provided with a plurality of magnetic switches for controlling multi-stroke use.

[0016] The guiding cylinder is used to adjust the posture of the bar stock through the limit block when the bar stock approaches the feeding mechanism, so that the bar stock can smoothly enter the feeding mechanism.

[0017] The side walls of the U-shaped groove are used to form limit guiding for the side walls of the bar stock.

[0018] The storage unit includes:

[0019] A storage cylinder with a storage cavity for storing bar stock inside;

[0020] Two opposite spiral grooves are respectively opened in the storage cylinder at the upper and lower ends of the storage cavity. The upper and lower ends of the bar stock are respectively fitted and installed in the spiral grooves on the upper and lower sides;

[0021] A discharge port is opened on the side wall of the storage cylinder and is connected to the end of the spiral groove; when the bar stock moves outwards along the spiral groove, the bar stock is sent out from the discharge port in sequence.

[0022] A clamping disc is rotatably installed in the storage cavity of the storage cylinder. Radial grooves matching the outer contour size of the bar stock are opened on the clamping disc, and the bar stock is inserted through the grooves.

[0023] A rotating shaft is rotatably installed at the axis of the storage cavity of the storage cylinder. The clamping disc is fixed on the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is connected with a driving device.

[0024] It further includes an auxiliary material pressing mechanism. The auxiliary material pressing mechanism includes a lifting motor and a pressing plate fixed to the moving end of the lifting motor. When the bar stock is conveyed from the storage unit to the feeding mechanism, the lifting motor drives the pressing plate to press the bar stock into the feeding mechanism.

[0025] The beneficial effects of the utility model are as follows:

[0026] The storage unit adopts a storage cavity with a spiral groove, which enables smooth feeding and discharging, can store more bar materials, and is easy to replace. The feeding mechanism can cooperate with multiple storage units on both sides, enabling feeding without stopping the machine and long-term unmanned automatic feeding operation, improving the continuity of friction additive manufacturing. Under the action of the feeding push rod and the limit block, the bar material is fed more accurately. With the downward pressure cooperation of the auxiliary pressure feeding mechanism, the bar material can maintain accurate rotational descent and smoothly enter the feeding mechanism. The entire movement process of the bar material is simple and easy to control. Description of the Drawings

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the following drawings are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0028] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional view of a feeding mechanism for friction stir additive manufacturing according to the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 It is a front view of a feeding mechanism for friction stir additive manufacturing according to the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 It is Figure 2 the right view in

[0031] Figure 4 It is Figure 3 the right view in

[0032] Figure 5 It is Figure 4 the top view in

[0033] Figure 6 It is a three-dimensional view of the storage unit in the present invention.

[0034] Figure 7 It is a front view of the storage unit in the present invention.

[0035] Figure 8 It is a top view of the storage unit in the present invention.

[0036] Description of the Reference Numerals:

[0037] 10. Feeding mechanism;

[0038] 20. Storage unit; 21. Stock bin; 22. Discharge port; 23. Spiral groove; 24. Stock clamping disc; 25. Rotating shaft;

[0039] 31. Feeding push rod; 32. Base frame; 33. Pushing cylinder; 34. Guiding cylinder; 35. Conveyor frame; 36. Feeding port; 37. Limit block;

[0040] 40. Auxiliary material pressing mechanism; 41. Lifting motor; 42. Material pressing plate. Specific implementation mode

[0041] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0042] Embodiment 1:

[0043] As Figures 1 to 5 shown, the present invention provides a feeding mechanism for friction stir additive manufacturing. The feeding push rod 31 for pushing the rod material is fixed at the execution end of the pushing cylinder 33. Driven by the pushing cylinder 33, the feeding push rod 31 conveys the rod material sent out from the storage unit 20 above the feeding mechanism 10. The guiding cylinder 34 is arranged on one side above the feeding mechanism, and the limit block 37 is arranged at the piston rod end of the guiding cylinder 34 to limit and guide the pushed rod material.

[0044] The feeding mechanism is installed on the base frame 32. A conveyor frame 35 is fixed on the base frame 32, and a conveying channel is provided in the conveyor frame 35. The pushing cylinder 33 is fixed on the conveyor frame 35, driving the feeding push rod 31 to reciprocate in the conveying channel, so that the rod material moves in the conveying channel in a basically vertical state. Both sides of the conveyor frame 35 are provided with feeding ports 36 for cooperating with the storage unit 20 to receive the rod material in the storage unit 20 and enable the rod material to enter the conveying channel. The number of the feeding ports 36 and the storage unit 20 can be set according to specific requirements. The pushing cylinder 33 is provided with a plurality of magnetic switches for controlling multi-stroke use and can correspond to each storage unit 20.

[0045] The piston rod of the guiding cylinder 34 is parallel to the moving direction of the execution end of the pushing cylinder 33. A U-shaped groove is formed on one side of the limit block 37 facing the conveyor frame 35 for limiting and guiding the rod material. When the feeding push rod 31 pushes the rod material above the feeding mechanism 10, the guiding cylinder 34 will drive the limit block 37 to move towards the rod material, and the side wall of the U-shaped groove of the limit block 37 will form limit guidance on the side wall of the rod material, thereby adjusting the posture of the rod material to ensure that the rod material is directly above the feeding mechanism 10 and enables the rod material to smoothly enter the feeding mechanism 10 under its own weight.

[0046] In another embodiment, the pusher cylinder 33 can be a rodless cylinder. The execution end of the pusher cylinder 33 penetrates above the conveying channel and is then connected to the feeding push rod 31 in the conveying channel. In this way, when the pusher cylinder 33 drives the feeding push rod 31 to reciprocate, the problem that the piston rod of the cylinder will exceed the conveying frame 35 when using a rod cylinder is avoided, thereby reducing the longitudinal space occupation of the structure and making the overall feeding mechanism more compact.

[0047] During operation,

[0048] The pusher cylinder 33 drives the feeding push rod 31 to move to a predetermined position in the conveying channel. The conveying frame 35 receives the rod material conveyed from the storage unit 20 from the feeding port 36, and then the pusher cylinder 33 drives the feeding push rod 31 to push the rod material so that the rod material is conveyed toward the feeding mechanism 10 in a posture parallel to the feeding port of the feeding mechanism 10.

[0049] When the rod material is about to approach above the feeding port of the feeding mechanism 10, the guiding cylinder 34 acts, and drives the limiting block 37 to move toward the rod material through the piston rod. The side wall of the U-shaped groove forms a limit and guidance for the side wall of the rod material, adjusts the posture of the rod material, and facilitates the rod material to smoothly fall into the feeding port of the feeding mechanism 10 under the action of gravity. Thus, the feeding operation to the feeding mechanism 10 is completed.

[0050] Embodiment 2:

[0051] On the basis of the above Embodiment 1, in combination with Figures 1 to 5 As shown, in this Embodiment 2, an auxiliary pressing mechanism 40 is provided above the feeding mechanism 10. The auxiliary pressing mechanism 40 includes a pressing plate 42 slidably mounted on the base frame 32. The sliding direction of the pressing plate 42 is parallel to the feeding port of the feeding mechanism 10. The lifting motor 41 is fixed on the base frame 32 and is used to drive the pressing plate 42 to perform a lifting motion. A rotatable pressing head is provided on the lower side of the pressing plate 42.

[0052] Combined with the working process in Embodiment 1, when the feeding push rod 31 pushes the rod material above the feeding port of the feeding mechanism 10, the guiding cylinder 34 drives the limiting block 37 to adjust the posture of the rod material, and then the lifting motor 41 drives the pressing plate 42 to move downward and press against the upper end of the rod material to form a downward pressure on the end of the rod material; so that the rod material can enter the feeding port of the feeding mechanism 10 more smoothly and can rotate stably with the feeding mechanism 10 to avoid being thrown out.

[0053] Embodiment 3:

[0054] On the basis of the above Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2, in further combination with Figures 6 to 8 As shown, this Embodiment 3 discloses a storage unit 20 for conveying rod materials to the feeding mechanism.

[0055] The storage unit 20 includes a storage cylinder 21. The interior of the storage cylinder 21 is a storage cavity for accommodating bar materials. Opposite spiral grooves 23 are provided at the bottom and top positions in the storage cylinder 21. The two ends of the bar material are exactly fitted and installed in the spiral grooves 23 on the lower and upper sides, as Figure 7 and Figure 8 shown. The upper cover of the storage cylinder 21 is hidden in the figure; a discharge port 22 is provided on the side wall of the storage cylinder 21, and the discharge port 22 is located at the end of the spiral groove 23. During use, the discharge port 22 faces the feed port 36 in the feeding mechanism. All the bar materials move along the spiral groove 23 and are sequentially sent out from the discharge port 22 and enter the feed port 36.

[0056] To drive all the bar materials to move along the spiral groove 23 and maintain the vertical stability of the bar materials, a rotating shaft 25 is rotatably installed at the axis of the storage cylinder 21, and a material clamping disc 24 is fixed to the upper and lower parts of the rotating shaft 25 respectively. Radial card slots matching the outer contour dimensions of the bar materials are provided on the material clamping disc 24. The top and bottom of the bar materials are respectively located in the card slots of the material clamping disc 24. In this way, when the rotating shaft 25 drives the material clamping disc 24 to rotate, the material clamping disc 24 can drive the bar materials to move along the spiral groove 23,

[0057] The driving device of the rotating shaft 25 is a servo motor. By driving the servo motor to drive the rotating shaft 25 and the material clamping disc 24 to rotate, and then driving the bar materials to slide along the spiral groove 23, the discharging accuracy of the storage cylinder 21 is ensured. In this way, by reading the rotation angle information of the servo motor, it is convenient to calculate the remaining bar materials in the storage cylinder 21, which is beneficial for the operator to replenish the bar materials in the storage cylinder 21 in time.

[0058] In some other embodiments, the driving device can also be a pneumatic motor, a winding spring or a spring steel strip. The active rotation of the pneumatic motor or the elastic potential energy stored in the winding spring or the spring steel strip is used to provide torque to the material clamping disc 24, and then drive the bar materials to slide along the spiral groove 23.

[0059] The number of the storage units 20 is determined according to actual needs, preferably 2 - 6, and it is best to be able to meet the requirements of the bar materials for the shift duration of a work team. The storage units 20 are linearly arranged on both sides of the feeding mechanism. Four storage units 20 are divided into two groups, as Figure 5 shown. One storage cylinder 21 on one side is hidden in the figure, and they are linearly arranged on both sides of the feeding mechanism respectively. One storage cylinder 21 can store 170 bar materials, and the expected printing time can reach 2 hours. Equipping four storage cylinders 21 at a time can be used for about 8 hours.

[0060] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the present utility model without departing from the spirit and scope of the present utility model. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present utility model fall within the scope of the claims of the present utility model and its equivalent technologies, the present utility model also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A feeding mechanism for friction stir additive manufacturing, characterized in that: include: A feeding push rod (31), used for pushing the bar material; A push cylinder (33), the execution end of which is connected to the feeding push rod (31) and is used to drive the feeding push rod (31) to move; A guide cylinder (34) is arranged above the feeding mechanism (10) and is used to adjust the posture of the bar material; The feeding mechanism is used to transport the bar material from the storage unit (20) to the feeding mechanism (10).

2. The feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A limit block (37) is arranged at the piston rod end of the guide cylinder (34), and a U-shaped groove is provided on the limit block (37) for limiting and guiding the bar material.

3. The feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pushing cylinder (33) is a rodless cylinder.

4. The feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The execution end of the pushing cylinder (33) is arranged along the feeding direction, and the piston rod of the guide cylinder (34) is parallel to the moving direction of the execution end of the pushing cylinder (33).

5. The feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The push cylinder (33) is provided with a plurality of magnetic switches for controlling multi-stroke use.

6. The feeding mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The guide cylinder (34) is used to adjust the posture of the bar material through the limit block (37) when the bar material approaches the feeding mechanism, so that the bar material can smoothly enter the feeding mechanism.

7. The feeding mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The side wall of the U-shaped groove is used to form a limiting guide for the side wall of the bar.

8. The feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material storage unit (20) comprises: A material storage barrel (21) having a material storage cavity for storing rod materials; Two opposite spiral grooves (23) are respectively provided in the material storage barrel (21) at the upper and lower ends of the material storage chamber, and the upper and lower ends of the rod material are respectively fitted in the spiral grooves (23) at the upper and lower sides; The discharge port (22) is formed on the side wall of the storage barrel (21) and is connected to the end of the spiral groove (23); when the rods move outward along the spiral groove (23), the rods are sequentially discharged from the discharge port (22).

9. The feeding mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that: A material holding plate (24) is rotatably mounted in the material storage cavity of the material storage barrel (21), and a radial holding groove matching the outer contour size of the bar material is formed on the material holding plate (24), and the bar material is inserted into the holding groove; The material storage chamber of the material storage barrel (21) is rotatably mounted with a rotating shaft (25), the material clamping plate (24) is fixed on the rotating shaft (25), and the rotating shaft (25) is connected to a driving device.

10. The feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The auxiliary material pressing mechanism (40) further comprises a lifting motor (41) and a material pressing plate (42) fixed to the moving end of the lifting motor (41); when the bar material is transported from the material storage unit (20) to the feeding mechanism (10), the lifting motor (41) drives the material pressing plate (42) to press the bar material into the feeding mechanism (10).

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