Selective laser melting product powder cleaning device

Abstract

The utility model relates to a selective laser melting product powder cleaning device, which belongs to the technical field of laser melting product dust cleaning, and comprises a main body framework, a vibration device and a connecting component, and the vibration device is fixed on the main body framework through the connecting component; the vibration device comprises a pneumatic vibrator and a base plate mounting plate for placing a laser melting product and a base plate, and the pneumatic vibrator is fixed on the base plate mounting plate; and a clean powder recovery box is arranged below the main body framework and is used for receiving the powder falling from the vibration device. According to the utility model, dust generated by selective laser melting products can be effectively and thoroughly removed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of dust removal of laser-melted products, and in particular relates to a dust cleaning device for selected-area laser-melted products. Background Art

[0002] The statements herein merely provide background art related to the present invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] Metal selective laser products refer to equipment or products that use selective laser technology (such as selective laser sintering SLS, selective laser melting SLM, etc.) to process and manufacture metals. When cleaning the residual powder after the metal selective laser product is formed, since there is a large amount of powder in the inner cavity of the formed product and the auxiliary block support that needs to be cleaned and recovered, the powder suction device equipped with the equipment can only clean and recover the powder on the surface and the forming chamber, but cannot clean and recover the powder in the inner cavity of the product and the auxiliary block support. In response to this, some special powder cleaning devices came into being, but the inventors found that the existing powder cleaning devices still have some technical problems, such as:

[0004] (1) The vibrating powder cleaning device with patent application number CN217192583U removes and collects dust inside parts through multi-angle vibration of a robotic arm. However, the device structure is too complicated, making it difficult to clean the powder inside the powder cleaning chamber.

[0005] (2) Patent application number CN207996863U is a device for cleaning powder of metal 3D printed parts. It focuses on how to achieve mechanical vibration of metal substrates, parts, and support structures at different positions. However, the powder cleaning and recovery device is not sealed, so the dust cleaned during the powder cleaning process will fall to various places, causing dust pollution.

[0006] (3) Patent application number CN218050326U is a high-efficiency 3D printing metal powder cleaning device that achieves simultaneous powder cleaning by vibrating components and blowing air with an air gun in an inert environment, and adds a collection device; however, the powder cleaning angle is relatively single, resulting in a general powder cleaning effect. Utility Model Content

[0007] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a powder cleaning device for selective laser melting products, which is used to effectively and thoroughly remove dust generated by the selective laser melting products.

[0008] A powder cleaning device for a selective laser melting product comprises a main body structure, a vibration device and a connecting assembly, wherein the vibration device is fixed to the main body structure via the connecting assembly;

[0009] The vibration device includes a pneumatic vibrator and a substrate mounting plate for placing the laser-melted product and the substrate, and the pneumatic vibrator is fixed on the substrate mounting plate; a powder recovery box is provided below the main structure, and the powder recovery box is used to receive powder falling from the vibration device.

[0010] As a further technical solution, the main structure includes an outer frame and a box body, and the outer frame and the box body are an integrated structure; the interior of the box body is hollow and square funnel-shaped, and the outer frame forms two symmetrical circular grooves at the two opposite facades on the upper part of the box body, and a first through hole is opened in each of the two circular grooves, and the two first through holes are symmetrical.

[0011] As a further technical solution, the connecting assembly includes a square-to-circular connecting member and a support plate; the square head end of the square-to-circular connecting member is located below the substrate mounting plate and is connected to the pneumatic vibrator through the substrate mounting plate, and the round head end of the square-to-circular connecting member is connected to the support plate through a first through hole; wherein the size of the round head end of the square-to-circular connecting member matches the size of the first through hole.

[0012] As a further technical solution, the connecting assembly also includes a spring arranged in the circular groove; a cylinder is provided at the inner bottom of the circular groove, one end of the spring is connected to the cylinder, and the other end of the spring is connected to the support plate.

[0013] As a further technical solution, there is a polygonal section on the round head end of the square-to-circular connector, and a threaded hole is provided on each face of the polygon.

[0014] As a further technical solution, a second through hole and a positioning hole are opened at the lower part of the support plate; the size of the second through hole matches the size of the round head end of the square-to-circular connector; the positioning hole is used to fix the round head end of the square-to-circular connector in a set position by inserting a positioning bolt.

[0015] As a further technical solution, the powder cleaning recovery box is a rectangular box-shaped structure with an open top and a hollow interior; inward buckling grooves are provided on the three upper sides of the powder cleaning recovery box, and an L-shaped extension corresponding to the inward buckling grooves is provided on the bottom of the box.

[0016] As a further technical solution, the powder cleaning device further includes a dust cover, which is a rectangular box-shaped structure with an opening at the bottom and a hollow interior, and is used to be placed above the main structure.

[0017] As a further technical solution, the upper edge of the box body is higher inwardly and lower outwardly; the outward dimension of the box body matches the dust cover.

[0018] As a further technical solution, the substrate mounting plate is in the shape of a special-shaped flat plate, and a third through hole is provided at each of the six corners of the substrate mounting plate.

[0019] Beneficial effects of one or more of the above technical solutions:

[0020] (1) The product powder cleaning device provided by the present invention relies on a vibration device for cleaning powder. The vibration device includes a pneumatic vibrator and a base plate mounting plate for placing laser-melted products. The pneumatic vibrator is fixed to the base plate mounting plate. The structure is simple. The vibration of the pneumatic vibrator alone can drive the dust on the product to slide off the base plate mounting plate, thereby achieving effective and thorough removal of dust generated by the selective laser melting of products.

[0021] (2) The utility model is provided with a powder recovery box below the main structure, and the powder recovery box is used to receive the powder dropped from the vibration device; a dust cover is provided above the box body. This ensures that all the dust removed during the powder cleaning process falls into the powder recovery box, thereby preventing dust pollution.

[0022] (3) The support plate of the present invention has a second through hole and a positioning hole formed in its lower portion. The size of the second through hole matches the size of the round end of the square-to-circular connector. The positioning hole is used to secure the round end of the square-to-circular connector in a set position by inserting a positioning bolt. By rotating the square-to-circular connector, the powder cleaning angle of the vibration device can be adjusted, thereby enhancing the powder cleaning effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The drawings in the specification, which constitute a part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of this application. The illustrative embodiments of this application and their descriptions are used to explain this application and do not constitute a limitation on this application.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a powder cleaning device for selective laser melting products in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0025] Figure 2 It is a structural diagram of the main structure in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of the powder recovery box in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of the connecting component from a first angle in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the second angle structure of the connecting component in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0029] In the figure, 1 is the main structure; 11 is the outer frame; 111 is the cylinder; 112 is the circular groove; 12 is the box body; 121 is the "L"-shaped extension; 122 is the first through hole; 123 is the air pipe hole; 124 is the box body hole; 13 is the universal wheel; 2 is the vibration device; 21 is the base plate mounting plate; 211 is the mounting hole; 212 is the third through hole; 22 is the pneumatic vibrator; 3 is the powder recovery box; 31 is the inner buckle groove; 32 is the box hole; 4 is the dust cover; 5 is the connecting component; 51 is the spring; 52 is the support plate; 521 is the second through hole; 522 is the positioning hole; 53 is the square to round connector; 54 is the positioning bolt; 6 is the laser melting product; 7 is the air pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The specific implementation of this embodiment is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Reference Figure 1 The embodiment of the present utility model provides a powder cleaning device for selective laser melting products, comprising a main frame 1, a vibration device 2 and a connecting component 5, wherein the vibration device 2 is fixed to the main frame 1 through the connecting component 5;

[0032] The vibration device 2 includes a pneumatic vibrator 22 and a substrate mounting plate 21 for placing the laser-melted product 6 and the substrate. The pneumatic vibrator 22 is fixed to the substrate mounting plate 21. During the actual powder cleaning process, the substrate is fixed to the substrate mounting plate 21 through the mounting holes 211 in the substrate mounting plate 21, and the laser-melted product to be cleaned is placed on the substrate. During printing, the laser-melted product is stacked layer by layer on the substrate, firmly bonded to the substrate. After the product is formed, the powder cleaning operation is performed. After the powder cleaning is completed, the laser-melted product can be cut from the substrate using wire cutting.

[0033] Reference Figure 4 、 Figure 5 The substrate mounting plate 21 is in the shape of a special-shaped flat plate, and a third through hole 212 is formed at each of the six corners of the substrate mounting plate 21 .

[0034] Specifically, a pneumatic vibrator 22 is mounted at each end of the base plate 21. The pneumatic vibrator 22 is fixed to the base plate 21 by bolts, i.e., one end of the bolt passes through the third through-hole 212 and connects to the bottom of the pneumatic vibrator 22, and the other end of the bolt connects to the upper portion of the square end of the square-to-circular connector 53. The upper portion of the square end of the square-to-circular connector 53 is provided with a threaded hole corresponding to the bolt. The remaining four third through-holes 212 not used to fix the pneumatic vibrator 22 assist the powder in flowing away quickly, achieving a weight reduction effect while not easily leaving residual powder. Since a powder recovery box 3 is provided below the main structure 1, the powder recovery box 3 can receive powder that falls from the vibration device 2.

[0035] Reference Figure 2 The main structure 1 includes an outer frame 11 and a housing 12, which are integrally formed. The housing 12 is hollow and square, funnel-shaped, facilitating the flow and collection of powder. The outer frame 11 forms two symmetrical circular grooves 112 on two opposing exterior surfaces of the upper portion of the housing 12. Each of the circular grooves 112 includes a first through hole 122 and an airway hole 123. The two first through holes 122 are symmetrical, and the two airway holes 123 are also symmetrical. A cylinder 111 is provided at the inner bottom of the circular groove 112.

[0036] Specifically, each pneumatic vibrator 22 is equipped with an air pipe 7, which passes through the air pipe hole 123 and is connected to the pneumatic vibrator 22, that is, one end of the air pipe is connected to the compressed air, and the other end of the air pipe passes through the air pipe hole and is connected to the pneumatic vibrator; in the specific implementation process, an air gun can also be used to blow away the residual powder in the complex flow channel or a rubber hammer can be used to knock and clear the powder. The flow channel is a complex pipeline inside the product.

[0037] Reference Figure 4 、 Figure 5 , the connecting assembly 5 includes a square-to-circular connecting member 53 and a support plate 52; the square head end of the square-to-circular connecting member 53 is located below the substrate mounting plate 21 and is connected to the pneumatic vibrator 22 through the third through hole 212 on the substrate mounting plate 21, and the round head end of the square-to-circular connecting member 53 is connected to the support plate 52 through the first through hole 122; wherein, the size of the round head end of the square-to-circular connecting member 53 matches the size of the first through hole 122, that is, the round head end of the square-to-circular connecting member 53 can just pass through the first through hole 122.

[0038] Furthermore, the connection assembly 5 includes a spring disposed within the circular groove 112; one end of the spring 51 is connected to the cylinder 111, and the other end of the spring 51 is connected to the support plate 52. During design and installation, the spring 51 is given sufficient preload pressure. This preload pressure is designed to be greater than the total weight of the substrate and printed product 6. After the substrate and printed product 6 are mounted on the substrate mounting plate 21, their gravity can offset some of the preload pressure, thereby preventing the spring 51 from shifting and providing support and cushioning. To add preload to the spring 51, the preload can be applied by inserting a screw or thread into the spring.

[0039] Furthermore, the round end of the square-to-circular connector 53 has a polygonal section, and each face of the polygon is provided with a threaded hole. Preferably, in this embodiment, the polygon is an octagon. During operation, the polygonal threaded hole is rotated and the square-to-circular connector is fixed to the positioning hole on the support plate 52 via a positioning bolt 54, thereby fixing the vibration device connected to the square-to-circular connector in a certain orientation. Specifically, the lower portion of the support plate 52 is provided with a second through hole 521 and a positioning hole 522. The size of the second through hole 521 matches the size of the round end of the square-to-circular connector 53, that is, the round end of the square-to-circular connector 53 can just pass through the second through hole 521 on the support plate 52. The positioning hole 522 is used to fix the round end of the square-to-circular connector 53 in a set orientation by inserting a positioning bolt 54, that is, the positioning bolt passes through the positioning hole and is tightened on the threaded hole on the polygonal section of the round end, thereby adjusting the placement angle of the vibration device 2 and determining the powder cleaning angle of the substrate and printed product 6. When adjusting the placement angle, pins and pin holes can also be used instead of bolts and threaded holes for fixing.

[0040] Reference Figure 3 The powder recovery box 3 is a rectangular box-shaped structure with an open top and a hollow interior; an inward buckle groove 31 is provided on the three sides of the upper part of the powder recovery box 3, and an L-shaped extension 121 corresponding to the inward buckle groove 31 is provided at the bottom of the box body 12, so that the powder recovery box 3 is suspended at the bottom of the box body 12, which is easy to collect the fallen powder and there is no dead corner area for powder accumulation.

[0041] Furthermore, the other side of the upper part of the powder recovery box 3 is an extension structure, and the extension structure is provided with a box hole 32 for installing a fixing bolt. The position of the box hole 32 corresponds to the position of the box hole 124 at the bottom of the box body 12 structure. When the powder recovery box 3 is installed and hung at the bottom of the box body 12, bolts are used to pass through the box hole 32 and the box hole 124 in sequence to fix the powder recovery box 3 to prevent the powder recovery box 3 from falling off or moving during vibration cleaning.

[0042] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the powder recovery box is fixed by bolts, and can also be fixed by using a magnetic device or a caliper, which is not limited by the present invention.

[0043] Reference Figure 1 The powder cleaning device further includes a dust cover 4, which is a rectangular box-shaped structure with an open bottom and a hollow interior. The upper edge of the box body 12 is higher inward and lower outward; the outer dimensions of the box body 12 match the outer dimensions of the dust cover 4. The dust cover 4 is placed above the main structure 1 to prevent metal powder from scattering in the air, polluting the environment, and causing personal injury.

[0044] Furthermore, the dust cover 4 is made of a square transparent acrylic material, which can simultaneously prevent dust and provide real-time observation. The box body 12 is made of a stainless steel sheet with a roughness of no more than Ra1.6μm. The interior is smooth, and the welds are smoothed to eliminate dead corners and prevent residual powder. Cleaning with alcohol is sufficient. The bottom of the box body 12 can be tilted at a certain angle (3° to 10°) relative to the horizontal plane to facilitate the insertion of the powder recovery box.

[0045] Reference Figure 4 The substrate mounting plate 21 also reserves corresponding mounting holes 211 for substrates of different sizes, which can be used to clean residual powder on products such as laser melting products 6 of different models (such as parts printed by metal 3D printing equipment).

[0046] Reference Figure 2 Four universal wheels 13 are installed at the bottom of the outer frame 11 to facilitate the movement of the equipment.

[0047] Working principle:

[0048] The existing powder cleaning device has a complex structure, is prone to residual powder or is difficult to clean itself, resulting in waste and safety hazards. If the problem of powder recovery and reuse is considered, there is a risk of powder contamination. It can only be used as a dedicated powder equipment and cannot be used to clean parts of various materials. The powder cleaning cost is high, resulting in waste of resources.

[0049] This device mounts the selected laser melted part and its substrate on a vibrating device 2. The product and substrate are then positioned and adjusted using positioning bolts 54 on the square-to-circular connectors 53 on either side of the vibrating device 2 and positioning holes 522 on the support plate 52. Compressed air is then supplied to the gas vibrators 22 mounted at each end of the vibrating device 2, activating the vibration mode to achieve the desired effect of vibration-driven powder removal. During the vibration-driven powder removal process, residual powder in the product part cavity and support is removed and falls into the stainless steel main frame 1. It is then collected and recycled in the bottom drawer of the housing 12. The stainless steel main frame features a one-piece, mirror-finished, open structure, making it easy to clean. It can be wiped with alcohol or rinsed with water, eliminating difficult-to-clean corners. The bottom of the housing features an outward-flapping flange, eliminating residual powder. The powder recovery box 3 is easily disassembled to remove the collected powder. Therefore, this powder removal device facilitates the removal and recovery of residual powder from parts printed with various powder materials. The vibrating device 2 is connected to the main frame 1 via a threaded connection, making disassembly simple and facilitating cleaning of the internal cavity. The vibration source is compressed air, which is safe, energy-saving, and environmentally friendly. There is no need to install a specific power supply or lay wires. The equipment does not need to be fixed in the same place and can be moved as needed. The substrate mounting plate 21 on the vibration device 2 is designed with corresponding installation dimensions and positions according to the positions and dimensions of the mounting holes of substrates of different sizes, which is suitable for cleaning residual powder of printed products of various devices. The connecting component 5 is used to connect the vibration device 2 and the main structure 1, and add pre-tightening force to the spring 51. The length of the spring remains unchanged before and after the installation of the vibration device 2 and the product, which can play a buffering role during operation without causing displacement. Based on this, the utility model can achieve effective and thorough removal of dust generated by selective laser melting products.

[0050] Although the above describes the specific implementation methods of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it does not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Technical personnel in the relevant field should understand that on the basis of the technical solution of the present invention, various modifications or variations that can be made by technical personnel in this field without creative work are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A powder cleaning device for selective laser melting products, characterized in that: include: A main body structure, a vibration device and a connecting assembly, wherein the vibration device is fixed to the main body structure via the connecting assembly; The vibration device includes a pneumatic vibrator and a substrate mounting plate for placing the laser-melted product and the substrate, and the pneumatic vibrator is fixed on the substrate mounting plate; a powder recovery box is provided below the main structure, and the powder recovery box is used to receive powder falling from the vibration device.

2. The powder cleaning device for selective laser melting products according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The main structure includes an outer frame and a box body, and the outer frame and the box body are an integrated structure; The interior of the box is hollow and square funnel-shaped. The outer frame forms two symmetrical circular grooves at two opposite outer facades on the upper part of the box. A first through hole is opened in each of the two circular grooves, and the two first through holes are symmetrical.

3. A powder cleaning device for selective laser melting products according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The connecting assembly includes a square-to-circular connecting piece and a support plate; The square head end of the square-to-circular connector is located below the substrate mounting plate and is connected to the pneumatic vibrator through the substrate mounting plate, and the round head end of the square-to-circular connector is connected to the support plate through a first through hole; wherein the size of the round head end of the square-to-circular connector matches the size of the first through hole.

4. The powder cleaning device for selective laser melting products according to claim 3, characterized in that: The connecting assembly also includes a spring arranged in the circular groove; a cylinder is arranged at the inner bottom of the circular groove, one end of the spring is connected to the cylinder, and the other end of the spring is connected to the support plate.

5. The powder cleaning device for selective laser melting products according to claim 3, characterized in that: The round head end of the square-to-round connector has a polygonal section, and each face of the polygon is provided with a threaded hole.

6. The powder cleaning device for selective laser melting products according to claim 3, characterized in that: A second through hole and a positioning hole are provided at the lower portion of the support plate; the size of the second through hole matches the size of the round head end of the square-to-circular connector; the positioning hole is used to fix the round head end of the square-to-circular connector in a set position by inserting a positioning bolt.

7. The powder cleaning device for selective laser melting products according to claim 2, characterized in that: The powder cleaning recovery box is a rectangular box-shaped structure with an open top and a hollow interior; inward buckling grooves are provided on the three upper sides of the powder cleaning recovery box, and an L-shaped extension corresponding to the inward buckling grooves is provided on the bottom of the box.

8. The powder cleaning device for selective laser melting products according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a dust cover, which is a rectangular box-shaped structure with an opening at the bottom and a hollow interior, and is used to be placed above the main structure.

9. The powder cleaning device for selective laser melting products according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper edge of the box body is higher inwardly and lower outwardly; the outward dimension of the box body matches the dust cover.

10. The powder cleaning device for selective laser melting products according to claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate mounting plate is in the shape of a special-shaped flat plate, and a third through hole is respectively provided at six corners of the substrate mounting plate.

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